Proverbs - Seeking and the Heart

Proverbs 25:1-2

These are also proverbs of Solomon,

which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

God has a right to withhold instruction until we are ready to receive it.  It is to His glory.  We may not be mature enough to process it or willing enough to obey it.  We see many instances in scripture where our finding is connected with our seeking.  It is in the search that our hearts are made ready to receive.  It is in the search that our focus becomes defined.  The Lord has called us kings and priests and it our honor to search out a matter.  This keeps us remembering that He is the King of kings and truly the wisdom we need descends from above and is not always within our beings.  The search creates the hunger where the answers satisfy.  The search creates a passion that will remain long after the answer comes.  You will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart.  He wants to be found and He wants to use the time of seeking in your life in a rich, lasting way.

Knowing God - His Word is Right

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the LORD is right;

and all his works are done in truth.

God’s Word Is Right

Sometimes we are looking for something that is indisputably right.  Here we see that His Word is right.  When faced with confusion or changing standards, it would do us well to sit down and spend some time just reading through His Word.  When we are exposed to His Word, a sense of rightness can come upon us and our hearts will be settled in the midst of such shifting sands of cultural change and sinful choices.  His works are done in truth.  God never makes a judgment or sends help out of deceit or false intentions.  He works in truth and His ways are to be trusted.  Thank You Lord that ALL your works are done in truth.  We rest in this and trust that what You say and what You do is right and true.  This helps us wade through the perpetual confusion of this fallen world.

Knowing God - His Blessing IS Upon You

Psalm 3:8

Salvation belongeth unto the LORD:

thy blessing is upon thy people.

The Lord Owns Salvation

When we need to be saved in a situation, it is the Lord we must look to in those situations that seem overwhelming and where we feel trapped.  He is able to deliver and salvation belongs to the Lord.  He is waiting for us to lift up our voices and anticipate His salvation that He might receive the glory.  His name is Savior and He is true to His name.  His blessing is upon those of us who are His people.  We can face difficult times knowing He saves and His blessing is upon us.  Don’t allow the intimidation of circumstances to tell you that He has not blessed you – His blessing IS upon you and salvation belongs to the Lord.

Proverbs - Watch and Receive

Proverbs 24:30-34

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

This is a lesson for us to learn.  We need to be observant.  Watch people’s lives. This man walked by a field of a man who was lazy.  It was unkempt, overgrown and there was no protection around it from animals or thief.  He looked at it and considered it well.  He looked upon it and received instruction.  Look upon the fields of the lazy that you know. Consider them and receive instruction.  Instead of judging people; receive instruction.  Instead of gossiping about people; receive instruction.   People’s lives can teach us so much.  Here we learn that if we are lazy, our homes will be a mess.  Things will be growing in relationships that are choking out life and boundaries will be crumbling.  If we are lazy moms and not attentive to our children, the walls we have constructed might start to disintegrate and lose their structure.  We must be diligent in this calling we have received so that when people walk by our fields, they might stop, consider and receive instruction as well.

Knowing God - The Lord Has Won

Psalm 3:7

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:

for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;

thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

The Lord Has Already Won

The Lord moves from a position of victory.  At the cross, Jesus Christ conquered sin and its eternal consequences.  We can cry out now to the God who saves because He has paid the highest price for deliverance by giving Jesus Christ.  He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not freely give us all things?  He has been faithful to help us in the past; He will be faithful to help us now.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever….

Proverbs - Do Not Repay Evil

Proverbs 24:28-29

Be not a witness against thy neighbor

 without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me:

I will render to the man according to his work.

There might be a time where you might be tempted to come against someone because of a desire to retaliate.  We must not do to others as they have done unto us.  We don’t render to other people according to their work.  We should deal with others the way the Lord has dealt with us.  If we are born again, the Lord has extended grace and favor upon us even though we deserve judgment and rejection.  Let us extend this favor upon others regardless of how they treat us.  This is what makes us different.  Everyone loves those who love them.  Our credentials are wrapped up in how we treat people who do not love us or in fact have sinned against us. Don’t even speak with your lips what you want to do to pay someone back.  Use your lips to cry out to God for a forgiving heart and hope all things.  Then, you will truly shine as a child of God.

