All your possessions

 Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; (10) So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Gracious Heavenly Father, help us to glean what you would want us to learn from your word. Holy Spirit guide us as we read and think on your teachings. In Jesus' name, amen.

So, it has been a while since I have did any blog report. I am now home and getting back into this life in America. It is hard to see things as I once did. My life is not my own like I wanted to think. Or like I used to think. Being away for such a long to gave me such a perspective on what life really is. It is God's life and however He wants to use it He can. He created me! Why should I think I have any right to have what wasn't mine in the first place? God made everything I "own". So really all I have is His as well. And, how should we treat things that aren't ours? With respect, hence " Honor the Lord with your possessions" which aren't really ours to begin with. And when He gives us more, "And with the firstfruits of all your increase", We honor God by giving Him the firstfruits of what He gives us. This is one of the reasons we tithe. However, some may ask, how do we give the firstfruits of something like a car? Well, first off, you should Honor the Lord with it by not using it to take you places you shouldn't go. Then to give of the firstfruits to God by the dedication of the car to Him. All this means is just thank the Lord that He has blessed you with a car. If He blessed you with a lot of towels, I don't know just stay with me, Give the first one or ones away to someone who needs it. And for those of us who don't know what to do with something He has given us, pray about it. Prayer is one of the best ways to get sure info on what should be done. It's His anyway, why not just ask Him what He wants done with it.

Verse ten reminds me of Matthew 25:14-24 where Jesus taught a parable about a man who left his money with some of his workers and then went to a far country. Upon his return, some of his workers returned the money and then some. I'm reminded of this because of what their master said to them. "Well done, good and faithful servant. Because you were faithful with a few things I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of your lord". So with verse ten, if we follow verse nine, means God will bless us with what He knows we can take care of. God wants to bless us but, why would a loving Father give something special to a kid who can't take care of it. My mom and dad got me a kitten when I was young, God gave me that kitten through my parents because He knew I would take care of her. I have so much to thank God for, He has blessed me with many things. Now, I think back to when I first got those things. I didn't thank Him for them, I didn't use some of them life I should've, and now the firstfruits of those things are gone. I don't want to go on a guilt trip but, I wish I could relive those moments and do it right. God has for given us of all that we have done and haven't done. So, yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery but, today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.

Thank you Lord for your word and all you teach us through it. May we always be hungry for more of your teachings and your love. Amen.

Praise be to God for His blessing and love through them.

God's Word not mine

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (7) Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. (8) It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

I don't know about you but, I am excited to hear what God has to say today! I feel like we can take on the world right now! I don't know what is going to happen today but, I have a peace about it, because God is in control.

God I pray that you will teach us something today that we can hold on to for the rest of our lives. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit in the things we do not know. Shine Your light on the darkness to reveal Your ways to us. And lead us into that place where You are. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

You know there are times when we need to look up words for the meaning and when we can do a whole study on those words? Today we won't do that. I prayed that God would guide my hands to write what He wants written. I have no idea what is going to happen. So, buckle up because here we go!

The first verse is easy to understand but, that is the dangerous part! Sometimes we see a verse like that and just go over it because we understand what it's saying. However, we do not take it to heart, perhaps because we know it but, don't want to acknowledge it. Have you ever listened to someone talk to you but, weren't really listening to what they were saying? You probably heard only a little bit of what they had to say and were thinking of how to respond while they continue to talk. "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" Proverbs 18:13. Often, too often, we don't listen as much as we speak. I again bring to mind the two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk. Doing this very thing helps relationships with family and friends. However, I digress from what was really being said. We shouldn't skim over the bible and it's passages. Especially if we don't get what it is talking about. If it doesn't make sense, find someone like your pastor or someone you know is very mature in Christ and ask them what it means. Seek "wise" counsel for those kinds of matters. Not to mention pray and ask God to reveal it to you, which He sometimes answers those prayers by you asking your pastor or mature friend. For me, I would ask my pastor or my parents because I knew I could trust them and had confidence that they wouldn't lie to me or tell me what they wanted me to hear or do.

So, lets look at the verse now. Trust in the Lord with All your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Sometimes the Lord brings us to places that don't make sense to us. He asks us to trust Him but, our minds get in the way. We think we know where we should go and God is being ridicules but, in fact we can't see over the hill in front of us! It's like a blind person saying to someone who can see, " I've done this kind of thing a hundred times! I can do it again!" In those times we should let go of our understanding and let Him lead. It's hard I know but, I also know that I can trust God with my life. He has never in the past let me down, why should I now not trust Him?



