Proverbs

Proverbs 3:25-26

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25Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.                                                                                      26For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

The wisdom we have gained is a good reason that we should not have any sudden fear of things and we need not be afraid of what is going to happen to those who do not accept Christ as their savior. We know because of the promises of God that we are going to be kept safe and we can be confident in knowing this, As for as the wicked they already know what is going to happen to them so they try put that fear in to our minds but because we belong to God we do not have to worry about that.                                                                                        In Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”                                                                                          The only fear permitted to those who trust in the Lord is Godly fear.  You see, trust in the Lord brings confidence, a knowing that all is well.

 

Proverbs

Proverbs 3:21-24

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Proverbs 3:21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
 
As we continue to study wisdom the scripture here reminds us here to stay focused and not forget where our wisdom comes from. It comes from God who not only gives us wisdom but also gives all the grace we need to make each day. if we live as we should and walk in God’s will everyday we can do it confidence knowing we will be safe from harm and not make to many mistakes. There is no fear for the Christian with faith, fear is the opposite of faith. Sleep is sweet for those wise unto salvation. We have gotten forgiveness and are living just as if we had never sinned: justified by Jesus. Sleep is sweet when everything is alright with you and God.
Proverbs

Proverbs 3:19-20

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Proverbs 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
 
We have been studying about ways for us to have wisdom but here we see a different aspect of wisdom. God by His wisdom, the wisdom we desire, hung the earth, moon , stars, and galaxies in place. He create the earth and everything in it. He fashioned the heavens with His understanding. By His knowledge He created land and sea and the clouds to make it rain. Can we ever thank God enough for Him using His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to give us all the things that we need to live, for the wisdom He gives us that helps us to acquire the knowledge and understanding to accomplish the the things we are capable of doing. As we see what God can do with His wisdom we should pray for Him to grant us the wisdom to accomplish greater things each day.
Something to Think About...

I Hate My Carpet!

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The house we live in is where Randy grew up in.  I love living here but because it’s an older house, it has some issues.

For example, the carpet in our bedroom and the living room is in pretty bad shape. It needs replacing, but right now we’re trying to get through the holidays and then we’ll decide if we want new carpet or just go with new tile throughout the house: living room, den, kitchen, hall and our room. (I’m pulling for new tile.) Then we can have throw rugs where we need them.

And I really don’t hate my carpet- I just don’t like it. It’s hard to keep it clean; and some places are worn.  It makes me feel bad when someone comes over because I’m afraid they’re looking at my carpet and wondering why I’m not doing a better job of housecleaning.

But you know what? My friends love me no matter what my carpet looks like…. they want to come see me because of ME, not my carpet. We can talk and pray together, and have cookies and tea together, because we love one another, not because of how my carpet looks, or how old my dining room table is, or how my sofa lets you sink in when you sit down.

Because they love ME…. not my house.

 

Proverbs

Proverbs 3:15-18

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Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
 
Now you ask who “she” is ? This is what the third chapter is talking a lot about. She is referring to wisdom that can not be compared to anything thing else you can have, no matter what you desire it holds no comparison to obtaining wisdom. It goes on tell us that it gives us longer lives and all the riches we desire with honor, which means we did not get what we have by running over people. With wisdom we can have peace just knowing that God will do what He says and we can do all things with a pleasant attitude. Again in 18 it tells us that wisdom gives us life, because it helps us not to make stupid mistakes, and we can live our lives be happy and full of joy knowing what is waiting for those that love the Lord. Even knowing that you gain all this from wisdom none of it is as great as the blessing of wisdom itself.
Proverbs

Proverbs 3:13-14

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Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
 
Again we focus on wisdom and understanding. Wisdom is on of greatest gifts God gives to man because with wisdom we can gain understanding and by gaining both of these we can have anything we want if we use it with God’s guidance. Wisdom is more precious than than silver or gold because you can spend all your gold and silver and wind up with nothing. But wisdom once acquired can not be taken and enables you to gain all the wealth you could ever want. It is important that when we gain the wisdom and understanding that we do not think we are greater than anyone else and remember to continually allow God to guide us. One of the best ways to stay in God’s will is to make sure you attend church as often as you can and make sure it is a church that teaches the truth of God’s word. Beth and I will be attending Gods Speed Biker Church again today but our home church is Luverne First Assembly of God and you will be welcomed and loved at either one if you would like to come.
Proverbs

Proverbs 3:11-12

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Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
 
This is a scripture we should all be familiar with. As babies grow they have to corrected on a regular basis maybe even with a paddling every now and then. As young Christians we need to be corrected some times and it may mean a preacher may apply a paddling with the word of God, which is usually refereed to him stepping on our toes. But eve as we get older in our faith we still need correction from time to time because as long as we on this earth we will make mistakes. Just think about it if God did not love us we would be doing no telling what, but because He does he corrects us when we need it. A problem in our society today is there is a lack correction in a lot homes and so we have more and more children growing up and getting in to trouble. Just like these children who are in trouble today we would be in the same shape if we did not have God correcting us with conviction when we do something wrong. This is one of things we should thank God for every day, that He loves us enough to correct us.
Proverbs

Proverbs 3: 9-10

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Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
 
The lord ask that we honor Him with our giving. Most of the time we think that means money but I think He greatest desire is for us to give Him more of our time. He ask us to give of our first fruits and I think as for as money is concerned he wants our tithes to be from our gross earnings and not the net. With giving Him of our time I think He desires for us to start each day with Him first even before we get out of bed. Verse ten tells us if we do this we will be blessed with more than we will know what to do with. So what are we waiting for? It is the decisions we make that determines what we have.
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Malachi 3:10 tells it all. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
A Note from Hope

Zacchaeus: A Note from Hope

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When Mom and Dad were little and in Sunday School, one of the songs they used to sing is about Zacchaeus.

He was a tax collector who cheated people so most folks didn’t like him; he was also very short. So when he heard that Jesus was coming to his town he wanted to see him. He climbed up in the sycamore tree because he knew the other folks wouldn’t let him stand in front; he sat on a limb so he could see Jesus when he walked under the tree.

But he didn’t know that Jesus was planning to see Zacchaeus too! When Jesus came under the tree, he looked up at Zacchaeus and told him to come down because Jesus was going to eat lunch with him! How cool is that?

Zacchaeus was embarrassed because he knew he’d been unfair to a lot of people. But Jesus showed him so much love that he loved Jesus right back, and decided from then on to behave like he should. He gave the money back to everyone he’d cheated and decided from that day that he would do right.

Here are the words to the song, in case you don’t know them. And here’s a coloring sheet!

Zacchaeus was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in that tree
And He said,
“Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today For I’m going to your house today!”

Proverbs

Proverbs 3:5-8

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5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
 
God is not looking for someone who is well educated or a scholar but for some who has a heart for Him and not depending on what someone knows but someone who will put their total faith in God. In every thing we do God wants us to give Him the glory for our ability to accomplish His task and if we do He will make sure our path clear. God does not want us to be a “know it” all cause it is hard to be a good witness for Him and most people do not like a person like this. If we keep ourselves humble and develop a healthy fear of God, He will help us to steer clear of evil. Verse 8 lets us know that if we live according to God’s will we have good health, it is believed that sin causes some illnesses. Our strength comes from the inner parts or the marrow of our bones. For us to have physical well being we need God deeply seated in our inner being.His word tells us to hide His word in our hearts so we may not sin.