I was in Sojo, Session 6, and even though I don't know a lot of the people posting on this blog, I love what they have to say about different passages! I'll read a verse and be completely confused by it, but someone who understood it posts what they think on this blog, and the message really becomes clear.
This past week I was at a volleyball camp with my team, and there was one girl on my team who can be a tad on the frustrating/annoying side. At one point I just wanted to snap at her, but then a few verses from Proverbs came to my mind, and really helped me conquer the anger.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -Proverbs 12:18
"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -Proverbs 15:1
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." -Proverbs 17:27
I was so glad God put these verses in my head, or I would have said something I definately would have regretted later.
Thank you counselors for setting up this blog!
Love, Paige H.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Read The Contract First
Hey everyone. I know that everyone's writing about about Proverbs and keeping on track with the daily bible verses, and this is completely unrelated to any of that. But Sunday my Pastor was talking about the book of Acts, and he gave an analogy about how God gave His Son for us, and what we were freed from, and I'd like to share it with all of you because it definitely put things into perspective for me.
Now, when I read John 3:14 about how God gave his one and only Son for us and all the sin and punishment he freed us from, I think "Wow, he must have really loved us. That is so cool!" But the thing is when I read the Bible, I understand what happened, and I try to interpret everything, but I don't usually picture how everyone felt, or how they reacted. Like, I almost don't think of them as people, but as just thoughts. I understand they were people, but I don't think out the entire story. So my Pastor gave this analogy to try and help you think about what God did in a more modern way. Imagine that you really want to do to college, but you don't have the money. One day, a man comes up to you and says, "Hey, I'll pay for you to go to a great college, and after, you can come work for me. All you have to do is sign this contract, and off you go." So, thinking it's a great opportunity, you sign and head off to college. After, you go to work for this great guy. But soon you realize that this job you have is awful. The people are evil, the degrade you and insult you, and you hate it so much. But you can't break your contract. You have nothing you can do. So, after a few weeks at this awful job, a man walks in one day, comes up to you, and says, "I have good news. I just bought out your contract. You can come work for me now. It cost me a lot. It cost me a whole lot. It cost me my son. But I did this so you could be happy, and not have to worry about this job anymore. Come with me, have no worries." And you go, and it's beyond anything you could ever believe.
Now, if you were in this situation, would you not be so thankful to the guy who bought out your contract. You'd praise him, and thank him frequently. And this is exactly what God did for us. Sure, we can't see what would have happened to us if God hadn't given his Son for us, but you can we sure it was worse that just a bad job. This showed me how much God did for me, what he did for us, and the sacrifice he made, just for us.
Thanks for reading guys, I hope you got as much out of this as I did.
this is why we do
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another."
This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible because it is so true. I would not AT ALL be the person that I am if it were not for the people in my life who have challenged, encouraged, and loved me. Community is so so so so so so important.
This verse is exactly why we are doing this. Sharpening each other with every post. Lets go baby
This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible because it is so true. I would not AT ALL be the person that I am if it were not for the people in my life who have challenged, encouraged, and loved me. Community is so so so so so so important.
This verse is exactly why we are doing this. Sharpening each other with every post. Lets go baby
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Bless your enemies cause it's fun!
First of all, I just want to apologize for just now posting. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading what you all have to say. It is encouraging to me, as a counselor, to see you still seeking God and what he has to say through his Word. I have experienced coming home after camp and noticed the huge difference in environments, but God is constant. No matter what you go through at home, remember that.
Anyways, while I was reading Proverbs 25 verses 21-22 really stuck out to me.
It reads "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
My literal mind got stuck on the heaping of burning coals on his head. I got selfishly excited for a second...then had to dig deeper. I realized that by helping our enemies, they will most likely feel guilty for how they have wronged us. This should not be our goal, however. When it says that the Lord will reward you, something good will come from the "burning coals". Thanks to my handy dandy ESV Study Bible, this good most likely will be leading that person to repentance! This makes me think about my intentions in the past. Like y'all have talked about, God knows our hearts and the real reason we do things. I can think of numerous times when I have done the right thing only to glorify myself and make myself feel better. Who am I? I would like to think this idea of blessing my enemies comes easy to me...but it doesn't. Not even a little bit. Now i really don't have a lot of enemies out there, but I can definitely think of times people have wronged me...and my first thought was not to share the love of Jesus with them!
Refer to Luke 6:27-36. I'm not going to type it all out, but the first two verses are so challenging saying this, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Once you have read these 9 verses, just stop and think. Think about how you live, and how you are supposed to live. And then reflect on God's love for you. This should automatically change how you see people and treat them. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty convicted right now. Praise God!
The other thing that slapped me in the face was verse 28. "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." My Study Bible blatantly states it this way. The lack of self-control is a mark of a fool. He is like a city...left without walls, that is, with no means of defense against enemies. I want to challenge you to look at your life, and pick out one area that you lack self-control in. Be in prayer about it, and make the choice to follow Christ. As you all know, it is worth it!
Well I hope you got something out of this post because I have definitely come away learning from all of you! I can't wait to continue growing with you. God bless you.
Sayings of the Wise Indeed!!
While reading Proverbs 24 a few verses stuck out to me that I would like to share with everyone.
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasure."
Pr. 24:3-4
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice..."
Pr. 24:17
"I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw..."
Pr. 24:32
My thoughts:
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasure."
Pr. 24:3-4
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice..."
Pr. 24:17
"I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw..."
Pr. 24:32
My thoughts:
- Verse 3-4: I like this verse because it makes the word of God your very own fortress and your furnishings are the knowledge you obtain.