Proverbs - Focus on Work NOT Spending

Proverbs 24:27

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field;

and afterwards build thine house.

The Lord is telling us that a source of income is of higher priority than what we can buy with that income.  Most people like what money can buy but not the work to make the money to spend.  This is a twisted and confused way to conduct our lives.  Credit works like this.  It promises us the ability to purchase something before we prepare the fields. Credit promises us comforts before we actually have the buying power to get them.  We must first get our fields ready and then consider our living quarters.  Work is a better pursuit than comfort and diligence than quick fun.  What a contrast to our society that is leaving families without houses because they are tying to create their own kingdom immediately without first stabilizing their income and work history.  There is nothing wrong with building our homes but there is an order to this.  We would be wise women to encourage our husbands in their jobs rather than focus on spending all that comes in.

Knowing God - The Lord Sustains Us

Psalm 3:5

I laid me down and slept;

I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

God Sustains Us As We Sleep

As we sleep, our God sustains us.  He keeps our hearts beating, our respiratory system in check, our endocrine system in balance, our digestive system flowing etc. He gives our mind a chance to rest and sustains us as we rest and gain perspective for what awaits us as we awaken.  We can go to bed thanking Him for sustaining us as we sleep and we can get out of bed thanking Him that He sustained us as we slept.  Our God never slumbers or sleeps.  He is over us and the time that we are most vulnerable, while sleeping, He sustains us and holds us up.  He will do no less when we are awake.

Knowing God - The Lord Hears Our Voices

Psalm 3:4

I cried unto the LORD with my voice,

 and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

The Lord Hears our Voices

The Lord hears us when we talk to Him.  Although He is holy and is above all He hears us.  When we pray He hears us from a place that is free from the confusion we might find ourselves in.  We can pray and trust that we are heard.  It is important to be a person who prays with a confidence that He hears us so that our prayers are prayers of faith.  Faith that doesn’t just believe we have what we ask but that we are heard.  When we are heard we are less demanding on others.  The next time you pray, before you say ‘amen’, you might try thanking Him that He has just heard you and that you have a God who hears you out of His holy hill.

Proverbs - Friendship and Wisdom

Proverbs 24:26

Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

People enjoy being around people who have wisdom.  It is great to be around someone who wants us to know what the right thing to do is.  This kind of friendship is one that flourishes because it is not based on human loyalties and favoritism but on a desire to please God.  This assures us that our friends are trying to give us the right answers not just the answer that they think we want to hear.  When a friend is seeking to help us do the right thing we can be confident they are praying for us and looking to the Lord to give us something that will be genuinely helpful and not necessarily what is comfortable.  Our lives will be built like a house upon a rock and we can have relationships with safety and consistency.  Oh that we would be slow to speak and quick to listen - quick to listen not only to our friend, but quick to listen and give a right answer.    

Knowing God - The Lord Interrogates

Job 38:2

“Brace yourself like a man:  I will question you,

and you shall answer me.”

The Lord Interrogates

The Lord is speaking here and seems to be speaking in a tone of authority.  We can find ourselves questioning Him and expecting Him to answer us.  Here we see the Lord saying that He will question us and He expects us to answer Him.  When was the last time you allowed the Word of God to question you and you answered?  Have you ever sensed His still small voice speaking to you?  It is a good thing to sense the searching of God and respond when you hear His questions. He could be asking us why we are doing something.  He could be questioning us about our mischaracterization of Him.  He could be asking us about something we have done.  We would do well to put ourselves as the ones being questioned rather than always questioning Him.  As we give Him answers we might be surprised to find out that His questions were well directed and intended to bring out of us that which we might have been blind to.  Brace yourself.  He will question you.  You shall answer Him.

Proverbs - Calling the Wicked Righteous

Proverbs 24:23-25

These things also belong to the wise.

