Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mothers Day - Proverbs 31 Woman


I love that we begin our study of Proverbs 31 with learning about the wise words taught to King Lemuel 
by his mother. So very appropriate as it falls at that special time of the year set aside to honor mothers everywhere. I love that she spoke to her son - the future king - of these things. She taught him about
what to look for in a wife - and what to avoid. 

I look at my little boys on this mothers day. They are 10, 7, and 6 years old respectively. It's hard for
me to think about the fact that they will one day prefer another woman to me. They swear it isn't true -
but I know that it is.


 I've had the discussion with my oldest about the fact that I used to pray for his daddy - my
husband - when I was a girl. I didn't know him - well, I didn't know that I knew him. It turned out
 we were sitting in the same church together - right under the same roof - but didn't officially meet
 until we were both almost 30 years old. 

He liked the idea that while his daddy was a boy - running around doing little boys things - there 
was a little girl - ME - praying for his protection and his wisdom - that God would grow him strong
and kind. My boys get those sheepish little silly boy grins when I tell them these stories - but they love
it and want to hear more. 

Scriptures: 
for the study this week are Proverbs 31:1 - 9 

Proverbs 31

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother

31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:
What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Observations: 
Before anyone gets upset about the words "do not give your strength to women" I'd like to clarify a
couple of things I find interesting. First of all - the name "Lemuel" means "belonging to God". Some
believe it is a pseudonym for Solomon - I don't know for sure - but I like the meaning. Secondly,
it is important to put Scripture into perspective in order to understand it's full meaning. The kings of
the day were known for having large harems of women. Wise King Lemuel's mother was advising
him to behave in a more godly manner and not to give himself over to these women or other ways
that destroy kings and to avoid intoxicating drink. She wanted him to be a wise and caring ruler.
His mother was teaching him that his duties were to defend the weak and the helpless.

Application: 
I want my sons to be wise and caring leaders. I desire to teach them to keep themselves for their
wives - to be strong, wise and honorable. It's a process that starts now - while they are young -
while I still have their ear. They are eager to learn about becoming a man. I'm also thankful to have
an honorable husband to whom they can pattern themselves after.

One of the ways I can instill godly wisdom in my sons is to fill them with the Word. We are learning
a Bible verse each week in our homeschool - but I'm inspired lately to dig deeper and teach
them more.

Prayer: 
"Lord, give me wisdom and strength to teach my boys how to be men of God. Help me be the kind
of woman they need me to be. Help me be a Proverbs 31 woman for my family today."

If you'd like to join our summer study and encourage each other to be Proverbs 31 women -
hop over to Good Morning Girls- Women Living Well and sign up - get a free ebook


Amanda Pelser and I have teamed up to lead a group this summer in this study. We'd love to have
you join our facebook page and encourage each other. We already have a great group of women
gathered. As you study this week - I encourage you to use the SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) method- as I did in this post and then come back and link up with us if you'd
like to share. Amanda and I both would love to read what you have to say about being a Prov 31
woman and how God is using the study to grow you and bless your home.

Happy Mothers Day! 


Counting to #1000 and beyond: 
#271 - Little boys who still want to marry their mommy 
#272-  Boy kisses 
#273-  Weeds picked on a daily basis and delivered with chivalry and pride
#275-  Sheepish little impy grins as they ask more questions about their parents love story 
#276-  The opportunity to study with friends - some IRL and some virtual 
#277-  Women to encourage each other - who want to serve their families and the Lord
#278-  An honorable man 
#279-  Boys with a heart for the things of God 
#280-  A walk on the beach - full heart - happy feet 

Also linking with these great blogs: 
             
             


Grab a button! Linky is open all week and refreshes each Monday - August
to gather your thoughts in a journal or in a blog post





6 comments:

Amanda @ The Pelsers said...

I'm so excited about doing this study with you!

Anonymous said...

hey There...we are neighbors today a PD...happy late mother’s day....oh they do grow up fast and it is strange to think they will love one more than you...a wonderfully hard passage of life....hope you are continuing to feel well...blessings~

Unknown said...

Thank you both! Ells - I just went to the health food store today to get some melatonin - and some enzymes

Jennifer @ JenniferDukesLee.com said...

Those prayers for your future husband? As a child? Amazing. What a great testimony of God's faithfulness in your life.

Jenna Renee said...

Good morning! I am visiting from GMG's Women in the Word Wednesday! Wonderful post :)

http://lawyergirlruns86.blogspot.com/2012/05/women-in-word-wednesday.html

Laura said...

What a wonderful mommy you are. Your boys are so handsome and I love reading about what you are learning together from the Word.