Knowing God - Through His Death He Destroyed Death's Authority

Heb 2:14

…that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Jesus became a human being so He could die.  He had to have flesh and blood to be the acceptable sacrifice for us.  Through His death, He not only purchased us back from the devil, but actually destroyed the devil.  The devil had the power of death.  That word power means dominion.  The devil had dominion over death but through Jesus’ death, his dominion has been broken because the devil, himself, was destroyed that day at Calvary.  Now, when we remember Jesus’ death we can praise Him for destroying the devil through His sacrifice and rejoice that even death itself is under His dominion in our lives.  We no longer need to fear death because Jesus has destroyed him who had the power of death.  One day death itself will be destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire, but for now we can rejoice that the dominion and authority over death is no longer in the devil’s hands but under the authority of Jesus Himself.  Death is now under the Lord’s control and is being used as an usher for those of us who are in Christ to take us into the beauty of His presence.  Although death is still quite ugly and an obvious result of sin, it is under His authority and has been declared a defeated foe used for His purposes and glory. 

Proverbs - His Blessings are Without Sorrow

Proverbs10:22

 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich,

 and he addeth no sorrow with it.

                    When the Lord gives us a blessing it is nothing but a blessing.  Every angle oozes with His fingerprints and His goodness.  Not so when we go after those blessings and take them ourselves without His leading and by our own might.  When we purchase something in our own willful rebellion when the Lord has said “Not right now”, you can be sure that there will be sorrow with it. If you are single and attempt to make a relationship happen because you think it is a blessing and you haven’t sought His leading, the ‘blessing’ will have unnecessary sorrow associated with it.  If you stubbornly go after blessings you think you should have on your own terms, sorrow will accompany those things.  Don’t you want blessings that have no sorrow with it?  Then, wait on the Lord until it comes from Him with no sorrows.  He will get the glory. He does things absolutely perfectly and He will use that blessing to minister His love and favor in your life.  If you have stubbornly gone after things on your own, bow your heart before Him and ask for His forgiveness and tender mercies.  Ask Him to use the sorrows you are experiencing to build into you a great fear and reverence for His leading and request His intervention to redeem and turn things around.  He is compassionate and longs to get involved in those things we have pushed him away from.

Knowing God - HE Determines Truth - NOT Us!

                                            Jer 2:35

 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

The Lord is letting His people know that they do not determine truth by their own statements.  He has heard what they say about themselves and what conclusions they have come to about His dealings with them.  Here, we learn that the Lord will not take our words and assumptive reasoning as the guide by which He deals with us.  He will confront us in our self-centered, self-justified thinking and bring us in line with truth itself rather than allowing us to continue deceived about our condition as well as who He is what He will do in our lives.  God will plead with us when we say something to ourselves that just isn’t true.  There is a teaching out there that tries to tell believers that their words establish reality.  THIS IS NOT TRUE!  Our words are not as God’s words and our words may in fact contradict truth.  Let us not come to the Lord with our reasoning and expect Him to follow our words.  Let’s come to Him and yield to His truth and ways of doing things.

Proverbs - Words Feed

Proverbs 10:21

The lips of the righteous feed many:

but fools die for want of wisdom

                    Words are meant to feed others.  If our lips speak the things that are right according to the Lord, many people will be fed.  With our children we are often speaking to them and training them in the way they should go.  We might see them respond a certain way according to their sinful nature and with the Lord’s command we speak to them what the Lord thinks of that response and which one He would have them reach for.  Ladies, when you and I discipline and train our children with the Word of God as the guide, we will be speaking righteous things.  They will be fed, their children will be fed and many that you may never know will be fed.  We must not train our children according to what pleases us, but that which pleases the Lord.  Otherwise, our lips may, in fact, sap energy away from many rather than feed them.  Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. (John 21:16).  May our lips speak His Words, His standards and His ways, so that we may truly be able to do this.

Knowing God - He Sees Our Soap

Jer 2:22

For though thou wash thee with nitre,

and take thee much soap,

 yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.

