February 20, 2018

A Final Thought (5 Years, 10 Months Later!)

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 31:31

“Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

What of Us?

At long last, we have come not only to the end of a chapter, but the whole book of Proverbs (and the second time through – it’s taken SIX YEARS!). The last verse of the last chapter is both a statement of praise for the virtuous woman and a challenge for us. Wisdom will receive the fruit of her labor. Her works will praise her in the gates. But what of us? What of our works?

The virtuous woman of this chapter has done everything with wisdom and grace; she deserves what is coming to her. The product of her faithfulness, her ingenuity, her holiness, and her benevolence will speak of her in the highest places of honor. Her works are her testimony; she need not speak of herself. But what will be said of us?

Fruit? Praise?

When it all comes down to where the rubber meets the road, we will reap what we sow. If the nearly two years it took to write the “thoughts” found here on this site (or the book which hopefully will follow) were worth anything, there will be fruit, and Wisdom will be praised in the gates.

proverbial thought pictureIt is hard to believe that almost SIX WHOLE YEARS have gone by since the first post on Proverbial Thought was written back on April 1, 2012! Much has happened; much has been endured; much has been learned; many have been blessed, and many have become wiser.

But the real blessings yet to be had are the ones that will be revealed in eternity: the marriages that stayed together; the poor choices not made; the hearts made more in tune with God’s Spirit; the lives saved by simple moments of vulnerability; the eyes turned to Christ, the Wisdom of God.

Thank you, dear friends and subscribers, especially all the contributors, for a wonderful and enlightening journey through this ancient book of wisdom – God’s Wisdom. I pray it was fruitful.

Now, what next?

2 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Faithfulness, Value and Worth, Wisdom

February 19, 2018

The God-Fearing Woman

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 31:10,30.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies… Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” 

The Charming Woman:

There are three common descriptions given to women in today’s Proverb. The first one is favour. This comes from the Hebrew word chen which means grace, favour or charm. In other words, a graceful or charming woman. Charm, King Lemuel says, is deceitful – a lie, deception, disappointment, and a falsehood. Don’t be deceived by a charming woman!

I’m so glad that I’m done with the dating scene. This coming March, my wife and I will be celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary. I don’t miss the dating days at all! When you meet someone new and you are romantically interested in them, an unfortunate thing often happens – both of you will put your best foot forward, trying to impress the other person, and sadly, you don’t really get to know that person well. They might seem charming, but it could be an act.

This is why I think it’s so important for you to get to know a person on a friendship level for an extended period of time before you even consider dating (or courting, whatever you prefer). My wife Liza and I got to know each other in this way and had become best friends for about a year before we ever started dating. In doing so, we had a chance to observe and evaluate the other person’s character without fear of charming deception. It’s a wise thing to do.

The Beautiful Woman:

The second description that King Lemuel gives to a woman is that of beauty. But beauty, he says, is vain – vanity, a vapor, or a breath. In other words, it’s not going to last! How many men have chosen a woman to marry just because she was beautiful, and yet she lacked any sort of inner beauty or godly character? Now, this is not to say that men looking for a wife need to look for someone who’s as ugly as a dog – no! But what it means is that there is something far more important and valuable than an external beauty that will one day fade away, and that is an inner beauty of the character of a woman who fears the Lord.

A God-Fearing Woman:

At the beginning of his poem, King Lemuel asks the question: “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” As we come to the end of his treatise, he declares: “A woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” In other words, the ultimate character trait of a virtuous woman is someone who fears and respects the Lord. She not only calls Him Lord, but she also submits her life to Him and His Word. She shuns sin, and strives to live a pure and holy life. And this is the sort of woman who will be praised, and shine brightly!

This is my final devotional post on the Proverbial Thought blog. It has been a joy and a blessing to write alongside of such a great team of men (and one young lady) from around the world, and I wish you all the best as you continue to serve the Lord in every area of your lives. And reader – may you be richly blessed as you put God’s Word first in your life, too!

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February 17, 2018

My Daughters

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 31:29 

“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.”

What Matters

Over the years I have met many people. Sadly, many of those cared not about the virtues praised in this chapter, only fame, popularity, wealth, and beauty. Parents are often more concerned with whether or not their daughters make the team, wear the crown, win the ribbon, get the rich husband, or fit into that certain dress.

IMG_8999

Alicia on her wedding day.

However, I don’t care so much about all those things. Sure, I want my daughters to be liked and well-off. It even makes me swell with pride when they win awards or turn heads with a glamorous gown. What matters to me is that they become women of honor, courage, strength, and faith. What matters most is that they honor God.

Praise

Unfortunately, most girls get praised for being sexy, selfish, and seductive. Instead of praising the hard-working woman who is faithful to her husband and God, who takes care of her family, we tune in each week to reality shows that make millionaires out of harlots and place a premium on vanity, not virtue.

