Knowing God - The Lord Reassures Us of His Presence

Josh 3:7

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

The Lord had already told Joshua that He was with Joshua.  The first measure of confidence Joshua was to have in his calling was that the Lord was WITH him.  God’s presence was to be the foundational motivator for Joshua to walk in all that the Lord had for him.  After Joshua was established in the fellowship he had with his God, then the Lord would begin to reveal His presence in Joshua’s life to those he was leading.  The Lord will be with us and that should be enough for us to face this day and be about all He has commissioned us to do, but the Lord will also be our advocate to those who may not cooperate so easily with His call on our lives.  We are not to convince others of our callings.  He will do this.  He will magnify us in the eyes of those He has called us to influence.  We need to focus on the confidence of His promised presence and allow Him to defend or affirm us in the sight of people.  The Lord will take care of our reputation in the eyes of others as we concern ourselves with our reputation in the eyes of God. 

Proverbs - A Prudent Wife

Proverbs 19:14

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Here we have a wonderful truth.  Men are designed to want to do well with their bread winning abilities and providing a home for their children.  This is a good thing.  Men were created to provide for their households and desiring financial stability for their family has a noble place in a man’s set of priorities.  The additional truth here is that a prudent wife for the man is from the Lord.  There is a connection here.  A wife who knows how to deal with things with discretion can help her husband with his dreams for his family.  She knows how to be content with such things as she has and yet encourage him to achieve his dreams in the Lord’s timing and with the Lord’s help.  We, as wives, should seek to be a helper for our husband’s goals and dreams.  We must not belittle them as they seek to do well in their careers and financial dealings.  We should come alongside and listen to their vision and then bring those things before the Lord when we pray for them.  We should ask the Lord how we might facilitate these things on their hearts.  How can we be a blessing and do them good in these areas?  Is there some sort of lifestyle we can sacrifice?  Is there a willingness to research or make some phone calls on their behalf?  Godliness with contentment is great gain but for a man to have a drive to do better is fair when he is seeking FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Ladies, let us reverence our husbands.  Ladies, let us help our husbands.  Ladies, seek to be prudent and seek God’s blessings on your finances and dwelling places.

Knowing God - He Will Not Contradict Himself

Mark 11:17

 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?

but ye have made it a den of thieves.

When Jesus confronted the error of man’s way here, he quoted the written scriptures that the Jews had at that time.  The Lord legitimizes the written scriptures by doing this.  Jesus shows us that the written word of God is to be used to evaluate the practices and paths of His followers.  Revelation is wonderful and when it is from the Holy Spirit it will agree with the written Word of God.  God’s revealed Word will NEVER contradict the written Word of God.  Jesus is showing us that we should know His Word in order to evaluate what is going on around us in His name.  Jesus had it at the forefront of His mind so it could light the path in a preeminent way.  Just like a flashlight should be easy to find when an emergency comes our way, the Word of God should be a sword close at hand ready to be pulled out of its sheath and wielded in skill and discretion.  Jesus teaches us in this confrontation that His Word truly is His Word and we are to use His written Word to measure and illuminate the scenarios we find ourselves facing.

Proverbs - Sons and Wives

Proverbs 19:13

A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Two things that can really discourage a man are a foolish son and a contentious wife.  A foolish son is one that makes choices contrary to wisdom.  A father may find himself being faced with calamity by his son’s choices.  The son may drink and drive and now the father must hire lawyers, pay hospital bills or grieve over the death of his son or those he injured.  The son may be slothful and a lazy worker and the father may be faced with bills he may or may not be responsible for legally.  As moms, we must teach our children wisdom if we desire to bless our husbands.  We must teach them to be diligent in their work, clean up after themselves, redeem the time, turn in work on time, have self control in relationships and other areas that will train them in the way they should go.  If we don’t take the time with them when they are younger and they end up being foolish later, we could cause calamity in our husbands’ lives.  As our sons grow older, and we have done our part, we can rest that we did was right in the Lord’s eyes regardless of our sons’ adult choices.  If we see our sons being foolish, be sensitive to the troubled spirit our husbands might have.  Don’t be contentious about the situation.  Love and respect your husband.  Don’t resist his delimiters or consequences he may have for your son.  Support him in his leadership and resist the mother/son dynamic that often makes us melt.  He doesn’t need a contentious wife on top of a foolish son.