- Verse 17: The lesson is pretty much written in stone. Don't gloat! Not only is it annoying, you are also kicking your enemy while they're down.
- Verse 32: Another pretty easy concept. Learn from others, whether it's their achievements or failures there's always wisdom to be gained from others.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Proverbs 23:13-14 "Perfect Sense"
Hi, i'm new to this. i was in quest Stonewall session 7.
Proverbs 23. I think there is some great life lessons in this passage.
Theres one verse that really stuck out to me. Proverbs 23:13-14
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
and save his soul from death.
I have a bible that is translated into contemporary language and this is what it said:
13 Don't be afraid to correct your young ones;
a spanking won't kill them.
from something worse than death.
Its funny how in modern day society there is constant arguments and questioning whether punishments such as spankings are morally incorrect or not, yet here in these verses it is specifically saying that a spanking could save the kid's life and possibly their soul from hell. If more people in the time of questioning would turn to the bible the world would be a more peaceful place. These two verses make perfect sense and thats why they stick out to me. It obviously doesn't mean you have to spank your kid every time he eats a cookie out of the jar without asking. It means discipline him when he does things wrong.
Anyway thanks for reading,
Shane Steiner
Childhood
Think back to a time when you got in trouble for something mischievious that you've done. How did your parents punish you? Some people get whats called a "stern talking to", some get put in "timeout", and others (such as myself) got the good old-fashioned spanking. Whenever I did something to get a spanking I was sure to NEVER do that thing ever again. I remember after getting a spanking running up to my room and hating my parents for doing something like that. Proverbs 22:15 and 23:13-14 say that it was right for our parents to discipline us in these ways.
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
Pr. 22:15
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, be will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death."
Pr. 23:13-14
(Based on these two verses I think we should consider ourselves lucky that our parents use their hands and not the "rod of discipline"!)
It is our parents duties to discipline us for bad behavior. Today your "rod of discipline" might be losing the computer/tv or getting your phone or car taken away for some period of time. Whatever the case may be, the message is still sent that what you did was wrong and if you want to avoid the same situation you will not do it again.
One last thought...
Next time you know you've done wrong and your parents punish you, give them a sincere "thank you". When they seem confused or ask why you would say that just tell them Proverbs 23:13-14!
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
Pr. 22:15
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, be will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death."
Pr. 23:13-14
(Based on these two verses I think we should consider ourselves lucky that our parents use their hands and not the "rod of discipline"!)
It is our parents duties to discipline us for bad behavior. Today your "rod of discipline" might be losing the computer/tv or getting your phone or car taken away for some period of time. Whatever the case may be, the message is still sent that what you did was wrong and if you want to avoid the same situation you will not do it again.
One last thought...
Next time you know you've done wrong and your parents punish you, give them a sincere "thank you". When they seem confused or ask why you would say that just tell them Proverbs 23:13-14!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Proverbs 21-Right vs. Wrong
Okay, so this is my first post, so I'll try my best. (:
Evi~I read your last blog about Proverbs 20, and I totally agree about everything you said. Like how we have to walk the walk and how our actions and our behaviors are SO much more important than our words. Thanks for that!
So about Proverbs 21...
Proverbs 21:2
"All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts." To me, this verse says that in our own eyes we may think that we are doing the right thing and making the right choices, but God is the ultimate decider of that. He is the ultimate judge of right and wrong. We must always live according to His will, not ours, no matter what, and only then will we be making the right choices.
Proverbs 21:8
"The way of the culprit is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is right." This verse just really sticks out to me...I just love the way the Bible says certain things like this. Instead of simply stating, "it is bad to make bad choices and it is good to make good choices," the authors of the Bible have made it SO interesting to read! Gotta love it! (: And yet the message is so clear and understandable, but it's just stated in such a cool way!
Proverbs 21:12
"The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin." Ahhh I love this verse. So basically it's saying that the just man will observe the ways of the wicked and asses the value of the wicked, but ultimately the just man will ALWAYS overcome the wicked man (in the end). At least that's the way I see it! "...with God anything is possible." (Matthew 19:26-my favorite verse) With Him and only Him are we able to overcome the "wicked" and all things evil...we will never be able to do it alone. He must always be a part of our lives. And it seems as if God likes to reward us when we make good decisions in life and when we try to grow closer and closer to Him. This verse is so powerful to me because it gives me the hope that good will overcome evil at the end of time. Just knowing that gives me the strength and courage to keep fighting for my beliefs and doing what I know is right-even if it may not be what everyone else is doing.
Okay, I feel like I can say something about every single one of these verses! I wish I had started blogging earlier...this is so interesting! haha.
Proverbs 21: 13
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." This is another one of my new favorites! This verse reminds me of Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule). How can we expect people to help us when we are in need if we do not help them when they are in need? Treat others how YOU would want to be treated. It seems like that verse has really had an influence on my life lately. Something I've been working on. I've heard about the Golden Rule and have been told to follow it ever since I was little, but it seems like the message is just now (finally) sinking it. It seems so easy to follow this rule, yet it is SO hard when you actually try to apply it to your life. For example,-girls especially who are reading this-(I guess boys too, but not as much)-the next time you are with your friends and they are gossiping about another girl...stop and THINK...how would I feel if I found out that someone was talking bad about me and gossiping about me? Because trust me, I've had my fair share of girls gossiping about me in high school, and it's not pretty. Why would I ever want to put another girl through that same pain that I went through? I hope this isn't sounding too cheesy, and I really do hope y'all will apply this message to your lives!
