Have you heard of the Proverbs 31 woman? She is famous! She is perfect! She isn't quite real but what treasure there is to be found in this chapter of Proverbs. Will you come and explore Proverbs 31 with me?
We will look at questions, such as 'what does it mean to be a Proverbs 31 woman in modern times?' and 'who is this virtuous woman according to Proverbs 31'?
We will have daily devotionals about this modern Proverbs 31 woman in our Restoring Beauty For Ashes Facebook group and you can join us HERE daily. I have also prepared a free printable for you with the list of bible verses and journal pages to help you explore what God is speaking to you about this Proverbs 31 woman. Don't worry if you do not have access to a printer - I have found some awesome ways to use this download on an iPad or phone! You will find this free printable in the Resource Library HERE.
To get a better understanding of Proverbs 31, we will explore a bit of the background behind the writing of it. King Solomon wrote this portion of scripture.
Go grab a mug of your favorite beverage and come sit and read the historical treasure that I have found behind the writing of Proverbs 31!
When King Lemuel ( there is strong evidence that points this King to be Solomon) was a young boy, his mother gave him some wise advice. She wanted to teach him about the kind of wife he should seek to marry.
I hadn't thought of teaching my son about the kind of wife he should seek, I have been trying to teach him to be a good husband! He is a young adult now - so I might just have that talk with him soon - maybe after I have finished this bible study on the Proverbs 31 woman!
Did you know........?
Proverbs 31 is a poem!
There are 31 verses in Proverbs 31 but the last portion of 22 verses are formed into a poem and I have quite the story behind it! It is called an acrostic poem, which means that each stanza or line starts with a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. J.A. Motyer describes this style of poetry as “a poetic way of saying that a total coverage of the subject was being offered.” In other words, the writer wanted to be sure they covered all of their bases and included every, single detail. So poetically speaking, they covered it “from A to Z.”
If you would like to read more about this and read this poem written in Hebrew, you can read it HERE.
I found a wonderful fact about Jewish culture - the men memorize and sing this portion of scripture over the women in their lives. This is a Jewish tradition - I'm not sure if it is still one that is practiced but I hope it is! You see these verses are meant to be encouraging, not discouraging. The intent of the man singing these verses is to honor the woman for who she is to him and their family. It is definitely not a checklist for women to measure themselves against!
So this Proverbs 31 woman seems to be perfect. She certainly is someone that we should aspire to be but not to be discouraged by. During this month, we will be doing a bible study of the Proverbs 31 Woman in greater depth, in our Restoring Beauty For Ashes Facebook group. We will look at how we can develop the character of this famous lady.
Here is the list of bible verses that we will be looking at:
This is one of the pages that you can download. It is designed to help you to dig deeper into each verse from our bible plan. You can print it out or download it to an app that reads PDF's such as iBooks or Adobe Fill And Sign. I have been enjoying using these apps. I purchased a cheap digital stylus pen and I have been having fun with it! I find it hard to write with but it's brilliant when you use it on your phone in the text boxes that you can place on the different sections on the PDF. I use it to tap on the keyboard. It is great for when I find stolen moments in my day to have some devotional time! There is also a lined page for you to record notes. It would be handy for recording notes during a sermon!
You will find this free download in the Resource Library HERE.
This is another journaling page to record your hopes, dreams, and plans for the day. The Proverbs 31 woman is very industrious, wise, and organized. So I thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to be more intentional and productive with my days. Would you like to join me this month about being more intentional with your day? There are sections for you to plan your day. When you have your devotional time in the morning, you could use this page to prayerfully order your day. Let me know what you think of this journal page. You can contact me karen@scripturalgrace.com or on my Facebook page. Did you notice the little section at the top right corner? I think it would be helpful to have the day's verse written there as you will remember it throughout the day and it will settle deep within your heart. You will find this printable in the Resource Library HERE.
Let's talk about how to benefit from this list of scriptures:
I find that writing them out, allows you time to learn them and think about them more deeply. I have some pretty journal stationary with prompts to help you during your devotional time. It should take about 10 minutes to write each verse but spend as much time as you have, sitting in God's presence and listening for His Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, instructing, and guiding you.
Copying scripture and carrying it with us throughout the day, reading it and memorizing it, makes God's word a part of us. It renews your mind and calms your anxious heart. I have also added a new page to help you plan and order your day. I'm looking forward to using these pages!
Take Action :
Download the scripture verse list, journal paper HERE.
Find a quiet place with your cup of coffee, Bible, and a favorite pen.
Pray as you write your scripture verse for that day.
Ask God to reveal Himself to you and listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
If you feel convicted of something- confess it and ask for forgiveness.
If you feel moved to worship - worship God! Just enjoy His presence.
Most important: make an appointment with yourself, journal, and God every day for your scripture writing time. I find it works best for me to do it in the morning. It helps me to gain ' God's perspective' on my day. But you do it in your own perfect time. The important thing to remember is to do it and if you miss a day - just double up the next one!
Join me in discovering who God has created us to be in relation to the Proverbs 31 Woman.
Click on the picture below to gain access to our Resource Library. It means that you will then be on the subscriber email list. You will usually receive a weekly email talking about new items in our shop and other exciting news to encourage you as you run your race to become the person that God has created you to be and to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14.
Here are a few of our other scripture writing plans that you might enjoy reading:
Godly Surrender HERE
Strong Wome In The Bible HERE
Knowing Who I am In Christ HERE
God's Promises - Scripture plan, you can read it HERE
Waiting On God, you can read it HERE.
Scripture plan to Battle Fear, you can read it HERE
28 Bible verses To Calm An Anxious Heart, you can read it HERE.
Light In The Darkness, you can read it HERE.
I would love it if you could share with me your thoughts as you work your way through this Scripture plan. You can connect with me via email karen@scripturalgrace.com or on our FACEBOOK page. It's all about His grace xx Karen.