The Lord sees the various things people do to try and take away the guilt of sin.  He watches people use ‘much soap’.  This soap could be achievements, good deeds, ministry, drugs, fun, entertainment, busyness etc., but He concludes that the sin is still present in His sight.  The key to a clean conscience is not having our iniquities marked before God.  The soap He has made available to us is the sinless shed blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  Ladies, let’s just be honest in His presence and agree with Him when sin is present.  Let us put our faith in His blood and stop trying to cleanse stains that only the blood of Christ can cleanse.  Just as much as our iniquity is marked before Him, His remedy is present as well.  Thank You Lord for the blood of Jesus Christ that is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Honor Him by walking in the richness of forgiveness made available through the sacrifice of His dear Son.

Proverbs - Words with Value

Proverbs 10:20

 The tongue of the just is as choice silver:

the heart of the wicked is little worth.

                    Our words have value.  The value comes from the source of our words - the heart.  Here we see that if we have a just and righteous heart our words will be like silver and will feed people.  A just heart wants to do what is right.  A just heart is not out to prove itself right but to discover and do that which is right.  A righteous heart is a heart that is in right standing with God.  A righteous heart is covered by the blood of Christ.  A righteous heart is concerned with pleasing the Lord.   When our hearts are in this position our lips will speak words that reflect the beauty of our Lord just as choice silver reflects the image of the one looking into it.  When our hearts are in this position we will speak words that people who hunger for encouragement, hope and forgiveness will feed on.  If our words are lacking we must start with the cry, “Lord give me a just and righteous heart”.

Knowing God - He Pleads With Us

Jer 2:9

Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.

Here the Lord is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to His people.  They were no longer having the Lord as the first love of their lives.  The Lord says here that He is pleading with them.  This word ‘plead’ means ‘to wrangle’ ‘legally confront with a controversy’.  The Lord was taking the time to explain their backslidings and even let them know that their backslidings were going to be used by Him to correct them. ”… thy backslidings shall reprove thee:..”(Jer 2:19)  The Lord was pleading with them and promised in this verse to plead with their children and their grandchildren.  How wonderful our God is.  He will plead with every generation to return to Him when they wander away.  Dear mother, are you yearning for your child to return to the Lord?  Dear grandmother, are you praying for those grandchildren to know the love and peace you enjoy in Christ?  Be comforted to know that your God is pleading with them with the same fervor that He pleaded with you.

Proverbs - Too Many Words

Proverbs 10:19

In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:

but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

          Given long enough any conversation has a more likely probability to produce sin.  We read here that the more words spoken, the more likely sin will occur. How long are you on the phone and why?  How long are you on the instant messenger and why?  How many statuses really need to be posted and why?  Is it time to leave that conversation in the parking lot or mall because the words are not purposed with love and fellowship?  Limit your human conversation unless you sense the Spirit’s control and leading to continue.  You will definitely cut down on the chances of gossip, slander, judgment, being misunderstood and a countless number of other sins and conflict.  Pour out your heart before Him.  Budget your time in human communication with a great sense of purposed speech.  Approach conversation with a ready mind and knowledge that if there are too many words, especially those spoken in carelessness, sin might very well be produced.

Knowing God - God's Breathe is Our Life

Gen 2:7

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;

 and man became a living soul.

The Lord God formed man.  The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.  A few verses later we see the Lord forming every animal and bird from the ground. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air;..” (Gen 2:19) It is not recorded that the Lord breathed the breath of life into the animals, only in man.  This could help us understand the eternal existence of man versus the temporary life of animals.  Both, the animals and man were formed from the ground so we both have this tie to this earth in our life.  Yet, we, as humans, have been given life from God – from an eternal God.  We were created before the animals and the Lord has made us in His likeness.  We have received this life from Him and we can only experience life the way He intended as we continue to be dependent on Him.  Cherish your origins.  Allow His breath, to breathe upon you today bringing the breath of life to your existence. Job remembered this and it helped him through the most devastating trials in a man’s life as recorded in scripture.  “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4)

