Godly Women: A Gift From God

>> Happy Sunday. We have made it to the end of our look at the book of Proverbs. Today, chapter 31. About 3,000 years ago, a mother gave her son a shopping list.

She made him memorize the list. In fact, she fashioned it in the form of an acrostic. An acrostic is a poem or a puzzle where certain words are formed from the letters in each line. It's It's a way to help us study.

When I learned to play the guitar, I learned the strings of the of the guitar, eat apples daily, get better energy, EADGBE, an acrostic. This acrostic in Proverbs 31 uses every letter of the a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It's a shopping list for a wife. The king's mother made him memorize this list to find just the right woman.

Verse one of Proverbs 31 introduces us to the author. There it says, "The words of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him." Now, we know nothing of King Lemuel, and some say it is Solomon. We really don't know.

The most well-known parts of this chapter begin at verse 10. And I will begin there. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband safely trusts her, so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, not evil, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands. She's like the merchant ship.

She brings her food from afar. She also rises while it's yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservant. She considers a field and she buys it. From her profits, she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise it is good, and lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hand to the spool of wool, and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor.

Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She's not afraid of snow for her household, for all of her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. That's my favorite verse in there, by the way. All these things he's doing, her husband is known in the gates when he sits. Back to 31.

She makes linen and garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing. She shall rejoice in the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

>> >> She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children, they rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.

Charm is deceitful, beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates. Wow. I get exhausted just reading Proverbs 31.

This indeed is superwoman. In these verses, this woman is trustworthy and and good and hardworking and energetic and wise and kind and an entrepreneur and a great cook and a manager and a realtor. She's sleep deprived, she's crafty, she's a horticulturalist, she's generous, she's a seamstress, she's a saleswoman, she's a spiritual giant. Today, I thank God that I married one of those, a Proverbs 31 gal.

What's the most important part here? What if you're not crafty or entrepreneurial or a natural-born saleswoman? Or you need sleep every now and then. I think verse 30 is the key where it says charm is deceitful and beauty is passing.

But a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. The fear of the Lord, a belief in Christ is the key to a successful life. In our first look at Proverbs, we looked at verse seven of chapter one. There it says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Fools despise wisdom and instruction." These words at the beginning of Proverbs are perfect bookends to the words at the end of the book. A woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. Today, I'm thankful for godly women.

I know that churches and denominations fight about the role of women and I'll not go there. Today, I'll thank God for people like my wife Genie, my mother Charlene, my stepmother Mary Alice, my mother-in-law Dot, my adopted mothers in churches that I have served, Miss Joe and Maxine in Mississippi and Margaret in Indiana, others that I will not mention. Godly women indeed are a gift from God. And thank you for those that have been in my life that have blessed me so.

Pray with me. Lord, thank you for the gift of godly women, godly men too, but today Proverbs 31 pretty much spells it out. Thank you for those that you have blessed us with. And I pray for the future generations that will continue to carry on.

It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. God bless. Thanks for being with me today.