Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].
Proverbs 31:16a - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]...
Have you ever had an important decision to make, a decision that is a pretty big deal, that will affect the next several years of your life? Maybe the rest of your life? It's important, you really want to make sure you make the right decision. It's going to affect everything.
As you begin your decision making process, you begin to weigh the options. Maybe you are a list person, so you write out all the pro's & con's on a piece of paper. You may fold your paper in 3 sections, use a ruler to make a straight line and begin to neatly bullet things out. Or, maybe you're the type that just gets out a sticky note, and scribbles a few things down. You may be the thinker. The person who sits on it for awhile, days, thinks it over and over. Quietly & to yourself, but you just think. Then, there are those of you who are talkers. You just have to talk to enough people, hear yourself think outloud, hear the ideas come out, get the opinions of others to help narrow down your decision.
Whichever type of person you are when you make decisions, hopefully you do pray or take a minute to just bounce it off the Holy Spirit.
Whenever I read Proverbs 16, I think of it as a "Power Chapter" when it comes to making plans & deciding things. Verse after verse it talks about "plans." Something that I found comforting this morning was the very last verse, "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]." Since the term "lot" isn't something that we commonly use today, I decided to get a bit more clarity and check how the original Hebrew defined "lot." The definition that made the most sense to me was this: a systematic way for making decisions.
So here you are.... the big decision on the table. Maybe it's a job, moving to a different city, getting married, buying a house, changing churches, starting a business, closing a business, beginning to have kids... whatever the "big decision," it's on the table. Whatever your "lot," your "systematic way for making decisions," you begin the process. What I like, as a Christian, is the latter part of the verse. Though we plan, we systematically sketch out our thoughts, pro's and con's, at the end of the day, the Lord is going to ultimately direct us. Especially when we are seeking Him, acknowledging Him, considering Him, we are going to be led the right way. We are going to choose the "right spouse," the "right house," the "right city to move to." God is not in the business of leading us awry, but leading us down the path of life, godliness & favor.
Our Proverbs 31 woman, follows the same process as we do. She "considers." The Hebrew breaks the word "consider" down as this: to fix thoughts upon, devise, plan, consider, to purpose. In the case of Proverbs 31:16, she is considering buying a field, basically jumping into a new business venture. She takes time to fix her thoughts, her undivided attention upon weighing her options. Is this a wise business decision for her?
Friend, take comfort. God will not lead you astray. If you need one last "check" in finalizing your decision, a rule of thumb I always use is this: Let PEACE be your umpire. In the natural, if I am not sure which way to go, I follow peace. With which decision do I have the most peace? The Holy Spirit is peace. I allow peace to direct me. I also heard Tyler say this recently, which is extremely helpful, "The Holy Spirit always pulls, the enemy, Satan always pushes. There is pressure with the enemy." If I feel pressure, I typically stray away from that decision.
As you acknowledge the Lord, take peace. Whatever the decision you make, it is not accidental. Take confidence in knowing, since you acknowledged the Lord, He will not lead you astray!
Good morning! It is so still out this morning. It's like the air is just still. Almost a strange quiet. No wind. No rain. Just very still and quiet. A bit like my feelings of things I need to do I suppose. If you've joined us the last 2 days....hum.... well, let's just say that it's been Holy Spirit convicting time. Have you had times in your life where the Holy Spirit is just getting on you about change? I guess maybe it's a good thing. I have a close enough relationship with the Holy Spirit, with my Lord that He is able to talk to me about areas in my life that need change. I'll tell ya, it's really not always easy to hear. Sometimes it seems like such a big job! I'm still majorly in the process of "De-Cluttering".... that is definitely not an overnight process. But... I know what to do, so that is probably the biggest part of it. (GTD - Getting Things Done by David Allen - Get the book on CD if you don't have time to read it.) Tyler has implemented GTD really well and for probably over a year has wanted me to just DIVE in. I've pretty much blown that idea off in the past. I wasn't really ready for it. But... evidently the Holy Spirit says I need to be ready now! I agree! De-cluttering will be good. Things need to have their place and that will most definitely free up my mind! What did Tyler do that was SOOOO good in it all?? He frequently does this..... he casts me on the Lord. He realizes that HE can't fix me or change me, but the Lord can. So... he continues to cast me on the Lord. That's a good place for me to be. The "Old Amy" would want to rear up and totally buck the system if someone tried to make me change. Especially if I wasn't ready. I'm not saying that's right, it's just true. As a child, my parents always prayed that the "stubborn Amy Jo" would one day steer the stubbornness to serve the Lord with a fervor. Well... let's just say, I'm glad Tyler has learned to cast me on the Lord. That's the best place for me to be. The Holy Spirit has a way of speaking the truth to me in a way no one else can, and at a time when I am ready and willing to listen. Well... with quite a long intro... let's get started.
Proverbs 28:19 - He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.
