Knowing God - The Lord Leads In A Straight Path

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.

Proverbs - From a Mother to Her Son

Proverbs 31:1-2

The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

                                                   

This section of scripture is written by the Holy Spirit from a mother to a son.  We will see the advice she gives to her son and we will be challenged in what to encourage our sons to do and not to do.  She will deal with women, wine and wisdom.  Ladies, speak to your sons often in regard to the dangers of alcohol, women and wisdom.  This is a chapter young men should know well for it was originally written to them.  Of course, as we read it and value this counsel, our lives can pattern these virtues for our sons to see in action.  Be open to giving your sons advice.  They will remember this and live what you speak. This will forever be imprinted upon the fabric of their being.

The Lord Destroys

Psalm 5:6

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing:

the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

The Lord Destroys and Abhors

The Lord will deal with those who deceive and lie.  He will bring their plans to nothing.  Anything a liar thinks he has gotten due to his deception will be destroyed by the Lord.  The Lord hates it when someone is willing to kill and deceive to accomplish their own goals.  He is against these people and will show Himself opposed and involved in their lives to reveal His hatred for what they are doing.  If we want our lives built in a way that will not be dealt with in a destructive way by the Lord, we ought never to use deceit or lies in our dealings.  Unless the Lord builds the house, we will labor only to wait for destruction.

                                             

Proverbs - Butter and Blood

Proverbs 30:33

Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

Here we learn that if we keep getting angry and provoking someone else we can expect division to come into that relationship.  Just like milk being churned, or a nose being twisted, there is an inevitable outcome to both of these examples.  Churning requires effort and motion.  A twisted nose requires strength and constraint.  When we are forcing our anger on a situation we are taking hold of something and turning it into a direction that will result in strife.  Leave off anger before it gets to this point.  Avoid the butter and avoid the blood.

Knowing God - The Lord Hates Those Who Practice Sin

Psalm 5:5

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:

 thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

The Lord Hates Those Who Work Iniquity

The Lord has tolerance for many things but when we are foolish women who work sin, He is repulsed and clearly rejects this type of living.  The Lord has emotions as we see throughout the scriptures:

Deut 9:20 “And the LORD was very angry with Aaron”

Zeph 3:17 “ The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy;”

Gen 6:6 “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

The Lord hates all the workers of iniquity.  Yes, he loves them in the light that He died for the very sin they commit and offers forgiveness and cleansing but He has a righteous hatred for the ongoing working of iniquity and all the havoc and pain sin produces in people’s lives.  Our God is a holy God and he hated sin so much that He gave His only begotten Son upon whom He laid the iniquity of us all.  He dealt with this hatred with punishment that befell Jesus Christ.  How thankful we ought to be and align ourselves with Him in our hatred of sin and not respect or give honor to those who work iniquity.

Proverbs - Don't Lift Yourself Up

Proverbs 30:32

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

When we lift ourselves up we have done foolishly.  Lifting ourselves up is like boasting of a gift or trying to gain reputation in the eyes of others.  If we think evil, we must allow ourselves to consider this something to be dealt with.  Thoughts give birth to action.  Both of these are to be dealt with by putting our hand upon our mouth.  What does this mean?  It means that we should consider both something horrible and something we don’t want to be a part of our lives.  We don’t continue in it and we stop, in mid-sentence or thought, if we have to.  If we do either one of these things, we should be markedly surprised and cease from either as quickly as possible.

Knowing God - He is NOT Pleased with Wickedness

Psalm 5:4

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:

 neither shall evil dwell with thee.

The Lord is Not Pleased With Wickedness

The Lord does not think things that are wicked are pleasant.  We do not please the Lord when we are involved in anything He says is wicked.  As women we have some great explanations in the book of proverbs about what a wicked woman is like.  She is immodest, loud, stubborn, doesn’t like to stay at home, flattering, manipulative, among others.  This sounds like the most respected person on E! News, doesn’t it?  Our God is not pleased with wickedness and evil does not dwell with Him.  Lord, help us discern wickedness and not have any pleasure in it either.