 It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

Our judgment of character must be based on God’s standard of character and not upon our loyalty to the relationship.  We must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We should never condone sin and call it righteousness.  Oftentimes on the news or entertainment coverage, sin is exalted and declared as noble.  To avoid this we must stay close to God’s Word and make sure that if we need to give a rebuke we do in faithfulness to God’s standards.  It may be difficult at first but it shall be a delight.  Our consciences will be clear and a good blessing shall come upon us.

Knowing God - He Lifts Our Heads

Psalm 3:3

But thou, O LORD, art….the lifter up of mine head.

The Lord Lifts Our Heads

                         

Here the psalmist is telling the Lord who He is.  Why?  Because the Lord needs to know?  NO! He is reminding himself of who the Lord is to him.  We so need to do this.  We must be familiar with who the Lord is that we might rely upon Him for those qualities.  Here we see that the Lord is the lifter of our heads.  Have you ever felt like it was difficult to hold your head up?  Have you hung your head in shame when you found yourself convicted by His Holy Spirit of something you’ve done that grieved your God?  Have you ever hung your head after being torn apart by judgments or words of others?  Have you ever hung your head in weariness seeing someone you love take a course that might end up in ravaging consequences?  The Lord is the lifter of your head!  He is able to make us look up to Him and see that He is bigger than that which is attempting to pull us down.  He could send a song, a phone call, a smile, a promise, a friend or some other source that will gently lift your head upwards to His presence and gentle eyes of hope.  Thank Him today for being the lifter of your head and watch how He might do it.

Proverbs - Fear the Lord and the King

Proverbs 24:21-22

My son, fear thou the Lord and the king:

and meddle not with them that are given to change:

For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

Our lives should be under the authority of the Lord and those who are in authority over us.  Part of determining the will of God for our lives is to be concerned about pleasing both – the Lord and the king.  These are consistent sources of boundaries, commitments and works.  If we hang out with those who are given to change we risk sudden calamity and perhaps ruin.  There might be a friend who tries to lure us away from commitments we might have in ministry, in our home or job place.  These people want change and they always have a new idea and try to pull us away from the consistent, unchanging disciplines that produce lasting and remaining fruit in our lives.  Meddle not with these people.  Rather, fear the Lord and the king.

The Lord is My Glory

Psalm 3:3

But thou, O LORD, art …..

my glory,….

The Lord is My Glory

The Lord is my glory.  The Lord is what makes me to shine and allows me to have light in a situation.  The Lord is the One who is able to make us come through the battles we face, shining and triumphant.  Without Him, we will be cast down, faces filled with shame and defeated.  With Him, we will have our faces lit, confidence and victory in the battle.  He is our glory.  It is not within us to face such things we see.  Of course we don’t like it!  Of course, we grow weary!  We need the Lord to be our glory and He desires to fight the battle for us and with us.  Be glorified Lord in whatever we face today!

Dealing With Evil Men

Proverbs 24:19-20

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Evil and wicked people can cause us to fret and envy.  It surprises us that their actions can stir us more than our love and passion for the Lord.  When we see wicked people get away with things, or so we think, we feel agitated and frustrated.  This is just a waste of energy.  There will be no reward for the evil man and the candle of the wicked shall be put out.  The Lord has His eyes everywhere and He is not mocked.  Whatever a man plants, he shall reap.  We should keep our eyes on the Lord and wait on Him.  He is Lord over all the earth and He is willing that none should perish but all should have everlasting life.  Fret not and don’t be envious.

The Lord is a Shield

Psalm 3:3

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; ….

The Lord is a Shield

The Lord is a shield.  He is not only a shield but He is a shield for me and a shield for you.  He stands between us and any sort of ammunition being directed at us.  Things may be rough around us but God is between us and the direct impact of those things thrown at us. The warfare may continue but we are protected when we place the Lord before us and allow Him to absorb the painful hits coming our way.  Stay close to Him and see how He will give you the ability to face the toughest situations when He is between you and that which comes against you.