In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Another clear passage, but what does it look like in a practical sense? It says "in All your ways acknowledge Him" but, what does that look like? Prayer is one way to acknowledge Him. Have you ever prayed before a game with your family, a trip to the beach, or something else that doesn't seem like you need to pray about? Maybe your own health even though it is just a cold? Or perhaps a trip to the grocery store? It doesn't have to be a big and poetic prayer, just something to thank God and ask His blessing on what is going to happen. It is short and easy to do, it also makes me glad knowing He is behind me when I do say that short prayer. From there He has always guided me. He will never force His will on us and always wait for us to ask for His bless and guidance. Try it, just say a simple " Lord bless this time and show us your will". He will be faithful to show up and guide everyone who earnestly prays that prayer.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Yet another clear passage. I love it when it is easy to understand. Do not be wise in your own eyes. To be wise in our own eyes is to not accept advice or seek advice from others. To think we know everything and have calculated every possible outcome. I have learn from chess that this is not possible to do. Your opponent will always have or do something you do not expect if you think you know everything. Likewise, Satan loves it when we think we can do it on our own because he knows we can't and will, at that point, be easy to trip up. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Often times when we fall, it is because we slowly fed the beast. "A little here and there won't hurt" we think to ourselves. However they do hurt and maybe not even just us but, other people as well. We need to call sin what God calls sin. The little battles are almost more important than the big ones. We do well in fighting it when we win the little battles. It is harder to fight a bunch of small enemies than one big one and the small ones tear down our defence and make us weaker so that we can't even stand up to the big one. Guard yourselves from the little ones so that you can fight the big one.

It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. All of these things, again, are from God. I take no credit from this, for God is the one in control of all things. Knowing this has helped me tremendously throughout my life and given me health and strength in a spiritual sense. And it will for you all as well. When we let go of our will and lay it before Him, life is just so much better. I can't even begin to imagine all the trouble I would be in without my Creator with me. I do know, however, that I would be dead if not for God's intervention in my life. I can't say the same for you but, I know He has done wonderful things for you as well. Just pause with me for a moment and think of all God has done for us, or just for you personally. Try and take a moment out of your day or week and just think of God's goodness, love, mercy, grace, and peace that He so freely give each and everyone of us.

"Lord, we praise you for your love. I thank you, personally, for saving me from taking my own life. For always being there and showing me your ways. Please help us to keep all of this in mind and take it to heart as we move on through Proverbs. Thank you Father".

Praise God for His word and willingness to help us when we ask for it.

Update on Life

    Hello all. It's been a while since I just posted what has been going on. So here is that post. We've been doing a lot of teaching and a few outreaches. We teach kids comprehensive reading and how to speak English. That happens Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays but, on Fridays we go to a school and teach only English to about 46 kids per classroom and there are 6 classrooms, you do the math. On Wednesdays however, we have the kid's club program where we play with the kids give them a meal and later do a lesson from the bible. We are currently going through the book of Genesis.
    The outreaches happened two days ago on Saturday the 22nd. They went very well and people did respond to them. They asked questions and some got saved! How great is that! God is awesome!
    Please pray for the ministry down here as my team and I are coming up on the end of our field time. It's easy to checkout early (in our hearts) and we don't want to do that. Please also pray for those who will be sent out to replace us. Thank you for your support and prayers.
    Samuel A. Miesner