Proverbs - Stately Things

Proverbs 30:29-31

There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

Here is another list.  This is a list of things that are very stately in their presence.  We see a lion, a greyhound, a he goat and a king.  All of these know their place and have their power and strength under control.  They are to be respected because they know who they are and what they are able to do.  We need to know who we are in Christ and the authority we have in the fact that we know the truth and there is no need to attack or exercise our authority in a non-self-controlled manner.  We can hold our ground in the face of a tantrum-driven child or an argumentative adolescent.  We can, like the lion, hold our ground and wait for the right time to step forth and establish our position.  We can, like the king, stay cool and calm issuing decrees that are meant to be honored and obeyed.  

Knowing God - The Lord is Our Personal King

Psalm 5:2

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King,

and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

The Lord Is Our Personal King

We realize in this verse that God is not only the King or a King but MY king.  The king of an individual’s life – from the beginning to the end God can be MY king and He can be YOUR king.  A king rules and reigns and determines what’s best for the land he rules.  Our King has resources, wisdom, authority and knowledge we need in the land of our lives.  He is majesty.  He is MY king.  He is MY God.

Proverbs - Little Things that Teach Us

Proverbs 30:24-28

There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

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These ‘little things’ are meant to teach us some things.  This way we won’t disregard those ‘little things’ we might be doing.  We can learn from ants that together things can get done.  We learn that if we are weak we would do well to get some sort of covering.  We learn that even if there is no established leadership we can team up with others to get the job done.  We learn that if we work hard, we can end up in prestigious situations.  All of these examples in creation are meant to instruct us and encourage us in those times that we might feel little or insignificant.  Let us learn from these creatures all that the Lord has built in to them for us to receive.

Knowing God - The Lord Hears Our Thoughts

Psalm 5:1

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

The Lord Hears Our Thoughts

The Lord listens to our spoken words and takes what we think about very seriously.  This verse reveals to us that when we use words to talk to the Lord about anything, He really takes it in and is listening.  The word ‘consider’ here means to understand or perceive.  Sometimes we can’t put into words exactly what we want to say but we are assured here, that God understands our thoughts and hears our words.  He is a God who is familiar with the way we think AND the way we express ourselves.  This should greatly encourage us to continue to pray to Him with our words and think on things with a confidence He is hearing our thoughts as well.

Proverbs - Things Hard to Process

Proverbs 30:21-23

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

These are things that will probably bother most of us and we are told here that this is to be expected.  The first thing we are told about is when a servant reigns.  This is not referring to a wise servant who is promoted but rather someone who should not be promoted yet ends up there anyway.  It could be due to a pay off, or favoritism.  This usually disquiets those around who know the real story and see such an undeserved promotion. 

The second thing that is hard to bear is when a fool is filled with meat.  This is saying that when someone wastes their time, is lazy or squanders what they have and ends up with financial blessings, we can find ourselves a bit burdened by this apparent inconsistency.

Another thing that disquiets us is when a hateful woman is married.  When we see a wicked, mean woman sought after and vowed to, we don’t understand why the man has chosen her.  This, too, is hard to bear.

Finally, when we see someone receive an inheritance that should have gone to someone else, we can get rather perturbed.  All of these things should help us understand that there will be those things in life that we may sense are unjust.  As we read through the book of Proverbs we see that there are general principles that God has placed to play out in life, but, at times, we will see temporary contradictions.  We must give these to the Lord and trust that He will deal with matters according to His everlasting truth.  When we find ourselves burdened with these inconsistencies we must wait on the Lord and trust He will bring all that He says to pass.  Don’t be too discouraged and don’t think that God’s Word is not true.  Trust in the Lord, commit your way to Him and He WILL bring it to pass.

Proverbs - Our Words CANNOT Justify Sin

Proverbs 30:20

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

An adulterous woman is involved with a man who is not her husband and is able to walk away and proclaim with her mouth that she has done nothing wrong.  This should not surprise us.  In order to avoid the voice of the Holy Spirit people will often try to speak louder than Him.  Unrepentant sin requires lies and false justification.  To protect ourselves from ever becoming like this gal, we should confess our sins to the Lord and make no excuses when we walk outside of His boundaries.  Admitting we have sinned keeps us humble and allows the grace of God to come heal and repair.  Let us not be as this adulterous woman.  Let us not cover our tracks or speak such boastings.  Let us rather agree with God on His evaluation of our lives and receive the grace and help in time of need. 

