Open Them, Shut Them

Devotional for 10.3.11

Happy October, dear sisters in Jesus! I hope you’re all well. What’s the last thing that you ate today? If it was your foot, then this devotional may resonate with you. May all the words of our mouths . . . be pleasing in His sight and to His ears. Seeking to guard my mouth with you!

Let’s turn to Proverbs chapter 13 together so we can get wisdom that goes beyond the gold!

OPEN THEM, SHUT THEM

He (She) who guards his (her) lips guards his (her) life, but he (she) who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 13:3

Open them, shut them. Open them, shut them.

Give a little clap.

Open them, shut them. Open them, shut them.

Lay them in your lap.

This fun hands-on song for children is applicable to our lips. There is a time to open our mouths and a time to shut them. To get the timing right, we must guard the gate of our lips with God’s wisdom!

The wise open their lips . . .

• To speak what is right, true, good, and honest (Proverbs 8:6, 12:19, 12:14, 24:26).
• To nourish other people’s souls with hope and healing (Proverbs 10:21, 12:18).
• To share knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (Proverbs 15:7).
• To speak what is pleasant, beautiful, and kind (Proverbs 16:24)
• To say what is fitting and appropriate (Proverbs 10:32)

With many of us having to admit that we’re rarely at a loss for words, can it be said of you and me that we only open our lips to speak what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29)? Do our words give life and preserve life? Is the motive behind our words to uplift and extend grace?

If not, we need to shut our lips! Wise women stop talking when they’re tempted to fault-find, grumble, complain, gossip, lie, exaggerate, and criticize. If these words reflect our patterns of speech around the dinner table, at lunch break, via email, or even during prayer request times within our small groups, we need to get to the root of the matter and it’s not our lips – it’s our heart!

What we say reflects the condition of our heart. Jesus said, For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man (woman) brings good things out of the good stored up in him (her), and the evil man (woman) brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him (her) (Matthew 12:34-35). When the Holy Spirit controls our words and the motives behind them, wise and edifying words will be sure to follow.

Be wise and make David’s prayer your own. Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3).

Wisdom Step: Not sure if you should open your lips or shut them? Lay your words in His lap – surrendering the motives of the heart to Him.  

The words we say not only have shelf life, but have the ability to shape life. Choose well.

Bob Goff

Healthy Roots

Devotional for 9.26.11

Good morning, dear sisters in Jesus! How are you? I pray well. The hymn, How Firm a Foundation, was running through my mind as I read Proverbs 12. Read along, sing along, and celebrate that though all hell should endeavor to shake, He will never, no never, no never forsake! We cannot be uprooted when our souls are anchored to Jesus and His excellent Word!

Let’s turn to Proverbs chapter 12 together so we can get wisdom that goes beyond the gold!

HEALTHY ROOTS

A man (woman) cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

Proverbs 12:3

The health of a tree is dependent on its root system. Healthy roots equate healthy trees. Diseased and severely injured roots often result in the tree needing to be removed.

The church is God’s field (1 Corinthians 3:9) and the health of the church is dependent on its root system. As Jesus sows the seed of His Word into the hearts of people, the enemy is at work attacking the roots. The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown. Life gets hard; persecution comes; hearts are uprooted. Worry and anxiety trigger disease within the root system. The deceitfulness of wealth injures the roots and makes it unfruitful (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-22).

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man (woman) who hears the word and understands it. He (She) produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (Matthew 13:23). When the seed is rooted in the firm foundation of God’s excellent Word, the righteous cannot be uprooted (Proverbs 12:3b)! Their house will stand firm (Proverbs 12:7b) and their roots will flourish (Proverbs 12:12b).

How strong is your root system? How healthy is mine? Things may look good from the topsoil up – faithful in church attendance, active in GEMS and other ministries, quick to volunteer and to tell people that we’ll pray for them, but what about our roots? Just because things currently look good above ground, doesn’t mean all is healthy and well underneath.

The vital function of a tree’s root system is to anchor the portion of the tree above ground and to absorb and transport water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree.  

Healthy root systems are anchored to God’s Word. The righteous delight in God’s law and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). They accept His word, store up His commands within them, turn their ear to wisdom, and apply their hearts to understanding (Proverbs 2:1-2). They do what it says! Is that true of you and me? If not, we need to anchor our roots!

Healthy root systems absorb and transport the living water and bread of life to every word, action, and thought. The righteous remain in Jesus, the true vine, and He remains in them (John 15:1-4). Is that true of you and me? If not, we need to nourish our roots!

Wisdom Step: Do you see signs and symptoms of root disease in your life? If so, be wise and go to God and His Word for restoration.

The one who sinks the roots of his choices, allegiance and commitment deep into God and His ways will find security and longevity. Living God’s way brings stability and fruitfulness.

John A. Kitchen

The Perils of Pride

Hello! I hope and pray that this finds all of you in a good place – thanking God for His wonders and recounting His love and goodness. You are dear sisters in Jesus to faithfully pray for and give of your time and energy so that girls and women everywhere will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD (Psalm 40:3).

