Strength, Honor, and Joy

 Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Proverbs 31:25

I'm totally into the Proverbs 31 woman.  It's the total embodiment of the Sword and the Rose.  Most woman don't see it that way, but I do.  The verse above is one of my favorites for obvious reasons.  But what I've always mused over isn't necessarily the strength and honor part but the "rejoice in time to come" part.  Why isn't she rejoicing now?  Ad why is that whole concept connected in the same verse with having honor?

It's a promise of rejoicing, but not for the now, for later.  Now is the battle, now is the time when you need to have strength as your clothing and honor in your every deed.  Without a conflict, there wouldn't really be a victory to dance in.  First comes the hard, then comes the rest.

My whole theme is that we're really knights in God's army.  That's where the first part of the verse kicks in, but though I think knights are many things, "joyful" isn't really one of them.  Being sober, not exuberant is the trait of a warrior and and the same for the Proverbs 31 Woman.  For right now.  There will come a time for joy, peace, and laughter for the virtuous woman and the princess warrior.  And that is our promise.  Provers 31 is full of similar promises.  Check it out.