🎵Proverbs 27: Promise of Provision
It was a cold January day on the 27th of the month. I started the year doing the daily Proverbs study, and until that day, I didn’t know how valuable it would become to me. On weekdays, I read it at the bus stop on the way home from work. Other than the crisp breeze from the ocean in the early evenings, my study time was a little escape from the bustle of busy Santa Monica streets and people.
Proverbs Chapter 27 was the day’s reading, and it started with a fitting verse…
Proverbs 27:1 WEBUS
[1] Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.27.1.WEBUS
And I sure did not know I would lose my job that day just because I did my job as instructed. I loved my job as a law office receptionist and only had problems with one person there. She got upset when I wouldn’t lie and tell a caller she wasn’t there unless she went down the stairs and out the door. But that didn’t cause me to lose my job. It was an event the day before my firing that did that. The attorneys and paralegals were prepping for a major trial, and I was told that absolutely no one could disturb them unless it was a medical emergency. Well, one long-time and very rich client decided those rules did not apply to her. What’s an obedient Christian girl supposed to do?
I told her over and over that I was told I couldn’t even buzz the back office to see if they’d take a call. They never told me this one woman would’ve been an exception, so in trying to keep her business, they put the blame on me. Her solution was to tell them to either fire me or lose her as a client. Guess what they chose. The hiring manager told me I had done nothing wrong, so he was paying me through the end of the week. Apparently, he’d had to let others go for the same reason, so he decided I was the last one he’d hire for them, and he promised to give me a glowing review. But that didn’t change the fact that I needed a new job and a paycheck to pay the rent. And quickly.
As I sat at the bus stop reading that chapter, most of it felt just like meaningless words until I got to the end. In verse 27, I read…
Proverbs 27:27 WEBUS
[27] There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.27.27.WEBUS
Even though I didn’t have servant girls, or understand the verses that came before about being a good steward of flocks, I grabbed this verse as a promise of God’s provision. Though still hurting from the unfairness of my experience, I believed God would make up for it and fix things. And boy did He!
That was a Tuesday. I went job hunting on Wednesday and Thursday with no success. I learned at one job that I was perfect for them, but they had already met their quota of non-Affirmative-Action hires, so they couldn’t hire me. I had one more paid day to get a job without losing money. And a storm was brewing that night that threatened to send me on my job interviews looking like a drowned rat because of the bus being my only transportation. I’ll never forget Friday morning in the kitchen where my roommate had a tiny television on the counter (I didn’t watch TV at all in those days), and it was on the weather report. The broadcasters talked of their surprise at how this storm made a big circle around the valley and was leaving us untouched and dry for the day. And I wondered if God would do something like that just for me.
I had an interview at an office to do collections for outstanding phone bills. They hired me on the spot and told me to start Monday morning. Not even one day without a paycheck! It’s one of those testimonies that God brings back when I’m struggling–and every time I read Proverbs 27.
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Proverbs 24: A Little Slumber
There’s a lot of wisdom in Proverbs Chapter 24. As I’ve gone through this month, I realize that in all the years of reading daily Proverbs, what has worked in my days has been only one, or maybe 2-3, verses. That’s why it’s a bit difficult to try and do a post about a whole chapter. I’ve ended up focusing on sections of verses, but I was feeling a little guilty for not doing a complete chapter study until today. Having listened to someone else’s summary and seeing how it’s kinda disjointed to try and cover it all, it made me realize that it’s okay. Especially since I’ve linked to the entire chapter in each post, and I recommend a full reading in case what stands out to you is different than what mattered to me for the day
So, today, the final 11 “sayings of the wise” run through verse 22. When you click the Bible Hub link to read in the Berean Standard Bible, the sayings are clearly marked, and it makes for some nice study. I don’t post as much from there to avoid copyright issues. Anyway, the remaining verses are considered more sayings to the wise and I want to focus on the final 5 verses. In The World English Bible (public domain, copyright free) it reads…
Proverbs 24:30-34 WEBUS
[30] I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
[31] Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
[32] Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
[33] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
[34] so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.24.30-34.WEBUS
Yes, it’s common sense to know that neglected fields and homes will be taken over by weeds and will fall apart. So why is this considered wisdom? I’m thinking it’s because the message is to consider the not-so-tangible items in our lives that need to be maintained. If you don’t work on relationships, you may one day find miles between you and wonder how it happened. And if you don’t cultivate a relationship with The Lord, you may one day wake up like King David did once and felt like the heavens were brassed over.
As a teenager, I had some serious surgeries that required long recovery times in the hospital. That may not be the same now as they’ve changed how quickly they want people to get moving, but back then, I had one stay of 8 days in the bed. During that time I was on a clear liquid diet, and I’m not sure they even gave me nutrition by IV. But I really didn’t know what I was missing because I wasn’t having to be physically active or upright. On the 8th day, when it was time to remove stitches, I learned what I’d been missing. I felt fine sitting on the edge of the bed. I felt strong standing at the side of it. But when I took the first step forward, I passed out immediately. They caught me and revived me, but I was shocked that I felt strong but truly was not.
