Proverbs 31 Woman Part 2

Proverbs 31:15-18

15. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

I printed out the last blog post and kept it with me all week as a constant reminder to work on those things. Now, I am not sure I am ready to move on to the next part. I see so much that still needs to be worked on, but I know I will never be perfect. I can only keep working at it and strive to be the best I can be.

So here is part two that covers the next four verses:

She sacrifices to care for her house and those in it – verse 15: “She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.” She gives up pleasures she would like to have (like sleep) to care for others. Do I care for others enough that I am willing to give up some of my time to be a blessing?

She thinks things through before making a decision – verse 16: “She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.” Even in finances, she is careful to plan ahead. She does not make rash decisions, but thinks through them BEFORE she makes a decision.  How many times do I make decisions just because they sound right? Every decision must be bathed in prayer. After the decision is made, how many times do I forget about it? The virtuous woman keeps working even AFTER her decision.

She is physically strong, and cares for her body – verse 17: “She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthened her arms.” We are the temple of God and we reflect Christ. If we are not healthy and do what we can to care for ourselves, we are not able to serve God to the best of our abilities.

She KNOWS what she is doing is right, and still works at it – verse 18: “She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night” The virtuous woman works long hours of the night and knows that what she is doing is right. She prides herself in her work and keeps at it.

Proverbs 31 Woman Part 1

Proverbs 31:10-14

10. Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

I have always heard so much about the virtuous woman, how she is godly, faithful, and hardworking, a wonderful wife and a marvelous mother. My thoughts were “Oh, that’s a great thing to write for Mother’s Day. My Mom is like that,” or “That is an honor to be called a virtuous woman because they are so rare to find.” But lately, my thoughts have been saying something like this: “Why does a virtuous woman have to be rare to find? I have the list here! Why can’t I be the virtuous woman?” So it got me to dig a little further and apply Proverbs 31 directly to myself.

I started a list of things I should be to become the virtuous woman God wants me to be.  I have decided to split them up into five parts, so for the next few weeks, I will put up one part each week.

She is trustworthy – verse 11: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” I am not married, I do not have a husband, but can others trust me? Can my friends and those around me confide and depend on me? If even my friends cannot trust me now, how will my husband (if and when I have one) be able to trust me?

She will complete her husband, not hinder him – verse 12: “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Again, I do not have a husband, but am I being a help or a hindrance to other’s lives?

She is willing to work and do the hard thing – verse13: “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hand.” Wool and flax is rough and not easy to work with.  The virtuous woman does not look for a way out of hard work; she willingly does the work herself.

She seeks the best and goes the extra mile to get it – verse 14: “She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.” How many times do I just settle with what I have? We are to be content with what we have, but don’t settle for ‘good enough’ when God offers ‘better than the best.’ Do I work to obtain the best that God wants for me?

Worthy of Christ? Matthew 10:37

Matthew 10:37:
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

The Bible tells us to obey our parents.  He tells us that we must love others.  We are to be a good testimony and show Christian love, but if we put our focus on others rather than Christ, we are not worthy of Him. This is not saying to forget about our family, but that our love for Christ should be even greater than our love for our own family.  Sometimes, I even put things like ministry before God.  But that is NOT acceptable! Without God, we would not have a ministry or the ability to do ANYTHING for Him.

I got to thinking deeper and realized that there is never going to be a time that I am worthy of Christ. Nothing I do will be enough to earn His love, but He still loves me, His love is unconditional.  Realizing this should make me WANT to show Him that I love Him. One way to show Him is to put Him first. God did not put Himself or others before me; He put His love for me first.

How many times do I put myself or others before Christ?  How many times do I put my studies, schedule and sleep before Him? How many times do I neglect Him to do what I feel is more important? What I am telling Him is “God, I don’t want You, I don’t need you, You are not that important in my life. I know You love me anyway, but I don’t have time to show You I love You.” What a selfish statement.

What is it that I love more than Christ? What am I replacing Him with?

I am not worthy of Him, but He loves me anyway—He is worthy of my love, respect and worship—am I giving it to Him, or am I more worthy of attention?

