She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. Proverbs 31:14

As I talked about yesterday, when this was written the merchant ships traveled the seas and would stop a ports along the way. Those ships did not enjoy our conveniences of diesel, gasoline, steam or especially nuclear power as some of our naval vessels are powered. They relied on wind and intensive manual labor. But they always got to where they wanted to go. If the wind died down, they resorted to slaves rowing the ship. Often they did that to aid the ship when the sails were set. What would happen, though, if the wind died down and the men could no longer row? The ship would cease to go anywhere. It would be in a dangerous position in the open seas.

Similarly the Proverbs 31 woman (very much applies to men too) needs to rely on the Holy Spirit to move her along. He needs to be guiding. He needs to be motivating and encouraging. But if the woman isn’t “cooperating”, then she really isn’t headed anywhere. She’s out in the open seas trying to fend for herself. Being Spirit filled and connected to the vine, so to speak, just works. We do that by reading the Word of God, meditating upon its precepts, and praying that God will guide and direct. It’s a daily pursuit of the Spirit.