Proverbs 2:6-12, My take…

Apr22
Old monk reading ancient book protected by magical shield from dark spirits

Prov. 2:6-12,(written by Solomon)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright;He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity—every good path.  For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart.  Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, rescuing you from the way of evil— (the protective power of wisdom) Prov. 2:6-12

I came upon this verse in search of a prayer that I could pray over my grandchildren. Some of them were embarking upon a journey into adulthood for the first time. They had proper training in their parent’s home. But now they were weighted with the responsibility of applying that training. And that, I knew would require wisdom beyond their years. So what would they do?

Would they turn their eyes from looking at (or ears from listening to) what was worthless as they had been trained? Or would they pick and choose those ideas promoted by a world view that contradicted their biblical training? There was visible evidence that both perspectives were being considered.

I had walked this treacherous path in my youth. Therefore, I was familiar with the pitfalls of human reasoning and false assumptions. The verses from 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 made it obvious as to what I was up against. Yet, upon venturing out into the world, my naivety blinded me. Naivety and immaturity. I lacked the protective power of wisdom.

Thankfully, God finally got my attention and turned me around. Just in time to prevent me from ruining my life by my own self-centeredness and self-serving ways. It started with a full surrender of my life to God. A full surrender to live my life and walk the path God had chosen for me. I began to simply “Follow His Lead.”

And with that surrendered will, I took to reading God’s word. With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I changed the friend group I ran with. Focusing instead on surrounding myself with friends who would support my commitment to Christ. And graciously God provided those new friends. I read books that fed me spiritually. One such book was “The Saving Life of Christ” by Ian Thomas. (Published in the 1960’s. and is still in print.) With every plunge into God’s word and moments spent with God in prayer, wisdom entered my mind and knowledge delighted my heart.(just as Prov. 2:6-12 declared) At the time I didn’t recognize the protective power of wisdom. Yet, I benefited from God’s guardianship just the same.

It was the growth of knowledge and wisdom that enabled me to recognize those whose words and actions contradicted what God had been teaching me. It was only when I made choices which served my self-centeredness that I got off track. (and with my human propensity to sin the struggle to please myself over God was ever present.) Therefore, many foolish choices which would have led to harmful consequences in my life were avoided.

So the earlier the better our full surrender should be made. Which is why I fervently and consistently pray Proverbs 2:6-12 over my beloved grandchildren. Foolish choices made during this season of their lives could have serious and permanent consequences to their future. A future that needs an appreciation for the protective power of wisdom.

1 John 1:1-7, My take…

Apr15

1 John 1: “1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.”

I read this and in my mind, I imagine John as if he is speaking to me. He is validating his proclamations about Jesus. I imagine what it must have been like for him to say, “I have heard with my own ears, and I have seen with my own eyes the person of Jesus, the One the Father has sent us and who has appeared to us. We (meaning he and Christ’s followers) proclaim this so you can have the same experience. Our fellowship is with God and Jesus, and our joy is complete! It’s for you as well.”

John’s memories are spilling over confirming the authenticity of who Jesus is to him, the apostles, and fellow believers. He knew of what he spoke because he had lived every moment of those memories. To him the words of Scripture were profoundly fresh and empowering. That’s the effect John’s encounter with Jesus had on him. And he tells us it’s for us as well?!?!? If we try to tap into what John must have been feeling, we could just as convincingly proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. But are we? If not, why?

John listened to Jesus speak and John spoke to Jesus. They spent time together. Are we listening to Jesus? (by reading the Word) Are we speaking to Jesus? (by spending time with Him in prayer) Or if not, are we loosing that personal convincing relationship with the Word of Life John referred to? I think so! Too much time away from the book that expresses God’s thoughts will obviously result in a disconnect a dullness of hearing. We will struggle to understand spiritual truths. We won’t realize how much we need Him. We will loose sight of who God is. Resulting in a nonchalant attitude towards our Savior.

John’s personal interaction with Jesus was difficult to deny. It was convincing. What about us? Is our relationship with Christ convincing? The times are desperate. Lies are being touted as Truth. Do we even recognize the deception?

Dear Readers, when it comes to our faith in Christ, the time has come to be convincing!

1 John Chapter 1 X

Remember – Ecclesiastes 12:1

Apr8

In the first verse of Chapter 12, the author admonishes us to “remember our Creator in the days of our youth.” Here’s how the NLT words it, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”

In our younger days, particularly as we begin emerging as an adult, we can be heady about our new found freedom. We may find ourselves constantly pulling away from the restraints of our parents. When we are successful in liberating ourselves from such restraints, too often our actions are thereafter overly influenced by the desires of our hearts. A young heart that has not had time yet to be damaged by life’s unpleasantness. Yet, a heart which is naive and immature and can be easily led astray.

