(Proverbs 31:25)
“Oh no, not the Proverbs 31 Woman again! What woman on earth can live up to her
description?” I know, I know, it appears at first glance in Proverbs 31:10-13 she’s perfect, but when we look closer at the
passage we see God has a great respect for women and shows us we should
understand it as a goal, a desire of our hearts, not to be her, but to lead a fruitful, flourishing and
productive life as we bless people around us.
The Bible entitles the passage of Proverbs 31:10-31 as “The
Woman Who Fears the Lord” and lists many extreme attributes, intimidating
countless women with her godliness and
wisdom! This passage is meant to show us the significance of being wise and the
influence we can have in this very dark world if we have a teachable
perspective. Don’t buy into the lie that Scripture was written to intimidate
us! No! It’s a handbook for life that teaches us how to live godly lives and
thereby glorify God and bless others.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the
[wo]man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2
Timothy 3:16).
God’s word is a powerful
weapon in the hands of a Christian. It’s full of wisdom, knowledge, love, and
grace for a child of God. Daughters of King Jesus should be running
to God’s word to learn, grow in wisdom and understanding. We want peace. We want to be seen, not be
invisible! We want to do what’s right. We seem to choose to wear ourselves out
trying to please others, so we’ll get their approval, instead of just loving them. Although in this space, we’re going to leap into
two of the godly character traits in
Proverbs 31:25, and set them as a goal, a focus for our lives. When we believe
the truth that God is with us wherever we go and tells us in His word to not
fear, not to fret or worry, because He will hold us up when we abide in Him. We
should see these verses in Proverbs 31 as a gift from God for women.
“She is clothed in
strength and dignity” (Proverbs 31:25).
That’s definitely not a store-bought outfit. We can’t get that Holy Designer
wear in any mall. Nope. This passage is talking about spiritual attire
from the heart and hands of God alone, the Greatest Designer of all. We’re not
talking about pride and arrogance; it’s strength to do good work and dignity to
behave like the daughter of the Royal King of the Universe. When she speaks, she
speaks with godly wisdom. These spiritual clothes will always fit us. They
never go out of style or out of season! Tailor made. Just like the armor of God
(Ephesians 6:10-18).
Her strength comes from
God and equips her to persevere in doing good, as well as to stand firm against
powers of darkness. She’s a prayer warrior, knowing God moves mountains as she
fervently prays daily. She has learned that God knows her frailties and her
frame because He made her. He keeps showing her He is always with her, by helping
her through terrible emotional storms and bringing her through heartbreaking
seasons of her life.
However, do we listen to
Him? What are we wearing today? Leggings
of laziness? Shawls of shame? Garments of guilt? We need to dump that old
wardrobe and get dressed in a “garment of praise instead of a spirit
of despair” (Isaiah 61:3). How? Draw near to God. Call on His
name. Ask Him to give you new clothes.
When God was restoring
Israel, He clothed her beautifully, too: “‘As surely as I live, declares
the LORD, ‘you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on
like a bride.’” (Isaiah 49:18) These ornaments are symbols of
strength and joy. (NIV commentary.)
God wants us to have joy
in our life journey: “She can laugh at the days to come,” (Proverbs
31:25). The reason she can do this is because she longs to please God with her
life and has learned to live wisely and steward her life well. She trusts her Lord
for her future and is free from fear and anxiety. What freedom! She’s free to
live her life motivated by gratitude, living out loud, using all her God-given
gifts, talents, and abilities! Every
woman wants that!
She confidently stakes her
life on the promises of God:
· “...my God will meet all your
needs…” (Philippians 4:19),
· ...“the LORD bestows favor
and honor; no good thing does he withhold” (Psalm 84:11),
· “perfect love drives
out fear” (1 John 4:18),
·
and, she even has “confidence
on the day of judgment” (1 John 4:17).
She knows Him! Do we know Him like this?
“I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed
me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with
her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).
The passage ends with
Proverbs 31:30-31: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a
woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands
have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
Whether we’re married,
single, divorced, or widowed, God sees us. We are known by God. He is our Creator! We are made by God, made for God and we are made to worship God! And God already honors us by desiring us to be clothed in His strength
and live dignified lives of great joy, gratitude, wisdom, and humility! And yes, that’s the “laughing at the days to come” part!"
Polly💖
"Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3copyright 2026 by Polly Balint