Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening
Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge,
Speaker 1: and today we're in Proverbs chapter 31, and we'll be
Speaker 1: reading from the English Standard Version. The words of King Lemuel,
Speaker 1: an oracle that his mother taught him. What are you doing,
Speaker 1: my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
Speaker 1: What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not
Speaker 1: give your strength to women, your ways to those who
Speaker 1: destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it
Speaker 1: is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers
Speaker 1: to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what
Speaker 1: has been decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Speaker 1: Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and
Speaker 1: wine to those in bitter distress. Let them drink and
Speaker 1: forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. Open
Speaker 1: your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all
Speaker 1: who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the
Speaker 1: rights of the poor and needy. An excellent wife, who
Speaker 1: can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The
Speaker 1: heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will
Speaker 1: have no lack of gain. She does him good and
Speaker 1: not harm all the days of her life. She seeks
Speaker 1: wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is
Speaker 1: like the ships of the merchant. She brings her food
Speaker 1: from afar. She rises while it is yet night, and
Speaker 1: provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
Speaker 1: She considers a field and buys it. With the fruit
Speaker 1: of her hands, she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself
Speaker 1: with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that
Speaker 1: her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out
Speaker 1: at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and
Speaker 1: her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to
Speaker 1: the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Speaker 1: She is not afraid of snow for her household, for
Speaker 1: all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed
Speaker 1: coverings for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Speaker 1: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits
Speaker 1: among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments
Speaker 1: and sells them. She delivers sashes to the merchants. Strength
Speaker 1: and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the
Speaker 1: time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and
Speaker 1: the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks
Speaker 1: well to the ways of her household and does not
Speaker 1: eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and
Speaker 1: call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.
Speaker 1: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.
Speaker 1: Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman
Speaker 1: who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her
Speaker 1: of the fruit of her hands and let her works
Speaker 1: praise her in the gates. Let's pray. Lord, we thank
Speaker 1: you for your word and we thank you for the
Speaker 1: privilege of being able to look at this portion of
Speaker 1: Scripture today and for the wisdom that you give to
Speaker 1: us through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. And Lord,
Speaker 1: there's a variety of things that we see here in
Speaker 1: this passage that are immediately applicable to our lives. Lord,
Speaker 1: you give us an example of the fact that it
Speaker 1: is unwise to become drunk. It's unwise to give our
Speaker 1: senses over to things that have the opportunity to alter
Speaker 1: our ability to think justly or to think fairly. Lord,
Speaker 1: you also show us in this portion of Scripture the
Speaker 1: virtue of being a godly woman, the virtue of being
Speaker 1: the kind of woman who esteems her husband, and Lord,
Speaker 1: we know that this reminds men of the kind of
Speaker 1: women that they should seek to marry. And it reminds
Speaker 1: women of the kind of people that they should seek
Speaker 1: to be. Lord, we see a great example of that.
Speaker 1: And we're grateful, Lord, for the fact that you have
Speaker 1: outlined this for us in this portion of Scripture. Help us, Lord,
Speaker 1: to take this counsel to heart and help us to
Speaker 1: walk with you faithfully. We love you, Lord, and we're
Speaker 1: grateful for the privilege of knowing you and walking with
Speaker 1: you each and every day. And we pray, Lord, that
Speaker 1: we would honor you in all circumstances of life. We
Speaker 1: give you the praise for this all in Jesus' name. Amen.