by Lauren McPherson | Oct 8, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3: 9-10
Honor the Lord with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats brim over (Proverbs 3:9, 10). Why is this so hard for some of us? It was easy for the Israelites to honor God with their best and the first of their harvest; after all they had been walking around in the wilderness for 40 years. The word Honor also means privilege, they gladly gave the best of their grains and barley because they had the privilege to do it, and God had answered their prayers and did what he promised. To better put it into perspective, the “firsts” could have fed the farmer and two other people in his house for a week.
Why do we give God the best of us, the first of us? Because we are nothing without him. He has always kept his promises to us. If he isn’t the first thing that we run to when the sky is falling, then we should check our priorities. He says right there in verse 10 your barns will burst! I want all that God has for me.
You may also know this passage when people talk about tithing. We hold our earthly riches so close and are afraid to let them go, or scared that we won’t be able to pay an important bill. I have watched what it means to give your firsts, and watched the amount of blessings and earthly riches be poured out to where storehouses were full. I have also prayed through a steady stream of tears and wondered what was going to happen next, how God was going to provide. Why do we worry about these things so much, why do they consume us? Anything the devil can do to get our eyes off of Christ, is a win for him.
My favorite saying I’ve deemed my “reality check” is, none of what we have is ours anyways, it’s all God’s. So if this is the case then he can have all of my firsts because he was the one who gave them to me. Christ died for us so that we can live with him forever, so why would I want to give him any less then my best!
Photography: @brandon_nalley
by Shelby Bland | Oct 7, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3: 5-8
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”
In my bible, this section of scripture is titled, “Guidance for the Young.” Life is full of not-so-obvious “youngs.” Teenage years see us under the supervised boundaries of parents and other adults. The twenties have us continuously trying to find steady ground in school, finances, relationships, and living situations. In our thirties, we might start leading young families and find ourselves responsible for new little lives. Beyond that, we relinquish children to freedom, learn to be useful and content in an empty nest, and navigate the waters of aging bodies and figuring out where our old ideals fit into the rapidly changing world.
In all of these new transitions in life, we deceive ourselves if we think we automatically have all the wisdom possible simply because of our levels of experience. Just as a small child has few answers to a big world, we must again adopt the mind of a child and lean completely on God our Father to guide us. Jesus himself says that “Anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17. We must reenter that place of innocence, of total dependency, in order to relinquish control.
“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
The word “ways” comes from the Hebrew word that means “way, road, distance, journey, manner.” This means in your travelling, in your adventure, in your daily routine, in your attitude, in your actions, in every aspect of your life, submit to God. This is what it takes to see the path he has set before you made straight.
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
This verse can be easily connected with Isaiah 55:9, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” The moment we begin relying on our own wisdom is when we begin settling for much less than is possible. Because God’s ways are infinitely higher than ours, his wisdom far surpasses our own. This leads to refreshment that revitalizes us to the core. Leaning not on ourselves, but on Him—that is when we will thrive.
Photography: @fordyates
by Chelsea Rohde | Oct 6, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3: 1-4
Nip this. Tuck that. Eat this. Drink that. From TV ads and billboards to forums and friendly conversations, we are inundated with the chase for youth. As we idolize the primetime of our being we go on a quest to extend it as long as possible. All the supplements, diet plans, and procedures point to the same thing: a desire to have fulfilling life.
Do you want a long satisfying life? Who doesn’t? There’s no fountain of youth streaming from the ground or miracle substance to be found, but Proverbs does give us some insight on how to live a satisfying life: Keep Gods commands in your heart.
Storing His commands in your heart means more than just memorizing them. To know Gods commands fully, you must allow them to guide and influence every part of your life. You have to take action in light of His commands.
Obeying God’s commands yields a fruitful life. Not legalistic rule execution, but true devotion to returning to loving obedience in each step we take. This action is born out of trusting that abiding by God’s guidance leads to a future beyond what our brains can conjure up.
Consider these questions as you unpack taking to heart God’s commands:
If the commands of your creator were written deep within your heart, how would your life look?
If you trusted the Lord and sought his guidance on your actions, how would your output change?
At what point do you lay down your selfish ambitions to seek what God is commanding you to do?
What needs to change for God’s commands to take their place in your heart and begin influencing your decisions?
Abraham Lincoln once said, “It’s not about the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” You have time here, what will you do with it? Make space. Invite God in. Start living a full life.
Photography: @fordyates
by Madison McKinzie | Oct 5, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 2:12-22
All throughout Proverbs it “teaches us how to attain wisdom, discipline, and a prudent life, and how to do what is right, just and fair — in short, to apply divine wisdom to daily life and to provide moral instruction.”
As we take a closer look into Proverbs chapter two, Solomon writes on how important it is to resist sexual immorality and also to stay away from “evil people, from those whose words are twisted,” (verse 12). The way to do that is by gaining wisdom and discernment. The people Solomon warns us about are “men who turn from the right way to walk down dark paths,” and who also “take pleasure in doing wrong,” (verse 13). Have you ever met someone and thought that all they care about is building up their confidence and destroying others’ in the process? Or the kind of person who loves to rebel? That is the kind of person Solomon is talking about, how they “enjoy the twisted ways of evil,” (verse 14). Because they take pleasure in doing wrong (verse 14), “their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong,” (verse 15). Wisdom, however, will save you from evil people! It says so right here in Proverbs! We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing. First, we must trust and honor God. Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us. Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices and avoid moral pitfalls. Fourth, when we make sinful choices or mistakes, we must learn from our errors and recover. People don’t develop all aspects of wisdom at once. But we can pray for all aspects of wisdom and take the steps to develop them.