We were created

And given His breath

Then Christ came to earth

And delivered from death

Proverbs - Our Hearts and Mouths

Proverbs 10:18

         

 He that hideth hatred with lying lips,

 and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

                    Our tongues can really get us in trouble if they are not under the control of the Holy Spirit.  If we represent ourselves one way with our lips but in our heart there is another matter occurring we must confess this and ask the Lord to help us have the words from our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to Him.  If we find ourselves speaking nicely around someone and upon leaving their presence despising or judging them we must take the time to see we are fools.  We must ask for the Lord’s heart for that person and really be honest before the Lord if we find ourselves hating someone.  When we meet that person or talk about the person we must be careful about what we say so as not to hide our hatred with lying lips.  Does this mean we speak of our hatred to them or to whomever we are speaking?  Definitely not!  But we don’t speak of our great affections if they are not there.  Rather, we speak God’s truth about them and if we find ourselves at a loss for words.....don’t speak at all.   We can very deceptively use our tongues to slant the picture of another so as to justify our own lack of love.  Be careful....foolish women can be very clamorous. 

Knowing God - Jesus Loves the Little Children

Luke 18:16

But Jesus called them unto him, and said,

 Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

This is a correction that Jesus was giving to His disciples.  Ladies were bringing their babies to Jesus in order to have Him touch them.  The disciples were rebuking the women for doing this.  Jesus told His disciples that their actions were wrong and that children were very important to Him.  We learn God’s heart here about children.  Although we don’t read a lot of recorded encounters between Jesus and children, we get quite a picture of His heart in this statement.  Our Savior loves children.  He wants children to come to Him.  He wants us to facilitate easy access to Him and be that kind of people who embrace opportunities to be used to bring children to Jesus.  This is His heart.  Consider your attitude towards children.  Do you tend to push children away?  Do you see them through His eyes?  Lord, help us be used to bring the little children to You, that You might touch them and that they might know Your love and friendship.

Runny noses, high-pitched screams ,

And energy so much,

Remind us to that the little children,

Need to feel His touch.

Proverbs - LISTENING TO vs KEEPING Instruction

Proverbs 10:17

 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction:

but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

                                 

Listening to Instruction vs. Keeping Instruction

                   We must hold on to every word of God and the wisdom He has so generously given us.  Our way will be full of life if we keep instruction and continue in the things we have learned.  This takes some review and meditation.  Sometimes things die in our lives as we learn they must but resurrection comes soon after, never dying again.  This is the way of life. 

                    If we refuse reproof we will error.  Ask the Lord for a sensitive spirit to His convictions and be quick to repent.  Seek Him for Him to search you.  Receive the wounds of a friend.  They are faithful and He is the faithful Friend.  Do not harden your heart but yield to His holy ways.  They are so good and the best way to experience this short time you have here on earth.

Knowing God - God Resists the Proud

                                          1 Peter 5:5

“…..for God resisteth the proud,

and giveth grace to the humble.”

We learn who the Lord opposes here.  We do not want to be in opposition to the Lord.  If we are proud then we will find ourselves in direct opposition with God.  He will lift His hand of blessing when we are proud to show us the danger we are truly in.  When we humble ourselves, God will give His grace – the divine influence upon our hearts that manifests itself in the way we live.  God’s grace is available to those of us who are humble.  It is difficult, if not impossible to lead someone who is stubborn or pre-decided in the direction they want to go.  God desire to lead, bless and influence our lives.  When we are humble, the grace, the divine influence, is there to strengthen, lead, empower and equip us to live our lives.  When we are proud, stubborn or self-willed our path seems uphill and full of obstacles.  Our God enjoys humility and rewards it as well.  Oh Lord, we humble ourselves before you today, seeking Your grace upon our lives.

Proverbs - Word Hard and Enjoy Safety

Proverbs 10:15-16

 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction

 of the poor is their poverty.