Knowing God - The Lord Gives Victory

Psalm 2:9

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;

thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

The Lord Gives Victory

The Lord is giving His king a promise about the victory He will give him.  Are you facing a battle?  Is something around you threatening you?  The Lord wants to give you a promise about success in a certain battle so that our strength will be rooted in Him and the power of His might.  He is involved in the affairs of His people’s lives and is called the Lord of hosts.  This is a military term.  We might say He is the Chief Commander of all the troops.  He has resource, intelligence and access beyond our imagination.  He will fight the battle for you.  Although He might use you and others, truly the battle belongs to the Lord – and He always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus.

Knowing God - He Wants Us To Ask

Psalm 2:8

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

The Lord Wants Us To Ask

The Lord wants us to ask for things.  Sometimes we don’t have certain things in our lives because we haven’t asked.   In this text, the heathen were threatening God’s people and trying to take them over.  They were encroaching and threatening with armies and pagan practices, God’s own people.  The Lord was instructing this king to ask Him for those very people as an inheritance rather than a threat.  Have you ever asked the Lord to take those situations, people and problems that seem to be threatening you and cause them to be a valuable inheritance for you?  Have you placed those problems before Him, asking Him to touch them in such a way that you will inherit incredible blessings out of them?  Ask of Him, that He may give you the heathen for your inheritance.

Proverbs - Consider These Things

Proverbs 30:18-19

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, 

yea, four which I know not:

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Here the writer is musing over things we should take time to consider.  The flight of an eagle in the air brings the writer to a place of awe.  He sees wonder in it.  Have you seen such a flight?  The stately wings, the determined course and the quietness of flight, should instruct us all in the creative abilities of our wonderful God!

A serpent moving without any feet shows the intricate design God built into its frame to allow such a creature to make its way stealthily through its environment.  A stately vessel loaded with cargo can not only float but cut through the sea in a determined manner usually reserved for living creatures that reside in its depths. 

Then the way of a man with a maid causes the write to stop and give up his intellectual grasp.  There is something so sweet about an innocent courtship designed to lead to marriage and a lifelong commitment.  This too brought a great deal of amazement to the writer.

Such wonder and amazement all of these things bring!  This section of verses challenges us to take in our surroundings and be amazed!  Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see His glory throughout the day.   Enjoy Him in His creation.  Enjoy Him in your relationships.  Have a childlike wonderment and never cease discovery.  Forsake the need to grasp and embrace the opportunity to wonder.

Knowing God - The Lord Decrees

Psalm 2:7

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me,

Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

The Lord Declares Decrees

It is a good thing that the Lord will speak to us about our position and calling.  He reminds us about who we are and what His plans are for our lives.  Are we still enough to listen?  Do we come before Him in the beginning of our day to reestablish ourselves as His children and His servants?  Do we take time to know what He has declared in His Word about us so that when others label us, our identity is clearly defined by His mouth?  The Lord declares decrees.  He speaks that which is law.  He is the King!  His Word is final.  You are His child, if indeed you are in Christ, and it is by His Holy Spirit you have been begotten of God.

Proverbs - Things that Are Never Satisfied

Proverbs 30:15-17

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Here are things that the Lord says will never be satisfied.  They just keep feeling like they need more.  The grave continues to consume the next life, every day and every minute.  The barren womb, though the mother may be settled, will yet sense a lack of experience she may always have anticipated.  The earth continues to need water over and over and fires can burn forever given the right fuel sources and conditions.  When someone mocks their father or does not obey their mother, they will start a pattern that demands greater defiance and disrespect.  We can learn a few things from this section of scripture.

Every death leaves people with a sense of needing closure and we should let them thirst and cry out for the comfort they need.  We should be sensitive to those who are unable to bear children realizing the sense of loss they appropriately feel.  We shouldn’t be lazy in taking care of our gardens and yards, knowing they need consistent watering.  We should handle fire cautiously knowing it can consume anything in its path and we should nip any mocking or disobedience we find in our children.  

