The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom - Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of

wisdom; all who follow his precepts have

good understanding...

 

One of my prayers for my leaders is that they would seek wisdom.  In fact, I find it difficult to vote for anyone I think would not seek wisdom from God, because I believe what Proverbs 2:6 says

 

For the Lord gives wisdom and from

his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 

Bob Deffinbaugh says in his article on "The Wisdom of God"

 

Wisdom is based on knowledge...and cannot exist without a knowledge

of all the facts pertinent to any purpose or plan...God knows everthing...His

omniscience undergirds His wisdom.

 

There is no other person that that can be said of.  I think of Him as our GPS (God's Protection System).  He knows what has happened before I got here and He knows what will happen after I leave this earth.   Like our personal GPS systems, without His wisdom we can do nothing...nothing works without it.  I used to have only partial knowledge when I traveled...now, because I am committed to using my GPS, I can be in middle of a mess and it will lead me home.  It has happened many times...my directional faith comes from the history I have with this little black box.  I can choose to follow it or I can choose to go my own way...it's a choice I must make.  I believe God will guide me into wisdom because He has infinite wisdom...enough for me and all of you!

 

James 1:5 says "if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask of God".  Now why do we need any other invitation than that...if I want "good understanding" He is my source.  Our verse today indicates a fear or awe of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Simply, that would be an acknowledgement of who He is, what He has said and done, and what He calls us, as His children, to do. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior, His Spirit does not dwell within you and cannot guide you. My choice is, in humility, to consider His wisdom the only way to gain understanding and not to walk independent of Him.

How about you?

For further study:  1 Kings 3:5-14 and 4:29-34, Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 31:26, Jeremiah 10:12, Daniel 12:3, John 16:13, Colossians 2:3, 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love
Holly

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord REJOICE - 1 Chron. 16:10

Much of the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles give history and geneology for this period, but there is some very rich material regarding King David and his reign.  One of his first tasks, after being crowned, was to restore the ark of the covenant to its rightful place of honor, and it was no small task.  David and his people identified this as a place of God's presence and they were eager to be in fellowship with Him there in a proper place.  There was cause for great thanksgiving and celebration when the journey was complete.  Read Chapters 13-15 for all the details!

Chapter 16 is a beautiful song of praise to the Lord for His provision and His presence.  When we give thanksgiving to the Lord, our joy is contagious.  I love Psalm 51:10-13 - another of David's writings.  But this time it was after a great moral failure and he was contrite before the Lord.  He still understood that only by seeking the Lord with his heart, could he "teach transgressors" the ways of God.  Who we are before the people around us determines our witness.  Our hearts are revealed by our actions.  Do we rejoice or grumble?  Do we gossip or hold confidences?  Are we content or striving for more?  Do we sacrifice or fill our barns fuller?

Will Bowen tells this story in his book A COMPLAINT-FREE WORLD:

A man drove past a tattered sign on the side of the road that said

"HONK IF YOU'RE HAPPY".  On a whim,  after ignoring the

sign several times, he decided to honk.  Oddly enough for a moment after

he felt lifted a bit...and every time then he would honk - actually

feeling better just thinking about it.  One day he stopped at the

farmhouse close by to see if there was a story behind the sign.

Sure enough, the farmer explained his wife had a terminal illness

and he wanted people to not take life for granted.  His wife

began to hear the honking horns and it was like medicine to her.

She heard the horns and knew she wasn't alone in the world.

 

 

What will my "honk" say about me today?  Will it encourage or will it tear down?  Will I be seeking the Lord with my heart, or will I have a worldly list of things to accomplish?  I'm grateful to know David wasn't a perfect man, but his heart sought the Lord and his rejoicing proved it!

 

For further study: Deu. 4:29, Psalm 118:24, Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 61:10, Ezekiel 36:26, Matthew 6:33, Luke 6:45, 2 Cor. 8:2, Phil. 4:4.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Hollly

God's word is a lamp for my feet - Ps. 119:105

This is the longest psalm in the Bible and the primary theme is the importance of God's word and obedience to it.  There are over 80 references to law/word/statute/commands.  Each of the 176 verses is exhorting believers to honor, understand and let the Bible be our roadmap for life.  This psalmist had a great love for and a delight in following God's inspired message.  We cannot live the life God has prepared for us without making His word "a lamp for our feet" - it protects, purifies, transforms, renews, inspires, guides, comforts and a host of other benefits.  A fun challenge would be to go through this psalm and list all the benefits to those who follow His inspired word.

Why do we feel we have to defend this standard we choose to obey?  I believe His word is a gift, not a burden.  I respect those who base their lives and their businesses on this firm foundation.  Hobby Lobby (I whistle to the piped-in Christian music when I'm in there!) risked their existence by refusing to do something they believed violated Biblical principles.  Steve Green, the President of the company, said, when asked what would happen if the Supreme Court ruled against them:

We are just going to do what God would call us to do,

what he teaches us is right and trust him to do

what is out of our control.

 

This family puts its money where its mouth is. They are so dedicated to the preservation of God's word that they are in the process of building a Bible museum in Washington, D.C. to house 40,000 Biblical texts.  Now that is commitment to a standard!  I would pray to be half that courageous in standing up for what I believe.  The very foundation of our faith is that His inspired word is true.  If we believe that, then we will let it be our guide - publicly and privately - in all that we do in our families and in our businesses. We have a choice to hold onto principles that "last forever" (v. 152) or to the shifting sands of a changing society.  I am grateful for people who example the strength of letting His word be a "lamp" for our feet.

 

For further study:  2 Samuel 22:31, Proverbs 30:5, Isaiah 55:11, Matthew 24:35, John 1:1-5, Philippians 2:16, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 3:15-16, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:22.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's precious word!

 

Love,

Holly

Rejoice always; pray continualy; give thanks - 1 Thes. 5:18

Rejoice always, pray continually,

give thanks in ALL circumstances...

 

Really?  ALL circumstances?  Ann Voskamp tells a story in her ONE THOUSAND GIFTS devotional book of watching her farmer husband plant seeds and thanking God for it not to rain until they get them all planted.  Her daughter, standing next to her, was thanking God for the rain drops if it did rain.  The mother looked at her daughter - as if she were being disobedient - and realized her daughter's faith was greater than her own.  She says this:

 

I have held dying babies.  Eaten with those who live in the town

garbage heap. Wept with women who've been violated, with

the bankrupt, the heart-crushed, the terminal.  And this

never stops being true: neglecting to give thanks only deepens the

wounds of the world...Giving thanks makes the canyon of pain

into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God.

 

Satan is never happier than we can only give thanks in our bounty.  He is denied his joy when we can recognize that God is good ALL the time and that by giving thanks we give Him the honor and glory only He deserves.  Our pain draws us into His presence in a way no bounty ever could...that pain is a vessel that fills up with peace when we acknowledge His goodness and not our poverty.

 

I have used this Elisabeth Eliot quote before but it bears repeating:

 

It is always possible to be thankful for what is given

rather than resentful over what is withheld - one

attitude or the other becomes a way of life.

 

What way are you taking today?

 

For further study:  Job 2:10, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100:4, Habakkuk 3:17-18, 1 Cor. 15:57, 2 Cor. 2:14, Ephesians 5:19-20, Philippians 4:6,1 Tim. 4:4, Hebrews 12:28

 

May God richly bless your understanding of His word.

 

Love,

Holly