During this period of our lives we are just getting our balance as we take our first steps spiritually. What we once saw as not permissible for us as Christians, our immature hearts now rethink such actions. And without a steady intake of godly wisdom our hearts will become desensitized towards what is sinful (fiery darts). Our hearts will take over as our judge, not the Word of God. But what we forget is that the decisions, the choices we make in the days of our youth will follow us for the rest of our lives. (Good or bad)

When we get to the latter season of our lives we won’t find life as exhilarating as in earlier seasons. For troubles have been encountered. Some of those as consequences of choices made with a young and perhaps foolish heart. And some of those that just show up as a result of living life.

Honoring God while we are young and before life begins to knock us around builds up our spiritual reserves. So when we arrive at those not so pleasant times of life, our hearts have grown in maturity. We are less naive. As a result there is a lot less baggage with which to complicate our lives. Drawing upon our spiritual reserves, made while we were young, supplies us with protective power. Power we need in order to deal with life as we grow older. Therefore life is not as unpleasant as it would have been otherwise. All because we didn’t forget God in the days of our youth.

The Protective Power of Biblical Wisdom…

Mar31

I heard a comment by Dr Frank Turek the other day as I was listening to a podcast of his. A question was put forth, “If you found Christianity to be true would you become a Christian?” Some of the responses were ‘No.”

Basically, I think what he is saying is people don’t want to believe in God because God might want them to do something they don’t want to do. They want to call the shots. Be their own boss. They don’t want to have to answer to God.

Society makes it quite convenient for these type of thinkers to join a growing group of people who are caught up in this “New Thought” ideology. An ideology that promotes personal authority over faith in God and the authority of Christ. It can get confusing for those who are new in their Christian faith. Those without a solid biblical foundation can get tripped up as well. They hear terms that have the flavor of Christianity but without the substance.

Being the boss of your life carries with it huge responsibilities. A person who depends on themselves for all the answers in life will somewhere on the road come up empty handed. And from what I can discern, life has huge disappointments for these type of thinkers.

There is a book in the Bible titled, Ecclesiastes (in the Old Testament). It was written by King Solomon during the 10th century BC. He wrote it later in life after he had experienced life and had finally come up with some solid answers. A revealing narrative as to what is truly important. It warns us that living life dependent upon whatever your mind comes up with has a predictable end. Human endeavor leads to meaningless results.

Those who get tripped up by New Thought ideology do so because they are not growing in the wisdom and understanding of God’s word. They use their minds, without the influence of Scripture, to filter their experiences. They are influenced by human reasoning and are led astray. Slowly they become blinded as to what is Truth. Without the protection of biblical wisdom our understanding will be seriously jeopardized.

Proverbs 2:6-12 NLT

6 For the Lord grants wisdom!
    From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
    He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8 He guards the paths of the just
    and protects those who are faithful to him.

9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
    and you will find the right way to go.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will fill you with joy.
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
    Understanding will keep you safe.

12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
    from those whose words are twisted.

Add Distraction to the List

Mar25
Fix our eyes upon Jesus. Look neither to the right or left. Shut out the distractions. based on Hebrews 12:2

Think about it. What keeps us from spending time with God in prayer and His word? Most of the time, I daresay, it’s distractions. Often I have referred to the manipulation and deception of the fiery darts of the enemy. But in the last year, I have come to realize that loosing my focus can happen as a result of the fiery dart of distractions.

Lately, I am being made aware of how the enemy once again is using distractions to manipulate my focus. Our four children are scattered here and there, as well as their children (our grans). Two years ago, my best friend of twenty plus years passed away. Four years earlier my beloved mother transitioned to heaven, joining my father. Needless to say, the temptation to focus on my lack of contact with them is ever present.

Add to that at 77 years of age, I wonder just how much longer I have on this earth. That consumes a lot of my thoughts. Running out of time to make memories with those that I love. Running out of time to resolve conflicts. And quietness and an unbusy life is the fodder for self-pity. And I read the headlines and fear, coupled with the lack of interaction with my family, is a menu for despair. Oh I could go on and on!

The most effective weapon against such is the Bible. Yep, all that truth compressed within the pages of Scripture could and can tear down the walls of human reasoning and destroy false assumptions. By distracting us from spending time with God in His word and in prayer, we just aren’t informed. We aren’t aware of our weapons or how to use them.

