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.
Proverbs 31:13-15
The virtuous woman is a hardworking woman, a homemaker, consistently on a mission to accomplish good deeds with her hands. In the previous post, we have discovered that the Proverbs 31 woman was worth far more than rubies, a true woman of noble character. She is vigilant and brave. Her main priority is to bless others with her works. Not only she takes care of her family, but also takes good care of the poor, the forgotten and those in need. She surely is a good manager of her home and knows how to utilize the time and gifts the Lord entrusted her with. Consequently, the virtuous woman is wise and organized. For this reason, she always makes sure, her family and community have all that they need. In fact, her household trusts in her abilities to provide what is best for them, by God’s grace.
Who does she remind you of ?
This woman reminds me of Dorcas from the New Testament, also known as Tabitha. This incredible and virtuous woman “was always doing good and helping the poor.” (Acts 9:36).The first key elements to point out, are that she put self aside and always prioritized others. In other words, Dorcas lived a life of service, as her skills and energy were a blessing to others. This faithful disciple honoured everyone she met.
“At Joppa, which was near Lydda, there lived a woman named Dorcas, whose good deeds had made her greatly beloved. She was a worthy disciple of Jesus, and her life was filled with acts of kindness. She knew who needed comfortable clothing and who needed sympathy, and she freely ministered to the poor and the sorrowful. Her skillful fingers were more active than her tongue.”
The Acts of the Apostles p.131
Lord Jesus, may we be just like her.
A faithful disciple
Dorcas had such a positive impact on her community and made a real difference, that when she passed away, due to an unknown illness, the believers mourned her and asked Peter to come visit them. In their moments of sadness and sorrow, the people told Peter about Dorcas’ good works and were also reminiscing how much she meant to them.
They took the time to show him the numerous garments she had made for them, thus how much she was a blessing in their lives. Peter kneeled and prayed to God, asking Him to restore the inanimate body. God heard the prayers, collected each tears and saw fit to bring Dorcas back to life, in order for her to continue her ministry of blessing and unification.
She opened her eyes.
What a miracle! Her selfless love did not go unnoticed, and because of it, many believed in the Lord. Her simple and humble acts of service, brought more souls to Christ. What an immense impact!
And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. Acts 9:42
The virtuous woman can also be named after you
Ladies, simply by applying ourselves to become just like the Proverbs 31 woman and focusing on living a life of selfless love and kindness, we will point others to Christ. Dorcas, sincerely took to heart the welfare of others while living, and her works followed her, beyond her death.
Indeed, she was a true disciple of Christ and loved God with all her heart. She mimicked and put in practice exactly what Jesus did when He was with them. Without waiting anything in return, she served…
You can read her story here (taken from the book Daughters of God, written by the author Ellen G. White).