"Don't wait in ambush at the home of the godly, and don't raid the house where the godly live. The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked", (Proverbs 24:15, 16). What a great promise! Not that we won't get knocked down, but He promises that we will get back up! The two verses prior, Proverbs 24:13, 14, show us we can look forward to God providing for our hopes and bright futures:
"My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honecomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short", (Proverbs 24:13, 14).
The word says we need to find wisdom. Where does wisdom hide? God's wisdom is in His word. Any commandment or instruction or direction from God contains His wisdom. We've seen that we can be wise in our own eyes, but that's using our wisdome, not God's. God's wisdom comes from him and there is no other source - it's all Him. Ok, so we read God's word and see his wisdom, is that the same as finding it? This word "find" means to come forth to; to attain; to appear; to exist; to meet or be present; to be able. It's not just setting your eyes on it, but attaining it, having it come forth to you; having it appear and exist, where it meets you and is then present with you. We've got to put wisdom on, clothe ourselves in it, if you will, in order to find it. Finding it allows it to be a part of us.
"If you need wisdom, ask our genorous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking", (James 1:5). Remember, God wants us to have wisdom. He has provided it so we can live a prosperous life. But He wants to make sure that our faith is in Him alone, and that we're not going to go back and forth, believing His word and then believing someone or something else. We need to abide by God's word day and night!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
31 Day Challenge - Day 23
"Don't envy sinners, but alway continue to fear the Lord. You will be rewarded for this, your hope will not be disappointed. My child, listen and be wise; keep your heart on the right course," (Proverbs 23:17 - 19).
It's difficult to not be envious of those that have more than we do, or those who do bad things but never seem to get caught or get in trouble or suffer. No, those are the folks that seem to prosper - why is it that way?
I remember when I was working back in the 80's, a supervisor, we'll call her Libby, was not well liked by her employees. One of those employees encouraged the others to give Libby a chance, but the six other employees weren't interested.
It was an especially stressful time for the loyal employee. She was almost eight months pregnant and she was determined to work up until the very last moment. Sometime at the end of this ladies seventh month she discovered that her supervisor, Libby, who had been married less than a year, was having an affair with her own manager, we'll call him Ted. The employee, who was a Christian, almost immediately began to be targeted by her supervisor with unreasonable requests and requirements, something that was not happening to the other employees. The attacks, false accusations and unreasonable requests increased and soon Libby put the employee on probation, even though the pregnant woman would be going out on maternity leave at the end of that week. What was the employee to do? Should she retaliate? After all, relationships with your superiors was frowned upon in the work place. Why is it that this supervisor and her manager got away with unprofessional behavior and inappropriate relationships? What should the employee's response be?
The employee didn't turn upper management in, but she did have to defend herself against the accusations. In the end, Libby was fired, the employee returned to her job after maternity leave and even received a promotion not long after. God was in control! God is in control! We just need to continue to follow after righteousness.
It's difficult to not be envious of those that have more than we do, or those who do bad things but never seem to get caught or get in trouble or suffer. No, those are the folks that seem to prosper - why is it that way?
I remember when I was working back in the 80's, a supervisor, we'll call her Libby, was not well liked by her employees. One of those employees encouraged the others to give Libby a chance, but the six other employees weren't interested.
It was an especially stressful time for the loyal employee. She was almost eight months pregnant and she was determined to work up until the very last moment. Sometime at the end of this ladies seventh month she discovered that her supervisor, Libby, who had been married less than a year, was having an affair with her own manager, we'll call him Ted. The employee, who was a Christian, almost immediately began to be targeted by her supervisor with unreasonable requests and requirements, something that was not happening to the other employees. The attacks, false accusations and unreasonable requests increased and soon Libby put the employee on probation, even though the pregnant woman would be going out on maternity leave at the end of that week. What was the employee to do? Should she retaliate? After all, relationships with your superiors was frowned upon in the work place. Why is it that this supervisor and her manager got away with unprofessional behavior and inappropriate relationships? What should the employee's response be?
The employee didn't turn upper management in, but she did have to defend herself against the accusations. In the end, Libby was fired, the employee returned to her job after maternity leave and even received a promotion not long after. God was in control! God is in control! We just need to continue to follow after righteousness.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
31 Day Challenge - Day 22
"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it",
(Proverbs 22:6). This is one of the most popular scriptures among Christian parents. Especially as our children reach their teen years, we like to quote this scripture as encouragement through trying times. The first focus is on us, that we are being obedient to the command of The Lord to bring our children up, or as the NLT says, direct them onto the right path. I appreciate that it does not say that if I direct them onto the correct path they will not depart, it says they will not depart when they are old. The implication to me is that the child has to do some growing, some maturing. They need to acquire understanding, and yes, that word, WISDOM. Isn't that interesting, that's exactly what happened in my life. I had to go through some trials and tribulations before I began to fear the Lord; before I received any wisdom. What a comfort to know that it's okay if children stray. It's not especially comfortable or enjoyable, but we do not need to feel the pressure of raising perfect children. Nor do we need to experience guilt when our children don't turn out as we want or desire them to. It allows them to be individuals, with individual lives, mistakes, challenges and personal testimonies. Their growing and learning is not about us - it's about them, and about their Maker maturing, making and molding them into His plan and purpose.
