But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated (Daniel 3:16-18).”
“Wisdom’s Cry” Proverbs 3:3-4; 9-12 (Part 5: The Understanding of Wisdom)
Vida4U – Wisdom’s Cry
Proverbs 3:3-4; 9-12 (Part 6: The Understanding of Wisdom)
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
Bind them about thy neck;
Write them upon the table of thine heart:
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and
man.”
“Honor the Lord with thy substance,
And with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
Neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;”
I liken a Christian, who is undisciplined, to a horse that has not been broken. Its
strength is useful for nothing other than for its own purposes—much like
Samson, who was a man gifted with supernatural strength, but his strength was
ruled by his passions, not by his love for the Lord. Samson loved himself first and
foremost. One of the statements I hear from believers when life gets difficult is,
“Why is God doing this to me or why is He letting this happen?” I feel like saying,
“Well, why not? Are you exempt from struggle, pain, and hardship? Do you not
see or read the news?” It is not the absence of pain or trial that marks the
believer, but it is the peace he demonstrates through it because God is in the
midst—like Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-Nego. They would not deny their faith
and worship the statue of the conceited King Nebuchadnezzar. Because of their
commitment to God, they were thrown into an oven that was made so hot that
those who threw them in were killed by the sheer heat of it. Yet in their midst
walked the Lord, “There is one that looks like the Son of God (Daniel 3:25).”
They would rather die than deny their Lord. They didn’t say, “God, why me?”
Where is the heart that says, “I chose Christ as He has chosen me. I am
willing to suffer the consequences of this decision. The consequences are
mine. I will own them.”
This, then, is what is meant to not “despise the chastening of the Lord.” Despise,
“Maas,” means to reject, to abhor, and to refuse, much like the horse that refuses
the rider and bridle—much like Samson, who wasted his life when he was called
for a much higher purpose. And so are we, and chastening “Masar” is the road. It
means instruction and teaching, orally and/or via the rod. I have embraced these
verses from my youth, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;
and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: (Proverbs 6:23),” and “Take
fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.”
(Proverbs 4:13) These, among others, have been my teachers and instructors.
My dad loved me, and for that I will always be grateful, but ever since my
younger brother died when I was eight years old, his heart turned away from
God. Therefore, God became my spiritual Dad, the Holy Spirit became my
teacher, and the scriptures became my instructions and, at times, the rod of
correction. Armor was put upon armor until the trials and struggles in life became
like boot camp to me—they only made me stronger.
“Neither be weary of his correction:”
Weariness is an indication of weakness. Weakness is an indication of needing to
spend more time alone with the Lord—like a car running on fumes. For what
does the Word promise, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not
be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) This verse is one
of the most famous verses we have. It is written onto plaques and cards of
encouragement, as well as cards of bereavement, but is it ever truly believed or
lived out? Where is the truth of this verse being lived out? Where is the
saint that says, “Father I am weak for the journey ahead; therefore, I will
not leave Your Presence till I receive strength from on High?” This is Your
promise to me, and I seek its fulfillment. Make good on Your Word. Being
tenacious is a quality I don’t see. It’s not in our society, and unfortunately it is not
in the church either. The Promise Land was given to Israel from God, from east
to west and from north to south, according to the boundaries God set. It was
theirs for the taking. However, there was only one small problem. There were
giants in the land, and the eyes of fear and doubt saw themselves as
“grasshoppers.”
“And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched
unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone
to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the
people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants:
and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their
sight.” (Numbers 13:32&34)
And how did fear affect the people? It is no different than how it affects us.
“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron:
and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in
the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!” (Numbers
14:2).
This was the report of ten out of twelve men. Yet the other two saw the same
giants and walked the same land; yet, their report was completely different.
Why?
“And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were
of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: (a sign of utter grief and
shock). And they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel,
saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding
good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and
give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye
against the Lord; neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread
for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear
them not.” They are bread for us? What kind of statement is this? It is the
statement from a heart that has been tried in the fire and knows the faithfulness
of his/her God. What if we said to our fears and trials, “You are but bread for me.
From you I grow stronger, more tenacious.” Wrestle from the very storm that
seeks to defeat you and take its strength for thyself. Make it captive to
faith. Is this not what is meant, “And they shall mount up on eagle wings.” How
does the eagle mount? It turns into the wing, and the very force of the storm is
what it uses to soar. Caught in its huge wings that His maker has provided, the
force of the storm is tamed and used for its good. Our wings are our faith in a
God that is bigger than any trial or fear that would come against us. Joshua and
Caleb demonstrated this faith. The trail only demonstrated the depth of their trust
in God. Each difficulty introduces the man or woman to themselves and whether
they are made of steel or clay. Would to God that steel be our frame.