Remember

     Proverbs 3:1-4  My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;  (2)  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.  (3)  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, (4) And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
     Now is the time to go back and recount what we have learned through these chapters. As the first thing that is said in this is to "Not Forget". The best way to not for get is to go back over things we shouldn't forget. To write them down somewhere. There is a lot to go over but, I believe something worth being said is worth saying again. Thus, Proverbs were written so that we could hear what was said back then and reflect upon them. Not to mention the bible as a whole.
     These Proverbs are from God, since He inspired the entire bible to be written. Also since He gave Solomon the wisdom to write them. They are given to us, by God, to know wisdom and instruction. As well as understand the fear of the Lord. Again, it is reverent fear that is being talked about. God continues even in the third chapter to tell us to remember His commands. He knows us and knows we need to be reminded of things that are important. I have a hard time remembering and am very grateful that God tells me time and time again of things I need to know.
     Don't consent to sinners and their ways. They won't live long by the way they live, so why should we join them?
     Wisdom is easy to find, she calls out to everyone and in places where there are lots of people. No one can say " no body told me that was wrong" because everyone has a sense of right and wrong. And those that listen to wisdom will live without fear of evil.
     Again, in chapter 2, we are told to receive what we are being told. I love that God is so patient with me that He will, without resentment, repeat things He wants me to know.
     God is the giver of wisdom, so go to Him when you have a question. Go to Him in times of need and times of plenty. He is always there and there is no reason to not go to Him.
     Living righteously and wanting the same will help you in times of trouble. Like with those who are immoral and corrupt. If you truly live by faith, "the just shall live by faith", then you won't go to those people for help or anything because you know who they are.
     There is a lot more to remember and I do ask that you go back and read again the last two verses. Also, if it may help, read my earlier posts if you want. However, reading it for yourself will be more fruitful I believe. Write them down, read them again, and do whatever it takes to remember them. That is how we will bind them around our necks. Memorize the ones that sick out to you. The ones that the Holy Spirit shows you. It is very easy to read something over and over then say "I'm good, I don't need to memorize it now". I do that too often myself. Please don't make the same mistake. Remember, this is God's word we are talking about. The Creator of the universe! He sent us His word! Why would we not study it or memorize it?
     In closing, we should seek to find favor and high esteem in God's sight. Like Job did. By finding favor in God's sight man will falling in line afterwards. Who doesn't love a man who loves others?
     God help us to remember your word and who you are. Please forgive our forgetfulness and remind us of your love. No other will love us like you do and for that, will love and praise you. Amen
     Praise be to God for the ability to pray to Him, His reminders, and to study His word.

Act

     Proverbs 2:12-22  To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,  (13)  From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;  (14)  Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;  (15)  Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths;  (16)  To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words,  (17)  Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God.  (18)  For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;  (19)  None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life-- (20)  So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness.  (21)  For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;  (22)  But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
     I know that there are a lot of verses today but, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I want to connect three IBSs together, this being the last one. Identify, Acknowledge, and Act. Please go back and read the others if you need to. That is one of the reasons I call this one "Act".
     So, as we remember what was said in the first two IBSs, Identify and Acknowledge, we come to the reasons for them. Starting in verse 12 all the way up to verse 19 are some solid reasons why we should know who God is and acknowledge the fact of who He is. Verses 20, 21, and 22 are good reasons as well. These aren't the only reasons mind you. I can think of more reasons but, these will do for now.
     Ok, let us begin in verses 12 to 15. Read those verses again with me please. These are not nice people, nor are they "cool" as some might think they are. And those who think they are "cool" are those talked about in verse 14! People who speak perverse things are not easy for me to be around. Especially when they know what they are saying! The actual meaning of the word perverse is "to turn away, to distort, twist, to transform into something of an opposite character, and/or to turn inside out"! I tell you this because most of us hear the word perverse and think of people who speak about a woman's body parts or something like that. No, speaking perverse things can mean a whole lot more. Then we see that these people have left the paths of uprightness, purposefully, to walk in the paths of darkness! "How crazy is that!", we think, when we ourselves are capable of doing the exact same thing. All of are capable of turning away from what we know is right. Never think you are incapable of turning. That thought will sober you up and get you back to acknowledging the One who holds you in His arms. It is Him who keeps us from crooked paths and saves us from all manner of evil. Identify, Acknowledge, and Act.
      Now we come to the second reason this chapter gives us, the immoral woman as seen in verse 16-19. Now, immoral could mean more than just a seductress. Immoral means "wicked, unjust in practice, vicious, dishonest, and/or someone who habitually breaks the law". On a side note we are all immoral, for we all break God's laws but, through His Son we are not. However, back to the text. The thing that scares me about this woman is that her house leads to death and her paths to the dead! Then, if that's not enough, it says that "none" who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life. However, there is a small glimmer of hope for those who go to her. Not that we should ever ponder her paths, for the are unstable and we don't know them. As I said, the is hope but, it is small because once ensnared by this woman, it is extremely hard to get back on the right path. I've known people who fell to this kind of woman and have their lives back because they went to the only One who could give it back to them. However,  they have to live with the consequences of their actions. They don't live with the guilt so much but, they live with the pain they caused others. Some may have seen or heard they did this and say "he did it, why can't I?" or "I won't get caught like he did, I'm smarter than he is". No, no one gets away with this sin as well as all other sins! Identify, who is God? He can see everything that goes on! No one escapes His righteous judgment! Acknowledge, who He is and what He does for us and finally. Act upon what you know to be true!
     Which brings us to the last part of the chapter verses 20-22. These verses have another reason to Identify, Acknowledge, and Act upon what we have learned. They are also pretty easy to understand. Doing these three things helps you walk well, remain upright, and not get uprooted from the land. In following God, by faith, you save your soul. Notice the last verse, the wicked will be cut off and the unfaithful will be uprooted. These verses refer to the punishment of living this way. Being cut off or uprooted is like a capital offence punishment. Death sentence kind of stuff. Which also leads me to think of end times, when the entire world will be judged for how they have conducted their selves! Hell is the punishment for sin. All who have sinned will be sent there! That means all of are going to Hell! However, there is a great light that shines through our dark hour! Jesus came and paid the price for everyone! All we have to do is accept His sacrifice and, in faith, follow Him. Identify who Jesus is. Acknowledge what He has done. Then Act upon it! It is your choice to go to Him and ask for forgiveness and go with Him to heaven or go on living they way you have and pay for it later and forever, after you pay.
     I pray you choose Jesus, I pray you have taken the right path that goes to our saviour and leads to heaven. I don't want anyone to go to Hell.
     I will continue to go through the Proverbs and hope you are still with me as I go. We only just came to the end of chapter 2, 29 more chapters to go! I'm having fun, crying, and turning to God, how about you?
     Praise be to God for His love and His righteousness!