Proverbs 21:20
"Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it." For some reason, I see "precious treasure" as being temptation in life. You may see it differently, but just look at the way I see it...There are SO many temptations and things we think we absolutely need in our everyday lives. Those temptations and needs are just sitting there, right in front of us, all the time. Evil things just waiting to cause our relationship with Christ to come to a standstill. But good people in this world-people that follow Christ-don't allow these temptations, these seemingly "precious treasures" to hinder their relationship with God. "Fools" and bad people (for lack of a better word...) do allow these treasures and temptations to overcome their discernment between right and wrong and their walk with Christ. Challenge yourself and channel all of your focus and energy on God! Don't allow the bad things in this pretty messed up world to harm your relationship with Him. Stay strong. (: I know I've struggled with that in the past-letting people influence my thinking and almost permanently destroy my relationship with God-and I hope we all never give up hope and ALWAYS walk with the Lord, ignoring those precious treasures.
And I'm sure you are all familiar with the Sky Ranch summer theme two years ago from 2 Corinthians 4:18..."as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal." This is another way to look at Proverbs 21:20. It basically says that we shouldn't focus on the tangible/seen things in life, but rather on the UNSEEN. The most important thing in our life should be our relationship with Christ. Material things should be way down at the bottom of our list or maybe not even on it. Think about it...each day, what do YOU put first in your life? What is your number one? Try to not focus so much on the physical things around you, but focus on all things Christ-like, things that are unseen. You will definitely not be able to bring any of the material things in this world with you into Heaven, so why should they matter here on Earth?!
Proverbs 21:21
"He who pursues justice and kindness will find life and honor." Yay! I'm glad this verse was in here! This proves the point I was making earlier in Proverbs 21:12...how God always seems to reward His true followers, and how good things always seem to happen to me when I'm really close to Him. Some of my best moments in my life so far have happened at times when I'm super close to Christ (like at Sky Ranch, of course!). Here's a great quote someone told me to explain why some of my best moments have been times spent at places like Sky Ranch..."You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments that you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." ~ Henry Drummond. And that spirit of love is CHRIST and only Christ...living our own lives centered around His will and working to share his love and message of salvation with others.
Wow, I love this blog! That was a great way to end my day. (: Hope you all get something out of my post. And thanks everyone for posting; I'm getting SO much out of everyone else's messages, and I hope more people start to join the blog soon.
God bless,
Haley Hoyle
Evi~I read your last blog about Proverbs 20, and I totally agree about everything you said. Like how we have to walk the walk and how our actions and our behaviors are SO much more important than our words. Thanks for that!
So about Proverbs 21...
Proverbs 21:2
"All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts." To me, this verse says that in our own eyes we may think that we are doing the right thing and making the right choices, but God is the ultimate decider of that. He is the ultimate judge of right and wrong. We must always live according to His will, not ours, no matter what, and only then will we be making the right choices.
Proverbs 21:8
"The way of the culprit is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is right." This verse just really sticks out to me...I just love the way the Bible says certain things like this. Instead of simply stating, "it is bad to make bad choices and it is good to make good choices," the authors of the Bible have made it SO interesting to read! Gotta love it! (: And yet the message is so clear and understandable, but it's just stated in such a cool way!
Proverbs 21:12
"The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin." Ahhh I love this verse. So basically it's saying that the just man will observe the ways of the wicked and asses the value of the wicked, but ultimately the just man will ALWAYS overcome the wicked man (in the end). At least that's the way I see it! "...with God anything is possible." (Matthew 19:26-my favorite verse) With Him and only Him are we able to overcome the "wicked" and all things evil...we will never be able to do it alone. He must always be a part of our lives. And it seems as if God likes to reward us when we make good decisions in life and when we try to grow closer and closer to Him. This verse is so powerful to me because it gives me the hope that good will overcome evil at the end of time. Just knowing that gives me the strength and courage to keep fighting for my beliefs and doing what I know is right-even if it may not be what everyone else is doing.
Okay, I feel like I can say something about every single one of these verses! I wish I had started blogging earlier...this is so interesting! haha.
Proverbs 21: 13
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." This is another one of my new favorites! This verse reminds me of Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule). How can we expect people to help us when we are in need if we do not help them when they are in need? Treat others how YOU would want to be treated. It seems like that verse has really had an influence on my life lately. Something I've been working on. I've heard about the Golden Rule and have been told to follow it ever since I was little, but it seems like the message is just now (finally) sinking it. It seems so easy to follow this rule, yet it is SO hard when you actually try to apply it to your life. For example,-girls especially who are reading this-(I guess boys too, but not as much)-the next time you are with your friends and they are gossiping about another girl...stop and THINK...how would I feel if I found out that someone was talking bad about me and gossiping about me? Because trust me, I've had my fair share of girls gossiping about me in high school, and it's not pretty. Why would I ever want to put another girl through that same pain that I went through? I hope this isn't sounding too cheesy, and I really do hope y'all will apply this message to your lives!
Proverbs 21:20
"Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it." For some reason, I see "precious treasure" as being temptation in life. You may see it differently, but just look at the way I see it...There are SO many temptations and things we think we absolutely need in our everyday lives. Those temptations and needs are just sitting there, right in front of us, all the time. Evil things just waiting to cause our relationship with Christ to come to a standstill. But good people in this world-people that follow Christ-don't allow these temptations, these seemingly "precious treasures" to hinder their relationship with God. "Fools" and bad people (for lack of a better word...) do allow these treasures and temptations to overcome their discernment between right and wrong and their walk with Christ. Challenge yourself and channel all of your focus and energy on God! Don't allow the bad things in this pretty messed up world to harm your relationship with Him. Stay strong. (: I know I've struggled with that in the past-letting people influence my thinking and almost permanently destroy my relationship with God-and I hope we all never give up hope and ALWAYS walk with the Lord, ignoring those precious treasures.