 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

                    Here I believe that the Lord is speaking about wealth and earnings gained by hard work and prudent spending and saving.  We see in the second verse that the labor of the righteous tends to life.  If we work hard we will be satisfied no matter how much we make or don’t make.  Our strength will be in the fact that we know we worked unto the Lord and He will take care of us and our needs.  If we find ourselves lacking due to laziness, credit abuse, lack of employment from poor job performance, living beyond our means etc., we will be destroying our lives.  Let us ask the Lord to search us out and show us how to be faithful, generous and diligent.  May He cleanse us of the pursuit of ease and ignite within us a love to labor unto Him.

Knowing God - You are NOT Unnoticed

Luke 8:47

                         

 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet.

NIV

This woman had been suffering for twelve years with female problems.  She had gone to doctor after doctor to the point that she spent all of her money.  She might have felt that no one understood or knew all that she had gone through and was going through.  Her ailment was unknown to the person standing next to her, but she was well aware of her affliction.  When she reached out to Jesus, He responded.  This woman did not and could not go unnoticed by Jesus.  Sister, do you feel like your infirmity is something you carry alone?  Have people grown weary or have they become numb to your pain and your lot?  Jesus hasn’t.  He notices you…you are a woman that cannot go unnoticed as you reach out for Jesus in your long term affliction.  Come.  Tremble.  Fall at His feet.  He wants to honor your faith in Him.  He loves you.  You are not unnoticed.

Proverbs - What We SAY Tells A Lot About Who We Are

Proverbs 10:13-14

 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found:

 but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

                    What we say tells a lot of who we are.  Wise people don’t have to tell everyone what they think or what they know.  They store up insight, observations and counsel.  Wise people not only know what to say but the timing of when to say it.  In order to speak wisdom we must have wisdom.  This wisdom comes from the Only Wise God and through the counsel of His Word.  When you read His Word ask Him to give you insight into His heart, His judgments and His ways.  You will then speak with great understanding.

                    When a foolish person speaks, they are actually sowing seeds of destruction.  When we act as foolish women and are tearing down our home with our own words we are destroying the very home we are called to build.  Oh Lord, help us be careful with our tongues and put a guard over our mouths.  Let the meditations of my heart and the words of my mouth be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Knowing God - He Is Able

2 Cor 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,

 may abound to every good work:

“And God is able….”  If we just stopped at this point reading this truth, we would find ourselves in a great place of courage and revelation.  God is able.  God is mighty and desire’s to show Himself powerful.  His abilities are what we, as mere men, need to focus on, worship and draw from.  Whatever things we face, internally or externally, should have to face the ability of God.  Whatever obstacles position themselves around us, must be confronted with the ability of God.  What are some things the Word of God reveals about God’s ability?

Luke 3:8 – God is able to make sons of Abraham from stones

Acts 20:32 – God’s grace is able to build us up

Romans 4:21 – What He promises He is able to perform

Romans 14:4 – God is able to make us stand

Ephesians 3:20 – God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can ask or think

Hebrews 2:18 – God is able to help those who are tempted

God is able.  Take some time today to enjoy all that God is able to do.  Remember that He is much more powerful and clever than you and I have yet to perceive.  Whatever may be intimidating you today is no match for the God who is able!

Proverbs - Conflict May Be a Symptom of Hatred

Proverbs 10:12

 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

                    If you find yourself stirring up conflict with others you might very well have hatred in your heart.  Maybe you hate the person you are striving with and maybe you hate someone else.  Sometimes we may even hate ourselves and are taking it out on other people.  We may even be doing something we hate and we know the Lord has asked us to stop and this hatred can stir up strife and anger within us resulting in strife with others around us.  We can ask the Spirit of God to search us and show us any hatred that we might be peacemakers rather than strivers.