Acknowledge

      Proverbs 2:9-11  Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.  (10)  When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,  (11)  Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
      First we looked at the one who gives wisdom and understanding. Now we are going to look at half of the benefit from acknowledging Him as such. It is just as important to know wisdom and understanding and to know where it comes from. Because we need to know and remember where to turn for more when we don't know what to do. Turning to God should be our first response to anything. And I mean anything, whether it is a small problem or not. Even if it isn't a problem, we need to inquire of the Lord like David did. I admit that I don't do this all the time, but I need to. I am His soldier, and should not do what I think is best but, should wait for His commands and act upon them to the very best my abilities. Which, by the way, He has given me those abilities as well. Nothing I have isn't from God in one way or another. There is no way that I can boast in myself and that is very important to understand. And something we all need to come to terms with.
      Now to the text, look at verse 9. After we identify who God is and what He does, in that He is the giver of wisdom and understanding. Then we understand why things are just, fair, and the paths we should take but, again we should ask the Lord which path unless He has already made it clear. We must understand that everything we do should begin and end with Him. We should begin the day with Him and end it with Him, as well as stay with Him throughout the day. However, beginning and ending with Him is very important. I have found this to be true in my own life, that everyday I began in His word and in prayer. Those days are some of the best days in my life, even if nothing went right. I had peace that all went according to God's perfect will and I did all I could for Him that day.
      Verse 10 is very interesting, is says "when". I can admit that I don't always like learning and can further say that it is an acquired taste for me. However, "when" I have acquired the taste for knowledge and wisdom, things become so much more clear to me. Like when I don't understand a word and search it out, I understand what is being said and can answer correctly. I just went with the guys here in Guatemala to watch the superbowl. I personally don't care for football but, it was nice to learn more about the crave of others and God can further even that and use the knowledge we learn for His glory! We could later be mentoring someone and because we learned something we didn't like, we can minister to that person. "Be all things to all men, so that we might win some". I love that God's word is so complicated and yet so simple.
      Now to verse 11. Planning ahead isn't a bad thing to do. However, God must, and I mean Must, be in the midst of that planning. Because, what soldier, or quarterback, doesn't bypasses his superiors? Does the quarterback make all the decisions? Does a private in the army make all the choices? No, all that they do comes from the one in charge of them. So, who is in charge of you? I know whom I serve and need to remember that daily, for if I don't everything falls to pieces. Know whom you serve. I mean know as in both meanings of the word. Know who, and come to know Him by reading His word. These are simple truths but, we need to be reminded of them constantly.
      I plan to continue in proverbs as to know more of my commander and His will on how I should live.
      Praise God for His words of wisdom and understanding, also that He gives it to us and we cannot boast in anything but, Him.

