Leviticus 17; Psalms 20 & 21; Proverbs 31; 1 Timothy 2
Proverbs 31:30-31 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Don't let the magazine rack at the checkout counter fool you. God looks at the heart! The favor of the world is deceitful. Our world is so foolish. We praise people that are outwardly attractive and inwardly full of wickedness. The outward beauty of the body is vain because it will not last. Does that mean we should neglect our bodies? Of course not, but to live for only the outward is a vain pursuit. A woman of God is the one who shall be praised! The lady who fears God is the one to model your girls on! Proverbs 31 is the description of a lady who is not wasting her life. Her aim is not to be praised by a lost world but to be praised because of the life she lives.
As her husband sits in the gate with the elders of the city, he will be known as a man who is blessed by God with a virtuous wife.
Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Her praise comes from her husband because she does him good. He completely trusts her and knows her fidelity. She is a homemaker and a mother. She is a benefactor to those who are in need. She works outside of the home at times and is involved in industry and retail. However, she does not neglect her first responsibility as wife and mother. She is praised by her husband and her children.
A woman who loves Jesus is worth more than rubies! She does not look for her identity in the things of this world. She has a new heart and a transformed mind by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Her worldview is shaped by God's Word instead of a lost world. She knows that character is beautiful to God.
1 Peter 3:3-4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Ladies, Jesus can make you a Proverbs 31 woman. Men, you need to set this vision before your daughters if you have them. Young ladies, resist the temptation to conform to the world and let God transform you by the Word. Young men, pray for a wife like this!
I have a wife like this. Her name is Wendy and I will praise her in the gate! She is a virtuous woman who does me good. Her children rise up and call her blessed. She fears God and loves Jesus. She is a treasure and I thank God for her. She is a grace gift because I do not deserve my beautiful wife.
In Christ,
Rody
