Family Friday: Building your house with Wisdom

Proverbs 24:3 “Through wisdom is an house builded;and by understanding it is established:”

When the Psalmist speaks of wisdom, he is speaking of wisdom that comes from God, through God’s Word. Through this wisdom a house is built. The house is describing a home, a family, a household. The word builded means to “begin to build”.  It means to start the family properly. When we think of this passage as an actual structure, it means to foundationally prepare to build with the right materials, the right plans, and the right contractor. It means further to begin and finish the structure. Once this is done this leads us to the next phrase, “and by understanding it is established.”  Understanding means, discretion, reason, skillfulness understanding, wisdom. It means that wisdom continues to strengthen and build the house but with the added ingredient of skillful reason and discretion. In family relationships, such a marriage or child rearing it means to communicate wisdom with reason and discretion. Finally, God says that through understanding this home, this family, this marriage is established and established means it will stand, it will last, it will be perfected.

Marriages and families start but many do not last. The answer is simple yet profound. It must start in wisdom, wisdom is found in the Word of God and from the teaching and preaching of the Word of God by wise men. This is why a Bible preaching church is so important for it is a place of wisdom and wisdom is absolute when we begin our home and marriage. After we begin, if our home and marriage is to last, we must get understanding. Psalm 119:104 “Through thy precepts I get understanding:.”  Understanding comes as we continue in the Word of God, as we continue learning and growing through the preaching of the Word of God. Understanding grows in us as we seek wisdom and understanding and as we grow in God’s precepts. Understanding grows as we unselfishly begin to live for others more than ourselves. So long as understanding, (communication with discretion) continues in the home the family will continue to last. Communication is not generic conversation but sincere interaction with wisdom, reason and discretion. It is important what we say, but it is also important how we say it. I have often said that a key factor in the way our 6 daughters turned out was their mom staying up late with them at night. They would all seven sit in one bedroom and talk to late hours. This was a time that they could unload everything. These late hour conversations were communication with wisdom and discretion. Another key principle we tried to live by, was, if they ever open up, then let them talk and do not interrupt or correct. If you correct them they will clam up and stop talking, so while they are talking let them share their heart. Now this is not critical or rebellious talk against the parent but just unloading their hearts about issues at school, friends, frustrations, dreams, etc.

A principle for the marriage that helps conversation is learning the art of asking questions. Men normally are not creative conversationalists, but if the wife will ask him questions, like, “how did you figure that out” or “what did you have to do to fix that. “ Artful questions with a little praise mixed in,will often pull out conversation from the quietest of men.

May we all grow in wisdom and understanding that our homes will stand through a lifetime.

Thoughtful Thursday: Be Kind

Be kind at every opportunity.  There is always an opportunity.

I challenge you to look for ways to be kind to someone today.   

Make it a matter of prayer, asking the Lord to reveal opportunities to you.   

After doing something kind, I want you to take notice of how you feel afterwards.  

 It’s nearly impossible for anyone to walk away with a bad feeling after a genuine display of kindness towards another person.  Try it!

We Pray Wednesday: Prayer Testimony - Joelle

My sister, Joy, and my brother-in-law are due at the beginning of November with their

third child. Planning to help with her other children while she is in delivery, my husband

and I began looking for plane tickets early. The prices were pretty steep and never

really went to a range we were comfortable paying. Frequently, my sister and I speak

on the phone and usually the conversation comes around to her pregnancy and whether

I had found tickets yet. Each time I finished my conversation with her, I would say

a quick prayer that we find some tickets soon. My husband and I were sure it would

work out. My cousin suggested I check to see how our Capital One Rewards worked

with our checking account. I knew we had rewards but had not really looked at them.

When we opened the account I had some problems accessing the rewards online.

(My husband calls me the electronic killer). Later in the week, I called a Capital One

representative and she was able to walk me through resetting the account. However, I

quickly realized we still would not be able to cover the two tickets we needed with the

reward points. The representative must have heard my disappointment and asked what

I was trying to do with the points. I explained we were planning a trip and were praying

that the rewards would help us with the cost. I was put on hold while the representative

checked the account details on the rewards. When she came back on the line she asked

the current ticket prices and then put me on hold once more. The last time she came back

to the phone, she explained that she could change our account details for the rewards to

a new way to redeem the miles. After she finished explaining the new plan, I realized

that not only would my points be enough to cover the two tickets that we needed but we

would also have leftover points! We had been so focused on the prices of the tickets while

God had already provided the tickets for free!

