Laughter of a godly woman

LAUGHTER OF A GODLY WOMAN
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Proverbs 31:25 25She is clothed with strength and
dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Woman's work
Stopford A. Brooke, LL.D.
The figures of women which pass across the pages of the Old Testament have so
much nobility and so much character that even the slight sketches of them in the
Bible have always impressed the imagination, and awakened the art of mankind.
There is that in the New Testament woman which, in the past, has lifted womanhood
into the worship of the world, and in the present has been the foundation of all that
has been given to her, and of all that she has won for herself. In this chapter is the
image of the perfect wife, done in poetry. The woman here has the attributes of
wisdom, for strength and honour clothe her, and her future is secured by it. Her
common speech is full of it, and the wisdom of speech is love. So wise is she that
trust is safe in her. Her wisdom wins love for her; her children bless her, and her
husband praises her. She is the active manager of business as well as of the
household. She has her own prosperity, her own work in life; and her charities,
which are many, are her own. This is the Jewish ideal of womanhood, yet the Jew of
the Old Testament fails to find any ideal for womanhood beyond wifehood and
motherhood. Only portions of this belong to the notions which women have in
England of wifehood and home. Each class of society — according to the amount of
money it can allot to the household — has its own separate ideal of the function of
wives and mothers. In every case loveliness and loving-kindness and wisdom and the
making of the beautiful, and the adornment of life should be by women combined
with work. There is an inexhaustible capacity in women for this twofold life, and for
complete success in it; but the idea of it is not as yet justly conceived, and there is no

steady education for it. A thousand prejudices stand in the way of such a conception,
and of the individual and free effort that it needs. The working class girls find their
work so heavy and so long, that they have not strength of body or leisure of soul to
learn what belongs to wifehood and motherhood, There is scarcely any class so
neglected, so overworked, so put upon by others, so worn out before they are thirty
years old. But there are thousands of women who can never marry and never have a
home. If they cannot be mothers, let them have the means to be eager, living, and
active women, able to work for one another, and for the world; able to invent new
work and new spheres of work, fitted for womanhood's special aims and powers,
and for the advance of the cause of humanity. This earth should be a fitting place
and home for humanity. It is not that now, and one of the reasons, and it may be the
most important of them all, is the imprisonment of the energy of womanhood, both
by men and by themselves, in a narrow individualism.
(Stopford A. Brooke, LL.D.)
The model woman
Robert Tuck, B.A.
The chief points commended in the description may be impressed if we deal with
woman's love, work, care, charity, speech, and praise.
I. HER LOVE. Shown not in professions and demonstration of affection merely, but
in trying to occupy faithfully her place. It is far better to show love than merely to
speak it. So God wants to see our love to Him in its signs.
II. HER WORK. Kinds of work for women differ according to their condition in
society; but every woman should have her work. A woman's work is first the feeding
and tending of her household; beyond this she may be able to work so as to earn.
Show how much there is that young women can do towards a living in these days.
All should try to be independent.
III. HER CARE. In the ruling of her household; finding for each member work,
food, and appropriate clothing. Watching that nothing is either wasted or lost, and
everything made the best of.
IV. HER CHARITY. Caring for the poor, and distributing of her abundance to
them. How important, as an example to the children, is a generous, charitable
mother!
V. HER SPEECH. Always prudent and kindly. Never gossiping, never slandering,

never hasty or passionate. Ever firm but gentle. See how often otherwise good
characters are spoiled by the unbridled tongue.
VI. HER PRAISE.. It comes from her husband, from her children, and even from
her God. "Supreme love to God, which is religion, is that which generates, animates,
and adorns all other virtues of character."
(Robert Tuck, B.A.)
The worth and work of woman
Richard Glarer.
By a virtuous woman is meant one who is characterised by a number of positive
virtues and excellences, and chiefly by piety, or the fear and love of God. Illustrate
this subject by the life of "Carmen Sylva," Queen of Roumania.
I. THE WORTH OF WOMAN. "Far above rubies." Let a man ask himself what
would be the worth to his heart, to his home, to his children, to society, of such a
woman as is described here — the ideal woman of God's Word, the woman that
every woman would be if she only feared God, loved His Word, imbibed His Spirit,
and moulded her character upon His most blessed teachings.
1. Consider the worth of such a woman as a daughter. This is the first relationship in
life woman is called to fulfil. Who can estimate her worth to her parents, or to her
brothers and sisters? She is not wilful, headstrong, passionate, selfish; but humble,
respectful, dutiful, affectionate. The foundation of true womanly worth is piety, the
fear and love of God. Without true religion the character has no basis. Where that is
found we may expect all the virtues to flourish into beauty.
2. The worth of such a woman as a wife. Here is an elaborate description of her
housewifely care and prudence, and industry, and economy, and the blessed effects
of all this on the happiness of her husband's heart and home, and on his character,
reputation, and prosperity. Oh, that young men would look for piety in their wives!
Nothing like that to govern their tongues, and to sweeten their tempers, and to make
them amiable, pure, and true.
II. THE WORK OF WOMAN. Home is her sphere, and her work is to make home
happy. Some women think their work is to reform and regenerate the world. So it is,
but the proper sphere for their reforming work is not in the publicities of the world,
but in the privacies of the home, in their little children's nurseries, and by the side of
the domestic hearth. I hold the worth of unmarried women in high esteem. They are

of the greatest value to society, and especially to the Church of God. No single
woman need pine in ennui for want of useful occupation.
(Richard Glarer.)
Far above rubies
W. J. Woods, B.A.
The Bible, which is the great reservoir of the rights of man is also the storehouse of
the rights of woman. Woman's Magna Charta is the Word of God. It teaches us to
honour woman; it warns every man that if he degrades woman he degrades himself,
and that everywhere man rises as he lifts woman up. This text is a woman's estimate
of what woman should be. All the parts that women have contributed to the Bible
are poems; this is no exception.
I. THE DOMESTIC QUALITIES OF WOMAN. The question of the text is indeed a
warning that the kind of woman about to be described is a model not always
attained. It is not every woman whose price is "far above rubies." In ancient times
the women made the garments which their husbands wore. We call the unmarried
woman a "spinster"; and the word wife means a "weaver." It is the woman who
keeps the house together. This is the description which a woman gives of a woman's
domestic qualities. She must be wife, she must be lady, she must be housekeeper.
II. THE PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE MODEL WOMAN. It is said that she is
strong. As far as her strength is the result of careful and conscientious attention to
the laws of health, it deserves to be described as a virtue, and a virtue that ought to
be cultivated. If the future race of men is to be strong, the present race of women
must first he strong. Then she is industrious. She not only saves the money others
have entrusted her with, and uses it well, but she uses her own energy until she sells
her own merchandise, and her industry increases her possessions till they become
such that the watch-lamp has to be lighted that at night they may be secure. Strong
and industrious, she could afford to be generous. But though she is generous, she is
provident. She is also elegant, a lover of beauty Ruskin says, "A woman's first duty
is to please, and a woman who does not please has missed her end in life." She is
beautiful in her speech. She should take an interest in everything that interests every
man in the house. She is kind, but orderly. She keeps discipline.
III. LOOK AT HER REWARD. "Her husband praiseth her." "Her children call her
blessed." The sweetest, daintiest, purest blossoms of a woman's heart will only
flourish when she is praised by him she loves best. This is the true reward of the true

woman. Her character is the secret of her power and her reward.
(W. J. Woods, B.A.)
A virtuous woman
1. The person inquired after. A virtuous woman is a woman of strength. Though the
weaker vessel, yet made strong by wisdom and grace and the fear of God. A woman
of spirit, who has the command of her own spirit, and knows how to manage other
people's, one that is pious and industrious, and a helpmeet for a man. A woman of
resolution.
2. The difficulty of meeting such an one. Good women are very scarce, and many
that seem to be so do not prove so.
3. The unspeakable value of such an one, and the value which he that hath such a
wife ought to put upon her, showing it by his thankfulness to God, and his kindness
and respect to her, whom he must never think he can do too much for.
( Matthew Henry.)
Religion for every day -- Our wives
George Bainton.
To the young womanhood it may be said — Your capability to fulfil the offices of
womanhood will be proportioned to your worth of character, and to the use you
have made, or are prepared to make, of your opportunities. Earnestness of life is the
only passport to satisfaction in life.
I. AS A WIFE, REALISE YOUR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. The husband is
the head of the household; but a wife's position does not imply inferiority. She is her
husband's companion in life and for life, to be regarded by him as his equal. The
husband is the bread-winner, the wife is the bread-keeper and distributor. In all the
affairs of domestic life the wife should maintain her position and influence. She
should insure her authority by proving her ability to do what the office of a wife
demands. Never for a moment permit your husband to feel that he may not trust the
concerns of home to your care. Act in such a way that instinctively he will know his
property, his honour, his happiness, are safe in your hands.
II. CULTIVATE ALL WOMANLY EXCELLENCES. Strengthen and enlarge the

best side of life, by developing everything in you that is good. There are certain
virtues essential to the ideal wife. Be thoughtful. Be industrious. Be restful. Be
loving. A sublime self-forgetfulness lies at the bottom of every noble life, and of
every great service wrought for human good. Homely and commonplace as this ideal
may seem, it will demand all your resources. What has been urged cannot be
attained without time, judgment, care, patience, and the constant aid of Divine grace
in adaptation.
(George Bainton.)
A noble woman's picture of true womanhood
Homilist.
I. MARK HER CONDUCT AS A WIFE. Here is inviolable faithfulness. The
husband trusts her character and her management. Here is practical affection.
Genuine wifely love seeks the good of her husband, is constant as nature. Here is
elevating influence. Her words have inspired her husband with honourable
ambitions, and her diligence and frugality have contributed the means by which to
reach his lofty aims. Here is merit acknowledged. There are men who are incapable
of appreciating the character or reciprocating the love of a noble wife. Blessed is the
man who has found s wife approaching this ideal!
II. HER MANAGEMENT AS A MISTRESS. Notice her industry. Diligence in useful
pursuits should be the grand lesson in all female education.
III. HER BLESSEDNESS AS A MOTHER. In the spirit, the character, and the lives
of her children she meets with an ample reward for all her self-denying efforts to
make them good and happy. Her children's lives are a grateful acknowledgment of
all her kindness, and in their spirit and conversation she reaps a rich harvest of
delight.
IV. HER GENEROSITY AS A NEIGHBOUR. Her sympathies are not confined to
the domestic sphere. They overflow the boundary of family life — they go forth into
the neighbourhood.
V. HER EXCELLENCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL. She was vigorous in body; elegant in
her dress; dignified and cheerful in her bearing; devout and honoured in her
religion. Religion was the spirit of her character, the germ from which grew all the
fruits of her noble life.
(Homilist.)

The virtuous woman as a wife
R. F. Horton, D.D.
She is a wife. The modern conception of a woman as an independent person,
standing alone, engaged in her own business or profession, and complete in her
isolated life, is not to be looked for in the Book of Proverbs. It is the creation of
accidental circumstances. However necessary it may be in a country where the
women are largely in excess of the men, it cannot be regarded as final or
satisfactory. In the beginning it was not so, neither will it be so in the end. If men
and women are to abide in strength and to develop the many sides of their nature,
they must be united. It is not good for man to be alone; nor is it good for woman to
be alone. There are some passages in the New Testament which seem to invalidate
this truth. The advocates of celibacy appeal to the example of Christ and to the
express words of St. Paul. But the New Testament, as our Lord Himself expressly
declares, does not abrogate the eternal law which was from the beginning. And if He
Himself abstained from marriage, and if St. Paul seems to approve of such an
abstention, we must seek for the explanation in certain exceptional and temporary
circumstances; for it is precisely to Christ Himself in the first instance, and to His
great apostle in the second, that we owe our loftiest and grandest conceptions of
marriage. There was no room for a personal marriage in the life of Him who was to
be the Bridegroom of His Church; and St. Paul distinctly implies that the pressing
troubles and anxieties of his own life, and the constant wearing labours which were
required of the Gentile apostle, formed the reason why it was better for him, and for
such as he, to remain single. At any rate the virtuous woman of the Proverbs is a
wife; and the first thing to observe is the part she plays in relation to her husband.
She is his stay and confidence.
(R. F. Horton, D.D.)
The excellent woman
W. E. Griffis.
In this final chapter of Proverbs we have celebrated in poetic numbers the wife and
mother in practical life. Each age has its own ideal. Study this ideal in outline and in
detail. Strength, energy, activity, is here the main thought. Foresight, industry, and
business capacity are desired. A virtuous woman is a woman with virtue; that is vim,
strength. The virtuous woman is virile without being masculine. The virtuous

woman, whose price is above rubies, is, like the ideal man, to walk after the law of
God in every footstep of life, as well as in every lengthened path of continued duty.
Love to God creates a holy ambition. It spurs her on to be what Jehovah intended
our first mother to be — a true helpmeet. Full of the detail of daily industry and
household management, she is yet far-sighted. Methodical, wise-hearted, kindly in
discipline, her household moves like the order of the heavenly bodies. Woman's
strength may be in her tongue, even more than in her arms and hands. This edged
tool, growing sharper by constant use, must be consecrated, else it will kill more
than cure. The secret and spring of such a character as that of the virtuous woman
is the fear of the Lord. This fear — reverence mingled with love — is a well-spring
of life. Watered by this stream, all fair flowers of grace, and fruits of character grow.
(W. E. Griffis.)
The excellent woman
D. J. Burrell.
Three things concerning woman as she is portrayed in the Proverbs.
1. Her power both for good and evil is emphasised. She is recognised as important in
the social structure.
2. Her position, as portrayed here, gives us a high estimate of the life of the Jews as a
nation. You can always tell a nation's character from the character of its women.
3. The Jewish woman was a wife and mother. She took the place God made for her,
and filled it excellently; and in that for any one in any place lies the highest success
in life.
I. THE VIRTUE MOST DEALT WITH HERE IS INDUSTRY. Look at this model
woman, accepting with a cheerful and masterly mind the place God has given her,
bound to do her best to satisfy its conditions, and so destined to genuine content. To
work is God's intention for us, and if we have any thought of wishing to live for
Him, work will not be to us an episode so disagreeable that we are to escape from it
as soon as possible, but rather that for which we are made and that in which we
ought to be most at home.
II. THE MODEL WOMAN IS EFFICIENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HER
HOUSEHOLD. The word "virtuous" refers not so much to purity as to adaptation
to the place where God has put her. The meaning is, "Who can find a capable
woman?" Her capability is shown in her addressing herself in strength to the

exigencies of her place. It requires wisdom to do anything well. The ideal woman
uses her good sense to advantage in the management of the home. Nothing is more
worthy of one's most acute thought than the inconspicuous duties of the home.
III. THIS IDEAL WOMAN IS FULL OF ENTERPRISE. There is something very
homely and natural in this portrait of the thrifty housewife turning an honest penny
when occasion offers. This is the overflow of her exuberant interest in the prosperity
of her household. Her business enterprise is not a sign of her seeking new interests
outside of the home, but on the contrary a sign of her greater devotion to it. Home
over everything, everything for the home, is her idea.
IV. THE IDEAL WOMAN IS SYMPATHETIC. She does not forget the poor. Her
vigorous mind does not make her a hard, calculating person of business. She is still a
woman, full of sympathy for the unfortunate, ready to help the unsuccessful. Back
of the calculating mind lies the warm, throbbing heart, thrilled with the highest
emotions.
V. THE IDEAL WOMAN IS WISE OF SPEECH. She is the counsellor of the
household, giving good advice and teaching them that kindness which is life's truest
wisdom. The easy running of home affairs makes a great difference in the happiness
of every one. Home is where the character of the children is being formed. The
widest empire does not offer a more dignified throne for the exercise of high wisdom
than the mother's seat in the home. The results of such a good woman's life are
visible. She has a happy husband. She has appreciative children. She has a good
name. May God give to many a girlish heart a new dream — not of fair, but of good
women, that shall reproduce itself in a strong, gentle, wise life.
(D. J. Burrell.)
A helpful wife
Writing of the greatness of Mr. D. L. Moody, Professor Drummond says: "If you
were to ask Mr. Moody — which it would never occur to you to do — what, apart
from the inspirations of his personal faith, was the secret of his success, of his
happiness and usefulness in life, he would assuredly answer, 'Mrs. Moody.'"
An industrious wife
J. B. F. Tinling.
Mrs. Henry Clay, the wife of the celebrated American statesman, during her

husband's long and frequent absences from home at the seat of government, used to
take the reins into her own hands at the farm. She made a practical study of
agriculture, oversaw the overseer, and became an oracle among the farmers of the
neighbourhood. Preparatory to Mr. Clay's departure from home, she invariably
received from him a handsome cheque, which she as regularly restored to him upon
his return, with the laconic remark that she found no use for it!
(J. B. F. Tinling.)
A good wife
Memoir of J. Stuart Blackie.
A good story is told of the famous plaid, without which Blackie was rarely seen. One
day, at Dr. Donald Macleod's house, he said, "When I was a poor man, and my wife
and I had our difficulties, she one day drew my attention to the threadbare
character of my coat, and asked me to order a new one. I told her I could not afford
it just then, when she went, like a noble woman, and put her own plaid shawl on my
shoulders, and I have worn a plaid ever since in memory of her loving deed!"
(Memoir of J. Stuart Blackie.)
And worketh willingly with her hands
Beautiful hands
Christian Treasury.
As a young friend was standing with us noticing the pedestrians on the sidewalk, a
very stylish young lady passed us. "What beautiful hands Miss — has!" exclaimed
our friend. "What makes them beautiful?" "Why, they are small, white, soft, and
exquisitely shaped." "Is that all that constitutes the beauty of the hand? Is not
something more to be included in your catalogue of beauty?" "What more would
you have?" "Are they charitable hands? Have they ever fed the poor? Have they
ever carried the necessities of life to the widow and the orphan? Has their soft touch
ever smoothed the irritation of sickness and the agonies of pain? Axe they useful
hands? Have they been taught that the world is not a playground, or a theatre of
display, or a mere lounging-place? Do those delicate hands ever labour? Are they
ever employed about the domestic duties of life? Are they modest hands? Will they
perform their charities or their duties without vanity? Or do they pander to the
pride of their owner by their delicacy and beauty? Are they humble hands? Will

their owner extend them to grasp the hand of that old schoolfellow who now must
earn her living by her labour? Are they holy hands? Are they ever clasped in prayer
or elevated in praise?"
(Christian Treasury.)
She layeth her hands to the spindle
Homely attainments
There is a trite but apposite moral in the anecdote told of James I on having a girl
presented to him who was represented as an English prodigy because she was deeply
learned. The person who introduced her boasted of her proficiency in ancient
languages. "I can assure your Majesty," said he, "that she can both speak and write
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew." "These are rare attainments for a damsel," said James;
"but pray tell me, can she spin?"
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry
Needlework
Whenever (said Dr. Johnson), whenever chance brings within my observation a knot
of young ladies busy at their needles, I consider myself as in the school of virtue; and
though I have no extraordinary skill in plain work or embroidery, I look upon their
operations with as much satisfaction as their governess, because I regard them as
providing a security against the most dangerous insnarers of the soul, by enabling
them to exclude idleness from their solitary moments, and, with idleness, her
attendant train of passions, fancies, chimeras, fears, sorrows, and desires.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness
The nobility of womanhood
A. Rowland, LL.B.
1. Tact is evidently the characteristic of one who "openeth her mouth with wisdom."
She is not one whose garrulity proves the truth of the proverb, "In the multitude of
words there wanteth not sin," for she has sufficient sense of the seriousness of life to
avoid utterances which are idle and thoughtless. Her words are the dictates of that
wisdom, the beginning of which is the fear of the Lord. Nor does she merely speak

wise words, but, with true wisdom, she recognises that "there is a time to speak and
a time to be silent," so that her reproofs and encouragements live long in grateful
memories.
2. But authority is quite as important as tact, and this is characteristic of one who
has a "law" in her lips. Suppleness in management is of little value unless there be
strength behind it. God never meant that women should be always yielding to other
people's opinions, or that they should be swayed hither and thither by every passing
breeze of emotion. As much as men they need firmness, the royal power of rule, for
in the home, in the sick-room, and in the class they have a veritable kingdom in
which to exercise authority for God.
3. It must not be forgotten, however, that the authority here spoken of is the law of
kindness. Such, in the highest sense, is the authority of Christ over His people. The
noblest rule requires, not the display of force, nor the terrors of foolish threats, nor
the countermining of a suspicious nature, but the law of kindness, which is obeyed
because it evidently springs from love and is enforced by love. Gentlest influences
are by no means the feeblest. The spring crocus can be crushed by a stone, but,
unlike it, the crocus can push its way up through the stiff, hard soil, until it basks in
the sunshine. The light of the sun does not make noise enough to disturb an insect's
sleep, but it can waken a whole world to duty. Those who have been able to win or to
retain the affection and trust of others exercise a power which angels might desire.
(A. Rowland, LL.B.)
A soothing voice
C. Lamb.
Yes, we agree with that old poet who said that a low, soft voice was an excellent thing
in woman. Indeed, we feel inclined to go much further than he has on the subject,
and call it one of her crowning charms. How often the spell of beauty is rudely
broken by coarse, loud talking! How often you are irresistibly drawn to a plain,
unassuming woman whose soft, silvery tone renders her positively attractive. In the
social circle how pleasant it is to hear a woman talk in that low key which always
characterises the true lady. In the sanctuary of home, how such a voice soothes the
fretful child and cheers the weary husband!
(C. Lamb.)

STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Virtuous Housewife
Proverbs 31:10-31
E. Johnson
I. HER INFLUENCE IN THE SPHERE OF HOME. (Vers. 10-22.)
1. Her exceeding worth. (Vers. 10-12.) A costly treasure not everywhere to be found;
no commonplace blessing: an ornament and a joy above all that earth affords of
rare and beautiful. A treasure on which the heart of the possessor ever dwells with
delight.
"Continual comfort in a face, The lineaments of gospel books." She is the rich
source of revenue to her husband in all good things.
"All other goods by fortune's hand are given;
A wife is the peculiar gift of Heaven."
(Pope.) If women be good, said Aristotle, "the half of the commonwealth may be
happy where they are." "The greatest gift of God is a pious, amiable spouse, who
fears God, loves his house, and with whom one can live in perfect confidence"
(Luther).
2. The picture of her domestic industry. (Vers. 13- 22.) It is an antique picture, the
form and colouring derived from ancient custom; but the general moral effect is
true for all times. The traits of the housewifely character are:
(1) The personal example of diligence. She is seen from day to day spinning at her
loom, the chief occupation of women in ancient times. She is an early riser (ver. 15).
(2) Her unrelaxing energy. (Ver. 17.) She has no idle hour; her rest is in change of
occupation.
(3) Her personal attention to business. (Vers. 16, 18.) Whether examining land with a
view to invest her savings in purchase and cultivation, or inspecting goods, her mind

is in all she does She is not slothful in business, but glowing In spirit, and all that she
does is done with heart.
(4) Her benevolence. Her thrift is not of the odious form which begins and ends with
home, and breeds a sordid miserliness out of hard won gains. Her open hand
outstretched to the poor (ver. 20) is one of the most winning traits in the picture. She
has no lack of good herself, and always something over for the needy.
(5) Her care both for comfort and for ornament. (Vers. 21, 22.) Both the very
spheres of woman's activity. But she observes their true order. Her first thought is
for the health of her household; she provides the warm "double garments" against
the winter's snow. Her leisure is occupied with those fine works of artistic
needlework by which elegance and beauty are contributed to the scene of home.
Refinement adorning comfort, - this is the true relation. In finery without solid use
and comfort there is no beauty nor worth.
II. FURTHER TRAITS AND DETAILS OF THE PICTURE, (Vers. 23-31.)
1. She reflects consideration on her husband. Her thrift makes him rich; her noble
character gives him additional title to respect. His personality derives weight from
the possession of such a treasure, the devotion of such a heart. Her business
capacity, her energy, and the quiet dignity of her life and bearing; the mingled sense
and shrewdness, charm and grace of her conversation (vers. 24-27); - are all a
source of fame, of noble self-complacency, of just confidence to the man who is
blessed to call her "mine."
2. Her life and work earn for her perpetual thanks and benedictions. (Vers. 28, 29.)
Her children, as they grow up, bless her for the inestimable boon of a mother's care
and love. She has revealed to them God; and never can they cease to believe in
goodness so long as they recollect her. She basks in the sunshine of a husband's
constant approved. "Best of wives!" "Noblest of women!" is the thought ever in his
heart, often on his lips.
3. It is religion which gives enduring worth and immortality to character, (vers. 30,
31.) Beauty is a failing charm or a deception of the senses. But religious principle
gives a spiritual beauty to the plainest exterior. Being and doing from religious
motives, to religious ends, - this is a sowing for eternal fruits. And the works of love
for God's sake and man's fill the air with fragrance to the latest end of time, and are
found unto praise, honour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. - J.
Biblical Illustrator

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10-27
The prophecy of Lemuel's mother
A Woman's Sermon to Women.
There was never yet a woman who did not wish to have some part in the choice of
her son's wife; and the mother of king Lemuel was no exception to the rule. She
knew the kind of woman that would make him happy, and she contrived, by some
means, to instil the knowledge into the heart of her son. It is a fact, which should
ever be before the minds of mothers, that their sons are naturally disposed to love
and revere them. This should make all mothers walk warily, and lead them to the
source of every good, so that, having sat at the Master's feet and learned of Him,
they may go back to their children with His Spirit shining through their eyes, and
guiding alike their thoughts, emotions, and actions. The question with which this
panegyric begins is rather a startling one. "Who can find a virtuous woman?" Were
good women scarce then? and are they rare now? Devoted women, unselfish women,
domesticated women, are not too easily discovered. Where a woman's heart is true,
and her hands are gentle, where her voice is kind and her eyes far-seeing, where she
lives not to herself nor to the world, but to the little circle whose happiness she
makes, or to the God who has chosen her lot, there is the virtuous woman of whom
the wise man spoke. Nothing so damps the ardour and joy of a man or his children
as an incompetent, faulty woman at the head of the household; and nothing can be a
greater source of strength than the woman who gives an impulse to all that is good
and right, and checks the evil by a significant look or a softly-spoken word. Good
women are wanted everywhere.
(A Woman's Sermon to Women.)
Woman's work
Stopford A. Brooke, LL.D.
The figures of women which pass across the pages of the Old Testament have so
much nobility and so much character that even the slight sketches of them in the
Bible have always impressed the imagination, and awakened the art of mankind.
There is that in the New Testament woman which, in the past, has lifted womanhood
into the worship of the world, and in the present has been the foundation of all that
has been given to her, and of all that she has won for herself. In this chapter is the
image of the perfect wife, done in poetry. The woman here has the attributes of

wisdom, for strength and honour clothe her, and her future is secured by it. Her
common speech is full of it, and the wisdom of speech is love. So wise is she that
trust is safe in her. Her wisdom wins love for her; her children bless her, and her
husband praises her. She is the active manager of business as well as of the
household. She has her own prosperity, her own work in life; and her charities,
which are many, are her own. This is the Jewish ideal of womanhood, yet the Jew of
the Old Testament fails to find any ideal for womanhood beyond wifehood and
motherhood. Only portions of this belong to the notions which women have in
England of wifehood and home. Each class of society — according to the amount of
money it can allot to the household — has its own separate ideal of the function of
wives and mothers. In every case loveliness and loving-kindness and wisdom and the
making of the beautiful, and the adornment of life should be by women combined
with work. There is an inexhaustible capacity in women for this twofold life, and for
complete success in it; but the idea of it is not as yet justly conceived, and there is no
steady education for it. A thousand prejudices stand in the way of such a conception,
and of the individual and free effort that it needs. The working class girls find their
work so heavy and so long, that they have not strength of body or leisure of soul to
learn what belongs to wifehood and motherhood, There is scarcely any class so
neglected, so overworked, so put upon by others, so worn out before they are thirty
years old. But there are thousands of women who can never marry and never have a
home. If they cannot be mothers, let them have the means to be eager, living, and
active women, able to work for one another, and for the world; able to invent new
work and new spheres of work, fitted for womanhood's special aims and powers,
and for the advance of the cause of humanity. This earth should be a fitting place
and home for humanity. It is not that now, and one of the reasons, and it may be the
most important of them all, is the imprisonment of the energy of womanhood, both
by men and by themselves, in a narrow individualism.
(Stopford A. Brooke, LL.D.)
The model woman
Robert Tuck, B.A.
The chief points commended in the description may be impressed if we deal with
woman's love, work, care, charity, speech, and praise.
I. HER LOVE. Shown not in professions and demonstration of affection merely, but
in trying to occupy faithfully her place. It is far better to show love than merely to
speak it. So God wants to see our love to Him in its signs.

II. HER WORK. Kinds of work for women differ according to their condition in
society; but every woman should have her work. A woman's work is first the feeding
and tending of her household; beyond this she may be able to work so as to earn.
Show how much there is that young women can do towards a living in these days.
All should try to be independent.
III. HER CARE. In the ruling of her household; finding for each member work,
food, and appropriate clothing. Watching that nothing is either wasted or lost, and
everything made the best of.
IV. HER CHARITY. Caring for the poor, and distributing of her abundance to
them. How important, as an example to the children, is a generous, charitable
mother!
V. HER SPEECH. Always prudent and kindly. Never gossiping, never slandering,
never hasty or passionate. Ever firm but gentle. See how often otherwise good
characters are spoiled by the unbridled tongue.
VI. HER PRAISE.. It comes from her husband, from her children, and even from
her God. "Supreme love to God, which is religion, is that which generates, animates,
and adorns all other virtues of character."
(Robert Tuck, B.A.)
The worth and work of woman
Richard Glarer.
By a virtuous woman is meant one who is characterised by a number of positive
virtues and excellences, and chiefly by piety, or the fear and love of God. Illustrate
this subject by the life of "Carmen Sylva," Queen of Roumania.
I. THE WORTH OF WOMAN. "Far above rubies." Let a man ask himself what
would be the worth to his heart, to his home, to his children, to society, of such a
woman as is described here — the ideal woman of God's Word, the woman that
every woman would be if she only feared God, loved His Word, imbibed His Spirit,
and moulded her character upon His most blessed teachings.
1. Consider the worth of such a woman as a daughter. This is the first relationship in
life woman is called to fulfil. Who can estimate her worth to her parents, or to her
brothers and sisters? She is not wilful, headstrong, passionate, selfish; but humble,
respectful, dutiful, affectionate. The foundation of true womanly worth is piety, the
fear and love of God. Without true religion the character has no basis. Where that is

found we may expect all the virtues to flourish into beauty.
2. The worth of such a woman as a wife. Here is an elaborate description of her
housewifely care and prudence, and industry, and economy, and the blessed effects
of all this on the happiness of her husband's heart and home, and on his character,
reputation, and prosperity. Oh, that young men would look for piety in their wives!
Nothing like that to govern their tongues, and to sweeten their tempers, and to make
them amiable, pure, and true.
II. THE WORK OF WOMAN. Home is her sphere, and her work is to make home
happy. Some women think their work is to reform and regenerate the world. So it is,
but the proper sphere for their reforming work is not in the publicities of the world,
but in the privacies of the home, in their little children's nurseries, and by the side of
the domestic hearth. I hold the worth of unmarried women in high esteem. They are
of the greatest value to society, and especially to the Church of God. No single
woman need pine in ennui for want of useful occupation.
(Richard Glarer.)
Far above rubies
W. J. Woods, B.A.
The Bible, which is the great reservoir of the rights of man is also the storehouse of
the rights of woman. Woman's Magna Charta is the Word of God. It teaches us to
honour woman; it warns every man that if he degrades woman he degrades himself,
and that everywhere man rises as he lifts woman up. This text is a woman's estimate
of what woman should be. All the parts that women have contributed to the Bible
are poems; this is no exception.
I. THE DOMESTIC QUALITIES OF WOMAN. The question of the text is indeed a
warning that the kind of woman about to be described is a model not always
attained. It is not every woman whose price is "far above rubies." In ancient times
the women made the garments which their husbands wore. We call the unmarried
woman a "spinster"; and the word wife means a "weaver." It is the woman who
keeps the house together. This is the description which a woman gives of a woman's
domestic qualities. She must be wife, she must be lady, she must be housekeeper.
II. THE PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE MODEL WOMAN. It is said that she is
strong. As far as her strength is the result of careful and conscientious attention to
the laws of health, it deserves to be described as a virtue, and a virtue that ought to
be cultivated. If the future race of men is to be strong, the present race of women

must first he strong. Then she is industrious. She not only saves the money others
have entrusted her with, and uses it well, but she uses her own energy until she sells
her own merchandise, and her industry increases her possessions till they become
such that the watch-lamp has to be lighted that at night they may be secure. Strong
and industrious, she could afford to be generous. But though she is generous, she is
provident. She is also elegant, a lover of beauty Ruskin says, "A woman's first duty
is to please, and a woman who does not please has missed her end in life." She is
beautiful in her speech. She should take an interest in everything that interests every
man in the house. She is kind, but orderly. She keeps discipline.
III. LOOK AT HER REWARD. "Her husband praiseth her." "Her children call her
blessed." The sweetest, daintiest, purest blossoms of a woman's heart will only
flourish when she is praised by him she loves best. This is the true reward of the true
woman. Her character is the secret of her power and her reward.
(W. J. Woods, B.A.)
A virtuous woman
1. The person inquired after. A virtuous woman is a woman of strength. Though the
weaker vessel, yet made strong by wisdom and grace and the fear of God. A woman
of spirit, who has the command of her own spirit, and knows how to manage other
people's, one that is pious and industrious, and a helpmeet for a man. A woman of
resolution.
2. The difficulty of meeting such an one. Good women are very scarce, and many
that seem to be so do not prove so.
3. The unspeakable value of such an one, and the value which he that hath such a
wife ought to put upon her, showing it by his thankfulness to God, and his kindness
and respect to her, whom he must never think he can do too much for.
( Matthew Henry.)
Religion for every day -- Our wives
George Bainton.
To the young womanhood it may be said — Your capability to fulfil the offices of
womanhood will be proportioned to your worth of character, and to the use you
have made, or are prepared to make, of your opportunities. Earnestness of life is the

only passport to satisfaction in life.
I. AS A WIFE, REALISE YOUR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. The husband is
the head of the household; but a wife's position does not imply inferiority. She is her
husband's companion in life and for life, to be regarded by him as his equal. The
husband is the bread-winner, the wife is the bread-keeper and distributor. In all the
affairs of domestic life the wife should maintain her position and influence. She
should insure her authority by proving her ability to do what the office of a wife
demands. Never for a moment permit your husband to feel that he may not trust the
concerns of home to your care. Act in such a way that instinctively he will know his
property, his honour, his happiness, are safe in your hands.
II. CULTIVATE ALL WOMANLY EXCELLENCES. Strengthen and enlarge the
best side of life, by developing everything in you that is good. There are certain
virtues essential to the ideal wife. Be thoughtful. Be industrious. Be restful. Be
loving. A sublime self-forgetfulness lies at the bottom of every noble life, and of
every great service wrought for human good. Homely and commonplace as this ideal
may seem, it will demand all your resources. What has been urged cannot be
attained without time, judgment, care, patience, and the constant aid of Divine grace
in adaptation.
(George Bainton.)
A noble woman's picture of true womanhood
Homilist.
I. MARK HER CONDUCT AS A WIFE. Here is inviolable faithfulness. The
husband trusts her character and her management. Here is practical affection.
Genuine wifely love seeks the good of her husband, is constant as nature. Here is
elevating influence. Her words have inspired her husband with honourable
ambitions, and her diligence and frugality have contributed the means by which to
reach his lofty aims. Here is merit acknowledged. There are men who are incapable
of appreciating the character or reciprocating the love of a noble wife. Blessed is the
man who has found s wife approaching this ideal!
II. HER MANAGEMENT AS A MISTRESS. Notice her industry. Diligence in useful
pursuits should be the grand lesson in all female education.
III. HER BLESSEDNESS AS A MOTHER. In the spirit, the character, and the lives
of her children she meets with an ample reward for all her self-denying efforts to
make them good and happy. Her children's lives are a grateful acknowledgment of

all her kindness, and in their spirit and conversation she reaps a rich harvest of
delight.
IV. HER GENEROSITY AS A NEIGHBOUR. Her sympathies are not confined to
the domestic sphere. They overflow the boundary of family life — they go forth into
the neighbourhood.
V. HER EXCELLENCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL. She was vigorous in body; elegant in
her dress; dignified and cheerful in her bearing; devout and honoured in her
religion. Religion was the spirit of her character, the germ from which grew all the
fruits of her noble life.
(Homilist.)
The virtuous woman as a wife
R. F. Horton, D.D.
She is a wife. The modern conception of a woman as an independent person,
standing alone, engaged in her own business or profession, and complete in her
isolated life, is not to be looked for in the Book of Proverbs. It is the creation of
accidental circumstances. However necessary it may be in a country where the
women are largely in excess of the men, it cannot be regarded as final or
satisfactory. In the beginning it was not so, neither will it be so in the end. If men
and women are to abide in strength and to develop the many sides of their nature,
they must be united. It is not good for man to be alone; nor is it good for woman to
be alone. There are some passages in the New Testament which seem to invalidate
this truth. The advocates of celibacy appeal to the example of Christ and to the
express words of St. Paul. But the New Testament, as our Lord Himself expressly
declares, does not abrogate the eternal law which was from the beginning. And if He
Himself abstained from marriage, and if St. Paul seems to approve of such an
abstention, we must seek for the explanation in certain exceptional and temporary
circumstances; for it is precisely to Christ Himself in the first instance, and to His
great apostle in the second, that we owe our loftiest and grandest conceptions of
marriage. There was no room for a personal marriage in the life of Him who was to
be the Bridegroom of His Church; and St. Paul distinctly implies that the pressing
troubles and anxieties of his own life, and the constant wearing labours which were
required of the Gentile apostle, formed the reason why it was better for him, and for
such as he, to remain single. At any rate the virtuous woman of the Proverbs is a
wife; and the first thing to observe is the part she plays in relation to her husband.
She is his stay and confidence.

(R. F. Horton, D.D.)
The excellent woman
W. E. Griffis.
In this final chapter of Proverbs we have celebrated in poetic numbers the wife and
mother in practical life. Each age has its own ideal. Study this ideal in outline and in
detail. Strength, energy, activity, is here the main thought. Foresight, industry, and
business capacity are desired. A virtuous woman is a woman with virtue; that is vim,
strength. The virtuous woman is virile without being masculine. The virtuous
woman, whose price is above rubies, is, like the ideal man, to walk after the law of
God in every footstep of life, as well as in every lengthened path of continued duty.
Love to God creates a holy ambition. It spurs her on to be what Jehovah intended
our first mother to be — a true helpmeet. Full of the detail of daily industry and
household management, she is yet far-sighted. Methodical, wise-hearted, kindly in
discipline, her household moves like the order of the heavenly bodies. Woman's
strength may be in her tongue, even more than in her arms and hands. This edged
tool, growing sharper by constant use, must be consecrated, else it will kill more
than cure. The secret and spring of such a character as that of the virtuous woman
is the fear of the Lord. This fear — reverence mingled with love — is a well-spring
of life. Watered by this stream, all fair flowers of grace, and fruits of character grow.
(W. E. Griffis.)
The excellent woman
D. J. Burrell.
Three things concerning woman as she is portrayed in the Proverbs.
1. Her power both for good and evil is emphasised. She is recognised as important in
the social structure.
2. Her position, as portrayed here, gives us a high estimate of the life of the Jews as a
nation. You can always tell a nation's character from the character of its women.
3. The Jewish woman was a wife and mother. She took the place God made for her,
and filled it excellently; and in that for any one in any place lies the highest success
in life.

I. THE VIRTUE MOST DEALT WITH HERE IS INDUSTRY. Look at this model
woman, accepting with a cheerful and masterly mind the place God has given her,
bound to do her best to satisfy its conditions, and so destined to genuine content. To
work is God's intention for us, and if we have any thought of wishing to live for
Him, work will not be to us an episode so disagreeable that we are to escape from it
as soon as possible, but rather that for which we are made and that in which we
ought to be most at home.
II. THE MODEL WOMAN IS EFFICIENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HER
HOUSEHOLD. The word "virtuous" refers not so much to purity as to adaptation
to the place where God has put her. The meaning is, "Who can find a capable
woman?" Her capability is shown in her addressing herself in strength to the
exigencies of her place. It requires wisdom to do anything well. The ideal woman
uses her good sense to advantage in the management of the home. Nothing is more
worthy of one's most acute thought than the inconspicuous duties of the home.
III. THIS IDEAL WOMAN IS FULL OF ENTERPRISE. There is something very
homely and natural in this portrait of the thrifty housewife turning an honest penny
when occasion offers. This is the overflow of her exuberant interest in the prosperity
of her household. Her business enterprise is not a sign of her seeking new interests
outside of the home, but on the contrary a sign of her greater devotion to it. Home
over everything, everything for the home, is her idea.
IV. THE IDEAL WOMAN IS SYMPATHETIC. She does not forget the poor. Her
vigorous mind does not make her a hard, calculating person of business. She is still a
woman, full of sympathy for the unfortunate, ready to help the unsuccessful. Back
of the calculating mind lies the warm, throbbing heart, thrilled with the highest
emotions.
V. THE IDEAL WOMAN IS WISE OF SPEECH. She is the counsellor of the
household, giving good advice and teaching them that kindness which is life's truest
wisdom. The easy running of home affairs makes a great difference in the happiness
of every one. Home is where the character of the children is being formed. The
widest empire does not offer a more dignified throne for the exercise of high wisdom
than the mother's seat in the home. The results of such a good woman's life are
visible. She has a happy husband. She has appreciative children. She has a good
name. May God give to many a girlish heart a new dream — not of fair, but of good
women, that shall reproduce itself in a strong, gentle, wise life.
(D. J. Burrell.)