Identify

    Proverbs 2:6-8  For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;  (7)  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;  (8)  He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
    These verses are pretty straight forward. They all talk about the fact that God is the giver of wisdom. This may be something simple to us and we may say " I knew that" but, do we accept it? A lot of us want to say that we gained the wisdom ourselves. Do we in every moment of wise choices thank God for the wisdom and understanding? I know that I do not always do this. We make a good choice and then pat ourselves on the back when we should turn to God with praise and thanks. I don't care who you are, God is the one who deserves the praise and thanks for every good work. We here in Guatemala have just finished doing medical outreaches this week and have no reason to praise ourselves! God did all the work through us! He gave us the wisdom to handle everything that came our way. Also, when I say "our" God is included in that because He is always with us. And there is no situation where He is not with us, no matter the complexity of it. If it is a small matter, He is there. If it is a great matter, He is there! If it is a dire matter, He is there! In all these things we should call out to Him for wisdom and understanding to be able to handle it the right way. Then we should turn to Him with praise and thanks regardless how the matter turned out, because God knows all and we don't. Have faith that He works all things for good.
    I pray this has helped you all as it has helped me. I plan on turning to God for wisdom and understanding for all matters that come "our" way.
    Praise be to God for His instruction, wisdom, and understanding.

Teasure Hunt

    Proverbs 2:1-5  My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,  (2)  So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;  (3)  Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,  (4)  If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;  (5)  Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
    God begins again by saying "my son". I know that king Solomon wrote most of the proverbs but, God is the one who lead him to do so. Just like any book of the bible, it is from God Himself.
 Now, in verse one of chapter 2, we see that God wants us to take to heart His words and treasure them within us. This is pretty simple to understand what He is saying. He wants us to read His word and memorize it. Not to the point where we just have head knowledge but, He wants it in our hearts as well. Memorizing His word is great but, ineffective if it doesn't reach to our inmost being. We can memorize the entire bible but, miss His message to us without applying it to ourselves. An example of this would be that of a Pharisee. They were seen as the most religous people on earth but, they didn't apply all that they had learned. They used it to rule over the people and fuel their own pride.
    The next verse is something that happens if you do the first. If you truly are seeking the Lord, you will incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. To incline your ear to wisdom is to listen to it when it is talking. Wisdom has many forms too. God uses His word to give us wisdom but, He can also use people in our lives to guide us in the way of wisdom. We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk. The next part of this verse is pretty simple as well. To put in simpler words would be, to apply to yourself what is being said or to keep and open ear and heart or mind.
    Verses three and four hold the same idea but, one is like poetry and the other isn't. If we are really serious about seeking after wisdom, who as we have learned is easy to find, we will ask for good judgment and understanding. We will be in the word more often and listen to what others have to say. Be a bookworm, not the best thing to motivate someone such as myself but, we need to be a bookworm! God's word is full of treasures to be found! Treasures that will give us a better way of living in this world. The physical sense is true of the spiritual sense. If you find diamonds and rubies we would become rich right? Well the same is true of God's word, which is still easy to find, if we search His word we will be spiritually rich. Which is acually better than being rich physically.
    Verse five finally completes this by saying what happens if we do these things. By doing these things we understand what it means to respect and honor God. Also, we will come to know God. How amazing is that!
    I am still excited to continue in proverbs and seeking out God's wisdom.
    Praise be to God for His word which, again, we do not deserve.

Shey crys out!

