Several comments over the last couple of days (thanks gals!) reminded me that I forgot to share that Proverbs 31:10-31 is an acrostic (the first letter of each sentence spells out the Hebrew alphabet). I could do something similar for men and it might look like this in English ~
A godly man is an incredible find.
Before he starts his day, he spends time on his knees.
Caring for his family is his delight.
Doing what is right is important to him, so he seeks to live in integrity.
… etc.
So Proverbs 31 is just a creative way of sharing some of the characteristics of a godly woman. The thoughts are not in any special order and seem to be more about what a woman’s life can look like over the course of her lifetime.
This is one more reason to glean the important concepts behind what is said and apply them to wherever you are in life. If you’ve got little ones velcroed to your ankles, now might not be the best time to “buy a field and plant a vineyard” (maybe later when they’re a bit older you can start that business you’ve been dreaming of). If you live in a small town, you may only have one grocery store from which to “bring your food from afar” (maybe later when your job hours change, you could start a food co-op with a handful of friends).
Take into consideration your current life style and personalize the concepts behind the acrostic.
Image credit © Vladimir Voronin | Dreamstime.com
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Considering modesty, in and out of the bedroom ~ A Fulfilling Intimacy Life (from The Alabaster Jar)
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Nice advice from The Generous Husband ~ Is divorce contagious, and how do you keep from ‘catching it’?
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I’ve been waiting for “J” to write part two before mentioning them and here they are! ~ Where to Have Sex: Part 1 & Where to Have Sex: Part 2 (from Hot, Holy & Humorous)
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Just something that really helped me… This woman wasn’t loved *because* she was the ‘Proverbs 31 Woman’, she was the ‘Proverbs 31 Woman’ because she was loved… Note that the part about a wife being more valuable than rubies comes before a list of her accomplishments – not the other way around! Just a thought… :-)
I am loving this Proverbs 31 series, Lori. I agree with you about the “over the course of a lifetime” perspective. After looking at this chapter many times over, I concluded the same thing — that these tasks aren’t a look at “A Day in the Life of…” but rather the highlights of her life in general. Plus, she had servant girls! Some days, I want some servant girls too.
And thanks for the plug.
We have servants. They are called appliances! LOL! I take Proverbs 31 as an example. She is selfless and not lazy. She is productive and fruitful. She takes care of herself and her household. The specifics are specifics for HER, not mold to squeeze in to. And I like the idea that this is a view of her lifetime. Obviously, a mom of a newborn with colic is not going to be as materially productive as another woman.
Good job with this series Lori! Women definitely need to hear it. Thanks for the sweet mention as well. It touched me.