She is strong

Can you see her as she carried her family’s laundry to a nearby river where she knelt upon the sloping banks to wash?

If you are a mature woman of “a certain age,” as I am, you may have felt a sharp pang in your knees as you read that last sentence. Add to that the weight of all those wet clothes piled into a basket which she hoisted onto her head to carry home where she hung or spread them to dry. Imagine the agony spreading through her lower back as she stooped each season to plant, weed, and eventually harvest her family’s food. After gathering the grain, it had to be stone ground by hand. Wood had to be carried in to cook it, as well.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. Proverbs 31:17

We are of course, talking about the Proverbs 31 woman. As you know, she did so much. While the list of her tasks and accomplishments are impressive, when you consider that she did all this without the aid of a soccer-mom SUV, modern appliances, or the local power and light company, it borders on heroic. Of course, her arms were strong!

Interestingly enough, Jewish sages recorded in the Talmudic writings that well-defined biceps was a mark of beauty among their women. Archaeologists who have unearthed bones from Biblical times have recorded that it is typical to find that female skeletal remains show evidence of nodules on the vertebrae and arthritis of the neck due to bearing heavy burdens. The wear patterns in the ankle joints evidence years of squatting over cooking fires. Women’s work in Old Testament times was hard work and required a great deal of physical strength. But when we consider the Proverbs 31 woman, I get the idea that physical strength was not the only kind of strength that helped her get things done.

The Strength to Endure

With that ridiculous “to do” list she carried around, adding three more tasks for every one she scratched through? You know very well that for every task you must get done, there are a minimum of three obstacles blocking your way. And every time you set a goal, a voice starts whispering in your ear that it’s never going to happen. I’m sure she had the same obstacles and heard the same doubtful voice.

Yet she kept on.

She kept on, even though she had to get up while it was “still night” to get a jumpstart on the day (v. 15). She kept on, even though she had to burn the midnight oil since she still wasn’t finished when night fell (v. 18). She kept on even when the “poor and needy” came begging for her attention, and she had to manage to meet the needs of these strangers as well as the incessant demands of her own family (v. 20). She kept on, even though she had to rely upon her own hard work to dispel her fears of inadequacy, as she worked to clothe her household so that she need not fear that they were improperly clothed when the snows came (v. 21). And the end result was that she, herself, was “clothed with strength and dignity” (v. 25).

The kind of strength one must draw upon to overcome the obstacles, quell the voices of self-doubt, and simply to keep on is emotional fortitude. Some people refer to it as emotional maturity.

What Does it take to endure?

Psychology Today lists some of the attributes of the emotionally strong person. They tend to be less discouraged when they see the obstacles. Nor do they focus on the obstacle but rather map out the way around it. The emotionally strong person sees the bigger picture hidden behind the obstacle, as well. They are flexible enough not to break when asked to bend, and can adapt when change is demanded. As for the nagging voices of self-doubt, they do not allow them to stay in their heads long enough to discourage them. They learn from their mistakes rather than allow them to feed their fears that they are not good enough. And make no doubt about it; I don’t care how virtuous the Proverbs 31 woman was, she made her share of mistakes. Even though she may be a prototype, she is still fashioned upon a human template.

Don’t you imagine that at least once after the Proverbs 31 woman had selected a field to buy, the sale fell through? Was there ever a year when a blight struck her vineyard, causing it to yield sour grapes? Was her spindle ever in the shop for expensive repairs? Did she ever have trouble keeping up with supplying the demands for linen? You know that if you were the Proverbs 31 woman, all of these things and more would happen to you, right? They happened to her, too. But she had her emotional strength to shore her up so that she could “laugh at the days to come” and not buckle under in despair (v. 25). Where does one get that kind of strength?

Perhaps a better question would be,

“What does Scripture say about the strength He gives to His people?”

The Strength of the Lord

The Scripture actually has a lot to say about the strength of the Lord:

1. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)
2. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
3. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
4. . . . the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b (NIV)
5. But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Psalm 22:19 (NIV)
6. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me . . . The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. Psalm 28: 7, 8 (NIV)
7. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)
8. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

This verse from Ephesians is immediately followed by a listing of the garments of Spiritual warfare. This “full armor of God” includes the “the belt of Truth,” the breastplate of righteousness,” footwear of “readiness,” the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation,” and the “sword of the Spirit.” God-given implements all designed to give us the strength to withstand the attacks of the Devil.

If God gives us strength to defeat even the evil powers of the Enemy, He will surely supply us with the strength to overcome the obstacles of daily life which stand in our way. That kind of strength which makes the Life of the Proverbs 31 woman possible will strengthen and sustain you and me, as well!

“The 7 Characteristics of Emotionally Strong People.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201506/the-7-characteristics-emotionally-strong-people.

Vamosh, Miriam Feinberg. “In Ancient Israel, Women Did All the Work.” Haaretz.com, 10 Apr. 2018.