10-05 Proverbs 31

➡ This ministry, Your Daily Bread, encourages spiritual growth through Scripture and discussions like today’s on Proverbs 31. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and appreciating the differences between men and women, as these differences allow each to fill in the other’s gaps. The text also highlights the role of women as helpers to their husbands, not just in household tasks, but in spiritual and personal growth. It concludes by reminding women of their worth and nobility, and the importance of seeing themselves as valuable contributors to their families and society.
➡ This text emphasizes the importance of a wife’s role in supporting her husband and family, both financially and in managing the household. It criticizes the idea of women focusing solely on their careers and not sharing their earnings with the family. The text encourages women to use their skills and education for the betterment of their home and family, and to prioritize their roles as wives and mothers over their careers. It also stresses the importance of raising godly children and maintaining a Christian household.
➡ This text emphasizes the importance of prioritizing family and home responsibilities over external commitments. It suggests that women should support their husbands and families, contribute to the household, and engage in community service. The text also warns against the pursuit of personal ambitions at the expense of family duties, and encourages women to foster a loving and supportive environment at home. It concludes by discussing the challenges that can arise in relationships over time, and encourages faith and strength in overcoming these obstacles.

Hello. My name is Paul, and I am the voiceover for a ministry provided to you by Jim Pugh at God Is Government, called Your Daily Bread, taken from Christ’s teaching of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, verse 11. This is a daily devotion ministry focused not only on upper uplifting Scripture, but Scripture that will grow your spiritual connection with Christ. We hope that you receive these devotions to uplift you, encourage you, but most importantly, advance your knowledge base of the Holy Scriptures. Today’s focus discussion will be on Proverbs 31. As men, we definitely needed someone to come alongside to be completely different from us, to provide a different perspective to every aspect we men deal with in our lives.

We are not whole without this different perspective. And women, guess what? Neither are you. Women have told us that they cannot get along with their husbands because they are so different from them. We need to realize that if the man and woman were just alike, neither could fill in the gaps contained in each other. God did make man and woman to be the same. God made man and woman to be different in order for each other to fill in the gaps the other has. Women, because your husband is different, is not cause for complaining or bitching.

It should be seen as a blessing. God made you that way, and you should look at what God made instead of what you wish you may want to be. Women, your agenda is to help your husband to become the ultimate man God created, that only in the unity and roles of each within a marriage can achieve. If you are not willing or do not want to fulfill your role, then your husband will fail from your focus on you and not on what God’s plan is for you, your marriage, your husband, and, oh yes, your children.

What your children see from you will influence not only them, but generations to come. So before you open your mouth and insert both feet to the knees, think about what you are doing. Think about really what you wish to occur for you, your husband, your marriage, and your children. In Proverbs 31, the description of what a divine taught him, what my son, and what son of my womb, and what son of my vows. Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink, lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the wife. For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her, so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.

She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it. From her profits, she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor. Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honour are her clothing. She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing. But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates. Based upon the biblical definition of a godly woman is one whose worth is far greater than jewels. She is of nobility, nobility from whom you may ask. Nobility comes from God, but only when you understand your role. I stated about you becoming what you think.

Many women have a very low view about themselves. They think of themselves as not being worthy, not being considered a partner, not seeing their husband care about them as they want, etc. You are what you think about yourself. When you think of yourself as the most expensive diamond, then you are going to act like it. When you think of yourself as a doormat, you will act like that as well. Your thoughts drive how you look upon yourself, and even though you are a woman, you can put on makeup, a great dress, and look the part.

But the part comes by understanding who you are, God’s nobility. Proverbs 31 tells a man that when he finds a woman, as described here, that he has found a woman of great value, a woman of nobility, a woman that will be his true helper. If we look at the passage, we find a simple part that defines the woman. In verse 12 we find that she does him good and not evil all the days of her life. This is the hallmark of a woman. It is here we need to take a moment and repeat this important part of defining a godly woman.

She does her husband nothing but good and not evil all the days of her life. I wonder how many women listening to this can say those words. A point of research we wanted to do, but didn’t, because we thought it would not produce what was true, is asking the men who are married what good do they see their wives are doing for them. However, it is an important point. Women, if you don’t know what this is, then you are not helping with all that you should. If men cannot answer this in truth with a list as long as they are tall, then you are not helping enough.

Women, you are not a doormat, but you are also not the head of the household. Your beauty, your nobility, your worth is measured by the help you provide to your husband. Now, this is not defining the moneymaker in the household or setting aside women rights, but all these things must be done underneath God’s covenant for the home. And women, your role might be the breadwinner of the family and the man taking care of the children, but that does not change the role in God’s plan you are required to do. God says women are the helper of her husband.

