Through Wisdom a House is Built ~ A Practical Application

"Through wisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

~ Proverbs 24:3-4

What I love about the Scriptures is that many verses have a practical meaning along with a spiritual lesson. The one appeals to the Martha in me while the other nourishes the Mary in me. Another joy is when a verse suddenly presents itself in a new light and you enjoy the moments of meditating and delighting in its truths as you perform your daily duties. Such has been the case with Proverbs 24:3-4 as of late.

Over a decade ago, I was a different woman. Much of my time was spent strolling through the malls and seeing what I could find "and needed" to buy in the stores. I was not building my house, nor filling my rooms with riches. In fact, the only thing I was building our home with was debt and the only thing I was filling it with was clutter. When extra time was on my hands, I was reading stacks of novels (though they were inspirational and the classics, it was all that I read). I remember the day I soaked in the words from one of my first "encouraging" books that a God-fearing woman in our church shared with me. The author suggested that we women try and insert a nonfiction book in between each fiction book that we read. As I did have a desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman and didn't know where to start, I felt this would be an excellent beginning to my new career.

And so the journey began! Before I treated myself with a favorite fiction book, I forced myself to read something spiritually uplifting and/or practical for running the home (hobby books are a great start!). The Homemaker's Mentor magazines (unfortunately they are out of print) were among the first in the homemaking category and I was at once hooked into the world of a Titus 2 woman! I began to take an interest in all things home. Whether it be the building of a prudent pantry, the chemical-free and frugal way to clean, the thrifty and nourishing way to cook, the healthy and herbal way to heal, the proper way to preserve food, and so forth. I began to devour books on the biblical role of women and prayerfully attempted to apply its truths. 

And do you know what miraculously happened? Those great big malls didn't seem necessary anymore. In fact, the challenge of reusing, recycling, and repurposing became a lot more enjoyable. Those stacks of novels began to lose their luster as well. Though I still enjoy a "good read", I find myself craving more information on how to do "all things home" and that is now where my heart is! This brings me back to the practical aspect of the proverb.

When we apply the biblical wisdom of the Scriptures in our home, we are building it. When we seek to understand what He is writing directly to us women, we can see the created order of things and our direction is established. And when we began to apply the spiritual truths and basic, practical skills of the Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 woman, it is through this knowledge that we begin to fill the rooms of our home with "precious and pleasant riches"!

What do these riches look like? Practically speaking, they can be endless blessings manifested in a multitude of ways! Perhaps they are jars of brightly colored home-canned pickles and preserves (like that of a gourmet store!), a freezer filled with pre-made, home-made food (ready to bless someone in need), beds piled high with hand-sewn blankets and quilts (everyone stays warm and cozy), a cabinet filled with hand-made herbal remedies (a well stocked home apothecary), a garden filled with fresh and healthy produce (a farmer's market), walls and shelves beautifully adorned with the work of your hands (a lovely atmosphere), soups simmering on the stove (a nourishing home), cakes baking in the oven (a whole foods bakery), flowers growing in your yard (endless bouquets), closets organized neat and tidy (order and peace reign), tables set with love, and most importantly-- the intentional grace, patience and care you show your husband and children and everyone else God puts in your path.

Instead of haunting the malls, I have found second hand stores to be such a blessing for providing the needs in our home and at a fraction of the price. In fact, I remember the beginning of this era in my life when my cake beaters gave up the ghost. I was with my mother at Macy's and she pointed out a brand new set for $60. I told her these were way over my budget and I would keep looking. The very next week I made my way to a Goodwill Store in search of a "new" skirt. Lo and behold, a brand new set of Kitchen Aid brand beaters presented themselves for only $4.99! Needless to say, my retail days were 90% over!

Through the knowledge gained in food preservation books, blogs and resourceful women, I have been able to pack my pantry full of food for at least half the retail price and with less preservatives and artificial flavors. There is no need for a daily grocery store run as we have one in our home! In hard times, this is treasure indeed!

When I take those moments to stitch something pretty up or to patch what we have, I am practicing what our foremothers have done before us, creativity and practicality through a common needle and thread.

When I utilize the information found in health and herb books to feed and care for my family, I am  able to produce rows of natural homemade medicine for pennies! What satisfaction to have them lined up along our shelves as a sign of loving provision. When I implement those healthy recipes and cooking strategies, I am building good nutrition around our table. When both are implemented, we find doctor visits have almost disappeared. Health is wealth!

And the list goes on! Whether it be wisdom in first aid and CPR, knitting, crocheting, animal husbandry, crafting, candle-making, beekeeping, soap-making, cookery and so forth...

By acquiring knowledge and skills for our family, we have the opportunity to physically and spiritually fill our rooms "with all precious and pleasant riches".  There is much satisfaction in this kind of home-building and there is still so much to learn! But I am enjoying the challenge of becoming a professional Proverbs 31 woman! It is my chosen vocation and I will continue to take it seriously. I will study, learn and gain knowledge whenever that chance appears. With each time we honor our husband, with each child that we love, each devotional we apply, each homemaking tip we learn, with each penny that we save, with each sickness we help heal, with each healthy recipe we serve, with each item we add to our pantry, we are building up our homes and I can't think of a better investment of time! This is the day to put off that "boring homemaking notion" and treat it as the art that it is! We are treasure-makers when we spiritually and practically apply the knowledge we glean! Let us gather the "tools" and begin to build ladies!

"Through wisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

~ Proverbs 24:3-4

"Every wise woman buildeth her house..."

~ Proverbs 14:1

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