                    Love covers all sins.  It doesn’t mean you don’t see sin nor confront sin. This means that you don’t want to expose sin or exaggerate its effects in someone’s life.  You don’t bring it up over and over. You don’t talk to others about it. You don’t use it against the other person.  You seek to have mercy and understanding in regards to the sin. 

                   Let’s ask the Lord today to cleanse us of any hatred and cause His love to flow through us unhindered.

Knowing God - He Speaks Our Name

Ex 3:4

 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said,

Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

God Speaks Our Name

The Lord saw Moses turn aside to see this bush that burned with fire.  When the Lord saw this, the Lord spoke Moses’ name twice.  The experience changed from a curious investigation of a physical phenomenon to a relational dialogue with God Himself.  The Lord is calling our names today.  When we ‘turn aside to see’, the Lord knows He has our attention and moves us away from what originally caught our attention and towards a place of hearing His voice.  In our busy society we often ‘drive thru’ the presence of God, hoping to chow down our spiritual fast food to hold us over.  This may happen at times, but should not be our regular way of eating.  We must be a people who ‘turn aside’.  Turn aside from the television.  Turn aside from the computer.  Turn aside from our works and quiet ourselves to hear Him say our name too.  “Dolores, Dolores”, He may say.  “Karen, Karen”, He beckons.  “Audree, Audree!” He addresses.  When we hear this, let us be like Moses and say, “Here I am!”

Proverbs - Is Your Mouth a Well?

                                                         Proverbs 10:11

                           The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:

 but violence covereth

 the mouth of the wicked.          

                    A well is something which gets its water source from deep below the surface.  To have this mouth that is like a well we must be ladies who go below the surface of Christian values to the very heart of Christ Himself.  Do you take the time to ponder on His character?  Do you seek Him for His purposes for your life in the things that come your way?  Do you ask Him to open your eyes to His heart on a matter? The Lord Jesus says in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”  What are you filling up with before you see your husband at the end of the day?  What are you putting into your heart in the morning before the children wake up?  What are you meditating on throughout your day?  You will see a direct link between what you put in and what comes out.

                    People go to a well for refreshment and to quench their thirst.  Can people come to you and receive from your mouth things that their soul is longing for?   Can your children come to you with a frustration, bad attitude or wrong conclusion and your words can wash away the impurities and set them right on track?  In the midst of a conversation polluted with cynicism and judgment do your words well up with gentle rebuke washing away the seeds of division in the body of Christ?  Oh Lord help our mouths to be like wells today.

Knowing God - He Sees Us Spotless

Song 4:7

 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

The Lord Sees You Spotless

                                                                                

Here we learn about the Lord’s love for His bride.  He tells His bride that we are all fair and there is no spot in us.  What matters most is the Lord’s view of us and not ours or anyone else’s view of us.  When we are in Christ, all things are new.  Old things are passed away and we are new creations in Christ.  We have been clothed in His righteousness and when we come into the presence of our God He affirms that we are fair, beautiful and there is not spot in us.  He calls us His love.  Do you know that you are the Lord’s love?  Are you looking for the favor, acceptance or approval of someone other than the Lord?  You will be frustrated, confused and desperate if this is your state.  You can stand on God’s judgment of you if, indeed, you are in Christ.  He says there is NO spot in you.  Walk in His righteousness today.  Enjoy His favor.  Consider His great love and acceptance towards you.  You are fair.  You are His love.  There is NO spot in you.

Proverbs - Fools and Folly

Proverbs 10:10

  He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

                         

         

Oftentimes when a person winks it means that whatever they just said is not absolutely true in itself.  Perhaps it was meant in jest or to tease the other person.  Sometimes when someone winks at another it is to get their attention to see what that person is about to do or so.  Any way you look at it the wink of an eye represents deception.  Here we see the Lord saying that this kind of trickery or jesting causes sorrow.  We should all be warned that teasing another to get a laugh is not the way of a follower of Christ.

