Category: Proverbs

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Sweeter Than Honey

When I was a girl one of our best friends was a bee keeper. Since we didn’t have aunts and uncles around, the Smith’s were the closest thing we had to family. When we would go to their house, out in the country, there were always bee boxes lining the fields and the honey barn was at the back of the yard. We never left their place without a gallon can of honey.

Nothing better than honey on toast or a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit except, maybe, the kind words of a friend.

“The heart of the wise has power over his mouth and adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasing words are like honey. They are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:23-24 NLV

One of the things we covered on being “in Christ” was having right thinking. Right thinking produces right actions and right words. Words that are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. The verse that tells us to “Think as Christ Jesus thought” comes from the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Just a few verses further in that chapter we read this:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14 ERV

Do EVERYTHING without complaining…Really God? ALL things! Yes, all things. Because as the verse goes on to say we will then be a light in the dark world. If we, who believe in Christ Jesus, and have received His wonderful gift of sonship go about complaining all the time, we are no different from the rest of the world. How will they know that there is victory and hope if our lives don’t reflect that Christ is living in us?

“so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:15 ERV

It’s so easy to complain about our kids, mates, jobs, health, finances, the politicians, the weather, etc., but we must resist that temptation and live in what God called us to do. When we control our words we prove that we have a wise heart.

Paul, who wrote this verse while he was in prison had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, and run out of nearly every town he preached in but he didn’t complain. In fact, he would sing and praise God in the midst of his adversities. He called them “light afflictions”.

There was a Disney movie in the late 1950’s called Pollyanna. Pollyanna always had something good to say no matter  how bad the situation was. She brought gladness to the most sullen souls in town. Her attitude helped people see past their disappointments and brought them healing from their pain.

“Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach. 21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.” Proverbs 18:20-21 ERV

When we speak words of life, words without complaining, we are a testament to God’s power in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for – do all things without murmuring or complaining .

Rejoice in the Lord always because He is the one who can and will cause us to be victorious.

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It’s Quiet – Really Quiet

Normally I will hear the dogs in the neighborhood barking, coyotes howling, an early bird warbling its song but this morning there is nothing. It is almost unnerving. I have the doors open to let in the cool morning air and with it comes the silence.

I almost hate to do any keyboarding because the touch of the keys break into the absolute quiet and disturbs my time alone with the Father.

Silence.

Having this time alone with my Father is wonderful. One of my favorite hymns when I was girl was “In the Garden”. It still is one of my favorites. And this morning I am singing it in my heart as I treasure these quiet moments with Him.

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Sitting here this morning while it’s still dark , enjoying the warmth of a good cup of coffee and seeking the Father for the day’s direction, I am very thankful.

Thankful that my Father is in control.  He hasn’t fallen off His throne, His omniscience is superior to the knowledge of the world’s wisest men and His omnipresence penetrates to the farthest reaches of the universe. With all He has before Him this day He says to me, come and get to know me better.

“My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.” Matthew 11:27 CEV

Jesus has taken the time to tell us about the Father and through what Christ has done we’ve been adopted by the Father. We can call Him “Abba Father” (Papa or Daddy) and we can experience firsthand His love and compassion.

In the silence, I feel His embrace and sense His love. In a small way, I imagine how things might have been when Jesus would pull away from the crowds for time alone with the Father.

I don’t have to have all the answers and I don’t have to learn by “hard knocks”. I can trust the Father and learn from Him.

“With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. 6 Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

Well, the coyotes are beginning to howl and there’s a hoot owl in the mesquite tree telling me  it’s time to start the day. Let the Father lead you.

Listen to the Father speak in the silence of your heart!

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The Treasure Hunt

This morning I decided to go on a treasure hunt and I wanted to take you along. I know that God’s word is more valuable to me than any amount of silver or gold. If I was asked to give up my Bible or access to Scripture for a million dollars, without hesitation I would turn it down.

I read an article about the treatment of Christians in China. The government is going in to impoverished areas, searching homes, removing crosses and pictures of Jesus from the walls and replacing them with pictures of Chairman Mao or President Xi. These are the homes of people who receive government welfare. If they refuse to comply they are being removed from the list of names that receive assistance. It’s the government or God. Many are standing strong and refusing to deny their faith. They need our prayers.

