I love this passage of Proverbs. The words in these opening chapters encourage the search and inclination towards wisdom and describes it as a process that doesn’t end. Solomon writes that we are to call aloud for wisdom and then once it is obtained to seek guidance. It reminds me of the process of our growth in Christ. We can never get to the bottom of what the Lord is doing in our lives and hearts, and this is how we are to lean into His transforming work—we slow down the hurry of our lives and listen to Wisdom as it calls aloud over the chaos of this world. Love that picture of wisdom.
It’s so cool to read how peter and John pray for boldness in sharing the word of god, and we see how they are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. I love reading about moments like that
I noted the contrast between the evildoers having their ill gotten gains in common and the apostles having everything as if it were (or literally) in common.
do not give in to temptation and do not succumb to the pressures of the world. believe in God our father, and trust in Him. for the righteous will be safe with Him but the wicked will face their consequences.
Never noticed before that Barnabas who went on missionary journeys with Paul was once a field owner. May we also consider all of our present riches and privileges to be as rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ, and may we steward them wisely.
I loved reading both Proverbs 1 and 2 today–you can see a great contrast between the one who goes astray, enticed by sinners, and the one who [actively] pursues wisdom. It is active, not passive. Look at the verbs from 2:1-4:
-accept
-store up
-turn your ear
-apply your heart
-call out
-cry aloud
-look for it
-search for it
Then here is what God does for those who walk uprightly:
-gives wisdom
-speaks knowledge & understanding
-holds victory in store
-shields
-guards
-protects
What changes in me:
-I’ll understand righteousness, justice, & integrity
-wisdom will enter my mind
-knowledge will delight my heart
-discretion will watch over me
-understanding will guard me & rescue me from evil
There’s much more–so thankful God’s Word is living and active! May we all be active pursuers of His wisdom & understanding.
It’s wonderful to be loved and encouraged by a God who wants us to be fueled by wisdom and knowledge, to grow in our faith and maturity. I loved reading about how they stepped out in faith and so bravely challenged their opposers to stop them from spreading God’s word and how God had their backs. Jesus’ death must have been so heart wrenching for them to witness as his friends and followers, so it must have been such a comfort to see miracles still happening in his name and his mission still alive through them and the rest of his followers.
Today I was thinking about miracles. Wondering why we don’t see the great healing and big amazing miracles. I went to the internets (lol) and it seems that many believe the miracles and great healings were done to authenticate the people performing the miracles in that time. If we have faith based on miracles it’s a shallow faith. We need to believe in the one big miracle that was performed on the cross. He conquered death. That’s the big miracle in our time. I believe he still heals and he still performs miracles but the biggest miracle is that he would save us who were still sinners. Praise God.
I love the sense of community and union as the disciples gather together to bring the needs of the apostles. It points to the fact that sometimes it is so necessary to pull together in sacrificial and such love-filled ways to carry forth the work of the Kingdom; they knew the needs of the apostles must be met to carry out their work so they sold their possessions and gave of their own money to pay their salary; so many of us think this isn’t Biblical but here it is; community and love pulling together to provide for the needs of the elders and those in need of maintaining the vision and the mantle placed upon them by The Lord for the advancement of the kingdom.
Well said! This past week at church we discussed doing things to move God’s kingdom forward and self-righteousness. If we are doing things to feel better about ourselves, it does nothing for GOd’s kingdom as it is self-serving! We must always genuinely put the needs of others before us!
1:24-26 “Because I have called & you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand & no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel & would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you”.
I woke up from a nightmare right before I read this. Jesus came to take me to Hell, and I woke up with my heart ready to lunge out of my throat. I’m so glad God gave me fear and led me to read this.
Cora, let me encourage you that whatever that dream was, it was likely not from God. This is why I say that:
2 Timothy 1:17 says:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
So, while we should always pay attention to dreams like that and ask God if they are from Him (and if they are, what is he telling us?) we should also pay close attention to what He has already said. God will never contradict himself. The “fear” of God mentioned in Proverbs is more accurately defined as a respect, not a phobia. It’s knowing who God is and being so awe-struck by Him, not being literally afraid of Him. God loves us!!! He doesn’t want us to cower in His presence.
So, while I believe that He set these words in motion for you to read them, I don’t believe he sent you a nightmare as a wake up call (no pun intended.) I hope this isn’t sounding judgmental.
Jesus wants you to come to him because you WANT to, not because you’re afraid of what will happen if you don’t.
Like I said, I hope none of this sounded judgmental. I am not God and I don’t claim to know how he works in other people’s lives. I just wanted to share with you what I do know, in hopes of it being encouraging :)
Acts 4:29-37 I love how they had just been threatened, but instead of backing down, they prayed to God for even more miracles and more boldness which caused them to become even more filled with the Holy Spirit and they became close as one family
That’s exactly what I was just doing, and I second that. I hope everyone was able to come a little close to God by reading His word and seeing what everone else was thinking.
