Oct 15, 2014

October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Day 13, Verse 13

13 "She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands."

What's so significant about the resources she collects? Plenty! There was great wisdom in the choices that she made. You'll see both not only have many uses that benefit her family, but they also have a strong Biblical sigificance as well, providing us with some awesome spiritual parallels.

WOOL
Wool comes from sheep. Lanolin can be gleaned from wool in it's earliest processing stage (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool). Lanolin is used in a lot of creams and lotions and has healing properties (it's actually used as a cream for breast feeding moms). Wool is hypoallergenic, has dual thermal properties (holds heat in, keeps heat out), flame resistant (firefighter garments today are made from wool), absorbant (the earliest cloth diapers were made from wool), breatheable (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool).

The spinning process of wool helps "the individual fibers attach to each other, so they stay together" (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool). The little fibers are coarse and help them stick together when spun. Because of it's thickness and durability, wool was used by Roman soldiers as a breastplates. There is strength in unity!

Hold on while I toe the line of cheesy--I want you to grasp this! God's Word gives us the picture of Jesus, The Lamb of God. He's our Provider and He does so in many unique ways. He's not limited to Savior alone. He clothes us in His own garments, the "wool" of Himself. He's the Healer Who soothes us with His healing balm. We who are clothed are able to soak in His Spirit, to "absorb" all He has for us. He provides us with our Breastplate of Righteousness because He gave His life for us. It quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy. He holds us together in the fibers of His love. We are strengthened because of Him.

FLAX
Flax is planted in winter and harvested in late spring. It has "long strong fibers" that can be used for many things. lt also has "sky-blue flowers that open only in the morning...one of the most beautiful of all crops when flowering" (https://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/flax.php). One of the best times I personally can meet with God is the morning. There is something to be said about starting my day in presence of God, giving Him the first fruits of the day that seem to set the tone for the rest of the house ("If mama ain't happy..."). 

There is a tedious sun bleaching process flax must undergo before it can be worked into something new. A woman of noble character is not above the process; the harvest of blessings she is able to give her family is worth the effort. Physically and spiritually--do not despise the process.

"The scientific name of flax is Linum usitatissimumUsitatissimum means 'most useful'" (https://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/flax.php). Flax seed is a food source, linseed oil comes from this plant, it's stems can be used as wics for lighting, measuring lines, and the most important linen. 

"The Scriptures teach explicitly the significance of linen when used as clothing; it is the righteousness or righteous acts of saints. Put another way, it represents personal holiness and suggests that the person clothed in linen is in a condition suitable to approach God. In fact, one of the synonyms for a priest is one who 'wears the linen ephod'" (https://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/flax.php). 

A woman of noble character helps oversee the holiness in her home. We are not off the hook letting our husbands (or even the church) take full responsibility. 

In wisdom the woman of noble character selects the right resources that will benefit her family in a variety of ways. Specifically clothing. How we clothe ourselves matters to God. Wrap yourself, your family, in Him.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:13-15)

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)






Oct 11, 2014

October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Day 11 & 12, Verses 11 & 12

11 "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of his life."

Don't you love it when you can count on someone? It's hard to come by for sure! Remember the dreaded group projects in school? I guarantee there was at least one or two people in every group who relied on the rest of the crew to carry their load. 

Remember the other day when we said that noble character is not forced but it flows from the grace that we find in God? A woman of noble character can be found faithful. 

Faithfulness: one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 6:22). As you live out of the overflow of God's grace in your life others around us will reap a harvest of blessing. The Holy Spirit produces His character traits in you; His own faithfulness born of His Spirit. His goodness will follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6). And all our husbands say, "Amen!"

As much as this is specific to a husband-wife, I can't help parallel this to our Heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus. He believes those things about His bride Whom He loves as well. 

God says you are capable, daughter of the King, because of His Spirit at work in your life (Titus 3:3-7). His grace for you is more than enough (2 Corinthians 12:19). And He has plans to "prosper and not to harm you" all the days of your life (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Come into the grace of God and live out of the overflow of His Spirit at work in your life. Those around us will be blessed beyond measure by the spiritual fruit of faithfulness in our homes.

Oct 10, 2014

October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Day 10, Verse 10

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." 

(Verses 10-31 of Proverbs 31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.)

"Wife" here isn't referring just to a lady with a husband. The root Hebrew word refers to women, wives, mothers: you.

I know so many moms who live under a dark cloud of guilt and shame for whatever reason. Not being good enough, being too hard on their kids, losing their temper, making a mistake, not being like so-and-so, not having that put-together look, their children don't measure up, not having a spotless house, etc. Guilt and shame are some of the two greatest immobilizers in the Kingdom of God. They convince you to keep them around to motivate you to to do more, to do less but they only produce defeat. 

How do we become a woman of noble character more precious than rubies? "Grace, grace, God's grace..."

You see the rest of Proverbs 31 is about all the things a woman of noble character does. But the doing doesn't come by striving. It doesn't come by trying harder. We can do our best to try to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect woman and still end up feeling like a failure. 

It's by God's free gift of grace. Our good works flow out of the overflow of what God is already doing inside us. And it all begins with grace. A stark contrast to the guilt and shame motivators, hope and joy we find in grace actually empowers us to do God's will: to love Him with our whole hearts and to love others as ourselves.