Proverbs - Things That Will Never Be Satisfied

Proverbs 30:15-17

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Here are things that the Lord says will never be satisfied.  They just keep feeling like they need more.  The grave continues to consume the next life, every day and every minute.  The barren womb, though the mother may be settled, will yet sense a lack of experience she may always have anticipated.  The earth continues to need water over and over and fires can burn forever given the right fuel sources and conditions.  When someone mocks their father or does not obey their mother, they will start a pattern that demands greater defiance and disrespect.  We can learn a few things from this section of scripture.

Every death leaves people with a sense of needing closure and we should let them thirst and cry out for the comfort they need.  We should be sensitive to those who are unable to bear children realizing the sense of loss they appropriately feel.  We shouldn’t be lazy in taking care of our gardens and yards, knowing they need consistent watering.  We should handle fire cautiously knowing it can consume anything in its path and we should nip any mocking or disobedience we find in our children.  

Knowing God - He Sits in the Heavens

We are going back to the beginning of our 365-Day Journey in the Devotional "Knowing God".  Feel free to unsubscribe you have been through the entire journey or stay around for a second helping!

Psalm 2:4

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:

the Lord shall have them in derision.

He Sits In the Heavens

The Lord sits in the heavens.  It is good to know that the Lord is above all.  He is not limited to the perspective we have here on this earth.  He is above it all and is not shaken by men’s efforts to fight against him or determine truth by their own councils and reason.  He is absolutely higher than these waves of self rule and He scoffs at the attempt of his creation to subvert what is eternally settled and mandated.  So, what does that tell us?  For one thing we are awakened out of a minority status in our world and drawn to a place of security and confidence.  Our God is seated in the heavens. He isn’t pacing the throne room.   He isn’t standing in panic.  He is seated and if we are in Christ, we are seated with Him in heavenly places too!

Proverbs - Caring for People and NOT Gain

Proverbs 30:14

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

There are people who look at others only as a means of gain.  They can see the desperate conditions some are living in and take advantage of this to make money.  They want to make these people the source of their food and devour them with their plans.  They may put liquor stores in depressed areas or deal drugs where lifestyles are full of pain and emptiness.  They may offer prostitution jobs to the young girl alone and hungry or hire the illegal immigrant for slaves’ wages seeing their hunger and need.  In an evolution based society there is nothing wrong with this sort of strategy.  Darwin was clear that the fit should survive and the weak will be taken advantage of.  We should not be surprised that the generation around us may in fact be doing such things because they do not believe in the value of the individual created by and in the image of God.  It will grieve us.  It should grieve us.  Let us pity the poor and seek to help them.  Let us show the needy that Christ desires to be their Shepherd in and through the things they face.  Let us never be like this generation that treats the downcast as a means for gain.

Knowing God - He has Drenched Us!

Titus 3:5-6

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

The Holy Spirit was shed upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.  This is a great truth indeed!  He didn’t just give us a little bit of the Holy Spirit but the word ‘shed’ here means ‘to gush out’.  He abundantly poured out the Holy Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.  If we are Christ’s and in Christ, we have been given this great dousing and because of that we are drenched with the Holy Spirit.  He poured His Spirit out on us when we put our faith in Christ.  He gave us the promise of His Holy Spirit and we are made new and given new life by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.  What a great explanation of our triune God and how He works!  Enjoy the drenching of His Spirit.  It doesn’t matter whether we feel it or not!  God’s Word declares that He has already done this for us.  Believe this truth.  Enjoy this truth.  Walk in this truth today drenched one!

Proverbs - Lofty Eyes

Proverbs 30:13

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

Lofty eyes are never good.  Lofty eyes exemplify eyes that look down on others.  Lofty eyes show pride and arrogance.  When a generation raises their eyebrows when their morality is challenged, we see a generation that does what is right in their own eyes.  Oh that we would show the world how humility produces honor and being corrected is a way of life!  Once again we are warned that the world around us really looks down on others although proclaiming tolerance.  Three are those who speak arrogantly against authority and are actually surprised when their actions are judge wrong or illegal.  We will see this more and more as we see the day approaching.  Our goal is to avoid this type of attitude and display a teachable spirit resulting in a much sweeter way of living.