Later, after becoming a follower of YahShua (Jesus Christ), I read these verses and connected them to my teenage experience. Just because you feel fine, and maybe even strong, if you’re not keeping yourself nourished in God’s Word and with His Holy Spirit, you may not know how weak you are until you need to move forward. King David says, “Taste and see that The Lord is good,” and YahShua said to pray for Daily Bread. In another proverb, there’s a verse about the slacker who won’t even put a spoon in his bowl and bring it to his mouth.
Let’s fall in love with the meat and gravy of God’s precious words and earnestly dig into that dish for taste and nourishment. Let’s not end up feeling like the thorns and thistles trapped us in bondage while we made everything else more important than God’s wisdom. God provides what we need to be strong if we seek and search with all our hearts. He will fill us up when we receive from His hand.
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Proverbs 14: SEEMS Right vs IS Right
Whenever I’ve read verse 12 in Proverbs Chapter 14, I’ve always thought about it in terms I could relate to; my way of life before committing to walk with The Lord. It reads…
Proverbs 14:12 WEBUS
[12] There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.14.12.WEBUS
When I wasn’t living FOR God, I was not purposely living against Him. And I imagine there are many people out there who really think their ways are right, but they have no idea what kind of path they’re on. Of course, when God calls their attention to it, they will need to decide if they will accept or reject Him, but until their eyes are opened to see the end of their road, how can they know? That’s where believers come in.
We see these fruits, like a woman tearing down her family and her home, or a mocker refusing to take responsibility for his own behaviors and never trying to make things right by atoning for bad decisions. We get frustrated with these people because their destructive behaviors often hurt us or those we love. And it’s hard to feel compassion and love in our hearts for them. Even worse if they are arrogant as they pull the strings of destruction and act like they enjoy it.
But if those fruits of destruction are not waking up those who are causing them, should we just let them keep walking toward eternal death? No, we are given open eyes to see the paths when they cannot see for themselves. But, we are not given these eyes to condemn them, so we can feel better about ourselves. And we are not seeing those fruits, so we can take them away to make people feel better on their walk toward death. Instead, we see the truth, the way things really are, so we can warn them. And by our own testimonies, we can show them a better way.
We’re told in verse 25…
Proverbs 14:25 WEBUS
[25] A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.14.25.WEBUS
Again, it may not be easy when we share the truth because, even if we’re not judging, those stuck in their own ideas of what SEEMS right may feel judged and be angry with us. But it doesn’t mean they haven’t heard what we’ve shared. Verse 33 says ..
Proverbs 14:33 WEBUS
[33] Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.14.33.WEBUS
Somewhere, deep inside, they know the truth that can set them free. In the best case scenario, we will share The Lord with them, and that inward part will be stirred to wake them up to salvation. And the icing on the cake is to be with them as they let go of their sins and accept The Lord.
But if you don’t see any change right away, don’t give up sharing, building, or praying. Remember, the enemy of our souls comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10), so with the strength of YahShua (Jesus) who came to bring abundant life, we can do the opposite. We can restore, bring life, and rebuild. That IS wisdom, and that is The Way that IS right.
And now, here’s a song by one of my favorite Cowboy Christian artists. It perfectly supports the message to never stop ministering to the lost with the line, “Everything you thought I never heard, I hung on to every single word.” It’s called Daddy, I Met a Friend of Yours Today…
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Shema (Listen) to God’s Heart
My Bible study today had one of the most important verses in all of written Scripture. From Deuteronomy 6:4, it’s called “The Shema” and in The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) it reads…
D'varim (Deu) 6:4 CJB
[4] “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, Isra’el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one];
https://bible.com/bible/1275/deu.6.4.CJB
I wanted to create an image that spoke that powerful message so worth listening to. LISTEN! Listen, Israel. Listen, people. Listen, everyone. Just listen. God’s Word is speaking, and it’s pouring out love you can hear, if you will just listen.
When I was running from God and doing things my own way, the thing I really needed to do was listen. I asked God all the “why” questions, but I didn’t listen for His answer, so I didn’t hear the loving words He was speaking to me. He used my own pride against me and got me to a place where I felt stuck (fake praying in a church, so I would look like everyone else there) to slow me down enough to listen and hear. And my life has never been the same.
As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that the words He spoke to me that night were from that Scripture, and I’d not actually realized it. See, the women in the church were gathered around me because they thought the new “sinner” in their midst was praying to be saved. And I had my head buried in my hands to hide that I was faking while trying to figure out how to get out of the situation. That’s when I clearly heard a voice speak, and it said, “You’re not rejecting these people, and you’re not rejecting all the people who hurt you in your life. You’re rejecting me, and I’ve never done anything to hurt you.”
He was speaking directly to me to listen to Him and let Him (not people) be my ONLY (Hebrew word echad) Lord and God. That word means both one and only, and it begs us to hear His voice and tune out all the others.
Even my voice, though I write from my heart and the testimonies God has given me, is not the main voice you should listen to. I pray those who read my blog let my voice lead to The One and Only, Alpha and Omega, First and Last, The Beginning and The End, Yahveh Almighty. And when they hear Him, may they make Him their own One and Only… Forever!
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