by tascha
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
This verse is probably the hardest for me. I know you can train your body to awake at a certain time, but some people are naturally early risers. And I am not one of them!
As usual, this verse means more than what it says. Yes, it does mean to rise early and prepare for the rising of your family-both physically and spiritually. But this is as much a heart issue as it is a area of domesticity.
Domestically, I do need to be sure my children have a healthy breakfast [or healthy snack for break at school as my eldest does not always feel like eating as soon as she wakes up]. I need to be sure there is something readily available for my husband to eat if he chooses. [Yes, my husband gets up alone, earlier than I do. But he’s OK with that. We’ve tried the getting up together, but there is very little I am good for before 630.]
I sometimes make a pan of cinnamon rolls and refrigerate them so a few seconds in the microwave and he has his favorite! Or I make a batch of cheesy sausage biscuits. Or I just make sure his favorite cereal is stocked in the pantry. And don’t forget to keep the coffee can FULL!
And then there are her maidens [servants]. Wow. I wish I had servants some days.
But then I was reading here and there in preparation for this verse and another lady {I’m sorry that I have no idea who she is} was also lamenting the lack of servants. And God prompted her, which in turn spoke to me through her writing.
I have many servants. And some I do not utilize to their full potential. My servants include but are not limited to: washing machine, dryer, slow cooker, computer, etc. When I do get up, giving a portion to my maidens could include: put a load of clothing in the washer, put food for supper in the slow cooker or at least know what and when I will cook for supper. Then sit down to my morning Bible reading-with my online Bible and devotion studies. Then, when more people are awake, I can be a little noisier and empty the dishwasher.
Of course, as I type this, my sink is full of dirty dishes and my dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, because I forgot to turn it on last night. And my washing machine is empty, though the dryer is full of dry clothing! I have yet to really contemplate supper and it is fully 9:00 AM! But, my husband and daughter got out the door with good lunches and snacks for the day. And I was up to hug and kiss them both before they left.
Domestically, this verse will look different in every household. And today, I am behind-not an unusual occurrence, but one I do try to change daily.
Spiritually, this verse is even harder to apply. Is my attitude one of a servant upon my first waking moment? Is my spirit as that of Christ?
which was also in Christ Jesus:
who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
and being found in fashion as a man,
and became obedient unto death…
If Christ, who IS GOD, can have a servant’s heart towards me[!], then who am I {His creation!} to balk as such an idea of being a servant to my family?
Do I rise [not specifically with it being dark outside] and make sure my family has ‘morning fuel’? Is my attitude one of being my family’s servant? {not slave-I must train my children to be obedient and respectful as well as to do their own chores and to have their own servant’s heart}
Do I use my ‘servants’ to the best of my ability and to their full potential [household gadgets]?
~~~ As a side note: much of my daily preparation is done the night before, because I know that rising before a certain time is more than likely not going to happen. ever. So, after my children are in bed and before I go to bed, I try to be sure my sink is empty [obviously there are days that doesn’t happen] and the dishwasher is running; and I make sure there is something in the refrigerator ready for hubby and daughter’s lunch boxes the next day. And before SHE goes to bed, my daughter’s responsibility is to pick her clothing -from socks to shirt and all underneath- for the next morning, and we’re working on her making sure her homework is back in her bag after I have signed it.~~~
Let us remember today to ask the Lord for His servant’s heart to be alive and working in us. And if we have trouble with the ‘rising early’ then may we be more pro-active and get ready for the day before we go to bed! [maybe another post another day]
by tascha
WELCOME to Jill from
I asked if she were willing to choose a verse in Proverbs 31 to expound in a modern way, and she graciously consented to write about verse 16. Jill is a sweet Christian lady who writes…
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Proverbs 31:16 says She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
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The Proverbs 31 woman is someone that most of us strive to be. If you, like me, feel you fall short in some area of this chapter (or even several ways), don’t give up! There is always hope ~ thankfully, God’s mercies are new every morning.
This particular verse, 16, reminds me of a business woman; she was a homemaker and made her home and family her priority, and yet she made business decisions.
The verse above says she “considereth”, which means she really thought this important decision through; she was not hasty in her actions. This decision was also made with her family’s best interests in mind.
