The Proverbs of Lemuel

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 31 (the last chapter of Proverbs)
(Please read the entire chapter yourself. I will comment on a few verses with the help of my NLT Bible.)

These are the sayings f King Lemuel. Little is known about him, except he was a king who received wise teachings from his mother. His name means "devoted to God".

Verses 4-5: It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave liquor. For if they drink, they may forget their duties and be unable to give justice to those who are oppressed. (Drunkenness may be understandable among dying people in pain, but is inexcusable for national leaders. Alcohol clouds the mind and can lead to injustice and poor decisions. People in leadership who drink will eventually compromise their principles.)

Verses 10-31: Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him, but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and spins it. She is like a merchant's ship; she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare meals for her household and plans the day's work for her servants. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it with her earnings and she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains, her lights burn into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. Her husband is well-known, for he sits on the council meeting with other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world. but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive an beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

HOW DOES HIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? This chapter begins with the command to fear the Lord and ends with a picture of a woman who fulfills that command. Proverbs has a lot to say about women. In verses 10 thru 31, it depicts strong women. So unlike the idea that women in the Bible are retiring, servile and entirely domestic. This woman is fantastic! Yet her strength and dignity do not come from her achievements. They are a result of her reverence for God. Notice that her appearance is never mentioned at all.. She is an inspiration to women of all time. You can be her! You are her! You can learn from her integrity and resourcefulness. You too are a manufacturer, a manager, a seamstress, cook, chauffer, teacher etc. But you can still learn from Proverbs because it teaches you how to become wise, make good decisions and live according to God's ideal. Praise be to God!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.