Well, it’s another Sunday morning. “She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31: 20-31 (ESV)
I love these verses about women. This was written in the time of King Solomon, But, I believe it fits so well with the women of today. So, do you know some that fit this mold? I am lucky, I have had and still have several of these women in my life. Just in my family members I have my wife, aunts, cousins, sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law, and nieces that have made a positive impact on my life and on everyone around them. In my Christian family there are other great women that have made an impact on me and others in our Church family. These women have chosen to walk to path of righteousness. They chose to follow the teaching of our Great Lord and Savior. Their goal is to teach others and serve our Great Lord as they walk these paths they are on. God has blessed each of us with these women he has placed around us.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, these women wear their strength and dignity well. Where would Naomi have been without Ruth’s strength and dignity? What if Ruth would have agreed to leave in Ruth 1:15(ESV) And Naomi said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But she didn’t instead “Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.'”
Do you have a matriarch that you can always depend on to be there? Someone that leads with such grace that you don’t know you are being lead. I know it’s hard for us men to admit it, but we would be a sad bunch without women in our lives. I’m not just speak of our wives or mothers but all the unsung women leaders in our Churches, the pastors wives, the children’s Church leaders, all of them.
Through their acts of kindness toward others, and by their wonderful care giving, they have taught each one of us to love and give unconditionally. I believe these women all play large part in the structure of both Church and home. God has truly blessed us with these women that give us strength. It goes on in Proverbs to say this, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.’ Its worth repeating.
I would like to say, “Thank you, Lord, for Blessing me with these wonderful women that surround me, for I am truly being blessed. These awesome women always continue to change my life. All of them help me to be a better person.” So, there you are, my thoughts on my sleeve saying what has been put on my heart. Oh, and just one more thing to leave you with this week, God truly loves each and every one of you and so do I.
