Proverbs__31

Scripture 

Proverbs 31:2 NIV

“Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!”

Observation-What does it say? 

King Lemuel shares wisdom his mom gave him regarding his role as king. The first 7 verses, she gives advice on ways to protect his role as king. Verses 8-9, she speaks on how to treat the people, especially the poor, needy and those who cannot speak up for themselves. However, a bulk of this chapter, Verses 10-31, his mom gives him advice on the type of woman he should look out for to take as his wife, a wife of virtue and noble character. 

Understanding-What does it mean?

Listen to the advice of those who love us, protect us and want the best for us, such as our parents, spouses and/or spiritual parents/mentors. God gave them to us for a reason. 

King Lemuel’s mom is protective of her son as evidenced by the advice she gives him in this chapter. She wants to protect his professional life, but most importantly, his personal life. King Lemuel’s life as a king, which is a public influential figure and I’m sure attached with many riches, can be ruined by the wrong choice in wife. Therefore, the wife he chooses needs to be trustworthy, a hard worker, loving and a servant to the people, a good manager of the home, worthy of respect and wise. Most importantly, she must fear the Lord. He cannot only look for the most charming and beautiful woman, because that is fleeting and deceptive. All those GOOD character traits are the fruits of being a Godly woman. 

Life Application

Seek to be a Godly woman (or man) and attract the same in the process. 

What I find interesting about this chapter is that it not only describes what a good woman is like. Many of those traits are equally important for the male as well.  The King has to be trustworthy. He has to be loving, a servant to the people, a good manager of the home, wise, worthy of respect and most importantly have fear and respect for the Lord, allowing the Lord to tell him how to lead as king and lead his family.  I hear many singles (and I admit I did this myself as a single person before growing up a little), have a list of the type of person they want to marry; however, they don’t look at themselves to see if they are the type of person someone else would want to marry. I truly believe we should be the person we want to attract. I’m not talking about having the same likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. Our differences are what make us unique. Our focus must be on the most important things which matter, which is our character and relationship with Jesus.  Also, for marrieds like myself, this doesn’t end after the ring is on the finger. It continues afterwards as well.

Dear Lord, whether we are single, engaged or married, I pray that we would be and continue to be the type of person our future and current mates would want and the type of person our friends would be refreshed to be around. I pray we would be men and women of godly character whose substance doesn’t only go as far as outward appearance, but one who is trustworthy, faithful, hard working, loving, a servant to people, a good manager of our home and finances, wise and worthy of respect. Help us Holy Spirit to live our lives in pursuit of Your fruits as we seek You first in everything we do. Amen. 

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:30-31 NIV  

-Michelle Gaddi

Nahum_1

Scripture  Nahum 1:7 

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. Observation-What does it say?  The book of Nahum was written by Nahum.  The name Nahum means “comfort”, which relates to the major theme of the book, namely the fall of Nineveh.  Nineveh had become the capital of the Assyrian kingdom.  The Assyrian kingdom was brutal to Judah and Israel, as well as the other nations they conquered.  They were known to gruesomely punish the people of the nations they conquered and uproot them from their homes, sending them to far off places within the Assyrian kingdom.  Often the conquered rulers were beaten and mutilated before being executed.  We know from the book of Jonah that the people of Jonah had once turned to the Lord, but have since gone back to their sinful ways.  Nahum prophesied to the destruction of Nineveh and the redemption of His people.  God, we learn is slow to anger, but does not leave the guilty unpunished (1:3). Understanding-What does it mean?  Across the street, around the corner and up the hill in the open space, that’s where my fort was as a kid.  And it was an awesome fort.  We dug out a little flat spot to sit for about four of us.  We built up a frame from yucca plants and covered it with fairly thick walls of brush.  We would pretend to have wars and battles with imaginary forces.  It was there for years, and even when the older kids abandoned the place I would go to the same spot.  At the fort I could be wild and it allowed me to feel creative, yet I still felt safe.  However, my fort was no match for the rain or the cold.  Had I ever encountered anything really dangerous, I would not have run to the fort, I would have run home to the safety of four solid walls and my parents.All too often, I think we build up “forts” in our lives, places of false security that do not compare to the real deal.  Our forts can be things that look healthy, like exercising, or they can be something that is perceived as detrimental, like alcohol or food.  Whatever it is, our forts are the things we run to in place of God when the world around us seems to be falling apart.  Throughout scripture, we see examples of what happened when Israel ran to their forts, also called idols.  Spending 40 years in the desert, for example, when they created an idol while waiting for Moses (Exodus 32).  This happens repeatedly in the story of Israel, they see adversity, they rely on something other than God and then they fall flat on their face.  It’s not until they return to Him, repent of their sin and renew their trust in Him that he wipes out their enemy.As we have faced adversity in this last year, let us heed the warning to draw closer to God.  When we draw close to God, we are running toward our true place of security, our stronghold.  
Life Application 

Jesus, give me strength and courage to answer the call in my life.  Help me to learn from Jonah, who wanted to run towards his fort instead of to the people he was called to bring Your love to.  Jesus, help me to bring your love to a world that has set itself against you.  For you are truly patient with us, wanting all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  

 

-Tyler Galloway

Micah_7

Scripture - What stood out?Micah 7What misery is mine!...2 The faithful have been swept from the land;    not one upright person remains.7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,    I wait for God my Savior;    my God will hear me.Observation - What does it say?

Micah 7 is another moving, powerful and passion filled chapter regarding the nation of Israel at that time. The chapter is divided into 3 sections, the first describing the state of the nation (miserable), the second describing God’s favor on Israel which will lead the nation to rise again, and the third praising God for His character and for what He will do. Understanding - What does it mean?What poetic chapter of the bible. I love reading about the nation of Israel, God’s people, because they are a depiction of all of us today, God’s people. I learned this week that yet another christian hero of mine has fallen from grace, albeit posthumously. So it wasn’t a stretch for me to understand how a nation of God’s people could be filled with “not one upright person” as dramatic as that sounds. It is so hard when we watch Christian leaders fall. Isn’t it? And yet as a once christian nation we are filled with the fallen, leaders and all. Isn’t it so important therefore that we have hope for the Lord? The alternative is to stay in our misery. And while many of us do in fact choose that, I choose to turn to my Savior instead. I choose to hope in  a Lord that hears me. I love how the rest of this chapter takes us up and down this roller coaster ride of emotions: 9 Because I have sinned against him,    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,until he pleads my case    and upholds my cause…18 Who is a God like you,    who pardons sin and forgives the transgression    of the remnant of his inheritance?You do not stay angry forever    but delight to show mercy.20 You will be faithful to Jacob,    and show love to Abraham,as you pledged on oath to our ancestors    in days long ago.Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?Doesn’t our relationship with God seem turbulent?? We are miserable people stuck in our own muck. God is required to discipline us, yet in His desire to show mercy, out of love for us, he pardons our sins. In verse 20 I believe Micah is not reminding God of His oath, he is reminding the rest of Israel. The rest of us. In Genesis 22 God speaks to Abraham, “18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” So here I am, Lord. I am a mixed bag, probably just as bad as the original Israelites were. Help me to not stay stuck in the mire. Continue to remind me of your mercy. Continue to show me your faithfulness, though I am unworthy of it. And continue to bring me into your light in spite of myself. My hope is in you, who pleads my case and upholds my cause. In the name of Jesus do I pray. Amen.-kenneth lee