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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Proverbs 10 "Yes, Lord"

"As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to eyes,
  so is a sluggard to those who send him." Proverbs 10:26

As a mother, I firmly believe slow obedience is no obedience. Nothing aggravates me more than having to call for a child more than once or repeat a request knowing I was heard the first time! I'm sure you can relate! :)

Back to the verse above. Smoke burns and irritates the eyes. Vinegar tastes horrible. In the same way a sluggard irritates and leaves us with a bad taste when thinking of or seeing him.

When God calls us to action and we become scared, unsure or feel inadequate, we tend to ignore Him. We tend to push Him away. Some, including me, flat out say "No, I wont. I can't. Find someone else." While He has great patience and mercy, I wonder if we make ourselves like smoke to His eyes and He's left standing there, violently blinking trying to make the burning go away, thinking "that has to stop". Maybe we make ourselves like vinegar and He's left standing there spitting and choking and gasping, trying to get our taste out of His mouth. Are we a sluggard to God? Are we being slow to obey Him?

Whether God is calling you to a ministry, a more disciplined life, better steward of the money He gives you, to make one more effort to save your crumbling marriage, to find reconciliation in a painful relationship, the list goes on.....DO IT NOW!

Just say "Yes, Lord."

Your situation, your feelings, your hurt won't be fixed in the snap of a finger. Neither does He promise that. His promise to you is that in obeying, you will heal, learn, grow. Sometimes obedience is simply waiting while being willing to to obey. Just saying 'Yes, Lord. Have Your way, Lord." is obedience.

Trust Him "with the measure of faith God has given you" Romans 12:3 Even small faith moves to action. Saying 'yes' and being willing to do His will, willing to be used for His great plan, is action. He wants to know you want to obey. Don't fear the thing He's asking you to do. You can be assured that He won't let you come to nothing! He won't let you become destroyed! He will gift you with more and greater faith with each next step in His great plan for your life! (Eph2:8)

So trust Him! Do not be a sluggard!

Slow obedience is no obedience.

Take the first step of faith and say "Yes, Lord."







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Proverbs 9 "Wisdom and Folly"

Ever wonder where wisdom comes from? How to get it?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" Proverbs 9:10

This verse says the fear of the Lord is where it begins.

OK. Not fear of the Lord as in being scared of Him, but rather as we read in Proverbs 8:13;

"To fear the Lord is to hate evil."

How simply put! It doesn't get more understandable than that.

To hate evil is to "hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech." Proverbs 8:13

To hate those qualities is where wisdom starts.

Let's take a look at the opposite of wisdom: foolishness. In today's reading we were introduced to the woman Folly. "The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge." Proverbs 9:13 The complete opposite of yesterdays prude, which we also read more of today in verses 1-6. Woman Folly is loud, obnoxious, has no moral direction and not smart.

Remember how we read in Proverbs 1, that throughout Proverbs the word 'simple' generally denotes one without moral direction? Well, this woman Folly actually invites immoral company into her house, saying "Let all who are simple come in here!" Poverbs 9:16 Very bluntly, she is an immoral, dumb woman who loves the ways of death and destruction.

When we fear the Lord and hate evil, we have the promise that our "days will be many, and years will be added to [our] life." Proverbs 9:11 What a great promise!

Let's close with the next verse (v.12),

"If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
  if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

Lord, thank you for Your great promises. Thank you for Your wisdom. Father teach us of Your wisdom. Give us a desire to hate all evil, but first the evil in ourselves lest we think more of ourselves than we should. Lord, let us not invite immorality into our homes like the woman Folly does, but rather fill our hearts and our homes with Your goodness, Your love, Your presence so that all who know us, all who hear us speak and all who come through our homes may know that we love You. Amen.