“Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child?” Jeremiah 30:6
Today’s message was so pivotal for me as a mom. It is another free chapter from my book “Mommy“. Please enjoy!
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“But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” Isaiah 32:8
Oh my friends! God has just led me down the sweetest little rabbit trail and I do hope you join me in going down it once again! Our Father is so wonderful and has such a heart for women, just wait til you hear what He’s shared with me just now!
I’ve had this verse (above) written out on my desk for probably about a week now, just waiting for the opportunity to get to write about it. I just so love the message of it, that our noble deeds help us stand uprightly. Oh how little did I understand it! It’s amazing to me how much life one word can bring to the scriptures, how differently it can cause us to look at them. I was curious to know if the original Hebrew word for “noble” was the same in this verse as it is in the Proverbs 31 woman’s verses. So I looked them up! OH WOW! Turns out that they are two different words in the Hebrew that just “happened” to both get translated into the same word in English. BUT it’s in their differences that makes them special, check it out!
In the Isaiah verse the word noble in the original Hebrew means: inclined, willing, noble, generous, and in the KJV version there is no mention of it being a noble “man” either. In other words, I feel that we could certainly translate this verse as “the willing woman makes generous plans, and by her inclination to be generous she stands”. What do you think? I like it. LOL. I feel like I’ve certainly lived that verse, just today! I had no real plans of leaving the house this morning… at all. I was all dressed up in my comfy clothes, my hair wasn’t really done, I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet, when Gabe just could NOT get motivated to move this morning. So I told him that I would take him to school, just this once. I got Anna ready and we headed out, leaving all the lights on in the house and everything. I barely even locked the door! When we got to the school I saw my friend Lisa’s car in the parking lot and got all excited and exclaimed, “Oh Lisa’s here!” And before I was even out of carline I had decided I needed to go in and say “Hi”… slept-in hair, non-brushed teeth and all! At least Anna looks good I resolved. Before I even got all the way into the school I remembered why Lisa would even be at the school today, it’s Monday, she’s leading Mom’s in Touch! Well, then I just knew that I was supposed to be there! I had never attended before, but had been wanting to, so apparently today was the big day! When I got into the room where we meet, Lisa was nowhere to be found, so I started going through the room (the “detention” room, although they don’t call it detention any more they call it the responsibility room) and I prayed over the chairs and the desks and for the children that would be sitting in them this week. Hoping that mine wouldn’t end up there! When she was able to join me, it was just the two of us today and we were able to have a simply delightful conversation and we prayed over the children and teachers, the school and the town and everything we could think of! Today, because I was willing to just follow the Spirit’s leading of my gut I was able to pray and be a part of something special that God has going on in our town right now. To me, that’s what this verse is about. Not when we are worthy of being used, but simply when we are willing to be used, God uses us, sometimes in very powerful ways.
As if that wasn’t good enough, check out what the word noble in Proverbs 31:10 means!
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”
In this verse, the word noble is transliterated from the Hebrew word “chayil” and it means: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army. Personally, I found it very interesting that “noble” wasn’t listed anywhere in there! ANYWAY!
I was thrilled however to see that the first definition of the word chayil was strength. “A wife with strong character who can find?” You know, that’s just not something I expected to see! I don’t know why, I know that strength is a quality that God placed within many women, yet it still surprised me to see it there in black and white all the same. So many times as women, we have to be strong when everyone else around us is being weak. Those moments when we are forced to take charge simply because no one else is. To stand up for what’s right when no one else is willing to. I really feel like God honors that in us. We as mothers have a really hard job to do, one that no one else can do for us, or like us. And yet in our society, the role of “Mommy” is so drastically under rated! If only they truly understood. If only WE truly understood! God’s plan for us is so much better and brighter than we often give ourselves credit for. Yes, we may spend the majority of our day changing dirty diapers and scooping out the litter box, wiping runny noses and keeping everyone in line… but there is so much more nobility and honor in that than anyone often realizes.
Take this example straight from Jesus: “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ The King will reply, ‘ I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'” Matthew 25:37-40
Mommy, how many times have you put food in that hungry tummy of your child? How many times have you given drinks to that thirsty little throat? How many times have you had other little friends over to play? How many times have you clothed that little naked body of your child? Friend, I tell you the truth, when you did those things for your child; you were doing them for Christ. Now. Just TRY to convince me, that being a mom isn’t a noble and worthy position for a woman to hold! Yes, you will feel dejected, and alone often as a mom, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom. But please know that every single outfit that you fold that your family thinks just MAGICALLY appears in their drawers clean the next day, isn’t going unseen by the One who sees us for who we really are.
Tamar Knochel 