Teen Tuesday: Week 5

Monday's Message: Spiritual Understanding

Spiritual Understanding  I Corinthians 2:1-16

I Corinthians 2:1-2. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Paul introduces this passage by reminding them that from the first time they met until now he had always used plain and simple language with them concerning the things of God, and that his primary motivation for getting to know them and teaching them was to ensure they would know the Gospel of Christ.

I Corinthians 2:3-5. “And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Paul was very serious about the delivery of truth, and was adamant about it being taught exactly as God had given it to him. He did not wish to lead people astray, but to bring them closer to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It seems that he was fearful of speaking to them, yet in spite of his own weakness, fear, and trembling he boldly proclaimed truth in their ears.  He had no interest in spreading his own opinions; he knew that the faith of those he would teach could never stand on his words or beliefs, but if their faith was founded on God’s Word then they would have a sure place to stand.

I Corinthians 2:6-8. “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 

Now among those who possess the Holy Spirit, which is every believer, more than just the Gospel is shared.  They are now saved, and have need of spiritual growth.  Paul is saying that not everything contained in the Word of God is right there on the surface; at times, Bible study can be very tedious, and can take a great deal of time to gain a good understanding of a given passage.  Also, it requires faith to believe the whole story or message.  It was obvious to Paul, that it was a mystery; because, many people, princes and rulers included, remain ignorant of the details of the Gospel and ministry of Christ.  Some of them were willfully ignorant, but ignorant none the less.

I Corinthians 2:9-13. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

There are some things in the spoken of in the Bible about which only the Holy Spirit can provide clear understanding.  He knows and understands each one of us perfectly, and He also possesses infinite wisdom and knowledge.  He desires to teach to us, but we must study and pray and be submissive to Him in order to allow Him teach us these things.

I Corinthians 2:14-16. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

The natural man refers to the ordinary man who lacks the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit of God.  The Scriptures will never be clear to anyone who in not yielded to the Spirit.  God’s Word is a powerful, deep, and living book, and He wants each of us to benefit from the truth contained in its pages.  However, He will not “pull back the veil” allowing anyone to experience His wisdom until they have surrendered themselves to Him and placed their faith in Him to guide them.

Please, do not buy into the lie of the devil that “The Bible is too hard to understand”, so you need a more updated version.

I Corinthians 14:33 God is not the author of confusion… there is only one Bible for every language!

We simply need the Holy Spirit to guide us and to teach us!

I Corinthians 2:14 Tells us that we are not able to fully grasp all that is in the book without Him.

Ps. 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Most times we would understand the passages we are reading better if we understood the complete meaning of the words. You need to have a good dictionary.  I recommend you purchase a Webster’s 1828.  Mr. Webster used the King James Version (KJV) to guide his writing of the dictionary.

Sunday Says: Week 5

Family Devotions

Making Family Devotions Happen

Like any Christian, my desire was teaching my children Biblical truths and instilling in them a love for my heavenly Father. I wanted to confidently fulfill my responsibilities and to live out Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;”

 I pictured the scene in my mind: A family gathered in a living room, the morning sun pouring in. A sense of peace fills the room as a confident and prepared father leads his family in learning from the Word of God. His wife smiles—she is content, rested, and supportive. The children are not just attentive, but fascinated with their father’s instruction. Unity abounds and time stands still as children ask questions and everyone enjoys their time so much that they forget all about moving on to the rest of the day.

In spite of my high hopes, each time I resolved to live my desires out, I became besieged with interruptions, complications, and deteriorating enthusiasm. Too often pressing business needs, home repairs, or other issues sabotaged my good intentions.

Can you relate to my continual frustration? Small children, business needs, ministry and church involvement, and household chores. I kept hoping that as soon as we worked through the current big project, the next looming event, or the latest obstacle, I would get into the habit of actively teaching my children and loving my wife as I dreamed of doing.

These are all reasons for my own failure in this area, but upon examining my heart closely, I found that the real reason I couldn’t live out what I knew was right was, because I didn’t take God’s commands to fathers seriously. Taking leadership and demonstrating sacrificial love were really good ideas, something that I knew should do. However, I obviously didn’t really believe that God thought training my kids in His Word was essential to their daily lives, because I wasn’t doing it. The smaller projects and responsibilities that could have been put off somehow always took precedence over what I knew in my heart was my responsibility.

We have found that a key to making these goals work out practically is to have enough structure to make our time as a family predictable and feasible, while staying flexible for days when we aren’t able to meet together. When we can’t spend time together in the morning, I try to take an opportunity later in the evening.

I know that our daily time, roughly 30 minutes to an hour in length, is going to influence future generations. This is time in which I am passing on my love for God’s Word. It is time in which we seek God as a family for things that concern us. It is time to build bonds and create memories that will strengthen each one of our children for the rest of their lives.