"What's the Scoop on........the Proverbs 31 Woman?"

Arlene’s message on Tuesday was on the Proverbs 31 Woman.  Although the mention of her name might evoke a feeling of dread,  Arlene taught us that there is no need to be afraid.  Her lesson dispelled these feelings of fear by giving us practical ways to apply the truths found in these verses to our lives.  Please read Proverbs 31:10-30.

Many of us in the Tuesday morning group are taking part in the “31 in 31” challenge – reading through the book of Proverbs during the month of March. Our slogan is “31 Days to a Wiser You”.  Proverbs is a book of wisdom.  Wisdom is not merely knowledge but it is the ability to function successfully in life. It is practical. God gives us wisdom so that we will glorify Him in our daily lives.  Arlene pointed out that in Scripture, all wisdom has a feminine value.  (Similar to the way a boat would be a ‘she’.)  The woman we see in Proverbs 31 is wisdom personified, that is what wisdom looks like in a practical sense. The precepts contained in these verses could be applied to both men and women.

A)  Wisdom manages her fears and responds with courage.  In verse 10, the Proverbs 31 Woman is said to have noble character.  In scripture this word gives us the image of a warrior, someone full of strength, valor, and victorious.

B)  Wisdom manages her time well.  We manage our time well by preparing for the day ahead and being organized. We also have to invest time into our relationships. The fruit of this investment can be found in Proverbs 31:28, “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her”.   Arlene asked us to consider some things that may steal our time: unproductive relationships, abundance of possessions,  a disorganized home.

C) Wisdom manages her treasure well. God will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.  We can also find wisdom regarding our treasure in Proverbs 30:7-9, “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Of course God wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us. This includes spending our money carefully.  It would be wisdom to save up money for a big purchase rather than going into debt by buying impulsively.

D)  Wisdom manages her talents well. Managing our talents means that we use our skills where they will most benefit our families.  We need to be aware of our own limitations and  also recognize the gifts that he has put in those around us. He desires us to be dependant of each other as well as on Himself.  Being self-sufficient is not a gift from God.

E)  Wisdom manages her tongue. It says in Proverbs 31: “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue”. God has much to say about our tongue and our words throughout scripture. Our words are to be filled with grace, seasoned with salt, and pleasing to God.

To help us understand wisdom, Arlene gave us the image of wisdom being a rare treasure.  She asked us ‘if wisdom is the treasure than what is the key to unlocking it?’.   The answer is found in Isaiah 33:6, “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure”.  It also says in Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.  In order to better grasp this concept Arlene gave us three facets of this precious key which is fear of the Lord.

Admiration:  Some of the innumerable qualities of the Lord we admire are his: omnipresence, omnipotence, transcendence, righteousness, and holiness.

Amazement: There is so much that amazes us about God. He loves us unconditionally. He rejoices over us. We are precious in His sight.

Respect:  Because we accept Jesus’ death on the cross as the payment made to cover our sin we are free from the judgment to come. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).  Respecting God means accepting His discipline.  Reading through Proverbs, it is clear how important this is to God. His discipline is in love, truly for our good, in order to teach us His ways, not to punish us. God is not an abusive parent. He is preparing us for what He has in store.  The question to ask is not ‘why?’ but ‘what am I learning from this?”.

Arlene gave us four ways in which we could grow in the fear of the Lord and apply the principles that we learned to our lives.   Before explaining this more fully, she pointed out that a good test in determining if we fear the Lord is how quickly we obey Him.  When God asks us to do something, our concern shouldn’t be based on what we think the outcome will be. If He is asking you to do something, He will be with you.   

1) Fan the flame:  God tells us “I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them” (Jer. 32:39).  Growing in the fear of the Lord is a combined effort.  As we seek after God He will do a work in us.

2) Pray:  David, a man after God’s heart prayed, “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:11).  A good example to follow.

3) Regular exposure to teaching: – Attending a bible study is a great way to do this.  This is something we want to be actively engaged in, by doing our homework and taking notes.

4) Go for Depth:  You want to know God’s word for yourself, not just what other people say about it.  By doing research on your own using commentaries (many good ones are available on-line) and other study tools will bring you a depth of understanding.

“Charm is deceptive and beauty if fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”.  Proverbs 31:30