Scripture to Memorize
Review entire passage—Proverbs 31:10–31.
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34:1–3
Guided Prayer
Dear Lord, I will extol you at all times. I will celebrate the beauty of all you have created and your goodness to me. Your praise will always be on my lips. Forgive me for those moments when complaints are on my lips. I know that is so offensive to you, because you take such good care of me. My soul will boast in you, Lord. I want people to know that you have healed my mind, will, and emotions. You have transformed me from the inside out. God, I want you to use me in the lives of hurting people. Let the afflicted hear what you’ve done in my life and rejoice, knowing you can do the same for them. I want to say to everyone I meet: “Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together.” Holy Spirit, lead me to those people who need to hear this message, and give me the boldness to extol the Lord and tell them what I’ve learned. Amen.
Personal
Extol. It means to admire, worship, and eulogize. It means to celebrate with great enthusiasm.
It’s said that you can tell a lot about a culture by looking at whom and what it celebrates. In America we celebrate celebrities. I spent time in a Muslim country shortly after the death of Anna Nicole Smith, a twenty-first-century Marilyn Monroe, whose primary claim to fame was being a loose woman who took off her clothes for money. Viewing the 24/7 American television coverage through Muslim eyes was an eye-opening experience. They couldn’t comprehend why anyone (except her immediate family) would care about the life and death of a woman who was so immoral that several men laid claim to fathering her child. It’s tragic that she died so young and I feel genuine sorrow for the child she left behind. But what does it say about us, as a culture, that we considered her life worthy of so much media time and attention?
It’s sad that pop culture no longer celebrates a woman of noble character. Don’t expect television cameras to follow your every move if your highest ambition is serving God and loving your family. As you journey toward becoming the woman God wants you to be, don’t expect the world at large to celebrate or consider your life story newsworthy. But remember this: God celebrates you, and the angels are cheering every wise, virtuous decision you make.
Today our journey together comes to an end. Perhaps, in addition to the support you found on the pages of this book, you also had the privilege of traveling through this study with a group of women in your church or community. Soon, that, too, will end. And in a real sense, this is when your true journey begins.
Will you be able to press on toward becoming the woman God has called you to be? You can if you exert the power of your will. Character is the ability to do what should be done, when and how it should be done, whether or not you feel like doing it, whether or not you get an instant reward, whether or not anyone stands up to cheer you on. It’s the ability to say no to your natural inclinations and yes to your responsibilities.
Much of life consists of the mundane, the tedious, and the downright difficult. Frankly, the problem with life is that it’s just so daily. It’s a matter of obediently putting one foot in front of the other, just because that’s what it takes to run the race. Several years ago, God directed me to run a marathon. That’s 26.2 miles. As I trained with a team of people, week after week, I had all kinds of grand illusions about what an amazing experience the marathon would be. I envisioned myself being transformed into one of the women on the cover of Runner’s World magazine. I fantasized about how thin my thighs would look as I triumphantly crossed the finish line, where dozens of family members, friends, and Christian leaders would be waiting to celebrate my great accomplishment.
It wasn’t like that at all.
I arrived at the starting line almost ten pounds heavier than the day I began my training. No, it wasn’t muscle. When you run long distances, your body stores fat. And it had stored every ounce of it on my hips and thighs. I’m embarrassed to admit how many tears I cried over that totally unjust metabolic phenomenon.
When the gun went off, I had a few training buddies alongside of me, but they soon left me in the dust. Around the halfway point, I realized the bottom of both feet were covered in blisters. From that moment forward, every step was painful. People were passing me like I was standing still. Around the twenty-mile mark, I hit the famous wall. My legs felt like lead. You know, the legs that didn’t look anything whatsoever like the women on the cover of sports magazines. My physical body literally had nothing left to give. The only thing that could possibly keep me going was the power of my will.
I knew that God had asked me to run a marathon, and I was determined that, even if I had to crawl, I was going to cross the finish line. And I did. There wasn’t a big crowd of adoring friends or fans, just my husband, his best friend, and my two children. When my daughters saw the agony on my face, and I saw the look of love and admiration in their eyes, we all cried.
That’s what it’s all about, sisters. Rugged determination. Steadfast obedience. Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hope it will. We don’t always get the results we’re dreaming of or the applause we’re hoping for. But God has called us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus because he’s the one who wrote our life story and promises to help us across the finish line.
So what if no one “extols” you for devoting yourself to the day-after-day, one-foot-in-front-of-the-other race toward becoming the woman God has called you to be? It doesn’t matter. You are not here on earth to be extolled; you are here to extol the Lord, to praise him no matter what, to remain obedient no matter how difficult.
I know you can do it. Just put one foot in front of the other today, and tomorrow, and every day after that, until Jesus comes back or calls you home. Your reward is waiting and it’s a whole lot better than a silly medal.
Affirmation: I’m running my race with perseverance.
Do at least one thing today that you don’t feel like doing. Note what it is: ____________