Proverbs 7:1-2 (NKJV) => My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye.
These verses are an introduction to another chapter about the nature of the sin-filled adulterer. I caught these verses today because they reminded me of some quotations later, in the New Testament. Jesus was talking to His followers (this includes us!) and said, 'If you love Me, you will do as I command.'
I really need to take the 'Keep my commands and live,' to heart. The commands of God are not meant to control me. He is a very loving Father. As such, He sets boundaries in order to keep me safe. Like a small child, left to my own means, I will inevitably stumble into something harmful.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care about my life and safety even when I don't. Holy Spirit help me to remember what I have read and learned about Your desires about how I should live. I do love you, Jesus. Amen.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Busy as ... an Ant?
Proverbs 6:6-9 (NKJV) => Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard!
These verses are praising the wisdom of the ant colony. Without calendars or anyone to tell them what to do, ants gather food all the time. They seem to be storing away food for the winter when it is too cold to leave the colony. I am to work like an ant. I am to prepare for tomorrow as well as take care of today. I have heard the comparison between taking on a very large project and an aut building a new colony. Take it one grain of sand at a time and keep pushing on.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of the ants. Help me to not be lazy but diligent in every task I need to do. Help me, Holy Spirit, to know where to get my daily needs taken care of, as well as knowing when to store away for the future, no matter how large the activity may seem. Amen.
These verses are praising the wisdom of the ant colony. Without calendars or anyone to tell them what to do, ants gather food all the time. They seem to be storing away food for the winter when it is too cold to leave the colony. I am to work like an ant. I am to prepare for tomorrow as well as take care of today. I have heard the comparison between taking on a very large project and an aut building a new colony. Take it one grain of sand at a time and keep pushing on.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of the ants. Help me to not be lazy but diligent in every task I need to do. Help me, Holy Spirit, to know where to get my daily needs taken care of, as well as knowing when to store away for the future, no matter how large the activity may seem. Amen.
What ARE We Doing?
Proverbs 5:21 (NKJV) => For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.
throughout this whole chapter, Solomon is warning his son about the temptations of women other than his wife. But in the midst of this speech, he stops and gives this statement. When I read this verse, I thought of my earlier conversations with friends. I had told them that I wonder if God ever looks down from Heaven and asks Himself what we are doing as a body of Christ. We are split into denominations that argue over "important" things like which days are holy and how a service is to be held. I had the thought about a comment a pastor once said, that he had seen a church 'family' break apart because they couldn't agree on a carpet color. How much more are we, as God's Family, fighting over 'the color of a carpet' or 'the texture of the wallpaper'?
Lord please help me to remember what Your priorities are and what is just carpet and wallpaper. Amen.
throughout this whole chapter, Solomon is warning his son about the temptations of women other than his wife. But in the midst of this speech, he stops and gives this statement. When I read this verse, I thought of my earlier conversations with friends. I had told them that I wonder if God ever looks down from Heaven and asks Himself what we are doing as a body of Christ. We are split into denominations that argue over "important" things like which days are holy and how a service is to be held. I had the thought about a comment a pastor once said, that he had seen a church 'family' break apart because they couldn't agree on a carpet color. How much more are we, as God's Family, fighting over 'the color of a carpet' or 'the texture of the wallpaper'?
Lord please help me to remember what Your priorities are and what is just carpet and wallpaper. Amen.
Trail Signs
Proverbs 4:10-13 (NKJV) => Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.
I need to listen for the voice of God and receive what He is saying. I need to remember the wisdom I have already learned and the 'trail signs' I know. I need to rest assured that when I walk in God's will I will not stumble and even when things seem to be moving very fast, He will not let me fall.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reassurances Your word gives to me. When I do as You desire for me, my path will be made clear. I will strive to walk with confidence -- not only physically but spiritually as well. Holy Spirit help me to hold my head high. Amen.
I need to listen for the voice of God and receive what He is saying. I need to remember the wisdom I have already learned and the 'trail signs' I know. I need to rest assured that when I walk in God's will I will not stumble and even when things seem to be moving very fast, He will not let me fall.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reassurances Your word gives to me. When I do as You desire for me, my path will be made clear. I will strive to walk with confidence -- not only physically but spiritually as well. Holy Spirit help me to hold my head high. Amen.
The Value of Wisdom
Proverbs 3:13-15 (NKJV) => Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
I will be able to find more happiness seeking wisdom than pursuing worldly wealth. The seeking knowledge and wisdom are more valuable to me than any of the 'things' of the world. I am to avoid being materialistic.
Holy Spirit be with me as I make decisions about how to use my money. Help me to make wise stewardship choices. Help me to always seek You and Your knowledge and wisdom before material comforts. Amen.