    Proverbs 1:20-33  Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her
voice in the open squares.  (21)  She cries out in the chief concourses, At
the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:  (22)  "How
long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their
scorning, And fools hate knowledge.  (23)  Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will
pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.  (24) 
Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and
no one regarded,  (25)  Because you disdained all my counsel, And would
have none of my rebuke,  (26)  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock
when your terror comes,  (27)  When your terror comes like a storm, And
your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come
upon you.  (28)  "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will
seek me diligently, but they will not find me.  (29)  Because they hated
knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,  (30)  They would have
none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.  (31)  Therefore they
shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own
fancies.  (32)  For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the
complacency of fools will destroy them;  (33)  But whoever listens to me will
dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil."
    Now I know that there are a lot of verses but, if you have read my
other posts. You can get through this one, so please stay with me as we
move forward. Ok, so in verse 20 we see that wisdom is calling out to
everyone in a typically busy place. Anybody who wants to be heard will go to
places where there are a lot of people. Wisdom wants to be heard by all
people! Not only is wisdom crying out in the open squares, but also at the
gates of the cities and in the concouses (a concourse is place were roads
and paths meet). And this means that wisdom isn't hard to find. In fact,
wisdom is seeking us out!
     Now, lets look at what she says in verse 22 . How long, she says,
will you love being ignorant of your folly? How long will you make fun of
wisdom and hate knowledge? These are good questions to ask ourselves.
Do we love being ignorant of our folly? Do we make fun of wisdom? Do we
hate knowledge? I have learned that when reading the bible, I should put
myself in the shoes of those being talked about and really examine myself. I
will admit that I like being ignorant sometimes, I make fun of wisdom
sometimes, and I don't always like studying for more knowledge. I need to
listen to wisdom as much as anyone on this planet. Praise God that she is
easy to find.
    Now in verse 23, moving right along. We see that wisdom wants
to earnestly tell us everything we need to know! She wants to save us from
our folly, Not to condemn us. She is for us and not against us. It's like we
are blind and walking towards a cliff and, like God, wisdom won't force her
ways on us. Then she tell us what will happen when if we keep going. She
will laugh at us and will mock us for not listening, now this kind of laughter is
not kind where it would be cruel, malicious, or indictive. It is more of the
ironic thing that happens when we laugh at wisdom and do not heed it, then
when our folly catches up to us. We find that the wisdom was right and it
doesn't sway or change what it was saying. Another way of looking at is not
that the Lord is laughing at us in a mean way but, at the attempt to go
against Him. It's like a father laughing at his child's attempt to bring him
down. It's funny when a little kid trys to bring down something big, even
when they are being very tanatious about it. So God doesn't laugh at us in a
malicious, cruel, or vindictive way.
    Verse 27, disasters are coming! Strong winds are coming! They
happen to everyone in life, no one can get away from them. And because
we did not heed wisdom she will not come if we call. That is our own fault
too! Why should we deserve better than the way we treated her? If we
refuse to heed wisdom when she calls, it kills us! Don't do drugs! If you now
go out and do drugs, you probably won't see tomorrow, or maybe even
heaven. I looked up the word complacency and it is ugly! After reading what
it meant, it gave me a list of synonyms that defined it even better for me.
Here's the list. Pride, pridefulness, big head, conceit, conceitedness, ego,
egotism, pomposity, pompousness, self-admiration, self-assumption, self-
conceit, self-congratulation, self-esteem, self-glory, self-love, self-
importance, self-opinion, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled headedness,
vainglory, and vanity. The list is actually bigger but, I had to make it shorter
for you.
    In light of all of this, God always gives us hope. He ends this
chapter in a great way and I thank Him for that. Whoever listens will live
safely and without fear of evil. By listening to wisdom we escape the
consequences of being foolish. By not doing drugs, we escape the pain,
damage to our bodies, and possible death after them. Praise God? Yes!
    I still am excited to continue in Proverbs and hope that all of us
have gotten at least a little wiser.
    Praise be to God for being easy to find, and loving in His righteous
correction toward us.

