Becoming Proverbs 31… Like Merchant Ships

I am pretty pumped about this week’s installment. I feel like this scripture is one of the most powerful and most overlooked in Proverbs 31. I wanted to apologize in advance to those who were at the EFC Ladies Christmas Party as a lot of this will be repeat from my talk!

If you’ve missed any of our previous studies, click on the categories link to the right, scroll until you see “Becoming Proverbs 31″ and click on that link. There all the previous posts are waiting for you!

“She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.” Proverbs 31:14

Now I know what some of you are thinking. Ships and being a godly woman, I am not seeing the connection. I know, it sounds weird. But when you really look at it within the context of the time it was written the insight into the heart of the Proverbs 31 woman is incredible.

We are going to look at several different areas where the Proverbs 31 woman is like merchant ships. Today we will focus on the first three, and then continue next week with the other three.

Being a woman like merchant ships means…

*She is Spirit filled.

*She provides variety to those she loves.

*She provides a fun spirit of mystery and excitement.

(Next Week)

*She is creative!

*She believes in quality

*She is strong and respected

Let’s look at the first aspect.

She is Spirit filled.

As I spoke about in the last installment, the Proverbs 31 woman is like a merchant ship because she is not self propelled. Ships in the days of Solomon were reliant upon the sails, oars, and sheer power of the waves to get to where they needed to be. There were no fancy little motors attached to these babies! In the same way, we need to be reliant upon God to guide us, and to be the power behind all that we do.

Some of the routes that these ships traveled took them several hundred miles away. It is known that the merchant ships of ancient Israel traded with  Phoenicia, Tarshish, Tyre, Egypt, and many more regions and nations. Can you imagine how difficult it would have been for those ships to travel to their destinations if they depended upon the rowing of the oars alone to get there? Talk about tedious work! They relied upon the greater sources of power to travel those distances.

Now, its all fun and easy for us to say to ourselves, “I’m going to rely on God as my source of power today!” Doesn’t that just give you the “I’m being a good Christian gal” warm fuzzies all over? Well, let me tell you girlies, those fuzzies won’t last long when your boss gives you unfair feedback, your kids throw up all over your just washed carpet, your husband comes home after a rough day and gets upset with you over something, or you get upset with him over something after your rough day, and to top it all off- you forgot to pay the electric bill! Life gets in the way of our warm fuzzies. That’s why its important to have a “HOW” in place. How are you going to rely on God today?

I am very much still learning in this area as I love to think I’m completely relying on God– but I take back the reigns of control all too often.

Here is my very basic plan for HOW I am going to rely on God: Spend daily time in the word and in continual prayer.

For me, that means that I read my Bible and have time in my prayer journal at the start of my day, but also that I continue to go to Him throughout the day in prayer. When I was a teacher, times for prayer through out the day were laid out for me… recess and planning periods! Now as a stay-at-home-mom, they are less obvious and harder to come by! (But I feel the need for those times so much more because I desire so much to be a godly example to my daughter!)

Where ever we are in life, we need to make that time to connect with God– and stay connected to God throughout the day. He is not a cell phone charger that we plug into until we all charged up, unplug and move on until we are all spent! He is a loving Father, a holy and righteous Savior that we are blessed to have relationship with.

John 15:4-9 tell us to abide in Christ and His love.We can accomplish nothing apart from Him. In Him, we can bear much fruit and glorify God!

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

Later on in verse 15 of that chapter, Jesus tells us just how intimately he gives relationship with us.

“No longer do I call you servants,  for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

We have been called friends by Jesus Christ! I know I am undeserving of such a title– but reading this encourages me to continue to develop my relationship with Christ out of a desire for a deeper relationship- instead of a desire to cross “quiet time” off of my to-do list for the day. He died on the cross for my sins, and yet He calls me friend? Does that not blow your mind?

Eph. 6:10-18 Tells us about the armor of God. I loved this passage as a little girl. In fact, one of my friend’s super crafty mom made an armor of God suit out of foil and cardboard and took Polaroids of us wearing it! “Rachel puts on the armor of God!” Cute huh? But what does that even mean? It means we are in a battle ladies. The Proverbs 31 merchant ship wasn’t traveling about on open seas unprotected against pillagers or enemies. They had to always be on the ready against attack if it were to happen. The majority of their travels were peaceful, but they were always ready to protect their goods out of duty to King Solomon and his navy.