Don't Be Happy When an Enemy Falls

Proverbs 24:17-18

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,

and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

There is a temptation to be happy when an enemy falls into trouble.  This is a sign of our own wickedness.  We should want our enemies to turn to the Lord and be spared the consequences of a life lived in rebellion against their Maker.  We then become more of a judge than a servant.  Let us let the Lord be the judge and do what He thinks needs to be done to bring your enemy to a place of repentance and forgiveness.  Pray for your enemies.  Do good to those who despitefully use you.  Bless those who curse you and don’t rejoice when your enemy falls or stumbles.  It will happen.  It says WHEN your enemy falls and stumbles.  Let your response be like your Lord, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Knowing God - The Lord Desires Worship

Psalm 2:12

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,

when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

The Lord Desires Worship

The Lord desires expression of love and worship from us.  It can actually kindle His wrath when we don’t give Him the glory due His name.  To kiss the Lord is to connect with Him in an intimate and deliberate way.  It is to really worship Him and admire Him.  It is to let Him know all that we find beautiful about Him and to make those attributes the object of our affection in Him.  He wants us to be close to Him.   He created us for His pleasure. When we worship Him and shower Him with praise we are establishing His position of glory and our position of safety.

Do Not Come Against the Dwelling of the Righteous

Proverbs 24:15-16

Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

spoil not his resting place:

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:

but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

We must be careful to not come against someone when they, in fact, are in the right.  This requires a bit of research and slow conclusions.  We must not jump on band wagons and believe all we hear.   Even if we face this sort of attack we must remember that we may fall.  We may make mistakes.  We may even purposefully rebel at the moment, but we will get up again.  We will repent.  We will learn from our mistakes and seek to learn from them.  There is no need to be defeated.  The wicked will fall and not be able to get up. If we are those righteous ones seeking to do what God wants us to do, we will rise again and again.  Pick yourself up, be filled with His Spirit and go on in His forgiveness and purpose for your life!

Knowing God - The Lord Instructs

Psalm 2:10

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:

be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

The Lord Instructs

We see in this verse that the Lord wants to instruct and give wisdom to people who are in a place of leadership here on this earth.  Mothers, the Lord wants you to be in a place of instruction as He teaches you how to love, raise and bring up these children.  Woman of influence, the Lord desires you to have the wisdom to handle your position in a way that your decisions are guided by His hand and mind.  Woman of authority, the Lord wants you to be able to manage tasks and people with the heart and ideas He wants to give you.  Let us be women who don’t settle with the amount of wisdom and instruction we have up to this point but continue to stay in a place of being teachable and humility increasing in our abilities in the positions He has us in.

Wisdom: Honey is Like Wisdom

Proverbs 24:13-14

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb,

which is sweet to thy taste:

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

The Lord is likening the knowledge of wisdom to honey.  We are to eat it when it is good.  When we sit down and spend some time in the Word of God and it is one of those times that the words are jumping off the book eat it.  Take a longer time than budgeted.  Savor the sweetness.  If you receive a word of wisdom for a matter, take the time to enjoy it.  Write it on a card if you must and mull over it.  Enjoy it like honey from the honeycomb.  There will be a reward.  Your expectation will not be cut off.  

Knowing God - The Lord Looks Out For the Vulnerable

Psalm 5:18

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,

that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

The Lord Looks Out For the Vulnerable

The Lord’s eyes are upon those who are vulnerable and He will judge their situations.  Why does He do this?  He does this because He does not want those who oppress to continue taking advantage of the weak.  We see news reports of those who have been victimized and our hearts are wrenched.  The Lord’s heart is purer than ours and He does not sit idly by.  He is judging and bringing these things to light.  Those who have no authority and those who have authority that is oppressive are equally in His sight and He is not sleeping.  The Lord is working and He cares for those who are being taken advantage of.  Our God will execute judgment in order to stop people from oppressing others.