They have found a treasure and they refuse to let go.

So here are some of the verses that came to mind after reading that article. Verses that promise treasure, better than silver or gold, to those who are willing to search for it.

“If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding; 4 if you look for her as silver, and look for her as hidden riches; 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find what is known of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5 NLV

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good. 2 God has looked down from heaven at the children of men to see if there is anyone who understands and looks (searches) for God.” Psalm 53:1-2 NLV

God is always watching for those who will search for Him and there is a promised blessing for those who do. God is not a narcissist; He’s not an ego-centric dictator. He’s a loving Father who wants to protect and provide for His children.

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

This verse is in the chapter that many refer to as the Hall of Fame of Faith. It recounts the stories of men and women who abandoned all and sought God. Maybe you’ve heard of a few of them – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab (a prostitute), Samson, Gideon, David. These all sought the treasure of knowing God and their lives were enriched and serve as a testimony to all of us.

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks…But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” Matthew 7:7-11 CEV

This is just part of the teaching Jesus gave on searching for the things of God. The promise is that everyone who searches will find. There are stories upon stories of men who have led expeditions on land and sea searching for treasure. They search for years and never find what they are looking for but always hoping that someday they will make a great discovery.

As Christians we don’t have to wait for the “someday” of discovery. Each day, as we seek to know more about our heavenly Father, we will find Him. He’s not hiding!

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

There is no greater treasure than finding a personal relationship with God, our Father!

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An Empty Page

Each morning I sit with my laptop and before me on the screen is an empty page. My heart’s prayer is “Lord let me fill it with Your words. I want to make an impact for you”.

This morning was different, I sat here for the longest time wondering what to write or if I should write at all. Then I realized that ‘s exactly what the Lord wants us to do – He wants us to sit each day with an empty page and ask Him to fill it.

People constantly sought Jesus out. Most of them were wanting some kind of a miracle; healing, deliverance from demonic oppression, or help with an impossible life situation but others were wanting to criticize and entrap Him. He needed to know what the Father wanted Him to do each day so He would rise early and spend time in prayer.

“The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.” Mark 1:35 ERV

He offered the Father the blank page of His day and asked Him to fill it. There were times when Jesus’ disciples would say we should go here or there and Jesus would respond with a no or not yet. It’s important that we know which way the Father wants us to go.

“If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.” Isaiah 30:21 ERV

A blank page can be intimidating or it can be exhilarating. If we feel that we need to fill the page on our own, without help or direction, we might become timid or immobile. But when we know that we can trust God to give us insight and instruction it brings a new excitement to what otherwise could be ordinary.

“Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful,  we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. 24 Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24 CEV

When we start our day by bringing the Lord our empty page to fill we are in for an exciting and glorious day!

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Talking to the Kids

With all of our children living away from us, we enjoy having them call and hearing what’s going on in their lives. It’s better than FB because we get to hear their voices and its personal, just us and them. Some of those conversations are just about day to day life while others ask for advice. The “how do I do…” or “do you we think we should…” are very special. It means they think we have the knowledge and/or ability to give them direction; they want our input.

Our kids are also very good to call for no special reason. They just want to say “I love you” and see how we are doing.

Very special indeed.

And then there are the times that the grandkids call – oh my! They want our help or our knowledge on a particular subject. Just doesn’t get much better than that!

“Grandchildren are the pride and joy of old age, and children take great pride in their parents.” Proverbs 17:6 ERV

Our heavenly Father loves to hear from us too. He knows us, He knows our heart. He knows our strengths and weaknesses and wants to be there for us through each and every situation. He also likes to hear us say “No special reason for this chat Father, I just want to say I love you”.

His love is unconditional!

“The Lord is kind and merciful.  He is patient and full of love. 9 He does not always criticize.
 He does not stay angry with us forever. 10 We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. 11 His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is as kind to his followers  as a father is to his children.” Psalm 103:8-13 ERV

Let’s spend time with the Father today – He really likes to talk to His kids.

