The Proverbs 31 Woman ~ Week 3

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Welcome back to week 3 in our Proverbs 31 series.

Today we are up to verses 12,13, & 14 – they say:

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

(If you cannot see this video click here.)

We see in verse 12, the Proverbs 31 woman stays true to her marriage vows.  She is with her husband all the days of her life.

We see in verse 13, her attitude towards work.  She works with eager hands

And we see in verse 14, that the very basic necessity of feeding her family is a task that she does with great attention and care.  She is like a merchant ship – who travels off to distant places and brings in unique cargo that you can’t just get at the corner store.

 

Recently my husband replaced our 15 year old washing machine because it had broken. So he asked me how it was working for me just this past Wednesday…it just so happened that while I was doing laundry that day, I paused, prayed and thanked God for my washing machine. I am so sincerely thankful for my washer and my 15 year old dryer. I was able to tell my husband, “I am overflowing with joy for it – I thanked God for it today!” and I thanked him for buying it for me.

In the same way, often times after grocery shopping – I pop my trunk and just pause and say a prayer of thankfulness for the trunk full of food.  I have had my kids, right in the grocery store, say a sentence prayer while waiting in line – thanking God for our cart of groceries.

When we come to a massive mound of dirty laundry that we are about to tackle, I believe that pausing and thanking God that our family has all these clothes can change our perspective and help us come to our tasks with eager hands.

 

Our challenge this week: 

Look at the menial tasks of doing laundry, grocery shopping and cooking as a noble task that God has called us to.  Come to these tasks with an eager attitude.  If this is a struggle for you – pray and ask God to help you.  Get on your knees and thank God that he has provided for our basic needs of clothing and food and never stop giving thanks!  Bring your kids along side of you and let them offer up a prayer of thanksgiving too.

 

Walk with the King,

 

**If you are new to Women Living Well, I invite you to join our series by subscribing to receive the free Proverbs 31 eBook, you can also follow our optional summer Proverbs 31 Bible reading plan here, and visit GoodMorningGirls.org on Wednesday and Friday for more on verses 12-14!

35 Comments

  1. Thank you for this teaching. It’s the first I’ve heard of yours. You are gifted ! Keep serving the Lord nd I’ll keep looking forward to the videos (gems) you post.

  2. Thanks so much for this. I love doing laundry. I don’t know why. Now, the floors- need some help there. I always look forward to your videos. How are you feeling about your other post- about being confused?

    1. Lol, me too I love laundry. I don’t like putting it away sometimes but I love throwing a load in the washer and putting it outside to dry 🙂 I know everything is fresh then.

  3. This is just what I needed to hear, Courtney! I love how you said we need to change our perspective. And it is so true that we are so blessed and need to give thanks that we have piles of laundry and a full clean dishwasher to empty and a car with air conditioning to run all of our errands in. Thanks for all your encouraging and meaningful posts!

  4. Thankyou for your words today Courtney!!! I am, as it happens, just about to do a load or two of laundry today, and while I am happy to get them in the washing machine, and dryer … it’s the folding, ironing and putting away that I feel like I need to push myself to do!! Thankyou for reminding me that these dirty clothes are actually gifts from God that I need to thank him for – if he hadn’t provided us with the clothes, we wouldn’t have the honour of washing them for our families … and we’d also feel rather down. I have been doing more cooking and cleaning around the house the last two weeks, willingly (which is unfortunately rather big for me), and it feels good. Living with my parents and sister, I often feel like I shouldn’t have to be the only one who does things around the house (even though I am the SAHM, and not working outside the home … studying via correspondence instead) … but these last couple of weeks, God has been encouraging me to do more around the home, and this week’s video has really cemented this for me as to ‘why’ … to prepare me for the task of running my home in the near future, when God brings my husband and I together (still single, but I have felt for a while that yes, I need to start learning to act like as a wife as His plans are coming to a head … still praying though!!). … Did I say Thankyou?!! 🙂

  5. I love the videos on the Proverbs 31 woman Courtney, they are a blessing to watch and I am learning a lot. I heard a while ago to pray while taking care of my home and it is so true the perspective change you get from that. I balance the bills and books each week and I always dread it just a little but every week I see God so present in our financial lives and I’m so blessed to witness that- such a perspective change!

    Blessings,
    Nicole- @ (the new) workingkansashomemaker.com

  6. Such a blessing to watch this video!
    I must say I have changed my attitude towards house chores lately. I love doing them because I feel so much better working with my hands. Cleaning the house and taking care of it is such a purifying experience. Now if only I could tackle the ironing with such zeal!

