Taking Refuge Means More

Read: Proverbs 30

"Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar." Proverbs 30:9-10

Examine:

Taking refuge in God means more that just running to Him in prayer when trouble strikes, looking to Him to protect what has been gained, or depending on Him to handle what is beyond control. Taking refuge in God means that a person's life is lived in Biblical submission to God.

Apply:

There are a lot of days that I do not feel the presence of God's shield. There has also been many times that a situation has left me feeling like I have been let down by God. As I look back over most of those situations I can see, in the light of this verse, that most of the time I was either living by principals that were not in full submission to God or I was walking in a theology that was twisted by my flesh and greed.

Pray:

You are not an insurance policy nor are You a catalyst for success. You are the Almighty God. The only living God. The Creator of the heavens and the earth. You alone are holy and You alone are worthy of praise, glory, and honor. Nothing that comes from You has ever nor will ever return void.

Many temptations face me everyday and I do not know that I face one more challenging to overcome than the temptation to pursue You for selfish gain. That is an ugly truth about my flesh and I confess it to You today. Many things I hear and see on this earth confuse me and threaten my beliefs about You. It is really hard to block out the noise and hear the truth of Your Word.

Father, I give myself to You today. I pray for a pure pursuit of You that is grounded in true theology about You. Speak loudly in the depths of my heart and set my faith on a firm rock. The sincere truth of my heart is that I want to walk holy before you.

A Faithful Man

Read: Proverbs 19

"A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished." Proverbs 28:20

Examine:

Life is full of choices. Every moment of everyday a person makes decisions that lead down a path. Those choices get gray sometimes and it is hard to stick with what is right. In the end, choices lead to only two destinations; the way of the righteous or the way of the unrighteous. A faithful man does things the right way and finds prosperity in the end. A wicked man lies, cheats, hoards and swindles his way to success but will only find punishment in the end.

Apply:

To be a faithful man I have to value righteousness above all things and walk in it. This is not the same as trying to be righteous so that I can get something out of it. If that is the attitude of my heart then I am not really valuing righteousness, I am using it to find success. My heart has to place the righteousness of God as the top treasure that I seek. Pleasing God has to become my vision, my passion, and my reward.

If I am to be a faithful man I also have to be a hard worker. God is not a God of shortcuts and easy ways out. He values a hard worker and most of the scriptures speak to the fact that what I get out of life will come through the labor of my hands and the sweat of my brow. A faithful man loves the work more than he loves the reward.

A faithful man is also a gracious man. I have to live my life understanding that whatever God gives to me He desires for me to share with those who can not pay me back. This is not just talking about money. Whether their need be something social, emotional, practical, spiritual, or financial; I should live all of my days looking for opportunities to share whatever I have to offer with those who are without.

Finally, a faithful man speaks the truth. Sometimes speaking truth is easy. There are other times it is hard. Sometimes speaking the truth is to my advantage. There are other times it costs me something. Regardless of the cost, my life needs to carry the reputation of a man who has a heart of compassion, but will tell a person the absolute truth. Flattering evil men, spinning truth, avoiding confrontation or turning a blind eye are never traits becoming to a faithful man.

Pray:

My heart is deep and complex. The longer I live the more I come to realize that I will never fully understand its contents, motives, or secrets. You alone have the ability to examine it and reveal to me the truth about its contents. That is what I ask of You today. Above anything in life I want to be a man who is faithful to You. I ask that You move and stir in my life to such a degree that Your heart becomes my heart. Lead me to be a man who is faithful in every area of his life.

The Whisperer in Me

Read: Proverbs 26

“For lack of wood a fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fires, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.” Proverbs 26:21

Examine:

A feud between two people is fueled by words. The more one talks about the matter the more the flames of the fight are fanned and the intensity of the battle grows. Shut your mouth, close your ears, and you will extinguish the even the hottest of fires.

Apply:

My general stance in life is to never spread third party information and always point a griping person back to the person they are angry with. I am generally pretty consistent in this and life has taught me that this is a strategy that serves me well when I do it and burns my tail when I violate it.

As I read these verses this morning my attention has been grabbed by the line that says, “Where there is no whisperer contention quiets down.” The enemy plants seeds in my flesh that ripen as whispers of thought in my mind. I am bad about hanging on to a matter and visualizing it in my mind. I picture the object of my anger and I say things to them in my mind as a form of rehearsing for the moment that I may actually get to speak to them in person.

