“When my husband died I started asking God for a hug. Not from Him, of course, but from a living, breathing person.” Because my sweet mother-in-law had been married to her husband for 50+ years, one of the things she missed the most besides his presence was the daily dose of physical touch, or affection.…
Compared to the wisdom of others, I could come out on the short end of the stick or I might look as grand as an oak. Proverbs has taught us that being “wise in our own eyes” is a sure sign that you are not wise at all, so if we see wisdom in its…
“It’s not fair!” Sometimes in life we come to a crossroad. Will I trust God or blame Him? Will I walk forward in faith or run away in rebellion? There are always curves in the road, roadblocks and even dead ends, but wisdom says, “even when I don’t understand, I will trust him.” Proverbs 29…
Courage is a funny thing. Some see it as bold, or daring. Some see it as the characteristic of one who is willing to take a chance or to embark on some grand adventure that appears risky (i.e. sky-diving or rock climbing), while others would call it crazy. Irresponsible even. When I read Proverbs 28…
“I’ve got bad news and good news. Which one do you want to hear first?” In a joking way, by husband often uses this phrase to prepare me for some sort of kerfuffle. (Don’t you just love that word?!) When I received that call recently, my verbal response was: “Hmmmm…” (While thinking in my head,…
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 Yes, we are on day 23 of 31 Days of Proverbs, but because Chapter 23 seems to be speaking to me about discernment, I wanted this verse…
One of my favorite birthday gifts this year was a map. Remember the old maps that you could get at gas stations? The ones that took up the whole front seat when you opened them and pretty much the rest of your trip to get them folded back? Yeah, it’s not that kind of map–it’s…
Proverbs 20 begins with this: “Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 While I could state my case for abstinence here, I digress and move on to a less controversial topic. Not out of fear or neglect, but because I don’t want to…
“The fool says in his heart, ‘God does not exist.‘ They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.” Psalm 14:1-2 “FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD” More than just an…
“Strife”, “malicious talk”, “mocks”, “excessive speech”, “bribe”, “gossip”, “crude messenger”, “dispute”, “deceitful speech”… How much clearer can it be? Before you wipe your brow and say “Phew! At least I’m not on THAT list!”, I dare you to read the whole 17th Chapter of Proverbs. While it isn’t really a list, but a compilation of…
“Words of encouragement are free. They cost us nothing–but a careless word or a critical spirit can be very costly.” –[Does God Really Care What I Say?] Well, truth is, I had a lot to say about Proverbs 12. But I erased it. Because sometimes less is more.
Seeking wisdom can be a dangerous pursuit. Maybe not physically, but spiritually we must be willing to accept the truth even when it’s painful, along with the joy that comes when we find that it answers some of life’s most important questions. Let me explain. Pastor-husband shared his perspective in this way: “Looking at past…
We are all on a journey. Traveling through time, every person has twenty-four hours in a day. 365 days in a year. If the Lord allows. Because we have no way of knowing if today is our last, our focus should be on today, recognizing that if we are given one more day or one…
Two posts in one day? I said I was going to read a Proverb a day for 31 days, so I just had to comment on Proverbs 3! I didn’t see it coming, but it sure is obvious. Proverbs 1: Seek Wisdom Proverbs 2: Wisdom’s Treasure Proverbs 3: Wisdom’s Warning God tells us to seek…
Just a quick reminder that whatever it is that you’re seeking, it all starts with desire. We can desire riches or fame or even comfort–but wisdom says, “Seek me. Search for me. I AM is the one who will guide you and guard you and rescue you.”
