Bird Song

Trust

The Treasure

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

     Have you ever heard the saying "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" ? Although that's debatable, there is something about precious stones that attracts us. Perhaps it's their inward fire or outward sparkle . . .or maybe we're just impressed because they are so expensive. The Proverbs 31 woman, however, is said to be even more costly than rubies! What makes this woman so valuable?
     One obvious reason springs to mind; it's because she is such a rare find. No one meanders out their front door and finds diamonds scattered on the ground (at least, I don't). This jewel of a woman isn't easily found, either. In today's world, women of strong, godly character are scarce treasures. Not many women (or girls, for that matter) accept their God-given roles as women, with all of its limitations, strengths, and privileges.
     There's another way that this woman can be compared to a jewel. At first sight, a precious stone looks like an ordinary rock. There's nothing apparently special about it. Only when someone has chipped away the imperfections and polished it, does it become beautiful. In the same way, no one is born being the Proverbs 31 woman. Someone Who knows what He's doing has to take us in hand and chip away at our imperfections, making us beautiful.
     But, you might be wondering, what is my role in becoming a godly woman? Do I just sit still and let the Master work? In one sense, yes. God is the one who began this good work in us, and He will complete it. In another sense, there is something we can -- and should -- do. We need to obey what God has shown us in His word. 
     What has He shown us specifically? I'm thrilled that you asked. Now that we know about the Proverbs 31 woman in general, we're ready to see the specifics of how she lives the life to which God has called her . . .in the upcoming posts.

The Search

     Here is the next post for the Proverbs 31 Challenge; my apologies for taking so long to get it up!

     Proverbs 31:10a “Who can find a virtuous woman?”

      It sounds simple enough. Someone is looking for a woman of virtue. If you’re like me, though, you’re thinking, “Okay, a virtuous woman. Sounds great . . but it would really help if I knew what exactly “virtue” is!” Good question. Virtue isn’t exactly a word that pops up in everyday conversation.  After digging into Webster’s dictionary and rummaging through various commentaries, I found the definition . . .and it was rather surprising. In the way it’s used in this particular verse, virtue refers to power and strength, to mental energy and moral courage. The word in Hebrew can even be used in reference to an army.

            It’s not exactly what I was expecting. Eowyn - esque images suddenly came to mind; I visualized mighty warrior maidens with swords brandished high. :)  But (sorry!) that’s not exactly what this verse means. A virtuous woman possesses strength: strength of character, mind, and even body. Let’s think a little about each one of those.

«      Strength of Character: A virtuous woman has Biblical (and thus, high) standards. She knows what she believes, and refuses to compromise on what is right. You might even say that her character is predictable; she consistently does the right thing. That really takes strength and courage!

«      Strength of mind: or, mental energy. Her mind is focused on what is right. This woman’s mind isn’t busy thinking about things that aren’t true, or worrying about things she can’t control (Does that hit home with anyone else?).

«      Strength of body: This one’s pretty simple. It means that she’s a good steward of the body God has given her. She does what is necessary to stay healthy and avoids what would be harmful.           

Perhaps right now you’re thinking “Hold on! Strength doesn’t sound very feminine! Leave the weight- lifting stuff to the guys.” Think about it, though. Remember that this is the Biblical definition of femininity -- it’s not something that someone simply made up, but rather is the Creator’s own definition of one of His creations. As we go through Proverbs 31, we’ll see that femininity doesn’t only include being quiet and gentle (though those are a big part of being feminine) and does not mean weakness. On the flip side, strength doesn’t involve being a pushy, Amazon-type woman, either!  God’s design for us is a beautiful balance of both strength and gentleness.

Have you felt the challenge yet? God desire His daughters to be women of virtue. “Who can find a virtuous woman?” Will she be found in you?   

The Challenge