Secondly, I am bursting with excitement. I am so happy about the next entries from hence forth. God is so amazing and He is so geared to see to it that we become His kind of women. Women who are distinguished. Make no mistake of it, there are women in the Bible who have been acknowledged for being different, for going the extra mile and I am so very excited because God wants to do that for us. I have been hearing it often said in the christian circles: 'she is a woman of God', or 'she is a strong sister', or 'we all call her prophetess'….So many labels have been placed on people. And sometimes, we too have been the recipients of these labels but have you ever asked yourself who a godly woman is. What is God’s kind of woman?As I have been preparing for this entry, I have been so challenged by the title ‘Woman of God.’ It actually just means that. A woman of God or rather, God’s woman. You can vary it: The Kings daughter, or a princess as we call her here but the connotation is the same: She is God’s.
We will be discussing her for a while and I just want to state the obvious from the beginning; The word of God does not apologise for being what it is: TRUTH and so on a very serious note, our opinions about what kind of women we are to be are really irrelevant if they are not in line with God’s word. The word is the reality. It does not matter what we have been taught or what our past experiences have led us to think…The word, is final authority, and trust it to be such for you today. Give it room within you, to settle down and grow. If it gets uncomfortable, it’s alright, the word is good for correction. Amen.
Okay, lets get started: To jump start this, we shall obviously go to Proverbs 31. You will hear it said among many men that a good woman is hard to find. Both believers and non-believers agree on this one. This is very much scriptural. God’s woman, a virtuous woman, is a rare breed. I like this and often joke and say a good woman is peculiar among the peculiar…HAHAHA..Why? Because the Bible has called us a peculiar people..the whole bunch of us christians (1 Peter 2: 9) and then on top of that we have verse 10 of this chapter that states that ‘A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls…’
Rubies and pearls, as we all know too well are not found in the yard or just lying around somewhere. In fact, most times we see them, they are behind some glass and you can’t even touch them anyhow. They are shielded from thieves and many will just look at them and wish they could afford them. This is the value of God’s woman. She will not let herself be touched anyhow by anyone. She is shielded by the presence of God. She understands that just because guys like her doesn’t mean she has to be agreeable with any or all of them. Being admired is her portion…HAHAHA…She is after all God’s glory, reflecting His beauty….who can help but admire that? You have to understand....God can make you into a wonder....but don't let that mess you up or fill you up with pride. Keep your eyes totally focused on Jesus.
We also know, that these jewels are made over time. They do not just show up out of the blue. They have been chipped and molded under pressure. Likewise, a woman of God does not just happen. She is a result of what God has been doing in her for a long time. She is a woman that God has chippend into His character and it has taken Him such a long time that He decided to liken her to a ruby or pearl. God himself called her that. She is a woman who has character and not just looks. Anyone can be born with good looks or a beautiful shape…that is free…or maybe not… as in these days, looks can even be bought. But it is only God, through His Spirit who can shape you into His woman. Irrespective of your background, you can rise up out of slime and shake loose of that shell and become a beautiful pearl in the eyes of God and man.
That verse also says, she is capable. That means she has the ability to cope. Ability to cope does not mean resisting help when offered because you can do it all. It also does not mean not lifting a finger becase someone agreed to help. It means she can handle things. She does not go into a panic just because responsibility has been heaped on her. Instead she roles up her sleeves and gets to work.
Further, she is intelligent. I am so glad God does not entertain foolishness. She is intelligent. Smart. She is not simple but has instead embraced wisdom (Proverbs 9:4). Where is wisdom found? In Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). Reading the word of God will also make you wise (2 Timothy 3:15): The word of God is after all, God. An intelligent woman reads her Bible and not just common things that will not build her up. She is a student of the Most High God. Drawing wisdom every day from her maker. And because of this, her mouth leaks with wisdom that infects the hearers. If she does not wear pearls around her neck, they drop out of her mouth. She is not empty headed. And let me just make it clear here that intelligence is NOT, in this context synonymous with having straight A’s.The last part of the verse says: who can find her? This means she is sought after and not she herself seeking. It is very sad in this day and age that many women are seeking men. I do not know how to emphasize this. This is not my personal opinion, it is the word of God. Do not seek after men. You will make mistakes and waste so much time. Calm down and pack away your hunting gear. God’s woman is too classy for that. She does not throw herself at men but waits patiently on the Lord. In fact, I am of the opinion that she is too busy being chipped by God anyway. This is the King’s daughter we are talking about. She has self-respect and hangs around her King.
God’s woman is also good-hearted. This is found in verse 12: ‘She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.’ The him refers to her husband and we shall discuss her role in that in the coming entries but for today…I am led to believe that she is not only good to her husband but to everyone. Why? Because doing good for as long as a peron lives can not be faked. You can fake being good for a only a time and then the real you will come out. To do only good to her husband as long as there is life within her means, she is that way. Further, later we even hear that her kids calling her blessed (v28). I refuse to believe that her goodness is limited to her husband…It has to be a part of her (although her husband might be the chief beneficiary). She is a kind woman. An encourager and not one to trump people down . Question: can we do only good? Of course we can. God, He is good ( Psalms 34:8). He is the definition of good. How can His woman do only bad? One of the fruit of the spirit is goodness ( Galatians 5:22). We can surely exercise this.
Verse 13 says: ‘She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it].’ Notice the word ‘seeks’. She does not seek after men but she seeks work. Praise God!! She is not a lazy woman and does not work grudgingly but willingly. Ladies, lets whistle as we cook, dance around to the beat of the music, not chop the tomatoes with a frown on our faces. Or throw the dishes heavily in the sink. Ours should be a life of service to the people around us.Let us be hard workers just as our Dad is.
Verse 14: She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country]. If you think you are so delicate that rain will melt you…this one’s not for you. God’s woman is TOUGH. Glory to God!!! She is likened to a merchant ship. This is a vessel engaged in commercial trade..so it carries all sorts of stuff. But that aside, the thing is, such vessels go through storms and iceburgs just to get the goods delivered. Gods woman is a woman who can weather storms. She will stand her ground and pray no matter what comes away because her focus is on the victory. She will not just cower and cry the night away. If she is going to cry, it will be to God…remember she is not lazy…that includes even in terms of exercising her faith.
Verse 15: She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. Okay…she is not a sleeper…HAHAHA..so much for the beauty sleep!! Well, we can have it but just not in excess. This one is an early riser. She has to do so, to plan the work she will assign to her maids. Now, maybe most of us do not have maids but she does so also to get spiritual food for her household. Where from? This woman wakes up early to be with her Father. Ladies, lets raise the bar. Lets take time to pray, to read the word. Sleep is good, yes but the more we sleep, the more we waste away the hours. I have seen this trait in the people of God including Jesus himself: They maximised on the time they had in a day. You can sleep late, our wake up early…whatever is good for you. But make time for God.Verse 16: ‘She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard’… She is able to consider a new field. This is a woman who knows her mind. She is able to analyse and judge if something is good or not. She is not out there asking everyone she can what they think about what she wants to do: believer or not. She has spent time with God and she is confident that she can make the right decisions for that day…Oh, Praise God!!!
Okay, I will have to stop here because too much in one gulp will not be good. But we shall continue next time and look more deeply into this verse and other verses. I am very much challenged by this woman and I hope you are too. This is God’s kind of woman…the one He himself has shaped. I believe strongly that if we let Him, God would do the same for us. We do not have to feel overwhelmed…remember this kind of woman just doesn’t happen but if we are willing to, we can be shaped into her. I pray that you make that decision today, to become all of the woman God created you to be, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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