When fear is large, God is small. When God is large, fear is small. A Big God
equals small trials, regardless of the trial, and “big trials” mean a small God. We
can say whatever we want, but our emotions reveal the truth of whether we are
trusting in the Lord or not, and if we are not and want too, what does the Word
say, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
(Romans 10:17) The choice is ours. Make time to be with God and see how
your life will return back to order, or allow circumstances and trial to
dictate your life and you will find that it will never end. You’ll never have
order or time to be with God.
The Lord rebuked Jeremiah, “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they
have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the
land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt
thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jer.12:5) Jeremiah was complaining
about the unfairness in life, and this was God’s response to him. It was basically,
“Suck it up, trust me, and go about being a prophet and speaking my words. The
details and the unfairness are for me to deal with.”
Father God,
Thank you for this study. It is strong, and it shows me my weaknesses and my
need to trust you more. May I learn to see each difficulty as an opportunity for
training and to deepen my dependence and walk with You. Earthly fathers are
faulty. You are absolutely without fault and You love me dearly. Help me to know
that love, and to trust YOU deeply. Thank you and Amen.
Move Forward in His Grace – Arthur
“Wisdom’s Cry” Proverbs 3: 3&4, 9-12 (Part 4 – The Fruit of Wisdom)
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
For — whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father — the son in whom he delighteth.”
“Wisdom’s Cry” (Part 3 – The Fruit of Wisdom)
Proverbs 3:3-4; 3:9-12 (KJV) (Part 4 – The Fruit of Wisdom)
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
Bind them about thy neck;
Write them upon the table of thine heart:
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding
In the sight of God and man.”
“Honour the Lord with thy substance,
And with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
Neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Mercy or ” Hesed” is the Hebrew for kindness, faithfulness, loving kindness, etc., which are all traits that are the core makeup of God. And Truth, “Met,” is often paired up with “Hesed,” and it means truth. We speak the truth, and we live lives of truth (transparent), because we have nothing to hide. At least, that should be each believer’s goal. To me, a truthful person is more than not telling a lie. It is someone who is approachable, transparent, easy to talk with, sincere, and not perfect, yet is not afraid to let others see his or her imperfections. They are comfortable in their own skin, because their confidence is no longer in themselves to conquer their monsters. Their confidence is in The Lord, who is able to change them and who has changed them. And most importantly, they are transparent before the Lord—not that we could hide anything if we wanted to, but it is living in the awareness that The Lord sees all and has my permission to touch, take, and/or change that which He sees as a hindrance to our relationship with Him. A truthful person is also a hopeful person, because he or she knows that living in the day-to-day reality of Christ as Lord is the absolute strongest, most secure place to be. There is no stronger point of reference for life.
And Hesed is a necessary addition to living a truthful life. There are those who are ” truthful” but their words cut. They speak without compassion or consideration of how their words will affect the other person. The truthfulness of The Lord always has the betterment of the other person in mind. Some things can be received, and some things cannot be received and are better left to prayer. To feel that we need to “dump this message of truth” upon someone, not considering whether they can receive it or not, is not living in Hesed. And if we do not live in Hesed, it is doubtful that we are representing God’s “Met.” Often, we spiritualize our true motives, making them seem “righteous,” where in reality, it is more about us and how their actions or habits bug us. It is not because we really want to help them. Now that is being truthful!
“…Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:” “Qasar, “to bind,” literally means to fasten; to secure an object to another object. And it has its figurative meanings as well, such as in I Samuel 18:1: “Jonathan’s soul was bound (or knit) to the soul of David.” It is also used as in binding someone in a conspiracy, an entrapment. The trap is so set that there is no escaping—they are bound, whether they are truly guilty or not. It is a strong word, and the definition that best speaks to me is “to knit.” The concept is, as I mature in my walk with the Lord and expose my soul to His Word, the Holy Spirit “knits” His truths to me—much like the work of knitting different color threads to the tapestry of a blanket. The colors form the “character” of the blanket. Whether it looks contemporary or western, etc., God’s Word forms our character into His sons and daughters. The instruction in 1 Samuel about raising children is exactly like this. You talk to them “in the way” (figurative for life) teaching a line here and a line there…”For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” As their soul is growing, we are knitting God’s truth to them, so that when they are “old, they do not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6), because the truth has become a part of them.
At times, we read sentences as these, “bind them about thy neck…,” and we read it as if it is simply poetical and hence optional. It is not optional if one wants to experience the blessing: “So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” A great example of this verse is the life of Joseph: “And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed — thee — all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” I believe God wants all of us to be a Joseph in our area of influence and to speak and represent God’s wisdom as we “go in the way.”
