The Proverbs 31 Journey: Sandals of Peace

Memory/Meditation verse: Her ways [wisdom] are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. ~ Prov. 3: 17-18 (HCSB)

We continue our journey discovering the make-up of the Proverbs 31 Woman that makes her so beautiful externally and internally. In the last post we started looking at Ephesians 6 and correlating this with the woman who seeks to follow God with all her heart and mind and how she must prepare herself for each day by wearing the armor of God. Review our passage from Ephesians 6:

¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

In the last post we discovered the Belt of truth, a required garment for godly living. We learned that to be in God's word, to live it out and to put it to heart is a sanctifying process that sets us apart. To wear the Belt of Truth protects us against the fiery arrows of satans attacks. It enables us to stand strong in what God has called us to.

This week, lets look at another piece of armor we need to wear to be a Proverbs 31 Woman: the Sandal of Peace (as I will call it) as recorded in verse 15. Read it in the Amplified version:

And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

What was Paul implying with this analogy of this Sandal of Peace? I believe that Paul is referencing a peace that result from a spiritual covering of stability in Christ. A stability of spiritual wisdom that readies us for the battles we will live through and through the circumstances that will pull at us. This peace is a gift that come from Christ and the cross.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ~ Isa 53:5 (NIV)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" ~ Romans 5:1-2 (NIV).

"...and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross". ~ Colossians 1:20 (NIV)

Peace, wrapped in the form of shoes? Think about it. There are so many different types of shoes we wear-tennis shoes to run in, sandals for leisure, work shoes or boots. So too can peace come in many forms. Shoes also offer several benefits: protection, support, traction, performance, and comfort. So to can peace offer or come from Gods protection, support, traction, performance, and comfort. Sandals of Peace become a weapon in our godly walk as a Proverbs 31 Woman!

This week, take each of these benefits and meditate on them. Pray them for your own life. Engrave them into your heart, mind and soul. Ready yourself, prepare yourself, stabilized yourself...

Monday: Protection
The peace of God comes from knowing and living in His Word. Knowing and living in the instruction of Christ yields a peace that can way far more than anything this world can offer. It is the kind of peace that protects and keep the Proverbs 31 woman from stumbling.

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. ~ Ps. 119:165

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Phil 4:7 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33 (NIV)

Tuesday: Support & Traction
This kind of peace supports and strengths your heart. No matter what the Proverbs 31 Woman faces, He is her traction. She knows in putting on the Sandals of Peace each morning, she is ready for the race ahead of her. He will lead her.

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. ~ Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
2 Sam. 22:33 (NIV)

"...Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. ~ Isa. 54:10 (NIV)

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. ~ Ps. 18: 31-33 (NIV)

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. ~ Ps. 28:7 (NIV)

Wednesday: Security
His peace is her security. He is her security. She chooses to put on the Sandals of Peace as a way of committing and clinging to His promises.

I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. ~ Ps. 63:8 (NLT)

For the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. ~ Prov. 3:26 (NLT)

Those who fear the Lord are secure; [she] will be a refuge for their children. ~ Prov. 14:26 (NLT)

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. ~ 1John 5:18 (NIV)

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders.” ~ Deut. 33:12 (NIV)

LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.~ Ps. 16:5 (NIV)

Thursday: Performance
It is the peace behind her everyday living. She invites Him into her day and continually seeks Him. He is her power, her drive. He is her motivation.

For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. ~Job 34:21 (NLT)

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ~ Ps. 91:1 (NLT)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Rom. 15:13 (NIV)

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. ¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
~ Eph 2

Friday: Comfort

His peace is her comfort. In the good times and bad, she finds comfort in His love, His grace and his mercy. She doesn't keep His comfort to herself but extends to others who cross her path.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ~ Ps. 23:4 (NIV)

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
~ 2 Cor. 1:4

Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.
Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight. ~ Ps. 119: 76-77 (NLT)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27 (NIV)

The Proverbs 31 Woman has to dress for battle each morning. Satan knows her heart belongs to God and knows she can be dangerous against satan as she serves her master and Lord. In putting on the Belt of Truth and the Sandals of Peace, she is that much more stronger in Christ.

I leave with you this week with the words of Jesus from John 20:21 :“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” As you seek His peace, put on again the Belt of Truth and slip into the Sandal of Peace each morning. Be His warrior and be His maidservant. Be a woman after His own heart.