Knowing God - He Will Deliver, He Will Defend

Isa 38:6

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

The Lord is speaking to King Hezekiah in this verse.  We learn that the Lord delivers us from things/people/situations that are coming against us.  The battle belongs to the Lord.  He is strategic, mighty and powerful in delivering His people from those situations that are seeking to come in, torment and take control of our lives.  He also says that He will defend this city.  That means that not only will he deliver us from any current threat or occupation, but He will defend us when it happens again.  Sometimes we come to the wrong conclusion that we have to deliver or defend ourselves.  He is our deliverer.  He is our defense.  Get your eyes on Him and follow His leading.  We are led in triumph in Christ.  We are led.  We are not doing the leading!  Let Him lead.  You, follow!  Don’t be deceived into a false expectation that you are required to fight this battle in your own strength.  Willingly admit your fears and failures.  Come to Him and thank Him for being your deliverer and defense.

Proverbs - The King's Favor

Proverbs 19:12

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

The Lord tells us in His Word that “…supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1 Tim 2:1-3) When we find favor in the eyes of those who have some sort of authority over our lives we live a much more peaceful life than when authority is angry or against us in some way.  By praying for those over us, we may gain favor and the Lord tells us it is as the dew upon the grass.  Dew comes gently upon each blade providing refreshment and nourishment in doses that the blades can handle and enjoy.  A “king’s” favor helps us be refreshed and enjoy our place under their leadership.  Our husbands, landlords, ministry leaders, managers, political leaders, pastors and others who have ‘kingship’ over us need us to pray for them and we should pray and ask the Lord to grant us favor in their eyes.  This not only helps them but allows our days to have gentle drops of refreshment in the decisions and leadership that so affects our lives.  Perhaps stopping right now and praying for favor from your manager, landlord, husband or someone else in authority would contribute to your well being today.

Proverbs 19:12

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

The Lord tells us in His Word that “…supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1 Tim 2:1-3) When we find favor in the eyes of those who have some sort of authority over our lives we live a much more peaceful life than when authority is angry or against us in some way.  By praying for those over us, we may gain favor and the Lord tells us it is as the dew upon the grass.  Dew comes gently upon each blade providing refreshment and nourishment in doses that the blades can handle and enjoy.  A “king’s” favor helps us be refreshed and enjoy our place under their leadership.  Our husbands, landlords, ministry leaders, managers, political leaders, pastors and others who have ‘kingship’ over us need us to pray for them and we should pray and ask the Lord to grant us favor in their eyes.  This not only helps them but allows our days to have gentle drops of refreshment in the decisions and leadership that so affects our lives.  Perhaps stopping right now and praying for favor from your manager, landlord, husband or someone else in authority would contribute to your well being today.

Knowing God - His Eyes Can Look with Grace

Gen 6:8

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

                                                                    

God saw the wickedness throughout His creation and He expressed a great regret for even making man.  The Lord was grieved and the Lord wanted to destroy all flesh with the earth.  Yet, we see a few verses later that there was a man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Our God does not generalize when dealing with man.  He sees the overall state of a society but the Lord sees the individual as well.  Our individual walks with the Lord are noticed and considered.  Our God sees everything.  He sees all that goes on in the streets, in the homes and in the hearts of mankind.  We can be like Noah and find grace in the Lord’s eyes.  The grace we have now been given is found in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Because He came, died and rose, those who are in Christ have found the favor and acceptance of a holy God who sees the wickedness surrounding us and yet Christ’s righteousness upon us.  Those of us who have put on the Lord Jesus, given up on this world’s ways and placed our complete trust in Him, enjoy the favor/grace of God even if our eyes often read the stories of wickedness and grief.   Dear one, know that your life is seen and you will not be lumped together in judgment when the favor of God is upon you in Christ.  As you see wickedness, rest in the fact that, if you are in Christ, you have found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Proverbs - Anger and Mercy

Proverbs 19:11

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Situations may make us anger but we must be discreet women who can defer this anger. Defer means to direct it away from the immediate and process it at a different time in a different way.  This is not always easy but definitely possible.  The Holy Spirit is powerful – more powerful than our anger.  We can submit our anger to Him and ask Him how we might defer our anger and not allow our response to come into a most likely yucky situation anyway.

