The Virtuous Woman

Reading through the Virtuous Woman passage thismorning, I noticed something I've never seen before.

I noticed her priorities. After the first verse about who can find a virtuous woman, the next two verses are about her husband.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

  These two verses jumped out at me. They are so important! Her first human priority is her husband.(Her first priority of all is God. I think that's obvious by her life.) It's so easy to be saving and serving the whole world, while neglecting our own husbands. I wonder how many marriages might be saved if wives followed the virtuous woman's example of serving their husbands.

 

As I continued reading, I noticed her other priorities.

We see how well her household is looked after.

She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

I came to the conclusion that her husband, family and home are her first earthly priorities. Everything she does benefits them. But she doesn't stop there.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

She reaches out to those who need help. And she also does other business outside her home. She doesn't use her responsibilities at home as an excuse not to help others. But her home is her base—her first priority. She doesn't neglect her family in order to help others.

I love this verse.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Notice it's her children and husband that praise her. The people who know her the best. The ones who see how she really is.

It's one thing for our friends, church family or others to praise us. But if our close family who are with us 24/7 can praise us, that really says something.

It's so easy to be one thing in public and another thing at home. We used to have a girl living next door who was forever yelling and screaming at her child. I noticed if she had visitors she would speak nicely to her child. But as soon as they were gone, she was back to her yelling. One thing in public but another thing in private.

Let's live so our husbands and children can praise us!