Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

A Proverbs 31 Woman {Week 1}

Nearly two years ago, I did a Bible Study here on the blog of the Proverbs 31 woman.  I really enjoyed going through the study with y’all and learning all that I could.  I thought this would be a great time to revisit the study and hopefully learn something new!  Each Sunday we’ll have a new post with a breakdown of a verse or two, until we make our way to the end.  It’s 12 weeks, finishing up right before Christmas.  I’m so super excited to share this study with y’all.

I have striven, for years, to serve God in every aspect of my lives.  I’ve just always had this drawing to the Proverbs 31 woman and thought if I learned more about her, that would help me serve Him better. Seems to have it all together, doesn’t she y’all? She blesses her husband, manages her home, plants vineyards, weaves cloth, helps the poor, travels to the ends of the earth for good food and apparently never sleeps. She also is dignified, optimistic about the future, always wise, and amazingly kind. I mean, it’s not like she was busy or anything.

In the meantime, here I am just muddling through. Trying to balance running kids, laundry, housework, meal prep, doctor appointments and family time. She seemed to just glide gracefully through her million things while I have a hard time juggling my few.

I want everything to be perfect. Perfectly perfect. I want to have the perfect balance, perfect marriage, be a perfect parent and run a perfect household. I want to be the proverbs 31 woman. I want to do it all and be it all.

Going through this study, I realized it’s not about be “perfect.” It’s about living life with purpose, diligence, priorities, forgiveness and repentance.

I have to say, Solomon is one of my favorite Bible authors.  Song of Solomon is among my favorites as well, even having a tattoo of one of the verses on my back.  So knowing that Solomon wrote Proverbs 31 made me super happy and made me want to learn more!  Proverbs 31 is a beautiful poem of the characteristics of a virtuous woman and noble wife. While the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon but when we come to Chapter 31, there is a new voice. It’s a mother’s voice, telling her son what to look for in his life partner. It was Solomon writing the advice his mother, Bathsheba, had given him. Solomon wrote it using his pseudonym name, King Lemuel. It’s not just wisdom given from a mother to her son, it’s God’s Word. It’s what we, as women, are to attain to. What we should strive to be.  Let’s read through it’s entirely before beginning our study.

A wife of noble character who can find? 
She is worth far more than rubies. 
Her husband has full confidence in her 
and lacks nothing of value. 
She brings him good, not harm, 
all the days of her life. 
She selects wool and flax 
and works with eager hands. 
She is like the merchant ships, 
bringing her food from afar. 
She gets up while it is still dark; 
she provides food for her family 
and portions for her servant girls. 
She considers a field and buys it; 
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 
She sets about her work vigorously; 
her arms are strong for her tasks. 
She sees that her trading is profitable, 
and her lamp does not go out at night. 
In her hand she holds the distaff 
and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 
She opens her arms to the poor 
and extends her hands to the needy. 
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; 
for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 
She makes coverings for her bed; 
she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 
Her husband is respected at the city gate, 
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 
She makes linen garments and sells them, 
and supplies the merchants with sashes. 
She is clothed with strength and dignity; 
she can laugh at the days to come. 
She speaks with wisdom, 
and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
She watches over the affairs of her household 
and does not eat the bread of idleness. 
Her children arise and call her blessed; 
her husband also, and he praises her: 
“Many women do noble things, 
but you surpass them all.” 
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 
Give her the reward she has earned, 
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 
Proverbs 31:10-31 

This week we’ll begin our study on verse 10.  It begins with A wife of noble character who can find?The King James Version has this verse as Who can find a virtuous woman?  So what would this wife of noble character look like?  When we look up the definition of virtuous, it says having or showing high moral standards and chaste.  The definition of noble says having dignity and elevation.  So set your standards and morals high ladies.

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. 
Proverbs 12:4 

The second part of verse 10 says She is worth far more than rubies. This virtuous woman is so rare that when you find her, she will be worth more to you than rubies. We are not called to be women of the world, who are very easy to find. We are to be rare and hard to find.  God attaches a pretty high value to this rare, virtuous woman.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 
Proverbs 3:15 

Don’t get discouraged when you read all the Proverbs 31 woman accomplished.  It’s sure easy to do reading all that.  But we need to remember these aren’t things she did all in one day. This is what she completed over her lifetime. She drew all her strength from God and He enabled her.  She fixed her eyes on Him and never looked elsewhere. Wow, what an amazing example for us to follow!

While I was doing my study, I was searching around the internet and trying to learn all I could about this amazing lady. I was shocked at some of the opinions women had of her. I saw comments like “this passage is all about women being slaves to their household and that it’s chauvinistic”. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, we do live in a fallen world. But I’ve always saw the virtuous woman as this beautiful woman that I WANT to be.

