Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 31:10, Part Nurturer, Part Warrior

by Marilynn Chadwick

“Who can find a woman of valor?”

Proverbs 31:10a OJB

A woman of valor is a warrior at heart. She fights for her faith, her family, and her community. But sometimes, her toughest battles are for her God-given dreams. I wonder if some wars are harder than others because the enemy knows the stakes are so high.

I think back to our long years of infertility and my fierce fight to have a baby. I couldn’t have known it at the time, but I was waging a battle not just for our firstborn daughter, but also for our next baby, a son. Then another son. And now, twelve grandchildren and counting.

Our daughter once said something to me which made me pause: “Mama, you didn’t know when you were going through all those years of infertility that you were also fighting for all these little people to be born,” pointing to our grandchildren.

Perhaps my fight was so fierce because the enemy wanted what I had—the promise of children and grandchildren who would glorify God. And ultimately, generations beyond those.

But I had something else the enemy wanted. And so do you. He wanted to steal my testimony. He wanted to make it impossible for me to tell the miraculous story of God’s healing that enabled me to have those babies. He wanted to rob me of the chance to encourage others who are waiting for answers to their own prayers.

Quite simply, the devil wants to steal the story God is weaving through your dream. Or through this trial you're enduring so bravely. He wants to steal your testimony. In the end, he wants to steal God's glory.

Dear friend, don’t give up. God is faithful. One day you will have a story to tell. A story that will cause others to yearn to know this wonderful God Who is the Giver of Dreams.

Today’s Moment of Hope is adapted from Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage and Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick. Click here to order your copy today!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 31:10, 28, Her Children Rise Up

by Marilynn Chadwick

“A woman of valor, who can find? Her children rise up and call her blessed”

Proverbs 31:10, 28 JPS

The Proverbs 31 “woman of valor” must have had some warrior in her. After all, the Hebrew term chayil, translated “valor,” is a military term.

I once asked my husband how he saw me as a fighter. David thought for a minute and said: “You have fought so hard for our children’s dreams.”

It’s true. I fought harder to help our kids reach their dreams than I ever fought for my own. This quote says it best: “Reaching your own dreams is fulfilling—helping someone else reach their dreams is sublime.” And when that “someone else” happens to be your own children, it’s joy on steroids.

I wonder if the Proverbs 31 woman of valor discovered this same joy in seeing her children succeed. We’re told, “her children rise up and call her blessed,” (Proverbs 31:28 ESV). The Hebrew word, qum, translated “rise up” is very strong. It means, “to accomplish, to build, to establish, to strengthen, to succeed.”

I’d like to think her children were now grown, happy, and fulfilled. They had reached their dreams, in part, because of their mother’s impact. She had taught them. Nurtured, clothed, and cared for them. Perhaps they saw their mom in prayer, seeking the Lord and fighting for their dreams.

The Proverbs 31 woman poured her life into her children, so I can imagine her satisfaction as she watched them flourish. Nothing makes me happier than when my children, and now grandchildren, “rise up” and succeed.

To love our children well calls for self-sacrifice and courage. What are some ways you can encourage your children to dream big? Or is there another child, not your own, who desperately needs your encouragement?

“Tread lightly around the dreams of a child,” Mother Teresa once said. “You may be treading on the dreams of God.” As women of valor, let’s dare to fight for the dreams of the next generation.

Today’s Moment of Hope is adapted from Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage and Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick.

Click here to order your copy today!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 31:10, Love Makes Her Brave

by Marilynn Chadwick

“Who can find a woman of valor?”

Proverbs 31:10 OJB

I agree with Indiana Jones: “I hate snakes!’ Or maybe I don’t actually hate them…I’m just not thrilled about having them near our home. Some time ago, I saw a very large snake trying to get into the crawl space under our house. A short time earlier, our older son had found a copperhead while cleaning out our garage.

My first thought with this snake was, “Yikes!” My next was, “Go get him!” Like any good soldier, I ran toward the danger. I went after that snake with a vengeance and sent him into the next life. Why? Because he was trying to get into my house, a threat to my home and my family! I’m scared of snakes, but my love for my family made me brave. Maybe you can relate. Is there a time when you did something that scared you to protect someone you loved? If so, you were showing valor.

I’m captivated by the Hebrew word chayil, translated “valor,” used to describe the Proverbs 31 woman. “Who can find a woman of valor?” (Proverbs 31:10 OJB). God created woman to be a nurturer. But he also made her brave.

Simply put, valor is personal bravery in the face of danger, especially in battle. In its nearly 100 uses in the Old Testament, the word for “valor,” chayil depicts warriors, like King David’s “mighty men.” Other times, chayil describes God as a warrior for his people. It’s the same word used for heaven’s angel armies.

I find the term “woman of valor” both compelling and poetic. My daughter, a young wife and mother, likes this expression because it makes her think of courage and strength. Valor is courage. But the woman of valor also embodies honor, strength of character, virtue, and so much more.

I believe we need to become women of valor as we face our own battles today. Unlike the woman of Proverbs 31, we enjoy breakthroughs in medicine, science, and travel. But consider the enemies we face in our world: Addiction, divorce, domestic violence, child abuse, poverty, unemployment, pornography, human trafficking, joblessness, homelessness. Daily, we’re bombarded by news of terror attacks somewhere in the world. If this isn’t war, my friend, I don’t know what is.

The woman of valor is essentially a warrior, a fighter at heart. She fights not only for her personal world, but also for the world around her. As I listen to conversations with women of all ages, stages, and walks of life, I’m hearing a recurring theme—their heart’s desire to be strong for their families and communities. In short, they long to be courageous women God can use to change their world. Is God calling you to become a woman of valor? Remember, it's love that makes you brave.

Today’s Moment of Hope is adapted from Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage and Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick. Click here to order your copy today!