Proverbs - A Gold Ring in a PIG's SNOUT???

Proverbs 11:22

 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout,

so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

A jewel of gold is very beautiful but placed upon the snout of a swine its intrinsic worth and beauty remains and yet the inappropriate placement of it causes it to look ridiculous and repulsive.  As women, the Lord has allowed us to have the opportunity to be quite striking.

 We have so many wonderful opportunities to enhance our physical appearance.  We even notice a woman who is strikingly beautiful although we are not men.  This privilege comes with responsibility.  If we draw undue attention to the flesh we become those fine gold rings in pigs’ noses.  I encourage you to pray over your wardrobe.  Yes, each article of clothing.  Ask the Lord if it is appropriate for a woman who professes her affections are on the things above and not on the things of the earth.  If there is doubt, throw it out!  A good rule of thumb in picking out something is whether you will draw undue attention to yourself. 

  There are those obvious low neck-lines, tight sweaters, short shorts etc., but other considerations should be thought of as well.  If you go to a wedding in jeans and a sweatshirt, this will draw attention to yourself.  If you wear a turtleneck and long skirt to the beach, this, too, draws attention to yourself.  We must decrease, He must increase.  How can I look pleasant enough to blend in and have people know me according to Christ?  Ask the Lord for discretion when you go shopping.  He has made you that fine, gold ring.  Don’t put that beauty on a swine’s snout.

Knowing God - He Removes Our Burdens

Ps 81:6

                                                                                               

 I removed his shoulder from the burden:

his hands were delivered from the pots.

 

The Lord is declaring that he removed the burden from His people in Egypt.  They had cried out to the Lord for many years for deliverance and deliverance came.  Our God knows the burdens you and I have on our shoulders and He knows how to remove these from our shoulders.  We are but dust and the weight of certain things can most definitely be felt, but the Lord hears our cries and is able to remove these things from our shoulders.  He may, indeed, remove them from our lives, or He may remove them from our shoulders.  He tells us to cast our burden on Him and He will sustain us.  Perhaps the burden will not leave our lives but will leave our shoulders.  Are you carrying things you were never designed to carry?  Are you being weighed down by burdens only He can sustain?  Ask Him to remove the burden from your shoulders and trust His great love to respond.

Proverbs - Planting and Patence

Proverbs 11:18-21

 

 The wicked worketh a deceitful work:

but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth

evil pursueth it to his own death.

They that are of a froward heart

are abomination to the LORD:

but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished:

but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

 

                    The first three verses here are contrasting comparisons.  Just as wickedness produces certain results, so does righteousness.  Sometimes, as believers, we focus on the negative consequences of sinful choices and ignore the positive consequences of righteous choices.  God is not mocked.  Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.  This means that if we plant seeds in our lives that are of His ways, we shall reap a wonderful harvest.  Seeds take a while to grow.  When we commit certain sins we sometimes don’t reap for many years - so, too, with righteousness.  We may not see the wonderful harvest and feast on it until some time passes.  Be patient.  Keep planting.  You will reap in due season if you do not give up.

 

 

Knowing God - Fragile, Handle With Care

Ps 39:4

 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Fragile – Handle With Care

The Lord is able to make us see things about ourselves.  He is a judge who judges accurately.  He is able to remind us how short our lives really are.  He can show us how vulnerable we are and how much we need His protection, promises and power.  He can show us the potential of our fallen nature left unguarded and uninstructed.  He can remind us of the lives we used to live apart from Him and His restraining power.  We need Him to do this.  If we don’t know a box contains fragile items we will treat it in a careless manner often resulting in damage and loss.  I know, as a cancer survivor, I realized JUST how absolutely helpless I was to this invading force ready to eat as much healthy tissue as it could get.  I realized that I truly was dust with HIS breath breathed upon it and my days are not promised to me.  We need Him to remind us how fragile we are apart from His help and strength.  This will keep us in a place of abiding in Him, depending on Him and hiding in Him; sensing our citizenship is truly in heaven and here we have NO continuing city.  We are fragile and He can remind us of that avoiding unnecessary loss and damage.

Proverbs - Being a Merciful Person

Proverbs 11:17

The merciful man doeth good to his own soul:

but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

                    The next quality the Lord deals with in this chapter is mercy.  We looked at grace - the desire to see people become all they can be regardless of current performance.  Mercy is being able to see what someone really deserves and intentionally extending forgiveness and an opportunity to try again and again in the same arena.  Mercy says, “I forgive you....let’s start over”.  Grace says, “Not only do I forgive you but I believe you can do it right the next time.”

                    If we do not deal with others or ourselves with mercy, the scriptures teach us that our very flesh will be troubled.  When we hold on to past sins others have committed against us or we ourselves have committed, without giving or receiving forgiveness, we will have physical troubles as a direct result.  Do you have a high-strung personality?  Do you sense the tension in your neck, shoulders or jaw?  Is your stomach easily troubled or headaches plague you?  Sometimes these ailments are brought on because you lack mercy.  You have replayed things over and over again until you relive the pain many times over experiencing the wounds deeper and deeper although they were inflicted only once.  Dear sister, do you not know that your lack of mercy is in direct conflict with the One who now resides within you?  Do you not know that you are cooperating with your adversary and are aiding him in your destruction?  Sister!  Right now, bring that offense before the cross.  Let the mercy of the blood of Christ be applied to that offense.  It is more powerful than the offense itself!  Cry out for forgiveness for your hardened heart and allow the Spirit of God to make your heart of stone back into that tender heart of flesh you once had.

Knowing God - His Voice is Stronger than Flames

Ps 29:7

 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.


Trials are likened to fire in the scriptures.  When we face difficult times it is often difficult to navigate through those details.  The Lord’s voice will divide the flames of fire.  If we position ourselves to hear from the Lord, take heed to what we have heard and use these things to navigate, we can make it through the most difficult and heated times.  His voice is mightier than the most intimidating flame.  We must listen and then use His voice to divide those things that seem to be standing in the way of the direction He has called us to.  Do you have a scripture or prophecy that has been delivered to you?  Use it and watch the flames move out of the way as you continue to walk in those things He has for you.

Proverbs - Grace Brings Honor

Proverbs 11:16

 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.

                    A gracious woman.  What does that mean?  The word gracious can conjure up all sorts of images.  One could think of a 1950's homemaker dressed in her pumps and starched dress entertaining her husband’s business associates.  This is not what this word gracious means.  A woman who is gracious is full of grace. This woman who will retain her honor will be one who understands and walks in grace.  Do you understand grace?  Are you growing in the knowledge of his grace?

                    The opposite of grace is ‘earned favor’ - showing kindness and demonstrating affection based upon someone’s performance.  If we are to be women of grace we treat people based upon unconditional love and not what they do or not do to us or those around us.  In Galatians we read, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal 5::4) If we try to justify our relationships with the law, especially ‘our’ law we will cease from being gracious women.  We need to deal with people with grace.

                    So many times we remind our children to honor us as their mothers.  This verse tells us that our children will see us as women who deserve their honor as we deal with them with grace.  This doesn’t mean we don’t give them consequences and train them in the way they should go, rather it means that we are rooting for them when we discipline them desiring their success.  Grace extends opportunities for improvement, repentance and victory.  Grace causes us not to punish our children because of how their actions affect us, but rather to deal with them in a way that is believing all things, hoping all things and enduring all things.