Proverbs - Wrong Self Perception

Proverbs 30:12

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Our heart is deceitfully wicked and we must understand our assessment of ourselves is not to be trusted.  We live in a society that decides what is right by their own understanding and desires.  People think they are clean but in fact are quite dirty.  When we talk to such people we must realize that they are carrying around the stench of their sin and we know that it is the blood of Jesus that can wash them white as snow.  The blessing of a clean conscience is something those who are yet dead in their sins do not know.  The weight of guilt is something they have never been relieved of.  We can tell them what Christ has done on their behalf.  They can enjoy the cleansing and forgiving.  When we see others we should know that regardless of whether they think they are clean, they are not.  We can pray for that Hollywood star.  We can write a letter to that politician or to that professor letting them know what their Maker has done for them.  Don’t be surprised at how people will say that they are clean when the truth is they are in the miry clay of human sin and consequences.

Knowing God - Your Lovingkindness

Ps 26:3

For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes:

and I have walked in thy truth.

The psalmist is declaring the God’s lovingkindness is before his eyes.  This means that God’s goodness and mercy is right in front of us.  God wants us to see His lovingkindess.  He wants us to hear His lovingkindness in the morning and He is doing things continually that represent His goodness and mercy.  We need to believe that and open our eyes in such a way that we recognize His faithfulness more quickly than we recognize the betrayal of man.  His lovingkindness is before us and we would do well to not turn our eyes to the left nor to the right but look ahead as we walk in His truth knowing His lovingkindness is right in front of us!  This will help us walk in HIS truth and not false imaginations or others’ expectations.

Proverbs - Children Cursing Parents

Proverbs 30:11

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

There has never been another generation closer to the second coming of Jesus Christ than those who are living now.  The Lord tells us in Second Timothy 3:1-2 :

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Children have always had to learn obedience.  We know that foolishness is bound up in a heart of a child and they must be instructed in the way that they SHOULD go because they naturally go towards their fallen nature without such instruction.  In the last days the severity of disobedience will be such that children will curse their fathers and not bless their mothers.  As parents in these times we ought not take the attitudes of our children personally but rather prepare ourselves to fight with spiritual weapons on behalf of this generation.  When we hear news reports of children who actually murder their parents, we should stop and ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit upon this generation.  So many fathers have forsaken their children and mothers have pursued their own goals at the expense of their children.   This results in children who react with such despair that it results in cursing and a lack of natural bonding.  Oh Lord, help us as mothers to not be deceived and contribute in any way to our children cursing their father or not blessing us.  Give us compassion on the children who are cursing their fathers and use us to show them what a good Father you are. 

Proverbs - NEVER Partner with the Accuser of the Brethren

Proverbs 30:10

Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ are servants to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We ought not accuse them to their master.  They answer to the master and it is not our place to come before Him in prayer complaining about those He has around us.  Do you remember Martha and her attitude towards Mary?   She actually went to the Lord and told Him what to tell Mary to do.  Every servant answers to their own master.  When we bring servants before the Lord, let us not accuse them but rather praise the Lord for them.  Let us bring their needs and requests before the Lord.  Let us intercede for them, but let us NEVER accuse them.

Knowing God - He is GLORIOUS!

Ps 135:13

Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

The Lord’s name endures forever.  He is our God when we are children and He is our God when we are teenagers and He is our God when we are adults and He is our God when we are aged.  His name endures forever and all that He is; is all that we need whatever age we are, whatever country we live in and whatever trial we may face.  Another version uses the word ‘fame’ instead of ‘memorial’.  Our God’s fame is constant and He doesn’t have a MOMENT of glory He IS glorious!  It is good to know in times of change and ever varying notoriety that our Lord’s fame endures.  He is always the popular choice in ALL situations.

Proverbs - Praying a Pleasing Prayer

Proverbs 30:7-9

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

This is a precious prayer of a servant of God.  He is asking the Lord to remove from him empty things and lies.  He doesn’t want his mind filled with lies nor his life filled with empty pursuits.  He doesn’t want to be a person who has his identity in his financial status.  He is hoping for middle ground that would lead him to be content and protect him from sinning against the Lord.  When we pray and ask the Lord for things how many times do we consider what would produce maturity in us?  It would be a healthy take on our prayer time to bring different answers up before Him, considering what sorts of temptations they might bring into our lives.  The prudent man will foresee evil and hide himself.

