Proverbs
11.10.2010 Proverbs 10:4
Proverbs Post #17-
Today I was reading in chapter 10, and verse 4 popped out to me today. It says:
10:4 The one who is lazy becomes poor, but the one who works diligently becomes wealthy.
This is another outstanding verse for parents! “The one who is lazy becomes poor,” is a great picture for kids. Do your kids seem to have trouble helping you with chores but then have unlimited energy to go out and play? Motivation plays a huge role in kid’s laziness. › Continue reading
11.9.2010 Proverbs 9:6
Proverbs Post #16-
Today I was reading in chapter 9, and verse 6 popped out to me today. It says:
9:6 Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.
What a great verse for parents! This seems like it was written for parents to use with their children. I tell my daughters to “Abandon your foolish ways” on a regular basis! Ok, I don’t use those words but that is what I mean.
I have come to the conclusion that you know when your child is moving in the right direction when they begin to diminish their foolish ways. They begin to think of others and the consequences of their actions before (not after) they take action. Every parents is praying for this time to come!
But wait, there is more! I know you want for your kid(s) and I want my daughters to “Proceed in the way of understanding” as well. Unfortunately, I don’t know about your home but I realized in our home my daughters may not have the example they need in every area. Let me explain.
I have a confession to make. I have not abandoned all of my foolish ways. I know I still have some. Saying things I should not and raising my voice are a few of the things I struggle with. I want you to think back for a minute, how many of us saw our parents do something, said we would never do that, to only catch ourselves telling our kids or doing the exact same thing?
Our example for our children is very important. Have you abandoned your foolish ways?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
Photo courtsey of www.mattmasonphotography.com
11.8.2010 Proverbs 8:13
Proverbs Post #15-
Today I was reading in chapter 8, and verse 13 convicted me today. It says:
8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.
I was very convicted today as I read this verse in particular. I have read verse 13 many times but today as I read I could not escape the thought, “Do you really hate evil?”
Let me explain. I do hate evil. I hate murder, rape, child abuse, and many other evil things but I could not escape thinking, “Do you hate EVERYTHING evil?” I am a male and so I struggle with pride but do I hate evil enough to flee my pride?
What about you? Do you ever say anything you wish you had not said? Perverse utterances refers to saying destructive things. Have you ever said anything that is destructive to someone’s character, personality or friendship?
I was convicted today that God hates everything evil, not just the big things in our life. He hates little white lies, cheating on taxes, looking at things we should not, reading things we should not and thinking about things we should not.
How much do you hate evil?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.5.2010 Proverbs 5:6
Proverbs Post #14-
Today I was reading in chapter 5, and verse 6 spoke to me today. It says:
5:6 Lest she should make level the path leading to life, her paths are unstable but she does not know it.
The entirety of chapter 5 is in regard to temptation by an adulterous woman. It would be easy to take this only literally, which is very important for men, but I think we can also take this figuratively. Men and women are tempted with infidelity but I believe the tempter could also be anything which leads a person away from God.
Verse 6 talks about the adulterous woman and the path she is traveling upon. She avoids the “path of life,” God’s path, for the one she thinks is right. “Her paths are unstable but she does not know it” refers to her traveling down a path that is very unstable, uneven and is ignorant of her decision.
Most that know me, would admit, I have the tendency to let people know how I feel. In the past I have said many things that, with a little wisdom, would not have come out of my mouth. There are so many people who believe they are doing the right thing because they do not have God’s word guiding their thinking. I have been convicted to be patient with those people and pray for them instead of criticize them. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is patient with them also!
3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Are you criticizing or praying for those who are on an unstable path and do not know it?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.4.2010 Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs Post #13-
Today I was reading in chapter 4, nurse and verse 23 spoke to me today. It says:
4:23 Guard your heart with all vigilance, seek
for from it are the sources of life.
“Guard your heart with all vigilance” is a powerful admonition to us. As I studied this verse the footnotes suggested guard was similar to a prison guard type watchfulness! Those words are not just a suggestion but a warning. I thought of an example, link and being a dad, it involved my daughters. I would not just tell my daughters to look both ways before they cross the road but actually going and carrying them across the road. This is not just a casual, “Hey, be on your toes” type comment. We need to be on watch like a prison guard who is literally ready for a potential attack every second, prepared for the unknown.
“For from it are the sources of life” is a little confusing at first glance. But the meaning is that our heart is the “starting point” of us. In other words, what is in our heart will flow from us! If we fill our heart with earthly desires then we will try to fill that void with earthly treasure (cars, homes, money, people). If we fill our heart with God then He will fill that void.
