BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

As we gain an understanding of God’s plan for women, we can clearly see that He enables and equips His daughters to do His will. As women, we are not left in our own strength to push, struggle and strive to be everything to everyone. God Himself empowers us to accomplish all we do, and in the process adds great joy to our lives and imparts even greater beauty and strength to us. Frankly, too many women have been religiously brainwashed instead of biblically taught. You see, the word virtuous does not mean perfect; it means “powerful.” The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see this very powerful woman in a new and different way. He also shared with me His intention to make all women strong. Why? Because God loves women. He is not a male chauvinist. He does not oppress women, nor does He treat them with any less respect than He treats men. In fact, God moved on Peter to write that men ought to give honor to their wives with tenderness or their prayers will be hindered. I like to put it this way: God will not even talk to husbands who treat their wives dishonorably (1 Peter 3:7). He wants a man to love his wife, to nourish her and to cherish her (Ephesians 5:28-29). Before the Lord brought revelation to me, I perceived the virtuous woman to be an extremely talented cook, preparing gourmet meals for her family. I pictured her as a type of Betty Crocker or Rachael Ray. I thought she was a terrific seamstress, whose life was perfect. I also believed a virtuous woman was required to be married with children. But one by one I began to discover that these were half-truths. The only other woman in the entire Bible who was referred to as virtuous was Ruth. In Ruth 3:11, Boaz said of her, “For all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.” Yet, at the time, Ruth was a single woman who was widowed with no children and no money. She had a bitter mother-in-law named Naomi. Ruth was from Moab, and in some people’s minds, she was even of the “wrong race.” Why would anyone refer to her as being virtuous? Because of her character. The word virtuous as defined in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance means “strong, mighty, efficient, able, wealthy, forceful, and with substance.” This multiword description shed new light on the word for me. I began to understand how this kind of power flows only from the all-powerful One, our heavenly Father, the omnipotent God. Suddenly, I realized the reason Ruth was known as a virtuous woman was because of what Boaz had said in a previous verse: “Blessed be thou of the Lord” (Ruth 3:10). Ruth truly was blessed and empowered by God. How do we know? Because in Ruth 1:16, Ruth said to Naomi, “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” When Ruth chose God, she became virtuous. She became powerful. Likewise, when we choose God we also become virtuous and powerful. As we live in Him, we have access to all that He is. God’s power is different, and far greater, than the world’s. Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Power Based on God’s Love The God kind of power is always based in love and never selfishness. Therefore, God’s idea of a virtuous and powerful woman is not a manipulative, scheming, selfish, controlling woman. That description characterizes the world’s image of a powerful woman. It also sounds very much like another woman we read about in the Bible named Jezebel. Jezebel was strong all right; but not strong in God. She was not submitted to God, and she was very strong-willed. In fact, she even ruled over her husband, King Ahab, and commanded hundreds of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19). In other words, Jezebel was the very opposite of the Proverbs 31 woman and was the very definition of manipulation and control. There was great evil in Jezebel’s heart. On one occasion, for example, she threatened to kill God’s prophet Elijah. Another time, she boldly mocked God (1 Kings 19:2). In 1 Kings 21:1-29, we see her plotting to kill Naboth over a plot of land her husband, King Ahab, desired. Naboth had refused to sell or trade the land, which had been in his family for many years. Ahab had become distraught, so Jezebel intervened and sent letters to the people, forging Ahab’s signature. She set up two false witnesses against Naboth who testified before the people that Naboth blasphemed God. When the king ordered Naboth out of the city, and the people stoned him, Jezebel told Ahab to go possess Naboth’s vineyard. 20 : BVOV

• Cover