Monday #9 - The Virtuous Wife block 7...

 

Hard manual work was the normal day to day responsibility of a homemaker in times past, and our Proverbs 31 wife was no different. Everything we have studied about her so far show a faithful, honest, thoughtful, deliberate, financially savvy, diligent and hardworking lady of the house.

In verse 19 our attention is drawn to the distaff and spindle, tools used for spinning wool or flax, a task not easy nor quick, but integral to clothing her family and keeping them warm. Today we just go to the shop and purchase yarn or cloth for making clothes or items for the home, or we simply buy them ready made. It’s no wonder our wardrobes are full and our closet drawers as well – but if we had to spin the yarn or weave the cloth for every item we wore I think our closets would be far smaller and with fewer options for our daily attire.

Now, I am not going to start spinning and weaving, because the focus on this lady, whom we need to be reminded is a ‘blueprint for a noble wife’ given to King Lemuel by his mother, is her godly character.

I think I need ask myself, thus far in the Virtuous Wife study, am I –

Faithful in every way to my husband, and to my God-gifted role as a homemaker, parent and overseer of the house?

Honest in all my dealings both in and out of the home?

Thoughtful and considerate towards my husband, family and all those who are in my care?

Deliberate in my thoughts and actions, that I should make good and wise choices, and in doing so honour God?

Financially savvy in managing the income of our family?

Diligent to the tasks given me at home and work? Hardworking and not lazy or looking for ways to avoid completing those tasks?

This could well be a prayer list where we ask the Holy Spirit to expose within us the ways we fall short, and requesting guidance for shaking off that which needs to be removed so we can be walking forth in the way we should go. Personally, this list shall indeed be written in my journal today and prayed over in the weeks and months ahead. I do believe we, as fallen humans in a world gone crazy, can so easily be blind to our own shortcomings, sins and omissions. It truly is Christ-bought grace which allows us to see the problems in our own character when we ask the Lord in prayer to ‘clean us out’, because it is really is His desire to do that, and we can trust He will do it for our benefit and His glory.

Verse 20...

What I loved about this verse was the activity of not just opening her hand to give (reminds me of tithing and giving donations – whether that be in money or groceries or things we no longer want/need) but actually reaching out her hands to those in need. That’s really being involved, looking out for the needy and physically connecting with them in order to assist. There’s quite a lot in that one little verse and it brought to mind Mother Teresa – hands on, all for Jesus, seeing Christ in every person, responding to their needs sacrificially because her love for Jesus was expressed in  how she loved the unlovely. 

May we grow ever closer to the examples given in Proverbs 31, but closer still to the example set by our Lord Jesus himself. 

Use the link below to download the second of two Virtuous Wife patterns I am sharing in April. 

DOWNLOAD block 7 The Virtuous Wife

If you have missed the first six patterns in this block of the month they are still free to download HERE

Have you been stitching along with this project? I'd love to see photos if you'd care to email them to me (link HERE) or you can tag me on Instagram (HERE)

Bless you heaps,

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