A Wise Woman's Hands

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.  Proverbs 31:20

I was reading in Proverbs the other day and paused when I came to this verse.  The Holy Spirit prompted me to do some "digging deeper," so I began to look at that verse.  Immediately I noticed a few words:  "hand," "poor," "hands," and "needy."    In our modern language, we think of poor and needy as being "one in the same."  But the Lord has hidden something special for us.

Look at the word "hand"---"she stretcheth out her HAND."  The Hebrew word for hand is:  kaphaph~ which means "hollow or flat of the hand, palm."  

The word "poor" in Hebrew is:  anah, which describes someone who is afflicted or depressed, brought "low" or "humbled." 

Things began to get interesting when I looked up the word "HANDS"---plural.  The form of this word is referring to an OPEN hand, as opposed to the first "hand" in the verse--which depicts a closed hand. 

A discouraged or depressed person needs someone to walk with them, hand in hand, by their side, to minister to their emotional needs.  While walking hand in hand with this "poor-in-spirit" person, the virtuous woman sees them through the eyes of her Father, and will point them to Him..for only He can truly meet their deepest need in such dark and discouraging times.  

She stretches out her hand to the discouraged heart because more than likely that person has withdrawn from others.  Do you know anyone who has withdrawn from their normal day-to-day routine?  Despair pulls a person away from a source of Godly strength:  other Christians who are walking in the Spirit.   Stretch our your hand to this one, and then don't let go.  Walk with them, listen to them, or just be there in silence, as the two of you walk hand in hand through the darkness until the Son-shine breaks through the clouds.

The last part of this verse refers to her hands being OPEN....always giving to the needy---the person who is "in want"---actually NEEDS something.  The virtuous woman will have the means to meet the needs of others who are lacking....and she keeps her hands open constantly outpouring her gifts to others in need.  The Lord sees He can trust her with big blessings because she doesn't keep her fists closed; instead she's always reaching out to others, giving, not taking.

Her hands are an extension of the Father's.

During the Christmas season especially, there are many "poor" and "needy" people around us.  Someone may have lost a loved one and this is their first Christmas without that loved one.  Life's circumstances may have them completely overwhelmed and seemingly with "nowhere" to turn, except within.   STRETCH out your hand, take their hand and walk with them.  Be there for them.   There may be others who wonder how in the world they will meet their monthly bills, much less give their children a few gifts under the tree.  Do you have something to share?   A meal?  A box of Christmas cards with stamps, that they may not even be able to afford to send this year?   It doesn't take much, especially when they have so many needs.  Relief is only an outstretched hand away.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

What a wise woman she is.  And God can safely trust her because her eyes are looking outward, to others.  "How can I be a blessing to a broken heart?  How can I meet a need today?"   This is just one verse in the description of a virtuous woman....to read the entire description and try to "measure up" to her can leave a woman's heart feeling defeated.  HOWEVER, I believe that each morning she met her Heavenly Father in the quiet hours before dawn, and asked Him to direct her steps and keep her "eyes peeled" for Divine Appointments, and being totally dependant on the Divine Enabling of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His will through her willing heart.   She first reaches her hands up to the Father for Him to fill them with whatever she will need to pour out that day.   This indeed is a virtuous woman.  

She looks to Her Provider to fill her hands with something she can give to others.

There's another pair of hands I'm thinking of right now. . .the hands of our Savior. . .He walked with the poor and discouraged, ministered to their needs, and then opened up His hands and stretched them out to be nailed to a tree...the cross of Calvary.  The outpouring from His hands was His precious blood---the blood that cleanses us from all our unrighteousness!  Let's remember our hands are an extension of His.  Each day we are to die to "self" and as we do, we'll become more like Him.  We can extend His gift of salvation to everyone around us if only we'll lift our hands to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to fill us with every need and enable us to share the outpouring of His dear Son's sacrificial gift on Calvary.





(from Photobucket)

Thank You dear Father for this precious hidden treasure...all You wanted me to do was a little digging..and there it was, a wonderful visual and valuable lesson to learn.  Help me be more like this virtuous woman.  So many others are hurting and lonely, or are in dire straits financially.   Please help me be a blessing to these hearts, especially during this Christmas season---what better time than when we celebrate the Gift of Your Love to us---Your dear Son, Jesus.  
In Jesus' Name, Amen.