DAY 1 – MAY 9
TITLE: “TRUSTWORTHY”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Key Verse: “Her husband has full confidence in her and
lacks nothing of value.” Proverbs 31:11
Who comes to mind when you think of someone who is trustworthy? A person who is trustworthy is one who is reliable, true, sincere, honest, loyal, faithful, dependable, steadfast, truthful, decent, upright, incorrupt, reputable, respectable and high-principled. This is in contrast to one who is deceitful, faithless, unreliable, corrupt, underhanded, undependable, sneaking, weak, disloyal, and unfaithful. The scripture is describing a person who is trustworthy. The scripture says, “Her husband has full confidence in her.” She is a woman who can be trusted to provide and care for her family’s needs. She can be depended upon.
Sharon and I had held off on the decision but finally decided it was time to make a change. We had an old Cavalier that I had driven for many years. I really liked that car. It was a car that I had purchased years ago for a really good price. I paid a dollar for the car. I bought it from my father-in-law when he purchased a new car. In his kindness, he said he would give it to me for a dollar. I did not try to get him to take less for it but quickly borrowed a dollar from my wife and bought the car. Though the car had served us well, it was becoming less and less dependable. I had come to the point that I did not trust it to take me very far, so I did not drive it out of town much. It was not trustworthy. The time came when we needed to make a change to a vehicle that was more trustworthy.
Most of us at one time or another have had something in our lives that was not trustworthy In other words, it was something that you could not really depend upon. This passage is about a wife whose husband could depend upon her. He had full confidence in her. He trusted her completely, and his trust was amply rewarded, for he lacked nothing of value. She was trustworthy.
Can you be trusted today? Proverbs calls us to live a life of godly wisdom that results in trustworthiness. Are you the dependable and trustworthy person God calls you to be? You can be, through His power at work in you. In other words, you can trust in the Lord to make you trustworthy.
God is the God that can be trusted. Proverbs 3:5-6 gives us this promise. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. He is trustworthy. Psalm 37:3-6 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” You can trust in God today to mold you into the trustworthy person He desires you to be. Will you trust him?
DAY 2 – MAY 10
TITLE: “SHE SETS
ABOUT HER WORK VIGOROUSLY”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
READING: Proverbs 31:15-19
Key Verse: “She sets about her work vigorously; her
arms are strong for her tasks.” Proverbs 31:17
A man by the name of Frank Tyger is credited with saying “Some people would do anything to be able to do nothing.” He was talking about getting out of work. I heard about a personnel manager who rejected a job applicant because the firm was overstaffed. I was amused by the respond of the person applying for the job. In the story, it is reported that the would-be employee persisted, "The little bit of work I'd do won't even be noticed!"
Many of us seek to find the easiest way to accomplish things. Perhaps there are many who would do anything they can to find a way of getting out of anything that took much effort. There is another story about an old mountaineer and his wife who were sitting in front of the fireplace one evening just letting the time go by. After a long silence, the wife said: "Jed, I think it's raining. Get up and go outside and see." The old mountaineer continued to gaze into the fire for a second, sighed, then said, "Aw, Ma, why don't we just call in the dog and see if he's wet."
This passage of Proverbs is about a hard-working wife. She is a person who does not waste away the day, but rather, gets up while it is still dark to provide for her family. She puts her heart into her work and works hard at the task before her.
It is said that when the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901, it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in a quandary about it. The highest salary on record was then $100,000. He met with Schwab, showed him the contract and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it. "This," said Schwab, as he took the contract and tore it up. That contract had paid Schwab $1,300,000 the year before. "I didn't care what salary they paid me," Schwab later told a Forbes magazine interviewer. "I was not animated by money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it brought about. I cancelled that contract without a moment's hesitation. Why do I work? I work for just the pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The person who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life."
As we reflect on this passage, we discover that this woman worked out of love for God and her family. What motivates you to work hard? Reflect upon this word of instruction. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24.
DAY 3 – MAY 11
TITLE: “SHE REACHED OUT
TO OTHERS”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Key Verse: “She opens her arms to the poor and extends
her hands to the needy.” Proverbs
31:20
As I reflect on this passage, I cannot help but think of the writings in the book of James. James 2:14 begins that section of scripture by asking you and I a rhetorical question. It says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?”
The form of the question implies James’ expectation of a
negative answer. In other words,
authentic faith is more than claiming to have it. Faith without deeds is a
cognitive faith, a faith limited to one’s intellect. It is a faith that merely
agrees that something is true but does nothing about it. Titus 1:16 addresses
this by saying, “They claim to know God,
but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit
for doing anything good.”
When James speaks of deeds or works, he refers to the good deeds which flow naturally from a heart filled with love for God and man. ‘Deeds’ or ‘works’ is James’ shorthand word for ‘all a Christian does for Christ and others.’ A person who claims to have faith but does nothing for Christ and others has a faith that isn’t doing anybody any good. Someone said, “A man who claims to have faith without works is like a man who puts all his effort into building the foundation of a house and never builds anything on it.”