This is a foolish path. It keeps me on edge and opens my mind to continually dwell on hurtful thoughts. I am never able to let a matter die because the whisperer inside of me is working double time in his efforts to through coals on the fire. If I learn to shut down the voice of the whisperer then I can learn to calm the fire raging inside of me.

Pray:

I have a temper that frightens me. I live in constant awareness of it and I honestly fear the things I can say and the things I can do when I lose control of it. Most of the things I regret in life I owe to decisions I made when I was angry. I realize this morning that I am fueling this anger with the thoughts I choose to let loose in my mind.

Father, I am powerless over my thoughts. They happen so quickly it is impossible to control them. The issue of the things I think goes much deeper than my mind; it is a matter of the heart. You alone have the keys to my heart and You alone are able to guide me in changing this defect in me. I have allowed the whispers inside of me to run free for far too long. I submit to You this morning and ask that You train me to be a man of peace and strengthen me to let go of my foolish ways.

Grabbing Hold of the Present

Read: Proverbs 24

“If you say, ‘See we did not know this,’ does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12

Examine:

There are no excuses in life when it comes to following after God. Ignorance is not a plea nor does it provide a way out. God knows the convictions He Himself has placed in the hearts of men. He knows the thoughts that have been considered and the choices that have been made. In the end, every person will give an account for the full will of God that was revealed in their heart.

Apply:

Reading a verse like this evokes a stirring deep inside of me. There are three responses I sense from this verse. The first is I need to relax. The Word says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. My life is in Him. There is nothing I can do to bring condemnation on myself. The day I surrendered I became irrevocably reconciled to God. Regardless of my mistakes I am good. I can’t earn my salvation and I can’t lose it. My peace is in what Christ did; period.

I also need to be contrite. Forgiveness of sin does not abdicate my need to be broken by my mistakes. I need to morn over my failures. I need to acknowledge them and fully experience the pain and weight of them. God loves and heals a contrite heart. He resists a heart that is proud. Owning a mistake and learning from it is a great way to honor the sacrifice of Christ and it is the only way to move forward in becoming more like Christ.

Above all things, this verse is a call to live in the present and be intentional. God is at work. He is opening doors before me and presenting wisdom to me daily. He is directing my steps and every breath I breathe offers an opportunity to advance His cause and deepen my blessings. I need to live every moment of my life with a joyful anticipation of what might be just around the corner. God is active. He is at work. He is constantly planting wisdom in my heart. It is up to me to grab it, understand it, and put it to work in my life.

Pray:

I do not want my life to be about me. I do not want to make choices that are based on the perceived impact they will have on my comfort zone. I want my life to be broken and given away to help people discover their purpose and find resolution to the problems they face. I want to see those who are being repressed find deliverance and those who are tormented by a passion find a way to succeed in it. Father help me join You in bringing to life the wisdom and convictions You have placed in the hearts of other men and women. I ask You for the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding I need to succeed in the call You have on my heart.

Avoiding Traps

Read: Proverbs 23

"And put a knife to your throat if you are a man of great appetite." Proverbs 23:2

Examine:

This verse paints a pretty extreme picture for just how serious a man should take using moderation as a principle to guide his life.

Apply:

This verse applies not just to the things I eat. I must also guard the things that I think, say and desire. Traps are powerless without bait. The more I am controlled by my appetites the more susceptible I am to traps and failures.

Pray:

Father, nothing in my life scares me more than the pervasive nature of the things my flesh desires. I am clearly a man of great appetite in many ways and I realize just how vulnerable to failure that makes me. I ask that You create inside of me a desire to place a knife to the throat of the things I hunger for that do no lead me to You. Help me to guard my body by practicing moderation in eating and exercise. Empower me to take captive every thought and only meditate on things that are clean and wholesome. Bridle my tongue and teach me to weigh every word I speak. Overtake my desires and redirect them to seeking a deeper connection of life with You.

