Proverbs 6 "Trapped By Words"

Ever have something you said come back and bite you in the rear? Get caught in a lie? Or something you said got found out?

We have two choices when our tongue gets us in trouble: PRIDE or HUMILITY.

      "if you have been trapped by what you said,
        ensnared by the words of your mouth,
        then do this, my son, to free yourself,...
        go and humble yourself; press your plea
        with your neighbor!" Pr.6:2-3

Aknowledge you're wrong. Ask forgiveness. Choose humility. Do it asap. Verse 4 says even before you sleep: "Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids."

      "Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter
        like a bird from the snare of the fowler." Pr.6:5

This verse gives an interesting picture. When a bird is caught in a snare, there is much flapping, fluttering & struggling. Because of the captured foot, it never goes any further than the snare allows, which jerks it back over & over again.

This is exactly what happens when we choose pride. We will never be able to grow further than the snare of the bondage of sin will allow. We try to cover up. We struggle to appear genuine. We live in fear of the being found out. We dread the day it'll happen. And it will  happen.  How much easier life could be if we'd chose humility from the start. No fear, no anxiety, no covering up...just peace. Beautiful, restful peace!

Have you spoken harsh words to your child? Spouse? Right now, ask forgiveness. Have you made a degrading comment to or about a co-worker, neighbor or friend? Right now, ask forgiveness.

I've been surprised over and over how relationships have grown, simply because I was quick to be humble enough to ask forgiveness. Sometimes it was rough and the healing took a while, but in the end it was worth it. So worth it.

A few evenings ago, my husband made a smart remark about a new dish I made. "Eat or make your own!" I snapped defensively. The second those words left my mouth I regretted them. So my next  sentence had to be,"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

The evening progressed in complete unity. So much more peaceful than the option of pride would have been. Bless his heart, he ate the dish. Which, by the way, I will not be making again. Pinterest fail!

Seeking forgiveness softens the heart of the offended, making them willing to extend grace to the offender.

So do it early.

Do it first.

Proverbs 5 "Warnings Against Adultery"

Today we are dramatically warned against adultery. In today's society of baring extra skin, its easy to let the eyes wander and thoughts indulge. From billboards to books, aka, mommy porn, let's face it: this isn't just a male issue.

This is what Proverbs 5:5-6 says about an adulteress:

     "Her feet go down to death;
       her steps lead straight to the grave.
       She gives no thought to the way of life;
       her paths are crooked, but she knows it not."

No thought?!! How can it  be? Yet, this is exactly how the enemy works. We are tempted with 'just one more time' or 'it can't hurt to look' or 'just one more book, I'll throw it away when I'm done'. The more we become accustomed to these thoughts, the easier it is to give in, all the while darkening our way, narrowing our view of our eternity to the point where we don't see it at all & we literally give no thought to the way of life. This makes me want to shake her and shout "Wake up, girl! Don't you know

      "a man's ways are in full view of the Lord,
        and He examines all his paths." Pr.5:21


       "At the end of your life you will groan,
         when your flesh and body are spent.
         You will say,"How I hated discipline!
         How my heart spurned correction!
         I would not obey my teachers
         or listen to my instructors.
         I have come to the brink of utter ruin..." Pr.5:11-14

'Pay attention' Solomon wrote in verse 1. I don't think he said it gently. I think he said it adamantly, just like we do when we have something important to say to our child. Maybe he even took his son by the shoulders, got inches away from his face & said, " 'Pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight'. (v.1) Don't go down the road of adultery. It leads only to death!"

Imagine a road map with people walking along the roads. Do the people take the roads marked surest to heaven or do they veer off to the side roads? Dead ends? Literal dead ends.

Dead to life.

Dead to truth.

Death today.

Death tomorrow.

Death eternally.

Wake up!!! Think! "Listen!" Solomon said. Today, right now, if you have a book or magazine or movie that is not edifying to your eternal life, throw it away. 'But it cost money to buy this.' Exactly, but that money wasn't spent wisely. The choice wasn't made in the Lord. Now throw it away! A $15.00 book or movie is peanuts compared to the cost of your eternity. Let's not wait till the end of our lives when we will groan, at the brink of utter ruin.

The beauty in this is, It's not too late, yet!! We don't have to stay dead!! Today if you have the sin of adultery in your heart, rip it out! Give it to Jesus! He can handle it!