When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, roll off and hit the ground... Isaiah 48:16-17

Isaiah 48:16-17

I love mornings, but this morning was not the best. I woke up in a bit of a bad mood. I was complaining and whiny. Needless to say, I was not your favorite person to be around.  I had my devotions and prayer time, but I was not very focused, and did not feel much better.  I finished my chores and headed out to breakfast.  At 7, we had our special Tuesday/Thursday devotions which encouraged me!  I then headed to class ready to tackle the day with God on my side.

But in the short time it took me to walk the stairs to first hour on the third floor, the devil attacked once again.  I was tired, didn’t want to deal with people or situations, and honestly only wanted to crawl in bed with a book.  My computer ended up dying in the middle of Romans class, and in frustration, I dragged myself to second hour.  Plopping down in my usual spot in the third row, I opened my Bible hoping for a verse that would tell me that it was ok to be in a bad mood.  Then, Isaiah 48:16 jumped out at me.


Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

Thus saith the LORD, they Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

I realized that even though I had my devotions and prayer, I had not come near to God.  I had not opened my ears and heart to hear Him.  Selfishly, I had shut myself choosing to have a bad attitude, thinking I deserved a day for me and wallowing in self-pity.  But verse 17 reminded me that the Lord is my God and He leads me in the way I should go.  Today He tells me to cast my every care on Him (Psalm 55:22; I Peter 5:7; I John 4:18) and rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:3; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18).  I don’t know His will for tomorrow, or even for tonight, but for now—He wants me to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The devil wants to get me down; it must be for a reason, so I determined to fight back.  When the devil knocks me down, I’m gonna get up on my feet; when the day seems mighty long, I’m gonna keep on keeping on.

So NOW I am ready to tackle the rest of the day and fight the devil with the Lord as my captain!

Family Conference in China Lake Baptist Church

It was such a blessing to spend the weekend in China Lake Baptist Church.  After much prayer, preparation and work, our Event Evangelism team finally got to travel about 2 hrs. to China Lake and have the Family Conference we had so long been planning.  After piling 11 people into the van, and a word of prayer, our journey and busy weekend began.

Upon arrival, we got settled, and went on to the church for some setup, preparation and dinner.  After a brief meeting, we gathered for prayer and that was the official start of the Family Conference.  We had a good starting service, with special music from some of the WCBC girls and a message from Bro. Williams.  We then went right into “Teen Time”.

This included crazy games, very active songs, and the never-failing pizza, soda and ice cream.  This time gave us a chance to meet the teens, know more about them and get them pumped for the next day.  That night as I was getting ready for bed, my mind kept replaying the events of the day, and got excited and ready for the next day and the opportunities God would give us.

Saturday morning, we were all excited and ready to go!

After an amazing breakfast at the church and a quick meeting with the event team, we continued with the conference.  There were three sessions, and I had the privilege of teaching one of them! 

Exhausted after battling the wind and dust while soul-winning.

At 6pm we began the Teen Rally.  Songs that cannot be sung quietly and games like “Marshmallow Dodge ball,” “Human Battleship,” and chugging soda through a 5 foot twisty straw kept the energy level at its highest!  The flying marshmallows brought in two teens wandering around the area.

A quick dinner was followed by a few songs and a message by Bro. Nix.  He gave a clear presentation of the Gospel.  An invitation was given and we finished and dismissed in prayer.  On the way out, the pastor’s son was able to talk to our two visitors and now, there are two new names written down in glory: Anthony and Quintin!

So all in all, it was a pretty amazing time.  We got back absolutely exhausted but excited for what the Lord had done.  We were so sad to leave, but alas, the campus and duty called. But praise the Lord for His protection and blessings!

Study on Hagar - Genesis 16:7-13

Genesis 16:7-13

Sarai could not have children, so she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to Abram hoping to have children through her.  When Hagar conceived, she was hated and cast out by Sarai.  This Egyptian slave with child had nowhere to go!  She started the long, hard journey back to Egypt.  Imagine how she felt!

As a servant, she was doing what she was told; she was pregnant, and she ended up being kicked out, with nowhere to go, no one to comfort her, and no provisions.  But I see how God provided for her.  A lonely, depressed, and rejected woman was still loved by God.

