Proverbs 31:28-29, 31

Tweet

Her children stand and bless her.

    Her husband praises her:

²⁹ 

“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,

    but you surpass them all!”

Give her everything she deserves!
    Festoon her life with praises!

If you have walked with me along this journey to becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman, then I rejoice with you as we reach the verses that address the payoff for all that hard work! For 18 verses now we have broken down, deciphered, & applied all the biblical qualities of a godly woman. We have had our toes stepped on, been convicted, & have endured the pruning process to become what God would have us to be...& beyond His approval, here is where it all becomes worth it! These verses, to hear my husband & daughters say these things & to know that I am worthy of hearing them, well that's the great cry of my heart. The road to being a P31W (Proverbs 31 Woman) is not a short journey, nor is it smooth. For some of us this trek will take a lifetime, but I firmly believe that we will one day no longer be P31W in training, but we will be the woman described in this passage!

There is little breakdown needed for these verses, but I want to describe the scene I picture in my head as I read them. I picture my daughters on the eve of their engagement, on their wedding days, after having just given birth. I see tearful eyes, hear emotion filled voices, & feel their hands gripping mine. I imagine them saying something like this,

 "Mama, I could not have asked for a better mother, confidant, friend, or example to follow. I want more than anything to be like you! Because of you, your time, your sacrifice, your transparency, I am a woman after my Father's heart. I have learned from your mistakes, & I will follow in the footsteps of your successes. More than the importance of you giving me life through my birth, you have guided me to life eternal. You, mama, are a godly woman!"

Imagining a conversation like that, day dreaming of hearing words similar to those...even now I am emotional at the thought. One day to be deserving of such an honor...oh yes, striving to obtain all the qualities of a P31W is worth the effort! As if that were not enough, the following verse  says there's more! 

"Her husband praises her:

²⁹ 

'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,

    but you surpass them all!”

What greater reward, this side of Heaven, could there be than to hear your husband, your lover, your other half praise you!? Webster's defines praise as: to express favorable judgement of; to glorify especially by the attribution of perfections. As I read that, I most certainly feel unworthy of such a strong sentiment. I view the word praise as something only to be referenced in terms of my admiration for Abba, but to consider that I might one day be the recipient of such a strong exaltation...well that possibility is unfathomable to me. The quote that the Word says her husband will make, well that I believe is what any woman would love to hear. My mind pictures something like this,

My husband says he has a surprise for me. He tells me to get dolled up & to put on my finest, most favorite outfit. When I am ready I see that he & my daughter's are also dressed to the nines. He ushers us to the car & we travel to some unknown destination. When we arrive he urges the girls to go in & find a seat. He opens the door & offers me his arm. He slowly leads me into a room filled to the brim with our loved ones, friends & family. On tiptoes I whisper, "What's all this?" He gestures with his arm & whispers in return, "All of this is for you." As he guides me to the front of the room, my husband thanks me for the love I have given to him & the girls all those years. He extolls upon the sacrifices made, the "unnoticed" acts of service. He leads me to a place of honor in the room & then quietly makes his way to the front. Before everyone, he takes my hand, & with tears in his eyes he says this,

'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,

    but you surpass them all!”

Dramatic, perhaps. Romantic, absolutely.Fanciful, certainly. Could it happen? I have no idea, but I like to think so. Can't you picture such a scene?! The truth is, sisters, that if we lead a godly life, if we strive to be the woman that Abba God designed us to be, then we can rest assured that whether such an event as I described happens or not...we are worthy, deserving of such an honor. That alone, whether I receive that praise literally or not, well it's motivation to strive towards that goal. 

Give her everything she deserves!
    Festoon her life with praises!

The final verse in this section of scripture is an admonition, a command not a request. It is powerful in content & in implication: A P31W, a godly & righteous woman, is worthy & deserving of special treatment. She has earned a level of deference & respect. She is a woman to be sought after by younger women for her counsel. She is one to be confided in with woes & to be trusted with her admonitions. She is special & priceless & should be treated as such! The rewards promised to the P31W are incredible! 

When John & I married, he began the tradition of reading to me Proverbs 31 on our anniversary & on special occasions. Prior to that, I had never taken notice of this particular piece of scripture, but after the first time hearing it from his lips...well a great sense of unworthiness took root. Each time he reads it, he says that I am that woman, & each time I am equally as sure that I am not. I vowed to myself that I would strive to be this woman both scripture & my beloved described. I promised that I would do all within my power to one day feel deserving. I have spent 5 years on this journey, at times failing terribly & others succeeding, & I'm still not there. Less than a month ago, on our 5th anniversary, he read Proverbs 31 to me once again, & once again tears fell like rain as the sense of unworthiness pervaded. Sobs came tumbling out as he read the verses we've discussed today...I want so badly to hear from my children, "you were a good mama." I want so badly to have my husband praise me...& to know I deserve the honor of his words! With all of my heart I believe that day will come. One day I will no longer be  P31W in training, but I will be her! My husband will read those words to me & tears of joy will fall rather than tears of discouragement. 

If you can sympathize with this feeling, if becoming a P31W is the desire of your heart, join me in the journey! If you have followed with me as we have broken down all the verse & still, like me, feel as though you have not yet reached your goal then start again. Verse by verse, trait by trait, try & try again until you've mastered each one. If you have only recently joined in this study, then go back in the archives of this blog & start again at verse 10 & walk through this journey for the first time. It is worthwhile!