Dirty Treasure

In the natural, did you know an emerald has silt veins that streak through the gem? Lab created emeralds omit this flaw, but without these inclusions the lab created gem is really just an imitation gem. Beautiful sure, but not like a natural emerald. The natural emeralds with their specks of dirt inside are exceptional and highly valued.

Why the little gemstone lesson?

Because just like this emerald, you need to know you are precious and cherished.

You may believe that your imperfections and dirt do not make you valuable, but friend can I dispel that lie in your mind and remind you of the truth to your real beauty?

Proverbs 31:10 tells us “An excellent woman, who is he who can find her?
Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls.

In the context of this virtuous women we learn much of what she “does” to earn such an esteemed respect. But I believe there is more to this woman than what she is capable of doing to attend to her household.

Yes, her encouragement and her wisdom is commendable as so noted. She also showed compassion to the needy and took liberties to provide her household for the future. However other women also accomplished this; what sets her apart from noble woman was that she was a woman who fears the Lord (Prov 31:30).

There are many lessons to learn from this woman, but I do not believe the passage was meant for us to compare ourselves to her and measure how “virtuous” we are. God intended for us to glean more out of this account and not fall into the comparison trap where we are robbed from a treasure within.

Instead, take out her household shopping, preparing for children’s futures, being a go-to friend and having a management job and see her through a different perspective.

She is a woman who is tired with all the tasks she must attend to, but she seeks the strength to get it done through God (vs 17). Her husband trusts her complicity and that kind of trust only comes from a love that is selfless as God’s love is for us (vs 11-12). She has faced challenges, but her wisdom comes from God (vs 26). She sees the needy and her hands extend to them by compassion pressed upon her by God (vs 20).

This woman lived all out, but living this way does not happen all at once. Rather life gave her opportunities that were difficult so she could become disciplined in her decisions to lay it all down at God’s feet so He can do great things through her. That is where her virtue shines the brightest, by her reverence to God. She is refined, polished, and set apart through the process of her life choices.

I am not a bible scholar by no means, nor an expert of any sorts. But what I imagine that happened to a woman such as this is before she received Godly love, strength, wisdom and compassion she first had to learn of God’s love, strength, wisdom and compassion. Her learning process probably began from a much different position than where we find her in this context. What if we could peek inside this woman’s life 20 years prior to the record of her? What do you imagine those words would read then?

Maybe she cried herself to sleep because her new husband doubted her? Maybe she fell asleep by her oil lamp sewing because there was much to do and she only worked on her reserves. Perhaps she did not even notice the needy when she was younger because her own needs consumed her. What do you suppose she would know to store up, before she went without? Do you suppose she was inspired to teach kindness by unkindness shown to her?

Does this woman sound more relatable now?

She does to me. I can connect with a woman with doubts and fears. I too have run empty trying to complete my impossible to-do list. This girl and I could swap stories about hard lessons learned by unkindness.

But this woman did not let her circumstances define her. No, instead we read about a woman who through life’s storms learned to lean into a good God who loved her deeply. This fear, her reverence for God was why she was a blessing to so many. She learned she could only do a little, but with God much could be accomplished for her family, household and community. Over and over again she practiced going to God when hard decision needed to be made, when her feelings were hurt, when needs needed to be met then time after time, God met her and sustained her. Through time God polished her, shaped her beauty and she learned to believe her real identity – she is a treasured woman.

Indeed, she was more precious that any gem. Can you imagine what God could do through you when you grasp your real identity cherished friend?

We all get dinged up by our lives and each day leaves an impression on us. Our inclusions do not make us less valuable though. Not when we continue to allow God to polish us and shape us into the gem we already are. We can glean much from this woman, but what I believe is the biggest take away from her story is despite how invaluable we see ourselves because of the shade of our past, when we learn to live all out in fear of God, our real treasure will be found.