What not to do

     Proverbs 1:10-19  My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 
(11)  If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk
secretly for the innocent without cause;  (12)  Let us swallow them alive like
Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;  (13)  We shall find all
kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;  (14) 
Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse"-- (15)  My son, do not
walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;  (16)  For their
feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.  (17)  Surely, in vain the
net is spread In the sight of any bird;  (18)  But they lie in wait for their own
blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.  (19)  So are the ways of
everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
     Now, God is going to gives us some advice for life and it's
troubles. Again, I love the "my son" that He says. That is always an
encouragement for me, and I hope it is for you as well. Ok, so first we see a
clear direction from God in verse 10. Also we see the first step in falling into
sin. Some might say that it's not the young man's fault but, it's because he
got in with the wrong crowd. However, it was his choice to be there and he
consented to do what they want to do, so it his fault. No one can make us
sin. The choice is always up to us wether we sin or not. We need to not
consent to sinners! We need to have some backbone and just say "NAY! I
will not do this evil in the sight of my God!" It may not even be someone who
is enticing you to sin but, you yourself. Do not be deceived, all of us have a
sinful mind and think things that we should not. It is then that we should take
every evil thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That means that when
we think something evil, which will happen, we need to say the same thing
to ourselves that we say to sinners who entice us, "Nay! I will not do this evil
in the sight of my God!" You might have to say it more than once, your
enemy doesn't listen very well and if you are like me, I am my own worst
enemy. So, for me, I must say this to myself a whole lot each day. The
enticement doesn't simply go away either. That guy will come back again
and again until we are finally called home to be with the Lord. However, do
not lose heart, for the Lord our God is with us every second of everyday. He
will neither leave nor forsake those who are in Him.
     Verses 11-14 speak of the things that sinners will entice you with.
They lure you with riches, with the thrill or doing bad and getting away with
it, and with the friendship of having one purse. For some, it will be easy to
say no, or nay, to these things. However, there are a lot more things that
they can, or you yourself can, lure you with. We have a threefold enemy!
Their names are the flesh, the world, and satan. The flesh is yours and my
first enemy. The one that is always there to give his opinion on what to do
but, never is a good opinion. The world is anything in this world that turns
you from God's ways and Himself. And we all know who satan is, he is the
one who tries so hard to turn every believer from God to himself. The only
good thing about him is that if he is after you then you know you are where
you should be. Because he doesn't need to touch those who are not doing
God's will.
     Now verses 15-19, I believe is God directly telling us the
consquences of following such evil ways. Again, I love and say it is from
God because of the "my son" in the beginning. He is saying clearly not to do
it, and without yelling I might add. God love us so much to tell us the reason
why we shouldn't comit sin. He says that these people wait for their own
blood! They set a trap but, they are the ones who fall in it! The price of
greed is the life of the one being greedy! So, God our Father, says to stay
far from them and not go the way they go. Again, we are as much a sinner
as these people but, we have been freed from sins power over us through
the blood of Jesus Christ! We are still going to sin day by day but, we have
the choice to sin or not, while those who don't have Christ haven't that
choice. And when we do sin, we can run back to Jesus and ask for
forgiveness but,  that doesn't mean we can keep on doing the same thing
over and over because He will forgive us. No! We need also to repent of
that sin and never do it again. This is, of course, easier said than done but,
God through Jesus Christ gives us the power to do so.
     I am so excited to continue in God's word and will for my life and
hope that you are as well. There is no better life than that of being in God's
family!
     Praise be to God for His love and warning to us all.

Parental Guidance

    (Proverbs 1:8)  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: (Proverbs 1:9)  For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.
    I know that not everybody has had great parents to teach them right and wrong. However, we all have the Lord God Almighty and He wrote the bible. So, all these Proverbs are from Him to us as His parental guidance for us. As a father who loves His children, He gives us instruction on how to live. I love two words that He uses, "my son". Those two words always send me into the thought of His love. Even though I mess up, fail Him, and betray Him. He still loves me and wants me. there is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love.
    Now on to the text. The first verse is pretty easy to understand. Listen to your mother and father. Now like before, I said not everybody has great or christian parents but, we need to listen to them. So, long as they don't contradict what God would have you do. An example would be like if your unbelieving, or even your believing parents, told you to jump off a cliff or kill yourself! Obviously this is not of God's plan for you. However, if they tell you to look both ways before crossing the street, that is good guidance and God has just used them to teach you. I can't tell you everything that is from God, for I am not in your position and I'm still learning all that is from God. So, in order to know what is from God, we must all read the bible to learn. Because it is His instruction manuel on life and His parental guidance to us.
    Now the next verse tells us in a poetic way what happens when we listen to the wisdom of our parents (God is included in that of our parents). The verse is saying that by heeding the wise counsel and teachings of our parents (again, God is included in that of our parents). By being obedient, we bring honor and moral beauty to our lives and it shines to those around us. The chaplet on our head is like a crown and the chains about our neck is like a beautiful neckless. These things are flashy but, are not the kind that says "I'm so much better than you!" No, things are a good kind of flashy things that can ultimately point people to Jesus and lead them to His saving grace. So, by being wise and listening to our parents (you know who is included in that). We can be a better witness for God. People always know if a child acts bad that his parents aren't doing a good job. So, good behavior reflects "All" of our parents.
    I have great parents who love the Lord and have taught me the same. I praise God for them and my entire family, not just by blood but, through Jesus Christ as well. We all have the greatest Father in the universe who loves every single one of us! This is very encouraging to me and I hope it is to you too.
    Proverbs is, in my opinion, God's parental guidance to all of His children on the planet earth that He created! I will continue to read and learn from that of my Heavenly Father who loves all His children.
    Praise be to God for parents and the way He uses them for our benefit and theirs.

