The Proverbs 31 Woman Part III

She Takes Care of Herself and is Compassionate

“She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms” Proverbs 31:17

There are so many ways to endeavor to work hard for our families. We have the wonderful pleasure of creating a beautiful home, of seeking those things that make that home beautiful. The most important thing in all these efforts is the heart of the woman. It is out of deep love for God and for her family that she willingly does all those things that will benefit her home and will make her favorable in God’s sight. She finds it a pleasure to do those things for her family – there’s a wonderful joy in loving her family this way and most importantly her God.

Now let’s take a look at this verse. 

To ‘gird up your loins’ was a term used to indicate to prepare for hard work or in the case of a man, battle. Both men and women wore long, flowing tunics at that time and when they were to prepare for anything they’d wrap their tunics through their legs and secure them in their waistband/belt.

‘with strength’

The word strength in the original Hebrew meant:  Strength: ‘owz (oze) – force, security, majesty, praise:-boldness, loud, power; Strong: ‘amats (aw-mats’) – to be alert, steadfastedly minded, prevail

So, in this verse, a woman is to prepare herself for work, hard times, events and such in her life with a sense of strength – boldness, security and I love this – praise.

We need to realize the awesome attributes of God and know that in all things – He is in control. What are some of the attributes that we can count on?

• God is Infinite – “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5
• God is Immutable – never changes – “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8
• God is Perfectly Complete – “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
• God is Omnipotent – “Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall hinder it?” Isaiah 43:13
• God is Omniscient – “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other;
  I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,” Isaiah 46:9-10
• God is Omnipresent – “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
    If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10
• God is Wise – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33

How can we apply this knowledge. Simply, by daily beginning with his words, we ‘gird up our loins’ for the day by getting close to God, learning from Him and trusting Him in all things. The best time is first thing in the morning – the perfect way to begin any day to be prepared for what is to come.

She strengtheneth her arms

As we care for our family and every thing else, we really need to remember to care for ourselves. Through her physical hard work the Virtuous woman was strengthened. She not only looked well to the ways of her household, she knew that to best take care of those things under her responsibility, she needed to care for herself.

Ways we can care for ourselves include: eat properly, get enough rest, spend time with God, get some type of exercise. A good healthy body is also coupled with a good healthy mind. What we allow in our minds and how we control our emotions help us to have a healthy outlook. Good music and praise toward God help us keep joy in our hearts.

To summarize, I believe this verse is a reminder to make sure we care for ourselves, guard our heart and mind and to completely put our trust in God.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,”  Ephesians 5:15

She Makes Sure Her Family Is Cared for All Times and All Seasons

“she is not afraid of the snow for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” Proverbs 31:21

In her preparedness and seeking out wool and flax, she has also prepared the wool and such so that her families needs are met at all times and under all conditions. She is learns about and is aware of what it takes to care for her family.

She Cares About her Appearance

“She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple” Proverbs 31:22

She is Compassionate

“She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20

With all of her daily responsibilities toward her family and her home, she is compassionate and attentive to how she can be a blessing in her community.

She does what she can to help those who need assistance. She acknowledges the blessings of the LORD in her life and realizes to best reveal Him to the world is to demonstrate His lovingkindness toward others – through her.

We all have the ability and opportunity to be a blessing to someone and we should look for and take every opportunity we can to meet the needs of another –

Love God first  – Love others.