This vineyard was used to help feed and take care of her family – it was not a selfish business decision. Her husband obviously entrusted her with this decision as verse 11 of the same chapter speaks of – this was the area of house management that she was in charge of, and she used wisdom.
Her husband knew that she would not waste money but would spend it wisely in a way as to benefit their family. She didn’t make this decision against her husband’s wishes – she had his approval and trust to make a financial business decision. How easy is it today to use our husband’s hard-earned money or credit cards to make selfish purchases for name-brand items that cost more than they are worth and have no benefit to the family?
I want to be wise with the money my husband works hard for, and though I don’t frequent the mall and make outlandish purchases, the “good deals” online or at the consignment shops can sure add up too! :O
We find this virtuous woman buying this field on her own and planting this vineyard. Some women make the mistake of thinking they don’t really need to apply themselves at school because, after all, they just want to marry and have children. Many things learned at school are used all the time as a homemaker, wife, and mother.
It’s a wise girl that applies herself the best she can at school to prepare for her future, whatever her future may be – it also builds and proves good character to do our very best in everything. And it is wise parents that ensure that their daughters get the best education possible.
Perhaps you won’t ever have the need or opportunity to buy a piece of property on your own and plant a vineyard, so in what ways can this apply to us today? What “business” decisions may you have to make?
*We can use wisdom and carefully plan how we spend money for the things our family needs.
*We can find ways to help our family financially if that is needed.
Some ideas are~
*Planting a garden and selling extra produce at a place like a farmer’s market.
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*Planting an herb garden and selling extra. You can dry the herbs, make crafts with them, make tinctures, or sell them in a pot or small cup for someone else that may want to plant them.
*You could invest in chickens or cows and sell milk or eggs.
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*There are many women that make clothes to sell or do alterations for people.
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*You can make soap or other handmade products
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Well, I’m sure you get the picture! 😉
There are many ways and opportunities that we can be a wise and prudent wife in making financial decisions to benefit our family. Think of things that you enjoy and how you could bring in some extra income from home or use it to meet your family’s needs.
And hey, if your husband would like you to buy a field and plant a vineyard ~ go for it! 😉
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THANK you, Jill. It takes much Godly wisdom to use money well! May we remember to ask God for His wisdom even before planning our grocery shopping! Please visit Jill’s blog to learn more about her and her quest in learning about remedies God has given us in nature!
~ ~ ~
by tascha
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Proverbs 31:21
This “standard of womanhood” we see here was prepared for the coming season- a good thing to be thinking about now with winter coming to the northern hemisphere [where I live & as I type this]. There have been times when we were not prepared, as a family, for a sudden cold snap or **snow**.
We live in a southern area of the United States and snow is NOT the norm. It really is foolish to spend a lot of money on snow suits and boots and such, BUT I still need to be sure my babies have warm coats and sweaters; and if it comes down to being out in the freezing for longer than a few minutes, layering is handy.
My girls DO have gloves and scarves [lovingly crocheted by my mother] and stockings and socks, and I leave a fleece blanket in the car for those early morning school rides for my oldest [now all the girls] to use until the car heats up.
We get out the blankets right about now [November] and in December I will pull the flannel sheets out for our bed.
But this verse alludes to much more than physical preparation.
While looking up different words used in the verse I can across the last one: scarlet. Does her household all wear red? maybe.
But I read this about where the scarlet dye came from:
When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter their own life cycle.
As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted.
WOW. Do I so completely protect my family? not only from the seasons of the year but during the seasons of life?
Yes, our children need to learn to face and deal with their problems with Christ’s guidance in their own lives; but as mothers we do have a responsibility to protect, nurture and train our children until such time as God directs us to push them out to use their own wings.
May we seek God’s face and follow our husband’s leadership in keeping our children protected from the snow [harshness, but not hardships-they are for teaching] of this world while continually teaching God’s goodness and strength for such time as they will face it without us, but always with God’s shelter, over them directly.
Of course, as I type this, my sink is full of dirty dishes and my dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, because I forgot to turn it on last night. And my washing machine is empty, though the dryer is full of dry clothing! I have yet to really contemplate supper and it is fully 9:00 AM! But, my husband and daughter got out the door with good lunches and snacks for the day. And I was up to hug and kiss them both before they left.