Proverbs 17 "Bribes"

"A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it,
 wherever he turns, he succeeds." Proverbs 17:9

Have you ever been bribed? Maybe you've done the bribing?

I bribe my kids all the time.

"Clean your room and we'll play a game."

"After your school work, we'll have caramel apples."

We have chore charts that allow them to earn $.25 a day when completed.

In all these bribes, I'm holding the charm, the reward, and I will succeed. I get a good deal at every turn. Toys get picked up in at least one room and I get to enjoy a fun 10 min playing a game with my kids. The caramel apple reward helps keep them on task, getting their lessons done in a timely manner. I don't lose my sanity and we all get a treat. Chore charts teach responsibility while I get help with fixing beds and other daily duties. They earn money and I get the opportunity to teach them the value of it. I bribe. I gain. I'm happy.

While I try to be fair and intentional when I bribe, we have an enemy who only bribes for his gain.

We might not give in to the first bribe or temptation, but he returns when our resolve is not at its peak and we might oblige to him. One time can't hurt, right? It felt good. It was fun. It thrilled me.

While the initial feeling may be satisfying, we can be sure, eventually it will bring ruin. We can be sure that Satan is benefiting most. He caught us in his trap. Now, he's waiting for the perfect time to use our sin against us. Inevitably, the perfect time he chooses is in front of God.

"the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10

How perfectly rotten of him.

Praise the Lord, that ultimately Satan, the accuser will be overthrown and spend his eternity in complete agony.

But the fact is, right now he holds little bribes for us. He dangles them around like little charms. Like pretty, sparkling, glittering ornaments. We get to chose whether or not to take one. We have the option whether or not to reach out and take one. Be wise! Think! Recognize the temptations, the charms, for what they are. Do not settle for a little glittering charm when there's a much greater treasure to be had.

Look beyond. Look higher. Look to the greater things of God. "Go for the gold!" The gold He has in store for you! And, friend, it's real gold! Streets and streets and streets of it!

Pray with me.

Lord, when we are tempted, help us recognize the bribe for what it is. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit to nudge us and remind us and make us aware of what is not from You. Let us not grow callus to Your gentle reminders that guide our hearts in the way of truth and righteousness. Thank you for Your gift of life. May we never grow weary of doing good, giving the enemy nothing to accuse us of. Amen.

Proverbs 16 "Change Your Plans"

Today we have a plan. Tomorrow we have a plan. We all have plans. We constantly make plans. If we want to achieve anything in life, we must plan.

"To man belong the plans of the heart,
 but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue." Proverbs 16:1

"In his heart a man plans his course,
 but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

So we can plan all we want. Plans belong to us. But ultimately God gives the OK. God allows. God disallows. All for His own plan.

"The Lord works out everything for His own ends," Proverbs 16:4

Whether it matches with our plans or not. Whether it suits us or not. Whether we understand it or not, He's working all things out according to His great plan. To a better end than we could ever plan or imagine. We need to learn to be OK with that. 

Be OK the rough times. Be OK with the painful times. Be OK with the dark times. Be OK with the unknown, knowing and trust that He's got a greater plan.

We read a few more passages about plans in this chapter.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
 and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"When a mans ways are pleasing to the Lord,
 He makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7

How interesting that even my enemies and I can be peaceable. Why? Well, since God works all things for His own gain, He's more than capable to soften and direct the hearts of my enemies. All so that His great plan may come to be.

Yes, He allows trouble with enemies, but again only for His gain. Maybe we have something to learn. Or maybe, through trouble He can use us to display His greatness, bring the unbeliever one step closer to Him. One step closer to another story that glorifies Him.

So go ahead and make your plans. But ultimately, commit your way to the Lord, being ready to reroute, rearrange or redo, and your plans will succeed in much more satisfying ways than you could ever imagine.

Proverbs 15 "Joy Muscles"

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful" Prverbs 15:13

"the cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart," Proverbs 15:30

The common denominator in these three verses is happiness. We all know and love a joyful person. We are drawn to any person who looks happy and cheerful. We want in on their secret. A taste of whatever they have to offer.