    Husband and I were at a supermarket outside the city to do this week’s shopping on our way back from visiting a friend and his mother. Now this supermarket is in an area that is severely struck with poverty lately, and as expected most customers were there to buy the very basics. We had a full cart of food and other goods and I did notice that some families were looking at us at the check out.
    While walking back to the car I told dear husband that families were staring at the cart, and I felt sorry for the poverty in the area. My husband reminded me a time we were in another neighborhood, one that the standards of living were extremely high. I was in awe of the opulence and extravagance. I didn’t really knew what to make of the things I felt there, because I had never seen anything like it. Super cars. multimillion dollar houses, expensive boutiques. Not exactly what I’m used to for sure. Such a different perspective on those 2 instances.
    Dear husband told me that the people in the supermarket were us in the expensive / high end neighborhood. There is always a place and a time that one will feel like that, and we must pray to Jesus to be humble at all times, and thankful for what we have, because in an instant it can all go away. Revelation 18:19 …they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone”

    Many blessings
    Lily

  7. Courtney I have been reading through your Proverbs 31 ebook and taking my notes and I have to say that my heart has lightened with respect to household chores since reading about the Proverbs 31 woman and her lack of idleness and her desire to make her home a haven etc. I had an operation on Thursday and was so waiting for today when I could resume my housework. I did it so much more easily with these ideas in mind and knowing that I was helping my family in my noble role as housekeeper. Thanks so much for your wisdom and your lovely words. I love the ebook so much. It’s really lovely to have xx

  8. Courtney, I have to say I loved this post especially because just the other day I was telling the Hubs how important it was to be grateful and praiseful to the Lord no matter what kind of difficulties we are struggling with at any given point…there is ALWAYS something to be praiseful and grateful to the Lord for!
    It’s not an easy thing for anyone to remember 24/7 but SO important!

    -Kirstin

  9. God just cracks me up most days! Nothing is ever by chance. Not what I read in my Bible study today nor what you posted here. I just love it when Jesus brings two entirely different things together to say the same thing! Here’s a quote from my study this morning…

    “If I’ve lost sight of the people for whom I spend myself, I have entirely missed the heart of why I do what I do.”–Kelly Minter

    Thanks for the post!

  10. Courtney~ I work with a group of 24 inner-city girls teaching them how to be Proverbs 31 women. These girls range in age from 9-14. I’ve taught them how to do many of the things that are described in Proverbs 31, things like: cooking, sewing and gardening skills, but I’ve yet to teach them to be grateful for what they have. I think that will be a lesson that we share next weekend at our retreat.

    They may not have much in this season of their lives; most of their families make under $10,000 a year. Some go to bed at night without dinner, some go to bed with one or both of their parents in jail, some go to bed at the end of an exhausting day of trying to get through their own school day and then coming home to take care of their 5 or 6 younger sibling because the one remaining parent is strung out on drugs. It feels like a challenge to teach them to be grateful for such things. But, we reminder ourselves that while Proverbs 31 speaks of the things this woman id does it’s more about her character than her work. If they have nothing else, they can thank GOD for his unending, unfailing, unashamed love for them. These girls (most of whom think that having a man is the answer to their problems) need to know that the LORD is their husband and he will provide for them.

  11. Thank you so much for sharing your gift of teaching and your blog with us! I love this study and your blog! I am doing the 31 study with a few of my friends and I am so excited about it. Thank you for all the time you put into your posts!
    Kelly B

  12. I am currently running a FB group using this devotion/we have several ladies who are taking it to heart. I am out of my comfort zone leading it but ohhhhhh what I blessing it has been.
    There are days when I feel so confused about the job(s) God has called me to do, yesterday is one of those lol Days when I just want to throw in the towel so to speak but I know God has a plan and I long to be patient and wait on Him.
    TY for sharing all God lays on your heart!

  13. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findith to do, do it with thy might…

    Thanks for the reminders!

  14. I try to never say I have to clean my house, I say I am going to bless my house. It is a blessing to have a house to clean and for my family. Still don’t enjoy it but I can thank God for it and smile. I am loving the study and already see changes in me and my hubby!

  15. I love taking care of my family…..but have to admit, I don’t always do it with the best of attitudes. This 53 year old (with a 14 year old daughter) feels grumbly at times. This week, however, I am going to focus on ALWAYS seeing it as a blessing. We have the clothes we need, we have the money to purchase food, and God has given me creativity and the desire to prepare good food for my family. I am also going to remind myself constantly, that although we don’t have a lot of money, we have enough to get by and meet our needs. God has continued to provide through so many rough times in our lives. I have no doubt that He will continue to meet each and every need. I want to continue to develop the joyful heart that He has purposed me for. Worshipping Him, taking care of my family, and helping others is why I believe we are here on this earth. I lost some of that desire and energy when I was taking care of my first husband,Dale, who died at home from a terrible genetic disease that lasted several years. (My daughter was 12 when he went to Heaven.) I am now remarried and have a new and fresh perspective on things. Two major surgeries within the last 9 months have also given me a new way of looking at things. I now look forward to doing things that I was unable to do well, and with joy, for a several years. I am filled with awe and feel so blessed that I can give of myself to my family with a joyful heart. Blessings to all of you as you continue your walk with our Lord this week.

  16. I have to admit, I love doing laundry too! I love being a homemaker, even though it’s chaotic at times. Dishes, I’m not so crazy about, but I deal. I love to hang clothes on the line. I love to bake. I don’t even mind cleaning, if I’m not interrupted. 🙂 My house, my family IS a gift to me and I try not to forget that. I watched your clip on Rachel Ray. I thought she was a bit skeptical that your lifestyle was really fulfilling. As a career gal with no kids, I think she just couldn’t imagine it. So glad you are speaking out for Godly women!

