^{Proverbs 31: 24-26}

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Welcome back readers, and Hello to anyone reading this blog for the first time. I pray that these scriptures will speak to you as they have spoken to me.  Being able to publish these blogs is an extrodinary blessing for me and I hope they will bless you as much in return.

Continuing on with our lessons on the Good wife, this blog will be covering Pro 31:24-26. Verse 24 says:

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

This verse is very similar to others we have gone over recently so we will be quick, the main ones I wish to write about today are v25 & 26. The Good wife in the bible doesnt just think of herself and her own family, of course after God and her relationship with him they come a close second, the Good wife also cares for her community and does what she can to help them. We need to use the skills we have to help out where we can, It doesnt mean spend loads of money on fabrics or cooking utensils and ingrediants to prepare things for others free of charge consistently, but dont 'rip them off'' either, be honest with your self and others about the cost and value of items, after all, when you have Jesus and a family that loves you, excessive money  for yourself should not be your goal.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

 

This is the Key Verse I wanted to focus on this week, mainly because it is the one that I am really trying hard to work on at the moment. You see, Just before christmas, I basically lost my job due to "reducing hours" and getting into an arguement with my boss and instead of haveing a decent amount of casual hours a week like I was getting, I am now getting approximately 5 hours a fortnight.... not very much to live on at all on the best of times, then you add Christmas, my 21st birthday and a wedding to the mix and no income on my behalf... it has been a very tough few weeks and it will be for the next few also... In the begining I had already been suffering from depression due to clashes with the aforementioned new boss and studying at uni coming up to end of year exams to come back from an amazing holiday with my fiance in Asia to this delema it has been really hard for me to be positive. So I started to think, how can I get past this? How can WE make ends meet? How are WE going to pay the bills? etc etc etc.... (has any one noticed the issue yet?) I wasn't putting my trust in God. With the new found time I unfortunately have on my hands I have been digging into the Bible more so then I ever have done before.... probably because apart from house work and Job hunting, I have nothing else to do with my time. I started praying and talking with God while cleaning the toilets, washing the dishes, doing the ironing, vacuuming the floors.... from this new depth of relationship I have been developing with Jesus I have found the strength (most days) to deal with our situation positively and to share this strength and positive aspect with my fiance.  It is still hard to laugh at the days to come but I am becoming positive about them which is a start. I encourage you all no matter your situation to look forward, things will get better. What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.

Finally:
"She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction on her tongue"

This verse I cannot guide you in things to say how to act etc as every situation is different no person who hears you speak will hear and understand what you wish to say in exactly the same way.
The most important thing to remember when applying this scripture to your life is the simple lesson of think and pray before you speak and do.











 

The Good Wife

²¹ She does not worry about her family when it snows,
because they all have fine clothes to keep them warm.
²² She makes coverings for herself;
her clothes are made of linen and other expensive material.
²³ Her husband is known at the city meetings,
where he makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.

 

 

Proverbs 31:21-23

 

The Good wife's first priority is her family.... to keep them clothed, fed, warm and happy. It is hard to keep up with the latest fad of clothing especially with teenagers. Some of the trends and fashions they want to wear are very 'daring' to say the least and as women of faith, having our own children or not, it is important to role model fine outfits and encourage age appropriate choices of their own  clothing.... there is a fine line at the moment between fashion and self respect/ dignity that is quite frequently made blury by the media and non-believing friends... This is where parenting can get difficult and each child and their relationship with their parent/s is different so prayer and open communication with your children is essential.

 

Verse 22 says she makes coverings for herself; her clothes are made of linen and other expensive material. As a mum and as a home maker its so easy to put everyone and their needs before yours. looking in the wardrobes in our house mine is the most empty with the lowest quality items inside them and i am in my 20's this is meant to be my time and I have already given it up for my families needs before my own. But God doesnt want us to put ourselves last all the time so that there is nothing left for us. He wants us to love ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin.... He does not want us to go overboard but im sure he would be glad that we are happy for treating ourselves to a new scarf or handbag every now and then to give ourselves a bit of a boost to keep doing things for others.

 

 

Her husband is known at the city meetings, where he makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land. (V23).  This verse speaks of the quality of man that God's women should have/ be working towards having/ building their husbands up to be. It is important to have a husband that supports your faith and ultimately is a believer but if anything is atleast considerate towards your beliefs. The scripture says he makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.... this does not mean they need to be a polititian. God wants our husbands to be the second in charge (only behind God) of the family and to lead their family in the path God has planned for them.