Why, do some people always seem joyful? While others struggle to put a smile on their face? Sure, we have rough times due to deaths, health, consequences of sin, etc. but we're told 'don't lose your joy'. Your spark. Your hope. But, how is that even possible? I mean, life gets tough. We get rocked to the core. Our breath gets taken away. We can't move. It's hard to feel....anything.

How can we be expected to find joy in that? Should we just slap a smile on and fake it till we make it?

I've tried that.

It worked.

And then it didn't work.

Life got all up in my face and the situation was twice as messed up and hard to deal with. So don't do that.

It's ok to cry and mourn and weep and rely on others when you can't stand on our own. But, don't you dare lose the joy of the Lord.

"the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Here's a thought- The joy of the Lord is where I flex my muscles! :) Need a divine workout? Try joy!

You can bet, the enemy knows joy is your strength, even more than you do. You are strong when you find joy in the Lord. You are a force to be reckoned with when you set your eyes and heart on the Lord. When your unwavering faith is that He will pull you through and your hope is in His promises, you will find a joy unmatchable! You will cling to that joy, even if its just a little spark, because it makes you strong. It secures your hope. Even if its a small joy, an itty bitty joy, its still a joy. It's still a light that the enemy can not squelch.

Oh, he'll try. He'll try hard. But, he can't, because in joy you are flexing a God muscle. He can't because you want joy. You weren't made by a sad God, so He didn't give you a longing for sadness. No, He planted a deep longing in you to want joy. To want light and life. And, when you hold on to even the smallest spark of joy, you defeat the enemy with your God muscle.

This joy will grow. It will fill you with strength and courage. Then, it will spill over and radiate from your very being. You will smile more, laugh more and enjoy more, because of your strength in joy.

You'll have a cheerful look when you flex your joy muscle. You'll find life much more live-able. It will become a continual feast, a continual reason to celebrate with Him.

Where can we find things to celebrate in the midst of great trial? When we don't feel like or simply can't see light in all the pain?

Consider the small things:

Marvel at flower.

Listen to a childs laughter.

Watch a sunrise/sunset.

Listen to the birds chirping.

See the stars twinkling.

Watch the clouds everchanging.

Feel the wind.

Listen to the rain.

The joy of the Lord.

Your strength.

Your strength for the next moment. Your strength for the next hour. Your strength for this day. Your strength every day.

Don't you dare let the enemy take away your joy muscle! Flex it. Feel it. Look at it. Show it off.

The more you use it, the stronger it becomes!

The joy of the Lord is your strength!

Proverbs 14 "Build Your Home"

 "The wise woman builds her house,
 but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

While a wise woman could build her house, because she is to work vigorously and be physically strong (Proverbs 31:17), that is not what this verse is talking about. The building, fixing, providing, leading, protecting, all the muscle stuff is the mans role. Turning a pile of wood and nails into a house is the job for your husband, if he's willing to physically build a house.

If not, and because its often faster, easier and safer to just buy a premade pile of wood and nails....just saying ;)...he's still provider of the house.

However, that pile of boards and nails is all it would remain without a woman's touch. The one whose role in building the house involves the very hearts of those who occupy that cold mound of sticks and tacks.

The wife, mom, woman of the house builds it strong, ready to weather any storm of life by nourishing those hearts with love, kindness, orderliness, discernment, beauty, warmth, harmony, unity, joy and acceptance.

She watches day and night that her loved ones are fed, comfortable, clothed, lavished with love, spoken kindly to, taught right from wrong and to resolve conflicts peacefully.

She's the one who teaches them to laugh, sing and play together. She goes from room to room constantly tending to the affairs of her household, making sure everything runs smoothly and harmoniously.

She's

helper,

healer,

gluer,

lifter,

pillar,

rock,

nourisher,

soother,

peacemaker,

organizer,

teacher,

maker,

encourager,

welcomer,....

EXHAUSTED?!!! Yes!

The woman's role deals with heart issues and relationships. Those get messy. Very messy. Praise the Lord she has a divine blueprint spelled out in Gods word to help her set the moral and spiritual climate of her home.