Secondly, we are told here that it is to our glory to pass over a transgression.  When someone takes that parking place or answers you rudely, if you decide to pass over it and not allow it to become an issue, you will shine and have a glorious day.  If we were to pick out everyone’s transgressions (sins) every time they committed one that we recognized, they would be exasperated and we would not enjoy relationships.  It is to our glory if, when we see a legitimate transgression, we once again seek the Lord as to whether it needs to be addressed or passed over.  This will help our children not be weary.  This will help our husband’s not feel constantly judged and this will help us shine with the same mercy and glory the Lord has as He so often passes over our transgressions with His mercy and grace.

Proverbs - Know Your Place

Proverbs 19:10

Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

I was listening to a news report the other day regarding a teachers’ union.  This teachers’ union was proposing that the teachers themselves would have the authority to fire principals as they sought fit.  This disturbed me.  This is the servant having rule over the princes.  I considered the change up in responsibility and realized that the authority structure cannot work this way.  Sure, input and review might be helpful from subordinates, but to have the authority to fire someone over you reverses the roles and causes confusion. 

In our homes, the husband is head of the wife and the wife should not rule over her husband.  In parenting, the parent makes the decisions not the child.  In the workplace the manager or lead decides the direction not those who serve under him or her.  In each of the roles we face, we must consider our place.  If I am to rule, I must not allow those under me to demand a certain direction.  If I am under someone I must not attempt to rule and get my own way.  All authority has been given by God and He uses the structure to bring forth a flow according to this plan.  Let us cooperate and be faithful in our place.

Knowing God - The Lord Wants Us to Till

Gen 3:23-24

 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The Lord took man out of a wonderful place and put him in a place where he once was.  Man violated the boundaries of the garden and now he was not to dwell there any longer.  The Lord still loved him.  The Lord still had a plan for Adam’s life.  The Lord still had rich, fertile soil for Adam to enjoy and tend.  Our God is our father and if we are really His children we will be disciplined and given certain consequences and privileges in order to cause us to grow up in all things.  Sometimes we may experience this attribute of our Father in heaven.  He may make us leave something that we have handled in a way that was reckless and rebellious.  This means that He loves us and is not finished with us.  Accept the consequence, let the discipline work out the rebellion or doubt that may have led to the sinful choices.  It will bring forth fruit that is full of peace and righteousness.  Cooperate with His consequences and till the ground He has you in now.  Our God is a God who has every right to send us away from certain settings and place us in others.  He is God and He loves us.  Have you ever lost a relationship due to sexual sin?  Have you lost a job due to some sort of laziness or irresponsible behavior?  Have you ever lost a friendship due to lack of love or faithfulness?  What relationships are you in now?  Till them.  What jobs do you have at this time?  Work unto Him.  Who is in your life now?  Invest in them.  The Lord desires lasting fruit wherever He may place you.  He is not finished with you yet.

Proverbs - False Witness

Proverbs 19:9

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

We mustn’t be too troubled when someone speaks a lie about us.  The lie will not stand although it looks a bit intimidating at first.  Lies are much like helium balloons. They can dance and move and appear to have life, but after time the gas loses its properties to sustain the weight of the balloon and the balloon descends lifelessly and ready to be discarded.  The Lord will deal with lies, and the person who is speaking them.  A false witness will not be unpunished.  People who go around propagating lies will perish.  The lies will not stand the test of time and truth will endure.  We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by these people or their lies.   We must continue patiently doing the right thing and trust the Lord to defend us.  He will judge the liar and He will not allow it go unpunished. 

Knowing God - He Wants to Be "Handled"

Luke 24:38-39

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? ……..handle me,….”

                                                                    

I am continually amazed at how many questions the Lord asks in the scriptures.  He is God.  He can make commands and statements that are authoritative and final.  Instead, He often asks His creation questions.  Here He is asking His followers why they are troubled and why they have certain thoughts in their hearts.  He has risen from the dead and His followers are not sure how to process His presence and the fact of His resurrection.  Jesus tells them to ‘handle me’.  This word ‘handle’ means to manipulate or to verify by contact.  When we are troubled or we have doubts and thoughts in our hearts, we would do well to do what the Lord told His early followers.  We need to verify the Lord’s presence in our lives by verifying with contact – handling Him.  Opening our eyes to His obvious dealings with us, praising Him with our lips, acknowledging His ever present help with us and taking in His promises and presence in His written Word will help us make contact with Him.  We mustn’t just look on Him as if He were some vague spirit in our midst.  He tells us to handle Him.  He tells us to really connect with Him in a personal up close kind of way.  Oh Lord, show each of us how to ‘handle you’ that our troubles and thoughts would encounter the reality of you.