Regardless of what I may feel; Father I know that nothing in my heart, mind, or soul can bring satisfaction other than You. The honest confession of my mouth and cry of my heart is to be holy before You and grounded in the plans that You have for me. I want nothing other than to take up my cross and follow after You. The riches and pleasures of life are a pail comparison to the glory and joy that I have found in You. You are my greatest treasure and I pray, in fact I beg, that You become the greatest appetite in my life.

Guardrails for My Plans

Read: Proverbs 21

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty." Proverbs 21:6

Examine:

Slowing down and putting a plan in place is truly the wise way to go. There is simply no way to read the Bible and not see that God honors wise plans and hard work. But the plans of man come with three guard rails: 1) God cares more about the heart of a man than He cares about the plans of a man. 2) Man prepares his plan, but in the end it is God who directs the outcome. 3) Any plan that does not account for helping the poor is a short-sighted plan.

Apply:

A large part of my life is spent planning for things. I look at chaos and God has gifted me with the ability to harness the potential of a messy situation and get it moving in the right direction. I love to bring a plan together and see it put into action. As much as I love to plan and no matter how good I get at doing it, I need to remember these three guard rails. God looks past what is on paper and He sees the truth in my heart. If my heart is not pure, then the fruit of the plan will be tainted. He will slow the process down and allow time for my heart to get aligned with his.

It does not matter how hard I plan or how well I craft the plan, I have to understand that the results are still in God's hands. Instead of becoming frustrated or allowing panic to come crashing in when things go awry, I have to remember that it is God's hand directing the outcome. I need to learn to slow down, look to Him, and trust that He is in control.

In the end, God does not put His stamp of approval or His provision of empowerment on any self-centered plan. If my plans do not contain heart-felt sacrifices for the poor then God will not sustain the plan. Plans designed only for the pleasure of the planner are short-sighted and ill-fated.

Pray:

The frustrations of life are the places that I most clearly see the shape and content of my heart. I am grateful today that You look past the plans I create and see the true intentions of my heart. Over the past 10 years I have watched You frustrate my plans and wreck many of my dreams. During that process, I have experienced seasons of anger, confusion, and frustration. I have cried out to You and griped against You as the pain of dying dreams shattered my heart.

Looking back, I realize the messiness that was my heart. If you had blessed my plans, my life would have imploded. I don't have any doubt that the success I sought ten years ago would have cost me my wife and my family. The plans I had would have only led to my disaster. I look at the man I am today and compare him to the man I was then. Thank You for Your patience and faithfulness. I would not trade my life today for anything I dreamt of in the past.

I still have a long way to go. There is much in my life that disgusts me and I know that there are still secret places in my heart that You desire to redeem. I cherish the journey and value Your work above all else in my life. I submit to You today every plan, every desire, and every dream and ask that You crush them and replace them with a deeper hunger to see You have more of me.

The Integrity I Want

Read: Proverbs 20

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity - how blessed are his sons after him." Proverbs 20:7

Examine:

Integrity is defined as sticking with good moral values. In reading this passage there are many elements of righteous integrity listed. Most of them can be placed into four categories: 1) Be a person who helps another succeed. 2) Be a person who stands loyal to others. 3) Be a person who walks away from strife but also speaks the truth when the time is right. 4) Be a person who stays away from things that anger God.

Apply:

My choices reveal the contents of my integrity. Words and intentions matter not. In the end it is what I decide to do that proves my moral values. I should evaluate my choices carefully. If they are in alignment with the four things listed above then I can be assured that I have done all I can do to live a life that is honoring to God.

Pray:

Father, when I look at what You have spoken to me this morning I see the legacy that I desire. More than riches, I hope to leave this world knowing that I helped other people succeed in their journey, that other people know me to be a man of loyalty, that I avoided strife while speaking the truth, and above all that I hated the things that break Your heart.

Move me today past intentions and ground me in wise choices. Let my integrity be brought into action and lead me as I pursue the purposes You have laid before me today. Fill every desire and longing of my heart so that I may have something to give to others in my life.

Life in the Fast Lane

Read: Proverbs 19

"Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge. And he who hurries his footsteps errs." Proverbs 19:2

Examine:

Today's world puts a high value on speed. Everything is instant. The risk is that anything in life worth while takes time. This is especially the case with God's wisdom. God's wisdom is not only concerned with the plans of the man; He is after the heart of the man.

