A Confident Woman

By Joy Jensen

Have you ever noticed that throughout Proverbs 31 :10-31, that only one verse - verse 22 - describes the physical clothing worn by this godly woman? In contrast, throughout many of the verses are various words which describe her inward character. Consider vs. 25: "Strength and dignity are her clothing; And she laugheth at the time to come." How can a worthy woman "laugh at the time to come"? She has spent time preparing, and has placed her trust in God.

Would you like to be more confident about your future? Do you need to have a deeper trust in God? In order to develop more confidence in our Heavenly Father, it would be helpful if we identify some areas in our lives that are hindrances to trust.

1. Temporal Things: How much time do we spend thinking about how to get more money, how to acquire more education, how to please our friends, etc. "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness" Proverbs 15:16.

2. Discontentment: How many of us did not know we "needed" a certain item, until a catalog came in the mail? "And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content" 1 Timothy 4:8.

3. Worry: Are we hindering our relationship with God because we fret about things, instead of placing our trust in God? Consider Matthew 6 :25-34.

The worthy woman had a confidence in God’s provision for her life. We, too, can build our faith in God by spending time in Bible study and in prayer. The Bible is the only way God communicates His will for us. As our knowledge of God’s Word increases, so will our confidence in Him. We can be encouraged by the many biblical examples of people who exhibited confidence in God, and we can rest assured that God will always care for His children. Prayer is the avenue through which we can communicate with God. He is willing and ready to listen, if we will humbly approach Him.