September 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

Proverbs 31:10-31

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
²⁴She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
²⁵Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Devotional:

Christianity is blamed by some people today for the degradation of women. They point to isolated verses which they claim teach that the woman is to be slavishly submissive and they declare that from this teaching male chauvinism developed.

It is possible that a superficial reading of the Scriptures by a sin-darkened intellect could result in a distorted view of what submission means and what the Biblical picture of the woman is. In actual fact, it is the fall of man with its ensuing sin that is responsible for male chauvinism. Surely Proverbs 31 does not picture a degraded woman, crushed under the domination of her husband and barred from challenging avenues of endeavor and from liberties that are hers under God.

Proverbs 31 is a picture of a complete woman, one who recognizes what her chief fulfilment is and who delights in it. She is a woman who knows who and what she is, glad that she is a woman and glad to occupy her own special sphere of

influence!

The virtuous woman of this chapter is a hard worker. She applies herself assiduously and faithfully to her tasks. These tasks are tedious and time-consuming. She does not have an electric kitchen. The materials she has to work with do not have the variety that ours have. But she is not bored or idle. She works willingly and joyfully. What is the secret?

Basically, the secret is her motivation, to serve the Lord and honor Him. Another important ingredient in all this is tucked away in verse 28: her husband appreciates her! He praises her. She is very special to him and he wants her and others to know it,

A husband like that helps a woman to be 'virtuous.' That's just the way women are!