Let’s turn to Proverbs chapter 11 together so we can get wisdom that goes beyond the gold!

THE PERILS OF PRIDE

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Aaron and Miriam had some issues. Pride and jealousy had blown into their thinking and inflated their egos. They were resentful of Moses’ popularity and asked one another, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” (Numbers 12:2)

After all, their brother Moses wasn’t the only one involved in the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Aaron figured he was the only reason Moses took the first step in this whole journey. Can you hear the possible sibling putdowns as Aaron says to Miriam, “You remember how he begged God to send someone else to go talk to Pharaoh? And God pointed him to my gifts. God said that He knew that I could speak well!” (Exodus 4:13-14) Miriam had her own contributions she could’ve touted. “I’m a prophetess and do you remember how all the women followed me when we sang and danced after we crossed the Red Sea?” (Exodus 15:20-21)

What a drastic difference between the pride of Aaron and Miriam and the humility of Moses – a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). Proverbs 11:2 says that when pride comes, disgrace will follow. Aaron and Miriam experienced the perils of pride in tangible ways when the LORD’s anger burned against them for speaking against His servant Moses. Miriam’s skin became leprous like snow, resulting in a seven-day confinement outside of the camp (Numbers 12:9-10, 14).

Sometimes we smoke screen pride. Like Aaron and Miriam, we complain about one thing (for them it was Moses marrying a Cushite woman), when the real issue is within ourselves. Sometimes our self-inflated superiority comes out with a rapid succession of “I, me, my” statements or “If I want something done right I need to do it myself.” No matter how we dice it, pride is pride and God hates it (Proverbs 8:13).

In his book, Humility True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney writes that pride has only one end: “Self-glorification. That’s the motive and ultimate purpose of pride – to rob God of legitimate glory and to pursue self-glorification, contending for supremacy with Him.”

Robbing God of His glory is a serious offense. The ongoing battle in our hearts and minds between pride and humility is real and perilous. May we wisely seek to have the attitude of Christ Jesus who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6).

Wisdom Step: What segment of your heart contains vain conceit today? Respond to it in light of God’s holiness and Jesus’ humility.

At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend.

John Stott

The Long View

Devotional for 9.12.11

Let’s turn to Proverbs 10 to get wisdom that goes beyond the gold!

THE LONG VIEW

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Proverbs 10:3

How often have you heard the expression, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”?

That is an applicable rule of thumb when discerning the gimmicks of sales personnel and telemarketers. We must be careful that we do not apply that same thinking to God’s Word. It’s different with God. It’s always different with God. When He tells us something in the Bible that sounds too good to be true, take Him at His word.

Within chapter 10 of Proverbs are two verses that sound too good to be true:

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked (v 3).

What the wicked dreads will overtake him (her);

What the righteous desire will be granted (v. 24).

What do God’s children do with these verses? We know from history and personal experience that the wicked can prosper and the righteous do indeed suffer. Paul E. Kopak wrote, “Christians must avoid mechanistic understandings of God’s moral order and remember that the long view calls them to affirm God’s care even when present circumstances do not appear to show it.”

We need the long view that David gives in Psalm 37: Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away (v. 1-2). Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil (v. 7-8).

Look at the long view! Look past today’s circumstances by looking back: I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25). Look beyond the here and now by looking forward: Those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace (Psalm 37:9, 11). The long view trusts that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. He’s  Jehovah Jireh – God our Provider, El Roi – God Who Sees, Jehovah Ezer ­– The Lord our Helper, Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is There, El Shaddai – God Almighty. By faith, the long view is sure of what it hopes for and is certain of what it does not see (Hebrews 11:1).

Wisdom Step: In what circumstances do you struggle to take God at His Word? Ask Him for power to overcome your unbelief so you can see the long view.

True, the immediate reward of the righteous often appears to be only pain and toil, but, in the end, God Himself guarantees that the things they have most longed for they will have: the conscious enjoyment of His full presence. [See Matthew 5:6].

John A. Kitchen

Being Teachable

Devotional for 9.6.11

There’s a special energy in school hallways this time of year. The excitement for learning is contagious – especially among students in the lower elementary grades. That enthusiasm is evident in GEMS counselors as well. What a privilege and joy it is to teach girls. Do we also count it all joy when others teach and instruct us? That’s what we’re going to think on together. Let’s turn to Proverbs 9 and get some wisdom on being teachable.

BEING TEACHABLE

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

Proverbs 9:7

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. “Careful,” he said. “CAREFUL! Put in more butter! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Gracious! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!”

The wife stared at him. “What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?”

The husband calmly replied, “I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving” (Author unknown).

Although this story is taken to an extreme, it does raise the question: How well do you and I receive correction when it’s merited and necessary? Are we approachable and teachable? Do we appreciate or resent spouses, employers, and sisters and brothers in Christ who speak the truth in love?