These distractions divert our focus thus turning it inward. It takes a greater discipline to redirect our focus toward Christ and not ourselves. But we know that if we want to please God, then we had better learn how to reject the enemy’s device of distraction. Every time our focus turns inward, try quoting, “May this weapon formed against me not prevail.” That shifts our thought processes. We can now direct our focus to ponder Truth thoughts like, “All things work together for the good. For those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

If my attention is manipulated by the enemy’s distractions then I will be blinded. What I will fail to see is that my husband and I have more time together. I have more time to spend quiet moments daily with God. His Word reminds me that He is in control and I need not fear. Yet, the enemy’s distractions will blind me to these Truths.

Conflicting Thoughts…

Mar18
Fighting fiery darts

Sometimes our struggles require a presence of mind that is dependent on a source that is far beyond anything we can produce in our own strength. There can be instances in our lives when problems start piling up. Before we can get a handle on one, another one shows up. We are caught in a weakened state. It is in such times that the enemy takes advantage. For our reserves have been depleted and we just can’t seem to muster the strength we need. We might notice that the Bible verses that have been helpful previously just don’t carry the weight (for whatever reason) they did before. If we are not wise to the enemy’s tactics, we might give into this deception.

When we find ourselves in this type of dilemma, there is a plan of action available. Begin by searching for Scripture verses that identify what we are dealing with and how to resolve it. For example, fear is an often used weapon by the enemy, especially these days. Thankfully, God has an abundance of methods to counter the effect of fear from ruling our attitudes and therefore our actions.

Case in point, Satan is running rampant these days dispensing fear with news headlines. It affects everyone, even Christians. However, as Christians we have a defense. In the midst of this drama, our default response is to search God’s word for wisdom. How about Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold onto you with My righteous right hand.” Or 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

When we are tempted to fear, the following plan of action should be imployed. First, we must recognize the weapon of the enemy; to strike fear in our hearts. Next we must reject it outright. Don’t allow it to sink its poisonous roots into our thoughts. Then in its place we plant the counsel of God about what to do concerning the fiery dart of fear. By allowing the power and truth of God’s words to sink into our thinking, fear is dispelled. As a result, it will be God’s wisdom and understanding that will shape our attitudes and therefore our actions, not fear!

Thing is, Satan’s plan is to distract us from God’s word. By the way, that fearful thought I mentioned previously, that “the Scriptures just don’t seem to work anymore” didn’t come from God, you know. (The enemy is just adding confusion to your struggle)! So my advice is to push through that fear or whatever fiery dart is shot at us. Search the Scriptures for biblical counsel that addresses that disturbing thought (lie, fiery dart). And every time that fiery dart pops into our heads, contradict it with God’s Truth thought. Battle Satan’s lies with God’s Truth. That’s how we extinguish conflicting thoughts.

Overcoming fear through God’s Word…

Mar11

Since last Saturday, I find myself watching the news far more than I usually do. I search for headlines daily reporting on the Middle East crises. (Choosing my sources for this information requires that I depend upon God for guidance.) Considering the nature of the rhetoric, I could picture the enemy reaching for the poisoned dart of fear. Biding his time as to when to fire it off.

I confess, prior to February 28 I was already caught up in a fight of resistance against fiery darts. Resistance against some personal issues of worry, confusion, and anxiety. And right up until the day before, I was dealing with this onslaught. Then Saturday happened. So realizing I was already in a weakened state, Satan added his pièce de résistance – fear!

If I was to have any hope in countering the enemy’s plan, I knew I needed to secure an alliance with a force greater than my enemy. Past experiences has proven that spending time with God in His word and prayer is the key to deflecting the enemy’s attacks. This has been my modus operandi in extinguishing an invasion of fiery darts. Yet, I can tell you it wasn’t a sudden fix. It took days of prayerfully reading and meditating on God’s word for the transforming truths to penetrate. And along the way as I availed myself to God’s truths, I settled down. The fiery dart of fear, lost its momentum along with the worry, confusion, and anxiety.

Satan goes after the most vulnerable. That would be those who aren’t equipped with the weapons of our warfare. Stands to reason, if we aren’t aware of our weapons we won’t know how to use them. Therefore, we are easy prey. Understandably, getting informed of how in control God is, we will have the confidence to endure. And that my dear readers is how we can overcome fear and all its fiery dart companions. No matter how the headlines read!

Our Constant Companion…

Mar4

Some days life’s path is dark. What light exists is subdued. The darkened path ahead appears to offer little hope of better days. Companions that were once our guardians against the darkness are no longer with us. While those who filled our days with laughter and purpose and kept the darkness at bay have grown up and moved on to travel their own paths. We wander alone. The darkness stalks us just biding its time. Waiting for us to make choices that will lead us further into the dark.

