Archives for February 2013

Pro 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer

shall be abomination.

This verse says that when we willfully stop listening to God that our prayer will be

an abomination to Him. Abomination is a scary word to me. It’s not a word I

would ever want God to use when He thinks of me. This word is never used in a

good way. It’s used when God talks about idolatry (Deu7:25), sexual sin (Lev 20:13), sowing discord among the brethren (Pro. 6:16), a proud heart (Pro. 16:5),

and now turning away from listening to Him. I pray that I will always approach

God with this verse in mind.

 

Pro 27:6  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are

deceitful.

Pro 27:9  Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

Pro 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his

friend.

These are just three of the characteristics that a true friend should have. In verse

6 it says that faithful are the wounds of a friend. True friends will tell you the

truth all the time, even when it’s not the fun thing to do and it hurts you, but it’s

what’s needed. Verse 9 tells us that the heart rejoices by the counsel of his friend.

It’s great to have someone in your life that can give you perspective. I come from

a large family, but it’s my church family and friends that I turn to for this. Verse 17

that a friend should sharpen our countenance. I have to say that my friendship

with  my accountability partner certainly did that for me. During that first year as

we read through our Bible, it was a time of growth in his Word. That was due in

part to having a friend that was encouraging in the Word and also wasn’t afraid to

say no I don’t think that is what that means. We are truly blessed when we have

the kind of friends that God has described in these verses.

 

 

Pro 26:17  He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is

like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

This verse is very easy to understand. God is very plainly telling us to mind our

own business! Even with the best of intentions we can cause more damage to a

situation by our butting in.  Pro 20:3  It is an honour for a man to cease from

strife: but every fool will be meddling.

 

 

Pro 25:21-22  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be

thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,

and the LORD shall reward thee.

These are very familiar verses. I have quoted them myself. But I have to admit

that I quoted them with the wrong attitude. There have been people in my life

that when I was around them these verses came to mind, with the emphasis on

the heaps of coal on their head. This is not what God intended with these verses, I

wasn’t supposed to be eager for the coals, God intended for my heart to be like

His and have a real compassion for these people. I was reminded I was once an

enemy of God. Eph 2:1-6  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in

trespasses and sins;  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of

this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  I am especially glad today that God is a God of second chances and that He will still speak to us through His word, if we’re willing to listen.

Pro 24:13-14  My  son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb,

which is sweet to thy taste:  So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul:

when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall

not be cut off.

These verses caught my attention today for some very different reasons. First as I

was reading it and it started talking about the honey I was reminded of how much

I love honey on a biscuit. It’s one of my favorite things to eat. Which gave me a

very good example of how I am suppose to view God’s wisdom and knowledge.

Nobody has to make me eat that honey and biscuit and in like manner no one

should have to make me dive in and read my Bible or spend time in prayer. Psa

119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to

my mouth!  

Pro 23:17-18  Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the

LORD all the day long.  For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall

not be cut off.

Sometimes things just don’t seem fair. When you go through trials and you look

around at others that seem to have it so easy, it’s hard not to think that way. I

have thought that very thing. I have asked God why am I going through this, I try

to do all the things a “good” Christian is supposed to do, I go to church, I pray,

when my children were still living at home, I made sure they were in church, and I

read my Bible so why? And this was His answer: Psa 73:17-22 Until I went into

the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  Surely thou didst set them in

slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.  How are they

brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with

terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou

shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my

reins.  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.  When I

looked at these situations through God’s eyes, it changed my attitude. I also

learned why not me? Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father

which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,

and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  And to really think about the end

of those that don’t know Christ. When we (I) put all of that into perspective, what

do we really have to complain about?

 

Pro 22:17-21  Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply

thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them

within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in the

LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to

thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,  That I might make thee know

the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of

truth to them that send unto thee?

 

When we listen to God and gain wisdom and knowledge from Him it changes our

demeanor. It’s that pleasant thing and it’s what we reproduce (fitted in thy lips).

He’s done all of this so that we would know Him and trust Him (v.20) and so that

we can share these gifts with others (v.21).

 

 

Pro 21:20  There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but

a foolish man spendeth it up.

There are a lot of things that I treasure. My husband, our children and now my

grand daughters are one life’s greatest treasures that I have and I have wonderful

friends. And while these are all great this verse is talking about something greater

still.  2Co 4:6-7  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,

hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the

excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  That treasure is Christ in

us. This treasure can never be taken from us. Mat 6:19-21  Lay not up for

yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where

thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break

through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  I’m

thankful for eternal treasures.

Pro 20:13  Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou

shalt be satisfied with bread.

I love the quietness of the house early in the morning. It affords me time to

spend with the Lord without interruptions. Pro_8:17  I love them that love me;

and those that seek me early shall find me.  It’s very easy to say I will spend time

with the Lord later, very hard to do sometimes. We never know what the day will

hold for us, even with the best of intentions. This verse tells us if we would get up

and open our eyes we will be satisfied with bread. Jesus is that bread and all we

have to do is get up. 1Ch 23:30  And to stand every morning to thank and praise

the LORD, and likewise at even;

Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. We live in a society that wants everything ten minutes ago. But what this verse is telling us is that getting wisdom takes a little time (be wise in thy latter end). From every experience we will ever go through in life, good or bad, we should gain a little more wisdom from them. Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Wisdom is an everyday learning experience and our reward is peace through Christ. Psa 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.