Believing Him~Pamela

Proverbs 31 Journey: The Belt of Truth

Meditation/Memory Verse: Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. ~ Ps 86:11 (Amplified)

With graduations and work issues, I had to take a week away from this study. As I was waiting on God to stir my heart towards this next subject of the Proverbs 31 Woman, the 22nd verse from Proverbs 31 stirred me. Then a message last week from a pastor lead me to write these words. For the next few weeks lets look at the internal make-up of this woman and what made her outward appearances so beautiful.

She makes her own bed coverings, her clothing is fine linen and purple. ~ Prov 31:22 (HCSB)

At first my thoughts of this verse above brought to mind my mother. She is someone who can and will sew anything from bed coverings to my dads suits. I however do not follow in her pursuit of this talent. There are many women like me who would stumble getting around the sewing machine. But I felt God's whisper that this is not the message He wanted me to pull from this verse. I felt Him say to me as I listen to that sermon this past week that the clothing here goes much deeper than the linen itself or the talent to put it together for a covering.

She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made]. ~Amplified version

In Biblical time purple was reserved for royalty. As a daughter of the King we would fall into that category. We are His holy maidservants, chosen to be the aroma of Christ in this world we live in. Remember a memory verse from a few weeks past....

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.~ 2 Cor 2:14-15 (NIV)

As royalty to the kingdom of God, we cover ourselves with the coverings God has given us and we intentionally follow his purpose...

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. ~ 1 Peter 2:9 (Message)

This woman of Proverbs 31 was not about being a fashion statement, she was about being a woman of God. She knew each morning before her feet hit the floor she would have to determine her course. Not knowing what laid ahead of her, she would determine in her heart and mind to say yes to God. Intentionally she would gird her body, mind and spirit to be ready for the day.

For the next few weeks, we will look at the Proverbs 31 Woman from the verses found in Ephesians 6:

¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Remember that Proverbs 31:10 in several translations defines her as "noble". A noble woman is strong, a woman of high birth who possessing outstanding qualities and character. I heard a preacher reference her once as "brave, a warrior for her God and her home". She is clothed with Christ.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. ~ Romans 13:12-14

She is a woman who is not about herself but a woman who can take the message of Ephesians 6 and literally dress in it. This week, lets look at the first garment she is required to wear--the belt of Truth. Soldiers in Paul's day wore belts to secure their clothing and hold weapons. The belt of truth found in Ephesians 6 has similar but expanded functions for spiritual living . This belt of truth allows for the action of daily sanctification. The belt of Truth is God's Word and by wearing God's Word we are being sanctified. To sanctify means to set apart for a special purpose, to purify. This belt of Truth will help us stay on mission for God and avoid falling back into sin's grip. This belt of truth will set us apart from people who don't follow God. Jesus, being set apart, prayed that God would sanctify us by the truth, His Father's word:

"Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth!" ~ John 17:17.

Another action of the belt of Truth is that it is our guide. The Holy Spirit uses His truth to guide us in whatever circumstances we're in. Just as communication is crucial on the physical battlefield of our lives, so is the Holy Spirit's guidance of Truth in the spiritual battlefields we encounter.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come" ~John 16:13 (NIV).

The belt of Truth will also arm us with discernment. How we interpret a situation can play a critical role in the outcome of our actions and words. God's word reveals truth that helps us decisively recognize the devil's lies that can lead us in spiritual conflicts. Armed with the truth of the Word, we'll recognize the devil's lies for what they are.

^"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." ~ Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

The belt of Truth makes us ready. Our belt can become corrupted by the sin we commit and tolerate in our lives. Memorizing and knowing scripture becomes our main weapon. The belt of Truth enables us to move quickly and confidently without tripping into lies and losing focus of what God has intended for us, His royal daughters.

Study it, speak it, and live it!

To keep our belt of truth in great shape, we keep our hearts pliable and obedient to God by clinging to his Word.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. ~ Deut 4:39 (NIV)

When we put on the belt of Truth, we acknowledge His sovereignty, love, wisdom, and holiness. So this week, our assignment is simple. Before you even allow your feet to hit the floor, before you even grab that first cup of coffee or brush your teeth, choose to put on the belt of Truth. Choose to believe that God is who He says He is and He is in control of this day. Choose to be a Jesus girl, to be willing to say "Yes Lord" before you even know what lies ahead. Lay a belt out so that it is the first thing you see each morning when you awaken to remind you of this truth. Post throughout your home and car these verses below. Meditate on them. Believe them.