Haley and Katie @ Bryan College

Moms and dads, husbands, it is our responsibility to praise the woman “that feareth the Lord” (31:30). Whether they be young and in school, or mothers and grandmothers, our “daughters” should be praised for doing “virtuously.” And what higher praise could there be than to say, “Of all the virtuous, godly, Proverbs 31-like women in the world, you are the best“?

That is the praise my wife desires. That’s the praise I hope to teach my daughters to seek.

 

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in advice, desire, Giving Honor, Parenting, Value and Worth

February 16, 2018

Blessed

By David

Proverbs 31:10, 28 

Who can find such a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies….
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

This last chapter of Proverbs has provided the male contributors to Proverbial Thought with several opportunities to reflect on the blessing of a good wife. Perhaps that is something all husbands should do more frequently. Perhaps by taking stock more often husbands would be prompted to praise their marriage partners instead of taking them for granted.

This challenge applies to our children too. How often do children fall into the same trap as their father and fail to appreciate just how blessed they are by their mother? This does saddle fathers with additional responsibility. If children see their father taking their mother for granted then it seems inevitable that they will fail to truly value the blessings they receive from their mother.

Marilyn and Reuben copySo here in my final entry as a contributor to Proverbial Thought I want to take the opportunity to thank my wife Marilyn. It is difficult to adequately express my gratitude. In two months we will celebrate our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. As I look back on those thirty-five years I know that God has blessed me beyond anything I have ever deserved in a wife, and I thank Him for what I consider to be an arranged marriage. When God chose us for each other He knew what He was doing. He always does.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19: 3-6 NIV)

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February 14, 2018

Taking Care

By Daniel M. Klem

Proverbs 31:27

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Dutifully Looking After

As we continue our look at the virtuous, godly wife, we see that she takes care of her home.

She makes sure her family is taken care of, that the chores are taken care of, that obligations are taken care of, and everything is in order.

“[She] eateth not the bread of idleness.” She does not see the mess in the living room and think, “That can wait.” Instead, she makes sure it gets picked up. She does not see the dishes in the sink and think, “I will do that after dinner.” She knows that putting something off until later generally keeps things put off until later.

I also think that all of this means that she knows when to put aside all of the work that needs to be down around the house and have some fun and share some love with her family. The cleaning and remembering to get things done keep the house in order, but she knows her family (and friends!) need attention, too.

The Loving Bride

As the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the Church, we must remember to take care of our household. This is why having at least a basic understanding of church history and theology is important.

Just as we would not allow a sexual predator near our children, we do not want bad teaching about God to take hold.

Just as we would not allow our children to run out into a busy street, we do not want bad teaching about holy living leading people astray.

We cannot allow these to last long, because once they are entrenched in church culture and understanding, they are nearly impossible to get out. For evidence of this, just look at what happened within the Church in the past couple centuries to see all of the division and disagreement.

Heavenly Father, give us wisdom and endurance to care for each of our households. Help us keep our family strong and safe and Your Church strong and holy.

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February 12, 2018

The Rejoicing Woman

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 31:10,25.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies… Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” (KJV).
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future.” (NLT).

The Strong Woman:

The first thing we learn about our virtuous woman in this verse is that she is strong. Daniel 11:32b declares: “but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” When we take the time to get to know God, and cultivate our personal relationship with Him, we become strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 gets her strength from the Lord.

Do you want to have the strength to serve the Lord, and do everything you need to do today? The key is found in the Bible: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31). Amen!

The Honored Woman:

Not only is a virtuous woman strong, but she is also one who will be honored. Other translations of the Bible render that word honor as dignity, self-respect, beauty and nobility. A little later in King Lemuel’s poem, he writes: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Women who respect God will be honored by others.

And notice that King Lemuel says that she wears her strength and honor like clothing. She doesn’t need fancy clothes or jewelry to look beautiful – her beauty shines from the inside out.

The Rejoicing Woman:

Finally, we see that a virtuous woman shall rejoice in time to come. There is a joy that comes from living a godly, virtuous life that can’t be found anywhere else! It’s unfortunate that many people have bought the lie that anything that’s fun is sinful, and Christians can’t have fun. The Bible says that Jesus came to bring us life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10). One of my favourite Scriptures is Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Do you need more joy in your life? Joy unspeakable and full of glory? The joy of the Lord that is your strength? Then walk in the pathway of life. Live in God’s presence, where there is fullness of joy, and eternal pleasures! As you walk in holiness, happiness is not far behind. You can rejoice in the Lord always. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

p.s. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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February 11, 2018

Fine Linen

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 31:24

“She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.”

Here, in this description of a virtuous, priceless woman, we see further proof that a woman is not limited to domestic work. Although she takes care of her household, she is industrious and business-minded. She makes a product she’s proud of and not afraid to stake her family’s reputation.

Notice here, too, that she is not only a hard worker, but she knows how to make use of her time. Instead of working for every dollar (or whatever currency she uses), she lets her money work for her. Instead of setting up a stand beside the road to sell her wares, she makes her product available to be sold by a merchant.