Proverbs - Getting Wisdom

Proverbs 19:8

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul:

 he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

If we really want our lives to avoid unnecessary trouble we will be women who are getting wisdom.  This means that we are not going to settle with the amount we already have.  We will see ourselves as needing input from our God constantly, with each new situation and evn those we think we may have faced before.  Getting wisdom comes from a few different sources.

·        We should ask God for wisdom. 

o   James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,..”

o   Pray and ask the Lord for how He wants things done.  He has resources and ideas we do not have within ourselves or life experiences.

·        We should read God’s Word seeking His evaluation on specific matters we face.

o   Prov 2:6 “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

o   When we sit down to read or when we are hearing our pastor’s teaching, we should want to get wisdom from that section of text.

·        We should seek counsel from those who are good examples.

o   Ps 37:30 “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom,..”

o   When listening to someone’s perspective on matters or maybe they are answering our very concerns, we should listen for the wisdom of God that might be coming forth from them.

·        We should remember what He has told us in the past.

o   Deut 8:11 “Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments..”

o   The wisdom He has given us on matters must be retained.  When we get wisdom we do not exchange it for past wisdom, we build upon what the Lord has already told us. 

The second half of this proverb declares that if we keep understanding we shall find good.  So, after getting this wisdom, let us keep it in our sphere of reality.  May our choices and priorities reflect the wisdom we got and let us lay hold on it and not let it go.  Even if other standards are attempting to persuade us to change our course, let us keep understanding, we will find good.

Knowing God - The Lord Laughs at the Wicked

Ps 37:13

The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

In this psalm we read the verse before that…”the wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.” The Lord tells us that he will laugh at him. The Lord knows that all that the wicked wish upon God’s people is nothing compared to the Lord’s ability to defend and bless.  The threats and vile comments thrown at those who seek to honor the Lord are heard by their Defender.  The Lord sees the final chapter.  Even in the time of the Great Tribulation where His people will go through incredible suffering and persecution, the Lord knows that the cries of those who have suffered at the hand of the wicked, hasten the coming judgment and finality for both the wicked and those who are His.  We must get our eyes on the One who sees every wicked plot, hears every threatening word, and remember not to take vengeance.  Vengeance belongs to the Lord and He will repay.  We must forgive, love those who hate us, do good to those who do evil to us, bless those who curse and commit our souls to a faithful Creator who sees that their day is coming.

Proverbs - True Friendship and Love

Proverbs 19:6-7

Many will intreat the favour of the prince:

and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

Quality and committed friendships are not common.  In fact, apart from Christ, they are almost impossible.  We may see celebrities enjoying the accolades and attention of others but they always have in the back of their mind, “Why does this person want to be around me?”   They have money and nice homes.  They have popularity and attention.  I have heard on more than one occasion a celebrity declare their loneliness when they realize the relationships they have may be nothing more than people seeking their own agendas rather than caring and loving them.

Let us learn from this and remember to cultivate and nurture relationships that offer nothing apparent in return to us.  Love does not seek its own.  Let us call the ones who may in fact be a bit more draining than refreshing.  Let us invite to dinner those who cannot invite us back.  Let us be sure that our love is based on a value system determined by God.  Let us spend those wee hours in the morning with that colicky baby trusting that our love will establish her in His love.  Let us listen to that toddler go on and on about his adventures and know that we are being a friend to him that represents the heart of God.  Let us give expecting nothing in return.  We will find that the love flowing through us to the other will indeed refresh us too.

Knowing God - He Wants His House Filled

Luke 14:23

 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

We read in the scriptures that “.. strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt 7:14).  When we read this we can think that the Lord is very picky and doesn’t really want a lot of people coming into this incredible relationship with Him.  This is not true!  Just because a few people find it does not mean that it is God’s heart for this to happen.  We read in Jesus’ account that the lord wanted his house to be filled.  He wanted people sought out and compelled to come in!  This lord in this parable represents the Lord Himself.  The Lord went to the greatest lengths to make the way for man to be reconciled with Him.  He did all the work and now it is available to whosoever believes.  When considering presenting the Lord’s opportunity to be forgiven and saved, remember that the Lord wants His house filled.  He is seeking those who are lost.  His heart is that no one would perish but that ALL will come to eternal life.  Don’t be discouraged about that one you are praying for.  God wants them to come in.  He wants us to compel people to come in.  As you walk along the highways and roads of your life today, remember that these people are on the guest list.  Give them the invitation and see what happens!