When we do not follow God’s commands, things do not go well, at least not as God would have it. One of the first fallouts is seen in our relationships, be it husband and wife, employer and employee, or neighbor to neighbor. We wonder why we are having these problems. We need to connect the dots and understand that the fruitfulness of our life in all its facets is directly related to our commitment to our relationship with God. (God have patience with us!). When fear, insecurity, or “me-first” attitudes govern these relationships instead of God’s truth, it is no wonder we have problems. These attitudes of fear, insecurity and me-first tear relationships down—they do not build them up. How important it is to “find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” The fullness and fruitfulness of our life depends on it.
Father God,
Thank you for this short devotional. May its impact be meaningful, refining us more into your sons and daughters. Thank you and Amen.
Arthur Navarrette
” What is Success?” Wisdom Series ( Proverbs 8:11-13&13-15, & 35-36)
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest — is holy. And Joshua did so.
“Wisdom’s Cry” (Part 1 – The purpose of Proverbs)
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
“Wisdom’s Cry” (Part 2 – The purpose of Proverbs)
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
But he that sinneth against me (wisdom) wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me ( wisdom) love death ( Proverbs 8: 35&36) A super strong statement.
Vida4U ” What is Success?” Part II Wisdom Series ( Proverbs 8:11-13&13-15, & 35-36)
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Super strong warning( I hope that no one receiving Vida fines themselves here. Please call me if you want to talk).
“The Will of the Father” Part V – Hearing the right voice
The Christian’s Armor
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
I trust this series is going to be a blessing to all. Many of you understand the correlation between self image and input. If it is something you have not considered, I trust last week’s devotional brought that truth into focus. Once we understand the correlation then we can start inputting truth into us. The Bible calls it meditation. Taking something you learned in your devotions and giving thought and prayer to it until it becomes a pattern- replacing negative or destructive thought. We call these channels. A course the brain travels when a specific situation occurs or certain words are heard. These can be changed. An example. The other night Lisa and I were talking and I jokingly said that “I was more precious than gold.” In the back of my mind I was going to tie that statement into how our “faith is more precious than gold.” However before I could say it Lisa responded by saying, I sure had a high view of myself. As I was about to explain The Holy Spirit spoke and said “why should I not have a high view of myself?” After all I am more precious than gold. His blood covers me. His love abides in me, an adopted prince standing before the throne in Christ. I have every reason to feel more precious than gold. WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO FEEL MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD but we don’t. Why? How would every decision and choice be impacted if we truly lived out our true identity? What keeps us from doing so? Let’s go into this next series with these questions.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” The Greek word for strong is endunamoo. A compound word from “en” meaning “in or and” and dunamoo ” make strong, vigorous, to strengthen, or become strong. Synonyms are “to enable, to strengthen fully, strengthen so as to establish.” A neat word. The Greek for power is equally significant “Kratos.” It’s meanings are “manifested power,” meaning power that can be seen, not necessarily employed but because of that power it has “dominion (rule).” It emphasizes the presence and significance of force or strength rather than its use.
It combining the two we have “Finally brethren conquer and rule (over the sin nature) because of the overwhelming power of God that lies within you.” Since this is true why then are we not experiencing spiritual rulership in our lives? Faith in the Lord brings the indwelling Holy Spirit. Faith Is like an extension cord. When the extension cord is plugged in it can run very powerful and heavy duty equipment. However unplugged it powers nothing. Faith is our cord to God’s power. Faith is built (or comes) by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). However ignoring this, prioritizing other things before our devotions to The Lord, and our power cord becomes unplugged. To prioritize means we chose to put God first. I am not talking about days when the choice is not available.
He says “come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28), or “Trust in The Lord with all your heart lean not unto your own understanding and I will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5&6, my all time favorite). To take matters into our own hands is to live as though we have no Heavenly Father. It brings injury and sin to our soul. Before sin is ever an action it starts with a thought go my own way. This is to become unplugged. The act creates the consequences “you shall reap what you sow.” Therefore to say no to God when He calls us to fellowship, or choosing not to do so “pulls the cord.”
I took a couple weeks of horsemanship classes. I loved horses at the time (I was 13). I was hoping to own one someday. In class they taught you how to properly guide your horse. It was not necessary to pull the reins so that the horse felt the bit in its mouth. Their mouths are very sensitive, and that was poor if not bad guidance. Rather you were simply to lay the reign across the horse’s neck emphasizing with gentle pressure to the side in which you wanted the horse to turn. Boy what a difference. Instead of the horse fighting me and raising up its head wanting freedom from my improper steering, he simply went in the direction I emphasized. There is a neat scripture that speaks of this in Psalms 32:8-9
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they (will not) come near unto thee.” (referring to His promise to guide). He simply wants to impress our spirits with his will and we turn. “He will not yank on the reins.” If we want to go in the opposite direction He will let us go.