And I'm sure you are all familiar with the Sky Ranch summer theme two years ago from 2 Corinthians 4:18..."as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal." This is another way to look at Proverbs 21:20. It basically says that we shouldn't focus on the tangible/seen things in life, but rather on the UNSEEN. The most important thing in our life should be our relationship with Christ. Material things should be way down at the bottom of our list or maybe not even on it. Think about it...each day, what do YOU put first in your life? What is your number one? Try to not focus so much on the physical things around you, but focus on all things Christ-like, things that are unseen. You will definitely not be able to bring any of the material things in this world with you into Heaven, so why should they matter here on Earth?!
Proverbs 21:21
"He who pursues justice and kindness will find life and honor." Yay! I'm glad this verse was in here! This proves the point I was making earlier in Proverbs 21:12...how God always seems to reward His true followers, and how good things always seem to happen to me when I'm really close to Him. Some of my best moments in my life so far have happened at times when I'm super close to Christ (like at Sky Ranch, of course!). Here's a great quote someone told me to explain why some of my best moments have been times spent at places like Sky Ranch..."You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments that you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." ~ Henry Drummond. And that spirit of love is CHRIST and only Christ...living our own lives centered around His will and working to share his love and message of salvation with others.
Wow, I love this blog! That was a great way to end my day. (: Hope you all get something out of my post. And thanks everyone for posting; I'm getting SO much out of everyone else's messages, and I hope more people start to join the blog soon.
God bless,
Haley Hoyle
Planning on Plans
Evi,
Absolutely love reading your blogs. Don't stop, it is encuraging me to keep posting on here. I feel like other people will start posting on here pretty soon.
About your question, I think you were asking about all the passages about our plans and how they are the Lords and that kind of thing. Here are some of the verses in Proverbs about plans:
Absolutely love reading your blogs. Don't stop, it is encuraging me to keep posting on here. I feel like other people will start posting on here pretty soon.
About your question, I think you were asking about all the passages about our plans and how they are the Lords and that kind of thing. Here are some of the verses in Proverbs about plans:
16 The plans of the heart belong to man,but l the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 m All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,but the Lord n weighs the spirit. 3 o Commit your work to the Lord,and your plans will be established.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
The centrality of these verses to me is that God is ultimately in control of what goes on in our lives. But, I also read that he wants us to make plans that are committed to him and he will bless those. In summary, we need to focus our life on the Lord and plan to serve him in everything we do. We will make plans, some will happen, some won't, but ultimately God is in control of what happens.
Let me know if that helps.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Judgement and Discernment
I promise I won't blog too many times a week, but I recently received the ESV Study Bible and really dug into Proverbs 20 today- I learned so much and am so excited to share so I'm going to start into it!!!
Proverbs 20:5 tells that one has to be discerning to really understand a person's true intentions and continues on to the next few verses to say that people's pretenses are often wrong. Meaning, when we first assume something about another person or anything, we're often wrong. This happens a lot for me, especially with first impressions, and I have to remind myself, I don't know any one person's entire background except my own (Almost like in the book, The Secret Life of Bees), so I can't assume or judge them on anything- only God can do and know that.
In Proverbs 20:6, it asks, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" This is questioning who can find an honest man, who can find true goodness? I think the next verse could be interpereted as a sort of answer, "The righteous who walks in his integrity- blessed are his children after him!" This pretty much means that behavior shows who some one truly is. It's probably where the phrase about talking the talk then walking the walk really comes from. It doesn't really matter what you say, because people will believe and can't deny what you do. So to find, or become, an honest man and true goodness, a basic rule of discrenment from Proverbs 21:8 comes in handy, "The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright." Meaning, the crooked do evil and the upright do good.
The next couple verses, Proverbs 20:8-12 and 20:22-25 all seem to have a common theme- judgement. The first set of verses speak of a king's purpose- to seperate good from evil through judgement, and that he needs to recognize his own guilt and sin to be able to judge others. His scales of judgement should be equal, impartial, fair, and balanced, or else any acts of judgement by him are a shame to the Lord. He would most likely possess discernment, and know its basic principle: that a person's actions show his true intentions (mentioned before- Proverbs 21:8), not his words. This rule is used to evaluate children, as said in Proverbs 20:17. However, for God, I don't think he needs that rule since created our eyes and ears- He could probably use it, but He knows how to assess us for good. However He judges us will be final because He knows our true intentions inside and out. Although we, God's people, need to hold back from judging, we should not be unwilling to find balance and discern good and evil in others. The later verses, Proverbs 20:22-25, teach that God is the true judge, not any people- He uses the equalled scales and knows our inmost beings (Psalm 139). Proverbs 20:24 shows how He is the top authority, He directs our steps even if we make our own choices and are responsible for them. In Psalms 37:23, it says that "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;" and in Jerimiah 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." These verses basically back up Proverbs 20:24 in that our lives are Christ's even if we make our own desicions. I think that is so cool, but I can't really understand it- so if any one has an analogy or insight that'd be awesome!
Anyways, that was sort of an awkward way to wrap up but it's all I have left to say :]
Also, if you ever have the chance to read, or purchase a good study bible, I really reccomend it. If I had read this chapter with only my teen study bible, I wouldn't have understood it nearly the way I did with all the cross references and explainations! So I guess that's it- God bless everyone
By the way, some small phrases I didn't know how to explain in my own words of this were copied from the "ESV Study Bible"
Proverbs 20:5 tells that one has to be discerning to really understand a person's true intentions and continues on to the next few verses to say that people's pretenses are often wrong. Meaning, when we first assume something about another person or anything, we're often wrong. This happens a lot for me, especially with first impressions, and I have to remind myself, I don't know any one person's entire background except my own (Almost like in the book, The Secret Life of Bees), so I can't assume or judge them on anything- only God can do and know that.
In Proverbs 20:6, it asks, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" This is questioning who can find an honest man, who can find true goodness? I think the next verse could be interpereted as a sort of answer, "The righteous who walks in his integrity- blessed are his children after him!" This pretty much means that behavior shows who some one truly is. It's probably where the phrase about talking the talk then walking the walk really comes from. It doesn't really matter what you say, because people will believe and can't deny what you do. So to find, or become, an honest man and true goodness, a basic rule of discrenment from Proverbs 21:8 comes in handy, "The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright." Meaning, the crooked do evil and the upright do good.
The next couple verses, Proverbs 20:8-12 and 20:22-25 all seem to have a common theme- judgement. The first set of verses speak of a king's purpose- to seperate good from evil through judgement, and that he needs to recognize his own guilt and sin to be able to judge others. His scales of judgement should be equal, impartial, fair, and balanced, or else any acts of judgement by him are a shame to the Lord. He would most likely possess discernment, and know its basic principle: that a person's actions show his true intentions (mentioned before- Proverbs 21:8), not his words. This rule is used to evaluate children, as said in Proverbs 20:17. However, for God, I don't think he needs that rule since created our eyes and ears- He could probably use it, but He knows how to assess us for good. However He judges us will be final because He knows our true intentions inside and out. Although we, God's people, need to hold back from judging, we should not be unwilling to find balance and discern good and evil in others. The later verses, Proverbs 20:22-25, teach that God is the true judge, not any people- He uses the equalled scales and knows our inmost beings (Psalm 139). Proverbs 20:24 shows how He is the top authority, He directs our steps even if we make our own choices and are responsible for them. In Psalms 37:23, it says that "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;" and in Jerimiah 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." These verses basically back up Proverbs 20:24 in that our lives are Christ's even if we make our own desicions. I think that is so cool, but I can't really understand it- so if any one has an analogy or insight that'd be awesome!
Anyways, that was sort of an awkward way to wrap up but it's all I have left to say :]
Also, if you ever have the chance to read, or purchase a good study bible, I really reccomend it. If I had read this chapter with only my teen study bible, I wouldn't have understood it nearly the way I did with all the cross references and explainations! So I guess that's it- God bless everyone
By the way, some small phrases I didn't know how to explain in my own words of this were copied from the "ESV Study Bible"
Why God, Why?
Every single one of us finds ourselves asking this question to God. Why did you let this happen Lord? Why did you not let me do what I wanted to do? I don't understand why God.
In Proverbs 20:24 it reveals a little bit of light on these kind of circumstances.
24 A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?
The Lord determines our steps because he has a purpose for our life. Our life was meant to bring him glory, that is why he created us. So this means we will go through seasons that we don't understand just like the second part of this verse talks about. There will absolutely be times in our life where we don't get why things are happening, but we have to rememeber GOD IS IN CONTROl. He promises he will never leave us or forsake us. He is our STRONG TOWER. He is working things to bring himself glory and we will be exalted on the behelf of Christ when the season of confusion is over.
So press on in the times of your life where you just don't get it knowing that God's got it under control.
In Proverbs 20:24 it reveals a little bit of light on these kind of circumstances.
24 A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?
The Lord determines our steps because he has a purpose for our life. Our life was meant to bring him glory, that is why he created us. So this means we will go through seasons that we don't understand just like the second part of this verse talks about. There will absolutely be times in our life where we don't get why things are happening, but we have to rememeber GOD IS IN CONTROl. He promises he will never leave us or forsake us. He is our STRONG TOWER. He is working things to bring himself glory and we will be exalted on the behelf of Christ when the season of confusion is over.
So press on in the times of your life where you just don't get it knowing that God's got it under control.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Glorious Goodness
Proverbs... so good... so loaded with glorious goodness.
Proverbs 18:15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
I love reading all of your posts! You guys are aquiring and seeking knowledge right in front of me. My prayer is that you will be so encouraged and blessed by seeking the Lord.
Miss you guys,
Cam
Proverbs 18:15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
I love reading all of your posts! You guys are aquiring and seeking knowledge right in front of me. My prayer is that you will be so encouraged and blessed by seeking the Lord.
Miss you guys,
Cam
proverbs 18
I just want to start off by saying that you all are astounding me. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts below about God's word...it is INCREDIBLE how doing the interactive bible study has equipped you to look deeper into each verse, taking it apart so intricately and pulling out so many beautiful and awe-inspiring connections, thoughts, and meanings...you guys are doing a great job posting, so don't be afraid or timid. Keep it up and keep diving deep into His word.
Evi, I love the paragraph you wrote about the name of the Lord being a strong tower. THINK about that--just His NAME ALONE is a strong tower...not to mention, everything that He IS! He is a strong tower, a refuge of strength, comfort, and love. He is all that is strong...His weakness is stronger than any human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). His WEAKNESS....God's weakness....is stronger than any human strength or man-made strength on earth. That just shows us how strong He is. And the fact that His name alone, just His name, is representative of stronger than anything of this world...that is so big.
I wanted to talk about verse 11, which follows the strong tower verse:
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall.
I was really curious about this verse and so Cam and I looked it up on a website to find out more about what this was saying. Basically what we found was that this proverb is talking about security-- true security and strength in Christ, or finding security in things of this world, like riches, wealth, pride, vanity, etc. I strongly believe that our biggest struggle as humans is security. We try to place our identity and our security in what people think about us, if people like us, if we have a lot of things or material wealth, if we are acknowledged for our talents or deeds, if we have someone tell us we are beautiful or that they love us, security in a person or a friend or a relationship, security in everything other than God. When we place our identity and security in these things, once they fall away from us or are no longer present in our lives, we crumble. The ground beneath us is shaken and we don't know who we are anymore.
This summer has been a huge search for my security in the Lord. I finally realized that this was my biggest struggle. I was placing my identity and my security in people--if a boy liked me, if people thought I was a good dancer or a good Christian, if my campers liked me and thought I was a cool counselor...these types of things, although they aren't inherently sinful themselves, when placed above what God thinks of me--which, He views me as His CHILD, as His beloved, as His daughter, someone who He loves and cherishes and treasures...as He does all of those who believe-- when they are placed above Him and His wonderful thoughts for me, they bring such disappointment. We all are insecure beings. We constantly want people to tell us that we are doing things right, and that we are important and loved. But we just need to know that we are HIS...we are children of the creator of the universe, and He loves us. That is so much bigger and eternal, whereas people and things of this world are temporary.
Brooke Fraser writes in her song C.S. Lewis Song:
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here.
This goes to show that when we desire the Lord above all things...when we desire HIS love and HIS acceptance above riches, above people, above a boyfriend or a girlfriend...that is eternal. We are not made for here...we are made for heaven to be with Him and praise Him for eternity! I pray that all of you, if you are feeling insecure, unworthy, or unloved, to just K N O W that God created you, knows the hairs on your head, has amazing plans for you, and loves you...more than you can imagine. Find your true security in Him alone, and you will never be disappointed.
Evi, I love the paragraph you wrote about the name of the Lord being a strong tower. THINK about that--just His NAME ALONE is a strong tower...not to mention, everything that He IS! He is a strong tower, a refuge of strength, comfort, and love. He is all that is strong...His weakness is stronger than any human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). His WEAKNESS....God's weakness....is stronger than any human strength or man-made strength on earth. That just shows us how strong He is. And the fact that His name alone, just His name, is representative of stronger than anything of this world...that is so big.
I wanted to talk about verse 11, which follows the strong tower verse:
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall.
I was really curious about this verse and so Cam and I looked it up on a website to find out more about what this was saying. Basically what we found was that this proverb is talking about security-- true security and strength in Christ, or finding security in things of this world, like riches, wealth, pride, vanity, etc. I strongly believe that our biggest struggle as humans is security. We try to place our identity and our security in what people think about us, if people like us, if we have a lot of things or material wealth, if we are acknowledged for our talents or deeds, if we have someone tell us we are beautiful or that they love us, security in a person or a friend or a relationship, security in everything other than God. When we place our identity and security in these things, once they fall away from us or are no longer present in our lives, we crumble. The ground beneath us is shaken and we don't know who we are anymore.
This summer has been a huge search for my security in the Lord. I finally realized that this was my biggest struggle. I was placing my identity and my security in people--if a boy liked me, if people thought I was a good dancer or a good Christian, if my campers liked me and thought I was a cool counselor...these types of things, although they aren't inherently sinful themselves, when placed above what God thinks of me--which, He views me as His CHILD, as His beloved, as His daughter, someone who He loves and cherishes and treasures...as He does all of those who believe-- when they are placed above Him and His wonderful thoughts for me, they bring such disappointment. We all are insecure beings. We constantly want people to tell us that we are doing things right, and that we are important and loved. But we just need to know that we are HIS...we are children of the creator of the universe, and He loves us. That is so much bigger and eternal, whereas people and things of this world are temporary.
Brooke Fraser writes in her song C.S. Lewis Song:
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here.
This goes to show that when we desire the Lord above all things...when we desire HIS love and HIS acceptance above riches, above people, above a boyfriend or a girlfriend...that is eternal. We are not made for here...we are made for heaven to be with Him and praise Him for eternity! I pray that all of you, if you are feeling insecure, unworthy, or unloved, to just K N O W that God created you, knows the hairs on your head, has amazing plans for you, and loves you...more than you can imagine. Find your true security in Him alone, and you will never be disappointed.
What We Say
Hi everyone! This is kind of my first post and I may not do it right, but bear with me cause I'm trying! So today is Proverbs: 18. I went through and read the whole thing, then went back and picked apart each verse- but, since my blog would be about 30 pages long if I said everything I learned, I'm going to share the top two verses that stuck out to me and what I learned from them.
Proverbs 18:10- The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
When I read this I thought to myself, Wow, just His name is so powerful- we can just say it and we are safe. I just think that it is so cool how the Lord's name is a strong tower. I wasn't too sure what a strong tower was, so I looked it up all these different places and could only find Christian references to it- that says something in itself! However, I did find that it was a place of protection, a sturdy and, well, strong tower that stood tall- a place where nobody could harm you if you were attacked. So let us run to the Lord and use His name- Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 18: 21- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it eat its fruit.
This is so neat to me because it is so true today, and has been since Proverbs was written about 2900 years ago! It applies in court, (Proverbs 18:17) and daily life. So, to me, this verse means that what you say can glorify life, but it can also bring about death. Whoever is careful about their words, will be rewarded for not using words in a bad way- he will reap what he sows. (Hosea 8:7 and 10:1-4) The power of the tongue can bring others to Jesus Christ, it can bring repentance, and faith. It can comfort those who are hurt, and be a way to express love. (words of affirmation!) We can call out the Lord's name, and be safe. (Proverbs 18:10) This is the power of life the tongue has. However, the power of death is misuse of words; critisism, lying, gossiping, using the Lord's name in vain, cursing, and so on are using the tongue in the wrong way. So to apply this to my life, I will try not to speak in the way of death, but think about what I say before I say it, and use my words to bring others to Christ. I think this is so important because we are the people who can bring others to the Lord! We live in America and go to Christian camp, we can talk about God openly and not be killed. We can read our bibles every day without horrible concequences- so let's take advantage of this and use our freedom! I am so driven to spread His word and can't wait to express how great God is to others, so let's use the power our words have- the power of life!
Okay, well this is the end of my blog- hope it was helpful! :]
Proverbs 18:10- The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
When I read this I thought to myself, Wow, just His name is so powerful- we can just say it and we are safe. I just think that it is so cool how the Lord's name is a strong tower. I wasn't too sure what a strong tower was, so I looked it up all these different places and could only find Christian references to it- that says something in itself! However, I did find that it was a place of protection, a sturdy and, well, strong tower that stood tall- a place where nobody could harm you if you were attacked. So let us run to the Lord and use His name- Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 18: 21- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it eat its fruit.
This is so neat to me because it is so true today, and has been since Proverbs was written about 2900 years ago! It applies in court, (Proverbs 18:17) and daily life. So, to me, this verse means that what you say can glorify life, but it can also bring about death. Whoever is careful about their words, will be rewarded for not using words in a bad way- he will reap what he sows. (Hosea 8:7 and 10:1-4) The power of the tongue can bring others to Jesus Christ, it can bring repentance, and faith. It can comfort those who are hurt, and be a way to express love. (words of affirmation!) We can call out the Lord's name, and be safe. (Proverbs 18:10) This is the power of life the tongue has. However, the power of death is misuse of words; critisism, lying, gossiping, using the Lord's name in vain, cursing, and so on are using the tongue in the wrong way. So to apply this to my life, I will try not to speak in the way of death, but think about what I say before I say it, and use my words to bring others to Christ. I think this is so important because we are the people who can bring others to the Lord! We live in America and go to Christian camp, we can talk about God openly and not be killed. We can read our bibles every day without horrible concequences- so let's take advantage of this and use our freedom! I am so driven to spread His word and can't wait to express how great God is to others, so let's use the power our words have- the power of life!
Okay, well this is the end of my blog- hope it was helpful! :]
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Words
Today's chapter (Proverbs 16) seemed to focus on the importance your words and actions have, whether they be good or bad. There were a lot of scriptures that stood out to me.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
To me this meant that as long as you've put your faith into the Lord you couldn't fail. Even if it seems like you have, he will be there to help you through it.
Proverbs 16:5-6
The Lord detests all the proud of heart, Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.
There it is again "The fear of the Lord" earlier in Proverbs it mentioned this "Fear" 8:3" To fear the Lord is to hate evil" its not an actual fear as much as a way to say a good relationship, and I couldn't agree more. As long as you have established a relationship with the Lord, temptation shouldn't effect you as much. Well to me that’s how I see it.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver.
Again you can cross reference this verse to another earlier in Proverbs ( Proverbs 8:10)
There are two more verses that i thought i could personally relate to.
Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
To me the verse just shows you the power the Lord has. It kind of reminds me of an analogy I learned at Sky Ranch a few years ago. One of my councilors described it as a movie. The Lord is the director; he guides us in the right direction. And we are the actors, our actions make it happen.
Proverbs 16:28
A perverse man stirs up dissension,, and a gossip separates close friends.
This one I can connect to in more than one way. Ryan and I were in a really tight group of friends all throughout middle school and freshmen year of high school. But during sophomore year one of our friends decided to become a “gossip” and our group fell apart.
Well I hope my first post was good enough
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
So i know it's the 15th and i should probly be doing todays chapter but there were a few things in chapter 14 that stuck out to me.
Verse 14:10
"Each heart knows it's own bitterness, and no one else can share it's joy."
i'm not totally sure why but i just really loved reading about how God knows that each of us are our own person and we all feel things differently. It's also kind of neat because i like to think of it as how every person feels when they first accept Christ and how others may think they understand but "each heart" feels it's own excitement and "no one else can share it's joy."
As for chapter 15 the very first verse was interesting to me.
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
This verse really teaches me to be more calm with others. To me it seems like it's always easier to strike out at other people but really everything works out so much better if you think things through before you end up making someone even more upset. This verse definately speaks to me, and it's one that i feel will really help me in the future.
Verse 3 was also kind of cool to me. It said:
"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
This was just a reminder to me that God not only watches out for His followers but also the people that don't believe in him, because He loves us all just the same, whether we love him back or not.
Verse 14:10
"Each heart knows it's own bitterness, and no one else can share it's joy."
i'm not totally sure why but i just really loved reading about how God knows that each of us are our own person and we all feel things differently. It's also kind of neat because i like to think of it as how every person feels when they first accept Christ and how others may think they understand but "each heart" feels it's own excitement and "no one else can share it's joy."
