In this portrait of a remarkable woman, Proverbs 31:30 provides the key to her noble character and activities: all she does flows out from who she is-″a woman who fears the Lord″. Charm can be a covering and outer beauty can come and go; for this woman, however, no matter her age or mood, reverence for God will be the persistent, lifelong motivating factor in life.

So the book of Proverbs ends as it began, stressing reverence for God (1:7 and 31:30) as the beginning of knowledge and the motivation for the lifestyle of righteousness.

Scientific study, which is based on experiment and observation, does not yield answers to life's biggest questions like: ″Who am I?″, ″Why am I here?″, ″What is life about?″, and ″Where am I going?″ Science cannot answer these questions conclusively as they fall outside the field of experiment and observation; only God can, so we rely on revelation-His Word-to give us understanding. We learn to interpret all of life through the lens of His Word, the Bible.

Throughout this book, our definition of wisdom has been living according to God's ways. This means not ignoring, mocking, or trying to manipulate Him, but revering and trusting Him.

True wisdom means fearing the Lord and living according to His purpose. God's purpose is to glorify himself as both Creator and Redeemer: He is the Owner, first by right of creation, and then again by right of purchase, which He paid for with the life and death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in understanding the purpose of God that we have the answers to these bigger questions.

In New Testament terms, the life of wisdom is the life that is lived in Christ, who is God's wisdom in the flesh (John 1:14). This life is one that is lived in repentance and faith towards God, and in harmony with His plan for dealing with sin and bringing in the new creation. As twice-owned people belonging to God by right of creation and by right of redemption, we are to live a redeemed lifestyle patterned after Jesus' life and in accordance with the exhortations of the New Testament.

By thy blood, O spotless lamb,
Shed so willingly for me,
Let my heart be all thine own,
Let me live to thee alone.
-F. R. Havergal