A helpful wife
Writing of the greatness of Mr. D. L. Moody, Professor Drummond says: "If you
were to ask Mr. Moody — which it would never occur to you to do — what, apart
from the inspirations of his personal faith, was the secret of his success, of his
happiness and usefulness in life, he would assuredly answer, 'Mrs. Moody.'"
An industrious wife
J. B. F. Tinling.
Mrs. Henry Clay, the wife of the celebrated American statesman, during her
husband's long and frequent absences from home at the seat of government, used to
take the reins into her own hands at the farm. She made a practical study of
agriculture, oversaw the overseer, and became an oracle among the farmers of the
neighbourhood. Preparatory to Mr. Clay's departure from home, she invariably
received from him a handsome cheque, which she as regularly restored to him upon
his return, with the laconic remark that she found no use for it!
(J. B. F. Tinling.)
A good wife
Memoir of J. Stuart Blackie.
A good story is told of the famous plaid, without which Blackie was rarely seen. One
day, at Dr. Donald Macleod's house, he said, "When I was a poor man, and my wife
and I had our difficulties, she one day drew my attention to the threadbare
character of my coat, and asked me to order a new one. I told her I could not afford
it just then, when she went, like a noble woman, and put her own plaid shawl on my
shoulders, and I have worn a plaid ever since in memory of her loving deed!"
(Memoir of J. Stuart Blackie.)
Beautiful hands
Christian Treasury.

As a young friend was standing with us noticing the pedestrians on the sidewalk, a
very stylish young lady passed us. "What beautiful hands Miss — has!" exclaimed
our friend. "What makes them beautiful?" "Why, they are small, white, soft, and
exquisitely shaped." "Is that all that constitutes the beauty of the hand? Is not
something more to be included in your catalogue of beauty?" "What more would
you have?" "Are they charitable hands? Have they ever fed the poor? Have they
ever carried the necessities of life to the widow and the orphan? Has their soft touch
ever smoothed the irritation of sickness and the agonies of pain? Axe they useful
hands? Have they been taught that the world is not a playground, or a theatre of
display, or a mere lounging-place? Do those delicate hands ever labour? Are they
ever employed about the domestic duties of life? Are they modest hands? Will they
perform their charities or their duties without vanity? Or do they pander to the
pride of their owner by their delicacy and beauty? Are they humble hands? Will
their owner extend them to grasp the hand of that old schoolfellow who now must
earn her living by her labour? Are they holy hands? Are they ever clasped in prayer
or elevated in praise?"
(Christian Treasury.)
She layeth her hands to the spindle
Homely attainments
There is a trite but apposite moral in the anecdote told of James I on having a girl
presented to him who was represented as an English prodigy because she was deeply
learned. The person who introduced her boasted of her proficiency in ancient
languages. "I can assure your Majesty," said he, "that she can both speak and write
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew." "These are rare attainments for a damsel," said James;
"but pray tell me, can she spin?"
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry
Needlework
Whenever (said Dr. Johnson), whenever chance brings within my observation a knot
of young ladies busy at their needles, I consider myself as in the school of virtue; and
though I have no extraordinary skill in plain work or embroidery, I look upon their
operations with as much satisfaction as their governess, because I regard them as
providing a security against the most dangerous insnarers of the soul, by enabling
them to exclude idleness from their solitary moments, and, with idleness, her

attendant train of passions, fancies, chimeras, fears, sorrows, and desires.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness
The nobility of womanhood
A. Rowland, LL.B.
1. Tact is evidently the characteristic of one who "openeth her mouth with wisdom."
She is not one whose garrulity proves the truth of the proverb, "In the multitude of
words there wanteth not sin," for she has sufficient sense of the seriousness of life to
avoid utterances which are idle and thoughtless. Her words are the dictates of that
wisdom, the beginning of which is the fear of the Lord. Nor does she merely speak
wise words, but, with true wisdom, she recognises that "there is a time to speak and
a time to be silent," so that her reproofs and encouragements live long in grateful
memories.
2. But authority is quite as important as tact, and this is characteristic of one who
has a "law" in her lips. Suppleness in management is of little value unless there be
strength behind it. God never meant that women should be always yielding to other
people's opinions, or that they should be swayed hither and thither by every passing
breeze of emotion. As much as men they need firmness, the royal power of rule, for
in the home, in the sick-room, and in the class they have a veritable kingdom in
which to exercise authority for God.
3. It must not be forgotten, however, that the authority here spoken of is the law of
kindness. Such, in the highest sense, is the authority of Christ over His people. The
noblest rule requires, not the display of force, nor the terrors of foolish threats, nor
the countermining of a suspicious nature, but the law of kindness, which is obeyed
because it evidently springs from love and is enforced by love. Gentlest influences
are by no means the feeblest. The spring crocus can be crushed by a stone, but,
unlike it, the crocus can push its way up through the stiff, hard soil, until it basks in
the sunshine. The light of the sun does not make noise enough to disturb an insect's
sleep, but it can waken a whole world to duty. Those who have been able to win or to
retain the affection and trust of others exercise a power which angels might desire.
(A. Rowland, LL.B.)
A soothing voice
C. Lamb.

Yes, we agree with that old poet who said that a low, soft voice was an excellent thing
in woman. Indeed, we feel inclined to go much further than he has on the subject,
and call it one of her crowning charms. How often the spell of beauty is rudely
broken by coarse, loud talking! How often you are irresistibly drawn to a plain,
unassuming woman whose soft, silvery tone renders her positively attractive. In the
social circle how pleasant it is to hear a woman talk in that low key which always
characterises the true lady. In the sanctuary of home, how such a voice soothes the
fretful child and cheers the weary husband!
(C. Lamb.)
END STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
When this woman “smiles at the future” it implies that she is not anxious or afraid
of what will happen tomorrow. She lets “tomorrow worry about itself” (Matthew
6:34). A few weeks ago, I found myself consumed by fear of the future. I was terribly
worried about my children, my unborn baby and God’s plans for our family. Even
though I still struggle with this some days, I discovered that God does want me to
smile at the future and trust that His plans for me are for good and not for evil.
https://thepurposefulmom.com/proverbs-3125-26.html
Simple isn’t it? She Laughs. As Lysa says, “Oh, how easy it is to lose our smiles and
forget to laugh at the craziness of our lives. I need reminders.” Yes. I need reminders
too. My kids are growing up before my eyes and I don’t want them to remember the
grumpy, frustrated, stressed out me, but rather the joyful, loving, laughing mom
God has molded me into just for them! https://www.moritzfinedesigns.com/laughs-
proverbs-3125-free-printable/
“She Smiles at the Future…”

by Brittany Ketter in Proverbs 31 Tags: strength and honor
“Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come.” (NKJV)
Proverbs 31:25
Studying Proverbs 31, the more in depth I get with it, the more I love it! I feel like I
can almost picture this woman in my head. And at times, I have somebody in mind
when I read the verse. This one is no different. When I read verse 25, I could
practically see in front of me a woman sitting tall with a quiet strength and
confidence. She has the posture of one who is very well-respected and you can tell
she carries wisdom before she even speaks a word. Perhaps you have someone in
mind as well.
It has come to my attention that this verse does not mean what we think it does. It
may seem very forthright, however, when you look deeper, you see that there is so
much more to it. Reading that single verse we could conclude that this woman is
strong and a woman of character and therefore her life is wonderful and she can
rejoice in those times that will come! Everything will be just perfect! If only we
could live this life!
No.
This is not at all what that verse means.
That word “rejoice” in this verse in the Hebrew is the word sachaq which means to
laugh mockingly (Strongs, H7832).
You got that right. She is mocking the days that are to come. She knows very well
that it will not always be an easy life. She knows that trials come. She does not know
what the future will hold, and yet she can laugh at the days that are to come.
This same word sachaq, is seen in other parts of scripture. You see it in psalm 2:4
where it says, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in
derision.”
And again in Psalms 37:12-13: “The wicked plots against the just. And gnashes at
him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.”
You might wonder how this woman can mock the days to come. You may wonder
how she has the boldness to taunt the enemy. This comes back to much of what
Proverbs 31 shows evidence of: this woman knows who she is and more importantly,
she knows whose she is. She knows who her king is. Everything that describes the

“Proverbs 31 Woman” comes back to one thing; everything that is part of who this
woman is, is the fruit that is produced out of her fear of the Lord. Coming to that
point of truly knowing God is so crucial to embracing this life. This life is so much a
process. It does not happen all at once. But it begins with the fear of the Lord. And
with the fear of the Lord, comes a knowing of who He is. And when you know who
He is, you come to a place of security in who and whose you are. When you become
rooted and secure in the Father – you can laugh at the days that are to come, you
can have that boldness to taunt the enemy because you know who your king is and
your security is found in Him.
Your security is not based on your circumstances. It is based on your position. When
you recognize the position you have as a daughter of the king of kings it changes
everything.
I want to challenge you to learn to recognize the position that you walk in.
I bless you to be a woman who has no fear of the future because you are a woman
who fears the Lord. And may you walk in the recognition of not only who you are,
but whose you are. May you recognize that greater is He who is in you than he who
is in the world and with that recognition laugh and rejoice in the days that are to
come!
Blessings and favor,
Brittany L. Ketter
A Woman Who Fears the Lord Is to Be Praised
Mother’s Day
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: Proverbs 31:30 Topic: Women
In nineteen hundred sixty-six

I happened on a girl,
And spent two years a-pondering
The value of that pearl.
She has a face and has a heart
All full of love and filling,
And so I sold my singleness
All fifty years, God willing.
And I have never once looked back
For fear of what I missed.
If ever God was good to me
It was the wedding kiss.
Four years and happy were the first
Without a child to bless,
And so we cultivated joy
And fields of faithfulness.
Then, like a mighty “Let there be!”
From Genesis page one,
Another soul was born on earth,
And we beheld a son.
But I had eyes for something more,
To watch God make another:
Out of a girl, my college pearl,
I watched him make a mother.
A kind of revelation this,
Just as the ancients say:

How much of Christ there is to see
In her maternal way!
Eight years and two more happy sons
All priceless to the minute,
Are like an unrolled, open scroll
With God’s own message in it:
“Charm is deceitful, beauty vain,
Though all the world has gazed,
But when a woman fears the Lord
She will be truly praised.”
An Acrostic of Praise
The text for my message this morning is taken from Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is
deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
First, let’s notice its unusual context. You all know what an acrostic is, don’t you?
M — is for the million things she gave me,
O — means only that she’s growing old,
T — is for the tears ‘twere shed to save me,
H — is for her heart as pure as gold,
E — is for her eyes with love-light shining,
R — means right and right she’ll always be.
That’s an acrostic. Why do people write acrostics? Because there is something in us
that loves to praise what we enjoy. We like to pile up the praiseworthy attributes of
people we love. Well, that is what was happening in Proverbs 31:10–31 are an
acrostic. Every verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Aleph — is for woman full of virtue,
Beth — refers to trust her husband shares,

Gimmel — is for work she does to help you,
Daleth — stands for how she seeks her wares.
And so on through all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is helpful to know
because it tips us off that the author is not building an argument like Paul does in
Romans. Instead, he is stringing pearls. He has set himself the task, as he says in
Proverbs 31:30, to praise the woman who fears the Lord. To do this he tries to think
of 22 praiseworthy things to say about her.
Therefore, I think a sermon based on this passage of Scripture should aim to
accomplish three things. First, it should aim to inspire women to fear the Lord and
be like this woman in the way she fulfilled her role (and that is possible for all
women, married or unmarried). Second, it should inspire others, especially
husbands and children, to praise women who fear the Lord. Third, it should contain
praise for the godly woman.
That’s why I began with my ode to Noël, the woman I know best and a woman who
fears the Lord. Now, to help accomplish those other two goals I want to try to
answer three questions about the text:
What does it mean to “fear the Lord”?
Why is it so important that we praise a woman who fears the Lord?
How can you tell if a woman fears the Lord? What does it look like in action?
What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?
“Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be
praised.” What does it mean in daily experience to “fear the Lord”? Let’s go back to
the beginning of Israel’s national life. In Exodus 20:18, after the giving of the ten
commandments, it says:
Now when all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the sound
of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled;
and they stood afar off, and said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will hear, but let
not God speak to us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for
God has come to prove you, and that the fear of him may be before your eyes that
you may not sin.”
Oh, how we need to meditate on such perplexing texts. “Do not fear. You are being
tested.” You pass the test only if you don’t fear. Yet God desires that the fear of him

be always before your eyes. You pass the test by fearing the Lord. The text provides
the distinctions necessary to make sense out of this. The fear that Moses was telling
them to get rid of was the fear of coming close to God and hearing his voice. The
fear that Moses wanted them to keep before their eyes was that God is fearfully
powerful and opposed to sin. The fear of kindling God’s powerful wrath against sin
ought not to drive us away from God but to God for mercy.
“The fear of kindling God’s powerful wrath against sin ought not to drive us away
from God but to God for mercy.”
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Noël, the boys, and I went out to Dick and Irene Tiegen’s place last week. They have
a big dog as tall as Benjamin, which greeted us with barks and growls from where
he was chained. But after we were there and in the house with the dog, he was
friendly. Then we went outside again and Irene gave the warning: Don’t run from
him. But as Karsten was heading out to the car, the dog came trotting up behind,
and instead of slowing down and petting the dog, Karsten started to run, and
immediately the dog barked and growled.
What a lesson in the fear of God. Irene was Moses and she says to us Israelites, the
Piper family, “Do not fear to draw near, but keep the fear of the dog [the fear of the
Lord] before your eyes, lest you try to run away [lest you start to fall into sin].” God
is a joy to be near and a terror to those who flee. The comparison breaks down,
however. Irene put the dog in the basement, but nobody puts God in the basement.
If you are running from God because you are afraid of him, then you are not yet as
afraid as you ought to be. In fact, your very flight is a mockery of God, presuming to
think that you could outrun this German shepherd. If you really fear him and love
your own life, stop running, turn around, and hug his neck for dear life, and he will
lick your face. The fear of the Lord is fear of fleeing out of his fellowship into the
way of sin. Therefore, the fear of the Lord is full of peace and security and hope. It
keeps us near to the merciful heart of God, our fortress, our refuge, our sanctuary,
our shield, our sun. Isaiah 8:13 says, “The Lord of Hosts . . . let him be your fear,
and let him be your dread, and he will become a sanctuary.” A proper fear of the
Lord keeps us under the shadow of his wings where we need not be afraid.
Therefore the fear of the Lord is accompanied by tremendous blessing. Listen to the

psalms. Psalm 25:14: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him; he
makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 31:19: “How abundant is thy goodness
which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take
refuge in thee.” (Notice that fearing God and taking refuge in him are parallel.
Those who keep the fear of God before their eyes will not run from him but take
refuge in him.)
Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and
delivers them.” Psalm 103:11: “As the heavens are high above the earth so great is
his steadfast love toward those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13, “As a father pities his
children, so the Lord pities those who fear him.” (Hug his neck and he will lick your
face.) Psalm 145:19: “He fulfills the desire of all who fear him.”
The promises God makes to those who fear him are so staggering that the summons
to fear God and the summons to hope in God are inseparable. And so the psalmist
puts them together, for example, in Psalm 33:18: “The eye of the Lord is on those
who fear him, on those who hope in his mercy.” Psalm 147:11: “The Lord takes
pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his mercy.”
A woman who fears the Lord will not run away from God to satisfy her longings and
relieve her anxieties. She will wait for the Lord. She will hope in God. She will stay
close to the heart of God and trust in his promises. The prospect of departing into
the way of sin will be too fearful to pursue; and the benefits of abiding in the shadow
of the Almighty too glorious to forsake.
Why Should We Praise Such a Woman?
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be
praised.” Why? That is our second question: Why is this praise so important? I
suggest three reasons for praising a woman who fears the Lord:
It feels good to do it.
It honors God.
It strengthens her hand in the Lord.
To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Have Joy
First, it feels good. David says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he
will give you the desires of your heart.” By implication, this must mean, “Delight

yourself in everything that delights the Lord,” and therefore, delight yourself in the
woman who fears the Lord.
Now what is praise? C.S. Lewis points out beautifully in his little book on the Psalms
that praise is not merely the expression of joy, but the consummation of joy. A joy
isn’t fully enjoyed until it comes to expression in praise. The joy I have in my wife
mounts to its highest when I express it as well as I can in a poem and then praise her
in the great congregation. Therefore, a strong and good incentive for praising a
woman who fears the Lord is that it feels so good. It expresses and completes the joy
that such a woman brings.
“Praising a woman who fears the Lord feels so good. It expresses and completes the
joy that such a woman brings.”
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It might be helpful in passing just to mention the ugly alternative to praise so as to
increase our desire to avoid it. Lewis said, “Praise is inner health made audible.” I
have seen that verified over and over. It is the cranks, the misfits, the scrooges of the
world who seldom praise. They have an inner sickness of soul that yields criticism,
complaining, murmuring, grumbling, sarcasm, suspicion, and a general joylessness.
I just want to take such people (and sometimes myself) and shake them and say,
“Hey, wake up! Sure there is rottenness in the world, but Jesus Christ died and rose
again precisely that the commands, ‘Rejoice always,’ and ‘For everything give
thanks,’ would not be naïve, but profoundly realistic. Now open your eyes; there are
natural and moral beauties to praise in this world because God made it and is at
work in it. Break the habit of grumbling. Get yourself hooked on praise. It feels ten
times better.”
To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Honor God
Not only does praising the woman who fears the Lord feel good; it also honors God,
which is most important of all. We must not think here that in praising the woman
we are giving to her what belongs to God. There is a sense in which all praise, just
like all boasting (1 Corinthians 1:31), should be in the Lord. But since the Lord has
made the world and is at work in us fallen creatures, it is possible to praise him

indirectly by praising something he made or praising something that exalts him.
If you praise the table manners of my sons, Noël and I feel honored. So also God is
honored through praises that come to his people for graces, which he has imparted
and which by their very nature exalt him. Therefore, when we praise a woman who
fears the Lord, we praise God.
To Praise a God-Fearing Woman Is to Strengthen Her
A third reason to praise these women who fear the Lord is to strengthen their hand
in the Lord. Suppose when the dog started to growl at Karsten, he stopped running,
stepped toward the dog, and put his arm around his neck, and then went slowly on
toward the car. And suppose I called out, “Way to go, Karsten. Beautiful. That’s just
the way to do it. I love it!” What would be the effect on Karsten? It would
strengthen his hand and heart to keep on going and not give up.
So it is with those who fear the Lord and hope in him. There are always temptations
to allure us away from the fear of God: temptations to fear financial insecurity more
than we fear God (see Proverbs 23:17), to fear rejection by our peers more than we
fear God, to fear the loss of time spent in good deeds more than we fear God. We are
tempted again and again to let go of our great German Shepherd and run after some
silly poodle. Again and again, we must have our hand strengthened in God. We need
to hear a saintly person say, “Well done. I love the way you fear the Lord.”
And now listen husbands and children — a word especially for you: Proverbs 31:28:
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
Children, young people, think seriously a minute. Suppose your mom was killed in a
car wreck tomorrow and you had to go to her funeral on Thursday. What would you
wish on Thursday you had told her today? Tell her. “Her children rise up and call
her blessed.”
Tell her, and you will strengthen her hand in God. And what about husbands? You
know what I would say if I lost my wife this week? “Why did I get upset at her over
such stupid little things? Why did I make an issue of such non-essentials? Why did I
let criticism and nit-picking dry up my expressions of gratitude and praise?” Oh,
how we need to live in the light of our dying. Like Glenn Ogren said to me
Wednesday, “Death puts everything in perspective.” Her husband also, and he
praises her. Praise her, praise her, praise her while you have her. And you will
strengthen her heart in God, honor the Lord, and add great joy to your own life.
What Does a Woman Who Fears the Lord Look Like?

And now, finally, we ask: How can you identify a woman who fears the Lord? What
does she look like in action? I think that is what the acrostic of Proverbs 31:10–31
intends to give us. What is a woman like who fears the Lord? What sorts of things
can we praise her for? I’ll just mention four things that the wise man has chosen to
celebrate about the woman who fears the Lord (and which I want to celebrate in my
wife!).
She Doesn’t Fear Tomorrow’s Troubles
First of all, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. Look at
Proverbs 31:25. I love this line, and I praise all you women who are like this:
“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Satan
dangles in front of her the specter of tomorrow’s troubles, but she glances up at the
almighty God at her right hand (her magnificent German Shepherd!) and laughs at
Satan’s folly. She fulfills in her own life Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the Lord one
has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.”
“When a woman fears the Lord, she will not be anxious about tomorrow, she will do
what God has appointed for her to do.”
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Her fear of the Lord makes her fearless of man. But it doesn’t make her naïve. She
knows that the Lord has appointed some means for our safety. For example,
Proverbs 31:21, “She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household
are clothed in scarlet.” Winter is a fearful thing in Minnesota, and God has
appointed that we do more than pray that our feet not freeze. Clothing must be
made or bought. When a woman fears the Lord, she will not be anxious about
tomorrow, she will do what God has appointed for her to do and trust him in
everything to show her mercy.
She Has Practical Wisdom

Second, the woman who fears the Lord has practical wisdom. Proverb 31:26, “She
opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
We’ve been taught from grade school that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10) so it’s no surprise that the woman who fears the Lord
“opens her mouth with wisdom.” And isn’t there a very close connection between a
practical, gracious wisdom and freedom from anxiety about the future?
The wisest people I know are the people who hope in the Lord and have quieted
their soul like a child at its mother’s breast. But the people who are most anxious,
most tense and fretful about tomorrow, are those whose counsel I bank on the least.
Women, there is a wisdom that your family and friends and associates need that will
only come from a heart that can laugh at the future because it fears the Lord.
She Is Strong
Third, the woman who fears the Lord is strong. Proverbs 31:25:“Strength and
dignity are her clothing.” Verse 17, “She girds her loins with strength and makes her
arms strong.” She will be morally strong. Proverbs 23:17 says, “Let not your heart
envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” The woman who
continues in the fear of the Lord will have power to resist all the allurements to
envy, to desire what she shouldn’t have.
The fear of the Lord will also increase her intellectual strength. The fear of the Lord
is the impulse to wisdom, and rouses the mind to search for knowledge as for hidden
treasure. And the fear of the Lord will even increase her physical strength. One of
the reasons we let our bodies languish and get weak and out of tone is because we
are bored and feel no excitement or hope about the future. But the woman who fears
the Lord is confident and hopeful and eager to enter the future with God at her side.
This kind of hope always gives us pep and vigor and increases the strength of the
weakest among us.
She Will Live for Others
Fourth, a woman who fears the Lord will live not for herself alone, but for others,
especially her husband, if she is married. Proverbs 31:11–12: “The heart of her
husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not
harm all the days of her life.” A woman who fears the Lord will not squander the
family’s livelihood on frivolous purchases, but will have the complete trust of her
husband because she is for him and not against him.

