During a family reunion many years ago, my mother shared some words she’d written. She honored her grandmother, a woman I’d never met but I’d heard her spoken of often. Mom wrote that she recalled Mama Susan getting up “before dawn” and praying over her household. What a distinct memory that impacted my mother’s life—one I cling to even today although I never met my great-grandmother.
This description reminds me of the woman described in Proverbs 31. She cared for her family in many tangible ways, and she got up “while it [was] still night” (v. 15). She had plenty to do to care for her family, such as providing food, purchasing land, planting a vineyard, making profitable trades, sewing clothes, and finishing many other tasks—all in the name of caring for the ones she loved. And she even extended her resourcefulness to “the poor and . . . the needy” (v. 20).
Helping to care for a household during the time of the writing of Proverbs 31 was no easy feat, as demonstrated from the long list of duties described in this passage. And it wasn’t an easy feat for my great-grandmother, who was born in the 1800s. But prayers whispered early in the morning—as well as throughout the day—kept these women focused and encouraged as God helped them live out their calling to care for their family and others.
How do you stay encouraged as you complete your daily tasks? How can praying early and regularly help you?
Holy God, thank You for the women and men who faithfully care for their families. Please help me do the same.
Learn how praying regularly can change the way you see God.
Proverbs 31:10 opens by asking who can find a “wife of noble character.” The Hebrew behind the phrase is interesting, translated literally as “a woman of valor.” Throughout the Old Testament, we meet various “men of valor.” They’re warriors like King Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2) and King David (16:18), and they’re the heads of Israel’s tribes (1 Chronicles 5:24; 7:2; 8:40).
The phrase “wife [woman] of noble character” appears only three times in the Bible—twice in Proverbs (12:4; 31:10) and once in Ruth 3:11. In Ruth, the words come from the mouth of Boaz as he recognizes the Herculean effort that Ruth has put forth to save not only the life of her mother-in-law, Naomi, but also her husband’s legacy. She may not have stood on a battlefield with sword in hand, but Ruth earned her title by setting aside her self-interests for the sake of others. This was the choice of Jesus and our calling too—caring for our family members and others as well.