He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. ~Isa 11:5

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. ~ Ps 18:1-2

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. ~ Ps 25:5

Send out your light and your truth;let them guide me.Let them lead me to your holy mountain,to the place where you live. ~ Ps. 43:3

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. ~ Ps 119:114

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. ~ Col. 2:7

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. ~ 2 John 1:3

For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” ~ Rev. 7:17

God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ himself. The Proverbs 31 Woman believes in the TRUTH. Because of this, God's reveals to her all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He promises to do for her in the days ahead. She abides in Him.

"I am the vine; you are the branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Thank you, my Lord, for showing me the TRUTH about Yourself, Your plans and Your ways. Help me to abide in You, truly abide in You. Thank You for reminding me that You are the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth. I thank you for the Truth that You are the King of the universe, my Father who loves me, and my Shepherd who leads me. You are my wisdom, my counselor, my hope, and my strength. You are everything I need each day. I choose to wear this belt of Truth so I can reflect You in this world. ~ Amen

Believing Him~Pamela

Meditations for the Proverbs 31 Woman

This week I have been drawn to Lamentation 3:2&3 and then to Ephesians 3:12-21. I have been meditating on these verses. The Spirit of God keeps drawing me to them. I am so grateful. Take a minute to savor them too...

Memory/Meditation verse: Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish, His mercies never end. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion...I will put my hope in Him. ~ Lam. 3:22-24 (HCSB)

As I have journeyed this year to get to know this Proverbs 31 woman more I have found myself withdrawing from all she represents. Withdrawal not because I don't believe or hope that I can become her but withdrawal because my failures at achieving her internal beauty has been costly in my daily living. If I studied about her relationship in raising kids-there would be drama in the house in my relationship with my girls. If the topic was her honoring of her husband, satans arrows would aim at my marriage. Seriously, the attacks made me want to take cover quickly and withdraw. Even to lament.

Don't you imagine the Proverbs 31 woman also felt this way on many days? Defeated. Weak. Unworthy. Ready to give up. She had to if she was indeed human. But look at our verse above...we do not perish because why? "Because of His faithful love..." I don't know friends, but when we examine all the characteristics of God...Holy, Faithful, Gracious, Magnificent, All-Knowing, Shepherd, Healer, (and we could go on forever)....would not His love be the greatest? How deep and how wide is this love? This love that is fueled in grace and mercy. This love that covers all things. This love that is given freely.

Each day when I awaken I need to be reminded that despite myself, He loves me. He loves you. Do we really get it? If we did then He would be "...our portion, our hope".

So then I heard a small portion of a sermon from a Chip Ingram on the radio today within Ephesians 3 and I am overwhelmed with the message of these familiar verses. Again, meditate on them as you think about His love. I pray you too will be overwhelmed...

¹² Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. ¹³ So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Gods love + our spiritual dependence on Him=Completeness

Paul was suffering. He too must have reached a crossroads where he had to choose to give up or focus on God's love. He said, "Do not lose heart...". A Proverbs 31 Woman should do the same. She should come "boldly and confidently into God's presence...", despite herself, because...

"...God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love that "does not perish". The kind of love that should drop us to our knees every morning and cause us to pray that "from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit...".

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love that results with "...Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him...."

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love which yeilds "...your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong..."

I want to be strong in God's love. I want to trust His love. I want to live in the shadow of His love. I want to have the "... power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is..."

Love. Amazing love. The Kind of love that makes you "...complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." The kind of love that "through His mighty power at work within us..." will "...accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think..." not just in us but "...for generations to come."

Love. Amazing love.

This week...no, this month, I encourage you to pray these verses daily. I also encourage you to go here to listen to Pastor Ingram's series of sermons from which I heard that sample today. Feel the stirring of the Spirit in your heart, your mind and your soul.

Believing Him~Pamela

The Proverbs 31 Journey: She BUILDS Her House

Memory/Meditation Verse:

By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;

through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
~ Prov. 24:3-4

Proverbs is so rich with instruction isn't it? As we explore the Proverbs 31 Journey I came across a verse that fits so well with our memory/meditation verse above:

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. ~ Proverbs 14:1 (NLT)

If we have been a wife and mother for any length of time we are well aware of the things that build up a house and the things that painfully tear it down. The Proverbs 31 Woman we read about was busy about her household doing things to build her house. Her home is built from her heart and in the center of it is Jesus. Look at our memory verse again...

