Walk of Life, Day 31 – August 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs.
Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10
Proverbs 31 is not just for women as it is widely used. There is a very profound message for an old mother, young son/daughter,wife/mother, husband/father, and children. When we want to buy something very expensive and rare we don’t hurry. We first check the price and we are careful enough to look for something worth and also check for its authenticity and its durability. We are afraid it is a counterfeit, which has the opposite qualities like could be easily broken and destroyed and bargained as its of less worth and is not durable.
However, in the Bible, there are few instances where rubies or precious jewels are used to compare wisdom and a virtuous wife. Here the measurement is more than rubies, which is one of the most expensive gems formed under the earth in darkness at a very hot temperature. Only when it is subjected to very high temperatures, it becomes beautiful. It is durable and hard to break, beautiful, and expensive similar to a woman whose life is hid in Christ who fears the Lord. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30.
The Lord Jesus has shed his precious blood for each and everyone of us. When our hearts are washed with his sinless blood and sometimes goes through high temperatures to endure the heat, we have no other way to escape other than to endure the pain. The Lord molds us so that we turn to be rubies; none is perfect, if we all were like those rubies it would be a heaven on earth. We are all in the making.
However, the Lord has given us His worth when we accepted Him as our Savior and our sins are washed. We are of more value than rubies in his sight, we are precious to Him, do not lose your confidence even though you are rejected. The Lord is in His continuous ministry of strengthening the feeble, building foundations with precious stones, seeking the lost. He loves you very much. Count your spouse worthy as he/she is of more worth than rubies in the sight of God. Though you cannot see it, He is working behind the scenes and you need to trust God. A woman who fears the Lord gets her wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from the Lord himself. She is made virtuous through her trials and hardships like precious gems undergo and she is made beautiful from inside. A woman who fears God, leans on God in every situation, prays, helps, comforts, and endures pain. She is durable and goes by the word of God and not by her feelings.
A unmarried young man who is in search of a virtuous wife needs to have a godly understanding to find a woman’s worth and understand divine purposes. And such a godly husband trusts in his wife as she fears God. If you do not know the worth of precious rubies how can you appreciate it but settle for less. A mother who looks after the household, takes care of her husband, children and also manages to earn is a multitasker like the woman mentioned in this chapter. Not only that, she would take care of the needs of others and pray for others and is a blessing to many in the church and society. Children ought to praise her rather than complain and fathers have to appreciate and praise her efforts. Her prayers drive the family towards Gods grace and mercy.
Mothers ought to encourage their young sons like King Lemuel’s mother to guard their heart, to be thoughtful and to be faithful to their calling so that he can understand the plans and purposes and divine will for his life.
Dear beloved, having high godly morals and love for God like Ruth, a virtuous woman, we should be diligent in every decision and know that our decisions and behavior have a very high impact on the future for good or bad. We cannot escape from God. God, who is counting a glass of cold water for a reward, how much more your actions of sin and disobedience or obedience and faithfulness. Hold fast to the professing faith. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Ruth was blessed, she came into the lineage of Lord Jesus as a result of her choice and love for God. How much do we love God? What are our choices? Are they based on our feelings or facts from God’s word? This should always be in our hearts and mind.