Prov 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Have you ever been part of a Bible study where someone makes the comment, “God is just too mysterious.” Or “Guess I’ll never understand til I’m in heaven.” I think there are some things of God that ARE too big for us to grasp, but we are told to seek wisdom, gain understanding, and find the knowledge of God! Wow! He wants us to know and understand His ways! Encouraged by that today :)
I too find encouragement in this as well. I grew up in church, but the older I got the less I attended until recently. There are so many things I don’t understand and confuse me, and I pray daily for God to help me better understand His word.
God encourages scholarship and deep thinking. There’s an element that thinks faith alone means that we must not seek to understand the mysteries of God or unravel the paradoxes of Scripture because they are ‘too great’ for us. And indeed, Gods thoughts will always Ben higher than my own! But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t plumb the depths of Hos Word to gain more understanding. Understanding and knowledge of God feed and grow faith.
Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying,the words of the wise and their riddles.
“The one who understands obtain guidance” a good reminder that the Word is His and though we may understand the value of it we need His guidance to properly communicate and share our understanding of His words. To God be all the glory.
I like the analogy, seek wisdom like silver or treasure–or seek wisdom like money. I can see that as seeking wisdom through prayer and obedience to God in the same way one works a job to earn that paycheck.
Do the hard work to become a person of integrity, and the benefit? God will give you His wisdom and understanding, and he himself will be your shield and guard your ways.
Yes! I love that analogy. It is hard work to have a relationship with God and to listen him, but what you get in return is beyond that of silver and treasure. It is a much needed reminder as I’ve struggled with ups and downs with my relationship with God but He manages to guard, protect and remind me that it is worth all of the hard work
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Which Bible version is this?
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7he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Day 3 done.
I love this passage of Proverbs. The words in these opening chapters encourage the search and inclination towards wisdom and describes it as a process that doesn’t end. Solomon writes that we are to call aloud for wisdom and then once it is obtained to seek guidance. It reminds me of the process of our growth in Christ. We can never get to the bottom of what the Lord is doing in our lives and hearts, and this is how we are to lean into His transforming work—we slow down the hurry of our lives and listen to Wisdom as it calls aloud over the chaos of this world. Love that picture of wisdom.
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7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
It’s so cool to read how peter and John pray for boldness in sharing the word of god, and we see how they are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. I love reading about moments like that
I noted the contrast between the evildoers having their ill gotten gains in common and the apostles having everything as if it were (or literally) in common.
Pray for wisdom and understanding
Love how I get a reminder every day of his words.
do not give in to temptation and do not succumb to the pressures of the world. believe in God our father, and trust in Him. for the righteous will be safe with Him but the wicked will face their consequences.
Great reflection! ♥️
33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” -ellie
33And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Never noticed before that Barnabas who went on missionary journeys with Paul was once a field owner. May we also consider all of our present riches and privileges to be as rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ, and may we steward them wisely.
The value of wisdom.. to seek wisdom is to seek God.
33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
This is a good reminder for me not to put my hope in the world, but to remember that my place is with Him
Amen!! Love the sharing of wealth so everyone has some security
I loved reading both Proverbs 1 and 2 today–you can see a great contrast between the one who goes astray, enticed by sinners, and the one who [actively] pursues wisdom. It is active, not passive. Look at the verbs from 2:1-4:
-accept
-store up
-turn your ear
-apply your heart
-call out
-cry aloud
-look for it
-search for it
Then here is what God does for those who walk uprightly:
-gives wisdom
-speaks knowledge & understanding
-holds victory in store
-shields
-guards
-protects
What changes in me:
-I’ll understand righteousness, justice, & integrity
-wisdom will enter my mind
-knowledge will delight my heart
-discretion will watch over me
-understanding will guard me & rescue me from evil
There’s much more–so thankful God’s Word is living and active! May we all be active pursuers of His wisdom & understanding.
What a great description SarahMay! Can you do this for each reading? ;)
I do it for many but was unsure anyone was interested. I’ll try to keep it up :) Just one study method I use beyond just reading the text.
I really enjoyed your note as well!
This is amazing, SarahMay! I agree with Andrea ^^ want to do this for each reading? ;)
❤️
It’s wonderful to be loved and encouraged by a God who wants us to be fueled by wisdom and knowledge, to grow in our faith and maturity. I loved reading about how they stepped out in faith and so bravely challenged their opposers to stop them from spreading God’s word and how God had their backs. Jesus’ death must have been so heart wrenching for them to witness as his friends and followers, so it must have been such a comfort to see miracles still happening in his name and his mission still alive through them and the rest of his followers.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Wouldn’t that be great if that were true today!?