Knowing God - He is ABOVE ALL gods

                                                Psalm 135:5

For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

Our God is great and our Lord is above ALL gods.  The neat things about this particular declaration is that the psalmist doesn’t just state that the Lord is great and above all gods, but that he KNOWS that the Lord is great and that the Lord is above all gods.  Our Lord loves to reveal Himself to us so that we have this kind of confidence in Him.  When we know who He is we trust Him and proclaim Him with a surety that is appropriate for the one true God!  He desires us to be able to echo this statement and we bring Him praise by saying such a truth with a knowledge based on experience and revelation.  If you do not know this, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you as such so that you may boldly proclaim such a great truth about your Lord!

Proverbs - EVERY Word of God is True!

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield

 unto them that put their trust in him.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee,

 and thou be found a liar.

What a wonderful thing to know!  EVERY word of God is true!  I can count on His Word through and through.  He is a shield for us as we trust in him.  He will go between us and anything that would want to harm us.  By knowing His Word we are protected.  By believing what He says we are covered.  We are warned though not to add to his words.  Most of us wouldn’t go around writing a new book of the bible and trying to publish it, but we may do it another way.  We may read something and insert certain conditions that are not there.  We may read a promise of God and impose our own opinion of whether it applies to us.  His word is pure and we must be cautious to not contaminate it with our own opinions and perspectives.  

Proverbs - Jesus in Proverbs

Proverbs 30:4

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

The author of this chapter goes from his own inadequacies to the complete adequacy of God.  The most important truths we can hold on to involve who we know we are and who we know God to be.  We see that the Lord is in the heights of life and the lows of life.  We see that He can handle the wind as well as the sea.  We see that He knows all boundaries and determined them.  His name is Jehovah and His Son is Jesus Christ.  How wonderful to see the wisdom of God, Jesus Christ, exalted in the midst of the proverbs even before he came in the flesh!  Truly as we learn these wise sayings, it is absolutely important that we remember that Christ Himself was made unto us the wisdom of God.  

Knowing God - He Will Hear, He Will Save

Ps 145:19

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

We are told in this verse that we are to fear the Lord and we are to cry out to the Lord.  He will fulfill our desires and He will save us when we focus on this.  The Lord sees our hearts and our desires and knows us better than we know ourselves.  He loves for us to come into His presence with our concerns, dreams and desires.  He loves us and He loves to fulfill our desires.  When we fear the Lord our desires start to go in a direction that lines up with God’s heart and mind.  We start to value the things He values and deem worthless that which he deems worthless.  Sometimes we spend our efforts trying to fulfill our desires when we should focus on fearing the Lord.  He will fulfill our desires and we can focus on fearing Him and crying out to Him.

Knowing God - He Opens, He Raises and He Loves

Ps 146:8

The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:

We learn a few things about our God in this scripture.  He is letting us know that He opens blind eyes, He lifts up those who are bowed down and He loves the righteous.  If we are blinded or someone we love is blinded, it is God who can open their eyes and help them see.  When we are discouraged or defeated, the best place to be is bowed down.  We need to bow down in humility, surrender, praise and dependence.  Then, our God will lift us up!  We also see that God loves the righteous.  This is not referring to the imputed righteousness of Christ but those who seek to do what is right in His eyes; whose ways are before Him to be searched and evaluated.  God loves those who want to do the right thing as deemed by Him!  How powerful and faithful our God is.  What horrible times when we cannot see.  What heavy times when we are brought low!  What forces oppose righteousness!  Yet, we see that the Lord is involved in all three of these seasons of our lives.  Thank You Lord that You are not angry if we are blind or bowed and that when we choose to do what’s right in these situations, You love it!

Proverbs - Humility and Wisdom

Proverbs 30:1-3

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom,

nor have the knowledge of the holy.

As this gentleman begins to give counsel he places himself in a place of humility.  He establishes that he is not going to draw on any inner conclusions he himself has come up with because, in his own nature, he has nothing to give.  It is always good to establish the fact that the advice we would give someone else is not from our own resources but derived from the Lord and His word.  This is not false humility.  It is a statement that helps the person listening to turn their attention to the Lord and not depend on the counsel of man.