Oh, Lord, give me grace to raise my children, give me peace and love to let them be who they are, give me hope to trust who you've called them to be and give me wisdom to know that YOU have everything under control! I love you Lord!!
(Proverbs 22:6). This is one of the most popular scriptures among Christian parents. Especially as our children reach their teen years, we like to quote this scripture as encouragement through trying times. The first focus is on us, that we are being obedient to the command of The Lord to bring our children up, or as the NLT says, direct them onto the right path. I appreciate that it does not say that if I direct them onto the correct path they will not depart, it says they will not depart when they are old. The implication to me is that the child has to do some growing, some maturing. They need to acquire understanding, and yes, that word, WISDOM. Isn't that interesting, that's exactly what happened in my life. I had to go through some trials and tribulations before I began to fear the Lord; before I received any wisdom. What a comfort to know that it's okay if children stray. It's not especially comfortable or enjoyable, but we do not need to feel the pressure of raising perfect children. Nor do we need to experience guilt when our children don't turn out as we want or desire them to. It allows them to be individuals, with individual lives, mistakes, challenges and personal testimonies. Their growing and learning is not about us - it's about them, and about their Maker maturing, making and molding them into His plan and purpose.
Oh, Lord, give me grace to raise my children, give me peace and love to let them be who they are, give me hope to trust who you've called them to be and give me wisdom to know that YOU have everything under control! I love you Lord!!
31 Day Challenge - Day 21
It's difficult sometimes not to want people who do bad things to get in trouble. We see someone cheat and we want them to get caught. We see someone mistreat a person and we want to go and tell them about themselves. The culprit may not even think they've done something wrong, but what we forget is that God knows the heart and that's what He is concerned about, the heart (Proverbs 21:2).
There are moments when we're told by the Lord to give up something or to offer our best, and we give it up half heartedly or we offer someone our second best, but again God is looking at our heart, for "obedience is better than sacrafice", (I Sam 15:22), or said another way, "the Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just thn when we offer him sacrifices", (Prov. 21:3).
Life is full of lessons that must be learned and if we don't learn them the first time, we are doomed to repeat them. And yet the King of kings and The Lord of lords offers us wisdom freely so we can find life, righteousness and honor, we just need to pursue it, (21:21). When we pursue righteousness and wisdom, we find choosing the right thing to be a much easier way of living than choosing the wrong thing. It's finding peace and joy in Him and wondering why we didn't submit our life to Him sooner.
Monday, October 21, 2013
31 Day Challenge - Day 20
The Proverbs are full of words of wisdom. Everything in it is wise words to live by. We must be careful, though, not to just be readers of the word, but to be doers of the word. Proverbs won't help us if we don't follow what is written.
"The goldly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them", (Prov. 20:7). The New King James words it "The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." What a beautiful promise! We all want our children to be blessed. So what is it we have to do to acquire that?
First, if we are, in fact, godly - if we are righteous, then we will walk with integrity. Righteous living produces integrity. Walking in integrity yields blessings on our children. Simple? Maybe - maybe not. What is integrity?
Integrity is defined in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, as faithful support of a standard of values. Different words we could interchange with integrity are uprightness, righteousness, blameless, not wavering. We must be steadfast in our walk with the Lord, not tossed to and fro. What we do in the Lord, for the Lord and through the Lord must not change. But how do we accomplish that on a daily basis? We must be living by the word; reading it daily, not compromising on what God is telling us to do. We must submit to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How do we know if we are doing what we're supposed to? It starts with literally living by the word once we've made a confession to Christ and invited Him into our heart to be Lord and savior. The measuring stick of how we are doing can always be the word of God. How our life compares to what the scriptures say!
"The goldly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them", (Prov. 20:7). The New King James words it "The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." What a beautiful promise! We all want our children to be blessed. So what is it we have to do to acquire that?
First, if we are, in fact, godly - if we are righteous, then we will walk with integrity. Righteous living produces integrity. Walking in integrity yields blessings on our children. Simple? Maybe - maybe not. What is integrity?