Fear

    (Proverbs 1:7)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    This verse is known as the key verse for the whole book of Proverbs. First we looked at the way in which we can understand a proverb and the words of the wise but, now we are going to look at a contrast between those who revere the Lord and those who do not. It is very important to think about where you stand in all of this as well.
    First and foremost we are going to look at what it means by the "fear" of the Lord. This word fear is very interesting that it doesn't mean to be afraid. This kind of fear that it is talking about is reverent fear. An example for me would be the "fear" or reverence I have for my parents. In as much that I turn to them when I need advice. This reverence is also a kind of love and dependency on the one or ones being revered. I'll be the first to admit that I have not revered God as I should. I am learning more and more what it means to revere Him. And so we come to the first question. Are you revering God like you should, think about that for a moment. Do you fear God more than you fear man? These are simple questions but, none the less important to be asked from time to time. Just to stop and think about your standing with your Creator. I've been thinking of this question for a while now and fell to my knees in repentance for the way I'd been acting in His Holy presence. The experience was very humbling but, I want to remember it and move forward with God than without Him. I could actually just turn from His rebuke and walk away but, that would be folly!
    Now lets talk about that, folly. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. first of all, the word fool means, lacks wisdom also, The word despise is not a pretty word, and it is an intense word. It doesn't mean, does not like wisdom and instruction. No, it means hates, rejects, and refuses wisdom and instruction. Hate in itself is a strong word. Jesus said that if you hate someone, it's the same as killing them. One who lacks wisdom, you would think, would want to gain wisdom. That isn't always the case though. Some people would rather live in sin and not want to hear people tell them the truth. They are satisfied with the lie. So much so that they even attack the truth and group up with those who are like them, and this gives them a feeling of being right. Now the question is, do you hate it when people tell you the truth? Even when they are being sincere when they are telling you that you are doing something wrong? Maybe that you need to change? I don't always like it myself but, God has taught me through my parents and being here in Guatemala to listen to rebuke or wise counsel when it comes, and it will come. Trust me.
    I hope you have learned something from this and I sincerely hope you will think on what I asked you. Because I asked God, before I wrote this to tell me what to write and I believe He did. So in affect it wasn't me asking you those questions but, God Himself. That is a cool thing to think about when reading the WORD OF GOD! That it is from Him to us!
    My plan is to keep on reading through Proverbs to gain more of God's wisdom and I pray that He gives it to me for He is the giver of wisdom.
    Praise be to God for His word and love in that He sent it down to a people who don't deserve it.

The Know How

    Proverbs 1:1-6
    1 The poverbs of  Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
    2 To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,
    3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, Judgment, and equity;
    4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion-
    5  A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
    6 To understand a poverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.
 The first verse is just to let you know where these proverbs are coming from and there are coming from king Solomon. King Solomon was one of the wisest men in the world. God gave Solomon a choice between riches or wisdom and Solomon chose wisdom. Therefore these proverbs are ultimatly from God since He is the giver of wisdom.
    The next four verses tie into the last one. To do all these things is how you understand a poverb and an enigma, also the words of the wise and their riddles. Lets start with the second verse. Do we know wisdom and instruction when we hear it? Do we understand the words spoken to us by not only God but, those He puts in our path to help correct or guide us? I acually suggest getting a dictionary and learn a new word everyday. This is how you will perceive words of understanding. Simple as that.
    Number three, Do we receive the instructions given to us well? Do we know what Justice, Judgment and equity are? Justice is what is right, Judgment is deciding what is right, and equity, is giving every decision the same value. Therefore, after you decide what is right, do what is right, and give everything your full attention.
    Number four, give prudence, knowledge, and discretion to the young and the simple. This verse pretty much explains itself. Tell the young and simple what is right and everything they need to know. Notice though that it doesn't say only the young. There are plenty of people who need to know what is right that aren't young. Then in five you find out if the person you are telling what is right is wise. A wise man listens, something everyone should do. Keep an open mind in what is being said to you. You have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk.
    Verses two to five tie into six. So, in short, you must listen to wise people, learn new words, know what is right, and then, and only then, you can teach the same to the young and simple. I myself plan on doing all of this and I should if I expect to understand all the proverbs in this book.
    Praise God for wisdom and instruction.