Qualities of the Virtuous Woman—Trustworthiness
(NIV) Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
Prov 31:10 (KJV)
“Who can find a [virtuous woman]? for her price <is> far above rubies.” —
Prov 31:10 (AMP)
“A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman–who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.” —
In Proverbs 31, beginning in verse 10, we see the qualities of the virtuous woman. Reading from verses 10 to 31, she is a woman who works from before daylight until after dark. This woman is smart, enterprising, energetic, trustworthy, and she is admired by all she knows.
When my pastor first met with Larry and me for premarital counseling, he asked Larry, “Why do you want to marry Carol?” Well, being in love and inclined to a romantic perspective, I expected Larry to respond with flowery comments dotted with phrases such as “Because I can’t imagine my life without her.” Instead, he quite simply stated, “Because I trust her.” My pastor, with tears in his eyes, said, “That’s all I need to hear.”
Admittedly, the Proverbs 31 woman is written from the perspective of a wife who works hard on behalf of her husband. But isn’t living a virtuous life a goal to which we should each strive to attain, whether we are single, married, divorced or widowed?
In Ruth’s story we see a woman whose husband has died, and she chooses to leave Moab, her native land, and travel to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi, whose husband has also died.
I find Ruth’s story so compelling because the love between a woman and her mother-in-law is sometimes less than ideal. Yet, Ruth’s love and loyalty to Naomi is the kind of love we would do well to emulate.
When we live in such a way that our actions glorify God, we will be noticed by others. Initially, Ruth did not do anything to call attention to herself, yet Boaz recognized her as a woman of high standards and knew he could trust her to become a part of his family.
May we each live in such a manner that others will recognize Christ in us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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