Going back to chapter two of Proverbs, one of the most difficult sins to resist is sexual immorality, which tells us that, “I need it.” Its appeal is deadly. Sexual enticement appeals to the empty heart, making it easier to give into. By looking to God, we can fill our hearts with his love. One thing we can pray for is the resistance of the temptation. In verse 18, it says, “Entering the house leads to death…” which is saying that being unable to resist sexual immorality causes death. Therefore falling into sin leads to death. “It is the road to the grave,” (verse 19). But in verse 20 it simply tells us what to do. We are to “follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.”
What we can take away from verse 21:
- Only the godly will live in the land.
- Those with integrity will remain in it.
- The wicked will be removed from the land.
- The treacherous will be uprooted.
I pray that as you read Proverbs you gain an understanding of what Solomon is stressing to us. That you not only read his words, but that you take them in and receive an understanding to what God speaks through him. I pray that the desires in your heart shift from a desire of this world to a desire of fulfillment that only God can provide.
Photography: @carrlosluna
by Maison Tiradoegas | Oct 4, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs: 2:1-11
The worst thing a little boy can get for Christmas is a pair of jeans, a chapter book, or a non-mechanical toothbrush—I’ve gotten all three. So for Christmas one year, my mom bought me a small green book. I remember being very frustrated because it was another present that wasn’t a Playstation. This small book was the book of Proverbs. As great parents do, they give gifts that outlast any rugged toy.
1 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
The Bible is full of this kind of conditional language: If you do_______, then God will do______. It’s beautiful language. Solomon here is first, pleading with us to make wisdom the absolute compass of our lives. Second, he’s describing the infinite value of this wisdom. The wisdom he’s describing here, is more than good, moral teaching. This wisdom is not any sort of yin-yang, “live simply” philosophy. If there’s was anyone that knew the teachings of the world, it was Solomon. The wisdom he’s describing here is grounded in the wondrous truth of fearing the Lord. Earnestly seek, posture yourself to fear the Lord, then you will receive his knowledge, which will make you wise.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
The Lord is the source of wisdom. Nobody gains wisdom except through God. Again, we must not mistake good precepts with wisdom.
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
True wisdom belongs to those who are honorable and honest. This wisdom cannot be bought. This wisdom is not cheap.
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
This doesn’t mean nothing bad will ever happen to the saints, but the protection He’s talking about is a protection, which is bigger; one that covers our paths. I was reminded of Job 1 in this instance:
8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
NLT says:
12 “All right, you may test him,” the lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.”
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
Solomon is still on the “then______” part of the condition. If you seek wisdom that is rooted in the fear of the Lord, then you will understand righteousness and justice, which results to wisdom. The unmeasurable wisdom of God has a two fold purpose: One, it’s meant to glorify God, also it meant to bring our lives a sweet, uncomprehending, pleasantness. God’s wisdom is meant to bring us a peace, a calmness. Like a pleasing smelling candle, our lives should have an inevitable, pleasant scent that is attractive to others.
My Prayer for us today is that we would ask God to reveal this wisdom. Seek this wisdom. Pray for God to make this wisdom real to us—a wisdom that is rooted in the fear of the Lord.
Written by: Maison Tiradoegas
Photo by: Chelsea Francis
by Maddie Watson | Oct 3, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 1:20-33
When you drive down the road, there are signs in place that direct traffic which must be obeyed in order for traffic to flow smoothly. The big red sign, with eight sides, says, “STOP”… So what do you think that means? … STOP! The black sign with a white arrow says “one way” which keeps us from turning into the wrong direction of traffic. All of these signs are there for our safety. There meanings are clear and concise, keeping everything running smoothly. Then there is the traffic director, who sees on coming traffic and knows different road conditions and situations that we cannot see from where we are on the road, but we trust him to guide us safely to where we need to be. But what would happen if we, for whatever reason, decided that our way of driving was better, and that we wanted to do it our own way without seeking counsel from the signs and ignoring the traffic director. It would most likely end up in mass chaos… a train wreck.
In life, we also have the Traffic Director and signs in place for our safety. He knows the road conditions ahead, and is directing us as well as protecting us from harm. However, we often ignore those “street signs” of wisdom from the Lord because we think that our way is better. All the while, the signs are practically screaming: “No! Slow down! Don’t turn there!” with our best interest in mind. The signs – being insight from the Lord and conviction of the Holy Spirit, are there for a reason.
The “wisdom” spoken of in Proverbs 1:20-33 is like the street signs. When we choose to do our own thing we are considered simpleminded and foolish. We listen to actual street signs because we fear getting into a car accident. In the same way, we should adhere to the wisdom of God because we fear Him. Proverbs 1:23 says, “Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.”
The traffic director does not stand in the street and make us guess where we are supposed to go. We receive his direction simply by coming to him. Obeying the Father is so much better than making our own rules and plans.
“… all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harms.”
-Proverbs 1:33
Will you obey the street signs?
Photography: @arikiam
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