We too must guard our goods. We must protect the ship and everything in it to stay loyal to the One who sent us and in whose name we go out.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

“I’m in the Lord’s army! YES SIR! I’m in the Lord’s army! YES SIR! I may never march with the infantry, ride in the calvary, shoot the artillary! I may never fly o’r the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s Army!” Good times. Seriously though, we are called to take God’s Word to battle with us each and every day as women who are like merchant ships.

She provides variety.

I like the food network. Its amazing! I have discovered a world of culinary arts I never knew existed! Once I started watching that channel, I started using new spices, trying out different techniques, even using words like “Al dente!”

In ancient Israel, the diet would have been fairly bland and only containing meat for more festive occasions. Part of that was due to the fact that meat was pricey, but also that the lack of refrigeration ability meant meat would spoil if there wasn’t a whole lot of people around to eat it up! Foods common to the table were barley and wheat, olives, some figs or dates, chick peas, and seasonal fruits or veggies that for the same refrigeration issue– were only available in season!

Now, imagine the way coolness of having a break from the same ol’ meal of bread and fruit because… a merchant ship came in and now you have access to new spices, or maybe a different sort of dried fruit than you’ve had before! I identify with the pleasure the ancient Hebrews must have felt over a new kind of food, because I’ve recently discovered this for myself! Its such a blessing to have variety. “She brings her food from afar.” A.K.A– she spices it up! Whoever said being a Proverbs 31 woman was boring?? Spice it up ladies!

We know that the “food from afar” must have been a pretty amazing thing, otherwise King Lemuel’s momma wouldn’t have found it important to include this in his finding-the-right-woman lessons. Is she truly saying, “The girl’s gotta be able to cook.” Or, is she saying “the girl sees value in providing variety to those she loves even though it may take some extra effort and energy.” I believe the learning we can gather here goes beyond the dinner table. Variety in a woman is valuable.

She provides a fun spirit of mystery and excitement!

Along the same lines, the excitement of something new arriving on those ships must have been exhilarating. Elizabeth George in her book Beautiful In God’s Eyes, talks about how markets would spring up in the streets whenever a merchant ship came in to dock. We know from 2 Chron. 9 that some of these ships would be out to sea for up to three years!

Verse 21, “For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.”

The anticipation of these ship’s arrivals must have been very great. If only every three years they got to see peacocks or ivory, it would be a big stinkin’ deal!

We ladies are honored with the ability to provide that same joy and excitement and mystery to our loved ones! What does that look like on a daily basis? Its going to be different for each of us as we are at different stages in our lives, but I can share some examples of how some Proverbs 31 women I knew blessed their loved ones.

*My mom would make a “tea party” for my sister and I every now and then that we would get to eat outside on the picnic table! It was sometimes just pb and j cut up into bit sized pieces and juice served in our little play kitchen plastic tea cups, but it was the coolest thing back in the day for my sister and I!

*One of my professors in college had an amazing Prov. 31 wife! He loved motorcycles. She didn’t really. But knowing he did, she got them tickets to a local motorcycle show and surprised him!

*One of my friends from the Campus Crusade days would leave encouraging notes under my dorm door. She always knew when I truly needed to hear an encouraging word! She always used such adorable stationary too! She made my day.

These are just tid bits of ways that “bringing the food from afar” may reveal itself in us today. Truly, if you are relying on God to be your source of strength and power, than all you need to do is trust in Him, and ask Him to reveal to you how you could “spice things up” for your loved ones.

With that said, will you pray with me?

Father God,

I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity to study Your Word together with each and every person reading this blog. Father I thank you for each one of them and ask that Your Word would dwell in them. That You would bless them as they seek to spend time with you continually through out the day. Father, give us the self discipline that we need to make spending time with you a priority. Help us Lord to not look to ourselves, but to rely on You. We accomplish nothing unless we abide in You.

Thank you Jesus for calling us friends! Help us to share that with those who do not know you! Teach us more and more about how we can “bring food from afar” to those we love.

We love you Jesus, in Your name we pray,

Amen.

Love you all!