                                                                          

A prating fool means a babbling or chattering fool.  The enemy would want us to waste our passion and words on insignificant matters especially those surrounding our own kingdom and righteousness.  May we be ladies whose words are carefully spoken with the purposed intent of building another and/or blessing the Lord.  We don’t want to fall.  We want to stay in an upright position.  Let us choose our words carefully.

Knowing God - God Reminds Us of Our Calling

2 Chron 29:11

 My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

                                                         

King Hezekiah is instructing the Levites in their place in God’s kingdom.  The Levites had been negligent in their calling and the king called them in to remind them and stir them up in their calling.  He tells them that the Lord had chosen them.  The Lord chose them to stand before Him, to serve Him, minister to Him and burn incense.  Hezekiah was detailed and clear in exhorting the Levites to no longer neglect any or all of what the Lord had called them to do.  The Lord chooses us as well.  He sends reminders when we, like these Levites, begin to become negligent in the positions of influence and responsibility He has given us.  When we neglect the assignments the Lord has given us, it will not only affect us, but the entire kingdom around us.  This might be a good time to bow your head, recommit your life to the Lord, ask Him to help you not be negligent and seek to be faithful in all He has chosen for you.  The Lord has chosen us, let us responds with faithfulness and fervor.

Proverbs - Walking Surely

                                      Proverbs 10:8-9

The wise in heart will receive commandments: 

but a prating fool shall fall.

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely:

but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

                    We must be open to receive God’s commandments - to have them come in and become part of the fabric of our identity.  If we are quick to contend with the Lord on a matter we will fall in order that God is proven right.  Our own understanding is not the best support to be leaning upon.

                    When we don’t have anything hidden we can walk in a sure manner.  If we have hidden sin, hidden agendas or unconfessed attitudes, our steps will give us away.  Let us walk in the light as He is in the light and then have good fellowship with one another.  As you and I make choices uprightly, our paths will be straight and our steps sure.

Knowing God - The Lord Submits Evidence

Rom 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,

 that we are the children of God:

The Lord Submits Evidence

How wonderful for the Lord to do this!  The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.  These words ‘bear witness’ means to ‘corroborate with evidence’.  The Holy Spirit points out and labels pieces of evidence in order to convict us that we, indeed, are ‘guilty’ of being His children.  How does He do this?  He might show you fruit in your life that was never there before you had Christ dwelling in your heart by faith.  He might show you a desire within you that you would never have had before you were born again.  He might cause you to notice a lack of desire for sinful things you once were actually enslaved to.  What evidence have you seen in your life that shows you are God’s child?  This is one of the works of the Holy Spirit.  He is the best attorney convicting us, not only of sin, but of being God’s child.  Thank You Lord for giving us Your Holy Spirit to show us concrete evidence to combat the accuser of our brethren and internal lies that seek to persuade us that we do not belong to You.  We love you Daddy!

Proverbs - Our Mouths Must Be Controlled

Proverbs 10:6-7

Blessings are upon the head of the just:

 but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

                    When we live our lives apart from the defining plan of God’s Word and what He says is right we have a very tumultuous existence without any rhyme or reason.  Our lives shake violently under the consequences and influences of sinful seeds sown without regard to our Lord’s will in individual choices we have made.  We must be a people who seek our God and want to honor Him with our choices. 

          Our mouths must be controlled by the Holy Spirit with our heart being filled with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to the Lord.  This will result in not having a wicked heart and help us avoid such unnecessary human conflict as a result of our own wickedness.

          The thoughts of others when they hear your name should bring blessing to their day as hopefully you are a link to their mind being stayed on Christ.  If you or I are forever meddling, gossiping or speaking of things we ought not, our names could very well turn the stomach of someone who hears it mentioned.  We must be just and in order to be just we must be lovers of truth, pleasers of God and not just loyal to men.  This will create scenarios where words will be spoken in order to please man and gain his approval only to result in conflict and inconsistency.

Knowing God - He Rolls Our Reproach Away!