Wherever possible, she supplements his earnings rather than wastes it. But wives,
far more important than this financial support is the moral support of your
husband. Verse 23 seems out of place in a song of praise to women. It says, “Her
husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.”
“A wife who fears the Lord increases the esteem of her husband.”
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How is that a word of praise to the wife who fears the Lord? Proverbs 12:4 gives the
answer: “A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is the
rottenness of his bones.” A wife who fears the Lord increases the esteem of her
husband at the gates of the city.
In twelve and a half years of marriage, my wife has never done or said anything in
public that would have caused me to be ashamed. She has my absolute trust as a
representative of what our family stands for. There is no place I might go where I
would be ashamed to take Noël. She is a crown to my head and a signet ring on my
right hand. She is for me 100 percent because she is a woman who fears the Lord.
And I pray that every wife here will, under God, give that kind of support to your
husband.
She Cares for the Needy
Now one last mark of the woman who fears the Lord: whether married or not, she
lives for the good of the needy. Proverbs 31:20: “She opens her hand to the poor and
reaches out her hands to the needy.” God has drawn near and secured her future in
his care. Now she draws near to those who need most help. This woman in Proverbs
31 is well-to-do and esteemed, but she does not allow her station to hinder her
association with the lowly.
A Woman Who Fears the Lord Is to Be Praised
“Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be
praised.” She keeps before her eyes the fearfulness of running away from God into

sin and so stays close to God and his mercy. She should be praised by us all because
that will strengthen her hand in God, honor the Lord, and make our own lives
happier.
And she can be recognized because she is confident and not anxious about the
future, gracious wisdom is on her lips, she girds herself with strength, she brings her
husband honor by her support, and she reaches out her hands to the needy. “A
woman who fears the Lord is to be praised!”
Strong Women Laugh at the Days to Come
Article by Tessa Thompson
Guest Contributor
When I was sixteen, the future appeared bleak. Due to a rare neurological disease, I
had begun to lose my hearing, and the loss was progressing far more quickly than I
had imagined when I received the diagnosis. My world of social gatherings and
flirtatious wit suddenly became a world of social awkwardness and silence.
Perhaps worse than these present changes was the painful reality that things were
only going to get worse. Making it through high school was one thing — but what
about marriage? What about motherhood? What about all the things I wanted to do
that would be hindered by deafness?
Around this time, a friend introduced me to Proverbs 31:25: “Strength and dignity
are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” When I looked at the apparent
future, I wanted to cry; but here was a godly woman who looked into the future —
unknowns, trials, and all — and simply laughed. And this laughter was not a doubt-
filled, Sarah-like laughter of unbelief (see Genesis 18). This laughter was flowing out
of a strong and wise woman who feared the Lord (Proverbs 31:25–30).
This was the laughter I needed, and this was the laughter I began to pursue.

A Valiant Vision of Strong Women
Women tend to be worriers. We worry about trivial things and not-so-trivial things.
Is my outfit appropriate for the event? Is my sixteen-year-old safe at the wheel? Will
my son grow out of his social weaknesses? Did I make enough food for the dinner
party?
And that is why this valiant vision of a laughter-filled, God-fearing woman is so
beautifully convicting and inspiring to us. We know we are prone to anxiety and
cares, and yet we desire to glorify God by overcoming those burdens with steadfast
trust in the Lord.
But we also live in a feminist, follow-your-dreams, do-it-yourself culture, which tells
us to conquer weakness and pursue the ideal, all while relying on the fictitious
power of self. And though we as Christian women may reject these worldly concepts,
they can all too easily creep into our thoughts when we find ourselves in fear-
provoking, happiness-interrupting circumstances.
This will not cripple me. Just watch: I am going to beat this!
I know just how to fix this problem, and I am fully convinced my knowledge will
alter this circumstance.
Surely, this is not the will of God, and I am going to pray until I see a change.
There is a confidence in these thoughts, but not a God-confidence. There is the
appearance of strength, but it is not a strength derived from the Strong One. This
woman may be laughing, but when her circumstances don’t change and the answer
to her importunate prayers is quite different than what she asked for, the laughter
will cease.
Laugh Like Your Father
How, then, does a godly woman go on smiling — laughing, even — when she reaches
that inevitable moment of weakness, realizing that the painful present, and most
certainly the unknown future, are outside of her control?
She laughs like her Father.
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast

away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them
in derision. (Psalm 2:2–4)
God laughs at his enemies because he knows who he is. And his daughter laughs at
her trials, both known and unknown, because she, too, knows her God.
Satisfied in His Sovereignty
A godly, faith-filled laughter comes not from a woman who is solely confident in her
perseverance or courageous in her prayers; rather, this laughter comes from a
woman who is sound in her theology and thus satisfied in God’s sovereignty. It’s a
laughter that comes not from a prideful, self-trusting attempt to let nothing stand in
her way; rather, it’s a humble, God-trusting laughter that steps out of the way in
quiet submission and hope.
“Blessed are all those who take refuge in him,” the psalmist concludes (Psalm 2:12).
In other words, happy — smiling, laughing — are those, not who secure for
themselves a life free of trials, but who find themselves securely resting in the arms
of him who has the power to sustain and protect his beloved, even in the midst of
trials. Their joy and peace come not from changing circumstances, but the
steadfastness of their unchanging God.
My circumstances did not change. I continued to lose my hearing until I was
completely deaf at age 21.
For years, I prayed earnestly for healing. Oh, how I prayed. I knew it was going to
happen, and I laughed in the face of this life-altering, humiliating disease, entirely
sure that my unrelenting and faith-filled prayers would be rewarded with the
answer I longed for. But what was the source of my laughter? At least to some
extent, it came from a confidence in what I knew God was going to do because of my
prayers.
Blessed Be the Name
Ten years later, my neurological disease has brought the onset of frequent nerve
pain, worsening facial paralysis, and a host of concerns about how things could
progress down the road.
But now I know. A woman who laughs at the days to come needs to be standing on a
sure and steady confidence not in what she is able to endure, but in who her God
will still be as she is enduring. And even in the deepest moment of pain, she will echo

the words of Job as a tearstained smile forms upon her lips: “The Lord gave, and
the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
Tessa Thompson lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and two boys.
She is passionate about biblical womanhood, God-glorifying homemaking, and
applying Scripture to everyday life. More of her writing can be found at True
Woman.
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A Woman Of Strength, Dignity And Laughter
Contributed by David Simpson on May 19, 2017
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Scripture: Proverbs 31:25
Denomination: Christian Church
Summary: A Mother's Day sermon pointing out a godly woman's strength and
dignity, as well as her laughter!
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Lanier Christian Church
May 14, 2017 – Mother’s Day
A Woman of Strength, Dignity and Laughter
Proverbs 31:25
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” -
Proverbs 31:25
Perhaps many of you are familiar with Proverbs 31. It is the concluding chapter of
the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Although King Solomon is credited with most
of the proverbs, the last chapter is from King Lemuel, who may have been an
Egyptian or Babylonian King, but nonetheless wrote about a woman of noble
character, and he got the idea from his own mother.
The beginning of Proverbs 31 says: The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired
utterance his mother taught him.
These inspiring words were written in Hebrew in acrostic form. From verse 10 until
the concluding words, we see an acrostic poem. This means the first line starts with
the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the second line the second letter and so
forth.
You may say, I’m not familiar with acrostic poems but you’ve probably heard this
one by Howard Johnson…PLAY VIDEO
“M' is for the million things she gave me, 'O' means only that she's growing old, 'T'
is for the tears were shed to save me, 'H' is for her heart of purest gold; 'E' is for her
eyes, with love-light shining, 'R' means right, and right she'll always be, Put them all
together, they spell 'mother,' A word that means the world to me.
So…because of that song, that some of us learned in elementary school, we know
what an acrostic is.
On this Mother’s Day I am well aware of the feelings that are brought about by this
holiday. Some of you are blessed with wonderful memories of your mother. Some of
you are grieving over the loss of your mother. Some of you have deep heartache on
this day due to hurtful memories. Some of you never knew your mother. Some of
you are blessed with children. Some of you are blessed by children.
But, for all of you women here today, know this: God has called you to be a woman
of noble character!

Proverbs 31 gives an extensive description of what a woman of noble character looks
like. But today I want to focus in on this one verse, Proverbs 31:25
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”
My sisters in Christ, it’s not about the beautiful clothing you wear today at church
or any day, it’s about the kind of character you cover yourself with day in and day
out.
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The woman of noble character; The woman that reflects the very virtues of God, is
clothed with strength and dignity.
Dignity is the outer reflection of the strength within you. You can perhaps be strong
without dignity, but you can’t be dignified without strength. I don’t think there is a
mom here today that doesn’t believe the verse in Philippians 4:13– “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The strength to be a woman of noble character comes through Christ. He is the rock
from which you draw your strength. He is the source from which you draw your
help. He is the power that sustains when you feel unable to carry on.
The greatest gift that my own mother has given me is the gift of faith and strength
that is found in Jesus. She is a dignified woman in every sense of the word, because
Christ is her strength. And when I hear her pray, wow, it’s like she has a direct line
to God! With sincerity and dignity and a bold, yet quiet strength, she approaches the
throne of God and petitions him in a way that you know for certain that God hears!
Perhaps any woman’s strength and dignity is best revealed in the crisis times of life.
That’s when the noble character really is tested and revealed.
There are women in this room today that have shown strength and dignity in the
most difficult trials of life:
Some of you have battled cancer, or some other serious illness, and been dignified
and strong throughout the process.

Some of you have grieved the loss of children and husbands and siblings and parents
but have done so with dignity and strength.
Some of you have suffered through miscarriage or infertility and have faced those
trials with dignity and strength.
Some of you have battled financial woes and job stress, but have stood firm with
dignity and strength.
Some of you have dealt with loneliness and heartache, but have done so with dignity
and strength.
I found this anonymous quote this week: Don’t worry. God is never blind to your
tears, never deaf to your prayers and never silent to your pain. He sees. He hears
and He will deliver you.
So, my challenge to all that are here today, men and women alike is to find your
strength in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let him empower you with strength, grace,
patience, peace, wisdom and the ability to deal with any situation that you face, so
that you can handle it with dignity just like this woman of noble character described
in Proverbs 31.
If you do allow our Lord to clothe you with strength and dignity, your influence on
children and adults alike will be unstoppable.
Now, dignity seems to be something refined and formal and serious, but this verse
reminds us that there is more to life than the serious approach. There is a time for
laughter as well!
Yes, you heard it right! Laughter. Laughter is a gift from God! I actually believe
that laughter is the best medicine, and you don’t have to drive to the Pharmacy to
get it!
Other translations of the Bible word this verse in different ways:
The New Living Translation: She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she
laughs without fear of the future.
The Message: She always faces tomorrow with a smile.
A woman of noble character will laugh without fear of the future! How do you do
that? It’s not because she KNOWS the future but the woman of noble character
knows the God of the future!
One of the early songs my mother taught me was: “He’s got the whole world in His

hand, He’s got the whole wide world in His hand…”
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The other song she would sing to my sisters and I when we were children was:
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
So, I learned two very important truths from my mother in my childhood that are
still true today: 1.) God’s got everything under control and 2.) Jesus loves me, no
matter what!
Therefore, every one of us here today, men and women alike, should know that we
can laugh without fear of the future because …God’s got this! We can laugh in the
face of Satan, as we age, because our future is secure with Christ!
Let’s talk about the laughter part of this verse. My mom and dad modeled laughter
for me. They’ve always loved to laugh. Life is too hard to not bring some comic
relief to your days. I actually believe it’s God’s healing therapy.
James Dobson tells the story of a mother who was sick in bed. She had the flu. And
her little daughter wanted so much to be a good nurse. So she brought mom an extra
pillow, and she brought her a magazine to read. And then she even showed up with a
surprise cup of tea. And her mother took a sip of the tea, and she said, ''Wow! I
didn't even know you knew how to make tea!'' And the girl said, ''Oh, yes. I learned
by watching you. I put some water in the pot, and then I put the tea leaves in, and I
boiled the water, and then I strained it into a cup. But I couldn't find the strainer, so
I used the flyswatter instead.'' And her mother said, ''You what?!'' And the girl said,
''Oh, don't worry, mom. I didn't use the new flyswatter; I used the old one.''
We need to laugh more, don’t we? I feel so much better when I laugh, don’t you? Of
all people, Christians have a reason to laugh. God’s in control, and Satan cannot
overthrow Him. So, because of that we need to live out our days with a whole lot
more joy than we do.
On this Mother’s Day, I want all of you moms, all of you women…and yes all of you
men, too…to laugh more. To let the joy of the Lord heal your soul. To let laughter

fill your lungs and stretch your facial muscles. To share the one contagious thing
that people should be infected with…and that’s the gift of laughter!
Now, we like to laugh in my family, so I want to share with you how wonderful
laughter is. Back in December we celebrated Christmas Day on a Sunday. Many of
you were here. After worship we headed to my hometown of Milledgeville. We had a
nice dinner and then we opened gifts. We like to do the gag gifts…the white elephant
style gift giving. Here is a photo of my mom wearing her gift. (PHOTO)
Yes, that’s my beautiful mother wearing a beard and hat! (gag gift) I’m telling you
we like to laugh! By the way, here is a photo of my beautiful mom and dad for those
of you who’ve never met them. She really doesn’t have a beard!
Then, at our Christmas gathering, my sister, Kay brought out this unique game
called: “Speak Out.”
It involves wearing a mouthpiece that prevents your lips from touching. You then
select a card and have to speak a certain phrase with everyone else guessing what
you’ve said.
So, here is my sister Kay…at our Simpson family gathering on Christmas Day.
First, Kay…..SLIDE/VIDEO
Then, someone you know, Faith….
Doesn’t it feel good to laugh? Christmas is one of the most joyful days of the year.
But, we should laugh throughout the year because God made us that way. Don’t let
Satan steal your joy! Moms…ladies….when is the last time you laughed?
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Give your family a gift today and laugh with them. Give your family something
they’ll never forget and share a smile and a chuckle.
To wrap up this message today, let’s look at this Proverbs verse one more time. It
speaks of a woman of noble character:
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” (or as
the Living Bible says: She laughs without fear of the future.) - Proverbs 31:25

So I leave you today with one more laugh….I found it on youtube and it just made
me chuckle.
VIDEO Show video of Baby, Dog and bubbles.
So in honor of you women and mothers here today, I have a gift for you….bubbles.
Blow some bubbles when you get home today. Share laughter and smiles with your
family and friends. And never forget this biblical truth: “She laughs without fear of
the future.”
The Virtuous Woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
The "Proverbs 31 Woman" shines as a bright beacon in this wonderful Old
Testament book of precepts and warnings. Today as we see women of all ages
following dubious role models, we are refreshed to find a timeless example of virtue,
responsibility and good sense. Here, in this lovely picture of womanhood, is a
woman who embodies the qualities which every believing woman should strive for in
her personal life and appearance, in her family life, and in her daily duties.
The woman described in Proverbs 31 is so exemplary and so virtuous, and so
diligent to perform all her duties that women today, who have a heart to please God,
may find it difficult or even discouraging to try to follow her example. They might
think, "How could I ever measure up to such a godly woman? When I think of how
I have carried out my responsibilities as a wife or as a mother or even as an
unmarried woman, compared to this person described in Proverbs 31, I am of all
women most miserable!"
Let not your heart be troubled. In 1 Peter 2:21 believers are told to follow Christ's
example and follow His steps, and yet who could ever measure up to the quality of
life and virtue displayed by the sinless Son of God? We all fall far short. We have
not attained to His level of perfection, and yet we "follow after" and "press toward
the mark" (Phil. 3:12-14). God has given us a pattern, a mark to shoot for, and
though we come short and often fail, yet God's standard is before our eyes. Though
we may fall short, we never want to lower God's standard.
There are other stellar examples of godly persons in the Scriptures, whose lives often
put us to shame; yet it is our joyful privilege to imitate them and follow their

example. Think of men such as Joseph and Daniel and Paul (as a converted man).
Most Bible characters had their flaws, and certainly these men did as well, and yet
nothing negative is said about these three in the Bible. They are wonderful role
models for believers.
In and of ourselves we will surely fail in our quest for godly living. We will come to
the end of ourselves and recognize our own bankruptcy. With Paul we will cry out,
"I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present
with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Rom. 7:18). God, by
His grace and by the power of His Spirit can enable us to live lives that are pleasing
to the One who died and rose again for us. May we reckon ourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin (Rom. 6:11) that the life our Lord might be manifested in and
through us (2 Cor. 4:10-11). We cannot, but God can! The God who indwells us can
enable us.
When we do fail to measure up to the kind of person God wants us to be, we can still
rejoice that we have an Advocate with the Father (a Helper in court!), Christ Jesus
the Righteous One (1 John 2:1-2). He pleads on our behalf; His work on Calvary's
cross has already satisfied all of God's just demands. We can confess our sins and
enjoy God's wonderful forgiveness and fellowship (1 John 1:9).
Proverbs 31:10-31
The last part of Proverbs 31, beginning with verse 10, consists of 22 verses. Each
verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet (in proper order). The
same alphabetical pattern is found in some of the Psalms and may have been used as
an aid in memorizing Scripture. The most well-known alphabetical Psalm is Psalm
119 where there are 22 alphabetical sections of eight verses each. In the Hebrew text
of Proverbs 31, each verse is also clearly divided into two parts (for example, in
verse 10---Part 1: Who can find a virtuous woman? Part 2: For her price is far
above rubies). This same two-part format is found in all of these verses. The only
exception might be verse 15 which seems to be divided into three parts.
Proverbs 31:10
Who can find a virtuous woman?
The first part of verse 10 literally reads, "Who can find a woman of strength?" The
term "virtuous" is from a noun meaning strength, efficiency, ability. Here it refers
to strength of character, that is, moral strength and firmness.
In Exodus 18:21 we find the expression used of men. Moses was to find "able men"
(lit.--"men of strength") such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. In

light of this verse we can say that a virtuous man is one who fears God, loves truth
and hates sin. Moses was to look for and find such men, and the implication is that
such men were not easy to find. The expression is also used in 1 Kings 1:42
("valiant man" or "man of strength") and 1 Kings 1:52 ("worthy man" or "man of
strength"). In this latter passage (v. 52) we learn that the opposite of a virtuous man
is a man in whom wickedness is found. Thus a virtuous man is a man of great moral
strength, in whom wickedness is not found. He is a godly, God-fearing man. So
also, the virtuous woman is a God-fearing woman--compare Proverbs 31:10 with
31:30.
The Old Testament uses this expression of a virtuous woman in two other places. In
Ruth 3:11 it is used of Ruth. Everyone in the city knew that she was a virtuous
woman! When a woman has strength of character (fears God, loves truth, hates
sin), then others will take note and recognize this. It will be very obvious because it
is so unusual. People are usually so morally weak and so anemic in character, that
when a man or woman of strength shows up it is quite evident to all. The other
place the term is used is in Proverbs 12:4 where we learn that a virtuous woman
(lit--a woman of strength) does not make her husband ashamed.
For her price is far above rubies.
She is far more valuable and worth far more than rubies. The Hebrew term for
"rubies" may not refer to rubies, but may refer to pink pearls or red coral. A pink
pearl which was found in a mollusk in the Red Sea was considered of great value to
the ancients. It is difficult to know exactly which stone or pearl this Hebrew word
referred to, but its usage in the Old Testament tells us two things for sure: 1) It was
very valuable (see Proverbs 20:15 and Job 28:18); 2) It was reddish in color
(Lamentations 4:7--"ruddy").
Who can find a virtuous woman (a woman of strength)? She is like a rare gem.
Precious stones are precious and costly because they are so rare. If you could go out
along the roadside and collect hundreds of rubies anytime you wanted to, then they
would not be worth much. It is the rare, hard to find gems that are worth so much.
Also, for some reason God made most common stones unattractive; yet He made
most rare stones very beautiful and brilliant and lustrous. The virtuous woman is a
beautiful woman, not necessarily outwardly, but certainly inwardly (see Prov.
31:30). She is not only a rare gem but a beautiful gem.
A godly woman is rare and very hard to find. The same thing could be said about
the godly man. Number one on the endangered species list is the Homo sapiens
pious*: "Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among
the children of men" (Psalm 12:1). There are hardly any such creatures around,