Apply:

Slow down. Listen. Wait. Learn. Those are the words that I keep hearing from God. I want to get to where I am going and He is trying to help me realize that power, joy and life are found in the journey. Knowledge takes time. Hurry creates error. I work quick and move fast. That is part of the way God wired me, but my enthusiasm is no good without knowledge.

Pray:

I fear being idle. I think that is the struggle that I am having right now. Waiting on You to speak direction means that I must sit tight and hold back. I have historically proven myself to be fully capable of committing catastrophically stupid acts during seasons of waiting.

This forced feeling of being held back is good for me. I ask that You help me look deep into parts of my heart that are not healed but are normally disarmed by my forward movement. As the tension inside of me rises, I ask that You give me great insight as to the work You are doing in my heart, mind and soul.

Father, I ask that You forgive me for my "I want what I want and I want it now" attitude. Who am I to demand anything from You? Who am I to remind You of how long something is taking? You are God and I am not. I confess to You this morning the anger and frustration I have allowed into my heart and submit to Your grace and mercy as You continue Your refining work in my soul.

Refining My Heart

Read:

"The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3

Examine:

Hearts of men are like gold and silver, but it is like gold and silver processed from ore. Gold found in ore has a great deal of dross mixed with it, and must be separated from it by the process of refining. During refining, the gold is melted down and materials are added to separate the pure gold from the impure metals. The furnace is not intended to hurt of the gold, but for its advantage. The heat and the process make it pure and usable.

Apply:

There is a lot about life I do not understand. The questions that I have are never ceasing and the more I learn the more I find I do not know. The mysteries of God are beyond what I can comprehend. In fact, these mysteries often close in around me and create inside of me seeds of doubt that weaken my faith and frustrate my feelings towards God. This is especially the case when it comes to the refining of my heart.

My heart contains gold and silver, but it also contains impurities. I see the impurities. I sense them. There are days when I am repulsed by the things think, the words I say, the temptations I fight, or the actions I take. The fire of trials is intense. There is nothing about the process that is easy. I know this. As much as I hate the impurities, I still resist the process of refining.

One of the most difficult forms of refining God uses on me is to lead me to a place of restlessness, tell me to wait on Him, and then go silent. It feels a lot like a parent leaving a child and telling him to not move until I come back. As God's presence disappears, I begin to wonder and the questions start. Where He has gone? Is He coming back? How long has it been because it feels like this is taking forever? We really need to get moving because I am afraid we might run out of time? Should I go and try to find Him or should I continue to just sit and wait? These questions seem so simple but add in the pressures of life and these moments of sit and wait feel like Chinese water torture.

Pray:

Father, the past few weeks have been excruciatingly slow for me. I would prefer that You just tell my heart what to be and get this over with in a instant as opposed to time it takes to refine me. I have been doubting Your timing and Your ability to lead me. My fear is that I am not good enough or smart enough to hear Your voice. I think that there is also this quiet fear hidden in the back of my heart that maybe You will not do what You say You will do.

I submit to Your work in and Your timing for my life. Actually, it is not my life; it is Yours. It is not my future; it is Yours. It is not my mission in life; it is Your purpose for this life. I am not mine anymore. Take this heart You have redeemed and refine it to be what You desire it to be.

I know that nothing in my life is designed to hurt me, but my flesh refuses to lose ground without a fight. I ask that You teach me to find joyful rest in this process. Replace my frustration with invigorating challenge. Remove my doubt and replace it with eager anticipation. Take my griping and fill my soul with anencouraging shout.

Nervously Twitching

Read: Proverbs 14

"In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." Proverbs 14:26-27

Examine:

Fear stands for true godliness. It is a short way of expressing real faith, hope, love, and holiness of living. There are four traits that will always be visible in the life of one who fears the LORD:

1. He has a child-like awe of God which arises out of admiration.

2. He strives to be in respectful submission and yielded to God.

3. He fully understands the futility of his wisdom and greatness of God's.

4. He dreads everything which might cause God displeasure.

Apply:

Strong confidence and a fountain of life sound good to me about right now. At the end of the day, these are the two primal needs in my life. I want to feel confidently secure and experience satisfaction. Work, relationships, hobbies, and faith are all in some way tangible pursuits of confidence and fulfillment. It is easy to take a verse like this and look only at the fruit of it (confidence and life) and lose sight of the cause of it (fear of the LORD). The primary pursuit of my life should be a deeper level of awe, submission, understanding, and purity in my relationship with God.

