Monday, July 7, 2014

A new beginning

This is it, now starts downtown living. Day one, moving in and getting the kids settled. There were a lot of things going on that day and I don't know that I was overwhelmed as much as I was just plain tired at the end of the day. I know I was looking for the presence of God and wanting his direction in this whole process. Day 2, God speaks clearly through Proverbs 2 in some specifically applicable ways to our new neighborhood.

Proverbs 2 New International Version (NIV)

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

 

Perfect. We need wisdom. I am so thankful for a God that has an answer to all things and who knows just what I am thinking. I didn't know that this downtown living would mean having prostitutes on the corner across from our house. My heart wants to sigh and I realize my limitations. I hope that God will give us wisdom in how to love those around us in tangible and intangible ways. And oh may we use this opportunity to teach our children about God's grace and how he sees us as beautiful and perfect in his sight. 

 

To be continued...

 

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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