Proverbs - Considering Those Drawn To Death

Proverbs 24:11-12

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

God ponders our responses to information that comes to us.  If we know that innocent babies are being slaughtered or certain people groups are being killed in the name of ethnic cleansing, what are we doing about it?  If we say, we didn’t know about it, is this true?  Should we keep our ears open to world news and local injustice?  Will He not render to every man according to his works?  The Lord is pondering the heart.  He is seeing if we are tender hearted to the affliction of the innocent.  He wants our hearts to ache for injustice and any sort of disregard for the value of human life.  We should remain open and willing to know our part in these great tragedies.  What could you do?  What does He want you to do?  Pause now and ask Him for what work He has for you to do in order to deliver then that are drawn unto death.

Knowing God - He Hears Our Desires

Psalm 5:17

LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

The Lord Hears Our Desires

It is a marvelous thing that the Lord hears desires – even if we don’t verbalize them.  Note that He hears the desires of the humble.  How precious!  As we humble ourselves under His mighty hand and have a thankful heart for all He has done, He hears our desires and prepares our hearts.  God knows if we have a desire for some time alone or time with friends.  He knows whether we desire a new pair of earrings or organizational skills.  He knows if we desire time with our children or more opportunities to serve Him with our gifts.  We don’t need to feel alone or not heard.  Having a God who not only hears our prayers but our desires should give us a great sense of being understood and tended to.  The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want.

Proverbs - Strength and Adversity

Proverbs 24:10

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

When we face adversity we often feel faint and weak.  This is good to know.  It  means that our strength is small in regards to this particular adversity.  We don’t have to panic.  We don’t have to feel like a failure.  Strength is something we can increase in.  We have learned that a man of knowledge increases in strength.  We might need to know more about our adversity.  Is it a trial we have never faced?  Is there something in us that needs to be transformed? Is there a particular promise in the Word of God we have never utilized before?  Is our prayer life challenged to be more fervent and specific?  Just because we faint in the day of adversity and find our strength small is not a reason to be discouraged.  Rather, we can take it as a clue as to how the Lord wants our strength to increase.  He promises us strength. Ps 29:11 shows us that “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.” The Lord is very generous with this strength and we know He always gives what He says He will give.  Go to Him when you are weary and go to Him when you want to give up.  Ask and you will receive.  He will strengthen His people.

Knowing God - He is King Forever and Ever

Psalm 5:16

The LORD is King for ever and ever:

the heathen are perished out of his land.

Our God Is King Forever

Kingdoms fall and kingdoms cease.  A king may die and another take his place.  A king may be dethroned because of another kingdom’s takeover, but our God is King forever and ever.  It doesn’t matter if people ignore Him or choose to believe that He is not King – He is still King forever and ever.  Since we know He is King, it would make great sense to submit to Him in all areas of our lives and enjoy the stability of His position and authority.  It doesn’t matter if there are votes against His law or cultural trends that despise His standard – He is King forever and ever.  Those who are His, will see Him on His throne and those who are His, enjoy Him on the throne in this present life.  Bring Him honor.  Bring Him praise.  Worship the King.  Trust the King.  Seek the wisdom of the King and enjoy having a King who has all might, resources and love to rule and reign in your life!

Knowing God - He is King Forever and Ever

Psalm 5:16

The LORD is King for ever and ever:

the heathen are perished out of his land.

Our God Is King Forever

Kingdoms fall and kingdoms cease.  A king may die and another take his place.  A king may be dethroned because of another kingdom’s takeover, but our God is King forever and ever.  It doesn’t matter if people ignore Him or choose to believe that He is not King – He is still King forever and ever.  Since we know He is King, it would make great sense to submit to Him in all areas of our lives and enjoy the stability of His position and authority.  It doesn’t matter if there are votes against His law or cultural trends that despise His standard – He is King forever and ever.  Those who are His, will see Him on His throne and those who are His, enjoy Him on the throne in this present life.  Bring Him honor.  Bring Him praise.  Worship the King.  Trust the King.  Seek the wisdom of the King and enjoy having a King who has all might, resources and love to rule and reign in your life!