As for chapter 15 the very first verse was interesting to me.
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
This verse really teaches me to be more calm with others. To me it seems like it's always easier to strike out at other people but really everything works out so much better if you think things through before you end up making someone even more upset. This verse definately speaks to me, and it's one that i feel will really help me in the future.
Verse 3 was also kind of cool to me. It said:
"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
This was just a reminder to me that God not only watches out for His followers but also the people that don't believe in him, because He loves us all just the same, whether we love him back or not.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Back Here at Camp
Ryan, I love the connection you made and I am pumed to have some of the questers start posting on this thing. Makes me so happy. It encourages me just to read the things you wrote.
Today in chapter 14 verse 29 stuck out to me:
"A patient man has great understanding , but a quick tempered man displays folly."
Here at camp I have so many opportunites to get upset about people not doing things the way I like them, and a lot of times I get frustrated. This verse reminds me to be understanding when I want to get mad.
Today in chapter 14 verse 29 stuck out to me:
"A patient man has great understanding , but a quick tempered man displays folly."
Here at camp I have so many opportunites to get upset about people not doing things the way I like them, and a lot of times I get frustrated. This verse reminds me to be understanding when I want to get mad.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Making a Connection
Hey everyone! This will be my first post on the blog so I'm a little nervous and I hope everything I say makes sense so here it goes. Today while I was reading chapter 12 of Proverbs one particular verse caught my attention. It was Proverbs 12:18. I remembered from camp talking about how to make connections within the Bible and I thought that I'd give it a shot. There are three verses that I'd like to make known.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
Proverbs 12:18
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17
"Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scpeter." He treads winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."
Revelation 19:15
After reading the chapter today and seeing that verse, the first thing I thought of was discussing the verse from Revelation in small groups. I found the verse from Ephesians because of a Sunday School class from 7th grade. I love how these three verses, written over the course of 700 years all have the same concept and same truth as each other. They all refer to the tongue, the sword, as the word of God and the power behind the wisdom that it contains.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
Proverbs 12:18
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17
"Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scpeter." He treads winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."
Revelation 19:15
After reading the chapter today and seeing that verse, the first thing I thought of was discussing the verse from Revelation in small groups. I found the verse from Ephesians because of a Sunday School class from 7th grade. I love how these three verses, written over the course of 700 years all have the same concept and same truth as each other. They all refer to the tongue, the sword, as the word of God and the power behind the wisdom that it contains.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Prostitute
Chapter 7 is a memorable one for me. The enticing woman who attracts the wayward man with her exported Egyptian comforter, rose pedals, and perfumes. Yikes!
It's cool to me that these kind of temptations were around thousands of years ago. God clearly knows of what we have to deal with as a soceity.
I told ya'll about my choices in the past and so this hit home to me. We have to flee these types of people like the swine flu.
Ways to avoid the temptress:
1) Pray
2) Memorize applicable scripture
3) Have serious accountability with someone
4) Don't walk on the street late at night when you know she will be out there tempting you... in other words, don't put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted and expect you are strong enough to resist it. I know what experience... YOU CAN"T
It's cool to me that these kind of temptations were around thousands of years ago. God clearly knows of what we have to deal with as a soceity.
I told ya'll about my choices in the past and so this hit home to me. We have to flee these types of people like the swine flu.
Ways to avoid the temptress:
1) Pray
2) Memorize applicable scripture
3) Have serious accountability with someone
4) Don't walk on the street late at night when you know she will be out there tempting you... in other words, don't put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted and expect you are strong enough to resist it. I know what experience... YOU CAN"T
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Proverbs 2
The first two chapters of Proverbs are a call to seek wisdom. It is a beautiful intro into this extremely dense book. Wisdom...
Why do we want wisdom? This chapter tells you.
-then you will understand the fear of the Lord (vs. 5) Why do we want the fear of the Lord? If you look at the 1st chapter it states the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. We want knowledge...just fyi.
-then you will understand what is right and just and fair-- every good path. I dont know about you, but sometimes I struggle with knowing what is right and wrong. I can justify stuff to myself all day when in actuality I am very wrong. Wisdom teaches us how to decipher right and wrong in these difficult moments. "every good path" -I want that...it just sounds good.
-it protects you. Physically it can protect you...that is applicable. You may be wondering how it can physically protect you, well: an example. Sex before marriage. If we have wisdom then we will know not to do this. If we do not do this then we will be protected from diseases and emotional damage. (sorry that was not to great of an example but it is all I have off the top of my head.)
-it will save you from the ways of wicked men.
-it goes on and on of all the things it can protect you from.
Good luck everyone. I hope you are having a great, blessed day.
Why do we want wisdom? This chapter tells you.
-then you will understand the fear of the Lord (vs. 5) Why do we want the fear of the Lord? If you look at the 1st chapter it states the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. We want knowledge...just fyi.
-then you will understand what is right and just and fair-- every good path. I dont know about you, but sometimes I struggle with knowing what is right and wrong. I can justify stuff to myself all day when in actuality I am very wrong. Wisdom teaches us how to decipher right and wrong in these difficult moments. "every good path" -I want that...it just sounds good.
-it protects you. Physically it can protect you...that is applicable. You may be wondering how it can physically protect you, well: an example. Sex before marriage. If we have wisdom then we will know not to do this. If we do not do this then we will be protected from diseases and emotional damage. (sorry that was not to great of an example but it is all I have off the top of my head.)
-it will save you from the ways of wicked men.
-it goes on and on of all the things it can protect you from.
Good luck everyone. I hope you are having a great, blessed day.
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