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.
~ Proverbs 24:3-4 (NLT)

When people walk into your home they can emotionally be swayed by your decorations. From Martha Stewart and HGTV we have learned how to decorate our homes to look their finest but even with the best of the best decor, the house can be just an empty costly building. The aroma of fresh baked cookies has no power over a house full of hatred and tension. The atmosphere of the home can make even the most beautiful homes unwelcoming.

She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. (vs 13 NASB)

A Proverbs 31 woman is busy about her home. Love and peace fill the air. The beauty of its walls is matched by the Ambiance and warmth of acceptance and grace. Hospitality abounds. She seeks to be wise with her home and she serves her family with joy in her heart. Life may be hard, life may be simple but she knows her home is her highest calling, her greatest ministry. She allows her faith in her God to be her joy. Her home and her family is her high calling from God...her passion, even above her own needs.

My husband and I have become addicted to The Walton's. Remember that show from your childhood? Looking at our current TV programs available for our viewing, we felt cconvicted not to watch them. Today's dad is most often being portrayed as the weaker character, the family of dysfunction has become the new normal, and tolerance for those things not of God is pushed to be accepted. So one night we watched an episode of a Walton's rerun. It has become "our time". This old series displayed family as it should be. Life wasn't perfect, attitudes and mischief occurred but everyone loved everyone despite their short comings and everyone clinged to the home in which their mother Olivia had set the tone. Her faith was her foundation and she was often was shown finding comfort in her Bible. Her home was nurtured by her heart. The Olivia Walton TV character portrayed the Proverbs 31 Woman. You can't find that on modern TV today can you?

She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places

and brings back exotic surprises. (Prov. 31: 14, The Message)

Shifting from TV to reality, the Proverbs 31 Woman is a women who spends wisely within her time and her resources. Idleness is not associated with her. She is a woman of creativity. She is a woman of thriftiness. Now here I have to pause a bit. God created some woman to be better at this than others. Some woman are so crafty, it's a gift and I am not one of them. Some women can create from their hands, others need to shop. But both can be a Proverbs 31 Woman!

She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.
~Proverbs 31: 16-19, The Message

You have to acknowledge the woman of Solomons generations had it a whole lot harder than we do. They had to grind the wheat for flour to make their bread. All we have to do is open the bag. They had to take their laundry to the creek or the lake...we are blessed with front loaders. They had to clean with dirt floors...they had to carry jars for water...they didn't have closets to store their many dresses...

We are a blessed generation. So how are we conducting our households?

She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat. ~ Proverbs 31:27 (Amplified)

Where is your heart in your home? Is it your priority? Is it your calling?

"... I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile." ~ Ps. 101:2-3

The other day I was flipping through the channels and came across a show about women who clip coupons. This particular mom had over $300 worth of food and household items in her carts and she only spent $10 after the coupons. Now that is thrifty isn't it? more power to her but I cannot imagine the time it took her to arrange the coupon for such an event. I do not have the time for this but I can honor my God and my family with my spending just the same.

The Proverbs 31 Woman is thrifty but she is also able to prioritize her time and her needs within the home and within the family structure. Her blog doesn't keep her from her quiet time with God, nor dies it keep her from her household needs. Her dust and the crumbs on her floor can wait when her husband and her children need her more.

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. ~ Prov. 17:1 (NIV)

The Proverbs 31 Woman builds her home on God's truth. The mood of her home is spiritually rich, full of a holy ambiance that can only come from Christ. When she breaks down in an explosive fit of defeat, her family knows she regains her strength and composure through her faith and that she is only human. She can be trusted. Her love is always there for them. She strives to live out her passion for her family and her home with a heart modeled after His.

The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous. ~ Prov. 3:33 (NIV)

The book of Titus speaks of the Proverbs 31 Woman who builds her house...

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ~ Titus 2:4-5 (NIV)

God clearly instructs us in Deuteronomy in how we are to build our house:

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. ~ Deut. 6:5-9 (NIV)

It takes strength and courage to build a home...a godly home. this week may we make it our aim to do it just a little bit better!!

Believing Him~Pamela