Proverbs - Thinking Foolishly

Proverbs 24:8-9

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

Someone who plans to do what God says we should seek to avoid shall be called a mischievous person.  These are not to be our heroes.  There are some novels and screenplays that involve such a mastermind of wickedness you can wonder if such ideas were never to be thought out and put in print.  The Lord tells us here that even the thought of foolishness is sin.  We can be living our lives and suddenly we get a thought to do something foolish.  If we pay attention to this thought and begin to devise how we would do it, God calls this sin.  When those thoughts come in we must take our thoughts and begin to control them with the help of the Lord Jesus.  We have been given the mind of Christ. Let’s use it.  Forsake foolishness and you will live.  Confess any sort of imaginations or fantasies that involve being a foolish woman.  Think on the things that are pure and devise ways to do good.

Knowing God - He Sees It All

Proverbs 5:14

Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite,…

The Lord Sees It All

Everything is plain before our God’s eyes.  He sees the mischief and the spite.  In this verse, we learn that God sees the mischief and spite someone has against us.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  He knows the hearts of those that surround us and we mustn’t panic or scheme to discover others’ thoughts towards us.  The Lord knows these things and He is our defense.  We ought rather focus on pleasing Him alone and trusting Him to protect and defend us.  This makes life so much less complicated and we won’t be so troubled by the hostilities of others.  He sees and He knows how to handle it.

Proverbs - By Wise Counsel

Proverbs 24:5 -7

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

A woman who is acting on good advice and sound judgment is able to withstand the pressures associated with running her life and home.  She is not easily discouraged by feelings and the judgments of others.  She has brought her situation before the Lord and other older believers.  She knows that in order to make war she needs information and a stockade of effective armaments.  She goes to get it and does not rely upon her own resources.  She senses safety because she has gained insight and perspective from others.  She is not caught off guard by certain elements for she was warned by someone who had been in her battle before.  She is not a fool.  She can give wisdom to others and wants to because she knows how valuable it was for her.  She opens her mouth in the gate.  She hears of some sort of problem someone is having and offers her insight and concern.  This woman is strong and she increases in strength.

Proverbs - Wisdom is Our Contractor

Proverbs 24:3 -4

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

To have a life that is able to stand against so much requires wisdom.  To build our homes and families in such a way that they are established and not easily overturned requires understanding.  To have our lives and homes filled with multi-faceted riches requires knowledge.  In order to have all of these a woman needs to continue to ask for wisdom, pray for understanding and gain knowledge.  A consistent prayer life, bible study and mentors can all contribute to these building supplies for our lives and homes.  Hopefully we won’t grow stagnant in the building of our homes.  Acknowledging the Lord in all our ways helps us make decisions for our families that result in peaceful and quality outcomes.  Knowing what God says about time, finances and relationships causes the day to day relationships within our homes to be precious and rich.  Rather than focusing on new granite countertops or stream lined sinks, we should visit the true ‘Home Depot’ – our Maker  - and gain from Him all of the building supplies that contribute to a comfortable and pleasant home.

Knowing God - The Lord Hates Covetousness

Psalms 10:3

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire,

and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

The Lord Hates Coveting

The Lord absolutely loathes the covetous.  When the people He has made become not only discontent with what He has given them but looking at what He has given someone else, it repulses Him.  God is a God who loves to see His people enjoy what they have.  He loves us being godly with contentment and being thankful for what we have.  He has said He will never leave us nor forsake us, so if we really believe; our gratefulness will show. If we become people who always want more, we might very well be in bad standing with the Lord.

Knowing God - God Favors Us

Psalm 5:12

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous;

with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

God Favors Us

God’s favor protects us.  This favor is called grace in the New Testament.  It means that we are his favored ones.  We are His favorites.   Just like the Lord chose the nation of Israel to be a special people to Him and show those who did not know Him that He was real and powerful, those of us who are in Christ are now partakers with Abraham in that favor.  Here we learn that this favor actually surrounds us like a shield.  This shield will protect us from behind, beside and before.  Knowing God loves us and is blessed with us because of the righteousness of Christ being put upon us, will protect us from haunting reminders of who we used to be, help us walk in the joy of acceptance today and will lead us into the lives He has for us tomorrow.  His grace will work mightily through us and protect us from our adversaries.

