Virtuous Daughters! - No. 63

Psalm 144:12 TLB, “Here is my description of a truly happy land where Jehovah is God: Sons vigorous and tall as growing plants. Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall.”

Last week we talked about raising valiant sons, sharpened, polished and ready for God’s army. But what about our daughters? How are we to raise them? Are they to be part of the army too?

When you think of raising your daughters, I am sure your mind goes to Proverbs 31:10, “Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.” You want your sons to be valiant but you would love your daughters to be virtuous. But what does this word ‘virtuous’ mean? I think you will be surprised to know that it is the Hebrew word ‘chayil’, exactly the same word that is translated ‘valiant’ for our sons!

Our daughters are also part of God’s army. He wants us to raise them to be strong in character. He wants them to grow up strong in faith, strong in truth, strong in godly convictions, strong in submission, strong and unbending in their commitment to virtue and purity and standing strong against all deceptions of the enemy.

Our daughters also need to be strong physically. It is interesting that the Word of God likens our daughters to pillars. We know that pillars have to be strong, strong enough to hold up and bear the weight of a building. A palace is not a small building; it is usually a very large construction and therefore needs especially strong pillars. You would think that God would have likened our sons to pillars, but no, it is our daughters. He wants them to be trained and prepared to be strong enough to bear the weight of raising a family. This is no easy task. They have to be prepared mentally, emotionally and physically. I believe that the reason that most mothers do not enjoy motherhood today is because they came into motherhood mentally unprepared. They were trained for a career in the workforce rather than motherhood and therefore were not mentally and emotionally conditioned for it.

As a young woman I read that it was important to nutritionally prepare your body three years before conceiving a baby. I thought that was good advice at the time, but now I have changed my opinion. I believe that we should start preparing our daughters for future childbearing and the physical commitment of raising a family from the moment they are born. We start by nursing them at the breast, giving them the life-giving food that God wondrously provides for them. As we introduce new foods we continue to give them life-giving whole foods so their bodies grow strong. No serious or intelligent mother should ever allow her children to drink pop and eat the devitalized junk food that is prevalent today. It paves the way for problems!

One springtime, as I walked around the sheep with my father in New Zealand, he remarked, "The ewes are so healthy this year, we have no problem with lambing.” I pricked up my ears. “Yes,” he continued, “if the ewes are on good grass, we have no still births and do not have to help birthing the lambs.” I thought, this is the exactly the same with us. We are what we eat. If we raise our children on living foods, their bodies will grow strong. If they eat dead refined foods, we can expect that they may have physical problems later one during pregnancy and childbirth.

Many parents like to start a bank account for their children when they are born so they will have a substantial amount to set them up in life when they grow older. We should also start a health bank for our children. Pregnancy and childbirth can draw quite a big chunk from their health savings. If it has been continually been built up over the years with healthy life-giving foods, there will be plenty to draw on. When the health bank is low, pregnancy and childbirth can be more difficult. Our bodies were created by God to bear children. It is a natural process. Physical problems in this area reveal a low or nonexistent health bank.

Pillars not only bear weight, but the pillars of a palace are beautiful. They are a feature. God wants us to not only to raise strong daughters, but beautiful daughters. Beautiful in spirit, soul and body. Daughters who walk and act gracefully. Daughters who embrace their femininity and maternalness. Daughters who care about keeping their bodies fit and healthy. The New American Bible translates it this way, “Daughters like carved columns, shapely as those of the temple.”

The King James Version uses the word “cornerstones” in this Scripture. This is also a wonderful meaning. The cornerstone is the most important and prominent stone of a building. The rest of the building takes its direction from the cornerstone. Without the cornerstone the building would be totally out of alignment. As mothers, and as we train our daughters for future mothering, we are the pivot on which the home is built. We are indispensable to the building of a strong home. We determine the character of the home. We set the standard.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, please give me your vision for my daughters. Help me to train them for the purposes that you have destined for them, rather than pressures of our modern society. Give me wisdom as I polish them and prepare them to be beautiful pillars in their homes. Amen.

QUOTE: