Day Nine: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 9:6: Stop your foolish ways, and you will live; take the road of understanding.

There it is, “take the road of understanding...”

That’s what this month is all about, the road of understanding.

I have found over and over again that when I permeate myself with God’s Word I understand things better! This world becomes clearer and even more relevant, eternity becomes clearer.

Wisdom is all about an eternal perspective. Someone once described wisdom as Godly knowledge put to practical use. I can’t improve on that definition.

Wisdom is a solid house worth living in; wisdom gives life.

The question I ask myself today is: “What are my foolish ways?”

What is it that I foolishly cling to that is keeping me from God’s best.

I want to travel down the road that leads to understanding!

Day Eight: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 8:17, I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Peter Portobello’s Hide and Seek

I’ve written a book. Seriously, I’ve written a full length novel. It's even been "published! (Well two whole copies have been published through a vanity 'vanity press'. Thank you, lulu.com) To date three people have read it: me, my dad and Terrie’s Aunt Lyn. (My Dad said he liked it. I think Terrie’s Aunt is waiting to comment.)

One of these days I’ll actually make it available for anyone who wants to read it; but for now I’m still “editing”.

I share that because Proverbs 8:17 plays a key role in the "turn" for my protagonist’s plot line.

Peter Portobello is a man who wants to find his past, but, in the end, it’s not his past that he needs to find – it’s God’s wisdom, God Himself, that Peter finds he needs.

When I started the novel (the book is entitled “Seven Letters”) I had no idea where it would end, I didn’t even know Proverbs 8:17 would end up in the book at all. It just happened. Peter needed to find something – and it turns out that something was God’s wisdom.

You and I are no different than Peter. We need the same thing in our lives – God’s wisdom.

We’re all good at saying “you need God in your life” to people who are searching, but, if I may be so bold, you need more than God – you need His wisdom.

God isn’t enough. God is not just a “thing” to have, He is a person who needs to have you! God longs to give you all that He has and what He has is His wisdom, His practical teachings that – if followed – will bring you everything you need for a rich and fulfilling life.

He promises that if we SEEK His wisdom, we will find it.

Day Seven: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 7:1-3, “Guard my teachings as you would your own eyes. Remind yourself of them; write them on your heart as if on a tablet.”

Carving into the Tree

Have you ever gone for a walk in a forest only to realize that someone else had been there first? You knew it because they decided to forever leave their imprint on one of God’s trees? I hate it when people do that. Leave the tree alone and care your own limbs!

Today I’m not so much thinking about limbs as I am organs, specifically my heart. Not really my heart that pumps blood, but the “spiritual heart” that lies at the center of all we are. The ancient Hebrews considered the heart the center of their being.

The beginning of Proverbs seven commands us to guard the things we learn from God’ Word as we would our very eyes. We protect our eyes, don’t we? In the same way we should protect the things God teaches us from the thieves that would quickly steal away what we’ve learned. Can you think of the thieves, the things that steal God’s Word from your life and thoughts?

How quickly do you forget Sunday’s sermon or a Bible verse you’ve just read?

There is an remedy for quickly stolen lessons: it’s called memorization. "...write them on your heart as if on a tablet.”

Proverbs 7:3 is telling us to MEMORIZE God’s Word. Committing God’s Word to memory is a powerful tool in your daily battle against the ungodly and harmful effects of this world. I can’t number the times I have been tempted and at just the right moment, a Bible verse floated through my mind. It’s as if I was walking through a dark forest – very much afraid – and then I noticed a verse carved into my heart – forever there.

So, today I’m making a point of carving a new verse onto my heart.

Hey! Ask me Sunday what verse I chose to memorize!

Day Six: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 6:23
“These commands are like a lamp; this teaching is like a light. And the correction that comes from them will help you have life.”

Correcting My Course

Here’s my movie choice of the week: Terrie and I went to see the new “Pirate’s” movie Monday. We had a great time and the movie was worth the price of admission. Very exciting, very funny... I love watching movies about old ships and old shipmates. I especially love the scenes where the captain is at the helm, holding on to the huge wheel, correcting the course of the ship. I always wanted to do that!

The verse that jumped out at me is a “captain’s verse”, “And the correction that comes...will help you have life.”

I’m picture in my mind rough seas ahead. I’ve made some bad choices and the ship I call my life is heading into unsettled waters. It doesn’t look good. But then, I remember the lessons God taught me through my Godly parents and the words from God’s WORD that my parents encouraged me to commit to memory and thus my heart.

I remember the teaching and it’s as if a light begins to shine out in front of my ship and a course begins to clear – all I have to do is make the corrections at my helm and safety is assured – even in the troubled waters.

OK...back to reality...wait a minute – THAT IS REALITY! As I listen and steer toward God’s commands thinks become brighter and clearer and my life is saved from the storms that would otherwise wash me overboard.

The Country Western singer says, “Jesus take the wheel...”

I say, “Jesus, let me steer in Your direction so you don’t have to take the wheel!”

Day Five: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 5:21 “For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.”

I have a confession to make: I am a liar. Not that I lie to other people, I really try to keep from that; I work hard at being honest! However, I find it hard a times to be honest with myself. My heart can be “deceitfully wicked” when I don’t keep it in check.

It’s easy to lie to yourself; it’s easy to tell yourself that you’re thinking more about others than yourself. It’s easy to convince yourself that your point of view in obviously more valid that the other person’s. It’s easy to tell yourself that you need what you don’t really need. It’s just way too easy to lie to yourself.

Lying to yourself is easy, because you usually want to hear the lie.

The antidote for “self-lying” is found in Proverbs 5:21, “The LORD sees clearly...”

Today my goal is to ask the LORD to reveal a few of my self-lies and help me to see me as clearly as He sees me. In the process I assume I will find a few dents in my vehicle that need repair and I am determined to start the repairs before the sun sets.

Day Four: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 4:14-16 "Do not do as the wicket do or follow the path of evil doers. Avoid their haunts. Turn away and go somewhere else, for evil people cannot sleep until they have done their evil deed for the day. They cannot rest unless they have caused someone to stumble."

This is another on of those days when taking just one verse is going to be tough. I’ve never really “noticed” verses fourteen through sixteen before. Those three words at the beginning of verse fifteen really stand out in the New Living Translation of Proverbs 14: “Avoid their haunts.”

But if you really want to get the point, read the verse in the Old English (King James) translation: “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” Do you think he’s trying to make a point here?

As I journey through “today” I want to keep my eyes open so that I do not fall for the detours and paths of those who choose the morally wrong. Their only purpose is to cause me to stumble.

So today, LORD, let me keep my eyes open, looking straight ahead keeping to Your path that is safe!

Day Three: Proverbs Road Trip

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Honestly, there's too much in these thirty-five verses for me to make sense out of in one day - so I was drawn back to what I believe are the two key verses for the entire book of Proverbs.

I find myself trying to figure and plan on my own. It's not that I don't have the intellegence to figure some things out without God - it's just that I am incredibly LIMITED. My understanding fits inside of a 48-year-old-five foot, nine inch tall (and way too wide) box. God's wisdom and understanding stretches throughout all eternity. I am tempral, God is eternal.
Whenever I depend on my own understanding I always limit myself.

But when I seek God's wisdom and follow it, when I trust Him whole-heartedly, He always directs me.

Today my desire is to be whole-hearted in my trust in God.



June 3rd exit: Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.