Rubies

I was doing a quick online study -- in Proverbs 31:10 it states that a virtuous woman's price is "above rubies". I have been stuck on that phrase for at least a week. What was the price of rubies? It wouldn't be good to find out that rubies were a common stone - that would give a whole different context to the meaning! When we read the verse, we take for granted that rubies are an expensive gem, priceless.

I ran across an article on rubies which helped me quite a bit. A ruby is a precious gemstone. It is considered one of the world's most valued, and was one of the stones on Arron's breast plate. If we investigate further we find that each ruby is unique from every other ruby. Each ruby, no matter how large, radiant, or how clear, is made unique by the markings and flaws on it. Let me repeat that -- the flaws make it unique --. Each ruby is precious, yet each ruby is flawed.

That is so like us. We are unique, precious, yet flawed. We will never be the perfect wife, mother, or worker. Our goal should be to submerge ourselves in Christ, and to simply do the best that we can each day. Give what you can and let Christ work out the rest. It is amazing what He can do with our imperfection and flaws.

Blessed Sunday

Wishing each of you a Blessed Sunday -- Remember to also take the time and enjoy your family!!

Trust in God

Forgive my absence -- my family was directly affected by IKE. My parents are currently here at my home (I am enjoying them tremendously). My parents received little water damage and no property damage, my oldest sister received some water damage, and sadly my brother received major water damage. He lost most everything.

That brings me back to trust. There are numerous things in which we have no control over. All the worry and fretting will gain us nothing. We need to have complete trust in our God during those times, as during each day!! He will guide us through each day, He will take care of everything, if we only give our cares unto Him.

Our husbands need to trust us in that fashion. Completely. So we do our best and we pray for our husbands. They do not need the added stress of worry -- so let us help and do our part!!

Heart of Trust

The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely,
so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
Proverbs 31:11 (Amplified Version)

If you read vs. 23, the husband is known at the gates and sits among the elders. He was a leader in the area, sat on the city council as it were. He was a busy man and left the household affairs to his wife. He trusted her to make decision, relied on her to take care of the home, and believed that she was capable of doing so.

I don't get the feeling that he micro-managed her, nor that she needed to be. I am sure that they had scheduled times when they would go over the budgets and such -- any major decisions would have probably been made together.

I am drawn to the trust and belief that the husband had in her. This study is for me, not for my husband, so my next question will not be: Does my husband trust me? But: Have I given reason for my husband to trust me?

If you were lucky and blessed to have a mother or another lady teach and train you in these things -- then you are indeed blessed. If you did not have the teaching -- don't complain or find lame excuses -- teach yourself.

There are plenty of wonderful Homemaking Books available. Do not be afraid to ask of someone in your church on pointers in organization and cleaning, cooking and sewing, and anything financial. The time for excuses has run out.

Pray and become, through the Grace of God, this woman of Proverbs 31.

Trust

Does your husband trust you?

What a question!! That's what I will be looking at next. The Proverbs 31 Woman had her husbands trust. He was a busy man, and he trusted his wife to run is household.

To what extent? How did she do this?

Those and other questions I will study on.

Virtuous 2

Sometimes, I think, we get caught up with the English meaning of words found in the Bible. In my previous post I wrote that virtuous meant morally excellent. Yet the Hebrew meaning of "Virtuous" is: strength, might, and efficiency.

I do believe that through Christ we can become morally excellent. But I also have come to a realization that we also need to aim for efficiency. As in the other Hebrew meaning of "Virtuous" -army. An army, when properly organized and under good leadership, is very efficient.

So, now the thought flows to leadership -- which should be Christ -- and organization.

When reading the full passage of Proverbs 31:10-31, I can understand how virtuous translates to efficiency. The woman of this particular household could not accomplish what is written about her without being very efficient.

I fall woefully short in this area. My disorganization hinders any efficiency that I strive for. So the answer that I have come up with is to ask from my Father -- He organized the heavens to run in perfect order -- He is the Master of the Universe. My prayer is that I allow His trait to manifest in my life so that I may be more organized, more efficient. A Virtuous Woman.

Virtuous

Proverbs 31:10 asks -- Who can find a virtuous woman? Before we find her, we might need to know just what "virtuous" means.

Webster defines virtuous as being morally excellent. That is simple and classic. Nothing fancy added -- just: morally excellent. The reason being is that we are to reflect the Character of Christ.

Each and every day we all fall short of this goal. We know that a virtuous character could never be fully attained without God. How easy it would be to say "I have achieved a virtuous character" That would not give God any glory. In stead, we are to have a surrendered heart, one that He can live through, in order for us to say, "not my will, but thine be done, O Lord."

At the end of the day, when we have done our best to let our self will die and Christ's to shine through, then we can rest in a job well done!!

It is amazing how easy it is to fail at something so simple. Denial of self-will is the beginning of a life lived for God. There are times that I am so amazed at how far from the mark my arrow has landed. But by God's Grace - I will attempt this road to virtue the next morning.