                                                                                        

Proverbs - Speaking Lies

Proverbs 19:5

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

Being followers of Christ requires truthful lips.  Our words must represent the truth in the most accurate way possible.  Being a true witness means stating things the best way we know to be true being careful not to slant the information to misrepresent anything or anyone involved.  When we speak a lie we will begin being pursued by the truth.  The pressure to maintain our story or image will be the kind a fugitive feels as he runs from the law.  If the Spirit of Truth reveals to us that we indeed have spoken a lie, we must turn ourselves in, confessing to God and confessing to those affected by it, trusting to receive forgiveness from God and an opportunity to get things right with man. 

Another angle on this is when we speak lies in our hearts.  This could be telling ourselves something about God, others, situations or ourselves that just doesn’t line up with what God has revealed in His Word.  We will once again end up punished.  We will take on punishment we were never meant to have.  Do you feel like you are in trouble again with the Lord even though the Holy Spirit has not revealed legitimate sin in your life?  This may be due to speaking lies within your heart.  Do you feel trapped like you cannot escape the situations in your life?  You may be telling yourself and believing lies that are contrary to what God says is true.  Take the time to confess these lies and exchange them for truths from God’s Word.  Ask a friend for a verse or two on your given situation and then give yourself to these truths.  When we speak the truth in our heart we have liberty and we are at peace regardless of how things are going on around us.

Knowing God - He is on the Throne

Ps 45:6

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: …

                                                                     

A throne denotes position, authority and dominion.  God’s position is established forever.  It doesn’t matter if someone is yielded to Him as their king or not, He is king.  His authority is final no matter what cultural trends seem to be popular and accepted.  His dominion is enduring and He will have the final say in the end.  He is God and we are His creation.  Our stability and confidence should be quite sure given the fact that God’s throne is forever and ever.  If you and I have declared Him our king and willingly submitted to His kingdom’s cause, we can rest knowing that His authority is quite sufficient for all matters of our lives.  His throne is forever.  His throne is over our marriages, feelings, health and finances.  The neat thing is, that not only are we under His authority as subjects in His kingdom, but we are His children and live within His tender care and affection.  Thank you for your throne O God.  Rule over my soul my precious King!

Proverbs - True Friends

Proverbs 19:4

Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

This world’s standards of who is popular can confuse the believer unless he or she is grounded in the Word and focused on that friend that sticks closer than a brother.  When we are prospering or we have stuff that others can benefit from, people can come out of the woodwork into our lives.  When tragedy occurs or a troubled season hits us, many of these fair-weathered friends can go into hiding.  As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to make sure that our relationships are rooted and grounded in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the fact that we are brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Our relationships should not be decided by socioeconomic factors, hobbies or interests.  The connection we have with each other is decided by the head of the body – the Lord.  Each joint and ligament provides what the next part of the body needs and we all connect in love and support submitting to the head of the body and what His purposes are for our lives.  If you have felt isolated or alone even in a group of people, seek and ask the Lord to reconnect you to the right people who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Pray with your friends regularly and be sure to talk about the Lord and what He is doing in each other’s lives.  Be sure to be there for those going through difficult times and desire to associate with the lowly.  Ask the Lord to bring godly friends into your life and be sure to nurture those kinds of friendships.  Then you won’t have to experience the general truth of this proverb as seen in the world today.

Knowing God - God Made Our Planet For Us to Live On!

Isa 45:18

‘...God himself that formed the earth and made it

;…he formed it to be inhabited:…”

There are so many classes we endure that begin to tell us the geological and scientific features of this earth.  They usually end up going beyond scientific findings and end up with theoretical conclusions that, if taken to heart, could lead a human to feel like an evolutionary accident and an insignificant life form on a planet that deserves great awe and admiration.  In this revealed truth we learn that God formed the earth to be inhabited.  His plan in volcanoes, mountains, beaches, jungles and forests was with the intention of having humans dwell here.  This is exciting!  This stacks the deck for daily purpose and discovery!  Considering the environmental factors around us; the distance of the sun from the earth, the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange of vegetation, the chemical structure of water itself, speak volumes of the incredible design our God had in making the earth to be inhabited!  We are here by design and the world around us was created with us in mind.  Our God is so incredibly generous by giving us the great planet to inhabit!  Live today and enjoy all He has created remembering He formed it to be inhabited by you and me!

