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When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

I believe these two verses are about planning ahead, being prepared. Most women I know are naturally good planners, foreseeing their family’s needs and preparing in advance for different things taking place throughout the year. In fact I find that they tend to plan more for their family and their home, but often forget themselves at times in that planning.

Do you find that? I do. Often I’ll organise everything that’s needed for around the home and for each member of the family and leave myself to last. If I don’t have a lot of time left that’s ok, I make do. But I always like to make sure that everyone is cared for, that they have what they need in advance, and that the house is well and truly organised in advance.

We have a wedding in the family coming up in a week’s time – our youngest daughter. And of course there’s been lots of planning involved in that. And there’s always the ‘fear’ that something will get forgotten! Thank goodness there are several of us involved in organising it, and not just one.

Planning means to prepare something on purpose, to have an end in mind. And for the Proverbs 31 woman in the verses above, she was planning for warmth and comfort to her family, both during the day and at night, when the winter came.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you gave us the ability to plan and prepare ahead. We know that you have a plan for each and every one of us – we see the evidence of this as our lives move on. We seek your guidance in our daily lives and our daily planning, so that we can achieve the things that you would have us do. Help us to become better wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and Proverbs 31 women. Amen.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

It’s no accident that a large number of volunteers in helps organisations are women – this is by design. By design of the fact that women tend to have a large streak of compassion within because of their mothering nature, but also because they are more likely to be at home, either part-time or full-time at some stage in their adult lives, they tend to ‘find the time’ to contribute to worthwhile causes. Often they go with children in tow, or perhaps whilst the kids are at school.

Even when the women retire, or are widowed, they tend to gravitate towards groups of volunteers, both for the social aspect as well as knowing that they are being useful and helping someone in some way.

In the verse above it shows the Proverbs 31 Woman to be a provider, someone who cares, supplies, supports, and has compassion. As women we need to be careful though, that we don’t allow our compassion override the needs of the family. Our family are very important and also need caring for. However, by our example, family members (children) can learn to also care for those in need – not just materially, but those who lack friends, those who are ill, those who are disabled, those who are shunned for whatever reason. Let our children also learn to have compassion for others and when they see a child being ostracized at school, to learn to reach out a hand, or speak up and be a friend. KMT

Prayer: Our most wonderful Father who has the greatest compassion of all. You have led us and shown by example the kind of compassion we should have through Your people in the Old and New Testaments and through your most precious gift, Your Son Jesus Christ. We pray you will show us when opportunities arise that we can exercise the very example given above by the Proverbs 31 Woman. Amen.

Proverbs 31:20, compassion, helps ministry, needy, Proverbs31 woman