I will be able to find more happiness seeking wisdom than pursuing worldly wealth. The seeking knowledge and wisdom are more valuable to me than any of the 'things' of the world. I am to avoid being materialistic.
Holy Spirit be with me as I make decisions about how to use my money. Help me to make wise stewardship choices. Help me to always seek You and Your knowledge and wisdom before material comforts. Amen.
No Slouching!
Proverbs 2:20-22 (NKJV) => So you may walk in the way of goodness and keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land and the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
I should keep to the path of goodness and righteousness to remain happily in this life. {I battle with Major Depression, sometimes with suicidal tendency} To keep my connection with nature and the Creator, I need to keep to the narrow and upright way. No slouching!
Holy Spirit, help me to better see the path of righteousness, goodness and blamelessness. Help me to walk the narrow way. Help me to stand upright and seek You in Your word. Amen.
I should keep to the path of goodness and righteousness to remain happily in this life. {I battle with Major Depression, sometimes with suicidal tendency} To keep my connection with nature and the Creator, I need to keep to the narrow and upright way. No slouching!
Holy Spirit, help me to better see the path of righteousness, goodness and blamelessness. Help me to walk the narrow way. Help me to stand upright and seek You in Your word. Amen.
Strengthening the Friendship
Proverbs 1:20-33 (NKJV) => Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the opening of the gates in the city She speaks her words "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock you when your terror comes, when your terror comes as a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon upon you. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke, Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil."
I need to be more conscientious of how much I am seeking time with the Lord. If I am spending time with Jesus on my good days, He will be there, seeking me, strengthening me, through my bad days. If I consistently seek God's wisdom, I will be more able to see how He is trying to keep me safe, secure, and without fear.
Heavenly Father, I am sorry for not being more attentive to our relationship. I desire to spend more time with You starting now. Holy Spirit help me to see Your wisdom in all I study and help me to see the life application for me. Amen.
I need to be more conscientious of how much I am seeking time with the Lord. If I am spending time with Jesus on my good days, He will be there, seeking me, strengthening me, through my bad days. If I consistently seek God's wisdom, I will be more able to see how He is trying to keep me safe, secure, and without fear.
Heavenly Father, I am sorry for not being more attentive to our relationship. I desire to spend more time with You starting now. Holy Spirit help me to see Your wisdom in all I study and help me to see the life application for me. Amen.
31 Days in Proverbs
I am starting this blog as I start a new Bible reading challenge. As you can guess, it is to read the whole book of Proverbs -- all 31 chapters -- in the 31 days of July. The purpose of this blog is to give me a platform to basically write my own 'devotional book' after I've been at it for awhile.
I will be writing in what is called a "SOAP" journal entry style. It is an acronym for the way the paragraph subjects are arranged. First is the S - This is the Scripture quote. I will always start with the chapter and verse, as well as the translation I took the quote out of. I work between a NKJV (New King James Version) and a NIV (New International Version). Sometimes I read both, but I will always directly quote just one or the other. Next is the O - This is the Observation of the context the quote comes from. This helps keep the passages from being misquoted by taking it out of the meaning it was intended. Then there is the A - This is the Application. I usually write this paragraph combined with the Observation paragraph if I used one. This is where I focus in and redirect the verse to how it affects my life directly. Finally, but by no means the least, I come to the P - This is the Prayer. I will write out a prayer to God about what I have learned in the particular Scripture.
You will learn about my struggles and trials. I may throw in other entries for you where I share other things so you can see how my discoveries play out in my life. I will warn you. I am going to post like 6 entries today, including this one. Be quite rest assured that I will not be doing that many on a regular basis. Please feel free to comment on how the posts are affecting you, too.
I will be writing in what is called a "SOAP" journal entry style. It is an acronym for the way the paragraph subjects are arranged. First is the S - This is the Scripture quote. I will always start with the chapter and verse, as well as the translation I took the quote out of. I work between a NKJV (New King James Version) and a NIV (New International Version). Sometimes I read both, but I will always directly quote just one or the other. Next is the O - This is the Observation of the context the quote comes from. This helps keep the passages from being misquoted by taking it out of the meaning it was intended. Then there is the A - This is the Application. I usually write this paragraph combined with the Observation paragraph if I used one. This is where I focus in and redirect the verse to how it affects my life directly. Finally, but by no means the least, I come to the P - This is the Prayer. I will write out a prayer to God about what I have learned in the particular Scripture.
You will learn about my struggles and trials. I may throw in other entries for you where I share other things so you can see how my discoveries play out in my life. I will warn you. I am going to post like 6 entries today, including this one. Be quite rest assured that I will not be doing that many on a regular basis. Please feel free to comment on how the posts are affecting you, too.
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