Look forward to rest of these verses we are about to study on a woman of noble character not as a check off list or a comparison chart. See it as a reality of what a woman overflowing with God's grace in her own life can accomplish. To be sure, a woman plagued by guilt and shame cannot not do much if she's bound by defeat. Grace enables us to be the woman of noble character more precious than rubies.

You are a rare find, mama. A treasure more valuable than precious gems. You are priceless. Don't let anyone or anything tell you otherwise. Let God wash you daily (evenly hourly or by the minute for those trying days) in His fresh grace. No amount of condemnation will spur you on to do His will. Only God's grace can produce life, that life to the full. Noble character isn't forced. It flows.

Oct 9, 2014

October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Day 9, Verse 9

"Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." 

ad·vo·cate
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy (synonyms: champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, campaigner, fighter, crusader)

verb
  1. 1.
    publicly recommend or support (recommend, prescribe, advise, urge)
Advocate is both a noun and a verb (Merrium Webster Online Dictionary). Mama wasn't giving Lemuel an option for either silence or indifference concerning the helpless. She was teaching him at a very young age the importance of advocacy for those who needed it. Afterall, he was in a position to help them. 

Do you know that we have an advocate? "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). Not only do we have the Holy Spirit working on our behalf, Jesus is our mediator to the Father in Heaven (Romans 8:34). You see, we come to the Father with nothing to offer and a great debt of sin against us. Our constant accuser keeps hauling us into the King's court. We are the helpless, the voiceless, the destitute. Praise be to God that we have an advocate and a Great Defender to take our case before the King and declare us righteous. 

What has been freely done for us we should also readily do for others; it is our great example. Silence in the face of injustice is really passive agreement. Lemuel's mother was holding her son to a principle later found in the book of James: faith in action. Children who don't learn compassion can grow into adults who don't show compassion. Our little children need to know they can make a big difference in our broken world now while they are small. Follow the example of Lemuel's mother and teach them how while they are young.

Oct 8, 2014

October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Verse 8, Day 8

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

Destitute:
1: lacking something needed or desirable 2: lacking possessions and resources; especiallysuffering extreme poverty (Merrium Webster Online Dictionary)

Lemuel's mother made it clear to him that his voice had power. And his position in life came with the authority to use that power to help those without it. Because even the destitute have rights.

We have the privilege to be a voice for the voiceless. Because anything we have done for the least of these, we did for Christ (Matthew 25:31-46). There are many today in our own country and abroad who need their rights to form words: the unborn, the foster child, the orphan, the homeless, the child soldier, the grandma caring for her AIDS orphaned grandchildren, the trafficked, the dying and lonely, the abused, the child or adult with special needs, the poor--the destitute.

What Lemuel's mother was teaching him was compassion with responsibility. While his words would hold weight in the court of the King where their pleas for justice would be daily before him, I don't think for a moment he saved his voice for a kingdom court one day. He was probably using his voice on the playground to speak up for someone being bullied. Maybe he took on a fundraiser to help the poor in his community or in a distant land. Small voices can have big impact. 

We should not only take notice of those who need our help, but put love into action and actually help them with our God-given authority to do so. That may be as "simple" as praying for the destitute; praying is no small task. God may lead you further to give or go, to work on their behalf. Be open and be obedient. 

Oct 6, 2014

October Refelctions on Proverbs 31: Day 6 & 7, Verses 6 & 7

I R6 "Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more."

Is Lemuel's mom giving a drinking pass to those in living in despair? No. Actually she's giving a pass to those who were dying in despair. 

Wine was a used as a common sedatitive or pain killer in Bible times (1 Timothy 5:23). She was saying let those suffering at death's door take wine to help ease their pain as they passed from this life to the next. 

Her son, Lemuel, was still very much alive and had kingdom business to attend to. She admonished him to refrain from such activity lest he be counted with the dying who "drink and forget."

There is another kind of wine talked about in God's word that is unlike any other in the world. Lemuel could drink his fill without impairing his judgement. On the contrary, this wine would cause him to remember The Lord and His commands. It is the wine that Wisdom offers to drink and truly live (Proverbs 9:1-6). It is the same heavenly wine The Lord offers to all who are thirsty (Isaiah 55:1-5). It is the same "wine" the disciples appeared to be drunk off of on the Day of Pentecost where they ministered to thousands (Acts 2:13)! 

This heavenly wine does not impair judgement, however. It enhances it. We as believers have kingdom business to attend to like Lemuel. Wouldn't you rather be filled with the wine that would help you serve in the Kingdom? 

I recently heard it said concerning being filled with the Holy Spirit that "drunk people take more risks" (Kevin Dedmon). It is true in a literal sense; drunk people will do things they ordinarily would not have had the courage to do once they've had a few drinks. How true is this of us who drink in the wine of the Holy Spirit? 

And one of the greatest things about this heavenly "wine"? It's free to those who ask The Lord for it and anyone can drink it! There is no age limit and it doesn't cost you anything monetarily. It's refreshing to the soul and it's in never-ending supply from our Heavenly Father. It also helps advance Kingdom business!

Do you need to be filled today? Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you right where you sit. Contrary to what you might think, you don't need a special church service with an Evangelist to pray over you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can meet you anytime, anyplace and He longs to fill you (Matthew 7:7-11)! Once we are filled we can pour out what we've given to our families--our husband, children, and in-laws even! Let's not be counted with the dying who drink to forget. Let us be fully alive in the power of the Holy Spirit and all the gifts He has to offer!