Day 6: The List.

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 6 followed by Psalm chapters 26-30. Before you start reading, (as always), ask God to prepare your heart to receive his truth for you today!

-Read Scriptures-

As followers of Christ, we should always be aiming to become more like Jesus. Our character should always be molding into a more Christ-like character. But sometimes I got frustrated. I mean, why didn't God just give us a list? Wouldn't that make it so much easier?!

Then I came across the "Seven things God hates" list. The following literally came to me as in the comics when a light bulb turns on over one's head. If these 7 things are the things he hates more than anything, then surely the opposite characteristics are the things he loves most! Really profound right?! Lol. Well, it makes perfect sense to me. :)

So here is the list according to the TNIV:

"There are 6 things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness that pours out lies, and a person who stirs up dissension in the community." Proverbs 6: 16-19 

(In case you were wondering, haughty eyes means seeing yourself as superior, being arrogant. I had to look that one up, not ashamed to say. :)

So using that list, I wrote my own "Things God loves" list and started praying to become these things every day. I have been praying this list over myself, my kids, and my husband for over a year! I figure that if I can use this list of characteristics as my guideline, then I will constantly be moving in the direction of becoming more Christ-like (no matter how slow). Now here is what I came up with. (Keep in mind, this is a list I wrote based on what I read, so take it for what it's worth, grain of salt and what not!)

Here are the 6 things God loves, 7 that are honorable to him (according to Steen):

Undivided heart: 100% focused on You, not on this world. (More on this concept later :)
Clear mind: to remember and recall Your truths.
Peaceful attitude: to bring people together, not to separate.
Compassionate eyes: eyes that are quick to embrace, not judge.
Selfless mouth: quick to listen, slow to speak, and speaking only truth.
Productive hands: accomplishing Your work.
Steady feet: following You, never to wander or stumble.

(When I pray it, I work from the head down. Start with the heart, mind, attitude, eyes, mouth, hands, then feet!)

I have found that you can run almost ANYTHING that comes your way through this filter/grid and know how to respond in a more Christ-like manner. Since I have begun praying for these specific traits, I've felt myself change. It's getting a bit easier to make right choices. I still struggle with several of them, (especially the selfless mouth). But slowly, God is molding me to become the person I am asking him to make me.

A prayer I want us to offer up and meditate on today:

"Examine me, GOD, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out so I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat." Psalm 26:2-3 The Message

My challenge for you: Pray this list over yourself and your loved ones every day for the rest of the month and just see what happens!

Day 5: No matter the stormy sea.

Before we start reading today, ask God to reveal something new about himself to you. We will be reading Proverbs chapter 5 and Psalm chapters 21-25.

-Read Scripture-

A couple of days ago, we talked about why God rebukes, disciplines, and corrects us. Yesterday we looked at our innate desire to rebel against authority and that the only TRUE freedom is found under God's authority.  Today we are going to look at the collateral damage of rebellion, and that no matter what dark place you find yourself in, it's never too late to cry out to God for help.

It's very hard when you watch someone you love rebel. Being the oldest of 3 other siblings and having worked with my husband in student ministry for over 7 years, I have much experience with this. You see the path they are on and the danger ahead, but it is not until they are swimming in their consequences that they call out or want help. Of course, this is applicable for us and the people around us. People see us heading down a road, and we don't want help until the inevitable rock bottom. It's hard to watch. So imagine our heavenly father, having to watch us swim out too deep, knowing at any moment, we could be overcome with irrevocable consequences.

"Mark well that GOD doesn't miss a move you make; he's aware of every step you take. The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark." Proverbs 5:22-23 The Message

This is why God steps in to course correct, he understands the consequences before we do. This is why we should be grateful when he steps in, because he is most likely saving us from certain drowning.  The biggest, most important thing to get out of today is that it is NEVER too late to call to God. You are never out of his reach, no matter how low you are.

I love King David. He was a shepherd, a King, an adulterer, a murderer, but he was a man after God's own heart. David had experienced almost every high and every low imaginable. In every peak, he praised God, and in every valley, he cried out to him for salvation & rescue. Even after his affair and murder cover-up, God restored David due to his genuine humility and cry of repentance.

Psalm chapter 23 is some of the most famous and recalled scripture of all time. "Yea, through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me..." Psalm 23:4 NKJ But I want to share with you another version of that passage. Sometimes, when you've heard something your whole life said the same way, you don't really HEAR it anymore. It just bounces through your head and doesn't stick. (At least that is what happens to me.) And I truly want these verses to stick!