and the few that do exist will eventually die out! May God in His infinite grace and
mercy be pleased to raise up godly men and women in these difficult and trying
days. [*Pious is the Latin word for "godly."]
If a young man is looking for a godly woman, how can he find her? First he should
trust God to find her for him. Second, he must realize that a virtuous woman is not
going to want just any man. She is going to want to find a virtuous man (a man of
strength, a man valiant for the truth, a godly servant of Christ). So if you want to
have any chance of finding such a gem, you must be a gem yourself. Exercise
yourself unto godliness. Learn the fear of the Lord. Dare to be different. Dare to
go against the flow of the world, and to be transformed by the renewing of your
mind (Rom. 12:2). Be the kind of a man that would attract the interest of the godly
woman!
So in this opening verse we have learned that the godly woman is very hard to find.
She is more valuable than a rare gem. She has an inner beauty and a strength of
character and a moral firmness that is lacking in the vast majority of women, even
believing women.
Proverbs 31:11
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.
Sadly, this cannot be said of most husbands today. They cannot trust their wives
(and often their wives cannot trust them). Being able to fully trust your marriage
partner is one of the fundamental foundations of a strong God-honoring marriage.
Martin Luther said of his wife, "The greatest gift of God is a pious amiable spouse,
who fears God, loves his house, and with whom one can live in perfect confidence"
[quoted in Proverbs, by Charles Bridges, p. 620].
The term "husband" is the common word for husband in the Old Testament. It also
means "lord" or "owner." [It is also the word that is used of the false god "Baal."]
There are two reasons why the heart of the husband can trust his virtuous wife. The
first reason is found in the second part of verse 11 ("so that he shall have no need of
spoil") and the second reason is found in verse 12 ("she shall do him good and not
evil"). See the discussion that follows.
So that he shall have no need of spoil
"No need" is the very same expression found in Psalm 23:1--"I shall not want." It
means to be in need, to be lacking. Both here and in Psalm 23:1 it is used with the
negative: to not be in need, to not be lacking. If the LORD is my Shepherd, then I
shall not be in need because He will supply all my need. If I have a godly wife, I

shall not be in need of spoil.
The word "spoil" means "plunder, booty, spoil." It is often used of booty obtained
following a battle as the victorious soldiers would take anything valuable from their
defeated foes and thus would gain riches from battle. Here in Proverbs 31:11 the
word carries the secondary meaning of "gain." [It is certainly not suggesting that if
his wife were not virtuous that he would need to go to battle, slay the enemy and
take of their spoil!] "He shall have no need of gain" because his wife is a
tremendous benefit to the family, even financially. She is not a financial liability (as
the verses following will amply illustrate). She manages the home so well and she is
so industrious and productive that her efforts result in great gain and even profit.
Sadly today some wives are so slothful and careless that they cause the family to
suffer great financial loss. They go on shopping sprees or incur immense credit card
debt or waste countless hours each week engaged in unproductive activities
(television, etc.). How can her husband safely trust in her? After she has finished
destroying the family budget, he has great need of gain considering all that she has
lost! Of course, the problem of wasteful spending and unproductive activities is not
limited to women only. Men are at fault as well.
Proverbs 31:12
She will do him good, and not evil
Her husband can safely trust in her because he does not need to worry about her
being a financial liability (v. 11) and because he knows that she will do him only
good, and not evil. "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor
from the LORD" (Prov. 18:22). Of course, the man must find the right kind of wife.
Job's wife was a curse who only added to his trials (Job 2:9-10). Some men find "a
crown to their head" while others find "rottenness to their bones" (Prov. 12:4). One
of the reasons Proverbs 31:10-31 was written, no doubt, was to help guide men in
finding the right kind of wife. [Some see Proverbs 31:10-31 as a continuation of
what King Lemuel's mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1-9), concluding with this
description of an ideal wife for her royal son.] The key to finding the right woman,
is to look to the Lord in prayer and steadfast trust, so that God Himself might be the
One who finds her. God knows who my life partner should be.
The verb "will do" is of interest. It is not the common Hebrew verb for "do." It
means to deal out, to deal fully, to deal bountifully. At times it even approaches the
meaning of "to reward, to pay back." Let's illustrate how it is used. In 1 Samuel
24:17 David had just spared Saul's life even though he easily could have killed his
persecutor. Saul's response: "Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast
rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil." Saul deserved evil but

David dealt with him in a good way. Saul dished out evil to David but David dished
out good to Saul who actually deserved evil. In Genesis 50:15,17 the term is used of
Joseph's guilty brothers who remembered what they had done to Joseph:
"Joseph...will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him....So shall ye
say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their
sin; for they did unto thee evil." They dealt out and dished out evil to Joseph but he
did not pay them back in the same way. Joseph saw God's good and sovereign hand
in it all (Gen. 50:20).
This verb is also used of the LORD who deals bountifully with his servants. See
Psalm 13:6; 116:7; 119:17; 142:7.
The virtuous woman deals out to her husband that which is good. She dishes out to
him and serves him that which is good and not evil. She wants only God's highest
and best for him. Her life and her deeds are a constant benefit and blessing to her
husband.
All the days of her life
In doing good to her husband she is consistent. She doesn't serve him that which is
good one day and that which is evil the next day. Her husband can count on her to
do him good and to be a blessing to him. He can count on her to do this today, five
days from now, one year from now, ten years from now, and all the days of her life.
She is not up and down, hot and cold. Her godliness is marked with consistency.
Proverbs 31:13
She seeketh wool and flax
Wool, of course, is the wavy or curly undercoat of a sheep which can be woven into a
warm garment or fabric. Even today we wear wool sweaters or mittens to protect us
from the cold.
Flax was a fibrous plant used in spinning. The fibers can be drawn out and twisted
into yarn or thread for the manufacture of linen. The most famous flax was grown
under ideal conditions in Egypt. There was no better linen than the "fine linen of
Egypt." This is one reason why the seventh plague was so terrible. This judgment
involved hail stones mixed with fire. The hail stones "smote every herb of the field"
(Exodus 9:25), totally destroying, among other things, the flax crop. From flax can
be made a variety of materials including coarse canvas, rugged sails for ships and
even thin, delicate scarves.
The godly woman "seeks" wool and flax, these two basic materials to use in making
clothes and garments. The term "seek" could mean that she "selects" (NIV) the

best quality of wool and flax or it could mean that she "seeks with care" or "cares
for" the wool and flax. The word has this latter meaning in Deuteronomy 11:12--"A
land which the LORD thy God careth for (seeks!)." She carefully collects and
gathers and cares for the wool and flax that she will use in making clothes for her
household and perhaps for others as well.
The word "willingly" is from the word meaning "delight, pleasure." She takes
great delight in her work. Rather than being a laborious and boring chore, it is
pleasant and enjoyable. Toil need not be tedious. It can be a tremendous source of
pleasure and satisfaction.
In our modern, computerized, electronic, entertainment-saturated society we have
lost the art of working with our hands. Most women don't delight in making clothes
with their hands. Instead they delight in shopping for clothes at the mall and thus
adversely affecting the family budget. Instead of learning from their mothers how
to sew and knit and crochet and mend, many children are too busy watching
television or playing computer games. Unfortunately most mothers do not even
know how to do these things and could not teach their children even if they wanted
to. I used to watch my mother spend countless hours knitting and crocheting and
sewing, but these things are becoming a lost art.
Mothers and wives who are not seamstresses may be able to exchange skills they do
have for the skills of those who sew. There are times when it may be more
economical, in both time and money, to wisely shop for bargains than to purchase
patterns, material, zippers, etc. The wise woman uses her time and individual
resources in the best way she can.
The godly woman takes great pleasure in working with her hands and providing
clothing for her family.
Proverbs 31:14
She is like the merchants' ships;
She bringeth her food from afar.
In verse 13 she is seeking to provide clothing for her family and in verse 14 she is
seeking to provide food for her family. The Bible teaches us that with food and
raiment we can be content (1 Tim. 6:8) and the virtuous women plays a key role, as
God's instrument, in providing both.
Notice the simile. The virtuous woman is compared to the merchants' ships.

Merchants are traders who buy or sell commodities for profit, and merchants' ships
are filled with items from far countries. So the godly woman brings in food from
afar (from distant places). The word "food" is the common Hebrew word for
"bread" but it is also used of food in general.
Does this mean that she travels to far off countries to procure international
delicacies for her family? Very unlikely. It probably means that she brought in
foods from distant lands by trading for them. She took some of the wondrous
garments or clothes that she made with her hands (v.13) and was able to bring them
to some merchant men and trade them for food items which had come from afar,
even from distant lands.
Today the wife usually says to her husband, "Dear, I need some money because I'm
going to town to do our weekly grocery shopping." The virtuous woman said,
"Dear, I'm going to town but I don't need any money because I'm taking some of the
fine linen which I have made and will trade it in for some items of food which you
will really enjoy." How can he complain about that?
It also seems that she recognized that it would be good for her family to give them
great variety in their diet, including international dishes, and not to constantly give
them the same foods all the time. Variety is the spice of life.
Proverbs 31:15
She riseth also while it is yet night
She is up before the sun, showing that idleness and laziness have no place with her
(compare verse 27). The sluggard (Prov. 6:6-11) should not only go to the ant, but
should also go to the virtuous woman to learn a lesson on diligence. There are great
benefits to rising up early. It is a quiet time free from the noise and distractions of
the day. It is an ideal time to spend with the Lord in quiet meditation and prayer,
starting the day with Him.
We also see this principle in the manna which God provided for the children of
Israel in the wilderness. Manna had to be gathered anew every morning (Exodus
16:14-22), just as fresh food for our souls is needed each day.
We have the example of our blessed Lord: "And in the morning, rising up a great
while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed
(Mark 1:35). The Psalmist was in the habit of morning prayer: "In the morning
shall my prayer come before thee" (Psalm 88:13).
Did you meet the Master,

At the break of day,
Before your mind was clouded
With your work or play?
Yes, I met the Master,
In the secret place.
Oh! the blessed comfort
When He giveth Grace.
Rising up early also allows us to get a good start on the day. If a person sleeps in
late, by the time he really gets going it may seem that half the day is gone and he has
time to accomplished very little. Sprinters know that the most important part of the
race is how they start the race (how they get off the starting blocks). The key is
beginning well. May God help us to start our days well, beginning the day with God
and getting a good early start on the tasks and duties that demand our attention and
diligence. Needless to say, a mother may have to sleep in after being up during the
night with a sick child. The virtuous woman is diligent, yet flexible and realistic.
She giveth meat (food) to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
One of the reasons she rises up so early is to provide food for her household. When
the father and children get up they are greeted with a hearty, home-cooked
breakfast! Nutritionists consider breakfast the most important meal of the day,
nourishing the body that has not had any food for many hours (the "breaking of the
fast," that is, "breakfast") and providing energy for the toil of the day. The virtuous
woman makes sure that her family gets off to a good nutritional start. This term
"food" (translated by some as "game") is also used in Psalm 111:5 of God's gracious
provision of food for those who fear Him.
Young women today, in many cases, hardly know how to prepare meals. Many
families eat out frequently or order food that can be brought into the home. How
many families take time to sit down at a meal together around the table? Often
families don't eat together, don't pray together, don't read together, and as a result
don't stay together.
Her maidens are her female servants. This virtuous woman was blessed with a large
household that included female maids or servants. She did not live in poverty. We
are reminded that under the Old Testament economy, the Israelites who honored
and feared the Lord were promised not only spiritual blessings but also material
blessings, and certainly the woman described in Proverbs 31 had both.

One might think that this virtuous woman could command her female servants and
tell them to rise up early and prepare the breakfast meal and have it ready for her
entire family. But we are told that she gives a portion of food to her maidens. Not
only does this speak of her kindness to those working under her, but it also indicates
that she demanded of others only what she herself was willing to do. Workers and
servants will greatly respect a superior who is willing to "get his hands dirty" and
do some of the very tasks which he might require of them. The term "portion" is
used in that wonderful passage found in Job 23:12--"Neither have I gone back from
the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than
my portion of food" (literal translation).
Proverbs 31:16
She considereth a field, and buyeth it.
The word "considereth" is from a verb which often is used to describe the wicked
who devise evil or are actively plotting evil. Here are some examples:
"The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth"
(Psalm 37:12). "While they took counsel together against me, they devised to take
away my life" (Psalm 31:13b). "And now nothing will be restrained from them,
which they have imagined to do" (Gen. 11:6b). In this last passage the people of
Babel considered in their minds all kinds of evil, and their evil plots would have
come to fruition had not God confused their tongues and scattered them.
In Psalm 17:3 this same verb is used of determining a course of action: "I am
purposed that my mouth shall not transgress" (Psalm 17:3).
When wicked men devise evil they often will put a lot of thought and planning into
it. We can think of the horrific terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon on 9/11/01. These successful attacks were the fruit of enormous
planning and premeditation. It was a very carefully thought out operation.
The godly woman considers a field (a plot of land in open country). She doesn't do
this rashly or on a sudden impulse, but she has given very careful thought to the
matter. She has a plan for her family and she carefully thinks about what she needs.
She decides that a prosperous vineyard would be beneficial to all, and thus she
decides upon a field that would be suitable.
"She buys it." Literally, she takes it. She acquires the field, probably by purchasing
it. The fact that she buys a field indicates that the godly woman was involved in
financial decisions relating to the family and involved in financial transactions.
From what we know about this godly woman, she did not act independently of her

husband. We know that the heart of her husband did safely trust in her (v. 11),
which would not be the case if his wife were running around purchasing all kinds of
things without his knowledge! The godly wife, under the headship of her husband,
can play a significant role in managing family finances. Some wives are very good
at keeping a checkbook and managing the family budget, and it would be to the
advantage of the family for the husband to delegate this responsibility to her.
How many women buy all kinds of things on the spur of the moment without giving
the matter careful thought and deliberation? As she races out to the shopping mall
with her friends, can her husband safely trust in her? [We also might ask, can the
wife trust her husband when he goes shopping?]
With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
The purpose of the field was to provide a place for a vineyard so that the family and
others could enjoy the fruit of the vine. The fruit of her hands signifies the result of
her labor. To cultivate a field and to maintain a vineyard requires much labor. The
vineyard was the fruit of her loving toil.
Before we buy something we need to count the cost. Before we buy a field, we need
to ask, "Am I willing to work the field?" Many things that we purchase require a
good bit of maintenance, and if we are unwilling to provide the labor that is needed
for the maintenance, then the purchase is probably unwise. [Think of people who
rashly procure a pet, not considering all the time and effort that is required to
properly take care of the animal.] When the godly woman planned for the purchase
of the field, she also calculated the amount of toil that would be needed to maintain
the vineyard.
The "fruit of her hands" could also be understood in another way, as "the fruit of
her earnings." That is, with the fruit of her hands (see verse 13) she was able to
earn enough money to purchase and plant a vineyard. Perhaps she employed her
servants (maidens, v. 15) to work the field or to help her work the field.
Proverbs 31:17
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
Inner strength and a tenacious trust in God translates into outer strength and
physical vitality and vigor. The "loins" are regarded as the seat of strength (see 1
Kings 12:10; Nahum 2:1). The term refers to the abdominal or hip region of the

body (the mid-section), the region of strength and procreative power.
"To gird" means to encircle or bind with a flexible band or girdle (belt). In Bible
times both men and women wore outer robes or tunics. If the tunic was ungirded it
would interfere with a person's ability to walk freely. The Bible often makes
symbolic use of the girdle. Jesus said, "Let your loins be girded about" (Luke
12:35). In other words, "Be as men who have a long race to run; gather up the folds
of your flowing robes, and fasten them with your girdle; that nothing may keep you
back or impede your steps." In Bible language, "to be girded" means "to be ready
for action." "For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle" (Psalm 18:39).
[See Fred Wight, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands, page 93].
The virtuous woman has a reservoir of inner strength which is able to energize her
and enable her to accomplish physical tasks which require a great amount of
physical strength. She is not weakened by sloth or laziness but she is a wonderful
example of diligence and industry. George Lawson describes her in this way:
As rust gathers on metals that are seldom used, so sluggishness of disposition
contracts a rust on the powers of the body and mind; and idle persons by degrees
realize those excuses for their conduct which were at first mere shams. The virtuous
woman is of a very different temper. She declines not any part of her duty through
aversion to toil; and by exerting her strength with a cheerful mind she improves it.
Her labors give her health and vigor, and alacrity for new labors; so that she can
with great ease and tranquility go through those duties which appear impossibilities
to other women [Commentary on Proverbs, p. 564].
Proverbs 31:18
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good.
The word "perceiveth" is the Hebrew word that means "taste." Literally, she tastes
that her gain is good. The same word is found in Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that
the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." God's goodness must
be tasted; it must be personally experienced. Only those who have truly trusted
Him have tasted of His goodness and experienced God for themselves.
The word "merchandise" means profit, traffic, gain received from traffic or trade.
The word is found twice in Proverbs 3:14, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold" (verses 13-14).
The godly woman purchased a field, planted a vineyard, and gave herself to this

ambitious endeavor with great strength (verses 16-17). In verse 18 she is
experiencing the rewards of her labor. She finds how profitable her industry is as
she experiences the sale of its product. She sees that her trading is profitable. She is
reaping what she sowed by her diligent industry, and she is finding it to be a good
harvest. She is seeing the results of the labors of her hands. She learns that success
results from her labors and she reaps the fruits of hard work.
Her merchandise is known to be good, and brings a ready market and a good price;
and her knowledge of this is a sufficient reward of itself for her toils; for when the
lazy are perpetually uneasy by their reflections on their own conduct, the
consciousness of having done her duty, and the prospect of the advantages arising
from it, are a constant source of satisfaction and cheerfulness to the virtuous woman
(George Lawson, Commentary on Proverbs, p. 564).
Her candle (lamp) goeth not out by night.
Homes in Bible times were illuminated at night by olive oil lamps. The virtuous
woman's lamp did not go out at night, that is, it was not quenched or extinguished
(see 1 Sam. 3:3). What was she doing at night? Probably the activity mentioned in
verse 19 (hand spinning). Here was a woman who worked day and night with
amazing diligence and fortitude. We might say she "burned the midnight oil." If
you were to pass by her house late at night you would see that her light would still
be on. We wonder when this woman ever slept because in these verse she is working
late at night and in verse 15 she rises while it is yet night. The fact that she rises
indicates that she did get some sleep. We have the expression, "early to bed, early to
rise," but she seems to have been in the habit of "late to bed, early to rise."
Some women are up late at night pursuing questionable activities (using inferior
lamp light), but then they sleep through half the day (missing out on superior
sunlight). But the godly woman is diligent both day and night, and is able to get the
necessary sleep, without overindulging in sleep. The poverty mentioned in Proverbs
6:9-11 will not be her portion.
Believers need to evaluate their nighttime activities to make sure that they are
pleasing to the Lord and profitable for eternity. During the day we normally have
our duties and our schedule--things we need to do and places we need to be. Our
time is usually well accounted for during the day. But after sunset is usually the
part of the day when we have "free time," and it is important to recognize that this
time belongs to the Lord. May we be about our Father's business! Then, when we
finally lie down on our beds, our sleep will be sweet.
Proverbs 31:19

She layeth her hands to the spindle,
and her hands hold the distaff.
She knew how to use her hands with skill in providing clothing for her family and
perhaps others. This verse describes a very ancient method of spinning used in the
days before the spinning wheel even existed. The distaff was a staff used for holding
the flax, tow or wool which would be spun into thread by means of the spindle. The
spindle would turn and twist the fibers into threads. [See the discussion of wool and
flax under verse 13.]
The spindle was a round stick with tapered ends used to form and twist the yarn in
hand spinning. The spindle and the distaff are the most ancient of all instruments
used in the craft of spinning. About eight to ten inches long, spindles were used to
guide the thread as it was fashioned into cloth. The weaver sometimes turned the
spindle by rolling it across her thigh.
The wool or flax was wound on the distaff, which was stuck upright in the ground or
held under the arm. The spindle, which had a circular rim to steady it when
revolving, was attached to the thread being drawn out from the distaff. By rotating
the spindle, the spinner twisted the thread. An example of hand spinning is found in
the ancient book of Exodus: "And all the women that were wise hearted did spin
with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple,
and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in
wisdom spun goats' hair" (Exodus 35:25-26).
If a woman's hands are idle and if she is not engaged in worthwhile, constructive
pursuits, then watch out! "Idle hands are the devil's tools" and "If the devil can
catch a man (or woman) idle, he'll set him (or her) to work."
Proverbs 31:20
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;
yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Compare an earlier verse in the same Proverb: "Plead the cause of the poor and
needy" (verse 9).
Verse 20 is an example of parallelism that is found so often in Hebrew poetry. In
these two phrases parallel ideas are set forth, with the second phrase saying
basically the same thing as the first phrase, with only minor variations. Both
phrases emphasize the fact that the virtuous woman has compassion toward the
poor and needy and she shows her compassion with concrete deeds of mercy. She

loves the poor, not in word or in tongue only, but also in deed and in truth (1 John
3:16-18).
The word "poor" means "afflicted, humble." It is used of those who are physically
and materially poor as in Proverbs 31:20, and it is also used of believers who
recognize their spiritual poverty and bankruptcy ("I am poor and needy"--see
Psalm 40:17; 70:5; 109:22; 34:6). No one can make progress in his spiritual life until
he realizes how desperately needy he really is, and recognizes that only the Lord can
supply that which is needed.
God's people are to have a heart of compassion for those who are physically and
materially poor and needy. In the law, God told the Israelites that the gleanings
from their vineyards and fields should be left for the poor of the land (Lev. 19:10;
23:22). The godly woman of Proverbs 31 faithfully obeyed the following command:
"For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying,
Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in
thy land." (Deut. 15:11). Early in Proverbs 31, believers are encouraged to plead
the cause of the poor (verse 9). In Proverbs 14:21 a benediction is pronounced upon
those who show compassion to the poor and help them: "He that despiseth his
neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he."
In studying this Hebrew word which is translated "poor" in Proverbs 31:20, I was
surprised to find it used of our blessed Lord Himself during the days of His
humiliation: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and
riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9). The word
"lowly" is the same Hebrew word as "poor" in Proverbs 31:20. We are reminded of
our Lord's amazing condescension: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
The word "needy" at the end of verse 20 means "one who is in need, in want; one
who is lacking." When a person lacks basic material necessities such as food and
clothing, then he is considered poor, and hence the word is a synonym for poor.
The word "needy" is used to describe the spiritual condition of God's people. Every
believer needs to recognize his spiritual bankruptcy: "I am poor and needy." See
Psalm 40:17; 70:5; 86:1; 109:22. What we need, only God can supply. When He
supplies that which we lack, then we are rich indeed.
The key Old Testament passage instructing the Israelites on their responsibilities
toward the poor and needy is found in Deuteronomy 15:7-11:

