Tag: Proverbs

  • Times of Trouble

    “Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth, or walking on a lame foot”—Proverbs 25:19/NLT.

    Don’t you just love God’s sense of humor? That’s the daily devotional verse that greeted me this morning. I’ve been dealing with some on-going, painful dental issues and then I read this verse. Talk about timeliness with my mouth/tooth issues! I’m newly reminded that God is relevant. He is alive & well.

    God is also reliable. There are many unreliable people out there—sad to say—more than reliable people. I know One who stands out above and beyond all the others: God.  He knows all of my pain, suffering, and questions. He knows the beginning from the end.

    In Pastor Jim’s sermon, he asks if I’m viewing my circumstances through the eyes of faith, or through my own eyes. I must stop seeing this whole ordeal through my finite eyes of logic. God is all powerful. He will rescue and redeem. I grow weary and tired of waiting for the end result, but God will accomplish His will in His perfect timing.

    Dear God,

    Forgive my impatience. Help me to not fight this down-time, but instead choose to embrace it as a gift from You, my loving Creator. I long to be patient and wait for your rescue. I give you my fears, doubts, and pain. All of it. However/whenever You choose to heal me, I release to Your Almighty care and love.

    • Is there a circumstance(s) in your life right now that you’re looking at with eyes of logic? Name that circumstance.
    •  What can you do to change that around and view the circumstance through eyes of faith?

     

     

  • Friend, we need each other!

    “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)    Friends

    This quote has always intrigued me. Just what does iron have to do with people and friendships? So I did a little checking on the subject matter and thought I’d share with you a few thoughts.

    1.)  What constitutes a good friend?  Honesty. Concern. Love. Remaining non-judgmental. Knowing when to back off and allow God to direct. I remember a time when I felt overwhelmed with my to-do list and didn’t hesitate to unload on Sharry. She reminded me that I didn’t have to always be the one to orchestrate family gatherings and suggested it was time for others to step in. I listened to her sage advice and stepped aside. Another family member hosted the event which relieved me of the bulk of the work.

    2.)  Why should I choose carefully?  Being around and involved with good people — people with like values and motives is healthy. Good friends keep me accountable to do and say what is right. When my children were growing up, I continually prayed for friends (even one good one) who would be a positive influence and help steer them in the right direction. Unfortunately, they didn’t always choose wisely which led to disappointments.

    Has someone spoken to you about a certain attitude or action they’ve noticed about you? Does it cause you concern or stress? Can you take this matter to God and ask him if this is something you need to deal with or something to set aside?

    * more to follow in next post …

  • Good intentions

    I really had the best of intentions when I set out to exercise. But the phone rang, not once but two times. I didn’t want to be rude, so I answered the phone — both times. I heard rustling in the other room. Upon investigation, I discovered the cat had tipped over a waste basket and trash covered the floor. I hit the “pause” button on my DVD and cleaned up the mess. The bag wasn’t full yet, so I began gathering more trash from other parts of the house. When I neared the laundry room, I heard the dryer buzz. Of course, the clothes needed to be folded before wrinkles set in. My 30 minute workout turned out to be over an hour long.

    That’s probably never happened to you, but it seems to happen to me all too often. I start down a certain path, ready to do business, then the urgent pops up and I end up spending precious time on other distractions. It happens when I set out to read the Bible, pray, or do my study in the Word. Sometimes I wonder if it isn’t Satan’s tactic to distract me from what I know would be good for me. And it’s not that the things I end up doing are bad, but they do distract me from better use of my time.      Open Bible

    When I complete the task whether it be exercising or listening to God, I am rewarded with the fruit of my labor. I feel better physically and emotionally. I am a better person for having taken the time to take care of me so I can better take care of and bless others. 

    Dear God, forgive me that I am so easily distracted from doing what I know I should be doing. I end up at the end of the day exhausted, yet empty. I want to do your will and receive my reward.

    Do you have days like that? When you set out to do something worthy, and then end up doing something altogether different. Would a list help keep you on task? Can you think of anything else to help put the blinders on to reduce distractions?

     “Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward.” (NLT)

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  • Are you really listening?

    “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion” —Proverbs 18:2.

    Do you know anyone who jibbers on and on barely taking a break between sentences? Being on the other end of the conversation all I need do is interject a few monosyllable responses in between and this talker can carry on a monologue indefinitely!

    I, too, have been guilty of talking continuously, not really interested in what the other person has to say about the subject. I must say once the conversation concludes I am not any wiser. What a surprise! Proverbs 18 calls this type of expresser a fool. Ouch!

    Ever catch yourself only half listening to a conversation and mostly calculating in your head what you plan to say next? I’ve caught myself doing this. Just waiting until the person takes a breath or pauses so I can interject my words of wisdom.

    God, help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak my mind. I realize there’s much to learn from another’s wisdom when I tame my tongue and open my heart.

    I need to remember how frustrating it is to be a part of a conversation where someone monopolizes. When I listen and am listened to, I feel respected and my opinions and worth validated.

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  • Apples of gold

           “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)   

    The apples of gold in settings of silver are thought to be golden balls arranged in silver filigree baskets. No doubt they were carefully hand-crafted, valuable, and very beautiful. So should our words be. – Jean Shaw

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  • Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference

    Insights from: Angela Hunt, author

    What motivates me as a writer? A mortgage!

    1. Divine flashes/best ideas often times come in the shower
    2. Sometimes they come through a phone call – help, we need this, can you do it for us? Yes!
    3. Sweat through a runner’s brow
    4. Learn to use EVERYTHING in my life.

    Favorite verse: Proverbs 3:5–6. Paths are made for walking!

    Lean not on our own understanding. Does not say don’t use your brain at all. If going down wrong path, obstacles will happen (doors close, etc…,) Grand Plan – walk down the path, phone rings, are you willing? Yes!

    “Trust in the LORD with your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

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  • Healthy thinking

    “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly” (Proverbs 26:11).   puppy dog

    Time to ask myself…do I continue to repeat my foolishness? Am I as ignorant/senseless as a dog? Do I keep doing what I know isn’t healthy or productive for me?

    I’d like to think of myself as having more intelligence than an animal. Unfortunately, there are times I return to tempting circumstances or people without regard to the consequences. Statistics say if you repeat a certain pattern over and over that you’re likely to embrace the new pattern as habit. The key is to repeat positive patterns vs. self-centered ones. Then I must practice those positive traits.

    True wisdom and wise living comes only from God and emulating a godly pattern of living. Filling my mind with whatever is true, right, pure, lovely, or praiseworthy is the way to acquiring God’s peace in my life.

    “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

  • Laugh a little!

     

    “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

    Laughter can draw others to you and lighten your load in life. When you begin to laugh at life and at yourself, you gain new perspectives on your struggles. Begin today.—Emilie Barnes

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