Proverbs 31:11
"The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain"
The word heart is the Hebrew word leb which means the internal part of a person; the soul of the person. In this case, the husband of an excellent wife just deeply counts on his wife to be doing good things. He never even wonders whether she is cheating, scheming, or gossiping about him.
The word trust is batah which means to trust in, feel safe, be confident of. This means that the characteristic quality of a husband who is married to an excellent wife is that he never wonders if she is doing bad things. It just doesn't enter his mind. She just wouldn't do it.
This is an interesting and much more biblical test of one person's character. Look at the trust level of the people they deal with. Would the people who have to work with you say that they completely trust you or that you are unreliable? Do the people around you have complete confidence that whatever you are doing is a good thing and will result in benefit for them and the group?
Ladies, does your husband, without thinking, just trust in you? Congratulations, you qualify for the title "virtuous wife." Your responsibility is to continue building that trust and not give him any reason to not trust you. If you have violated that trust, then begin rebuilding it; do not continue to violate it. On a personal note, I would want to let you know that I am a blessed man – my wife is an absolute jewel and I am able to have complete confidence in her, her wisdom, her discipline, her plans, and her speech.
The word gain is the Hebrew word salal which is plunder. This is an interesting evaluational technique also as the proverb says that one of the characteristics of an excellent or virtuous wife is that she produces positive gain that was not there before the husband married her. He is aware of the fact that without her, he would have less.
This is one of the tests of wisdom stated in a different way. Does the choice I am about to make cause those around me to win? Do they gain by what I am about to do?
As you evaluate whether you are a positive influence in the life of the people around you, ask yourself if you have caused them to gain, profit, and be enriched because they know you. This gain does not have to be only materially.
I would say, without hesitation, that I have gained immeasurably in hundreds of ways because of marrying my wife. I have gained emotionally, physically, socially, financially, mentally, vocationally, relationally, personally, verbally, in depth, and in a thousand ways she has enriched my life. She has truly been a virtuous wife.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz