If you've ever listened to one of those meditation apps... Or a sleep time recording which help lull you with nature sounds... They will often advise to picture yourself in a serene environment. Sitting still... by a babbling brook. under light rain on a tin roof. near a cascading waterfall. under a canopy of leaves in the rain. But never have I heard the advice to focus on a dripping faucet. That repetitive, singular... drip, drop, drip, drop, drip. There is something in it's tone, in it's singularity, in it's rhythm that does not soothe. But rather, rubs raw the already sore and irritated stress-point. So it is, when someone lends unwanted opinion to the already frustrated open wound we suffer. We simply do not want one more drip drop, drip, drop, drip fallen on top. It's often enough to overflow the well of tears we have held back. And yet we wonder… "Do they even know how I feel?" That is the fool who gives a comment. One that was not considered before spoken. Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. Proverbs 15:2 (MSG) But refreshing are the words that soothe. Like sitting still... by a babbling brook. under light rain on a tin roof. near a cascading waterfall. under a canopy of leaves in the rain. These can only be spoken from wisdom. From a person who has stood where we stand. From one who has walked this path before. From someone who knows… has experienced our situation. These are words that spring to life. These are words refreshing and honest, encouraging and true. I long to give such words… as much as I long to receive them. Word of God, train me today... to know when to hold my tongue, sensitive to other's pain, to be that just right spring of water, with refreshing life from You, just in time of other's need. Lord, Let me consider when I will simply be a dripping faucet to someone else. Causing more irritation than good. Let me rather think, before I speak... Do I have a word of knowledge for them? Can I be a place of refreshment, today? And when I cannot, let me at least lift these friends to You. As You are the living water that refreshes all. You have the words that spring to life all knowledge, all power, all that we need. Lord, help me be wise.
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j-e-l-o-u-s-y It is a viscous cycle... wanting more of what others have. possessions. position. power. place. people. potential. Jealousy steals from us; causes us to feel more empty. We are thieves stealing joy from ourselves. Always wanting more. It's a seemingly endless cycle. Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. Proverbs 12:12 (NLT) Enter a new cycle. Contentment. A state of mind. A choice. A heart attitude. Determined that what I have is enough. Trusting that if I need it, God will provide. possessions. position. power. place. people. potential. He is the God of all. He created all things for His glory. And whether they bow to Him or not… they are still under His authority. And He can bring to me whatever He chooses. But I believe He is wanting, He is waiting, He is willing me to be more humble. The godly are not perfect people. The godly are not self-righteous. The godly are simply people who put God first. Who understand that only through His sacrifice, His blood, His resurrection... are they godly. That is where contentment begins. A humble heart. Not needing more than Him. Knowing that He will provide all I need. Then my roots can grow down deep into Him. And I can grow, little by little, stronger and stronger each day... and be rooted. A tree planted and bearing fruit. A new and refreshing cycle. This one does not make me feel lousy. This one does not make me feel less. This one nourishes, replenishes, regenerates, repopulates, and re-cycles. Word of God, train me today... to change the cycle that is my thought life and choose contentment, to be rooted in faith, regardless of my feelings, trusting You to make me strong. Lord, let me be rooted in You. Let my roots grow down deep drawing up nourishment from You. See that I go on growing in You. Help me become strong and vigorous in the truths You have taught. Let my life overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all You have done. (from Colossians 2:7) The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. Proverbs 11:30 (NLT) Every day, I am given opportunities, chance meetings, open doors... to do the right thing. It may be an action, a spoken word. It could simply be a kind glance, an encouraging smile, or a gentle touch. All just seeds. But then again, God might be asking of me a grander move... sacrifice of money, time, talent, effort. These are Your seeds of good deeds. I've been known to grip them too tightly in my grasp. Hesitant to let them go. I've been known to miss the moment of planting them in the fertile soil of best intention. The place these seeds were meant to land. They would have been... watered, nurtured, grown strong, in another's life. But if I face each day with focus, open hands, willing eyes, to see a world around me as opportunity to plant... rather than, a place that is trying to snatch my seeds from this tightly gripped hand... Then I should be happy about letting go. Dropping them along my path as I walk through each day. Leaving a legacy. Better yet… planting a tree of life in eternity. Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. Revelation 22:1-2 (NLT) What a beautiful vision. This is a prophecy of heaven. Imagining... a tree that can grow different fruit each month? I long to be a member of this heavenly "fruit-of-the-month-club." I seek to plant these seeds... to grow a tree of life in eternity. The seeds of good deeds that fall from open hands today. Along the way, friendships will bloom as I wander this path. All You require is my open hand. Your seeds to pass through... a smile, a gentle touch, a kind gaze, a generous word. Each of us becomes wiser as we sow these seeds… giving more than we take. Word of God, train me today... to be a planter of these seeds of good deeds, to hold them loosely in my hands and give them freely, as You will always give more. Lord, I am amazed at Your truth. What beauty You have created here on this earth. I can only imagine the amazing walk we will take under the shade of those trees of life eternal. Let me be a part of this planting. Let me be a part of the fruit that is born. Let me help on this day with the gifts You have given. I hold my hands open and ask that You make me more aware of the places You have tended and made ready the soil. Thank You, Lord, for visions of eternity! Thank You, Lord, for including me. Thank You, Lord, that someone planted a seed of good deeds in me. I will be faithful. I will be fruitful. I will plant. How generous of You, a Father to write to us this love letter. A book of living words encompassing beginning to end, creation of life, witness of love, covenant, correction, salvation and revelation. Real life tellings of people who lived... getting it right, getting it wrong, being used by You all the same, for Your glory. And nestled here in the middle this book written by a king who in his youth asked for wisdom... then personified it in writing her as a woman. Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words... Proverbs 1:20-21 NKJV So why not also do the same for her nemesis... immorality. Addressing as a father to his son the dark temptations of life in a world sold out to lusts of the flesh. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life... Her ways are unstable; You do not know them. Proverbs 5:3-6 And while many might argue this to be strictly a woman of the night, a gypsy of the soul... if I were to limit my focus on the literal, I would skim over this warning, only to miss important life lessons You may have for me. A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. Proverbs 1:6 Your word is full of mysteries we must seek... proverbs, enigmas, words of wise, riddles. All of them I should take to heart. Even if one seems a mystery at first, I will come to You in prayer, asking, Spirit, reveal to me this truth... for I should ponder all of Your word as understanding... and goodness for my soul. Let me not be led astray not in my marriage, not from my dedication to You... by any immorality that tempts me. For this will not be an easily spotted sign. Rather, slippery words that sneak by from that mouth smoother than oil. And I may be quickly and sharply divided as the two-edged sword does its damage. Lord, let me be on guard for this, keep me vigilant, keep me prepared. Now that I know she is out there... Immorality so eagerly traps not just through a person, but online as well. Social media, movies, music, and high profile personalities draw us to her. We let down our guard and soon we are off balance unstable and teetering, exactly where she wants to take us. Distracted, distorted, disjointed, dissatisfied, discouraged. But You, Lord... are the lifter of our heads.", the Savior of our souls. And that is exactly why we stick with this day after day, after day, after day. Reading Your word. Because we want to be guarded and on alert. And when we do fall into sin... You pick us up again, and we can still be used for Your glory. That is why we stay interested... in this story! Word of God, train me, today... to never stop reading Your wonderful word, to listen to the lessons of wisdom and understanding every day. Thank You, Lord that there is wisdom on every page of Your living and active word. It is so very good! It is my daily bread. It is my living water. It is my source of life. It is my anchor. It is my light. It is my heart. If I were stranded... completely alone on a deserted island, it would become my passion to seek out and search for fresh water and sources of food. Because stripped from all the trappings of this materialistic world around me I would understand my true needs and be able to focus on what was most important. So I thank You, Lord, that here in this book of Proverbs, Solomon has stranded my mind on this island of wisdom. My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 NKJV Thank You, Lord for this isolated focus. For I see now that this earthly world is so full of it's offerings of knowledge which distract, distort and pervert the truth. Pressured to live as one more "open-minded" does not afford me wise choices. But rather, a big empty place for everything to simply fall in, and get tangled. I cannot afford to make room for all these options. I choose instead to narrow the path of my mind. To think on and believe only truth. I will receive Your words and treasure them, as they are precious. And You say, in order to gain wisdom, I must take action, rather than be a passive observer. Receive. Treasure. Incline. Apply Cry out. Lift up. Seek. Search. For these actions lead to the life for which I long... Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Proverbs 3:13-15 If the world were offering this happiness, satisfaction would abound around me. There would be no need to keep coming up with with alternative views, lifestyles and religions. Word of God, train me, today... to be active in my search for more and more of Your wisdom, to live fully in my satisfied life, treasuring the understanding You give. Lord, I long for more... this happy life, finding wisdom. When I gain understanding I am thrilled. The revelation of a new insight lifts my heart and causes me to soar. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me each day. |
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January 2019
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