Proverbs Five.

I want to apologize for doing a lousy job of keeping up with these posts lately. Please forgive me. I will be doing a better job of posting regularly.

v. 7: Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

This is exactly how it is with God and me. He tells me listen, hear, don’t depart from My words. He never departs from me, but it is I who depart from God and His word.

v. 15-17: Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you.

The Jews often sought knowledge from outside sources rather than delving into the word of God which was written for them and was available to them always. Do we not do the same thing? Do we not go to science and philosophy? Do we not go rely on other people, on ourselves, rather than God and His word for day-to-day guidance and decisions? We have been given such a gift that even the Jews didn’t have that we not only have the word of God readily available to us, but we have also been filled with the Holy Spirit so that He is present with – no, IN – us at all times! And yet we neglect our cisterns, we let our fountains disperse (or scatter), we give all of it up to drink from other fountains when we should be drinking deeply of the water that we have, the Living Water in our own cisterns.

v. 19-20: As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?

Here the fountains, the word of God, the wisdom of God, are likened to a woman. When we give it the chance, when we go to our fountains, our cisterns, they are enough to satisfy us. The word of God is enough to satisfy us at all times if we let it. The word of God (the Gospel) is love. The fountain of Living Water is full of love with which God wants to consume each one of us. So why go to an “immoral woman”? Why go to other places that do not fulfill us and lead only to destruction just as a seductress?

v. 21: For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths.

All of my ways, all of my paths, my choices, my circumstances are before God. He is aware of all and He ponders all. “Ponder” means to meditate, consider, or contemplate. God doesn’t just do things in our lives willy-nilly. He has carefully planned my life. He was very careful and thoughtful in creating me and in guiding my every step in the way of my life.

Marina

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Proverbs Three.

Disclosure about today’s meditation: it’s coming out of a lot of frustration. This is mostly just my personal [edited] prayer to God in response to this frustration as well as this passage…there may also be a lot of begging with God involved…

v. 5: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

It’s only day three and a half since I’ve seriously started this fast, and my intuition, my own understanding is causing me to doubt and doubt and doubt. I want to do or say certain things, but that’s not how it works, is it? Things just can’t make sense to me, right? Because then I’d depend on myself and not on You. Do You know how simple this verse sounds? Do You know how HARD it is? Do You know how hard it is to surrender my desires, my dreams, to You? I know that You’ve given me my dreams, my desires, but I have such a hard time believing it, since we’re being open and honest here. Why are things so difficult? I want to trust You because my own understanding is telling me to do exactly the opposite of what my spirit — Your Spirit in me — is telling me! HOW? HOW can I turn to You and turn away from my own “wisdom” — really my own foolishness? My own understanding is getting me nowhere.

v. 6: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I’m not just acknowledging You; I’m begging You for direction! DIRECT ME! Show me my purpose, my will — no — Your will for me!

v. 24: When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

Where is this sweet sleep? Where can I get some? Papa, I beg You! Give me sleep. Give me rest. I am burdened, heavy-laden. Did You not promise me rest when I come to You? Well, here I am!

That being said, it is Marina’s bedtime! Good night, God bless, and Happy Fast of the Nativity!

Marina

Just heard about the series and want to catch up? Click here for all posts from this series!

Proverbs Two.

v. 3: Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,

What does a person crying out for discernment look like? Pretty desperate I’d imagine. Wisdom isn’t just something that falls into your lap, you have to be seeking it. It’s a two-way street, the attainment of wisdom. Papa, I’m going to lay this down here: I am PRETTY DARN DESPERATE for guidance, wisdom, discernment. I CRY OUT TO YOU FOR THESE THINGS! You see my heart; You see how destitute I am! I desperately cry out to You for wisdom, for discernment!

v. 4: If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;

If someone is looking for silver, for gold, for hidden treasures, he or she wouldn’t stop until it was found, right? Think about all those pirate movies: they stop at nothing to find the hidden treasure, right? Likewise, I need to seek out wisdom as if it were as valuable as hidden treasures because, frankly, it is.

v. 5: Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God,

Key word in this verse? Then. Like I said earlier, wisdom isn’t just going to fall into your lap. Only after I have cried out for wisdom, sought it out tirelessly and persistently, can I receive the understanding of God, the knowledge of God. I can’t just say, “Okay God, some wisdom would be nice” and then expect it to just come to me.

v. 6: For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Why do we so often try to go to other sources for discernment? We go to other people, other places to find what can only be found in God. Only God can provide wisdom, knowledge, understanding. No matter how hard I may try to find these things in other places, I can only obtain them from God, specifically from His words. Out of His mouth He speaks, right? Well, His words are right in front of me, in the Bible. That is the source of wisdom I should be going to.

v. 16, 20: To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words…So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness.

What is the ultimate goal of wisdom? Verse 20 says it all. If you are walking in a path lined with “immoral [women]” and “seductresses” (temptations of this world, of sin, of death) and are hoping that wisdom will encourage you to continue down this path, then you’ve got another thing coming. The first way to recognize and abide by the principle of wisdom is to ask yourself: is this leading me in the way of goodness, in the paths of righteousness?

God bless and Happy Fast of the Nativity!

Marina

Just heard about the series and want to catch up? Click here for all posts from this series!

Proverbs One.

For the fast of the Nativity this year, I’m reading Proverbs in hopes of finding wisdom. So, as I read through this book I will post my meditations, and hopefully you guys can benefit from this book of wisdom and share some of your own too!

v. 10: My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

It is really easy to get sucked into this world, to get sucked into sin, whether it be stealing, lying, cheating, committing sexual immorality. You name it, it’s not an easy thing to overcome. It’s not always a blatantly obvious sin either. Often it starts out small and “harmless”, but then it grows into a monster that is nearly impossible to escape from.

v. 15: My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path;

It is not enough to just abstain from certain acts while continuing to walk with sinners. I can’t spend all my time walking with, eating with, dwelling with sinners, with those who are, no doubt, being led and leading me to destruction. doesn’t Psalm 1 say, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (v.1)? In dwelling and associating with these people, I lead myself in the path of evil, ultimately the path of death.

v. 20, 23: Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares….Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

Wisdom is waiting to be heard, waiting to be found. Wisdom is not hidden from us, rather our eyes are blind and our ears deaf. We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us, to fill us with the wisdom we need. But how many of us suppress the voice of wisdom, the voice of the Holy Spirit? How many times has God tried to speak wisdom to me through His Spirit, and yet I remained deaf to His voice? I have wisdom knocking at the door of my heart, dying to be poured into me, giving me the wisdom I need. I just need to stop rejecting wisdom from being poured into my heart.

v. 33: But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure [at ease] without fear of evil.

Why wisdom? Here’s the answer! When I listen and submit to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit inside of me, I am safe. I have nothing to worry about. I no longer need to fear evil, to worry about falling into evil. when I am being led by the Spirit, I am made safe, protected. So why not wisdom?

God bless and Happy Fast of the Nativity!

Marina