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A New Way of Life – Patience

Some years back I was in the breakroom where I worked. A young man came in, retrieved his lunch from the fridge and put it in the microwave. As he stood there waiting the one minute, thirty seconds of cooking time he was tapping his fingers on the counter and muttering “hurry up already”. I found that very humorous; you see I’m from the age before microwaves, instant messaging and overnight shipping.

Yesterday I was taken back to that age, the age of slower living. I had packages to drop off at the local post office. When I arrived there was a line to the door. I knew from being there last week that only one clerk was working and the line spacing was every five feet. Had to have been at least ten people waiting and it would be at least thirty minutes. I left.

I also had business that needed the assistance of a personal banker at the local branch. I was met at the door and not allowed to enter the waiting area, although I had a mask on. Instead the bank employee retrieved an appointment page and gave me an appointment for Thursday at 11. I thanked the employee but to be perfectly honest I was miffed.

Life as usual has changed. I needed to be more patient. It wasn’t their fault; they were trying to abide by safety guidelines and I needed to understand that. Things are going to be this way for a while – it will be a slower pace, I need to be prepared to wait.

“A patient person is very smart. A quick-tempered person makes stupid mistakes. 30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.” Proverbs 14:29-30 ERV

Once I got home I found I had to rearrange the rest of my week’s schedule because an appointment had to be rescheduled which caused me to make alternative arrangements with several other appointments. “Ok, Lord! I’m learning to be obedient to Your word. I won’t yell at the microwave and I won’t allow my words to be unkind. I will be patient.”

If you’ve had a day like this, I’m sorry. If you haven’t, you will. The staff and employees we are dealing with aren’t at fault. They need our understanding; they need our encouragement, a kind word and a smile. We are Jesus’ goodwill ambassadors!

“Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time.” Romans 12:12 ERV

My night ended with a smile. We received a Facetime call from our youngest daughter and her family. All three of our little grandchildren had “something to show you”. One is crawling, one had drawn a picture and one had a handful of markers and was telling us the colors. Mom and Dad were having family time and included Dave and I. The perfect ending to a long day.

Have a great day and remember to be patient!

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

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Apples of Gold

A lot going on in my life right now. One issue in particular has been life and death – God is so precious and life reigns!

“With his mighty arm the Lord wins victories! The Lord is powerful! 17 And so my life is safe, and I will live to tell what the Lord has done.” Psalm 118:16-17 CEV

As I sit here this morning in my quiet place of refreshing I am reminded of a song we sang in the 70’s. Do you remember the early days of the Jesus movement? New choruses of worship and praise were being written weekly. This is one of my favorites, the focal point is Jesus. Without Jesus, all of our songs are just noise or as the Apostle Paul put it – “a sounding brass and a tingling cymbal”.

Lord, you are more precious than silver. 
Lord, you are more costly than gold. 
Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds 
Nothing I desire compares with you.
Lord, your love is deeper than oceans. 
Lord, your love is wider than seas. 
Lord, your love encompasses the nations. 
Nothing I want more inside of me!

My heart is singing praise to the Father – Nothing I desire compares to Him!

God’s word will bring comfort, healing, strength and joy. We simply need to open the pages of the Bible and read. There on those pages are the words of life. The Almighty, all-loving, heavenly Father speaking to us, His children.

“Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. 11 Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire.” Proverbs 8:10-11CEV

“Saying the right thing at the right time is like a golden apple in a silver setting. 12 Wise advice to a listening ear is like gold earrings or fine jewelry.” Proverbs 25:10-11 ERV

God’s word is the source of all wisdom. In the book of John, Jesus is called the Word. He came to tell us what was on the Father’s heart. Nothing compares to Him!

I live to declare the glory and the goodness of the Lord!

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Congratulations Class of 2020!

I want to take this morning to say congratulations to all who are graduating this year. You did it!

Each one of you are unique and have talents and abilities that no one else does. Your perspective, sense of humor, compassion, strength and skills have made you one-of-a-kind. As parents, grandparents, educators, family and friends we want to encourage you as you continue on this road of life.

God made you complete; an individual who will add to this world and not take away from it. The person you are now and in the process of becoming is as distinctive as your fingerprints. Without you we would all be missing out.