Proverbs - Don't Envy Evil Men

Proverbs 24:1-2

Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

We are told not to envy evil men nor should we desire to be with them.  Proverbs was written primarily for the young man in order to give him discretion as he goes on with life’s choices.  Young people often want to hang out with those who are ‘cool’ according to this world’s standards.  Maybe the kids at school that look good and yet talk nasty seem to be popular and confident.  Our children need to know that they should not envy them or desire to be with them.  We are told why we shouldn’t in this verse.  Evil people have hearts that are studying destruction.  They don’t always know that.   They think they are coming up with fun plans and adventurous pursuits.  The end of these things results in destruction.  Relationships can be destroyed.  Trust can be destroyed.  Even lives can be destroyed.  Have you warned your children to stay away from other children who talk of mischief and make plans to do things that the Lord says are wrong?  Do you ever desire to be around other women who speak of things they ought not?  A wise woman is cautious with her admiration and she loves those who fear the Lord.

Knowing God - The Lord Defends Those Who Trust Him

Psalm 5:11

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:

 let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

The Lord Defends Those Who Trust Him

God defends those who trust in Him.  When we place our trust in God we will find ourselves in a very safe place.  It is like running into a fortress in the midst of the battle.  Rather than trying to fight everything, run into the Lord and be safe.  His very presence will be your shield and He will surround you.  If someone is coming against you with accusations and judgments, He will defend you.  If situations are presenting themselves to you in an intimidating way, He will defend you.  We need someone to defend us.  That is our God’s nature.  Let us focus on trusting in Him and then we will find ourselves with the best Defense we could ever ask for.

Proverbs/Drinking and its Effects

Proverbs 23:29-35

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

This is a very descriptive text about drinking.  It starts out letting us know what accompanies those who think drinking is fun.  They will have woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, wounds without cause and redness of eyes.  This accompanies a drinking life style.  We are warned not to look at wine when it is red and seems so grown up and attractive.  Like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, alcohol is presented as delicious, attractive, and promises us confidence, prestige and freedom.  This is not the end of this path.  What starts out as fun, ends up biting like a serpent.  You cannot hear the serpent creep up on you.  Serpents are usually camouflaged whether they are green in the jungle or brown in the dessert.  Alcohol is usually camouflaged as well.  Whether it’s partying when your are young or distressing you when you are older, it will bite like a serpent.  Soon the venom of alcohol will take over your life before you have a chance to react.  You can end up in compromising sexual situations, saying things you regret later and feel like you are on ship being tossed in the ocean.  You can end up being in a fight or getting hurt and you don’t even know what happened.  You wake up the next day having said and done things you can’t even remember.  Yet, you go to that bar again.   You order that margarita one more time.  You open up that wine at dinner again.  Look not at the wine when it is red.  We don’t need alcohol and our children need to be warned about the potential disasters in taking up drinking.  Have you warned them?  Are you patterning a sober lifestyle for them?  You may be able to handle the alcohol but your child may not.  It is always better to avoid alcohol use at all rather than risk exposing your children to a vice they may not be able to handle.

Knowing God - The Lord Leads With Righteousness

Psalm 5:8

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

The Lord Leads In A Straight Path

The Lord is a righteous God who leads us with righteousness.  This means that we can look to Him and ask Him what the right thing to do is in a situation and trust that doing it will lead us in His will.  He is able to make our way straight.  He can deliver us from the twists and turns we experience when we make decisions based on fears or feelings.  The twisty road that leaves us a bit disoriented with motion sickness doesn’t have to be our path.  When we seek the Lord and His righteousness in a matter He will make our way straight and protect us from the traps of the enemy.  Lead us, O Lord, in Your righteousness today.