7: If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates
in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart,
nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
8: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him
sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
9: Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year,
the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and
thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto
thee.
10: Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest
unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy
works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
11: For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying,
Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in
thy land.
Notice that they were not to shut their hand, but open their hand wide unto the poor
person (verses 7,8,11), just as the godly woman stretched out her hand to the poor
and reached forth her hand to the needy (Prov. 31:20).
In Job 29:16 Job said, "I was a father to the poor (needy)." Just as a father takes
care of the material needs of his children, so Job took care of the material needs of
the poor. See also Job 30:25 where we see Job's heart of compassion for the poor.
Proverbs 17:5 teaches that the person who is merciful to the poor and needy is the
person who honors God. The Amplified Bible renders it this way, "He who
oppresses the poor reproaches, mocks and insults his Maker, but he who is kind and
merciful to the needy honors Him."
As we consider our responsibility to the poor today (see 1 John 3:17-18; James 2:15-
17), some words of caution are necessary. Don't be duped. A man may deceptively
beg for money for groceries and end up spending it on alcohol. This writer sadly
remembers giving a man money for an emergency car repair only to find out later,
to my horror, that it was spent on drugs. Another might ask for gas money and use
it to support some sinful, wicked habit. Different approaches need to be used. For
example, if a person is truly hungry, and you believe it is proper to help, you can sit
down with him at the restaurant. As he eats his meal there is opportunity to share
the gospel with him. Not only are you satisfying his physical hunger, but you are
also providing opportunity for spiritual nourishment, which is his greatest need. If a

car repair is really needed, don't give the money to the poor man who may wrongly
use it, but to the car mechanic. Make sure the money is used for the right purpose.
Discernment is needed. There are times when the right thing to do is to not give any
money.
There are people who routinely go around to churches looking for handouts and
financial gifts. Supporting this kind of behavior will not really help the person to be
responsible for the long term. After he profits from you he is off to the next church.
We don't want to support irresponsibility.
In Bible times, the poor and blind and lame depended upon merciful almsgiving in
order to survive. Things are somewhat different in our American society where
(whether rightly or wrongly) there are all kinds of government programs to assist
the poor and needy, and wise stewardship should take this into account. Our
government is going to spend a great deal of money supporting the poor and needy
(and we contribute to this through our taxes), but our government is not going to
spend any money on God-honoring missionary efforts. Also we should always
remember that meeting a person's physical and material needs does not solve his
greatest problem. If we give a person food, clothing and good housing for his entire
life, and then he dies and eventually goes to the lake of fire, what have we really
done for this man? How much better to support Christ-centered mission agencies
which have workers who are concerned about the material needs of the poor, but
who are even more concerned about their spiritual and eternal needs.
May God give us much wisdom and discernment in how to best meet the needs of
those with whom God puts us in contact.
Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of the snow for her houshold;
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Snow in Palestine occasionally occurs, but when it does snow it rarely reaches any
great depth. During some winters it may not snow at all. "A fall of snow in the rainy
season of winter is not rare in Palestine...and is sometimes accompanied with
freezing cold" (Keil & Delitzsch). The Bible mentions snow a number of times
(Psalm 51:7; Proverbs 26:1; Isaiah 1:18), but only records one instance where snow
fell: "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who
had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew
a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow" (2 Sam. 23:20; compare 1 Chron. 11:22).
The virtuous woman, always concerned about the welfare of her family, is not afraid

of the snow. Snow is here a symbol of the cold that accompanies it. She is not afraid
of the cold because she has made preparations ahead of time to dress her family in
warm clothing. "Household" may also include servants.
Her household was "clothed with scarlet." The scarlet color (compare Isaiah 1:18
and Joshua 2:18 where the same word is used), of itself, did nothing to warm them.
"The scarlet clothing is of wool, which as such preserves warmth, and, as high-
coloured, appears at the same time dignified (2 Sam. 1:24)" (Keil & Delitzsch, see
under Proverbs 31:21). Thus they were protected by the wool and the scarlet
provided ornamentation. "Scarlet" is "obtained from the Tola, a cochineal-like
insect, which, being crushed, produces a fine deep red, or rich crimson dye, much
admired by the Orientals. It is the 'worm' of Psalm 22:6, to which our Lord likens
Himself, He who was bruised and slain that all His redeemed might be clothed in
splendor for eternity" (Ironside, Proverbs/Song of Solomon, pages 477-488).
One lesson here is that believers and the children of godly parents do not need to be
dressed in dull clothing. Drabness and dullness of apparel do not add to one's
spirituality. There seems to be an allowance for clothing that is colorful and
attractive. At the same time dress should be modest and should not unnecessarily
draw attention to self or to one's body.
Note: The LXX and Vulgate translate "scarlet" as "double-garments" or "doubly-
clothed." It is from a different Hebrew word which is very close in appearance to
the Hebrew word for "scarlet." See Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament.
This meaning would make sense with respect to the cold of winter.
Proverbs 31:22
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;
her clothing is silk and purple.
"She makes coverings for herself" (NASB). Apparently these were coverings which
she made for her bed (see ESV). The only other place in the Old Testament where
this Hebrew word "coverings" is found is in Proverbs 7:16 where it is clearly
referring to coverings for a bed: "I have decked my bed with coverings of
tapestry." The virtuous woman took time to decorate and adorn her bedroom with
beautiful bedspreads and coverings.
.
Her clothing is attractive and beautiful, of the finest material. "Silk" refers not to
silk as we know it today, but to the "fine linen of Egypt" which has already been
discussed (see under verse 13). The modern translations render it "fine linen."

"The purple was manufactured by the Phoenicians from a marine mollusk
(shellfish). The shell was broken in order to give access to a small gland which was
removed and crushed. The crushed gland gives a milky fluid that becomes red or
purple on exposure to the air. Piles of these broken shells still remain on the coast at
Sidon and Tyre" (The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Vol. IV, p. 2509).
Purple was prized by the ancients and exported far and wide. "Great labor was
required to extract the purple dye, and thus only royalty and the wealthy could
afford the resulting richly colored garments" (Unger's Bible Dictionary, p. 904). A
total of 250,000 mollusks was required to make one ounce of the dye, which helps us
to understand how valuable this dye was (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary,
p. 288). Purple cloth was used in the furnishings of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4), in
Solomon's temple (2 Chron. 2:14; 3:14) and in the high priest's dress (Exodus 25:4;
26:31). It was a royal garment worn by kings (Judges 8:26). It was a symbol of
luxury and wealth, worn by the rich man of Luke 16:19 and by the luxurious harlot
woman of Revelation 18:16. In Mark 15:17,20 our Saviour was mockingly dressed
in purple when a kingly robe was put around Him. Lydia was a seller of purple
(Acts 16:14).
What is the meaning of this verse? The virtuous woman did not dress in a shabby
manner. She was industrious and enterprising, and she was able to purchase the
finest materials, and with her own hands make the finest of garments. She did not
consider it a mark of spirituality to go around looking impoverished, dilapidated,
and threadbare. Rather, as was often true under the former dispensation, material
prosperity was a sign of God's blessing, and was not to be despised. She wore
expensive clothing, royal clothing, to match her regal and godly character. Her
outward garments of beauty and splendor matched her inner beauty. "The virtuous
wife is robed in what bespeaks her true character and dignity" (Ironside). She was
not vain or arrogant and she well understood that external beauty fades (as we will
see in verse 30). She was not snobbish in the way she dressed. She understood that
the most important clothing was the adorning of the inner man: "strength and
honor are her clothing."
It is important to remember that the wearing of costly garments did not come at the
expense of her family or the poor, nor did it interfere with any of her God-given
duties:
If the virtuous woman has coverings of tapestry for her house, she makes them
herself; if she is clothed with silk (or fine linen, as it may be rendered) and purple,
she earns it by her labors and good management. She does not starve her charity by
her finery, nor spend upon her dress that which might support a poor family, and
she does not reckon herself superior to the duties of a wife, nor exempted by wearing
silk and purple from using her spindle and distaff. From all this it appears that the

inspired writer allows the use of costly array to none but those who can afford it in a
full consistency with the duties which they owe to their families, to the poor, and to
all men (George Lawson, Commentary on Proverbs, pages 566-567).
The temple in the Old Testament was quite elaborate and beautifully adorned, and
this adornment included fine linen and purple. As believers, our bodies are the
temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Should not our "temple" express something of the
Lord? "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price" (1 Pet. 3:4). "That they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all
things" (Tit. 2:10). Dressing well, both inwardly and outwardly, is a virtue, not a
vice.
The Godly Woman and Costly Array
The godly woman of Proverbs 31 was dressed in costly array. In 1 Timothy 2:9
Christian woman are instructed not to adorn themselves in costly array. How do we
explain this apparent contradiction? Is it wrong for a believing woman today to go
out and buy an expensive dress? Should she instead only shop at thrift stores where
she can spend a minimal amount on necessary attire?
In the Old Testament, great wealth and godliness were not incompatible. Abraham
had tremendous wealth, as did David and Solomon, and they were not condemned
for possessing riches. They were condemned for setting their heart on their riches
(Psalm 62:10). Wealthy believers in the New Testament era, though not extinct, are
harder to find. It is not easy to amass wealth while being persecuted by a Christ-
hating world. Those who are rich are not condemned for their riches, but are told
not to trust in them (1 Tim. 6:17) and to be generous in the distribution of them (1
Tim. 6:18).
Homer Kent explains that 1 Timothy 2:9 does not forbid the wearing of expensive
clothes:
It should be clear that Paul is not forbidding the wearing of any gold or pearls or
expensive garments, any more than Peter in a similar passage was forbidding the
wearing of clothes (1 Pet. 3:3-4). But those things are not to be the means whereby
the Christian woman makes herself attractive to other Christians. Good taste
should always prevail and display for vanity's sake is out of place (The Pastoral
Epistles, pages 111-112).
R. C. H. Lenski agrees:
Paul is not insisting on drab dress. Even this may be worn with vanity; the very

drabness may be made a display. Each according to her station in life: the queen
not being the same as her lady-in-waiting, the latter not the same as her noble
mistress. Each with due propriety as modesty and propriety will indicate to her
both when attending divine services and when appearing in public elsewhere (The
Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to
Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon, p. 560).
There were certain women in Paul's day who would flaunt their wealth and draw
attention to themselves by wearing expensive clothes.
The expensive dresses worn by wealthy women could cost up to 7,000 denarii. Pliny
the Elder, a first-century Roman historian, described a dress of Lollia Paulina, wife
of the Emperor Caligula, which was worth several hundred thousand dollars by
today's standards (Natural History 9:58). Dresses of the common women could cost
as much as 500-800 denarii. The average daily wage of a common laborer was one
denarius. [An average laborer would need to work two years to be able to purchase
such a dress!] (John MacArthur, 1 Timothy, p. 80)
Albert Barnes offers a well-reasoned, balanced conclusion:
It is not supposed that all use of gold or pearls as articles of dress is here forbidden;
but the idea is, that the Christian female is not to seek these as the adorning which
she desires, or is not to imitate the world in these personal decorations. It may be a
difficult question to settle how much ornament is allowable, and when the true line
is passed. There is one general rule which is applicable to all, and which might
regulate all. It is, that the true line is passed when more is thought of this external
adorning, than of the ornament of the heart. Any external decoration which
occupies the mind more than the virtues of the heart, and which engrosses the time
and attention more, we may be certain is wrong. The apparel should be such as not
to attract attention, such as shall leave the impression that the heart is not fixed on
it. (Barnes' Notes on 1 Timothy 2:9)
Proverbs 31:23
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
It is remarkable that in a passage devoted to a godly and virtuous woman we find
this verse which says nothing about the woman, but only describes her husband as a
prominent leader of the land. It was at the city's gates that public business was
transacted and cases were decided (the "gates" served as the city's courtroom).
What then do we learn about the virtuous woman from this verse?

A well-known proverb says, "Behind every good man is a good woman." A godly
wife contributes greatly to the success and prosperity of her husband. "A virtuous
woman is a crown to her husband, but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness to
his bones" (Prov. 12:4). Where would the man mentioned in Proverbs 31:23 be
without his godly, industrious, loving, faithful wife? The value of a godly wife is
illustrated from the life of Daniel Webster. The following is from High Call High
Privilege by Gail MacDonald (pages 99-100):
By age 31 he had become known as one of America's most effective speakers. One of
Webster's earlier biographers, Norman Hapgood, assigns much of the great orator's
success to the quality of his marriage to a woman, Grace Fletcher, whom he married
at the age of 26. Of her the writer says:
She had the goal of keeping alert to those high principles which her husband held.
Her upright New England faith and sweet loyalty must have been one of the
strongest barriers resisting the temptations which lay before the impressionable
statesman (Norman Hapgood, Daniel Webster, Boston: Small Maynard & C o, 1899,
page 64).
When Grace Fletcher Webster died, Daniel remarried a year later. The biographer
said of Carolyn Roy, his second wife:
She brought him money and social position and nothing else that could be traced in
his life.
Two years into that second marriage it was said of Webster:
He steadily declined from a height at which his altering nature could no longer
sustain itself.
Daniel Webster began overeating and drinking. His spending habits soared out of
control, and his moral life disintegrated. By the end of his political life, the man
once known for his great integrity had become typed as a political compromiser.
Tragedy mounted upon tragedy, and when he died, he was a beaten and bitter man.
A wife can be a tremendous influence for good or for ill; nevertheless the husband is
responsible before God to live rightly regardless of the spiritual and moral state of
his spouse. If a man fails spiritually, it is first and foremost his fault. He must not
blame anyone but himself. His wife may be a negative influence, but he is
responsible to follow God, not her. Think of the example of Job. His wife said,
"Curse God and die!" but in spite of her negative influence, Job remained faithful
to the Lord. "Behind every good man is a good woman" is not always true.
"Behind every good man is a great God!"

Proverbs 31:24
She maketh fine linen and selleth it,
and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
This capable, industrious woman was very enterprising and she operated an
amazing home business. She wove fine linen garments, a process which has already
been discussed (see under verse 13). Linen garments are mentioned in Judges
14:12-13. Thirty sheets or thirty linen garments were to be the payment to Samson
if the Philistines could not figure out his riddle. Linen garments are also mentioned
as having been worn by the sinful daughters of Zion in Isaiah 3:23.
She also manufactured girdles or belts (richly adorned belts?) or sashes (ESV)
which had value on the trade market. This word "belt" is used in 2 Samuel 20:8 to
describe Joab's belt which held a sword. The term "girdle" as used in the Bible
refers to an article of dress encircling the body, usually at the waist.
She may have enlisted some of her children to help her in this business. She
delivered these goods to the merchants or traders. These were Phoenician traders,
according to the meaning of the Hebrew word. Phoenicians were known for their
trade and commerce and their skill as a seafaring people. Phoenicia's two major
ports were Tyre and Sidon.
The virtuous woman provided a source of income for her family through her
business. "When other women impoverish their husbands by buying, she enriches
her husband by selling those valuable commodities for which there is a constant
demand" (George Lawson, Commentary on Proverbs, page 567). "It is only
modern pride and laziness which has introduced the idea that it is inconsistent with
the dignity of a fine lady to make profit of her own manufactures. This virtuous
woman, although her husband sits among the elders, does not think it a discredit,
but an honor to herself, to make fine linen and girdles for sale; and the wise will
praise her on account of it" (George Lawson, p. 576).
Proverbs 31:25
Strength and honor are her clothing
Her wardrobe is remarkable. These items of clothing are not available at any
marketplace or shopping mall. The LORD Himself provides these garments to the
believing heart that is looking to Him. Such clothes adorn the inner man which is
renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16).
Those ladies who wear gold and jewels dazzle the eyes and draw the regard of

ordinary understandings; but how much brighter are the ornaments of a meek and
quiet spirit, of strength and honor, which are the constant dress of the woman of
virtue! Those who wear costly array rejoice for the present, because they think
themselves the object of all men's admiration; but they are often preparing future
sorrow for themselves by their extravagance, and their neglect of those
accomplishments which would gain them respect in old age (George Lawson,
Commentary on Proverbs, p. 568).
Concerning her garment of strength, see the discussion under Proverbs 31:17. The
virtuous woman knew that the LORD was the strength of her life (Psalm 27:1).
The word "honor" means splendor, majesty, honor. In Psalm 8:5 it is used of the
honor and majesty conferred by the LORD upon Adam and Eve: "and hast
crowned him with glory and honor." In Psalm 21:5 it is used of the God-given
majesty David had as king: "honor and majesty hast thou laid upon him."
Of special interest is how this word is used of our wonderful Lord. We learn that
honor and majesty are before Him (Psalm 96:6), and that the LORD is clothed with
honor and majesty (Psalm 104:1). This was certainly true of our Lord Jesus Christ
in His pre-incarnate state. We catch a glimpse of Christ in His majesty in Isaiah
6:1-3 (see John 12:41 in context where the glorious King of Isaiah 6 is identified as
Christ). This splendid King of the Universe stepped out of His ivory palaces and
descended to this world of woe. He laid aside His majestic garments, as it were, and
humbled Himself by taking upon Himself our humanity (John 1:14). In Isaiah 53:2
we have a description of God's suffering Servant, the Messiah Himself: "when we
shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." The word "beauty" is
the same word as "honor" (majesty, splendor) which is found in Proverbs 31:25.
The Lord laid aside His glorious splendor so that He could die as the perfect
Substitute for sinners (Isaiah 53), thus making it possible for the believer to be
clothed with garments of majesty and splendor; we who were once dressed only with
filthy, bloody rags (Isaiah 64:6, "filthy rags"=bloody cloths, menstrual cloths).
And she shall rejoice (laugh) in time to come
The word "rejoice" (KJV) is the Hebrew word meaning "laugh." It is used in
Ecclesiastes 3:4--"A time to weep, and a time to laugh." In Psalm 37:12-13 we learn
that "the LORD shall laugh at him (the wicked); for He seeth that his day (of
judgment) is coming."
The virtuous woman will laugh at "time to come" (coming time), a clear reference to
the days ahead, the future. She will laugh at the future.
In reliance on her ample stores, and still more her inward strength and skill, she

laughs at the future as respects the evil that it may perchance bring. This "laughing
at the future" is of course not to be understood as expressive of a presumptuous self-
confidence (see Proverbs 27:1), but only of a consciousness of having all appropriate
and possible preparation and competence for the future (Lange's Commentary
under Proverbs 31:25).
Having been so wisely provident for the morrow, she is not overburdened with its
cares (Charles Bridges, Proverbs, page 626).
There is an analogy between this passage and Psalm 2. In Psalm 2 the armies of the
world's nations are gathering together to wage war against the LORD and against
His Messiah (the Lord Jesus) at the great final battle of Armageddon. We can
imagine the scene. The world's armies aim their weapons toward God (their
missiles, their warplanes, their nuclear weapons, etc.). Mankind against God!
Puny man taking on the Omnipotent One--how laughable! It would be like a toy
sailboat taking on a massive battleship or an ant trying to do battle against an
elephant! "He who sitteth in the heavens shall laugh." The word "laugh" is the
same word found in Proverbs 31:25. The LORD will laugh because He knows that
all the armies of the world are not able to hurt Him or defeat Him. Likewise, the
godly woman can laugh at the future because she knows that the future cannot hurt
her. She has made provision for the future, to the best of her ability (as we studied
in Proverbs 31:21), and because of her trust in God, she knows that she can face the
future with great confidence and optimism.
It is the privilege of every believer in Christ to confidently laugh at the future. We
have been guaranteed a bright, eternal future. We have been guaranteed eternal
security (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30). We have the sure promise of God that the future
("things to come") cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). In fact,
in 1 Corinthians 3:22 we learn that we possess the future! It is ours! The future
belongs to us. God has marked out a glorious future for every child of God, that we
should be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). This is what
predestination is all about. Never does the New Testament teach that a person is
predestinated to hell. The term "predestination" is used to teach us that God has
marked out a glorious future for every believer.
Unsaved people dread the future and they have good cause to do so. They have
nothing to look forward to but eternal punishment and an eternity without Christ
(Matthew 25:41,46). Their future promises that, unless they repent, they will perish
(Luke 13:3,5). Unless they repent they will someday hear these frightening words,
"I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity (lawlessness)" (Matthew
7:23 and compare Matthew 25:41). But the saved person can thankfully laugh at the
future, knowing that someday he will hear God's invitation to enter eternal bliss (see