Proverbs - Wise Choices Make Smooth Paths

Proverbs 19:3

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Foolishness is described as many things in the book of proverbs.  Tearing our homes down, venting all of our feelings and being quick to wrath are a few of these foolish attributes.  When we are not seeking God’s wisdom on a matter we will lean towards being foolish.  This will cause our way, our path to be twisted and much less straight than the Lord desires it to be.  A curvy, twisted, perverted way is difficult to navigate and takes much effort to wind our way on it.  The way of wisdom is one that is direct and focused.  Wise choices allow our feet to be established and we can actually look around and enjoy the scenery rather than having to keep looking at each step to be sure that we are safe.  Our hearts must not fret against the Lord but trust that He loves us and His ways are good for us.  The paths He has for us are clear and safe.  Let us be women who seek Him on each matter and see each step directed in a safe way. 

Knowing God - He Clothes Us

Gen 3:21

 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God

make coats of skins, and clothed them.

                                                                                                    

Earlier we read in Genesis 3:7, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”  Adam and Even had a sense of vulnerability, shame and desire to be covered.  They sewed fig leaves together.  Creative? Yes. Enduring? No. What was going to happen as the day to day environment took its tolls on leaves that would lose their softness and become brittle and dry?  It was a temporary fix that would not meet their need to be covered.  The Lord took animal skins and made coats for them.  He made the covering with a material that is durable and only gets more comfortable and suitable as it is worn.  When we find ourselves in a place where we have overstepped the lines, God desires and is prepared to clothe us with enduring material that can weather our day to day lives.  Let us look at a few things He wants to clothe us in:

Isa 61:10 “…. he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness…”

Eph 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God…”

Col 3:10 “ And have put on the new man….”

Zech 3:4 “… Take away the filthy garments from him….and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.”

Rev 7:9 “….stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes….”

Isa 61:3 “…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;…”

When we find ourselves in a place that we have blown it and realize our shame, remember it is God who has the covering we need.

Proverbs - Haste Leads to Sin

Proverbs 19:2

                                                                                        

Also, that the soul be without knowledge,

 it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

Impulsiveness is not a good thing.  The Lord is warning us here that if we are hasty with our feet we will end up sinning.  This is tied in to lacking knowledge.  It is important that we gain knowledge before making decisions.  When we make financial decisions, relationship decisions or ministry decisions, we should get knowledge and then move as led by His leading and not in haste.  Sometimes salespeople will try to convince us that we must purchase now or it could be gone.  We need to thank them for this warning and walk away knowing that the Lord is in control of our lives and He may even have something better than their offer that is asking us to be hasty with our feet.

One time when I was younger, I made a hasty decision to go on a trip with some friends.  This resulted in a relationship being developed that was not God’s plan for my life.  I wasted time and suffered unnecessary damage because of my impulsiveness and desire for adventure.  When something seems to be tempting us to be hasty we would do well to walk away and spend some time with our God who is in no hurry and has the knowledge we need to make good decisions that result in life. 

Knowing God - He Speaks to the Tempter

Gen 3:14

 And the Lord God said unto the serpent…

The very first person the Lord makes a statement to after the fall of man is the serpent.  Not Adam.  Not Eve.  He questions man.  He confronts the serpent.  He speaks to the voice that spoke to His creation.  He speaks to the influence that suggested reasons for disobedience.  He speaks to the one who challenges God’s voice.  When we are praying for others who are believing a lie and crossing lines that the Lord has clearly drawn, we can be confident that our God will speak to those who influence the ones we love.  Yes, this particular event was between the Lord and the fallen angelic being that crept in and tempted these two, but we learn about God’s heart and His dealing with not only the one who has sinned but those that may have contributed to their demise.  We must be sensitive to the Lord addressing us if we may have tempted someone as well.  Perhaps this would be a great time to quiet your soul and gain confidence for those you are interceding for and humble yourself if you have, in fact, been the tempter.

