Solomon, you are so redundant right now. But that's okay, because what you are saying is still very much valid {obviously, since it came from God}.
Leave everything up to the Lord. Let Him guide and protect Him. Seek His knowledge so that we may be discerning and wise. Fear of the Lord allows us to avoid the path of the wicked, which leads straight to death. God desires us to be honest, wise, and without pride. Our Father wants us to treasure His word and teachings above anything that is of this world; even the gems of earth {i.e. gold and silver} hold no value in comparison to what God offers us. Do not gossip or be perverse.
I was particularly fond of these verses:
"1 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue."
"9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps."
As much as we would like to think that we are in control of our lives and that we can figure it out ourselves... we aren't and we can't. So often our hearts are set on something that feel like we "need" so desperately, and we are crushed when things don't go the way we wanted them to. But think about it, God knows and speaks into us His answers to our dilemmas. He tells us what the true desires of our heart are; He reveals to us our passions. God knows what our lives are going to be used for, and He knows where our path leads. We may have the freewill to decide the course of our life, but God decides the direction, stability, and windy-ness of it. Leave your future to God! He will not lead us astray :) What a faithful father, He is :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Proverbs 15
"1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger."
How often have we encountered this in our life? That moment where someone is blowing up on you with rage, and upon receiving a calm response, that person just deflates and walks away--not sure how to rebut. Putting a cork on the anger keeps it from transforming into something more severe. Crude or harsh comebacks only ever stir things up until they escalate out of control. Keep calm and carry on, friends.
"3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
Our God watches over all of His creation, not just merely those who have accepted Him as their Lord, Father, and Savior. We were all made by Him, and He keeps an eye on everyone. I suppose this is a subtle reminder from Solomon. Even though we all seem to recognize that our God is omnipresent, have you ever imagined every inch of space being covered by God's eyes? Intriguing thought, huh?
"13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit."
"18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel."
These are just truths that are SO applicable to our lives. Take a moment and ponder these; they're pretty straight forward, and
"25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place."
Pride is something we are not meant to harbor. For who are we in comparison to God? What makes you better than another being of God's creation? Nothing. God will strip us of our pride, and rightfully so. Be not proud or boastful, and He will protect and safeguard us.
"33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD,
and humility comes before honor."
Being humble is SO important. The Lord is selfless, and we should strive to be likewise. And if you take away anything from Solomon, it should be this: Heed the words of Wisdom; FEAR THE LORD!
but a harsh word stirs up anger."
How often have we encountered this in our life? That moment where someone is blowing up on you with rage, and upon receiving a calm response, that person just deflates and walks away--not sure how to rebut. Putting a cork on the anger keeps it from transforming into something more severe. Crude or harsh comebacks only ever stir things up until they escalate out of control. Keep calm and carry on, friends.
"3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
Our God watches over all of His creation, not just merely those who have accepted Him as their Lord, Father, and Savior. We were all made by Him, and He keeps an eye on everyone. I suppose this is a subtle reminder from Solomon. Even though we all seem to recognize that our God is omnipresent, have you ever imagined every inch of space being covered by God's eyes? Intriguing thought, huh?
"13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit."
"18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel."
These are just truths that are SO applicable to our lives. Take a moment and ponder these; they're pretty straight forward, and
"25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place."
Pride is something we are not meant to harbor. For who are we in comparison to God? What makes you better than another being of God's creation? Nothing. God will strip us of our pride, and rightfully so. Be not proud or boastful, and He will protect and safeguard us.
"33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD,
and humility comes before honor."
Being humble is SO important. The Lord is selfless, and we should strive to be likewise. And if you take away anything from Solomon, it should be this: Heed the words of Wisdom; FEAR THE LORD!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Take me to see Cirque du Soleil!
Please :) This performance in particular is one that I LOVE! Her flexibility blows my mind, and I also really love the song :)
So here's the deal.
I'm in Carrier right now {that's basically been the story of my life this week}, and I just finished drafting my literature paper. My eyes feel all dry and tired, and I am SO ready to hit the hay. Thus, I will not be posting one of those long, elaborate posts I usually generate. But here are some highlights from today:
Yeah, today was good. I wish I had made time to post for Proverbs Project, but I'll make up for that tomorrow. Goodnight loves!
- Sleeping until 11:30.
- Lunch with Hannah and Brandi.
- Hanging out with Steph and Taylor in Carrier.
- SAO Bible study.
- Skyping Kelly.
Yeah, today was good. I wish I had made time to post for Proverbs Project, but I'll make up for that tomorrow. Goodnight loves!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Life is good.
Even if only for tonight, I am blissfully at peace. The test of this morning, the sleep deprivation, and the assignments looming over this week are out the window right now! After I woke up from a two hour nap of glory, I went to the Groove {which is always great!}, then to small group {I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's Bible study!}, and then to Carrier {where I still am now!}. I've been in Carrier Starubucks for almost 4 hours. I didn't actually get anything from here though. I did, however, get a free white mocha sample!
It had whipped creme and everything! Nikki, if you read this, I thought of you :) But yes, I had a nice and lengthy skype date with Heather to start off my night of library chillage. Ahhh! I just love talking to her :) Talk about a blessing :) Since we hung up, I've just been meandering around on my laptop, for the most part. I've conversated {at least a little bit} with Stephanie, Hannah, Eddie, Daniel, Kim, and DeVon. Also, I've caught up with Proverbs Project, which was nice. Once I start something like that, I have to do it completely. If I miss a post, my OCD kicks in and I have to jump on that, haha. Let me take a moment to be random, if you don't mind.