Pray:

Um, I really don't know what to say. I am staring at those four things listed above and I am starting to nervously twitch in my seat a little bit as I assess the attitude of my heart towards You. I can't honestly say those traits are visible and tangible characteristics of my life. I confess that to You this morning.

I do not fear You as I should and I can see the results of that in my life. My confidence is easily shaken and my fuel for life is often not enough for the day. I have often prayed to You regarding the things that rattle my cage and take my energy but I have seldom pleaded with You to increase my fear of You. That is to my shame and a testimony to Your great grace.

Take my heart and realign it today. Deepen my fear of You in a way that clearly establishes Your presence in my heart, soul, and mind. Push me deeper into my desire to be in joyful submission to You and help me find a connection with You that re-establishes my awe, wonder, and respect for You. I pray that You be a tangible force of life change inside of me today.

Avoiding Anxiety

Read: Proverbs 12

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad." Proverbs 12:25

Examine:

I see three good words in this passage that can help a man avoid anxiety: 1) Actively discipline yourself to seek wise counsel. 2) Control your response to anger. 3) Measure what you say when you share knowledge.

Apply:

Seeking wise counsel requires humility. I have to be secure enough in myself that I am able to allow the knowledge of others to shape my ideas, plans, and thoughts. If there are not people in my life who are offering a challenge to my thinking then I have to know that I am opening myself up to poor choices that lead to anxious thoughts.

Responding to angry people requires restraint. In the heat of the moment it is easy to snap back. In the aftermath of an attack it is easy to stew on evil thoughts about the person. In conversations with friends it is so tempting to share the experience in a way that tears down the other person. While these may be easy and natural responses to a unjust attack, they are also open invitations to anxiety.

Sharing knowledge is an art. Nobody likes a know-it-all, but it is also cruel to withhold truth when it is clear that I have something to contribute to someone who is making a mistake, preparing to act on a poor choice, or longing to find the best direction. Withholding knowledge or being arrogant in giving advice destroy security and pave the way for anxious thoughts.

Pray:

Father, my heart is pure this morning but I have know way of knowing how it will respond as my plans for the day are met with the realities of life. Keep me humble today. I want to stay in a posture of submission before You. You alone can lead me to quiet places and green pastures.

Help me to speak kind words of direction and encouragement. Bridle my tongue from responding to unwarranted attacks. As I seek Your will and direction today I pray that You put in my path today wise men to counsel me.

What the Righteous Can Desire

Read: Proverbs 10

"What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted." Proverbs 10:24

Examine:

This is an absolutely amazing Proverb. There are so many truths to learn and apply. The topics vary but there is a constant contrast between the life of the righteous and the life of the unrighteous. Regardless of what happens I the short run, the life of the righteous will always prevail in the end.

Apply:

The desire of the righteous will be granted. This is not a blank check promise to have anything that I want. To understand this verse I need to keep in perspective the things the righteous can desire with full expectation that it will be granted. First, I can desire to grow deeper in my faith and hope. These desires will be granted. God promises that if I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me. If I abandon myself and put myself in a position that I am pure of heart and in complete dependency on Him I will find Him. I just have to hold on until it arrives.

Second, I can desire the favor and blessing of God for my role in God's mission. God blesses a man on His mission. He does this for a couple of reasons. One, He wants the world to see that He is real and He is good. Any blessing in my life is designed to do this. Two, He knows that I have to have some reward to sustain me. No man can continually work for nothing. He will provide what I need to stay engaged in the fight. Third, He blesses so that I can be a blessing to others. God never intends for the righteous to horde what is given.

Finally, I can desire eternal joy. This is a desire I do not dwell on enough. Life on this earth is merely a season of eternity. For all that live on earth will die. All who die on earth will awaken to the balance of their eternity. For those who die outside of Christ as their Savior and Lord; the balance of their eternity is separation from God in hell. For those who die in Christ; the balance of their eternity is perfected joy in a perfected world, in the presence of a perfect God. I am in Christ. My eternity will be my reward. There should be a joy in that that gives me personal peace, but there should also be enough joy in that desire that it should compel me to lead others to find salvation.

