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Showing posts from October, 2011

Wisdomfied part 8-Good Versus Evil

Prepare your heart-Read Psalm 4, paying careful attention to the word righteousness and any other synonyms of the word.   Pray about where your faith is in regard to trusting in the Lord for your righteousness (4:1,5). Good and evil, also called righteousness and wickedness is not a popular concept in American culture.   Our society likes to see shades of gray and justify their actions.   They are afraid of being viewed as intolerant to judge something as “right or wrong.”   Where does your sense of morality lie?   Is it based on the ever changing, fickle, self-seeking and superficial views of others who don’t consider their eternity?   Or on word of truth that is timeless, whose source is the all-knowing, beyond time God who created it all?   Today as you study, how God views the wicked and the righteous in His sight, and take note of the blessings and consequences each role brings.   Proverbs: ·    ...

Wisdomfied part 7- Discipline

Prepare Your Heart: Read Hebrews 12:5-11.   Journal of a time that the Lord disciplined you.   What was the result?   What things were added to your faith that couldn’t have been without the loving correction of the Lord? Discipline is a constant factor in my life.   As a classroom teacher of first graders, my primary job is to develop this trait in the students in my classroom.   Many of them don’t come from homes where self-control is a habit that is shaped in them.   I am also a mother and try to select with care the consequences that will change my children’s character.   Because I love them, I look ahead to the moments in life that they will have to make tough choices and pray that my influence will help them choose the narrow path.   As an athlete, physical discipline is a constant as I run and play soccer regularly.   There are always moments that I need to press on despite when I feel like giving up.   There is much...

Wisdomfied part 6- Advice

  Prepare Your Heart:   Read Ephesians 4:14-15.   Reflect on where you turn to for advice.   Is it God’s word?   A Christian friend?   A talk show?   Articles in the latest women’s magazine? Ask God to show you the places in your life He wants you to turn to for wisdom and that using today’s study would mold you to share truth with others. About a year ago, one of my best friends came to me with difficult words.   She had noticed some inconsistencies between my faith and how I was living.   My faults dwelt with works of the tongue; she noticed when I seemed insecure I would brag or exaggerate to make myself look better.   When people were around that I didn’t trust, I might make remarks that had a slight edge to them.   This was devastating to me; I felt terrible that I was living that way and that others could see that.   In listening to Matt Chandler’s podcast on gospel community, he defined   these sinfu...

Devotional: Small

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death.   And God heard the prayers because of His deep reverence for God.     Hebrews 5:7 NLT                 Last week in Proverbs we studied the fear of God.   When I read this verse this morning I had to share it as a devotional and follow up to last week’s thoughts.   The Greek word in verse 7 for deep reverence is eusebeia meaning godliness, holiness, piety, a reverence out of respect.   It’s the combination of the two together that creates the correct posture of the heart.   The necessary view of God that is willing to trust, submit, and move forward.   I can admire someone, but not put them above me in life.   I can recognize the authority of someone over me, but concede begrudgingly to their power.   When the two st...