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(originally posted in February 2008 for a parent meeting devotional)

Proverbs 31:10-31 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

 

I know of no other passage in Scripture that poses as much intimidation to us women as this one does. This is not to say that there aren’t any women like this—just that I don’t know of any.

 

Now, it may seem strange that, as part of a meeting in which we plan to focus on “time for mom”, I would choose this highly intimidating passage of Scripture. However, in the midst of all that is said here in praise of this virtuous woman, the portion on which I’d like to focus is the verse that states…    

 

 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

 

In a ladies’ Bible study I once attended, this verse was discussed at length, and it was suggested that the scarlet that this woman dresses her family in could be in fact the blood of our Savior.

Because there are often more demands on our time than we can even count at times, we may often need to make a conscious effort to remind ourselves that the most important thing is to be more like Mary, sitting at the feet of our Lord. This is seldom an easy feat to pull off while the world relentlessly pulls on us to be more like Martha–busy and worried about many things.

Our taking on the call to home school brings with it additional demands, and as such, it is even more imperative that we make such an effort. In fact, our focus on our children’s academic achievements can easily cause us to lose sight of the main end of our duty as parents—preparing our children to be followers of the Lord in a world that is ever-increasingly secular. However, we would all acknowledge that this call from God was His plan for ensuring that we have the authority that He has given us over the raising of our children. Furthermore, because this method of educating our children has provided us with the reward of chunks of time spent with them that we would never have had if they were in an institutional school for six hours a day, may we be blessed to redeem that time wisely. May we utilize that gift of time toward helping our children to understand and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that their souls, too, can be clothed in that precious blood of our Savior, the only suitable covering for our sin. While there are no guarantees that our children will wear that garment, or they may not come to wear it until they are much older, we still prepare it for them by laying the foundation that is the only solid rock on which we can stand—our Lord Jesus Christ. And we prepare it out of obedience to the Father.

Therefore, while we struggle to keep our own priorities in order—God first, our husbands next, our children next, and all other things after that—let us also try, with constant help from the hand of our Father, the strength of our Savior, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to remember that, of all the things for which we are responsible, we shall never fear the winter of tribulation if our family is clothed in scarlet.

And to God alone be the glory.

 

 

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