Matthew 25:34).
How confident we can be! We do not know what the future holds, but we know
Who holds the future. We know that everything that happens to us in the future is
for God's glory and for our good (Romans 8:28). We are fully persuaded that the
God who began a good work in us will complete that good work in the future
(Philippians 1:6).
Proverbs 31:26
She openeth her mouth with wisdom,
and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
This is the only verse in this passage which speaks of the godly woman's tongue and
the words of her mouth. Our Lord taught that "out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). What comes out of the mouth is an indication
of what is in the heart. Our speech reveals our heart. Out of a wise heart come wise
words. Out of a kind heart come kind words. Out of a loving heart come loving
words.
Be careful when you speak because your heart is showing.
The word "kindness" is the commonly used Hebrew word hesed. It occurs about
200 times in the Old Testament. It is found in the following familiar passages:
Exodus 20:6--"shewing mercy unto thousands"
Ruth 1:8--"the Lord deal kindly with you"
Psalm 23:6--"surely goodness and mercy shall follow me"
Psalm 100:5--"His mercy is everlasting"
Psalm 107:8,15,21,31--"Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness"
Psalm 107:43--"The lovingkindness of the LORD"
Psalm 136 (every verse)--"for His mercy endureth forever"
Lamentations 3:22--"it is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed"
Jonah 4:2--"slow to anger, and of great kindness"
The King James Version usually renders this word as "mercy." Other versions use
"lovingkindness," "love," or "steadfast love." William Wilson in his Old
Testament Word Studies gives this definition:

The general import of this word seems to be, the full flow of natural affection,
corresponding to storgé in Greek. The Hebrew word for "stork," so remarkable for
affection to her young, is derived from this word. The corresponding word in Arabic
is used of the flowing of the mother's milk to the breasts, so nearly connected with
affection for her offspring; hence has been derived, probably, the phrase, "full of the
milk of human kindness.
The law of kindness [hesed] is in her tongue. The term "law" [torah] refers to
instruction. The term is used in Isaiah 2:3 of the teaching ministry of the Messiah
during the millennial kingdom: "...for out of Zion shall go forth the law
[instruction], and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." "The teaching of
kindness is on her tongue" (ESV).
The instruction of the virtuous woman will be characterized by kindness and
steadfast love. It will be kindly, faithful, loving and gracious instruction. We
assume that the primary beneficiaries of her loving instruction are her children and
perhaps her household servants. "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and
forsake not the law [instruction] of thy mother" (Proverbs 1:8; see also Proverbs
6:20,23).
The godly mother is a teacher. In love she wants God's highest and best for her
children. Women have a valuable and essential teaching ministry according to Titus
2:3-5.
The words which come from the lips of the true wife are as a law giving guidance
and instruction to those that hear them, but the law is not proclaimed in its sterner
aspects, but as one in which "mercy tempers justice," and love, the fulfilling of the
law, is seen to be the source from which it springs. [F. C. Cook, Barnes' Notes--
Proverbs, p. 84]
[She is] not talkative and trifling, as most women, but thoughtful and sensible in her
words. As idleness is the source of talkativeness (1 Tim. 5:13), so industry is its
antidote. [Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary--Proverbs, p. 513]
As a sandy hill is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of words to a quiet man; but
the virtuous woman plagues neither her husband nor any other man with her talk.
She has learned that silence and subjection which the Apostle Paul recommends to
wives. She does not lock up her lips in a sullen silence, but when she speaks it is a
pleasure to hear her, for she opens her mouth with wisdom. Besides her other labors
already mentioned, she rises in the morning, and finds time to read the Bible, and
other instructive books; she meditates and reflects, and receives instruction from
what she hears, and prays to the Father of lights; and so she improves daily in
knowledge and prudence; and when she opens her mouth, she says nothing but what

is well worthy of being heard....Kindness is painted on her countenance, and flows
from her tongue; for it possesses the throne of her heart, and gives law to all her
words and actions. [George Lawson, Commentary on Proverbs, pages 568-569]
But the godly matron has not only the law of love in her heart, but wisdom in her
mouth, and in her tongue the law of kindness. The same love that binds her heart,
governs her tongue, not with the caprice, but with the law, of kindness--a law, which
she received from wisdom, and which gives the mould to her whole spirit, so that she
says nothing that is foolish, nothing that is ill-natured. [Charles Bridges, Proverbs,
pages 625-626].
Proverbs 31:27
She looketh well to the ways [doings] of her household
She "looketh well" or keeps watch. The verb means to look out or about, to spy, to
keep watch. It is used in a bad sense in Psalm 37:32, "a wicked man spieth upon
the righteous." It is used of a watchman in 2 Kings 9:17 and Ezekiel 3:17; 33:7. A
watchman looks for enemies and for anything that may endanger the city. The
godly woman is alertly watching over her household, looking for any danger that
may hurt the family: evil companions, vile entertainment, dangers from the
internet, etc.
As a spy seeks to gather information about the enemy, so the godly woman seeks to
find out what is going on with her children. Some parents do not keep any watch.
They don't know what their children do or where they go or what they watch on
television or what music they listen to. Parents need to be very much aware of what
is really taking place, so that they can best help their children, discipline them,
restrict them as needed, and channel them into wholesome and profitable activities.
Parents should be "looking well to their moral habits, their religious instruction,
and attendance on the means of grace; giving them time for secret prayer, and
reading the Word of God, bringing them to the daily ordinance of family worship;
inculcating the careful observance of the Lord's Day; anxiously watching over their
manners, habits, and connections...Who can have the claim to a virtuous woman,
who does not feel this weight of family responsibility?" [Charles Bridges, Proverbs,
p. 625]
[Unfortunately, some have used verse 27 and other verses in this passage to argue
that this wife is the leader of her home. For instance, Gilbert Bilezikizn says, "Verse
27. She is the vigilant supervisor of her household. The total list of her
accomplishments indicates that she is the one responsible for making the managerial

decisions" (Beyond Sex Roles, p. 78). He wrongly uses verse 15 to show that "she is
the provider of food for the household" (p. 76), etc. For a helpful discussion of these
erroneous ideas, see Wayne Gruden's section refuting "The Description of a 'Good
Wife' in Proverbs 31 Overturns Male Leadership in the Family" (Evangelical
Feminism and Biblical Truth, pages 155-158).]
and eateth not the bread of idleness
Idleness is not on her diet. She avoids the carbohydrates of idleness, and does not
indulge herself in slothfulness. The word "idleness" means sluggishness, laziness.
This word is used in Proverbs 6:6,9; 10:26; 19:15; 24:30. Anyone who reads the
description of the godly woman in Proverbs 31 knows very well that she is anything
but lazy! One wonders how she has enough hours in the day to do all that she does!
Her hours are characterized by diligent industry and laborious involvement in
wholesome activities.
"She worketh willingly with her hands."
"She riseth also while it is yet night."
"She layeth her hand to the spindle."
"She maketh fine linen and selleth it," etc.
Etc.
She is the opposite of a sluggard!
Proverbs 31:28
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
She is praised by her own family members. Those who know her the best praise her
the most. She invested herself in her loved ones, and she is recognized and rewarded
by the same.
I know a godly couple who years ago were facing the challenges of raising their six
children, all in their teen years. When the wife came to her husband for
encouragement and advice, he remembered Proverbs 31:28 and commented to his
wife, "Dear, as hard as things are now, just remember that someday your children
will rise up and call you blessed." His beloved wife wryly responded, "Yes, but right
now they are just rising up!"
Her husband and children will "call her blessed" or pronounce her happy. This

Hebrew term "blessed" was used by Leah when she pronounced herself blessed:
"Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed" (Genesis 30:13). The son born
of Zilpah was named "Asher" which is from this same Hebrew term, and means
"happy, blessed" (Genesis 30:13).
During the millennial kingdom, according to Psalm 72:17, all nations will call Him
blessed ("Him" referring to the King Himself, Jesus Christ).
Godliness and happiness go together. The godly woman is the happy woman, and
she is blessed. The virtuous woman seeks first the kingdom of God, and all these
things (including happiness) are added unto her (Matthew 6:33). Happiness is a
byproduct of honoring the Lord and putting Him first. It is not an end in itself.
Those who seek happiness and who make that their goal, never find it. Those who
seek the Lord find in Him their true happiness. He satisfies the heart that is devoted
to Him.
God's formula for happiness is found in the following verses, all of which contain
this same Hebrew word "blessed" or "happy" (Asher):
Blessed (happy) is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1).
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (Psalm 2:12).
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him
(Psalm 34:8).
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust (Psalm 40:4).
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee (Psalm 84:5).
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee (Psalm 84:12).
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law
(Psalm 94:12).
Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his
commandments (Psalm 112:1).
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are
they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart (Psalm 119:1-
2).
Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways (Psalm 128:1).
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his

God (Psalm 146:5).
Charles Bridges describes the happiness of the godly woman as follows:
For what greater earthly happiness could she know, than her children's reverence
and her husband's blessing? We may picture to ourselves her condition—crowned
with years; her children grown up; perhaps themselves surrounded with families,
and endeavoring to train them, as themselves had been trained. Their mother is
constantly before their eyes. Her tender guidance, her wise counsels, her loving
discipline, her holy example, are vividly kept in remembrance. They cease not to call
her blessed, and to bless the Lord for her, as his invaluable gift. No less does her
husband praise her. His attachment to her was grounded, not on the deceitful and
vain charms of beauty, but on the fear of the Lord. She is therefore in his eyes to the
end, the stay of his declining years, the soother of his cares, the counselor of his
perplexities, the comforter of his sorrows, the sunshine of his earthly joys.
(Proverbs, pages 626-627).
Proverbs 31:29
Many daughters have done virtuously,
but thou excellest them all.
This verse is different from all the others in this section. All of the other verses
speak about the virtuous woman in the third person. For example, verses 12-22 all
begin with the word "she." She will do him good.... She seeketh wool.... She is like
the merchants' ships.... She riseth also... etc. But in verse 29 the second person
pronoun is used for the first time: "But thou (you) excellest them all." It is more
personal, familiar and intimate. Apparently it is her husband himself who is
speaking these words.
At the end of verse 28, we were told that her husband praises her. In verse 29 we
have the husband's praise in his own words: "Many daughters have done
virtuously, but thou excellest them all."
The Hebrew term for "daughters" literally means daughters, but here it is used
more generally of women (as in Genesis 30:13). The word "virtuously" is the same
word as found in verse 10--"Who can find a virtuous woman?" The term
"virtuous" is from a noun meaning strength, efficiency, ability. Here it refers to
strength of character, moral strength and firmness. See the fuller discussion under
Proverbs 31:10. This husband knew his wife was not the only godly, virtuous
woman on the planet. He knew that there were other God-fearing women of moral
strength and of virtuous character. Such women were rare (verse 10) but they were

not extinct. How we should thank God for all women who live godly in Christ Jesus
and who reflect the Person of their Saviour in their walk and talk! May the beauty
of the LORD our God be upon them all (Psalm 90:17).
The husband then directs his praise to his own wife: "but thou excellest them all."
You surpass them all! You have raised yourself above them all. You are excellent
and incomparable! You surpass all others. Was this man married to the most
virtuous woman in all the world, or did it just seem so to him? When a man has
found a priceless gem (compare verse 10), he considers his treasure better than all
others. To him, she is the most precious wife anyone could ever have. From his
vantage point, no other woman could rival her. "There's not another woman in the
whole world like you!" "When I married you, God gave me the best gift this side of
heaven!" He lavishes praise upon her, and she does not mind his exaggerations. In
his mind, she excels all others.
George Lawson beautifully observes:
The praises of her husband will be still more delightful to her ears than those of her
children. What earthly happiness can a good wife desire, like the affection and
approbation of the guide of her youth? and this a virtuous woman can scarcely fail
of possessing, for what heart has so much marble in it as to be able to resist those
virtues which every hour appear in his other self? He cannot refrain from
bestowing praise on one whom he finds the sweetener of all his cares, his faithful
adviser in perplexities, his comforter in every distress, the instrument of a great part
of his earthly felicity; his best friend, his unceasing joy, and his brightest crown. No
wonder if the experience of such goodness and happiness makes him eloquent in her
praise, and draws commendations from his tongue, that must be understood in a
restricted sense to make them true. He prefers her to every other wife who ever lived
upon earth; and he is sincere in doing it, for she ravishes his heart by the beauties of
her mind and conversation. Piety will dispose a man to think meanly of himself, in
comparison with other men, but highly of his wife, when he compares her with other
women (Commentary on Proverbs, p. 570).
Proverbs 31:30
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain
The word "favor" is the Hebrew word for "grace." In this verse the word "grace"
is speaking of a woman's outward appearance and form. It is paralleled with the
word "beauty," and both words carry the same idea.
Webster, in his original 1828 dictionary, has numerous definitions for grace, one of
which is "beauty, whatever adorns and recommends to favor." Gesenius defines the

Hebrew word to mean "gracefulness, beauty."
In Nahum 3:4 the word is used of a well-favored (beautiful) harlot. In Proverbs
5:19 it is used of a graceful doe (roe).
In Proverbs 17:8 the word "grace" is used to describe a stone. It is a beautiful or
precious stone, pleasant and agreeable to the eyes. Precious stones are usually
brightly colored and beautiful in outward appearance. So also, a woman of grace is
one who is pleasant and agreeable to the eyes, a beautiful woman.
The word "beauty" in the parallel phrase is similar in meaning. It is the common
Hebrew word for beauty. It describes that which is fair and pleasing to the eyes. It
is used of the outward beauty of Sarah (Gen. 12:11), of Tamar (2 Sam. 13:1), of
Abishag (1 Kings 1:3-4) and of Vashti (Esther 1:11).
It is even used of the physical beauty of men, such as in the case of Joseph (Gen.
39:6) and Absalom: "But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as
Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there
was no blemish in him" (2 Sam. 14:25). Absalom's outward form and beauty
covered a deep seated rebellion which destroyed him in the end. His beauty was
surface only.
In Proverbs 6:25 a strong warning is given concerning a wicked harlot: "Lust not
after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids." The
beauty of this woman is only skin deep. It's like "a beautiful garment on a body
covered with loathsome sores" (George Lawson, Commentary on Proverbs, p. 86).
Under the surface is great ugliness.
"As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair [beautiful] woman who is without
discretion" (Prov. 11:22). The beautiful gold piece of jewelry does not go well with
the beast that wears it, whose nose delights in shoveling mud. Beauty that covers
vileness is not true beauty.
In verse 30 we are told two things about outward gracefulness and external beauty:
1) Favor is deceitful; 2) Beauty is vain.
External beauty is deceitful. The Hebrew term refers to that which deceives and
disappoints. What you see is not really what you get. It seems that you are looking
at a very beautiful person, a very special person, but the surface appearance belies
the inner person. The woman's outer charm covers up her inner deformity. It would
be like a nut with a fine looking shell, but when you crack it open you find that the
nut inside is rotten and undesirable. Beautiful actresses and supermodels are often
known for their broken marriages, substance abuse, personal problems, etc.

indicating that under the external shell there lives a sinful and very troubled person
who needs God's transforming grace.
External beauty is vain. "Vain" describes that which is evanescent (tending to
vanish like vapour). It is used of that which soon vanishes away, like vapour, breath,
or a bubble. The term "vain" is used of the vanity of idols. It is used in Psalm
39:5,11, "man at his best state is altogether vanity." It is the key word in the book of
Ecclesiastes and is used to describe the meaninglessness and emptiness of life under
the sun apart from God ("vanity" is used 31 times in Ecclesiastes). External beauty
is not long lasting. It is here today and gone tomorrow.
There is great emphasis in our day on external beauty. Makeup is used in such
abundance that Jezebel would feel right at home in our society (2 Kings 9:30). All
kinds of supplements and health products are offered to try to help people look
young and attractive, and to slow down nature's natural deterioration. Surgical
procedures are offered which can change and improve a person's outward
appearance. Diet programs and exercise programs garner millions of dollars from
people who want to look beautiful and feel good. Television shows are devoted to
showing how a plain or unattractive person can be transformed and made over into
an outwardly attractive person by means of makeup, hair styling, weight loss,
exercise, surgery, etc. There is no end to the attempts of mankind to beautify the
body and to try to preserve the external.
Real beauty in the sight of God is not the product of cosmetics but the outshining of
the indwelling Christ. A lady was once asked the secret of her beautiful complexion.
She said, "I use truth for my lips; for my voice, prayer; for my eyes, pity; for my
hands, charity; for my figure, uprightness; and for my heart, LOVE." These
heavenly cosmetics are worthy of trial, and are supplied free to every applicant at
the Throne of Grace.
External improvement and transformation projects can only last so long. A beautiful
woman may win a beauty contest, but she is not going to win one thirty years later!
Beautiful actresses grow old and in spite of all they do to preserve their youth, they
lose the battle with time and their beauty deteriorates. External beauty can be
marred and scarred by injury, serious burns, disease, etc., and this can happen even
to those who are young. Time will always win, and all humanity will ultimately
decline, and end up as dust (Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:20; Psalm 39:4-5; 103:14; 104:29).
But a woman who feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Inner beauty comes from a right relationship with the Lord. True beauty is

impossible apart from the fear of the Lord. When the Lord is enthroned within, His
glory will shine without. "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and
establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish
thou it" (Psalm 90:17).
A German proverb says, "Every woman would rather be beautiful than good."
Glenn Conjurske has commented on this proverb as follows:
By nature, at any rate. And it is certainly true that most of them sacrifice goodness
and godliness in the pursuit of fashion, or whatever else they think may make them
beautiful. Yet she who chooses to pursue godliness instead of fashion sacrifices none
of her beauty for it. She may indeed gain some, for beauty in the heart puts beauty
on the face [Wisdom Crieth Without--A Collection of Ancient Proverbs, p. 20].
Peter speaks of that inner beauty that ought to grace the life and conduct of every
believing woman:
1 Peter 3:1-6
1: Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not
the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation (godly
conduct) of the wives;
2: While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3: Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4: But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5: For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long
as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
The fear of the Lord is essential in the cultivation of inner beauty. If the fear of the
Lord is absent, then it is impossible to radiate the beauty of the LORD.
Fear can be a bad thing; fear can also be a good and healthy response. If I meet a
bear in the woods, I should have a healthy respect for the animal, knowing
something of its power and potential ferocity. This is a healthy fear that could save
my life. We are to fear and respect God in the right way, knowing that He is a
loving, caring Heavenly Father who bids us to cast all of our care upon Him and

come boldly to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need. Fallen Adam feared God in the wrong way and hid from Him (Gen. 3:10).
The right kind of fear of God causes us to draw near to Him.
The one who fears God believes that God is great and deserves his utmost respect
and reverence. He is afraid to do anything that would displease such an awesome
God. In Genesis 22 Abraham was faced with the seemingly unreasonable command
of sacrificing his beloved son Isaac. In verse 12 God gave this testimony of
Abraham: "for now I know that thou fearest God." Abraham feared God; that
is, he believed that God was so great that to disobey Him was unthinkable!
Often, instead of fearing God we fear men! The fear of man is a great snare (Prov.
29:25). We begin thinking like this:
"What will they think of me?" "What will they say?" "Will they get angry?" "Will
they be pleased?" "Maybe they will see me!" "I’m afraid of what they might do to
me!" "Will they be upset or offended?" "Will they still be friendly towards me?"
"What will they want me to say?" "What will they want me to do?" "Where will
they want me to go?" "I’m afraid they will not be happy with me!" "I don’t think
they will approve of this!" "They might frown on my actions!" "I hope they will
really appreciate what I’m about to do!"
This then is the fear of men. What is the fear of God? To answer this question,
simply read the above sentences again and substitute the word "God" for the word
"they." This is the fear of God.
Here is a little exercise that might be helpful. If a person really fears the LORD,
then the following will be true:
Proverbs 3:7; 14:16; 16:6.; Job 28:28.
He will _______________________________________
Proverbs 8:13.
He will _______________________________________
Exodus 20:20.
He will _______________________________________

Nehemiah 5:15.
He will _______________________________________
Deuteronomy 5:29; 6:2; 13:4.
He will _______________________________________
Who should our close friends and companions be (Psalm 119:63)?
______________________________________________ How can we learn to fear the
Lord (Deut. 4:10; 17:19; 31:11-13)? ___________________________________
According to Solomon, what is the conclusion of the whole matter (Ecclesiastes
12:13)?
_______________________________________________________________________
________________
Here are some personal questions to ponder regarding a healthy fear and reverence
of God::
Are you afraid of displeasing the Lord?
Are you afraid of not being right with the Lord?
Are you afraid of sinning against a Holy God?
Are you afraid of having less than God’s very best?
Are you afraid of not hearing God’s "WELL DONE"?
Each and every one of us is personally responsible to fear the Lord. If we fail to do
it, we have only ourselves to blame. The Bible teaches that the fear of God is
something that we must choose:
CHOOSE THE FEAR OF THE LORD
(See Proverbs 1:29)
"But a woman who feareth the LORD, she shall be praised" (Prov. 31:30b).