This is the cutest thing ever! I hope Taylor Swift sees that. My heart would melt! So great :)
One of my friends from elementary school posted that link on facebook, and I just thought it was so great. Valentine's Day is a funny thing. Some people are all giddy with infatuation for their hubby, others are miserable that they aren't in a relationship, and some people are like me and are just content about the whole thing. I think Valentine's Day is cute :) People give each other adorable little tokens of their love, and their faces light up like Christmas trees :) The day is just another excuse to tell people how much you love them! And I love to do that already! So dedicating a day to it??? Sure thing! This is getting a little lengthy, so I'll spare you any further rambling :) Goodnight my lovelies! I LOVE YOU! Sleep well :)
This is the cutest thing ever! I hope Taylor Swift sees that. My heart would melt! So great :)
One of my friends from elementary school posted that link on facebook, and I just thought it was so great. Valentine's Day is a funny thing. Some people are all giddy with infatuation for their hubby, others are miserable that they aren't in a relationship, and some people are like me and are just content about the whole thing. I think Valentine's Day is cute :) People give each other adorable little tokens of their love, and their faces light up like Christmas trees :) The day is just another excuse to tell people how much you love them! And I love to do that already! So dedicating a day to it??? Sure thing! This is getting a little lengthy, so I'll spare you any further rambling :) Goodnight my lovelies! I LOVE YOU! Sleep well :)
Proverbs 14
"1 The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
Even when we are strong in our faith and delighting in out Father, the foolish can (and will earnestly try) to destroy it. The wicked are fools, but they pry on our weaknesses. Therefore, acknowledge your Achilles heel and constantly ask God to protect you and to help you over come it. That way, when someone tries to tear apart your faith, you have the shield of God to maintain stability. You will be well equipped with His guidance :)
"6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning."
God knows our intentions, and He knows the true nature of our hearts. Yes, we have easy access to His wisdom by simply seeking it out. However, this applies to those who are genuinely craving that knowledge and desperately needing it. It's not something you can just be like "Well God, I don't know what the heck You expected me to do with the deck of cards You dealt me, so go ahead and tell me what the deal is." No, understanding is bestowed upon those who come to God with a softened and open heart, a yearning for His working in them. Get out of here mockery; you accomplish nothing!
"32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God."
Even in times of disaster, we have a refuge! We are safe in the hands of out Father! He is our Protector and Savior :) How glorious is He! We will never be struck down! Nevaaaaa!
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
Even when we are strong in our faith and delighting in out Father, the foolish can (and will earnestly try) to destroy it. The wicked are fools, but they pry on our weaknesses. Therefore, acknowledge your Achilles heel and constantly ask God to protect you and to help you over come it. That way, when someone tries to tear apart your faith, you have the shield of God to maintain stability. You will be well equipped with His guidance :)
"6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning."
God knows our intentions, and He knows the true nature of our hearts. Yes, we have easy access to His wisdom by simply seeking it out. However, this applies to those who are genuinely craving that knowledge and desperately needing it. It's not something you can just be like "Well God, I don't know what the heck You expected me to do with the deck of cards You dealt me, so go ahead and tell me what the deal is." No, understanding is bestowed upon those who come to God with a softened and open heart, a yearning for His working in them. Get out of here mockery; you accomplish nothing!
"32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God."
Even in times of disaster, we have a refuge! We are safe in the hands of out Father! He is our Protector and Savior :) How glorious is He! We will never be struck down! Nevaaaaa!
Proverbs 13
Yeah, I fell behind.... But these two verses stuck out to me from chapter 13.
"12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Lacking any sort of hope really does take a toll on our hearts. Hope is something we need. Without it, struggles are seemingly insurmountable. Hope can be attained through faith--faith in our Father. If we possess hope, and that anticipation is made reality, it's almost as if your heart flourishes! You know that feeling: the giddiness, elation, that "OMG" moment :) God answers our prayers, and He fills that void we have when we are feeling hopeless. He restores us in times of hardship. That is my friend, is truth!
"18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored."
We cannot ignore the rebuke of our Father. He knows what is best for us, and He knows what is in our best interests. Believe me, I've blatantly ignored God's advice before, and I wish I had listened. Doing so repeatedly will shame us. We will dwell in poverty and hardship. That is not the life I want, and I'm sure you all would agree. Let us instead hear what He says and actively alter our hearts to live it out! Let us be honorable in the eyes of our Lord :)
"12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Lacking any sort of hope really does take a toll on our hearts. Hope is something we need. Without it, struggles are seemingly insurmountable. Hope can be attained through faith--faith in our Father. If we possess hope, and that anticipation is made reality, it's almost as if your heart flourishes! You know that feeling: the giddiness, elation, that "OMG" moment :) God answers our prayers, and He fills that void we have when we are feeling hopeless. He restores us in times of hardship. That is my friend, is truth!
"18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored."
We cannot ignore the rebuke of our Father. He knows what is best for us, and He knows what is in our best interests. Believe me, I've blatantly ignored God's advice before, and I wish I had listened. Doing so repeatedly will shame us. We will dwell in poverty and hardship. That is not the life I want, and I'm sure you all would agree. Let us instead hear what He says and actively alter our hearts to live it out! Let us be honorable in the eyes of our Lord :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