Parents, from the time our graduates were born we guided them in their development. It was our job to nurture them and help them see their God-given talents. As this door on their education closes and they step out into a waiting world we know there is nothing common about them. They have a calling, a plan and a purpose that is exclusively theirs.

“‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.'” Jeremiah 29:11-12 ERV

Trust God to direct your path; as you pursue His plan your lives will be filled with peace, protection and wisdom. He has designed this day from the beginning of time and He desires nothing but good for you.

Any plan that God designs is excellent. Trust Him with your future. You are valuable to your heavenly Father; it makes no difference your profession. We need you – trades persons, educators, first responders, professionals, ministers, musicians, bankers, clerks, artists, designers, homemakers – we need you all.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT

We are celebrating you, the graduates, today. College, High School, Trade School, Junior High and yes, even kindergarten. God’s love and provision is never limited – not by age, class, race, gender or education. He has made a promise to each and everyone of us – He will never leave us or abandon us – never!

Go with God! Follow His path.

Congratulations!

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Going South

Many in the continental U.S. like to travel south every year. We call them winter visitors. This year some of them stayed longer than expected because they felt it wasn’t safe to head home. There was so much uncertainty – would they be jeopardizing their health, would there be a safe place to stay while on the road, could they fly safely. So many questions.

We should all ask these same questions about life in general. Our daily routine needs to be taken to the Lord in prayer and He will guide.

Years ago when we were young in faith and learning to listen to the Lord’s voice we had a cowboy preacher, a dear friend, tell us this: “If God says go South, He will provide; If you go North you’ll think you died!”

Now that’s not scripture but it is Biblical. Solomon put it this way: “Trust the LORD completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the LORD and stay away from evil. 8 If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.” Proverb 3:5-8 ERV

And then this one: “Turn to the LORD for help in everything you do, and you will be successful. 4 The LORD has a plan for everything.” Proverbs 16:3-4a ERV

God has a plan for each day – it doesn’t really matter what the activities are in the day He has a plan! Some days His plan is to change our plan, His plan is better.

When we listen, He speaks and when we follow His leading we are blessed! We have a choice – it would be silly to lean to our own understanding since following Him is the right way to go and His wisdom is perfect.

“Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse. 27 You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the LORD your God that I have told you today. 28 But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the LORD your God. So don’t stop living the way I command you today, and don’t follow other gods that you don’t know.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 ERV

Trust the Lord today. He loves us and His desire for us is good!

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the LORD. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 ERV

Go South today – He will provide!!!

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Do Something Fun!

It’s time to do something fun! Here in Arizona a lot of people have pools in their backyards and it’s the perfect time to get the kids and head outside. Several weeks back our grandson, who is 4 1/2, talked about things he couldn’t do because of Corona. The playgrounds in the neighborhood were closed, he couldn’t have play dates with his friends, he couldn’t go to church, he couldn’t go to Auntie’s and he couldn’t go camping with us because the campground was closed.

I’m sure many of us feel like he did. His whole world had shut down.

But the world isn’t shut down; it’s just been rearranged for a while. This is Mother’s Day weekend so Mom’s let’s take the lead. Let’s ask the family for suggestions on what’s something fun they would like to do this weekend. Nothing fills a Mom’s heart more than the laughter and joy of her family.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”Proverbs 17:22 NLT

We should all take a big dose of anti-Corona medicine. Let’s laugh and have fun! It will do all of us a lot of good. Have s’mores for dinner, don’t just send the kids out to play – go join them in the sprinkler or the pool. Watch cartoons, sing silly songs, play tag or ring-around-the rosy, go for a bike ride, have a backyard picnic. And when the day is done, have bedtime prayers and thank our heavenly Father for the joy that we had with our family. Thank Him for the wonderful gift of love!

Now for us who are empty nesters or are all by ourselves may I suggest that we call, Facetime, Skype or Zoom with our families and special friends. Take time to enjoy their presence, they truly are a gift. I had a friend post that she had lunch with one of her friends. They both got take out, drove their cars to a parking lot, opened their windows and visited while they had lunch.

God likes to have fun. After all, He said when we get to heaven there will be no more tears. It will be a time of joy, so start now.

“I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God.” Psalm 9:1-2 MSG

No excuses – start planning now – fill your weekend with joy!

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