Then very faintly we hear a still small voice saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.” Yet, the voice is indistinct. We aren’t even sure we heard it right. It’s not a voice we have paid much attention to in the past. But in the darkness there is a louder voice competing for our attention. Challenging us to pay no mind to that faint voice. This voice is more familiar. For it consistently intrudes our thoughts. Yet, each moment we tune our ears to that quiet voice, the more our reception of it increases. Likewise, the volume of the voice in the darkness decreases.

And as we continue along this darkened path and heed the soft voice, subtle changes slowly emerge. A flicker of light illuminates our next step. And step by step the light continues to guide us. And as we move forward, the darkness slowly looses its boldness. It’s then we notice that someone has been walking with us all along.

We gaze ahead and further down, just beyond the darkness, we notice our path is illuminated. The brightness gives us something to look forward to. Strange how we couldn’t see it before! Perhaps our downcast perspective hampered our view. Head lifted, we fix our vision on the lighted path ahead. A fresh cleansing breeze begins to blow.

Can You Defend Your Faith?

Feb25

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,…1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Can we do that? Give a reason for the hope we have in Christ? The Bible tells us we should and to do it gently and with respect. Life giving advice any Christian would agree to. But, while many of us could speak about what we believe, I wonder if we could speak of the why?

The fallout of not being able to speak about why we believe as we do is disturbing. I’ve read where 70% of young people leave the Church after going off to college. Could it be because there wasn’t enough focus on the why’s of their belief? Could it be because their beliefs weren’t challenged while learning the Bible narratives. While the environment of their learning wasn’t hostile to their faith. Where they could ask questions and search for truth under the guidance of solid biblical teaching. In other words, get grounded in their faith and be able to go out into the world confident in why they believed God’s truths.

Learning the what and why’s of our faith is a requirement if we want to be able to recognize the lies of the enemy. Stands to reason being grounded in the Truth, is our best defense in facing down the enemy’s lies. No soldier would go out to battle without proper armor or weapons. But isn’t that what we are expecting our young people to do? Will they be able to stand against the liberal ideology of unbelieving professors? Are we equipped ourselves to defend our faith?

The world is in combat for our hearts and minds. Not just for our young people but for adults as well. As Christians we must wake up to the challenges we face in the world today. If we aren’t prepared, then let’s get prepared. There’s plenty of resources for us to call upon. Click on this link for a list of resources.

Deep dive

The Shaping of a Christian…

Feb18

Isaiah 64:8

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand. ESV

Last post I referred to God’s attention to detail which I discovered in my study of the book of Revelation. Details so precise, so detailed only God could have designed them. I learned that it is the application of these truths we find in the details that shape us.

But I’m sad to say this is where the enemy promotes his greatest deception. The point Satan aims for is to diminish the level of impact by Christians for the sake of Christ? He knows the outcome of a life shaped by the Truths of God’s word. And he fears it. So his goal is to keep us distracted so we aren’t shaped by those truths. That opens up the opportunity for us to be shaped by anything but God’s Truth.

So how does God’s attention to details shape us? It was a slow dawning for me. Several years ago, I was going through a particular difficult time. Prior to this, my commitment to spending time with God in His word was severely lacking. Oh I prayed a lot! So I guess you could say I was talking (more like complaining) to God more than I was listening to Him. But there came a time when I couldn’t even put words to my struggles.

Desperate, I just opened my Bible and began reading. Starting actually in Psalms. When I came to words that spoke to my pain, I recorded it. Keeping at it, eventually my mind settled down. Eventually, the fiery darts of confusion and fear were displaced with a clearer mind and a growing faith. Not to mention a growing dependency on the Truths of Scripture.

Once I began experiencing the healing as it applied to my trials, more and more of the details were revealed. For example, when I found myself worrying, God directed me to Scriptures revealing His plans to counter the fiery dart of worry. Philippines 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NIV The more I focused on this Truth thought the more I believed it. The more resistance I gained in warding off the enemy’s fiery darts. The greater my peace.

Now, just multiply this act with consistency. Growing stronger and gaining in resiliency in warding off the enemy’s attacks is the shaping process. God’s word is designed to help us overcome the enemy. But deliberate effort made in the study of God’s word is the key. The deeper we dig the more we discover. And as life happens we will discover even more details that shape us. God will show us the right way, He will point out the road for us to travel, He will lead us by His truth and teach us.