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Wrapping Up Our 7-Week Journey… As we come to the end of our 7-week journey through Another 7 Virtues of a Proverbs 31 Woman, I just want to thank you for walking through this study with me. It’s been such a blessing to open God’s Word together each week. I’ll be stepping away for a little while to begin working on our next study, and I’m excited to share that I’ll be revisiting the book of Exodus. This will be a completely refreshed study—not the same one we did seven years ago—with much more depth and added insight. It’s a bigger project, but I’ve already made a good start, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. As soon as I have more details, I’ll be in touch.

As we close the week on discernment, I want to leave you with one final thought.

Discernment isn’t always about choosing between right and wrong. Sometimes it’s about seeking direction—knowing when to step forward and when to step back. A Proverbs 31 woman seeks God’s direction before she moves. She learns to quiet her heart and listen to His.

“She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.” (Proverbs 31:16, NIV)

There’s wisdom in that pause. She doesn’t act on impulse—she moves with intention. And that’s what we need to do too: pause and weigh our decisions in light of God’s will, asking, “Is this from the Lord? Is this His timing, or mine?”

This week, a member in our Facebook group shared something that really stood out to me. She said, “You can’t always find the answer in Scripture. For example: Should I start a new women’s ministry group for moms?”

That’s a real question, isn’t it? And it’s one many of us face in different ways.

She went on to explain that she moved ahead without really seeking the Lord. She did everything right—planned, prepared, advertised, put in the effort. From the outside, it all looked good.

But week after week, no one came.

After four weeks, she quietly let it go.

There’s an important lesson in this. It wasn’t that her idea was wrong. A ministry for moms is a good thing. But even good ideas need God’s direction.

Discernment isn’t just about avoiding sin—it’s about walking in step with the Spirit. It’s about recognizing that timing matters. Direction matters. The Lord’s leading matters.

In moments like these, discernment calls us to seek Him first, to trust His leading, and to rest in His timing.

And how do we grow in discernment? We read our Bibles, we pray, and we slow down long enough to quiet our hearts and listen to His.

That brings us to Acts 16:6–10.

Paul and his companions were traveling, ready to preach the Word. They had a clear mission, a willing heart, and a good plan. But Scripture tells us something surprising:

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.” (Acts 16:6, NIV)

Think about that for a moment.

They were trying to do something good—preach the gospel. And yet, the Holy Spirit stopped them.

It goes on:

“When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” (Acts 16:7, NIV)

Again, not allowed.

So what did they do? They didn’t push ahead. They didn’t force the door open. They waited.

And then came the direction:

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” (Acts 16:9, NIV)

God didn’t just close doors—He redirected them.

And that’s what discernment looks like.

Sometimes the Lord says no. Sometimes He says not yet. And sometimes He leads us somewhere completely different than we expected.

The key is this: Paul didn’t rely on his own plans, even when they were good. He stayed sensitive to the Spirit.

And that’s the invitation for us too.

Before we move ahead—even with something that seems right—let’s ask ourselves, are we bringing it to the Lord? Are we willing to wait for His direction? Are we open to Him changing our plans?

Because discernment isn’t just about making wise choices.

It’s about walking in step with the Spirit, while letting God lead. 

This Week’s Printable

Here is this week’s printable. Click the image to view and print a higher resolution.