Proverbs - BETTER

Proverbs 19:1

                                                                                        

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity,

than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Many proverbs contain this sort of comparison.  The Lord tells us what is better than something else.  This implies that we could make choices that are not obviously sinful to us and miss out on a better choice.  The Lord is telling us that, in His value system, it is better to be poor, or lack some sort of financial worth and have our integrity than having our lips get us things by slanting the truth.  Loan applications, time cards, the bill we receive at a restaurant are all to be handled with integrity.  If we see that we were not charged for an item, we ought to bring it to the merchant’s attention.  It is better to have the money leave our pockets than our integrity leave our lives.  If we are counseled to exaggerate on an application for a purchase, we must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly and rather walk in our integrity.  It is better to leave without the purchase than without our integrity.  If we were gone longer than we should at lunch we ought mark that down or request to work longer at quitting time so that we represent the truth to our employers.  It is better to lose some money on the paycheck than lose our integrity in their eyes.  Ladies, when God says something is better, it is better.  Let us be like Mary and choose the better part.

Knowing God - The Lord Searches Us

Gen 3:9-13

 And the Lord God called unto Adam…..Where art thou?...

And he (the Lord God) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee

that thou shouldest not eat?......

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? ……

The first three recorded times that God spoke after Adam and Eve had listened to the devil, their lusts and reasoning, were all questions directed to them.  It was not an exclamatory rebuke or a reminder of the commandment they had broken.  Where, Who, Have You, and What Have You Done.  The Lord asks His people where we are all the time.  We end up being in a place He never intended us to be in.  He asks His people what relationships or words might have led to our sinful choices.  He knows that conversations with the enemy, other people or words we might hear could have contributed to our rebellion.  He asks us whether we have done something.  The Lord knows whether we have or not.  He is seeking for us to take personal responsibility for our sinful choices and recognize them as disobedience to His commands and not just choices that leave us with bitter consequences.  Finally He asks, “What is this that you have done?”  Now that we have come out from hiding, recognized the social factor in our sin and admitted our own volition, He wants us to take in the greater repercussions we might not readily recognize in the midst of hiding and blaming.  We often think of God as the God of commandments, but often our God is the God of probing questions.

Proverbs - That Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother

Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

When we become consumed with how many friends we have our focus becomes trying to be a friend.  This puts us in commitments and expectations that may very well be in competition for the first love relationship the Lord wants us to have with Him.  Here we are told we MUST show ourselves friendly with many friends.  Our goal has to be to enjoy and please that friend that sticks closer than a brother.  We can only be a good friend when we focus on pleasing the Lord and being there for Him.  Our daily times with Him, our trust in Him, our desire to cultivate our relationship with Him and grow in our knowledge of Him, must be our priority.  We should be making new memories with Him as well.

Knowing God - God Cares Where We Are

Gen 3:9

And the Lord God called unto Adam,

 and said unto him, Where art thou?

The Lord knew where Adam was, but He still called out and asked Adam, “Where are you?”  The answer was not to inform God but to inform Adam.  Adam needed to see where he was in light of the choice had made to ignore the Lord’s boundaries and participate in something the Lord had forbidden.  When we cross those lines, our God is still calling out and saying, “Where are you?”  Adam was hiding and had made coverings for himself.  The Lord wanted Adam to look at his state, his feeble attempt and covering his tracks and his lack of freedom to walk through the garden freely enjoying all that the Lord HAD given him.  Sometimes we accept where we are and don’t realize how our actions have affected our lives.  We must be sensitive to the first recorded time that God raises a question in His Word.  Where are you?  Are you hiding?  Are you hearing His voice in the distance?  Are you trying to hold the pieces of your life together with things you have ‘sewn’ together?  Are you restricted and bound by the consequences of sin?  Do you hear Him questioning you?  Even if there aren’t obvious conditions speaking to you, allow this question to often search you and perhaps even show that you are in a good place.  Where are you?

Proverbs - Impoverished

Proverbs 18:23

                                    

The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

This scripture is letting us know that a poor man will ask for mercy but a rich man will answer harshly.  We can think of ourselves rich in many ways and those are dangerous times when we find ourselves in a pickle. We start searching our own resources before seeking God.  Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.  No matter how ‘rich’ we think we are in experience, knowledge, money, time or resources, we are absolutely impoverished in comparison to our God who is rich in mercy, wisdom and judgment.  We must face even the most common complication asking for His mercy and resources for a given situation.  Sure, He might use something He has already given us but He will know what is needed more than we ever could.