"Even in the unending shadows of death's darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because you are with me in those dark moments, near with your protection and guidance, I am comforted." Psalm 23:4 The Voice.

Jesus forgave the thief on the cross dying next to him. We have already established David's rap sheet. It's never too late to ask God for help. He's never out of reach. The power of Christ can light any dark place, he can rescue you from any stormy sea or any dark valley you may find yourself.

Abba,
Thank you for caring about us enough to never leave us. Thank you for your patience with us. Thank you for your redemption. I pray that we accept your tough love in our lives as what it truly is: grace. That you see what we can't, you see the consequences that lay ahead. That we trust you to lead us. Thank you that no matter how far we wander, no matter how dark a place we may find ourselves, you are able and willing to rescue us and set us at your table. That is immeasurable love. Thank you for lifting us up so that we can stand tall and look you straight in the eye. We love you and desire to honor you with our lives today.
Amen

Day 4: The cost of Freedom

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 4 and Psalm chapters 16-20. Before beginning, ask God to open your eyes and ears to the scriptures we are reading today, ask him to give you fresh perpective and application from his word.

-Read Scriptures-

On the heals of yesterday's study, we are continuing today with our nature to rebel and the importance of fighting that human urge. Our parents teach us everything from how to tie our shoes, to our moral foundation. They have the responsibility to put us on the right path, the path of wisdom. Why is it in our nature to rebel against them?

Proverbs chapter 4 approaches us as a parent would approach their hard-headed child, with wisdom and a warning. I personally feel that every teenager should be required to read and memorize chapter 4 when they turn 13! I think if kids (and adults alike), took these scriptures to heart, it would be instrumental in avoiding much regret and heartache.

Just like our parents do their best to, God actually gives us the opportunity for the most amazing life full of joy and contentment. an inheritance beyond anything we can fathom.

"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. " Psalm 16:5-6  (TNIV)

The problem is that it requires submission to receive this inheritance, and submission is NOT popular in our society. Adolescents and adults alike rebel against God's authority under the banners of progressivism, liberalism, science, and freedom. (All of these things are good, but many use them as reasons NOT to submit to God's authority.) The truth is, the ONLY freedom that is actually FREE is that given by God. The world's freedom costs; it costs money, morals, and lives. True freedom, freedom from all confines of this world, comes from submitting and living under God's authority.

Freedom to live out our inheritance. Freedom to live free of worry and fear; pain and oppression, unattainable standards and measures of success. Freedom to know that when we fail, we are NOT a failure. Freedom from this world's definition of us.

I will do whatever it takes to obtain THAT freedom, THAT inheritance. Especially if all it takes is starting each an every day with my face on the floor in submission to my God and his desire for me.

What about you? Do you crave that freedom? Do you already have it and need to help others around you to find it? Ask God what he has in mind for you today...

Day 3: The Dark Side

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 3 and Psalm chapters 11-15. Before reading, clear your mind of all distractions and allow yourself to truly focus on what you are reading. Giving God all of our attention is the best gift we can give. :)

 -Read Scriptures-

No one likes to be disciplined or corrected. We like to be right, and don't like it when we are proved wrong. Why is this? We like to think ourselves capable, independent, and able to provide for ourselves and those around us. We want to make it on our own, proving to those around us that we can succeed in this life.

It is counter-intuitive, but the bible tells us to, "Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions." Proverbs 3:5 (The Voice) And let me tell you the truth, from my own experience, God's ideas and plans are far superior to ours. They are more grand, more creative, and have more impact than we can even comprehend.

Relying on ourselves can be, not only ineffective, but dangerous. When you ignore God and trust only in yourself, then you begin to give yourselves the credit when something works or is successful. You feel you've earned it. You feel entitled, and entitlement can lead to a very dangerous path. It can lead to an abundance of pride, anger, bitterness, hate, and greed. You earned that promotion but didn't get it. Anger and pride. The person who got it didn't deserve it. Bitterness and resentment which eventually turns to hate. You get the picture. Even Hollywood gets this right, remember Star Wars and the path to the dark side, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering..."

When you forget that it is God that provides, it's a slippery slope to a dark place. People don't become foolish or wicked overnight, it is a gradual hardening of one's heart. What do you do if you find yourself in this dark place?