Josh 5:9

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

The word ‘Gilgal’ means rolling.  The Lord had taken His people out of slavery, through the wilderness and now welcomes them to the land of promise.  He gives this place a name that will always remind His people of what He has done in their lives.  Isn’t that interesting?  The Lord names a place as a reminder.  Do you have certain places that serve as reminders to you?  Have you seen the Lord roll away things out of your life and set you in a new direction?  Is it a new job?   Could you have begun a new relationship?  Is there a new healthy habit the Lord has set up in you?  Do you find yourself blushing at things you used to think were acceptable?  Perhaps you find yourself having disciplines and commitments that are in great contrast to the ‘Egypt’ you used to live in.  Rejoice in your ‘Gilgals’.  He has rolled away your reproach and has promised lands for you!

Proverbs - Gather Crops When You Can

Proverbs 10:5

“He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,

but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”

There are seasons in our lives and this proverb tells us that we need to gather in harvest. Whenever I found myself pregnant with another child I knew it was my time to gather as much spiritual input as possible.  I knew that once that baby came there would be ”sparse pickin’s” for a while with the nursing, ear infections, sleepless nights and devotion to that child.  Those were the seasons I went to every bible study, retreat and conference I could attend storing up truths that would hold me through the spiritually barren time I was about to face.  We never know when sickness or other demands will come upon us and we won’t be able to gather the Word of God as we might have opportunity now.  It is a wise thing to soak up His teachings, promises and instruction while the harvest is accessible and we have the time to do so.  Every wise woman builds her home and it is with the fine materials of God’s Word that cause that house to stand.

Knowing God - God Will Magnify Us

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 - Diligence Brings Profit

Proverbs 10:4

 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:

 but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

                            

                   Here is a principle that should help all of us feel a bit more empowered in the financial area of our families.  Sometimes if you are a stay-at-home mom you can sense a lack of contribution to the prosperity of your family.  Here we learn that our diligence will result in prosperity and any half-hearted attempts at keeping our home will result in lack.  I find this refreshing.  When we find ourselves lacking we can then ask the Lord to search us and see if we have been dealing with a slack hand in what He has asked us to do.  At times our family had run short on money.  These were times that I set about to be diligent in housework, laundry, preparing meals, cutting coupons, making the beds, showing up to commitments in a timely manner prepared, doing the dishes, mopping the floor, weeding the garden, schooling the children etc.. I have found that my employer, the Lord Jesus Christ rewards diligence.  Not only did I find myself so busy that I didn’t have time to contemplate what I didn’t have, but I found myself satisfied by consistent, diligent labor. In Eccl 5:12 the Lord tells us that “The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much.....”  The Lord is watching our diligence and will provide for us as we are faithful in what He has asked us to do regardless of whether we are being paid for doing it or not by someone else.  Lack can result from many different reasons but let us be sure that it is not from us dealing with a slack hand.

Knowing God - God Uses His Word

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 - Don't Get ANY thing by Wickedness!

Proverbs 10:2-3

         

 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing:

but righteousness delivereth from death.

 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish:

but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

                    Getting things by doing things against the Lord’s plan will never result in getting ahead over all.   If you believe that the Lord has called you as a woman to look well to ways of your household and train your children in the way that they should go and yet take on a job at the expense of forsaking this calling, it will profit you nothing.  Most likely all of the money you earn will end up being squandered away leaving you tired, your home out of order and nothing financially to show for it.  On the other hand, if you fight to prioritize your life according to the Lord’s standards of importance you will find yourself paced in a way that protects your home from destruction and sinful choices that result in death and decay.

                    When we put the Lord first and seek to do things His way, our souls will not famish.  To be famished is to hunger.  It is not just a desire but a hunger - a true lack of nutrients to be sustained and comfortable.  The Lord will satisfy our hunger with things that truly satisfy and nourish.  He will not allow us to suffer from an inner hunger when we are seeking to do that which He considers righteous.  Any hunger you and I feel must be directed towards seeking the Lord’s will on a matter.  As we do this we will truly be fed and will lie down in green pastures with plenty to take in and share with those around us.