Pray:

Father it is really easy to forget that this is a messed up world. We are not living according to Your original design. When sin entered the world through Adam; evil tainted humanity. Evil men lurk and cause untold amounts of pain, create massive levels of fear, and consume countless souls as they pursue their desires and seek to assuage their fears. Many innocent men, women, and children suffer at the hands of evil men trying to obtain his desires or run from his fears. There are times that I watch this take place and quite honestly I get confused. I am grateful to You for reminding me that Your word makes it clear that though there may be a season when evil men seem to prosper, in the end they will fall hard.

Father I ask that You fuel the three righteous desires You have placed back at the front of my mind. Deepen my thirst to grow in my faith and hope in You. Pour out Your blessings and favor on my life as You make clear the mission You have for my days on earth. Awaken joy deep in my soul for the eternal goodness that awaits those who have accepted Your adoption through the sacrifice of Christ.

The Labor of Wisdom

Read: Proverbs 9

"Forsake your folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9: 6

Examine:

This chapter contains two invitations; one from wisdom and one from folly. They both are equally offered from the high places of the city and they are both extended to all who pass by.

Apply:

If I am going to accept wisdom's invitation and live my life with her, it will require three main labors. First, I have to accept correction. One of the defining traits of a wise man which separates him from a foolish man is his openness to rebuke and willingness to accept correction or advice. My perception of myself has to be interrupted by the truth of who I really am if I am to grow in my wisdom. I have to forsake myself and be humble enough to allow people to help me grow.

Another labor of wisdom is adding to my understanding and knowledge. Adding to knowledge and understanding requires work and necessitates sacrifice. I must never settle to stay where I am. I have to read things that challenge me, surround myself with people who are ahead of me, slow down enough to make sense out of what is taking place around me, and press myself towards things that are bigger than me.

The final labor in accepting wisdom is to enjoy life. Truly enjoying life is a labor. It requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice on the front end so that I can enjoy better fruit on the back end. Disciplining my kids is hard, but having kids that respect your words is a better joy in life. Walking after Christ is hard, but living a holy life is a better life. Serving my wife as Christ served the church is hard, but having a healthy marriage is a better life. Seeking pure pleasure is not the pathway to a happy life. It is only the labor of wisdom that enables me to truly enjoy my life.

Pray:

Father, the work of wisdom is hard, but the result of foolish choices ends in torment. Keep me on the path today. Help me to swallow my pride and accept correction. Open my mind to increase in knowledge and strengthen my hands to stay engaged in fruitful labor. Sustain me as I deny the immediate gratification offered by foolish choices and provide me with the patience I need to wait on the lasting joy offered my wise choices.

Pleasure is not the Treasure

Read: Proverbs 7

"My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 7: 1-3

Examine:

Proverbs 7:1-2

The pupil, the center of the eye, is the most sensitive and carefully guarded of the human body's exposed organs. Most everything that enters the mind enters through the eyes first. Guard the eye well and you will guard your purity well.

Apply:

When I read this verse I am reminded that God is a god of pleasure. He created everything and He deeply desires that I experience pleasure. I am also reminded that chasing after pleasure as one chases after treasure is a fast lane to destruction. Throughout my entire life I have found the consistent pathway to failure has always been me seeking after something pleasurable to fill a hole inside of me. In those moments pleasure becomes the apple of my eye and I am lead around by my appetites which never ends well for me.

Pray:

Father, I want to make Your wisdom and understanding the apple of my eye. I want Your commands written on the back of my hands and I desire Your will to be the only driving force of my heart. I confess to You that Your wisdom and understanding are the only treasure in my life worth pursuing. I pray that You hear this desire of my heart, find it grounded in truth, and grant it to be given to me.

How to Destroy a Life

Read: Proverbs 6

"Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing." Proverbs 6:15

Examine:

In this chapter Solomon lays choices that once made will lead to a destroyed life.

Apply:

In this Proverb I see how I could destroy my life with three simple choices. First, I could make quick decisions in saying yes to people. Saying yes is so easy. The pressure of the moment seems to create momentum towards saying yes and before I know what happens I have bought a house, purchased something to expensive, agreed to complete a task, partnered in a venture, or agreed to something that will ultimately weigh me down and suck the life out of me. The words of my mouth must be guarded. This is especially true regarding the things to which I say yes.

