Laughing at the Future with Strength and Dignity

 

“She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

(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 34:3

copyright 2026 by Polly Balint