"My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Proverbs 3:11-12 (TNIV) 

God loves you enough to intervene when you are heading down a dark road. Don't resent it or fight it. If you saw a child heading toward the street, you'd run after them and scold them for running towards danger. Yes you scolded them, but you did it to teach them the importance and gravity of the situation. God is constantly saving us from the multitude of worldly dangers.

Sometimes God's discipline and correction is simply Him shielding us from hurt or pain. We don't always see the future results of our decisions, (no matter how seemingly insignificant), but he always does. And many times, he steps in to prevent trouble. Don't look at His rebuke or discipline as a failure or punishment. In reality, he could be saving you from suffering, or course correcting you to somewhere better!

I want to leave you to meditate on one of my absolute favorite verses, "God's business is putting things right, he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye." Psalm 11:7 (The Message)

Today, and anytime in the future you find yourself in a dark place, I want you to picture God coming down, picking you up off the floor and standing you in front of him, so you're looking him in the eye. Face to face. No shame, just an overwhelming sense that he loves and is proud of you. Picture and meditate on this for a few minutes, and the weight of it's meaning.

Day 2: Learning to listen.

Before we start, ask God to open your ears and heart to hear and receive anything he may have for you today. Then go ahead and read Proverbs chapter 2 and Psalm chapters 6-10.

-Read Scripture-

Today we are going to talk about the biggest, life changing thing that has happened to me. (Regarding my relationship with God.) And that has been training myself to hear and respond to God's voice. Over the past 5 years or so, I would hear him speak to me, but it was sporadically. It wasn't until about a year and a half ago that I started hearing him regularly. 

And it wasn't because he wasn't speaking, it was just that I wasn't listening. 

"If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her, and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you, If you cry out to her for insight and beg for understanding, If you sift through the clamor of everything around you to seek her like some precious prize, to search for her like buried treasure; Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal, and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God." Proverbs 2:2-5 The Voice

Attune your ears, sift through the clamor. I love these verses, they gave me the instruction I needed.  Like much of the world today, I suffer from some form of ADD. I would pray, say in the car, then I would find myself mentally preparing my grocery list...or I would be reading the bible, then out of nowhere be thinking about the movie I watched the night before. 

It wasn't until I started journaling where everything changed for me. I started journaling on my trip to Thailand in January of 2011 and never stopped. I journal and read every single morning. It has gotten to where my whole day feels out of sorts if I don't! Each morning, I start out journaling about what is going on in my life, family, friends, upcoming events or vacations. I tell him the funny story that happened the day before (this has also done wonders for my memory!) I ask him for help with problems I can't solve, etc.

Then I read some scripture, then I close by praying. I journal ALL of my prayers. It allowed me to focus and an amazing thing happened. As I'd journal, I would hear God answer or respond to me! So I started writing his responses down in capitol letters so I wouldn't confuse myself. Now, I'm able to go back and reread what he has said to me.

It's incredible to be able to go back a year and read the things God prepared me for and how they all came true. I get to see how God saw the whole picture way before I could!  Now I do hear God other times, but when I "attune my ears, engage my mind, cry out to him, and beg for understanding...when I sift through the clamor," THAT is when I hear him best.

People have asked me how I know it's him, or what does it sound like. Now this is just my personal experience and I'm wanting to share it with you so that you will not be afraid to share your story with others. It's not a booming voice of God, he speaks through the Holy Spirit inside me. So it kind of sounds like me talking to myself, but I always know when it is him. There are two ways I know. 

1. It's always something that I would NEVER say to myself. 

2. It almost always moves me emotionally. 

Whenever the Holy Spirit speaks to me or prods me, it is very overwhelming. It is almost as though I feel warm inside and on the verge of tears. It is, my absolute favorite feeling. 

My challenge for you today, and the rest of this month, is to journal some of your prayers. Put your phone in another room, (mine has buzzed 3 times in preparing this study, talk about clamor!), sit it in a quiet place, and ask God to show up. Then wait. Don't think about anything else. (I've found the easiest way for my ADD mind to do this, is to visualize a picture of God I have in my mind and rest there.) Praise him, thank him.

And if he speaks, write down what he says. It may not make any sense to you at that moment, but I'm willing to bet that if you go back and read it later this month, it will. There is NO confirmation of faith like going back and reading God's personal words to you, especially when you've seen them play out! I promise. 

