Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Proverbs 31:16-18 (NIV)
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 31:16-18 (MSG)
She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
********************************************************
“She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently]; with her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong. She sees that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].” -AMPLIFIED
“Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make.”
~Rick Warren
Today, as we carry on with Lemuel’s description of the noble woman, we learn a few more wise characteristics of this woman.
1.) She is a planner. She sets goals and she works toward them.
2.) She is a woman of sound judgement.
3.) She is prepared and ready for whatever comes her way; strong and confident.
4.) She is dedicated and determined to finish her projects; hard working.
Her motto is: “Press on till the job is done!”
“She has a plan. She considers some land and buys it; then with her earnings, she plants a vineyard. She wraps herself in strength, carries herself with confidence, and works hard, strengthening her arms for the task at hand. She tastes success and knows it is good, and under lamplight she works deep into the night.” -(VOICE)
Lemuel’s description of the noble woman may be leaving you with the impression that this woman was Superwoman. She seems larger than life and her shoes impossible to fill. Do not be overwhelmed though, this woman’s example is one for us to learn from, to emulate and to challenge ourselves to become more like her. Remember how Lemuel started this passage:
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” -(NIV)
The Easy-to-Read Version conveys Proverbs 31:10 in this way:
“How hard it is to find the perfect wife. She is worth far more than jewels.” -(ESV)
“She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her own hands she plants a vineyard. She is energetic, a hard worker, and watches for bargains. She works far into the night!” -(TLB)
This noble woman is the polar opposite of the description of the sluggard found is Proverbs. She is hard-working, shows good judgement and dedicated. This woman sees a field, buys it and cultivates it. Contrast her to the sluggard that Solomon told us about:
“Once I passed by the property of a slacker, by the vineyard of a foolish man. You should have seen it! The entire field was overgrown with thorns. Every inch was covered with weeds. Even the stone wall was crumbling down. I took a moment to take it all in. The scene taught me: “A little sleep, a little rest, a few more minutes, a nice little nap.” But soon poverty will be on top of you like a robber, need will strike you down like a well-armed warrior.” -Proverbs 24:30-34 (VOICE)
And I remind you of what Solomon taught us about being apathetic and lazy. He contrasted the sluggard to the industrious and productive person; what a difference:
“A slack hand produces nothing but poverty, but an industrious hand soon takes hold of riches.” -Proverbs 10:4 (VOICE)
I remind you once again, this noble woman of good character is the embodiment of wisdom. Woman, you may not be her, but you can strive to be like her. We are to seek more wisdom in our lives; Lord knows we all need it. I remind you of Solomon’s advice to us:
“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.” -Proverbs 8:11 (AMP)
“For wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.” -Proverbs 3:14 (AMP)
“How much better it is to receive wisdom than the riches of gold and to gain understanding over some silver prize!” -Proverbs 16:16 (VOICE)
I also remind you of Lemuel’s words:
“Who can find a truly excellent woman? One who is superior in all that she is and all that she does? Her worth far exceeds that of rubies and expensive jewelry.” -Proverbs 31:10 (VOICE)
We all can learn from this woman of noble character; man, woman, and child. We all could benefit from her example of being hard-working, diligent, planning, and being prepared; in season and out of season. This woman was not caught off guard; she was ready to face whatever challenges life brought her way. She was prepared and ready on her part, and trusting and relying on God to handle what she herself had no control over. As we continue to examine and study this noble woman over the coming days, let us not become intimidated by her abilities, but let us determine to become more like her.
“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” ~Warren Wiersbe
My friend, part of gaining wisdom is determining to set goals and make changes in our lives. It also involves learning from our mistakes. That means that when I make mistakes, and we all do, that I understand what I have done wrong and determine not to do it again. This noble woman was not born this way; she was only human. She made mistakes and determined to learn from them. Her life is a testament to what God can do within each of us if we allow Him to make us and mold us. Determine to be pliable in the Master’s hands today.
“Do not be lazy. Run each day’s race with all your might, so that at the end you will receive the victory wreath from God. Keep on running even when you have had a fall. The victory wreath is won by him who does not stay down, but always gets up again, grasps the banner of faith and keeps on running in the assurance that Jesus is Victor.” ~Basilea Schlink
My Prayer:
Lord, I need your help in obtaining more wisdom. There are so many times that I mess up and fail you, others and myself. I am sorry, Lord; please forgive me. Help me not to get stuck in those failures, giving up. Instead, remind me to seek your forgiveness, to stand up, dust myself off, reach for your hand once again and to press on. I am determined to become the person that you always meant for me to be. I will not accept failure as an option. The sluggard’s way will not be the way I will go. I will press on and be a living testimony to you, Lord.
Growing with God 