  17. I think it’s very sad that women who are divorced and/or single are not ministered to. Not everyone who is divorced chooses that path. I did to protect myself and my children. Would love to hear your thoughts on that. Thanks, Great teaching!

    1. I apologize that I was not more sensitive to this when I made this video. I fully agree that many women are on your path – divorced and broken hearted because this is not what they wanted but due to their husband’s sin – they are no longer married. In this study we will not be able to touch on the topic of divorce because we are focusing on the Proverbs 31 woman and she was with her husband all the days of her life. BUT in the future I will be more sensitive with my words so I don’t exclude women who are lovers of God but in hard places in life. I hope you will forgive me.
      Lots of Love,
      Courtney

  18. Courtney, oh sweet Courtney! Thank you for your inspiring words today! I really enjoyed doing my chores today and praying thanks for the fact I have a family that needs me to care for them! I pray you continue to inspire me!

  19. This is exactly what His has been teaching me in the last year. To gain contentment and joy in what the world would say is mundane and meaningless. It’s a wonderful place to be in and feel overhwelming gratitude! Proof of the spirit working in and through us! Blessings – Dawn

  20. What a blessing your video was to hear! I have also enjoyed many of your other videos 🙂 Thank you for this amazing teaching from God’s word!!!! It is fantastic to hear a woman teach about finding your self in God and in the role as a wife and mother above all 🙂 Such a nice change from what this world ‘s message is most of the time. May God bless you abundantly!!!

  21. Thank you for the video today. I think it is wonderful to always look on our everyday tasks as blessings. A few years ago, I prayed to God about what He wanted me to do with my life, what purpose I had. I really felt like He lead me to see that it was my job to take care of my husband and our family.

  22. I used to think of everyday tasks, such as laundry and preparing meals, to be mundane. However, months ago I changed my mindset. I realized that I’m blessed to have clothes to wash and nutritious food to prepare. Your blog is reaffirming the importance of having a positive outlook to serve. Thank you so much for your ebook and videos.

  23. I love your blogs and am really enjoying the Proverbs 31 study. I have tried to download the Proverbs 31 ebook a few different times and am having no luck. Is there something that I am doing wrong? I feel like I am missing a very important piece of the study!

  24. Just yesterday, I was doing dishes – looking out my window, trying to have a hard time when I realized that I was blessed to have dished to wash, because that meant we had food to eat and a place to cook it! Thank you Jesus!

  25. I am watching this video on Tuesday. It just so happens that today my focus is laundry. I have MOUNTAINS of it to get done. As with most of my household chores. I don’t really mind doing laundry except for one aspect it never gets done. When I was single I did laundry once a week and rarely did the one little basket I had fill up or run over. Now all 4 of the hampers are always running over. I do 2-3 loads each day, but if I miss a day or something else comes up it gets out of control. I don’t think I can say I am eager to work but not because of the work itself. It is just discouraging when the work NEVER gets done. I suppose rather than focusing on the completion of a task I should focus on how my diligence in spite of the discouragement is blessing my family.
    Thank you for these posts and Bible study. I do desire to have eager hands. And to strive diligently to care for my family.

  26. Courtney You have nothing to apologize for. You taught from your heart as God led you. You are a blessing and your teachings minister to me. I just wanted to point out that many divorced Christian women need ministry also. God is using you. Keep serving the King!

  27. Hi, at the same day I read this post, I also read some hymn stories from 101 More Hymn Stories by Kenneth W Osbeck and was really inspired by the hymn author Lelia N Morris (Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart) and Annie S Hawks (I Need Thee Every Hour). They’re busy housewives, mothers who are doing house work much more difficult than today. But it is written there that Mrs Norris have a writing pad in the kitchen so that she can write poem when the inspiration comes. And her poems have become hymns ! OH WOW !
    Even in such busyness, they’re able to fellowship with the Lord and become such a great blessing. This is tough for me, I tend to focus 100% on my work and leave God aside. Because if I sing, pray while I’m doing house work, the works took much more time to finished. Oh Lord, I must put You in !! Do you have any tips how to do it ? Thanks 🙂

  28. Dirty laundry…..often a sore spot for me as it’s my least favorite chore. If I don’t pray over the laundry I find myself cranky, allowing bitterness seeps into this sinners heart of mine. When I pray for hubs as I fold his clothing I find myself smiling and filled with joy. Prayer changes my heart and my attitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

  29. I thank you for this reminder. Our family is military and so we are preparing for our international move. We still have a few months more left in our home. The clutter and disarray have been overwhelming, but now after your video and understanding of the scripture, I shall wake in the morning to strive to do as God wants of me. I will try and pray that I may truly take in the past few weeks of study and apply them in my life. For so long I have been lacking and realize it was the loss of my faith. This study has brought light into my life and for the first time in years am I truly believing that “I can finally do this”. I have been battling the onset of recurring depression and honestly feel hope and found that the things I have been lacking were His word. Thank you for your work.

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