Personally, I believe there is a little bit of cleverness in the last part of this verse. She makes a product and sells it, but she “delivereth girdles unto the merchant.” It could be that she is just making a delivery, but it might be possible that she is greasing the skids of business. She gives the merchant something special for selling her product.

A wise woman, good in business and full of virtue, is obviously going to be one that is concerned with quality and the way others in the market are treated. By following her example, men and women alike would earn a better reputation and further the cause of the faith (see 1 Timothy 3:7).

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February 10, 2018

Lessons from Pizza Night

By David

Proverbs 31:10,23 

Who can find such a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies….
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

This proverb is a reminder that how one marriage partner behaves will more than certainly impact on the life of the other. The scenario described in Proverbs 31:23 speaks of a husband receiving respect from the elders of the land because his wife ticks all the boxes in the checklist prepared by King Lemuel’s mother.

There is one thing that sticks in my mind from personal experience. When my wife was pregnant with our fourth child (and only daughter) she met a group of younger women at maternity classes. Five of them became good friends, and an institution that has become known as ‘pizza night’ came into being. The five of them meet monthly in each other’s homes where they share a meal of pizza, salad, and dessert. When I asked one of them what they talked about on a typical pizza night she laughed and replied, “most of the time we moan about our husbands!” Then she paused before adding, “but Marilyn has never ever complained about you.” I can’t place a value on that statement.

I might not sit among the elders of the land, but I am proud of a wife who chooses to stay silent when her friends are finding fault with their husbands, whether in jest or not. And I am reminded to be careful when choosing my own words.

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February 8, 2018

Richly Blessed

By Daniel M. Klem

Proverbs 31:22

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. . . .
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. (KJV)
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. (NIV)

The virtuous woman, the excellent wife, the amazing woman we all want to find. Unless you are a woman, in which case these are adjectives you probably want to hear said about you.

This woman is valued (v. 10) because she is trustworthy (vv. 11-12), wise and hardworking (vv. 13-19), and compassionate and caring (vv. 20-21).

She can also rest comfortably and dress in dignity.

While this can mean that her “coverings” mean financial security and her “silk” or “fine linen and purple” can mean financial prosperity, I offer another meaning.

Truly Blessed

The virtuous woman can sleep in comfort and security because she trusts in the Lord. All of her wise and hard work comes from “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord“, specifically “the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17, NIV).

The virtuous woman is dressed in dignity, though not necessarily because of her clothes. Instead, it is because she can say “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

People can see her wisdom, good works, and righteousness, and they respect her. She is clothed in royal robes of heavenly righteousness.

Her blessings are not because she is such a devoted wife and mother who cares for others and works hard. Her blessings are because she is all of these for her Lord and God.

Heavenly Father, may every man and woman seek Your glory and to please You above all else. By Your Holy Spirit guide us in all righteousness.

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February 6, 2018

The Best-Dressed Family

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 31:21

“She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.”

The Best

This proverb is about a mother, a wife, a woman who is not afraid of the weather forecast, for she has already made plans for the cold. But even more, it’s about a proud (in a good sense) and resourceful mother who cares enough to clothe her family with the highest quality garments.

Most people are unfamiliar with with how costly the colors scarlet and purple were back in biblical times. They are also typically unaware of the quality of garments treated with these dyes. Without going into too much detail, just to put things in perspective, to dye a shirt purple back in those days could cost the equivalent of $1,000 in today’s money. The rarity of true purple dye, the kind used for royalty, is hard for the modern mind to comprehend.

And what’s more, the dye that was used was known to preserve garments. It is reported that when Alexander the Great rode into Susa, he was presented with a scarlet robe found in one of the palaces. It was said to have been hundreds of years old, yet in perfect condition due to the preserving qualities of the dye.

She Cared

Maybe it would help if we considered what a Proverbs 31 woman is NOT. The anti-thesis of the woman in this proverb could care less how her family looks in public. She would buy the cheapest quality, even though she had money to do otherwise. She would let the kids dress themselves without concerning herself about rain, snow, or the looks of others. Essentially, she could care less about her own appearance, so why bother with her family.

I’ll never forget how my wife, when buying shoes for our children, would take them to a quality shoe store. She used to say, “I know they’re expensive, but good shoes are better for their feet…and better shoes last longer.” She invested in our children’s health. Or, as a certain greeting card company would say, she cared enough to give the best.

The Best You Have

Now, not everyone can afford “the best.” To be the best wife does not mean one has to be the richest or most stylish. The virtuous woman does not have to have access to the highest quality money can buy.

However, a good woman cares about her family, not only in how they are prepared, but how others see them. She understands that how her household is dressed is not only a reflection on herself, but on her husband as well. She does her best to send the message that her household is one that not only takes care of each other, but does it with style.

After all, a good wife is better than a queen, so why not dress her children like royalty?

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