Knowing God - God Should Impress Us

Isa 26:5

For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground;

 he bringeth it even to the dust.

No matter how well known or respected a person is in society, they are still humans that were created by God for His purposes and they will give account.  Every celebrity faces death and no matter how beautiful the flesh is, it will still decay and corrupt after the life of the person departs.  All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust (Job 34:15). The glory and fame of man pale in comparison to the fame and glory of our God.  Are we more star struck with those whose faces appear on a screen than we are of our God who inhabits eternity?  When we enter into worship do we realize that the Lord is over all and we are privileged to know Him, talk with Him, be provided by Him and that He is waiting for us to dwell with Him in person forever? Let us not be so easily impressed with those who dwell on high.  Let us not look at the homes on the hill with some sort of inordinate reverence.  If we see someone we admire that is highly esteemed by man, let us not stop with a glance of admiration but lift that person who will inevitably be dust to the Lord seeking Him to touch their lives and soul.  Let us look up to the One who treats all men the same and is willing that none should perish but all should have everlasting life through faith in Christ.

Proverbs - A Good Thing

Proverbs 18:22

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Hey this is a good proverb!  Here the Lord is telling us that when a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing.  We are good things!  The accuser of the brethren wants us to focus on our failures.  Perhaps he wants us to think upon the shortcomings of our figure, our cooking or our parenting skills.  Ladies, we must start out with this truth.  If our husbands have found us, they have found a good thing.  Sure, we can get better, but let’s remember this starting point.  Maybe we could text to our husbands like this:

Please pick up some milk at the store.

I love you,

Love,

A.G.T. (a good thing)

Another great part of this verse is that our husbands obtain favor from the Lord by having a wife.  Why?  How?  I don’t know but I believe it because this verse says it.  Perhaps the opportunity to have marital relations frees our husbands up from so much of the struggle of the flesh that He can hear the Lord more.  Perhaps the wisdom that we share brings him balance and insight causing the two to have a better return for their efforts.  It might be that he has someone to pray for him and with him.   Maybe it is being able to bounce things off of us and work through his thoughts verbally with someone who if for him and not against him.  Whatever it is we could text like this:

Please pick up bread for lunches.

I love you.

Glad I could help you obtain favor from the Lord.

Love,

Your good thing

Knowing God - He Has Words for Our Calling

Jeremiah 1:9

Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

                                                                     

Jeremiah was having a dialogue with the Lord.  God was calling him and Jeremiah was working through his own doubts and concerns.  As they continued interacting, the Lord put forth his hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth.  He touched his mouth, not to heal it, but to place His Words in Jeremiah’s mouth.  Oh, how we need to have His Words for His calling in our lives!  This came by Jeremiah positioning himself in a place where he could sense the hand of God touching his mouth and the voice of God could be heard explaining what had been done.  It is often difficult to have this kind of interaction in our busy days but vital to be effective in all that the Lord has called us to do.  I remember when I had small babies the best time for this was nap time.  When I single, it was at lunch time off to the side at work.  Now, it is first thing in the morning after the kids go off to school.  No matter what time you meet, make the time.  We need the touch of God and to hear His voice explaining a bit of what He is doing.  God wants to touch us and God wants to talk with us.  Be in a place to be touched and hear. 

Proverbs - There is LIFE in the Tongue

Proverbs 18:20-21

A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

We have seen many proverbs on the tongue.  We have learned much from our Maker in this book about our words.  Here we learn a powerful truth.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 

Many times we focus on the fact that death is in the tongue.  If we tear someone down or put them down we can kill their spirits.  A verbally abused wife may get ulcers or high blood pressure from the constant barrage of insults and anger from the one who is to be her covering and protection.  A little child who is belittled and labeled may find their resolve languishing in the face of a parent whose words are filled with impatience and lack of understanding for a child’s age and development.

But there is also life in the tongue.  The words we speak can very well begin to help bring things to life in someone who, from previous spoken words, has something dead within them.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  Even if our words have brought some sort of death to our marriage, a relationship, a child, we have great hope in Jesus.  As we cry out to Him in the morning and ask that our tongues would be used by Him to bring life, we can see resurrection even in those relationships we may have sown death into.  We can be used to bring life to that neighbor, co-worker, grocery store worker etc., because we know the One who has the words of eternal life.  Open your mouth wide and let the Lord fill it.