There is no leeway here. You either are or are not. The strength of the marriage, your relationship, and the value you children will take into the generations to come will only be decided by you. If women don’t think about it, go to bed concerned about and wake up determined to make their husbands a better godly man. You have failed. Not only have you failed yourself, you have failed God, your husband, and your children. If this is not your number one agenda item each and every moment of the day, then I can truthfully say you are not a Christian wife.

Women, you may be good as a bed partner, a cook and caregiver for your children, but a Christian wife seeks out always what makes her husband a better godly man. And from that, all the other blessing of God is given. Just as your husband is to wake up honouring, cherishing you and loving you, you are to wake up and ask or seek out what is it that you need to do to bring out the good in everything your husband does. What can I do to be good for him today? I could name a great deal of things that women do well, good for their husbands.

Some of them I will mention herein. The first thing that comes to mind is financial. Beginning in Proverbs 31, verse 13 we are told, she seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships. She brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it. From her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good and her lamp does not go out at night.

She stretches out her hands to the distaff and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor. Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honour are her clothing. She shall rejoice in time to come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also and he praises her. Many daughters have done well but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing but a woman who fears the Lord she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates. She helps make money for the family.

She buys groceries at affordable places. She has great looking clothes but purchased from affordable shops. In other words, she understands the value of the family finances and does go much overboard that requires her husband to have to take on multiple jobs to pay for her expensive lifestyle, taking his time away from the home. She doesn’t feel entitled. What we find is that the woman who helps her husband is skilled. She has a brain. She doesn’t sit around playing socialite. She understands the value of home, money and time. She doesn’t throw all her education down the garbage just because she got married and feels she needs to be taken care of.

A Christian wife has the understanding that the marriage is a partnership and the value of that is in each assuming their roles. You ladies are getting this yet. Nowhere in the Bible is there a requirement for a woman to love their husband. We discussed this earlier in this chapter when we addressed the role of a man in the home. Women, you have one objective to support the good of your husband. The woman may be a man who invests money soundly or for the benefit not of her focus but of her husband so that he can have the time to love her as God told the man to do.

This thing called marriage is a partnership. Today we find a complete separation that has occurred through the propaganda machine of entitlement and the lack of the correct education about God’s governmental authority structure. Today we see women building their career, keeping their money, not sharing their money as family money and telling all the time if you want me as a wife take care of me and provide for me. What a selfish individual has society created today. This is not the godly woman. A Christian wife always works bringing back the fruits of her labour to the family just as the husband does for the betterment of the home God gave to them.

There should be no competition for the finances of the home. Women, you need to reprogram yourself, you need to change, you need to focus on God’s definition of you, the home and the relationship with your husband and children. If your husband, your home and your children are not benefiting from what you love to do in your work, then you are not a godly Christian wife. Women do not buy into the feminist lie, the propaganda lies of our government that drives a wedge into God’s marriage covenant, the lie that tells you it is okay to have same-sex marriage, the lie that says it is okay to raise children in a same-sex marriage at home, and the lie that it is okay to abort God’s children.

If you believe that your world is all about you and that everything you do and make is just yours and your husband is not provided the benefits of your efforts like you want from him, then you are living a lie straight from the pit of hell and you wonder and complain about why your marriage doesn’t work. I am here to tell you that the feminist movement was created for power and control and its origins are straight from the pit of hell. This movement was born by a government who worships a satanic god that seeks total rebellion against the one true god and wants to direct all evil towards god-fearing people.

Neither the husband nor the wife should live separately on anything, that is not God’s plan. Both should be working for the betterment of the home. If not, then they are not living the Christian life. I am going to make a very bold statement here because we have discussed all the components in book one, book two, and the early parts of book three. If the home is not living in accordance with God’s plan, you will not be successful in your work. Your community, your church, your local government, and your children will be affected for generations to come.

It all starts at home. It all starts with the man and woman living as God’s intended partners. Ladies, when you live your lives focused on things other than the betterment of your marriage, you have joined hell and the blessing of God will not be provided to you or to your home. God gave you a husband not to be an independent single woman. He gave you a husband to use your skills, your abilities, and your gains in life for the betterment of the home. And as such, you have moved the man forward in support of his goodness.

See, he needs that help. Women, whenever your career demands, you have to decide it versus the good of your husband. There is really no choice. You cannot allow your career to take the position over the helper for your husband. This is not saying do not take that promotion or different job that may require more time. But when your job requires you to be independent of the home and not focused on that betterment of the home and negates your role as a wife and a mother, then the choice is a simple one.