A wise woman builds her house spiritually by demonstrating her godly character day in and day out. By teaching her children the things of the Lord. By being an example of the things of the Lord to her husband.

A wise woman builds her house economically by her dedicated hard work, profiting the whole family with her efforts.

A wise woman builds her house with the Lord. She goes to God's word to find wisdom on how to respond to the hard things of life. She goes to God's word to find strength for the huge trial. She goes to God's word for comfort when life breaks her heart. For encouragement and discernment when she gets weary of doing life, marriage and family the way He designed.

She goes to His Divine blueprint when the boards and nails crumble and the foundations get shaken.

She builds her house for the Lord. According to to His Divine plan. Even when all others around her don't. Even when all others scorn her. Even when the world says she's weak because she does it God's way. Even when God's way is hardest. She builds it for the Lord.



Join me in prayer...

Father, thank you for Your beautiful plan for us as a women. Thank you that You have written a blueprint for us to follow. Drive us back to that blueprint often. Help us read Your plan clearly when life crowds in around us and all goes wrong. Give us strength for each moment. In the highs and the lows, Lord, You are there, encouraging, holding, stabilizing our houses as we strive to build them with You and for You. Thank you for Your great plan even when we don't understand the whys. Let us not grow weary of doing good. May Your will be done in our houses, our hearts, our lives. All for You, Lord. All for You. Amen.







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Proverbs 13 "A Longing Fulfilled"

God created us with a deep longing to belong. A need for a place to call home. A place of total love and rest. A greater place where all our longings are fulfilled.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 9:12

"A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
 but fool detest turning from evil." Proverbs 9:19

This longing is an itch unscratchable. An apple unreachable. A goal unattainable. A joy unexperienceable. A rest unrestful. A home not quite perfect and its all part of Gods plan.

Why? Because He has given us a longing for our eternal home. An eternal rest. An eternal joy. He has set eternity in the hearts of men. (Ecc.3:11)


We constantly work for, strive for, run after, seek after, and long for something better. Something greater. However, we sabotage any rest or fulfillment He may give along the way, because we 'detest turning from evil'.

We don't like stopping the gaining.

We don't like resting from the wanting more.

We don't like turning from our own plans.

Anything short of what He has prepared for us, will not completely fill. Will not completely satisfy. Will not bring complete, lasting rest.

Yes, we can experience fleeting moments of fulfillment on this side of heaven. We can experience to a small degree, just a very short moment, a longing fulfilled. I believe God allows these moments because they refresh us. They breathe life into us. They remind us of greater things.

A while ago, as I sat in my mothers house, sipping a cup of coffee, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds, seeing the sights of my childhood, I found a moment of complete rest. Just for one second there was nothing but the longing for the perfect home completely filled.

One second that took my breath away.

One second that gave me breath.

One second of complete fulfillment.

No, it wasn't because my mother's home is perfect. It was because for just one second God allowed me to experience one little life giving drop of heaven. That little drop of heaven gave me the courage and the strength it took to look life straight in the face and say,

"Bring it!"

Those little drops of heaven are never planned. Just a spontaneous, fleeting, yet perfectly timed moment that God allows us to experience to encourage our good fight.

We will never experience more than just little drops of heaven on this earth. Just like a few stray sprinkles before a rain shower, we get just a few sprinkles of heaven to remind us, encourage us, strengthen us... until one day we will experience an all out down pour of heaven. Then we will be showered, soaked, immersed, flooded, completely engulfed in His love, acceptance and rest forever!

Then, and only then, will our longings be completely, totally, wholly, entirely, 100%, all the way,....perfectly filled.

Hallelujah!!!

Proverbs 12 "Overlooking Insults"

Loud eating annoys me. Slow drivers irk me. Dirty socks left in a pile makes me huff. Coats and boots out of place make my eyebrows do tricks. A reprimand makes me want to tear into the person and set 'em in their place. I mean, seriously! Who do they think they are!

There are some things that just grind my nerves.