Integrity is defined in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, as faithful support of a standard of values. Different words we could interchange with integrity are uprightness, righteousness, blameless, not wavering. We must be steadfast in our walk with the Lord, not tossed to and fro. What we do in the Lord, for the Lord and through the Lord must not change. But how do we accomplish that on a daily basis? We must be living by the word; reading it daily, not compromising on what God is telling us to do. We must submit to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How do we know if we are doing what we're supposed to? It starts with literally living by the word once we've made a confession to Christ and invited Him into our heart to be Lord and savior. The measuring stick of how we are doing can always be the word of God. How our life compares to what the scriptures say!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
31 Day Challenge - Day 19
"Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives" (Proverbs 19:18). This particular verse in Proverbs 19 does not use the word wisdom or wise and yet we know that it is a verse of wisdom for parents. Children can become too old or too spoiled, to receive a word from their parents. They can begin to do what seems right in their own eyes. God gives us parents an opportunity to speak into our children's lives from the time of birth to around age of 18. Sometimes we get more time, sometimes we get less. But it's important that we take advantage of that opportunity. We must take our parental responsibility seriously. It could one day be a matter of life and death some day.
At times, God could give us an additional opportunity or extended time with our children, but that doesn't take the place of the original time we are given to "bring up a child in the way that they should go".
If you feel like you've missed your time, pray and ask God for His wisdom and guidance. There is nothing impossible for our Lord! He can provide that discipline for our children that we weren't able to give through us or others. He can provide opportunities and situations for growth. But, if we have an opportunity to guide them while they are young, that's the best situation for everyone concerned.
The Lord shows us through the Proverbs what happens when our children don't get this discipline or if the discipling we offer doesn't take root. We read "a foolish child is a calamity to a father" (19:13), or, "Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace" (19:26). We read that when a child stops listening to instruction, he will turn his back on knowledge" (19:28). It doesn't have to be a terminal situation, but it will most likely be painful for both you and your child.
What we can take away from this is to use wisdom and take the time to discipline our children while there is hope. God will forgive and He will forget the sin, but the law of consequences don't have to be as kind!
At times, God could give us an additional opportunity or extended time with our children, but that doesn't take the place of the original time we are given to "bring up a child in the way that they should go".
If you feel like you've missed your time, pray and ask God for His wisdom and guidance. There is nothing impossible for our Lord! He can provide that discipline for our children that we weren't able to give through us or others. He can provide opportunities and situations for growth. But, if we have an opportunity to guide them while they are young, that's the best situation for everyone concerned.
The Lord shows us through the Proverbs what happens when our children don't get this discipline or if the discipling we offer doesn't take root. We read "a foolish child is a calamity to a father" (19:13), or, "Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace" (19:26). We read that when a child stops listening to instruction, he will turn his back on knowledge" (19:28). It doesn't have to be a terminal situation, but it will most likely be painful for both you and your child.
What we can take away from this is to use wisdom and take the time to discipline our children while there is hope. God will forgive and He will forget the sin, but the law of consequences don't have to be as kind!
31 Day Challenge - Day 18
Is God concerned with what we say and how we say it? We saw yesterday that "a truly wise person uses few words" (Prov. 17:27). But what about the words we do use? Is wisdom a part of our speech? How do our conversations affect our relationships?
In Proverbs 18, with it's 24 verses, 12 of those verses have words that describe a type of communication. Let's look at the verses that describe communicating with wisdom: "Wise words are like deep waters" (18:4). Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful people" (18:18). Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction" (18:20).
What about the verses that don't refer to the use of wisdom in speech: "Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense" (18:1). "Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their opinion" (18:2). "Fools' words get them into constant quarrels: they are asking for a beating" (18:6). "The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips" (18:7). "Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart" (18:8). Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish" (18:13). "The first to speak in court sounds right - until the cross-examination begins" (18:17). "Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful people" (18:18). Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars" (18: 19). "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences" (18:21).
Reading Proverbs 18 makes me consider my own conversations. Am I speaking with purpose? Am I slow to speak and quick to listen? Am I using my words wisely? Is God pleased with what I have to say all of the time? Something to consider!
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In Proverbs 18, with it's 24 verses, 12 of those verses have words that describe a type of communication. Let's look at the verses that describe communicating with wisdom: "Wise words are like deep waters" (18:4). Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful people" (18:18). Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction" (18:20).
What about the verses that don't refer to the use of wisdom in speech: "Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense" (18:1). "Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their opinion" (18:2). "Fools' words get them into constant quarrels: they are asking for a beating" (18:6). "The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips" (18:7). "Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one's heart" (18:8). Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish" (18:13). "The first to speak in court sounds right - until the cross-examination begins" (18:17). "Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful people" (18:18). Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars" (18: 19). "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences" (18:21).
Reading Proverbs 18 makes me consider my own conversations. Am I speaking with purpose? Am I slow to speak and quick to listen? Am I using my words wisely? Is God pleased with what I have to say all of the time? Something to consider!
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