My Proverbs

Peace is like a musician quelling the vibrations of the strings of a guitar.

Trust is like when a child hands a wounded puppy into the hands of a veterinarian.

Christianity should not be like a fine antique, admired at a distance for its idealistic values and priceless because it is untouched and unused.

Experiencing Jesus’ righteousness as your own is like losing a tooth. When feeling for old thoughts, and feelings, they simply aren’t there. They still exist, if kept and claimed, but it is no longer a part of you. And like a growing child who has lost its tooth, new and better thoughts, attitudes, and desires take its place.

Saving grace is like God repairing a guitar. When He writes the law in our hearts, is like tuning up the guitar. Daily grace is like God playing a tune on the guitar.

Trying to find the truth when someone is lying is like sorting through trash.

Observing Wisdom

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God tells us to ask for wisdom and promises not to get mad if we do. (James 1:5)

God also tells us it is good "to open our eyes to see wondrous things". (Psalms 119:18) We can gain wisdom by learning from what someone else is saying and doing. Also, we can learn from others mistakes and how to be blessings just by watching them. If we do not learn that way, we will learn by experience.


Wisdom says she cries from
     --"chief places of concourse" (Proverbs 1:21): maybe courtrooms?
     --"openings of the gates" (Proverbs 1:21): surely someone learned something while waiting in
          line on Black Friday.
     --"places by the path" (Proverbs 8:2): makes me think of all the paths in a mall.

Remember the key to wisdom is Jesus Christ. The Emmaus travelers had the scriptures explained to them by Jesus. Luke 24:13-27. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righeousness, and sanctification and redemption:".

Wells of Salvation

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Psalms 96:2, KJV Sing unto the Lord, bless his name. Show forth his salvation from day to day.
Isaiah 12:3, KJV Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

When I think of "salvation", I think of just one salvation: the salvation by believing Jesus lived, died and rose again.

But I believe he saves us in different ways, and these are the wells of daily salvation.
     --not hit a deer with a car
     --not drop an expensive anything (cell phone, dish, antique)
     --give favor with a job interviewer
     --give favor with a judge in a custody court case

Jesus prayed before going to the cross and we need to pray to draw from His wells of salvation. When we do, we will know the joy coming from the wells of salvation.

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Multitude of Counsellors

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Where no counsel is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

There were some children playing on the slide at the playground with the parents watching. The children wanted to slide down faster, so they put water on the slide.

The parents laughed. Sure enough the children slid slower rather than faster. They had not asked their parents advice.

Asking for good advice from experienced people is always a good idea. They may know how the other side thinks and feels. They may have experience to base their opinions on. Or, like me, they may be able to imagine what will happen.

Jesus is called Counsellor (Isa 9:6). It is always a wise idea to invite God to get involved.

Expectation of the Wicked

      The desire of the righeous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. Proverbs 11:23.

                                                    

     The wicked desire things for pleasure, for profit, or for vanity. Not all wicked desire violence or drugs. But do they really expect wrath? I can believe they ignore what will make other people or authorities mad. But do they really expect wrath to happen to them?  Do they even bother to think about being accountable to God when they do those things?

      Or is the "expectation of the wicked" referring to the righteous' expectation of the wicked? The righteous can fall into wrong desires too, so we cannot just point a finger at them.

     The righteous get their desire from God or the Bible. One big advantage of being righteous is that we can identify desires we need to get rid of or control.

The Power of Praise

Psalms 22:3 (KJV) But thou art holy, thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

            I read a book by Stormie O’Martian called The Prayer that Changes Everything. Her answer for problems is to praise and worship. Stormie says, “Worship is opening up the channel through which we communicate our love to God and God transmits His love to us.”[1]  

            My praise and worship has freed me from negative thoughts and emotions. I have had problems with memories of regrets: how much money I have wasted, my lack of compassion, problems with family. Someone told me to replace negative thoughts with good ones.  That didn’t work for me. I tried meditating on verses, but that was only a little more effective. After reading her book, I tried praising God. I bragged on God by listing the times He cared for me; I told Him how unbelievable it is to me that we can be partakers of His divine nature; I thanked him for hope in this life and the next through Jesus.

            Praise drowned out the evil thoughts.  I felt His love and peace, and didn’t have a problem with those thoughts the rest of the day.

            The Bible says God inhabits the praises of His people. Combining prayer, verses, and praise is a potent power, whatever the problem.

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[1] Stormie OMartian, Prayer that Changes Everything (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2004) Page 57.