Proverbs 29 - 7.8.24

Scripture

Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭15‬ & 17 ‭NLT

15 “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.”

17 “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.”

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Observation

In this proverb, King Solomon speaks of the importance of disciplining our children because it produces wisdom. True wisdom comes from God and if a child is living a godly, disciplined life, a parent can have peace of mind knowing that their child will be blessed with God’s favor and protection.

“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” -Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭

However, if that child is undisciplined, not only do they bring troubles and misfortune their way, but they bring disgrace to their parents who raised them.

Application

Discipline out of love, not anger.

The part in the verse that really stood out to me was the part where it talked about how a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. I mean, we’ve all seen it. Whether we’re at a mall, restaurant, or a movie theater, we’ve all seen that out of control, undisciplined child throwing a fit and having a tantrum when things don’t go their way. They are usually loud and obnoxious, running and screaming down the aisles and creating a scene. While this is happening, everyone else is thinking, “whose kid is this?!”

Now I hate to admit it, but I was a parent to one of those kids. It was when one of my daughters was a toddler playing at the mall playground, and she had a total meltdown. Other parents were looking and staring, while I had to embarrassingly grab her and bring her to the bathroom. It was then that I had to discipline her to correct her bad behavior. But, that moment helped her realize that there was a certain standard that I had set for her to live by. If she couldn’t meet that standard, there would be consequences. Needless to say, she never had another meltdown like that again, as she learned from her mistake.

The same goes with us and our relationship with God. God creates His standards that we should try to live by. If we mess up, (which all of us have done), there is usually some sort of discipline or consequence we receive because of it. But, we are ALWAYS met with God’s grace, mercy, and love. The key for us as His children is to repent/learn from our mistakes and to try not do them again. If we don’t, we know discipline is around the corner and we know God disciplines those He loves. I mean, what kind of parent just lets their kids go off in this world to do anything they want, whenever they want?! Obviously, a parent who doesn’t care. But God cares. He loves us. God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. We carry His family name as Christ Followers and should want to make Him proud with everything we do. 😊

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”-Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭6‬

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Forgive me for the times I fall short to Your standards. And even though it may bring me discomfort, thank You for Your discipline when I do mess up. Because I know You do it out of love. You don’t want me to go down a path that leads to darkness that leads death. You correct me to put me back on the path that leads to life. Help me to stay on course. Give me a heart that wants to please You and make You proud. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Leviticus 26 - 7.5.2024

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

Leviticus 26:6-8
“‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

The part of these verses that stood out to me was, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.”

Speaking to the Israelites during a time before ours God says that if the Israelites will obey Him, He will bring peace to their land, remove the wild beasts, and prevent enemy “swords” from passing through their country. The hyperbole (or is it literal considering the warriors of renown during King David’s reign?)is what struck me. Five would overcome a hundred. One-hundred would overcome ten-thousand. And their enemies would fall.

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

It is so wild to me at times to read about the interaction God had with people so many thousands of years before Christ. I often wonder, Father God, what our nation would be like if we obeyed you? Would we become a nation of peace, where we could lie down and not be afraid? Would war no longer come to our country? Would our enemies all fall to us? 

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

Teach me Father God, in how I may align into greater obedience with Your Will today. I think about the offer made to your people in the above verses and I can’t help but think I want that for my family. For my town. For my country. For all of Your people. Bless us with peace. Bless us with strength. Bless us with prosperity.

In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee

Proverbs 27 - 7.4.24

Proverbs 27:9, 17

S - 9  Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,

     and the pleasantness of a friend

    springs from their heartfelt advice (NIV)

17  As iron sharpens iron,

     so a friend sharpens a friend (NLT)

O - Proverbs 27 is an inspirational guide on navigating life's challenges and relationships with wisdom. It imparts the significance of humility, the importance of genuine friendship, and the value of diligent work and prudent stewardship. These words of wisdom are timeless, offering guidance for life in any era and reminding us that while life may be unpredictable, wisdom will always guide us towards a life of integrity and fulfillment. These verses elaborate on the essence of true friendship, advising the reader to value and maintain strong friendships (Biblehub.com)

A – Growing up I had a handful of close friends who have stayed with me through adulthood. I treasure those relationships for the value they have because we have been through decades of life together…laughter, tears, children, losing parents, and getting old! LOL However, only one of those friends is a Believer and as a young woman I was hurting and longing for something more. When I became Christian 23 years ago, I discovered it was JESUS I missed in those friendships and why I still could feel so alone even though I love them dearly. When I discovered friendships through my church family it opened my world to deep, spiritual connections with like-minded brothers and sisters. THIS is what I was missing. There is something life-giving about growing in the Word together, and doing life together while we partner with God to bring others to know HIM. I am always amazed to think back on how lonely I was in my youth and to see how blessed I am now, with so many great friends that I honestly can’t get enough time in with any of them! I have learned that the only way we can sharpen each other and help each other grow is to be present (which means being focused and engaged on the here and now, not distracted or mentally absent). It includes self-sacrifice, opening your home to others, letting people see your “mess”, inviting people to coffee or lunch, taking the time to check in on people and see how they are really doing. It may mean holding one another accountable or showing someone an area you believe them to be in sin, or causing themselves harm. God created us to be in relationship with Himself and with other believers and to work together to invite the unsaved into relationship with Him. It is a privilege, and it feeds the SOUL.

If you haven’t been involved in small groups, outreaches, or you have never invited anyone to meet you outside of church, I would encourage you to seek God on how you can make that happen, and with whom. And when you are struggling with something, don’t isolate or attempt to solve the problem on your own. Seek God of course, but also seek the counsel of a Christian brother or sister. I promise it isn’t as scary as it might seem, and you may find that others have been where you are. Or maybe you have just gotten busy with your own life lately and have been MIA for a while. I encourage you to take the opportunity to connect with your DSC family. God will work through each of us to give wise counsel to each other IF we seek Him and seek out helping others.

P – Lord Jesus, I pray you would put other’s who need some wise counsel in our thoughts and in our path. I pray that you will give us the WISDOM needed in each of the situations we come across to help encourage those people. Help us to take off the blinders to what other people need, to put others FIRST as you have called us to do, to sacrifice our time, money and comforts in order to bless someone who needs a tangible connection. I pray you continue to use me to bless others and to have discernment when others need connection. Help us amid our busy lives to not let anyone in our DSC family slip through the cracks unnoticed. Help each of us to be SEEN. In Jesus’ name I pray.

- Crystal Flory