Woman of Strength

Genesis 6

“She is clothed with strength and dignity.”

Proverbs 31:25

The saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman”, is a statement

that rings true on many different levels. To be a Godly wife means one is

supportive, loving, encouraging, nurturing, and above all, praying for the

needs of her husband. It may not always be the easiest position, but it is one

that has great rewards even if at the time things seem to go unnoticed.

In Genesis chapter 6 we read the familiar story of Noah and his family.

God had found him to be the only righteous man on earth along with his

three sons, their wives and Noah’s wife. God had told Noah He was going to

flood the earth, and that Noah was to build an ark in which his family would

be saved. In chapter 7 we read how, 100 years later, the ark was finally

finished. Noah got his whole family and the animals into this gigantic ark, and

then the flood came. This family lived in this ark for about a year, and then,

when the waters receded, they were able to come out and begin their lives

anew. It is a great story and Noah is to be commended for the enormous task

he undertook, along with his family. The amazing part of this story is that,

while we know Noah’s name along with his son’s names, we have no record

of anything about Noah’s wife. We don’t know her name, what she was like,

what she felt about any of this – we know nothing. Some might argue it is no

big issue that her name is not mentioned, that it’s not important or relevant to

the bigger picture of what took place. Because of this she tends to be

overlooked. While it is true God told Noah to build this ark, we have to

remember this affected his wife as well. Imagine what that conversation must

have been like, when Noah came and told her what God had told him.

Imagine the look upon her face and how many questions that soon came to

follow. Imagine how this totally interrupted their lives as well as their son’s.

For them the fact that rain was going to come and flood the earth was a new

concept – it had to have sounded ludicrous. It had to have even sounded

scary and confusing for all of them. I’m sure they prayed as a family, and

sought God for what was to come. I imagine that even Noah’s wife privately

sought her God for the strength she knew they would all need. I’m sure she

also dealt with fear and hesitation at times and had to rely upon God to help

her and her family get through it all.

I also picture her daily, once this process got started, taking food and

water to her family as they worked tirelessly on that ark. I picture all the love

and encouragement she had to have given her husband as he and his sons

became most likely the laughing stock of the town. I’m sure she herself had

people coming to her telling her that her husband was crazy along with her

children. That she was married to a lunatic and she was also crazy for going

along with it all, and yet she remained strong. She remained faithful and

strong to her family, to her husband and above all to her God. She knew God

had commanded Noah to build this ark, and year after year I believe she held

fast in her support and strength. I picture Noah coming in after a long day’s

work with bloody hands and her wiping the blood from them, or wrapping up

his hands from the blisters and, in effect, remaining strong for him so he

could remain strong until that ark was built.

Then when that day finally came, I believe they as a family celebrated –

celebrated and thanked God for the work He had enabled them to do. I

believe that Noah’s wife most likely was even more glad it was done. Glad

that her husband and sons were able to complete that task; for no one could

have possibly imagined it would take around 100 years to build. Then when

the animals started to come they again, I believe, knew even more that Noah

had heard God correctly, and for that I’m sure they were all relieved and even

more convinced this was what they were to do.

So, while God may not ask you, as a wife, to support your husband in

the building of a gigantic ark in your front yard, He is asking you to be a

woman of strength even if you feel you are overlooked and no one notices.

He is asking that you continue to be that Godly woman who will pray,

support, love, encourage, nurture and take care of the needs of not only your

family, but your husband as well. You see, for Noah’s wife, while she may not

have physically built that ark, she was the glue needed to keep her sons and

husband going. It was the glue that helped them complete the task God had

set before them, and in turn what helped bring out the greatness in all of

them. It was in fact the glue that helped enable them to keep going. In the

end, their lives were saved in part because of the role she played by being that

Godly woman of strength.

You need to remember what you do for your family and husband never

goes unnoticed by God – never. God sees and hears every act and will bring a

blessing about because of it. Just as in Noah’s case, he was a great man of

God who was, above all, obedient even though it cost him greatly. Yet at the

end of the day, as he came home, it was his wife who lent him the support

and strength he needed. Although Noah’s wife may not be mentioned by

name, she is, however, remembered by God for her selfless acts. She is also to

be remembered by us for her Godly strength, and serves as a reminder of how

we can be that strong, supportive Godly wife to our husbands as well. She

serves as a reminder that even though our job as a wife and or mother may seem to be behind the scenes, it is always up front and personal to God and is

more valuable than anyone knows.

From The Noble Woman Book, by Gina Burns.