Abba, may we open ourselves up to you. Let us forget about the world around us and ignore the clamor for just a moment. Let us be open to hear what you have for us and the truth about how you feel about us. We rely on you. Let us simply rest in your presence today.

Amen

Day 1: The beginning.

We are beginning this study by reading Proverbs chapter 1, then Psalm chapters 1-5. Before you read, pray that God will reveal his truths and heart to you. Sincerely enter this reading with an open heart and mind, being ready for God to start changing you!

 -Read Proverbs & Psalms-

What is the point of reading the bible? What is the point of this study for you? Is it to obtain wisdom? Discipline? Or is it simply to learn more about our creator? No matter your answer, “Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one true God, is the first step towards knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7, the Voice). Honestly, I believe that is the first step towards anything; knowledge, peace, joy, or discipline. The question is, what are you searching for? Try starting with worshiping your heavenly father, your Abba. Worship has an incredible way of setting up our hearts and minds to receive truths God has for us. Take a minute and WORSHIP him! Take a moment and write down some praise towards heaven.

Which brings us to step 2. “Instead you thrill to God’s word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.” (Psalms 1:2-3, the MSG). I love the visual picture of “chewing”. It matters what we eat, what we ingest. It is important to “chew” on good things! Focusing on ingesting God’s word is one of the most essential things we can do. You know the saying, “Good things in…” Think about it this way, for every minute we spend in the scriptures, that is one more minute we have invested in eternity. Good news, you’ve already spent almost an hour investing in eternity today! Think about ways you can chew/meditate on what you’ve read later today.

God uses his word to teach us, correct us, and sometimes rebuke our behavior or attitude. The great news is, if you “Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” (Proverbs 1:23, NKJ). This is my personal favorite. If you humble yourself and bow before your Father, study the scriptures with an open heart and learn from your Master, Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will make his will known to you. Now, if you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit (I like to call him “Friend”, re: John 14:16-17 MSG version) resides in you and works in and through you. BUT, if you want to experience God in a tangible, real way, and want to be able to recognize his voice, you have to be willing to make him priority. Not just a part of our lives, but THE priority. He speaks to us, gives us words when we need them, stops us from dangerous situations, and sends us encouragement through friends and family. He will make His words known to us, and make no mistake, he has words for you! And it is my prayer that over the next month, together we will learn to recognize his voice through the Holy Spirit, because it WILL change our lives! I know, it has already begun to change mine.

My personal prayer for us today:

Abba, give us an attitude of praise today. Let us see you and worship you in everything we encounter. Help us "chew" and meditate on the scriptures we read today. Make them fill every crevice in our minds and hearts. Help us recognize the Holy Spirit and respond to his prodding. Reveal yourself to us today and show up tangibly. You are always there, just open our eyes to recognize you. We love and honor you.
Amen

31 days: A Psalm and Proverbs Study

In April of this year, I decided that I wanted to intimately study Proverbs and the Psalms. I took it one step further and decided to write a study where the participant will read both books in one month. I always tell people, that if you want to get good or familiar with something, the best thing to do is teach someone else. The accountability is unmatched! :)

So for the past 5 months, I have read and re-read the Psalms and Proverbs in multiple (4) versions. I've taken a TON of notes, and formulated them together to form this Study. It's not so much a study as it is a facilitator for the daily discipline of reading the bible.

Each day, starting September 1, I will post a blog for that day's study. The last post will be on October 1, 31 days later. The format is simple. Read the scripture, then read my blog about what I pulled from the reading that day or what I felt God wanted me to share. Then at the end I simply pose a question for you to ponder or meditate on.  Feel free to share this blog with anyone you think will be interested in reading it. 

One of my greatest passions, (as you will see in the study) is the importance of spending time with God everyday. Even if you don't read the scriptures, prayer and meditation with our father, Abba, is essential. It has revolutionized my life and I will never be the same. It's been a year and a half since I have learned this incredible lesson, and I don't think I could ever go back. It was like God woke me up from sleeping and once I saw what it was like to be awake, I never want to go back to sleep!

If you decide to do this study, I do not want you to treat it like homework. There is no accountability or deadlines. This is not an obligation to me, God, or anyone. I want you to look at it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, your Father, and your relationship with him. Look at it as an offering of love and of your time to your creator.  

I promise, if you go into this with an open heart, these 31 days just might change your life. I know that preparing for it and writing it changed mine.