And, you can be sure every single annoyance on my radar gets some kind of reaction. Usually immediately. Whether its in words, a honk of the horn, a slamming door, a huff, or eyebrows all kinked up, the insulter usually hears from me in short order. So when I read the next verse I cringed.

       "A fool shows his annoyance at once..."
               GASP!! Are you serious?!!
   "...but a prudent man overlooks an insult." Proverbs 12:16

Well! Since I have no problem perfecting the first part of this verse, how about we take a shot at the second part. Yeah, the 'overlooking an insult' line.

How hard is that?

I mean, who even succeeds at overlooking an insult?

"Love covers a multitude of sins", 1Peter 4:8, comes to mind. As well as "He who covers over an offense promotes love," Proverbs 17:9.

OK. Sin is sin, and we aren't to be afraid to call it as such. Notice how Peter and Solomon did not say love covers disobedience, lies, selfishness, or other bad decisions. No, here we are being called to not bother with every little transgression in our daily relationships. In other words- don't sweat the small stuff!

When we are annoyed or insulted our calling is to calculate our response carefully. For me that means I need to think faster than my mouth can talk. I need to breathe before my body language takes over. Is this something I should let go of? Is this annoyance, this insult, this misdeed, among the multitude that love covers?

In every circumstance weigh the matter quickly, decisively and with good judgement. If it affects my attitude more than the offenders eternity, very likely its among the multitude love covers over and I need to deal with a greater problem within myself.

For me, this means:

Pick up my husband's dirty socks. Again. Smile.

Remind the loud chewer to close their mouth. Again. Kindly.

Pass slow drivers at an un-suicidal speed or enjoy the slower pace. Keep my hands off the horn. Wave. (my hand not my fist) Smile.

Teach and remind my kids where coats and boots belong. Again. Patiently.

Hear the reprimand. Receive it with grace. Respond gently.

The list goes on....add your own here________.


Join me in prayer.

Father God, thank you for Your unending grace. Thank you for Your kindness. Your gentleness. Your patience. Your mercy. Teach me to be more like You in my responses to daily happenings. Teach me and show me what love covers over and what needs to be confronted. Give me insight to recognize the small stuff, and give me wisdom to discern quickly and rightly. Amen.



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Proverbs 11 "Duplicating Myself"

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but
  the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Proverbs 11:3

 Look at the word duplicity. Duplicity in one word means doubleness.

The first thing we think of when we think of doubleness is a double minded, split tongued, double life leading person. That's exactly the kind of life the unfaithful lead and their duplicity destroys them.

But the word 'duplicity' and others like it kept coming to mind.

Duplicity...

Duplicate...

Duplicating...

Double...

Two...

More than one.

MORE THAN ONE. That's it! That's what He wanted me to understand!

We enjoy being surrounded by like minded people. We appreciate knowing and spending time with people who think like us. Talk like us. Act like us. Share the same interests. These people make us feel good. They make us feel accepted, comfortable, relateable, understood. They encourage us. They compliment us.

We duplicate ourselves with our friends. Our friends duplicate themselves with us. The more duplicated friends we have, whether godly or secular, the more such friends we attract, and the more we become like them.

When life gets tough and we have only ungodly friends, we are attracted and encouraged to try the quick fixes of the world.

This marriage is getting tougher every day. Quick fix- divorce.

This pregnancy is unplanned. Quick fix- abortion.

God might ask me to give up what I enjoy. Quick fix- ignore Him.


When we have surrounded ourselves with faithful Godly friends we are attracted and encouraged to fight the good fight.

 This marriage is getting tougher ever day. Good fight- forgive and reconcile.

This pregnancy is unplanned. Good fight- choose life.

God asks me to do something. Good fight- say 'Have Your way.'

There is no such thing as a quick fix to our problems. But. either way life becomes easier when we have a friend who can help us along the way. Duplicate your Godly friends. Join arms with them and march bravely on.

Be encouraged, faithful friend. The moment you pass into eternity you'll get your quick fix! And, that one, friend, is everlasting!

May you and your duplicated friends spend all eternity in perfect duplicity with Christ!







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