Join me in prayer:

Father, help me recognize impurity at it's introduction. Don't let me become callus to images, thoughts and impure ways of the world. Cleanse me of anything not glorifying to You. Lay on my heart anything that isn't edifying to my walk with You, then give me the courage to purge my heart and home of these things. In Jesus, I am an overcomer! May my thoughts, all that is in my home, and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, my God.  Amen.
     

Proverbs 4 "A Brighter Light"

  

       

       "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
               shining ever brighter till the full light of day." Pr.4:18

Maybe this morning you watched the sun rise. First there was a small hue of pink. As time wore on the sky became brighter & brighter until finally the sun itself peeped over the horizon giving a grand display of light.

When we first come to love Jesus & the path of righteousness, we have and hold on to a small flicker of hope. As we hold on to and cultivate this small flicker of hope & light, we notice it becomes brighter, growing bigger, stronger and spreading into more areas of our lives. This light penetrates all corners of our hearts and scatters sin and darkness. We become stronger in our faith, more sure of our hope, more reliant on our Maker.

Just like rays from the sun becoming brighter & brighter, so are we as we continue to cultivate this hope. Our light for Jesus becomes brighter & brighter, until one day in glory we have a great blazing crescendo of light bursting into the gates of heaven. (I say burst, because I don't plan to make my entrance with hesitation & timidity!) Oh, what a glorious display of unending, everlasting beauty and perfection!

In today's reading, verses 20-27, encourage us to pay attention to God's words, hide them in well guarded hearts, speak purely and in truth, to stay encouraged and keep looking ahead, to watch how we walk and to not stray to evil ways.

Stay focused! Stay true! Eyes on Jesus to keep your perspective right! Don't let your light grow dim! He deserves a great display.

      "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
        guard it well, for it is your life." Pr.4:13

Instruction obeyed, the flicker of hope & faith held on to,

gives life,

strengthens life,

lengthens life,

speaks life,

breathes life,

is to be your very life.

Hold on to it.

Proverbs 3 "My Sister Wisdom"

Today, I was immediately drawn to  verse 15, where speaking of wisdom and knowledge, Solomon wrote,

     "She is more precious than rubies"

Wait!! I thought that's what is said about a Proverbs 31 woman! Then I noticed that all throughout Proverbs wisdom is referred to in the female sense, using she/her. Let's reread Pr.3:13-18.

     "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious the rubies; nothing you can desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed."

Wow! This sounds very much like the intimidating, yet amazing woman of Proverbs 31, who is precious, profitable, desirable, pleasant, honorable, noble, excellent, praiseworthy, life giving... you name it! I especially like the last verse (18) in the above section of scripture,

     "She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
        those who lay hold of her will be blessed."

Embrace. Embrace? Couldn't that mean hug?!! I don't know about you, but it delights me to think of reaching out and embracing/hugging/grasping wisdom! But, wait! It gets better! Jump ahead to Proverbs 7:4,

     "Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister' "

Gasp!! My sister?!! Whether by blood or in Christ, my sisters are very dear to me, so the thought of embracing & inviting my sister Wisdom, over for a hug and a chat, simply thrilled me to the core!

Today let's reach out and touch, hug, lay hold of our incomparable, life giving, more precious than rubies sister, Wisdom, so that we may be blessed!

Have a beautiful day, dear sister in Christ!




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A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Proverbs 2 "Answering His Knock"

 Bang! Bang! Bang! There was a heavy demanding pounding on the door. Goodness! What's the urgency?! I hustled to the door only to be greeted by a fast talking vacuum salesman saying he has a product that will clean my carpet like no other & would I like a sample? I, still wondering what the emergency was, said, "okay??" He handed me the sample, hustled to his van, got out a sweeper & fellow partner in crime & marched back to  the door. It was then I finally realized they wanted into my home. To me that's invasion of privacy & just plain dangerous, so rather rudely I sent them on their way with, "So now you want into my house? Yeah, not happening! Good day."

Just like these salesmen wanted desperately into my house to market their product, God wants desperately into our hearts, lives & homes, yet He doesn't push His way in. He doesn't bang down the door, yet knocks with a gentle urgency. He doesn't speak loud or fast, yet gets our attention with a gentle deliberate tone.

