Trust in the Lord with your whole heart
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Yesterday we lost a dear friend. He was 87 years wise, and I can tell you I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He wrote his memoirs a year ago and the memories recorded there were as fresh as if they had just happened.
Wally joined the Navy when he was 17 and just three weeks later Pearl Harbor was attacked. Regardless of what happened in his life, through his words on that paper you could feel and see a sense of optimism and hope. His name is Wally Gee and he will be missed.
I do not know Wally’s favorite scripture, but this certainly had to be one of them. Sometimes we shield parts of our hearts, not just from acquaintances, but even from those closest to us, including God. Of course, we cannot hide anything from God, but we tend to hold back, and when we do we are not trusting in God with our whole heart.
I would ask you today to join with me in opening your whole heart to God, trusting in Him completely, submitting to him without reservation. He will make those crooked paths straight, and He will give you a godly wisdom that will amaze and astound you.
PRAYER: Father God, today we ask that you free us of all reservations that would prevent us from relying on you completely. Open our hearts, dear God, to the wisdom and guidance that comes only from you. Amen
One More Saint
in Memory of Wally Gee
One more tenor just joined the heavenly choir
One more sailor’s ship has just been retired.
One more father has gone on to meet the Son
and one more wife says, “Husband, your work is done.”
One less godly man will greet us on Sunday morning,
One less courageous man will stand firm to give us warning.
One less noble man will be here to lead and guide us
and one more daughter says, “Daddy, you always walked beside us.”
One more Christian has left his home on earth.
One more saint has arrived at his place of birth.
One more son of God has departed the family of man
and one more son says, “You always held my hand.”
One less day to spend with our dear Wally Gee.
One less smile to send our spirits home with glee.
One less memory to make with our dear friend
but one less painful day he will have to spend.
One more disciple to cross over to heaven’s shore.
One more faithful pilgrim to meet those gone on before.
One more time Wally Gee will greet God’s own
and one more time Jesus says, “Welcome Home.”
The Lord Gives Wisdom
Proverbs 2:6-9 (New International Version 1984)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Today my sister and I are 62. I remember certain birthdays more than others. I recall one at my aunt’s house where there is a picture of me filling a birthday hat full of candy corn. I remember my 16th birthday party where we had set up an elaborate maze with boxes and the girls had to crawl through only to find things like a bowl full eyeballs (peeled grapes) and a bowl full of intestines (cooked spaghetti). We pulled taffy and dunked for apples.
Sixty-two years and I wonder why I have not accumulated more wisdom than I now possess. Have I spent too much time in worldly pursuits? Or have I focused more on holiness than wisdom, not realizing that seeking wisdom will allow me to find both wisdom and holiness?
My birthday wish for today is that we each would seek out wisdom, not just so we will understand what is right, just, and fair, but so that we will find the Lord, the giver of all wisdom.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today you have blessed us with another day on this earth. As long as we have breath, may we seek out wisdom that comes only from you, and may we walk on your pathway today and every day. Amen.
Turning Your Ear to Wisdom
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding —
3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Before I had my son, I went into a nesting phase where I was almost obsessive about getting his room ready. I stored diapers, formula, clothing—all things baby. It has been just the two of us for a long time now, but I still want to make sure there is food in the pantry and clothes in the closet—thankfully we are not yet to the point of storing diapers, but if that day comes I’ll just try to be grateful I’ve lived that long.
Today’s scripture tells us we are to store up God’s commands, turning our ears to wisdom and applying our hearts to understanding. After years of not memorizing scripture, I have tried to reinvigorate my efforts. Alas, I have found memorization is now elusive and the best I can do is paraphrase.
For the past week I have been on vacation with my husband and friends, and I did not take my computer. I read my daily verse on my phone, but I did not spend time reflecting on the verse, praying, and then writing down my thoughts. Some might think I am being legalistic in trying to read from Scripture each day, but I find that when I do not take the time to at least dip into God’s Word, my spirit suffers. I tend to be more critical, less loving and less forgiving. I tend to be more me-centered and less God-centered.
Proverbs tells us we are to look for wisdom as if we were looking for silver, and it is then we will understand the fear of the Lord and find wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Do you want understanding? Then seek after wisdom as though it is the most precious of all treasures, because it is.
PRAYER: Our Father, we pray that in this world where there are so many distractions, that we would be able to keep our eyes upon you, that we would understand our days are a gift from you—may we give back a portion of each day to you, and may you increase our knowledge of you and draw us to you. Amen
Where can Wisdom be found, Part 2
Where is Wisdom Found, Part 2
Job 28:12, 22-28
Job 28:12 But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?
22 Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.” 23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, 24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, 27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. 28 And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”
An old Chinese proverb says “you can’t prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” Job was swarmed by birds of sorrow, and his hair was filled with nests. Yet, we see a glimmer of hope in his words.
Job had withstood assaults by Satan upon his body, family and possessions. He was under attack from both his wife and friends. Yet, Job refused to “curse God and die” as his wife implored, nor was he willing to admit some terrible wrongdoing as his friends suggested. Instead, Job maintained that he was a man of integrity. But in reading Job, it almost seems as though Job trusted in his own integrity more than he trusted in God.
But in these scriptures we see that Job has received a fresh insight regarding true wisdom. True wisdom is not only precious, it is not easily found. One must search out wisdom and it is only found in God. Job ends his narrative by saying that God has informed the human race that wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
Are you seeking out wisdom? Do you fear God, i.e. hold Him in awe for who He is? Do you shun evil in all you do?
PRAYER: Father, how little we understand about wisdom, and how much we need to learn. Be patient with us, Oh Lord, as we seek out your truths and endeavor to live in the light of your love. Amen
Seeking Holiness 