Father God,
Give us a heart to love Your Word, because it represents fellowship with You. Let us do it because you invite us to come to you, not because we are trying to earn your favor. We are already favored. As you move in us touch those areas in our life that need healing. Thank you and Amen
Move Forward in His Grace – Arthur
“The Will of the Father” Part IV – Hearing the Right Voice
Ephesians 6:10-13
The Christian’s Armor
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The whole passage of the Christians armor and our spiritual warfare is extensive and rather detailed. We will take segments of it with each devotional. If this is the first time you have read these verses they can be somewhat alarming. An eye opener for sure. The other challenge could be its application. How do I take what I am reading and apply it to my daily life? I want to review these passages therefore and look to the application of them.
In the last devotion I made a point about hearing The Lord’s voice above all the other voices. Let’s define these voices, or better put “the noise in our head.” It can come from within (our self image) or from without (the opinions of others). In either case they reside within our mind which is our processor and determines whether to accept and confirm, or deny and reject the “voice”. Some of the most common voices deal with whether I am accepted or liked, whether I am pretty enough or likable enough, whether I dress right, whether I can hold my own, or if I am “ok in my own skin.” Beyond that there are relational concerns we carry. We may not forgive ourselves for something we have done in the past. Be it last year or 30 years ago. Also we may have concerns forgiving others or receiving forgiveness from others. We may believe our intelligence is lacking. I know that I was the smartest dummy in my dumbed down math class in high school. I didn’t get math until a senior and by then all my friends were dividing molecules. I learned that I couldn’t win them all and to be OK with that was an important truth to learn.
How we were raised or not raised has so much to do with our internal voice. These “home grown” insecurities can last a lifetime if allowed to. All parents make mistakes in raising their kids. Some just make more and much of that depends on how they were raised. So this is the loudest voice we hear, our own voice. The outside voices only have influence over us because they play on or enhance our own insecurities. T.V. infomercials are designed for this. They expose our insecurities. Unfortunately that is what makes for good advertising. You hear it, you believe it and of course you buy it – goal accomplished. At least for them. For us unless the inside changes these quick outside fixes are at best temporary. The change has to be inside to outside, not outside to inside. It’s CRITICAL that we understand this.
The caterpillar is still a caterpillar until it metamorphosis and becomes a butterfly. Even if you put him in a butterfly outfit and change his outer appearance, he is still a caterpillar. The change occurs internally and once a butterfly it will never be a caterpillar. By God’s Grace and the work of the Holy Spirit we must metamorphosis from thinking, feeling and hearing with our carnal mind and start inputting spiritual truth. God’s Word is the foundation for this. Change the voice, whether it be the repeated tape we’ve heard from childhood or negative input from others, and change will occur.
I diagramed this truth to a high school Bible study group. I drew upon the whiteboard their life, via a stick figure. On one side of my stick figure I listed all the secular voices they heard. Their peers, secular music, carnal movies, T.V shows, and sexual pictures etc., this was their daily “food.” Then on the other side of the stick figure I wrote church and basically Thursday night bible study. Some went to church on Sunday but most slept in. Then I posed the question based on the input which side is going to influence your decisions the most? My next statement shocked them. “So if you girls end up pregnant you will know why. If you boys fail to reign over your sexual drive and become a slave to them, you’ll know why. If you don’t want this scenario then you must change your input.” They were very quiet after that message. I don’t think they ever saw their life from that perspective. However the same truth applies to us as well. List the secular voices you hear. Putting yours at the top. Then list the Godly input you hear and how often. Based on that look at your life. If you struggle and feel overwhelmed or ruled over by outside voices now you know why. If Godly freedom is what you want as a bright light growing in you, then God’s Word must be your source. Christ wants to be the voice in your head. Only he has proven absolute love and forgiveness and possess the power to change us. Why should you or I give control of our life to a lesser passion or influence?
How do we change this? What does Paul say? “Finally brethren (summing up everything) be strong in The Lord, and in the power of His might (how?). Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This will be our topic for several weeks to come. For now make time for reading the Bible. If you’re not a reader turn to AM 710 via your radio or smart phone, or do both. They have some great teaching.
Father God,
Thank you for letting me understand that not only is change possible, but how to accomplish it. Understanding the influences in my life and their affect on me makes me so much more aware of how I need to guard my input. If I allow junk in junk will come out. Let me not do that but rather the truth of Your Word. Thank you and Amen.
Move Forward in His Grace,
Arthur