The God fearing woman will be praised. In verse 28 we learned that her husband
praises her (the same Hebrew word is used). Her children will speak well of her and
praise her as well (v. 28). Her maidens and household servants who were privileged
to observe her godly walk on a daily basis will also join in her praise (v. 15). The
poor and needy who were the objects of her generosity will also offer their
commendation (v. 20). But most importantly, on that day when every deed is
brought into judgment (Eccl. 12:14), she will receive the only commendation that
really matters: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21). At that
time the Lord "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make
manifest the counsels of the hearts; then then shall every man have praise of God"
(1 Cor. 4:5). A godly, virtuous life will be rewarded.
Proverbs 31:31
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
A godly and virtuous woman will be rewarded. What she gives out she will get back.
It is the boomerang effect: she hurls out many a good deed, and they are all going to
come back to her. In devotion to her God and in love for her household, she is
willing to expend herself ("to spend and be spent"). As she steadfastly labors and
abounds in the work of the Lord, she knows that her labor will not be in vain (1 Cor.
15:58). God is a very generous Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb.
11:6), "knowing that whatever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive
of the Lord" (Eph. 6:8). The Lord who knows all our works will faithfully reward
all that is done in His Name and for His glory. It pays to live in a right manner. It
pays to fear the Lord.
The "fruit of her hands" indicates the result of her labor. In this passage we have
seen that her hands have been very busy for good (verses 16, 19, 20). As Frances
Havergal wrote, "Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love."
What is the significance of the phrase "in the gates"? In ancient cities, the space
inside the gate was a public meeting place, where all manner of business was
conducted (like our city hall). Her own works, her own deeds will praise her in the
gates. That is, she will be publicly recognized for her good works and
accomplishments. The idea of the verse is simply this: Give her the praises which
she so richly merits. "Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with them; for they
shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isaiah 3:10).
So today may Christian women adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour by their good
works (compare Titus 2:10). God's special people should be "zealous of good works
(fervently seeking to please God in all we do)" (Tit. 2:14). May our light shine
before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in

heaven (Matt. 5:16).
She Laughs Without Fear of the Future
10 Comments
Hi Friend,
Do you ever find yourself worrying about tomorrow? Do you sometimes feel anxious
and wonder what life has in store for you next week, month or even next year? Does
fear keep you from celebrating what the future holds?
Hopefully you were intrigued by the title of this post, She Laughs Without Fear of
the Future. Would you say that title describes you in any way?
I came across this Bible verse (below} in my daily reading and had to share it with
you today.
She laughs without fear of the future.
I pray that as you read the words inside this pretty little graphic, you won’t simply
say to yourself “well good for her … this woman who has it all together.”
Instead, my hope is that you will reflect on the words and receive the invitation to be
this woman today!
I’m hoping you’ll glean a better understanding of what it means to be clothed in
strength and dignity. To not only dream about a life of joy and laughter; but to
experience it.
To be willing to replace any toxic fears of the future with unshakable faith in God.
Not only is this possible; it’s a choice. Your choice . And no one else can decide for
you.
She is Clothed with Strength
A woman’s strength does not come from relying on her own limited abilities.
Instead, her strength comes when she relies on the LORD’s infinite and unmatched

abilities operating through her.
The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me,
and my heart is filled with joy. Psalm 28:7
She is Clothed with Dignity
A woman’s dignity and honor is not woven together by her own victories. Instead,
the dignity and honor she wears belongs to the LORD. She tells every generation
about His greatness so that the nations will praise His name; not hers.
I will bring honor to Your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will
praise You forever and ever. Psalm 45:17
She Laughs Without Fear
A woman’s laughter is like a strand of priceless jewels around her neck as she relies
on God’s strength and reveals God’s glory to others. Her fear of the future fades
when she focuses on the LORD and His perfect, unlimited love for her.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear … 1 John 4:18
Below is a short prayer I’ve written with you in mind. {Note: short prayers are just
as effective as long prayers. } If you know someone else who could use a little
encouragement and prayer today, I’d love for you to share this post with them.
There are millions of women in this world who need to know that they too can be
clothed with the strength, dignity and love of the LORD. When I share and you
share we can make a difference!
Lord, help me to say “yes” to You in every situation. To rely on Your strength; not
my own and to rejoice in Your glory. When fear comes knocking on the door of my
heart; help me to remember that I don’t have to answer because Your perfect love
for me has the power to distinguish any toxic fear in my life. Help me to be a woman
who laughs without fear of the future because I know it is securely held in Your
hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
https://www.leahdipascal.com/2015/01/laughs-without-fear-future/
Sunday Vibes || She Laughs Without Fear Of The Future

July 7, 2019 4 Comments
I walked into my new home, holding the hands of the one I love the most; John.
Our wedding was finally over and it was time for our marriage to begin.
“Baby, we’re going to have a beautiful home. Jesus is with us” He said, smiling from
ear to ear.
I smiled back and nodded. I really needed to hear those words “Jesus is with us”,
because sincerely, lately I’ve been worried about this marriage.
Don’t get me wrong. I love John and there’s no other person on this planet who I’d
want to spend the rest of my life with but I’m scared.
Where do I start from?
Will I make a good wife?
Will I make a good mom?
How will it be, living alone with a man? I’ve always lived with my parents.
Do we have enough to start a home?
What of the little things, here and there that we don’t have in our house yet?
All these thoughts flooded my mind as we walked into our new house. I over think
things and it really affects me.
I pushed those thoughts aside, determined to enjoy my first night as a Mrs.
The next morning, we decided to unwrap our presents from the wedding and that
was when my understanding was lightened.
I began to unwrap the most unexpected gifts from my friends and family; things I
had been worried about, things I didn’t even know I’d need in my new house. They
were all sitting right in front of me.
The door bell rang.
A man came to deliver a brand new deep freezer, another gift from my husband’s
boss. I jumped in excitement.
I had been thinking about a deep freezer.

Worried about the fact that we didn’t buy one, but I didn’t want to stress John
because he had spent so much already and I didn’t want to buy it with my money
because I knew he’d not like it.
He always told me “Martha, we’ll get all of these things eventually. I want us to be
frugal with money and plan for the days ahead.”
Now, behold, look at the deep freezer given to us on a platter of gold.
“Please sign here” The delivery man was telling my husband.
My husband took the pen and scribbled on a book, signifying that he had received
the delivery.
“Thank you very much” He said to the the delivery man, after he had brought the
freezer in and installed it.
I walked back into our room and looked at all the unboxed presents and tears filled
my eyes. My friends and family had looked ahead of me, in this new journey and
bought things that I didn’t even know I’d need. How thoughtful of them all.
All through that first week of my marriage, gifts kept rolling in from different
people and by the end of the week, I had almost everything I wanted in my house
and even more.

It wasn’t a completely perfect house, and all my worries aren’t settled yet. But I had
a better understanding; God knows just what I need and he will supply everything
at the right time.
Immediately a scripture popped into my mind.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
Proverbs 31:25 NLT
If my friends could go ahead to think of things I’d need to be comfortable in this
new phase, how much more will God, my Father
do.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
“… and she laughs without fear of the future. “
Proverbs 31:25 NLT
There are times in our lives when we’re undergoing or should be undergoing a
transition but it really looks blurry ahead.
Anxiety and fear fills our mind and we don’t know what lays ahead.
What if I don’t get that job after school? What if my parents die? What if I end up
as a failure? What if no one wants to marry me?

These thoughts, those realistic, are faith killing.
The Devil takes advantage of these thoughts and plunges us into fear, uncertainty
and even depression. He begins to show you all the reasons and the statistics why it’s
not going to work out.
It all begins to “add up” and you feel like giving up at life.
I bring a Word from God to you today; Rest.
Your Father knows that you have need for these things.
In Matthew 6:32-33 when Jesus said,
“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What
will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear? Only people who don’t know God are always
worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these.”
He wasn’t asking them to be irresponsible. He was asking them to replace worry
with trust in God.
God knows I need that job, so as I pray and prepare for the interview, I’m not going
with fear in my heart, I’m going with trust and assurance that if this one doesn’t
work out, God will make another one to, because I am His child and all things work
together for my good.
Today, I want you to replace every fear and uncertainty about your future with trust
and confidence in God.

Openly declare to God that you trust Him with your future so you can laugh without
fear.
Make your request known to Him in thanksgiving and partner with him, doing your
own part by working and preparing for the blessing.
Sometimes, God may not even show you how it’s going to work out. He may not give
you the details just like He did with Father Abraham. He may be saying “Leave
your father’s house to a place I will show you”.
In times like that, don’t hesitate. Boldly step on the water and fix your gaze on the
one who has called you out upon them.
https://lifestylebymo.com/sunday-vibes-she-laughs-without-fear-of-the-future/
…And She Laughs At The Future
October 1, 2015
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And She laughs at the future…
I heard that Proverbs scripture in church this week. It spoke to me, but in a
melancholy sort of way. It spoke to me of who I was not. What I am not capable of. I
felt that deep in my soul because that is not always how it was, I am not who I was. I
not only laughed at the future, I embraced it with open welcoming arms. I am a
planner. I planned our future in detail. I loved looking forward to the next year, the
next holidays, the next birthday, the next stage of our lives together as a family. That
is how we ended up moving south. Planning for the future, embracing it, smiling at
it, trusting it.
“She is clothed with dignity and strength…” That doesn’t describe me either, but I

want to be her. I want other grieving Moms to be her too. I envision her with
beautiful hair and a billowy blouse, the picture of femininity. Standing tall and
strong, her serene face full of dignity. Her shoulders are back and her eyes gaze
outward into the wind, smiling despite the impending storm. A picture of faith and
strength. Is it because she knows the outcome already? Or is her faith so strong she
can’t see what’s ahead, but she doesn’t have to?
Aiden’s October 17th birthday has been on my mind for weeks. Thinking about it.
Talking about it. Thinking about HIM mostly and how he would be a teenager
finally. My God Aiden, you would be 13 years old. What do we do? How does
something so wonderfully and creatively celebrated for twelve years suddenly
become a day I cannot fathom facing? No parties full of boys playing football and
soccer. No reptiles to hold or games outside on a windy, leaf-strewn autumn day. No
telling him, like I did every year, about the day he was born and how the first thing I
noticed about him were his long slender feet and I knew then he would be tall. He
loved hearing how tall he was going to be. Another example of how reality, in one
awful moment, can be completely and utterly unraveled, leaving the hanging,
dripping shreds of a previous life. Wondering what they are, where do they belong,
and how do I put them back together? How do I become the woman who laughs at
the future?
Last night I closed my eyes and just started typing blind. Not looking at the words.
Trying not to think too much. Just unedited thoughts emptying on the page. I read
it, trying to prepare this post. It was not pretty, thoughtful or strong. I heard sorrow,
fear, bitterness and uncertainty. I did not see that woman in proverbs in my words.
All I can feel is the impending storm.
The immediate future of birthdays
and holidays
and just everyday days.
So what do we do with this day? Do we have a quiet dinner with family and friends?
I hope the older boys come home. I need them here. Should we do something that
Aiden’s friends could be a part of ? Could I even be in the same vicinity with all his
friends and be “Ok”- especially on his birthday? No, I don’t think so. Looking at his
friends is heart-breaking on the best of days. Those beautiful boys, growing and
changing as they should while Aiden is frozen in time. I’ll never see him tall and
strong like I know he would’ve been. Just like his big brothers are.
Should we send off the floating lanterns at the boat launch that my sweet friend
bought for the occasion? Watch their glowing light float off over the lake into the

dark, in honor of my son? Could I even watch that and not crumble? I don’t know.
Maybe his buddies could come there long enough to light and send off a lantern and
a prayer for their friend Aiden. Would that be weird for them? Would they even
want to? I don’t know. I don’t want anyone to forget Aiden, ever.
There is so much I don’t know and don’t trust. I don’t trust the future, I can’t smile
at it, let alone laugh.
Then the endless rumination on how this is going to play out every year for the rest
of my life. ( See? Me planning again.) Will it be dark and painful and awful each
year? Will I ever be able to celebrate my son with smiles and beautiful memories, or
will the day always take me to that place of deep sorrow, sadness and and pain? I
don’t know. Again, I do. not. know.
Thankfully, we will have friends and loved ones all around us, but I feel it coming,
like the drumming and whistle of a distant hurricane.
The future.
It’s cruel taunt, a message of finality. It’s getting darker and the sense of foreboding
is getting heavier every day. The inevitability of it. I want to just stand in its path
and take it head on. Face it like the familiar enemy it has become. Let it blow me
over and take me with it. Surrender, but not for survival. Surrender just to give up.
Let it sweep me off in a swirling dark cloud to somewhere where I don’t have to
worry about anyone or any thing. Just away. Because I am so tired. I don’t want to
face Aiden’s day of birth. I “knew” and loved Aiden for years before he was even
born, felt him in my heart and knew I had another child yet to come. I fought for
him, so his birth was the most precious day of my life. It was the day our family was
finally complete. Our beautiful family. He was the icing on our cake. It is too cruel to
imagine the celebration of life and growth and future that won’t be. The boy and
man he won’t become. I just can’t, but I must. I must celebrate him. Somehow, I
must celebrate him and I will.
Perhaps the woman clothed in dignity and strength, who laughs at the future started
out like me and so many other Mom’s carrying this weight? Traumatized, beaten,
scared, grief-stricken and lonely for something or someone they can’t hold.
Maybe before she was that woman, she was simply a woman who woke up and
decided she would get dressed because that was all the strength she could muster for
that day?
Maybe she was a woman who was just brave enough to continue living when all she
wanted was to die?

Maybe she held on to what tattered shred of faith she could find and didn’t let go.
Maybe she gained strength and dignity because she had no other choice? But don’t
we all have a choice?
Maybe she is full of dignity and strength but still cries sometimes before she laughs
at the future.
http://www.untiliholdyouagain.com/and-she-laughs-at-the-future/
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future..
Posted on June 6, 2014 by vanessaifm
When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.”
– Proverbs 31:25-26
I love these verses… All of Proverbs 31 is amazing, really, but these verses are just
plain powerful, and are things all women can strive for, whether single or married.
Let’s think about what they mean.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the
future..”
How many times have we been driven by our fears rather than by our faith? I have
faltered so many times, been too scared to take chances, have worried so much
about silly things and not so silly things, have prayed with fear, have felt so
unworthy, etc. Reading these verses brings me back to God’s love and grace and sets
my focus on what truly is important. Our human nature will never be one of no fear
and no worries, but God’s grace reminds us that in spite of all of these things, we
can have peace through and in Him. Despite all the troubles that may try to haunt
us, we can overcome by relying on His strength and totally surrendering to His will.
Despite the past mistakes we’ve committed, we can be clothed with HIS strength
and dignity again. We may not be worthy by ourselves, but He who first loved us
makes us worthy. We may not know what tomorrow may bring, but we won’t worry

anyway because we are certain that “.. All things work for the good of those who
love God..” (Rom8:28) so we know that whatever comes our way, we will be able to
come out as overcomers. So we can relax and focus on our present time, on living in
the now, while finding our joy in Jesus. Feeling scared sometimes is normal, but a
virtuous woman feels fear, and does it anyway, because she knows God is there with
her through it all. And if God is Love, and “..there is no fear in Love..” (1John4:18),
there shall be no fear while in His shelter.
Let’s continue to look at the verses..
“When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”
How many times have we been enwrapped in gossip? Maybe we have not been the
ones who started it, but we are there to listen to it. Maybe we meant no harm by
making that comment about someone, but we broke a promise by talking about it
with someone else after having agreed to total confidentiality. Or how many times
have we spoken out of fear or pride or anger or resentment?
Maybe we argued with someone and said things we didn’t mean because we spoke
out of temporary emotions. Maybe we cussed. Maybe we yelled at someone. Maybe
we fought so hard to prove that we were right because we were too prideful to admit
our mistake.
I know we’ve all been through things like these. Thank God for His word, because It
gives me great hope, and encourages me to never settle and always strive to keep
improving myself. I want to become the best version of myself that I can possibly be,
and I know that with His help, strength, dignity, Word, Grace, Forgiveness,
unconditional Love, support, Beauty, I can and I will be transformed into the most
virtuous woman that I can be. The woman that I know He created me to be.
And what makes a woman virtuous? In my opinion, it’s her faith and her
COMPLETE reliance on The LORD. It’s finding joy in the trials, peace in the
storms, love in the darkness. It’s deciding to be led by Jesus, rather than by fears.
It’s speaking and walking in, and living for, Love. Only then will we be able to fulfill
His purpose for our lives.
Trust Him. He knows better than we will/could ever know. Let’s work on becoming
the women that God created us to be. One step at a time.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to
be praised.” – Prov.31:30
https://vanessaifm.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/she-is-clothed-with-strength-and-
dignity-and-she-laughs-without-fear-of-the-future/

Odyssey
Christianity
She Laughs Without Fear Of The Future Because She Knows God Laughs At Her
Plans
We should laugh without fear of the future instead of worrying and stressing
ourselves out trying to plan everything because God laughs at our plans anyways.
by celinaleggiere Tuscaloosa, AL The University of Alabama Aug 8, 2018
Celina Leggiere
I've made plans on who I was going to possibly marry. God laughed. I've made
plans for what I was going to major in. God laughed. (And I changed my major 10
minutes into orientation.) I've made plans where I was going to live and what school
I was going to go to. God laughed. I've made plans on where I was going on
vacation. God laughed. I've made plans on who I was going to be friends with and
let in my life, yeah God laughed at that too.
Way of the Master | Season 2, Ep. 14: God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life
I've made a lot of plans. I've had a lot of anger at God because he didn't let me have
my way. That in itself caused me to try and do this life on my own, not worrying
about God or what he had planned, which was a perfectly paved road to my own
self-destruct.
Life changed when I heard God laughing at all these plans I was making on my own
and I wondered why. It changed when I started to go to him in prayer with my plans
and God stopped laughing and he spoke and told me three things. He told me these

things all at different times but at the time I needed to hear them. These three things
weren't easy to hear and made me wanna scream at God and say "Dude, that's not
going to work. There's no way." But God laughed once again.
1. "Stop telling me what you are going to do, start asking me if that's what I want
for you." — God
When I heard God say this to me I felt like I heard my mom or dad saying "Stop
telling me where your gonna go. Try asking." These statements are slightly different
but very similar. My mom and dad were not happy when I would say stuff like "I'm
going to so and so's house." I feel like God isn't happy when I tell him my plans
instead of asking him what he thinks first. The only difference between God and my
parents is my parents made me ask for permission. My parents weren't giving me an
opinion or advice such as "Maybe you shouldn't go." they were giving me an
answer.
But my Heavenly Father does parenting a little differently. He doesn't force me to
ask for permission but he wants me too. He doesn't ever tell me no when I'm
passionate about doing things my way. He lets me do it and learn from it which
ultimately ends in me asking for him to have his way. All he wants for me to do
consistently is go to him before I make plans and get his advice on it. In more
general terms, pray about it.
Praying about something you have planned. can turn it into Gods plan very quickly.
Praying and asking God for something can result in him squeezing it in his plan for
you even if he already knows it is temporary he uses it to teach you something.
Prayer is a scary thing. The reason being is because when we pray for something we
want or need he usually gives it to us or gives us ways to grow in that area of our
lives. I once prayed for patience. Never again. That week God stuck me at so many
long red lights when I was in a rush to get somewhere. God put me in so many
positions that I was forced to be patient in.
I learned that seeking him first encompasses a lot of things. Mainly, when you seek
him first you have to come to terms with that his ways are higher than your ways.
You surrender your life fully to him and give him the authority to make the plans
and you just go with the flow. As hard as that may be he reminds us that letting go,
stepping down and promoting God as the person in charge can be rewarding. He
tells us that just because he is God doesn't mean the answer is always going to be
"No." but it means that he answers things in three ways.

1. "Yes."
2. "Not right now."
3."I have something better for you."
None of these responses just flat out say "No." But they imply that the answer is no
but there is still hope!
Keep praying. Whatever you are praying for will come true, it may not be in the
exact package you wanted but it will be what God thinks is best for you.
"I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it
will be yours." - Mark 11:24
2. "My plan for your life isn't a roadmap for you to read. It is a scroll that is to be
unrolled a little at a time." — God
Remember when I said to never pray for patience? Well, when you are chasing after
Gods plan for your life and when you let him take the reigns of your life you are
almost forced to pray for patience. The reason being is because we as people want to
know everything now and we demand that from God. But, that is not how God
works. He doesn't always allow us to see the big picture of where his plan is going to
take us. His plan and his ways for us are to be revealed a little at a time in HIS
PERFECT TIME. Waiting for God to reveal the next step in his plan in our lives
takes patience and perseverance.
God started to teach me this over the course of the summer. I was in a position
where I was needing to make tons of plans for the fall that was quickly approaching.
Where I was going to go to school. Where I was going to live. Where I was going to
work. And so much more. I made so many plans on my own, all of which ended up
falling through and ended in me hitting a dead end and not knowing where to go
next. Slowly, God revealed opportunities one by one that I knew were going to work
out and be fulfilled. But in the process of all that I was so excited that things were
starting to come together that I begged God to let me see the big picture of what he
was doing.
Following God and his plans, and his ways is like doing a 500 piece puzzle without
being allowed to see or reference the picture on the box. One by one you start to find
where the pieces go because God tells you. But he also says you aren't allowed to see
the big picture. I will give you pieces one at a time that will fit perfectly with the
previous piece and you will see the big picture when I am out of pieces. Talk about
needing patience? You try doing a puzzle that has 500 pieces and not being able to
look at the picture once. In reality, you don't even know what the puzzle is.

Laughter of a godly woman

Laughter of a godly woman

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