God Speaks
The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.
2 O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
3 do not waste your strength on women,
on those who ruin kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
Rulers should not crave alcohol.
5 For if they drink, they may forget the law
and not give justice to the oppressed.
6 Alcohol is for the dying,
and wine for those in bitter distress.
7 Let them drink to forget their poverty
and remember their troubles no more.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.
9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice.
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
[TBR 138: Psalms 26, 40, 58, 61-62, 64 (May 18, 2023) Prayers and action points for these psalms are covered in the PTTB archives. Therefore, we will go back and present prayers and action points for Proverbs 31.]
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 31:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is willing to enable people to be virtuous if they will turn and depend on Him.
2. If people will depend on the LORD: Men will keep their vows and promises, will avoid being controlled by substances, habits, or unsavory people, and will stand for what is right for the poor, needy, and defenseless. Women will be seen as valuable, trustworthy, industrious, wise, charitable, astute, kind, capable, and praiseworthy.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 31?
Dear LORD God, You know how You designed men and women. You know the appropriate roles, strengths, and weaknesses of each sex. You know how we are both to complement and compliment each other. I pray against the ways in which my culture is being drawn into blurring the lines of distinction; instead, help us to value and celebrate the distinctions and teach our children to do the same. May we start with this description of a very capable, godly woman. No one is likely to exhibit all of these qualities, but our society would be much better if each woman would strive toward the goal of exhibiting as many as she can. Each man should strive to be a complement to her while facing the challenges of leading, protecting, and serving her. We can find no better model than You, Jesus. You patiently taught the Twelve by Your living example, demonstrated loving obedience to the Father, sacrificed Your life for our sakes, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to do the same. By exhibiting proper interaction between the sexes, we will bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 31? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will examine my stance on my use of alcoholic beverages or any other controlling substances. Is it biblical and/or wise?
- I will participate in an organization that speaks up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
- I will help someone seek justice for an injury or serious offense.
- I will praise and/or thank a woman I know who exhibits the actions and attitudes of the woman described in verses 10-31.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.