The issue for James is not “Do you talk the talk?” but, “Do you walk the walk of a follower of Jesus?” Your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe. Authentic faith evidences itself in the way people behave and live. Jesus said, “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:20.
The woman in Proverbs 31 had a faith that was reflected in her actions. She helped and cared for others in need. James goes on in verse 15 to give a vivid illustration of faith that meets needs by asking us, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.” If we wish them well and tell them to keep warm and well fed but do nothing about it, it is no good because it leaves the need unmet. Charles Schulz illustrated this in a Peanuts cartoon strip. Charlie Brown and a friend are walking on a snowy day, all wrapped up in warm clothes. In contrast, Snoopy is seen freezing. The dialogue reads, “Snoopy looks kind of cold doesn’t he?” “I’ll say he does. Maybe we’d better go over and comfort him.” “Be of good cheer, Snoopy.” “Yes, be of good cheer!” The last caption shows them walking away, leaving a shivering Snoopy with a question mark over his head.
This woman reached out to others. Will you reach out to others today? The world needs more than our words. True faith must be seen in our actions. Let your actions express your faith today.
DAY 4 – MAY 12
TITLE: “HER CHILDREN
CALL HER BLESSED”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Key Verse: “Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:” Proverbs 31:28
Jennifer Tatum wrote, “About ten years ago, I found my mother sitting at the kitchen table. She was reading and chuckling in frustration, so I asked her what she was looking at. She told me that she'd been studying Proverbs for her devotions and that she'd just read chapter 31, which lists the qualities of a virtuous wife. She was frustrated because she realized she could never be the woman God describes there. We talked about it some more, and my mom finally arrived at a decision that still inspires me today: she decided to take on the challenge, one verse at a time. She said: ‘I'll work on the first item in the list. When I've got that one mastered, I'll move to the next one—hopefully I'll be a virtuous woman before I die.’"
Jennifer Tatum continued to write, “I recently checked in with her to see how she was progressing. She laughed and told me she was seven or eight items into the list but was currently stuck on, ‘Her children call her blessed.’ She said, ‘I might have to wait for all of them to grow out of their teens before I can accomplish that one.’”
Jennifer wrote, “Last year, my sisters and I got together and made a Certificate of Completion in Proverbs 31 Training. We took every verse and came up with an example of when she had fulfilled that requirement. When the certificate was finished, it looked like a real diploma and listed her many accomplishments. We all signed it, including my dad. I read it out loud to her, and when I got to the last verse, ‘Her children call her blessed,’ one by one, each of us said, ‘Mom, you are blessed.’ She cried and cried—she had finally reached her life's goal!”
What is your life goal? The Apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14. Are you pressing on to fulfill the goals and plans God has for you?
“I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound, ‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.’
My heart has no
desire to stay, Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound, My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.”
(Johnson Oatman)
DAY 5 – MAY 13
TITLE: “LIVE WISELY,
FOR LIFE IS LIMITED”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Key Verse: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
Are you putting your life into something of lasting significance and value? Once again, the book of James comes to mind. James 4:14 says, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” In this passage, James puts life into perspective. He describes human life as a mere mist or vapor. It is said that when Queen Elizabeth of England was dying, she exclaimed. “All my possessions for a moment of time! But time cannot be bribed even by a monarch.” Life is marked by boundaries and is not open-ended.
The psalmist uses a different word to describe the brevity of life. Psalm 39:5 says, “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” The psalmist uses descriptive language again when he says, “My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.” Psalm 102:11. James wants them to realize the transience of their existence. Time will always outrun you. For those of us who are older, many can remember when Henry Kissinger became a household name during the time when Richard Nixon was president. His brilliance was tapped by world leaders who readily recognized his genius. In a moment of contemplation he said, “What has most surprised me about life is how quickly it passes.” Life at its best is a fleeting thing.
Charles Schulz captured the reality of our limited time on this earth in one of his Peanuts cartoons. Charlie and Linus are looking at a little tree. Charlie says “It’s a beautiful little tree, isn’t it?” In the next caption, Linus responds, “Yes, it is.” In the third caption, with a very serious look, Charlie says, “It’s a shame that we won’t be around to see it when it’s fully grown.” In the last caption, Linus says “Why? Where are we going?”
All of us are on a limited time schedule here on earth. Observing this reality, Seneca wrote, “We are always complaining that our days are few and acting as though there would be no end of them.” The call of James, like the call of Proverbs, is to live wisely.
The reality is that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. Therefore, we should live wisely. Proverbs describes this as fearing the Lord. To fear the Lord is to give God His proper place in your live. It is to surrender the rule of your life over to the Lord. To fear the Lord is to live according to His purposes, by His power. The call to all of us is to live wisely, for life is limited. Take a few moments to reflect on this brief poem.
“Only one life, Twill soon be past. Only what done for Christ will last.”