Are you guarding your heart?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.3.2010 Proverbs 3:27
Proverbs Post #12-
Today I was reading in chapter 3, viagra sale and verse 27 spoke to me today. It says:
3:27 Do not withhold good from those who need it, ampoule when you have the ability to help.
This world is all about us, right? Every penny we have is to provide us every comfort we desire! Hopefully, that shocked you a bit. Do you live your life that way? I know everyone struggles with wants and desires because I struggle as well. David Platt, author of Radical, writes this of his realization, “We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”
If we abandon ourselves then our focus is on God and others. Verse 27 says we are to use the resources in our control to help others! 99.9% of everyone who reads this has the ability to help.
Will you help those who need it?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well.
Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.2.10 Proverbs 2:21,21 –
Proverbs Post #11-
Today I was reading in chapter 2, and verses 21 & 22 “stuck out” today. It says:
2:21 For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 2:22 but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.
On this day we will vote for the human leadership of our country. God already knows the results and will use those elected to bring about His plan. I have been paying closer attention to this election process than those of the past several years. As I read chapter 2 in Proverbs today these verses caught my attention for a different reason than you might think.
Verse 21 begins “For the upright will reside in the land,” and I know what you are thinking, the elected official who has been upright will win the election because people will see their integrity! And, those wicked elected officials will be thrown out of office! (By the way, I am not referring to any specific political parties) I actually would caution you from those thoughts and consider these.
What if “upright” is not referring to elected officials but to you and me? I would suggest that no matter who the elected officials are, we have a choice to be upright and live with integrity. Does the controlling party affect the way you live your life? It shouldn’t!
I think these verses are saying that the individual example is much more important than what a government does or does not do. Does that mean we are not a part of the process? Absolutely not. We have to be involved in our community but I believe that if we were more involved in our local communities to effect others for Christ, our government would follow the people.
Is it possible that our government is a reflection of the church?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.1.10 Proverbs 1:20
Proverbs Post #10-
Today I was reading in chapter 1, vcialis 40mg drugs and verse 20 spoke to me today. It says:
1:20 Wisdom calls out in the street, sickness
she shouts loudly in the plazas;
I will admit in the beginning of reading Proverbs every day, for nearly 4 years now, I did not recognize lady wisdom immediately. Satan, the Great Deceiver, masks wisdom every day. I have noticed that worldly wisdom is almost contradictory to Biblical wisdom. Let me give you an example I found while writing my book. I am sure you have heard of paying yourself the first 10% of your paycheck. I know all of the explanations of why this is recommended. The most common is that you need to save for retirement and the “only” way you are going to save that money is by paying yourself first!
What does the Bible have to say about the first 10%? Proverbs 3:9 says “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first fruits of all your crops.” Who should we write our first check to each month?
The real question is, “Why does a person need to save the first 10%?” My 10 years experience in the financial consulting field showed me people are living way beyond their means and are very discontent! If they do not save the first 10% they will not save any money because they spend all of their earnings each month, and sometimes, more than they make each month.
Do you hear wisdom as she shouts loudly in the plazas?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.29.10 Proverbs 29:13 –
Proverbs Post #9-
Today I was reading in chapter 29, cheap and verse 13 spoke to me today. It says:
29:13 The poor person and the oppressor(creditor and debtor) have this in common:
the Lord gives light to the eyes of them both.
In other words, viagra buy we all have something in common. And what is that? In spite of our circumstances we receive our life from God. My wife cleans houses so our daughters can attend a Christian school. Today, see as she was cleaning she was introduced to visitors in the home. The visitors did not even acknowledge her!
As the second half of the verse says, God has given each of life and in His eyes He desires to have a personal relationship with Him. When was the last time you judged someone because the type of clothes they were wearing, the kind of car they were driving, where they worked or one of a hundred things that differentiate us from another? Money has a way of encouraging our perceptions also.
Do you place value on someone because of how they look?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.28.10 Proverbs 28:20 –
Proverbs Post #8-
Today I was reading in chapter 28, order and verse 20 grabbed my attention today. It says:
28:20 A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,
but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.
We have a tremendous focus on money these days. The economy is poor, giving is down, people are making changes to their budgets and many are struggling. It is wrong to desire to have money? “A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,” indicates that we will have at least what we need if not more. Does this mean we are faithful that we will be wealthy? Not necessarily. Blessings indicates a return on work and does not indicate amounts. In 1 Timothy 6:10 we are given a warning about desiring money. Verse 10 says, ” For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.”
The second half of verse 20, “but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished,” gives us another warning about gaining riches. In other words, be careful of “get rich quick” schemes. The two parts of this verse, faithfulness and “get rich quick”, are contrarian views.
Are you faithful or in a hurry?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
