Monday May 20, 2013

[GinNJ]

Proverbs 2

The Blessings of Wisdom

1My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,

2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;

3For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;

4If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

8Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

9Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.

10For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

11Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,

12To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

13From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

14Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

15Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

16To deliver you from the strange woman,
From the adulteress who flatters with her words;

17That leaves the companion of her youth
And forgets the covenant of her God;

18For her house sinks down to death
And her tracks lead to the dead;

19None who go to her return again,
Nor do they reach the paths of life.

20So you will walk in the way of good men
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will live in the land
And the blameless will remain in it;

22But the wicked will be cut off from the land
And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.

NASB © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Wisdom...when I first came to the Lord and His Word I was captivated by the concept of Wisdom. Wisdom is simply applying God's Word to our lives. Putting knowledge into action. Spiritual maturity is measured by the extent to which we apply God's Word to our lives. I had never been taught that God's Word was the manual for everyday life here on earth! Think about how you felt the last time you got a new toy...maybe a piece of electronics (iPad anyone) or a new cool appliance or a new car...that feeling of figuring out all the different ways to use it to get the most out of it...great feelings! That was how I felt about my life when I started reading God's Word. It was truly as if I had been given a new life and I couldn't read the manual fast enough to learn all that I was really meant to do! The best part was that the Writer of the manual ~God~ was there to help every step of the way!

And did you note all of the blessings that come along with seeking Wisdom...gaining the knowledge of God...okay He could have stopped right there but there is more! He promises to be our shield and guard our paths. He promises protection from the wicked and salvation from their fate! Praise God!

But we must seek Wisdom 'as silver'. Do we cherish God's Word and seek to apply it with the passion that we seek 'silver' and other treasures here on earth? Do we share it with others the way we would be eager to share our new 'toys' so that the blessings may be shared as well? Let's seek Wisdom this day and everyday!

Song for the day...

Word of God Speak

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak, would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know that You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness, Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

Word of God speak, would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know that You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness

Word of God speak, would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know that You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness, Word of God speak

[Miami]

Wow GinNJ! That's so powerful. I was back on strength again.

All Strength Comes From God
It is so refreshing to know that we can rest in the strength and comfort that God will provide when facing troubles of many kinds. Let Him have the glory and show himself strong. Listen to this Bible verse: 2Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf. Surrender to Him today and let the peace that He gives you take over. We cannot fully serve God without full surrender to his Strength.
Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Psalm 119:23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.

[Deleted]

GinNJ and Miami, both of your devotions were so powerful! Thank you for sharing. It’s so amazing that the King of Kings, the God who created everything, wants to give us His wisdom, be our shield and deliverer, and give us His strength!

I was excited about writing my devotion on wisdom for Monday. Something was holding me back, though. Then the tornadoes, with all of the tragic devastation, occurred. Even though you might not be affected by it directly, even though you might not know anyone – it’s still so painful. This is our country; those are our children, sisters and brothers. Thinking of all of those sweet little ones… They are being held safely in the arms of Jesus now.

We might not understand why awful things like that happen; but we should know one thing: That Christ’s love is eternal. His love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on us. When all is lost, we can run into the arms of our amazing Savior, who gave His life for us. Often, the most powerful Bible verse is the shortest Bible verse: “Jesus wept.” –John 11:35

God knows how we feel. He knows when we are at the end of it, when we have a thousand questions on our minds. Though things might not make sense, He has the answer. Through Him, we can have eternal life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the hope that we have of of seeing our loved ones again some day.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” –Hebrews 6:19

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:4


--
There is a small story behind my chosen song. It was an accidental purchase on iTunes months ago. Though I love the singer (Mandisa), I never really listened to the song. As I was working out tonight, it suddenly came on, and I went to change it. That still, small voice said, “no, listen.” And I did. My goodness, did it hit the mark; it brought me to tears. We don’t have to be worthy, we just having to be willing to fall into the arms of Jesus!

Song: “He Will Come” by Mandisa



If what you thought was the truth, is a lie
And what you thought to keep on breathing has died
You faced the lonely nights and wrestled with the dark
And you reach to find the love to fill the space inside your heart

It's hard to put it into words, the way you feel
It's a naked emptiness that lingers still
Are you a victim of the past without a trace of hope inside?
And it all goes by so fast without a way to make it right
If you worry, don't worry

God will come and wrap His arms around You
It wouldn't be too much for Him
To love You as He found You

And it may seem like You're too far gone
But He loves you like His only son
And He will come, He will come

From the bounty of a river, there's a flow
From the beauty of the Father's heart's a home
That never leaves you empty, no, and never leaves you bare
So come and bring your guilt and shame, come and leave it there
If you're weary, He's willing

God will come and wrap His arms around You
It wouldn't be too much for Him
To love You as He found You

And it may seem like You're too far gone
But He loves you like His only son
And He will come

Oh, you don't have to be worthy
You don't have to be anything
But willing to fall into His arms
Willing to fall into His arms

God will come and wrap His arms around You
It wouldn't be too much for Him
To love You as He found You

And it may seem like You're too far gone
But He loves you like His only son
He will come

[GinNJ]

UF...what a blessing after the events of yesterday! Thank you Lord. P.s. I love that song!