Our character is revealed by the way we give and receive correction. The book of Proverbs calls those who do not listen to correction “Mockers.” A mocker is proud and arrogant. She does not listen to rebuke, resents correction, and insults and even hates those who suggest course-corrections to her (Proverbs 21:24, 13:1, 15:12, 9:8).

Wise women heed instruction from His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning (Proverbs 9:9).  They love those who care enough to speak wisdom into their lives, even when it hurts. They apply that wisdom to their lives and experience its reward (Proverbs 9:8, 12).

It feels a little bit like sitting in a dentist chair to willingly enter into a conversation with someone who tells us that our words or actions were careless or even sinful. Correction cuts. Rebuke hurts. Those who are wise will get past that pain rather than letting it fester. They’ll pray for discernment, measure it against the standard of God’s Word, and grow through it.

Wisdom Step: How teachable are you? Be wise and loving in how you give and receive correction.

If any speak ill of thee, flee home to thy own conscience, and examine thy heart; if thou be guilty, it is a just correction; if not guilty, it is a fair instruction; make use of both, so shalt thou distill honey out of gall, and out of an open enemy create a secret friend.

Francis Quaries

Wisdom's Call

Devotional for 8.29.11

What’s calling out to you today? A child? The telephone? Email? A to-do list? An employer? A neighbor? A parent or friend?

Do you hear her? There’s someone else calling. Her name is Wisdom! Let’s page to Proverbs 8 and do more than hear. Let’s listen; let’s listen well.

WISDOM’S CALL

Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?

Proverbs 8:1

When my daughters played sports, and I was in the stands amidst the other parents, if any of the children called out, “Mom!” on cue, every mother’s head turned in that direction. We heard the call “Mom!” and responded – whether it was our child or not!

In chapter 8 of Proverbs, Wisdom calls out with raised voice: You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding. Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right(Proverbs 8:5-6). Wisdom loudly calls out, but do we hear and respond to her call?

In the New Testament Jesus repeatedly said to His listeners, “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15, 13:43, Mark 4:9 . . .)

Hearing and listening can be two different things. I can hear my husband and nod at timely intervals, without listening to a word that he has to say. We can do the same with wisdom. We can read Proverbs and even teach Proverbs, without listening to a word that the Lord has for us.

Ears that really hear and listen, respond with obedience. Their hearts are not calloused to wisdom’s call; they are doing what He decrees! James asked, Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom (James 3:13).

Those who listen will be happy and blessed. Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway (Proverbs 8:32, 34).

Those who listen will find true life. For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD. But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death (Proverbs 8:35-36). Jesus repeats that life-giving truth in all four gospels. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul (Mark 8:35-36)?

Sometimes we can be guilty of “selective hearing” – hearing what we want to hear, and tuning out what we don’t want to apply to our lives. There’s a deadly price tag to tuning out wisdom’s call. May we hear, listen, obey, and find true life.

Wisdom Step: Today measure your wisdom by what you do, instead of what you know. On a scale of 1 to 10, how wise are you?

Wisdom is hearing and doing the Word of God.

John Piper

Proverbs 7 Warnings

Devotional for 8.22.11

PROVERBS 7 WARNINGS

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman; they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

Proverbs 7:4-5

With the Bible heading, Warning Against the Adulteress, Proverbs 7 seems like a chapter exclusively for men. The reality is that each page of God’s book is for each one of His children – male and female. The warnings given to the young men in Proverbs 7 are needed by women of all ages, too.

In an online article posted on April 7, 2011, Guardian reported that more and more women are using pornography. “At Quit Porn Addiction, the UK’s main porn counseling service, almost one in three clients are women struggling with their own porn use, says founder and counselor Jason Dean. Two years ago, there were none. While more than six out of 10 women say they view web porn, one study in 2006 by the Internet Filter View found that 17% of women describe themselves as ‘addicted’”.

Sexual temptations for men and women are not limited to the Internet. There are TV shows like “Sex and the City”, larger than life posters of scantily dressed models in the mall’s display windows where families are flocking to purchase school clothes this time of year, and morning talk shows openly discuss sex toy parties.

Be warned! To follow after these temptations will be like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his (her) life” (Proverbs 7:22-23).

Now then, my sons (daughters) listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her (the ways of the adulteress) or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death (Proverbs 7:24-27).

Sex is God’s idea. Sadly, the images, persuasive words, and smooth talk of our culture are desensitizing an entire generation from God’s good and beautiful plan.

We must store up His commands within us, guard His teachings as the apple of our eye, bind them on our fingers, and write them on the tablet of our heart (Proverbs 7:2-4) – and teach the girls in our clubs to do the same! His wisdom will give us a discerning heart and keep our feet on His good and pure paths.

Wisdom Step: Measure everything you read, see, hear, do, and wear today to the plumb line of God’s commands.

When young women understand the cosmic consequences of sexual sin, the worldviews that shape our consumption of sexual messages today, and how God’s glory is under spiritual attack . . . they will be sobered by how Satan still “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) – and that men and women alike are fair game.

Carolyn McCulley