Today I was thinking about miracles. Wondering why we don’t see the great healing and big amazing miracles. I went to the internets (lol) and it seems that many believe the miracles and great healings were done to authenticate the people performing the miracles in that time. If we have faith based on miracles it’s a shallow faith. We need to believe in the one big miracle that was performed on the cross. He conquered death. That’s the big miracle in our time. I believe he still heals and he still performs miracles but the biggest miracle is that he would save us who were still sinners. Praise God.
I love the sense of community and union as the disciples gather together to bring the needs of the apostles. It points to the fact that sometimes it is so necessary to pull together in sacrificial and such love-filled ways to carry forth the work of the Kingdom; they knew the needs of the apostles must be met to carry out their work so they sold their possessions and gave of their own money to pay their salary; so many of us think this isn’t Biblical but here it is; community and love pulling together to provide for the needs of the elders and those in need of maintaining the vision and the mantle placed upon them by The Lord for the advancement of the kingdom.
Well said! This past week at church we discussed doing things to move God’s kingdom forward and self-righteousness. If we are doing things to feel better about ourselves, it does nothing for GOd’s kingdom as it is self-serving! We must always genuinely put the needs of others before us!
1:24-26 “Because I have called & you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand & no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel & would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you”.
I woke up from a nightmare right before I read this. Jesus came to take me to Hell, and I woke up with my heart ready to lunge out of my throat. I’m so glad God gave me fear and led me to read this.
Cora, let me encourage you that whatever that dream was, it was likely not from God. This is why I say that:
2 Timothy 1:17 says:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
So, while we should always pay attention to dreams like that and ask God if they are from Him (and if they are, what is he telling us?) we should also pay close attention to what He has already said. God will never contradict himself. The “fear” of God mentioned in Proverbs is more accurately defined as a respect, not a phobia. It’s knowing who God is and being so awe-struck by Him, not being literally afraid of Him. God loves us!!! He doesn’t want us to cower in His presence.
So, while I believe that He set these words in motion for you to read them, I don’t believe he sent you a nightmare as a wake up call (no pun intended.) I hope this isn’t sounding judgmental.
Jesus wants you to come to him because you WANT to, not because you’re afraid of what will happen if you don’t.
Like I said, I hope none of this sounded judgmental. I am not God and I don’t claim to know how he works in other people’s lives. I just wanted to share with you what I do know, in hopes of it being encouraging :)
Acts 4:29-37 I love how they had just been threatened, but instead of backing down, they prayed to God for even more miracles and more boldness which caused them to become even more filled with the Holy Spirit and they became close as one family
It is such a blessing to be able to read what everyone else gets from each reading. That in itself is new knowledge. Thank you ladies!
That’s exactly what I was just doing, and I second that. I hope everyone was able to come a little close to God by reading His word and seeing what everone else was thinking.
Prov 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Have you ever been part of a Bible study where someone makes the comment, “God is just too mysterious.” Or “Guess I’ll never understand til I’m in heaven.” I think there are some things of God that ARE too big for us to grasp, but we are told to seek wisdom, gain understanding, and find the knowledge of God! Wow! He wants us to know and understand His ways! Encouraged by that today :)
I too find encouragement in this as well. I grew up in church, but the older I got the less I attended until recently. There are so many things I don’t understand and confuse me, and I pray daily for God to help me better understand His word.
God encourages scholarship and deep thinking. There’s an element that thinks faith alone means that we must not seek to understand the mysteries of God or unravel the paradoxes of Scripture because they are ‘too great’ for us. And indeed, Gods thoughts will always Ben higher than my own! But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t plumb the depths of Hos Word to gain more understanding. Understanding and knowledge of God feed and grow faith.
Truth! God gave us brains for a reason :) He wants us to follow him heart, MIND, and soul!
Love everything you ladies have shared here. Great encouragement and I agree wholeheartedly!
Proverbs 1:3 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.
Thanks for pulling this verse out! Encouraging for me today as I go into a job interview!
good luck Nicole!
Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying,the words of the wise and their riddles.
“The one who understands obtain guidance” a good reminder that the Word is His and though we may understand the value of it we need His guidance to properly communicate and share our understanding of His words. To God be all the glory.
The part that speaks to me the most is proverbs 2:1-10 …. A very eye opening passage
Same.
I like the analogy, seek wisdom like silver or treasure–or seek wisdom like money. I can see that as seeking wisdom through prayer and obedience to God in the same way one works a job to earn that paycheck.
Do the hard work to become a person of integrity, and the benefit? God will give you His wisdom and understanding, and he himself will be your shield and guard your ways.
Yes! I love that analogy. It is hard work to have a relationship with God and to listen him, but what you get in return is beyond that of silver and treasure. It is a much needed reminder as I’ve struggled with ups and downs with my relationship with God but He manages to guard, protect and remind me that it is worth all of the hard work