Home over career. Let’s lay this out very clearly. You may say I sacrificed and went to school for years and I deserve the opportunity. What God says is that if you are not your husband’s helper and you seek out to make some other man, business, more successful, betterment than your home, your husband, then you are not a Christian wife. In this case, you are in the wrong career. This doesn’t mean that a woman should throw away her skills, but it is clear God says for women to use those skills for the betterment of the home.

The wife is not only a helper financially, but a helper in parenting the children. Proverbs 31 verse 15, she also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants. This says she rises as needed and prepares food for the family. She helps feed the family. Proverbs 31 verse 21, she is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. She clothes the family when it is cold. The Hebrew word for scarlet is double-lined, so it provides warmth.

Do not get me wrong in the roles here. The husband’s job is to manage the home and the wife’s role is to help him. One of the primary ways a wife helps the husband is in the management of the children. The wife is not to replace the husband in the family management, but helps him. Proverbs identifies that the woman should be so determined to help that she rises up early before anyone else and prepares the house for the entire family. She wants to make sure that all the early morning activities are ready for the household to wake up and begin their day.

You may say, well, I have to get up and get ready for work. You may say, it takes longer for me to get ready than my husband, and he should be the one to do those things. God says that the woman is to provide support for her husband. Why does God say these things? One has to realise what God’s agenda is for his kingdom on earth. His plan is to replicate his kingdom in heaven here on earth. The home responsibility is to raise the godly children, providing the next generational seed for his kingdom.

So, women, if you have to leave the home so much that you cannot be the helper for your husband, as God planned, in fulfilling the parenting of the children, then you are not doing what God has told you to do. This is the reason Titus tells us that all the women need to teach their children how to be keepers of the home. That is why 1 Timothy 5 tells the women to take care of those children. Women, you should never let the pull of the outside world take away from you being a dynamic wife and mother.

Never let the schedule outside take away from the schedule inside of the home. Everything outside of your home should not take priority over your duties of being a wife and mother. When you fail to follow this priority, then those families typically see their kids getting in trouble, and most find them in the legal system where they lock them up. Instead of raising them up. It is the job of the husband and the wife to prioritise the home. If someone needs to work overtime to pay for the home, then the wife should support the husband with the family while the husband works the overtime.

Our society has too many women working overtime. In fact, they are working overtime on top of overtime to climb that corporate ladder for themselves. Women, if this type of job prevents you from being the helper of your husband, then you have failed. You need to turn around and go the opposite direction. If not, then you need to understand that you are turning from a godly home to a godless home. Not only is a woman supposed to help the home financially and in the managing of the husband, Proverbs 31 verse 17, she girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms.

Women, you work to keep your beauty. You do your aerobics. Proverbs 31 verse 22, she makes tapestry for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. She outwardly has an appearance of elegance. The woman that does these things makes her husband excited to come home. He wants to see, feel and converse with this elegant, passionate and determined wife of his. Proverbs 31 verse 20, she extends her hand to the poor. Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. The godly woman helps her husband ministerially. She helps in the community. Proverbs 31 verse 26, she opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

She encourages people with kindness and wisdom. She is serving the poor and counseling others. In this environment, she uses her free time instead of gossiping or idle talk. She is focused on ministry. Today, women find refuge in front of a television, watching the soap operas of the day and then talking with her friends about the daily condition of them versus finding ways to support her husband. Then they wonder why their husband reacts negatively to them. In Proverbs 31 verse 27, she watches over the ways of her household. And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31 verse 11, the heart of her husband safely trusts her so he will have no lack of gain. And in Proverbs 31 verse 23, her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. All of this is because she focuses on the good of her husband and the betterment of the home. Is this a description of your life as a wife or a mother? Nowadays, women are more worried about being in the background and therefore spend a large amount of time promoting themselves. They do this not only to their friends and family but to their husband and children.

Then they wonder why no one respects her. God says, if you live like a Christian woman, you will not have to worry about those things. Proverbs 31 verse 28, her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. The law of cause and effect speaks exactly to this point, that which you so you shall reap. However, many women today want instant gratification. They even want it first before they provide the same. That is not how it works. Bottom line here is that women are to make your husband look good and men are to take your wife public by telling the world of what she does for you and how she helps you.

Let’s move into discussion regarding a subject that many women feel and can’t seem to get through to the other side. This subject many women find themselves in today. The situation we will discuss is one that happens over time. The relationship typically starts off hot and sexy but turns into a cold ice cube over time when a wife has come to the point of not liking her husband. Thank you for joining us in this exploration of Proverbs 31. Until next time, remember to keep the faith, stay strong, and continue to shine your light in the world.

To hear these daily devotions of your daily bread, please log on to goddessgovernment.com. Goodbye, and may your faith always lead the way. [tr:trw].