Psalm 118:6a, 7a - The Lord is on my side.... The Lord is on my side.....
Psalm 118:8 - It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
This morning I was talking to Tyler.... he is really a wealth of knowledge. I'm glad I married him. He is always learning. He reads all the time! He listens to awesome men of God and business leaders, and really is quite an inspiration to me. He makes me think all the time! It is so true what it talks about in Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. - That is my husband. A definite iron sharpener!
So, in our conversation he reminded me something I had heard a long time ago. The best way to get an answer to a problem. George Washington Carver, inventor of over 300 uses for the peanut, including yummy peanut butter! And how did he come of with these inventions? He said, "God gave them to me." It has been noted, when Carver wanted to solve a problem or was seeking an answer to a question, he didn't seek out men, he didn't seek out education and books, but he sought God. He took his Bible and a notebook went to a quiet room, closed the door and sought the Lord. It was not "try, fail & adjust", but it was, "Lord, you give me the answer. I'm going to seek you until I have it."
Wow! What an awesome example to learn from! Is there really anything else to say? The Lord will answer, and as it says in Psalm 118, The LORD is ON YOUR SIDE! He's on your side! He wants you to be a success! He wants you to win! He wants the RIGHTEOUS to flourish!
What are you following? Who are you following? What are your pursuits? Are they worthless? Are they of value? If they are, and things are not going how you would like them to go, do like Carver did, seek the Lord. Get a notebook, get your Bible, leave your laptop and cell phone in a different room (and turn your phone off or on silent) and SEEK the Lord. With Him, it is not "try, fail & adjust," He just gives you the actual exact thing to do IF you tune in to Him and listen.
Short and sweet. But a definite Word!
Buenos dias! Como estas? Todo bien en Columbia, SC. :)
HI! Well, this morning is going to be a bit different of a post. This morning is going to be a "HOW TO." HOW TO become this Proverbs 31 woman. The purpose of this "devotional" in your life. Your responsibility outside of this devotion. Like the "wise saying" answering the question: "How do you eat an elephant?" - Answer: One bite at a time.
This morning we are going to discuss the "one bite at a time" in becoming this woman. As you have studied Proverbs 31, have you at times felt overwhelmed? Have you, like me, thought, "Man, she is literally like super-human. She is everything. Is she just an idea? She is perfect. She is good at everything. Ahhhhh!" When you read through her qualities, characteristics, strengths, accomplishments.... truly it can be a bit overwhelming. Like a, "I'll just quit while I'm ahead".... "I'll just stop before I even start."
HOW TO USE THIS DAILY DEVOTION:
The purpose of this devotion, this study through Proverbs and the Proverbs 31 woman is to take you deeper. One verse at a time, to help you see real life examples. Since each blog-post covers only ONE verse about the Proverbs 31 woman, the goal is to take you deeper on the topic. Take you deeper on that verse. Maybe give you different insight, allow you to see Hebrew text & meanings, see cross reference scripture of other parts of the Bible. Why are the cross-references good? Because the Bible ALL is one, WHOLE book. The Bible is ALL true. NO verse contradicts another. The Bible works together as a whole to deliver one package and message. True, within it, within the inspired Words written thousands of years ago, we find many messages, many areas in which we can learn or work on but all working together. One package. One book of truth. The cross-referencing just brings more validity to what we study about this Ultimate Woman, this Proverbs 31 Woman. The cross-reverencing brings more depth or insight into who she is.
The purpose of this devotion is to take you deeper. Give you a deeper look.
HOW TO BECOME THIS PROVERBS 31 WOMAN:
When you just read Proverbs 31, it can be a bit overwhelming. It could be easy to give up before you even start, but I encourage you, KEEP GOING! There are obvious areas that may jump out at you that you know are strengths of yours, then maybe some obvious areas that may be areas of weakness. What is our goal? One quality, one characteristic at a time, to work on that area and make it part of your life. To make it a strength. We are not trying to be the WHOLE PACKAGE TODAY! We are working towards the whole package. This is MOST DEFINITELY a JOURNEY! A journey that may very well take a life-time, but most likely will take years and years. Will we ever "arrive"? I'm not sure, but I DO think that we can get to the point where we ARE operating in all of these strengths! I believe "SHE" is innate in "US"! I believe God made us to BECOME this Woman of God! I believe deep down, in each of us, THERE she is! She is there! Our job now is to just mold, develop, kneed these areas until they are thriving in our lives. Let's look at some REAL examples and some real ACTION steps!
ACTION STEP #1: MEDITATE & CHOOSE
Read Proverbs 31:10-31, daily. As you read, truly read, open your ears and listen as the Words go through your mind. As you are reading and listening, you will feel a JUMP in your spirit... or for me, in my mind it is often as if I see a RED FLAG go up, the red flag saying, "Look at ME! Look at ME! Here I am! Work on ME!" Sometimes when the "flag" goes up, that's all the further I read. I know that that specific verse is what I am suppose to work on, to meditate on, to begin establishing that quality or characteristic in my life. Let's look at a real life example...
Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.
- I currently work out four days a week. Usually Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I do not work out on my DOR (Day of Rest - which is usually, but not always, on Wednesday). And, on the weekends, we usually may go on a walk with the boy, talk... we are "moving". We may walk around our block which is a mile. WELL, to make sure I am always working on this verse, what do I do??? On the days that I work out, I always incorporate an arm exercise. Something to make my arms strong and firm. It is something easy that I can incorporate into my work-out. I can do it daily. And because I am doing it on a regular basis, before long, my arms WILL BE very strong & very firm. Say, "SO long to arm jiggle! So long to arm flab!" I have incorporated maybe 1 minute of push-ups, 1 minute of curls, 1 minute of lat-pull downs. This is not in a gym, it is right outside my house using a "Green Band". I believe you can get them at Dicks Sporting Goods, maybe even somewhere like a Wal-Mart. But, the great thing about it... if I am doing curls, I can step on the band in a spot which is "higher up" and give myself a harder resistance. So, you don't need to have an expensive gym membership to get firm arms or become this part of the "Proverbs 31" woman.
Now that I am regularly working on the "firm arms"... I am past the point of "thinking about it." Or past the point of it really being a struggle to incorporate into my life, I am doing it regularly without even thinking about it. It is now part of my routine. Once past getting that into my routine, I move on to ACTION STEP #2.
ACTION STEP #2: BUILD UPON EACH OTHER
So, once you have ONE verse that you feel like you have under your belt pretty good.... ADD another one. Go back to ACTION STEP #1. Read through it daily until something jumps out at your spirit. When something does, ADD that as an area to work towards. For example...
- Waking up early has always been a struggle? But, you see in Proverbs 31:15- "She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household..." - As you read through Proverbs 31:10-31, that verse just continues to jump out at you, pricking you, pricking your heart. You KNOW that you need to get up early. You know that you need to be getting in the Word before the day starts and begins to get busy. So, finally, against what your flesh wants to do, you decide to work on this area. To finally CONQUER this area that has been a weakness for so long. Begin. Just begin. Set your alarm clock a little bit earlier. You usually wake up at 6:30, set it for 6:00. Decide by the time you "wake-up" and get into "position" it will be 6:10... so you will have 20 minutes to get in the Word, pray, etc, before you need to start getting ready for work.
ACTION STEP #3: PREPARE YOURSELF FOR SLIPS
You are not perfect. Will you have those mornings where you sleep in? You sleep through your alarm clock. You hit snooze 3 times instead of getting up. YES. You may have those mornings. That is why we are only choosing ONE VERSE at a time to work on. Start again tomorrow. Begin again. Every day, begin again. Until, eventually, you will surprise yourself. As you continue waking up, you will find you are REALLY enjoying this intimate time with your Father. You are really starting to look forward to it. You wake up hungry. Hungry for the Word. Before you know it, you are awake 5 minutes before your alarm goes off. Then you start waking up a little bit earlier because you are finding that when your time comes to an end each morning, you just want more. You just want more time. You have accomplished this verse.... now, it's time to go back to ACTION STEP #2 - Build upon this verse and ADD another one to your arsenal.
Can you see how doing this you are "EATING THE ELEPHANT ONE BITE AT A TIME." You are not overwhelming yourself to be the WHOLE PACKAGE today or tomorrow. You are BEGINNING. You are doing the Slight Edge: Those things that are easy to do, but equally as easy not to do. You are establishing habits. You are building Proverbs 31 habits. One upon the next upon the next. You are on the path to REALLY becoming the Proverbs 31 woman, not just thinking or talking about it! You have an ACTION PLAN in place! You REALLY are working towards an end result!
BEGIN:
In closing.... I encourage you to begin. You will be surprised on this journey, not only will you feel great about accomplishment, but as you are pursuing the things of God, He may very well just drop "witty inventions" in your mind. As you are working on these areas, he may just drop ideas in your mind of something to create. Something the market needs. Where, as you are on your journey to be the woman God wants you to become, you find success & joy. You find that truly wealth and riches ARE in your house, you just had to unlock it. Million dollar ideas. The ability to do what you love and get paid for it. Living out your dream. Living out your passion. Impacting the Kingdom. It almost seems wrong because you LOVE it so much! You no longer will work a day in your life because walking in your calling is not work. You were BORN to do this very thing. I would bet, on your journey to become this Proverbs 31 woman, you may very well find or begin doing what you love to do. At least that is my prayer for you. More people need to be living and walking in their calling, not just working for a dollar bill just to get by. There is so much more than just getting by. It begins with beginning.
Enjoy this journey as you are becoming....
The Ultimate Woman.
