God has given us an abundance of scripture to carry with us as we move through life. Often, we memorize and recall verses that we need in a given moment. I have noticed that women of God tend to have one special piece of scripture that they call on more often than any other. For me, that special verse is Proverbs 31:25.
The King James says “Strength and honour are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come”. Translated into other versions, it says “she is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future”. The rest of Proverbs 31 outlines the virtues of King Lemuel – virtues which his mother taught him. Specifically, Proverbs 31:10-31 outline the virtues of a wife whose worth is more precious than rubies. A hard-working and capable woman who brings honor to her husband, and whose children bless her. The entire proverb is beautiful, but verse 25 resonates with me because I (like most women) struggle with the ability to laugh without fear of the future. Strength and dignity have not always been strong virtues of mine, and I now strive to conduct myself with both daily – no matter what.
For me, this verse serves alongside the Serenity Prayer. With strength, I may change the things I can. With dignity I may accept the things I cannot change, and with the wisdom to know the difference, I may laugh without fear of the future. I find myself praying this verse daily, sometimes more than once. I recall this verse at times when I feel weak, or when conducting myself in a spiteful or vengeful way seems like a better option. I repeat this verse when I need a reminder that only God knows what my future looks like, and He made it that way with good reason.
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“A Time to Plant and A Time to Harvest”
When You Feel Overwhelmed
It’s been a while since my last post. Why? I’ve been overwhelmed. Although I’ve been thinking about blogging, finding the time has proved challenging. I’m sure many can identify with the feeling of WANTING to do something, but KNOWING there are things you should be doing instead. I started a new job last month, so this has been yet another season of change that my family is both supportive of and thankful for.
Given the season, when I came upon this scripture in a devotional I was struck with how much it rang true. I primarily follow YouVersion daily devotionals at this link: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans . They work well for me because I can access them from my phone, most of them are about ten minutes long, and they range from 3 days up to 30 or 50 days. You can search for subjects or plans that you want to study, and when my husband was overseas this was a great way for us to stay connected. We went through a bunch of marriage/ relationship building devotionals together. You can search for leadership, parenting, learning the Bible, etc. I recommend it to everyone!
This time around, I sought out devotionals for anxiety. I’ve been having strange worries lately, and intrusive thoughts. These are usually random flash thoughts of losing the people (and dogs) that I love most. I couldn’t explain it and I didn’t know how to get rid of it. I just kept telling myself to live in the moment and forget what I cannot control. I felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day, and my lists were always growing. I worried about being away from the home more, and how I could maintain my responsibilities. Then, I realized that I had fallen away from prayer. I know that God is the only one who can calm fears, especially irrational fears. I threw prayers out there throughout the day, but I fell out of my habit of daily devotion. Time with God. Time, the only irreplaceable thing, and I neglected to share it with the most important part of me.
Ecclusiastes 3:1-8 says “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under Heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace”.
I’ve heard this verse before at funerals, but how does it apply to life? We could easily discuss line by line, but overall this verse outlines the trust that God places in us to make choices for our well-being. When you feel guilty about turning away from a friend or relative, remember that there is a time to embrace and a time to turn away. When you are filled with anger, remember that there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak. When you are hesitant to move on, remember that there is a time to keep and a time to throw away. All of these are necessary for you to grow. There can’t be all birth and no death; likewise, you wouldn’t plant over and over again without ever harvesting. God trusts you to make good choices and walk with Him in His glorious plan for your life. God, being all-knowing, will reveal things to you in His time. Trust in that, and trust that the blessings you have are meant for you to love. This verse centered me in the season of life that I am in right now. I wish I had learned it sooner. All my life, I’ve looked forward and thought about the past. The thoughts in my head have always been “when I get to the end of the week”, “when I graduate from college”, “when he comes home”. I’ve always struggled to bring my mind back to the here and now, and honestly that has led to some regret. I missed moments of my life for lack of being centered. Likewise, my mind automatically flashes memories and replays conversations. I’ve learned over the years to actively manage this tendency and not just let my thoughts guide me. This verse helped me learn how to center myself in the moment as a direct purpose from God. He placed me here, in this job, in this home, with this man, everything about me. This season will never come around again. I am right here and right now. I can plan and re-plan all I want, but that serves a purpose too. I would say, “there is a time to plan and a time to do. A time to remember and a time to be present”
This verse also makes me think about the free-will debate. I found my answer in this verse. I believe that we do have free will, and God trusts us to make choices based on His word. He already knows what choices we will make, and the path that we will walk on with those choices. He can intervene, save us, or steer us in a particular direction, but He still trusts us with our own choices as any parent does when a child grows up.
I won’t tell you to stop worrying. I wish I could myself. What I will say is be mindful of your worrying. I caught myself missing wonderful moments because I was focusing on a random thought in my head. This is no good way to live, and the word of God can strengthen your mind and heart – strengthen your armor – against the evils in our world. Remember why God placed you in each season. There is a purpose for it, even if you can’t see that right now. You don’t want to look back in a few months, years, or decades and wonder why you didn’t have more fun with those you love. Invite God in, no matter what. If you are exhausted beyond recognition, if you are covered in baby spit up and can’t remember your last shower, if you are having intrusive thoughts about horrible things, or if you are on top of the world. Invite God in. He wants to care for you wherever you are. This season is no surprise to Him.
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Coming Soon…
Commit Thy Ways Unto the Lord – Psalm 37:5
When things don’t go your way.
2 Timothy 1:7 – For God Did Not Give Us a Spirit of Timidity…
But of power and love: When you want it all right now
Pride Goeth Before Destruction, and a Haughty Spirit Before A Fall – Proverbs 16:18
When you don’t know what to do next
Psalm 91 – It Shall Not Come Near You
When you just might fail
2 Corinthians 12:9 My Grace is Sufficient for Thee: For My Strength is Made Perfect in Weakness
When you get set back
Jeremiah 29:11 – ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘
When you dare to dream big with steadfast faith