1. The Lord found Hagar

                Genesis 16:7 – And the angel of the LORD found her…

Hagar’s name means “wandering”.  Her life was crumbling; she had no hope, and was wandering through the wilderness back to Egypt.  She was wandering physically, emotionally and spiritually, but the LORD knew where she was and came to her rescue.

2. The Lord favored Hagar

                Genesis 16:10-11 – And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

God did not just find her and then leave her.  He blessed her seed, starting with the child she was carrying.  Ishmael means “God will hear”.  God had heard Hagar and did not turn away from her, but promised her descendants.

3. The Lord befriended Hagar

                Genesis 16:13 – And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

This Egyptian woman, precious in the sight of God, called Him the Hebrew name “El Roi” which means “The God Who Sees”.  This is the name that Hagar gave to God when she was in her affliction.   The fact that Hagar used this name to address God, shows how she recognized God’s faithful, never resting eye.  Grateful for His friendship and care, she respected God with the name of “El Roi”.

Many times, when we look at Hagar, we look at her with hate, or disdain.  She is Egyptian, she was hated by Sarah, she was cast out… all these factors make us automatically judge and look down on her.  But God loved her!  He came to rescue, bless, and comfort her.  What makes us think that because she was despised by everyone, God should hate her too?

We are sinners, saved by God’s grace.  We do not deserve His love and kindness; we rebelled against God and were wandering aimlessly and hopelessly.  God should hate and despise us; He should turn away from us not hear or even look upon us because of our filthiness.  But out of His love and never ending care, he found us, favored us, and befriended us.

So, even in your loneliness, when others reject and despise you, remember God does not!  Wherever you may be, He knows where you are!  He promised to never leave us or forsake us:

Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:5b – …as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Put Off the Old Man, Put On the New Man - Ephesians 4:22-24

Ephesians 4:22-24
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

One of Grandpa’s famous songs that he liked to sing and teach everyone goes like this:

Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

The old robe was dirty, all tattered and torn;
But the new robe was spotless, had never been worn.
Oh the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

When we got saved, our robe of filth and sin was replaced by God’s robe of righteousness and grace.  But we are still sinners.  Even though God has forgiven our past, present, and future sins, our sinful and carnal nature is still with us.  Paul is telling us that our old man must be put off, and the new man must be put on.

Colossians 3:8-10
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

Our goal, as Christians is to become more and more like Christ.  After all, the word “Christian” means “a follower of Christ”.  How can we claim to be His followers if we do not imitate Him?  We must take off the old man and replace it with the new.  What all is involved in being “the old man”?

Colossians 3:8 gives us a list of things we need to put off:
- anger – strong displeasure aroused by a wrong
- wrath – strong, stern, or fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger
- malice – desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another
- blasphemy – saying or doing something that lacks reverence for God, concerning God Himself or sacred things
- filthy communication – Filthy: foul, disgusting, dirty – Communication : a document or message sharing news, views, information, etc.

When you put something off, you have to replace it with something.  You cannot just leave the holes empty!  Verses 12 through 14 of Colossians 3 tell us what we put on when “putting on the new man”:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”

Every day, our goal should be to be more and more like Christ.  By putting off the old man and neglecting the thoughts and feelings of this world and replacing it with what God wants us to be, we can better serve Him and please Him.  We are not the same people we were before we got saved… can others tell?  Can people from the outside see the difference?

II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Put off the OLD	Put on the NEW
ANGER: strong displeasure aroused by a wrong WRATH: strong, stern, fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger MALICE: desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another BLASPHEMY: an utterance or action that lacks reverence for God FILTHY COMMUNICATION: foul / disgusting / dirty document or message sharing news, views or information	MERCY: act of kindness, compassion or favor KINDNESS: a good nature or disposition, considerate, helpful HUMBLENESS OF MIND: not proud or arrogant, modest, courteously respectful MEEKNESS: humbly patient, gentle, tame LONGSUFFERING: FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER: long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation FORGIVENESS: grant pardon for or remission of an offense or debt CHARITY: LOVE