   "...turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to  understanding,
     and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
     and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
     then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find
     the knowledge of God." Pr.2:2-5

Note the italics. We must,'turn our ears' - listen. 'Call out' and 'cry aloud' - ask. 'Look for it' - search, then He'll give wisdom, knowledge and understanding. We will be able to

    "...understand what is right and just and fair - every good path.
      For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant
      to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will
      guard you." Pr.2:9-11

But, we must first want to hear from Him. We must want to keep cultivating, keep learning, and keep returning to Him. Let's not rudely send Him on His way like He's a salesperson, by dismissing His word & ignoring His knock.

     "He holds victory in store for the upright,
        He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
        for He guards the course of the just
        and protects the way of His faithful ones." Pr.2:7-8

 Join me in prayer...

Lord, as we go throughout our day, nudge us gently to want to hear from You. Give us a desire to hear from You, a longing to dwell in Your presence.  If we seem to be ignoring Your knock, please, bang down the door! Get our attention! We get so wrapped up in ourselves that sometimes we need an all out invasion! Don't let us become callus to Your call.
Father, we long for the victory You hold for us. We thank you for Your shield for our walk and Your protection throughout our days. Amen.

Proverbs 1 "Why Proverbs?"

 Why Proverbs? Let's go straight to Solomon's reasons...
       
             "for attaining wisdom and discipline;
               for understanding words of insight;
               for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
               doing what is right and just and fair," Pr.1:2-3

 There's more reasoning in the following verses, but we'll stop there and skip to verses 8-9, where Solomon says instruction and teaching

      "...will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

Reading that made me smile! You see, I like a little glitz & glam, some call it bling, and to me this sounds like a flower for my hair and a pretty sparkling necklace! Just go with me here....Wisdom and Knowledge are Godly bling!!! This excites me to no end!

 So what happens when we don't want to wear this bling God gives us through His word & the Holy Spirit? Just like uncared for jewelry we become dull, our spirits tarnished. We will most likely participate in ill-gotten gain, which always results in sin & selfrighteousness.

        "Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
               it takes away the lives of those who get it." (v.19)

Self seeking ways will always end up taking our very lives & everything we once held dear. I know a
60+yr old man, so stubborn in his ways, refusing to accept help or forgiveness that he loudly proclaimed to his family, "Go away and never come back!" He sits in his house dejected & alone because that's what he wants. He has numerous health problems, which put him in a drugged stupor, hardly able to care for himself. He has lost most of what was once dear to him, and most recently, by his angry request, the presence of his descendants. My heart aches for his soul.

    "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?" (Pr.1:22)

 My NIV bible has a footnote saying the Hebrew word translated 'simple' usually references one without moral direction and inclined to evil. "How long will you [immoral] ones love your [immoral] ways?" Skip to verse 32. "For the waywardness of the [immoral] will kill them." I see this happening all around our world and it breaks my heart. However, there's only so much we can do, then each one must make their own choice to accept God's bling! Praise the Lord for the power of prayer & the promise of hope as long as there's still breath.

 So today let's make a commitment to stay in God's word for the 31 days of January as we read through Proverbs! Let's keep adorning ourselves with wisdom, knowledge and discipline. Let's keep polishing our Godly bling daily, so we can

     "live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (v.33)

Using the share buttons, please invite your friends! Have a beautiful day!

Read Through Proverbs

So, most of the holiday season is over. Christmas and all is glamour and mystery is past. New Years Day is next & then all will be much slower & quieter....maybe! ;)

With the new year brings resolutions. What is yours? Reach your fitness goal, save more money, work on an attitude...or maybe be in God's word every day? This thought inspired me to help any who might want to set that goal. We all need a little motivation & support if we plan to obtain a goal, so join me, starting January 1st, 2014, as we read through Proverbs!

          31 days in January
       + 31 chapters in Proverbs
          31 days of devotions

So sign up today for daily devotions sent to your inbox all through January! Join us as we read, share & learn together! I'm excited for what God will teach us through His word!

You can sign up for emails on the top right side of this page. Or, from your smart phone, visit web version on the bottom of the page, then find the 'follow by email' box on top right. For either way, enter email address, click submit, verify you're human...how annoying...click submit again. You will be sent an email with a verification link. YOU MUST CLICK ON THAT LINK TO ACTIVATE YOUR REQUEST and ensure you will receive emails.

See you in January!

Blessings!