Anyway, feel free to post your own insights into Proverbs or just what God hit you with during this month. Posts will be made daily by me with the verse that impacted me during my reading of Proverbs, and with the verse that I am working on memorizing for today. 31 verses of Proverbs in 31 days... I used to be able to do this in the 'old' days - let's hope it is still there...
So, for the first chapter of Proverbs, God spoke to me about making sure I keep my heart open to hear his voice when he rebukes me. In this proverb, "wisdom" is personified and says:
"If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you."Am I purposefully, non-defensively listening when I get corrected by others, or the Spirit of God? Am I asking intensely, "God, is this true? Does this person have my best in mind... Is this a word from you? Are you trying to show me something through this rebuke?" Or, if it is just a thought that has come, do I ask, "Is this thought that has come into my mind from you, or is just something that has flown through, brought on by the enemy or my perfectionist tendencies? Does this point me to Jesus, or away from him?"
Proverbs 1:23
In other words, do I listen with my heart as hard things are said to me. This does not mean that everyone who says something against me needs to be given a "You're right!" immediately. No, sometimes people say things that are not accurate, or vengeful to us. As a leader, sometimes this is the case. However, what is the "kernal" of truth in what is being said? Am I looking for that like treasure to form me more and more to be like Jesus?
If so, then God promises to "pour out" the heart of wisdom to me, and make the thoughts of wisdom know to me! Very cool!
I'd love to hear what God is speaking to you about Proverbs one. Add your proverb and thoughts in the comments section.
5 comments:
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools [a] despise wisdom and discipline
33 but whoever listens to me (wisdom) will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."
I love how black and white the Lord is. Fear Him and live without fear.
22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?"
Survey says: SO TRUE.
Why is it that when confronted with a hard lesson to learn, or continued life in ignorance, so often people will refuse to take the hard, formative way of allowing their lives to be changed? Instead they continually spew out words without consideration for the profundity of their weight and the hurt they will cause. Maybe even their words are technically correct, but it is the fool who uses correctness as a maul to bash the heads of the incorrect. Wisdom seems to be the delicate application of long suffering learning in humility, gracefully applied.
I don't know about this memorization thing. Loving verse 7. Reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:2. WE can know bunches of stuff but if we don't have God or love or grace, it's nothing. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of ___________. I think I could put just about anything in there. It all starts with God. It's all about him. He is the initiator. He is the one tracking me down as I run away. In the beginning, God... You get my drift. The other one that rocked me was verse 32 "The complacency of fools destroys them" Wow. Enough said. I don't want complacency.
19 "Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it."
Here is what it meant to me -
At times, it can be tempting to go after something, and stop at nothing to get it. But if the purpose and means to get there are false, or do not ultimately tie back to God, then it is a very destructive thing that hurts us.
-Dan
33 But all those who listen will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.
Am I listening or trapped by fear?
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