This chickie is far from a Proverbs 31 woman but it sure is my heart’s desire to be one. I believe if you love God and you want to be a Proverbs 31 woman, you absolutely can. But the only way to do that is by fixing your eyes on Him. Get in His word and read it. Spend time with Him. It’s going to take some time and there will definitely be some bumps in the road.  There will be lots of heart work God will need to do on us to develop our noble and virtuous character.  And those moments might be ouchie.  He sure does love you right where you are but he doesn’t want you to stay there, He has much better things planned for you.

Come back next Sunday to continue our study on this amazing virtuous woman!

Pray More, Worry Less {Thanking}

Welcome to the third week of the study Pray More, Worry Less. Sorry it’s a few days late. I’m so super excited for this weeks subject, being thankful.

Throughout our lives, we’ve all faced struggles. We’ve all made a mess of our lives at times. We’ve all had seasons of storms when it seems you can’t even see the shore. No matter what form this season of your life comes in, we all know what struggling feels like. Every single one of us. And it’s not a good feeling. And normally (in my case), it’s not pretty. What makes the struggles a little easier to bear? Knowing we have someone to lean on. It’s so comforting to know that during those times, we are never ever truly alone.

It is not easy to be thankful in every circumstance. But when we choose to thank God in the midst of difficulty, it defeats the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm. When we thank God for every gift He has given us even when things are hard, the enemy loses the battle against us. He is stopped in his tracks when we come to God with a thankful heart.

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound, Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and hungry, both to abound and suffer need.
Philippians 4:12

Most of us are familiar with the trials and tribulations of Apostle Paul as he traveled and spread the gospel. At one point, Apostle Paul was in prison along with Silas.

Even in this situation–jail–Apostle Paul still resounded with joy. He and Silas had a devotional service right in their prison cell. You see, Apostle Paul lived for Jesus and for no other reason! And, Paul was grateful–even while he was in prison. In the darkest days of his life, he wrote Philippians, the most positive book in the Bible.

Paul knew the power of a thankful life. He was thankful in good times and bad. He knew that God was conforming him to His image through every trial he faced, if he handled it correctly. He knew that a heart overflowing with thanksgiving could turn any situation around for good.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thanksgiving is defined as the expression of gratitude, especially to God. Giving thanks to God for all of His blessings should be something that sets believers apart. We can’t allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart or change our relationship with God.

Be thankful for where you are! Be thankful for the job that you do have! Your house may not be as fancy as some others, but it’s yours. You may not even own a house–be thankful that you have somewhere to live–a place of rest. If there is nothing else to be thankful for, be thankful you have Jesus! It’s not about getting things in life, it’s about having a relationship with Jesus!

No matter what this hard season is, throughout pain and despair and when things are at their worst, there is always always always something for which you can thank God.Paul had been through so much, more than we could ever imagine. Yet, he was thankful. When asked how he did it, Paul replied, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

We tend to forget how blessed we are and focus solely on the problems we have. We need to switch our focus to how much the Lord has done for us, how good it is to still have joy, how good it is to be alive and well.

Pray More, Worry Less {Trusting}

Hey y’all, welcome to the second week of our Bible study on praying more and worrying less.  If you missed last week’s lesson, you can check it out HERE.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4

We all have needs, desires, worries and concerns.  Sometimes not knowing the difference between them.  We know what would make us happy and we pray for it with all our might, asking God to help us get it.  I mean surely because we prayed for it we should get it, right?  And really, since it’s our life, we know what the right answer should be.  When we don’t get it, we feel frustrated and disappointed.  Or we actually get what we want, but find it doesn’t make us happy as we thought.  Then many times we blame God for not holding up His end of the deal.

It comes down to one thing…trusting God.  Trusting His timing, His answer, His plan and His heart.  The remedy for anxiety and worry is complete trust and confidence in God’s ability to deal with anything that threatens us.

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
1 Peter 4:19

God has promised peace of mind to those of us who are willing to commit our worries and anxieties to Him.  That’s where we (read this as where I) mess up. We want to trust in anything rather than the Lord. We’ll trust in our own abilities (hello diet failures), in peoples judgment of us, in our money or our doctor. But the Lord? Well…

Who do you trust more: yourself or God? When we trust that God will provide for us and we need not worry about anything, we are freed to love God and neighbor. When I trust that God will continue to bless me, as God has always done, it’s absolutely freeing and the weight is lifted off my shoulders. When I trust God to be God, I don’t have to be!

Sometimes it takes reminders…day after day or minute after minute, that God rules.  He is still in control of all the situations life throws at us.  He can take your troubles, hold them in His hands and create something beautiful {Isaiah 61:3}.  The enemy wants nothing more than to have the pain in your life destroy you. But thankfully, our God is bigger!  He can bring good out of any situation or hardship if we only put our trust in Him.


This week, take some time to consider where you put your trust.