Second, I could choose to hate work and seek to do as little as possible. There is no easy button. God gives one day a week for rest and He expects hard work the other six. Laziness and idleness are the gateway to sin and destruction. Regardless of how I feel I have to wake up each day, point my heart towards my mission, and get after it with all that I have. To loath the labor in life is to invite destruction to visit my life.

Finally, I could choose to elevate my appetites and desires over the integrity I have in relationships with others. That is the picture painted by most of this Proverb. God hates a man who takes what is not his, who betrays the trust of another, or who lives a life of deceit. Desires and appetites create opportunities for temptation to elevate to a level that makes compromises seem easy. I must never compromise my integrity for a desire; regardless of how harmless it may seem.

Pray:

I want to live a life of quiet peace, hard work, and deep relationships. The choices I make in my life will ultimately determine the experience I have. Lead me today to be cautious in giving my word, to find joy in hard labor, and to honor integrity over desire.

Metaphor of Marriage

Read: Proverbs 5

"For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down to death." Proverbs 5: 3-5

Examine:

In this chapter Solomon is reminding his son to remember that he will be tempted with adultery. He was encouraging him to understand that given the right situation adultery could seem sweeter than anything imaginable. The wisdom the son obtained before the temptation would determine his ability to withstand the sweetness of this temptation.

Apply:

I realize that I will always be susceptible to moral failure in my marriage. This is a fact of which I am well aware and a vulnerability that is under constant guard in my life. As I read this verse my mind is taken to another application for my life today; my marriage to Christ.

God uses the metaphor of marriage to refer to my relationship with Him. Throughout the Old and New Testaments there are many places where God refers to His relationship with me or the Church using marital terms. Building on that metaphor it is easy to picture sin as adultery against God. Temptation can be likened to the adulteress whose lips drip honey. There will be many things in my life that seem to offer relief or pleasure but if they are not of God then they will only lead to death.

Pray:

Father, I am not sure how to do get to where You are leading me, but reading this chapter and thinking of it in context of my relationship with You brings a few things to my mind. First, I realize that I need to draw more of my joy from You. Following You will always require labor, sacrifice, and denial; but Your Word is full of reminders that it should be the joy and pleasure of my relationship with You that fills the void created when I deny an earthly pleasure. I have a tendency to look at the labor side of my relationship with You more than the joy it is designed to provide.

I also realize that I walk to close to temptation. Verse eight of this chapter warns that I should not even go near the door of sin. I fear that I often try and determine how close I can get to sin without failing instead of seeking to be as far from it as possible. I put myself at risk and set myself up for failure when I make this choice. I ask that my love for You drive me far away from the pathway of sin.

Finally, I realize how desperate I am for You to guide me with Your wisdom. Left to myself I will walk away. Outside of Your manifest presence in my life I am incapable of resisting the self-centered and self-destructive force of my ego, pride, and desires. I submit myself to You today and pray that my life will be marked by the purity of my relationship with You.

The "If's" Before the "Then's"

Read: Proverbs 3

"For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek for her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2: 3-5

Examine:

Effort must be expended for one to become wise. Eight verbs are used in the first four verses of Proverbs. All these verbs are preceded by the word if. The objects of these verbs are the teacher's words and commands. The "if's" come before the "then's."

Apply:

Getting wisdom involves openness and retention. It demands hearing with the ear and applying with the heart. It necessitates requests and diligent searching. Wisdom, insight and understanding requires faithful labor and a passionate pursuit.

Pray:

I pray and wait all of about five minutes before I get frustrated with having to wait for an answer. I want Your wisdom, but I struggle with remembering the labor part of it. Finding Your love is a labor and a process and I often forget that.

I pray this morning that the eyes of my heart would be enlightened so that I may understand the great riches of Your love, understanding, and wisdom. I pray that my hunger for Your wisdom would be greater than my hunger for money, success, or food.

Father, I continue to struggle with the place You have me. The road ahead of me requires wisdom beyond my experience, faith that is greater than my capacity, and resources that far exceed my capacity. I sit at Your feet this morning and acknowledge my dependency on You to make a way before me.