“She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25, NIV).
In yesterday’s devotion, we asked, “What Are You Wearing?” We learned to get dressed every day in the armor of God so we are prepared to stand firm against whatever Satan may try to throw in our path.
But what else do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see someone looking back at you that you don’t quite recognize? A wrinkle here, a laugh line there. I saw a meme depicting an older woman looking at the reflection staring back at her and saying, “That can’t be right!” Ahhh, time can be a thief! The years we are given are a blessing. If we live long enough, we realize that many are robbed of time on earth, and we should be thankful for every second.
Proverbs 31 describes a woman who has enjoyed life. She is a busy lady. She cares for herself, her family, and others around her. Verse 26 in the New Living Translation says, “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.” Her children and her husband rise and praise her. Later in the chapter, it is made very clear. “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
As we get older, we realize how blessed we are each day. The things we were striving for in our 20s and 30s seem inconsequential now. I don’t have to have the biggest house, the newest car, or the latest designer handbag. I don’t have to conform to some arbitrary standard of beauty that the world currently tells me is in fashion. Instead, I want to accessorize with the “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (I Peter 3:4, NIV).
PRAYER: Lord, when someone sees me, I don’t want them to see the temporal, outside beauty or lack of it; I want them to see the strength and dignity that You have given. I want them to see the laugh lines that show I am laughing at the days to come because I am secure in knowing that You’ve got it all in control!
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