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19
Apr
2023

7 things that are an Abomination to God

When our girls were growing up, there were some things that met with instant punishment. First time obedience was a must. If we asked them to do something, they needed to do it the first time we asked and not the 10th time. Disrespect and lying were also big no-nos.  One of my daughters had a pretty rough day in the disrespect category. Another spent a long time in my bedroom until she decided to tell the truth. Those moments were pivotal in their lives. They understood the value of respect and telling the truth. As parents, there are things that require our immediate attention. These things must be corrected quickly because if they are not, the children will begin to lay down habits that will forever taint their lives.

God gave us His word so that we would know what was required of us. The things we should do and the things we should not do.

“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

In Hebrew writing there is a common literary device which is this 1+ saying. Six yeah seven. Not that they didn’t know how to count or they thought of one more thing after they started writing. Rather, it was common in the wisdom literature to draw attention to what was to follow. It also was used to draw attention to the last item in the list. The last item in the list had great value. As we look at each of these things in the list, we can see that when we do any of the first 6 things it will cause the 7th thing.

These are the things that God hates or are an abomination to Him. In other words, He absolutely abhors them.

  1. Haughty eyes

The first thing on our list is pride. The sin that took Lucifer from being an angel of light for God to an angel of darkness was his pride. Is. 14:13-15 is a quotation from Satan when he sinned. The word “I” punctuates the beginning of every sentence. “I will ascend to heaven…I will set my throne on high…I will sit on the mount of assembly…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds…I will make myself like the Most High…” The pride mentioned here is so strong that it can be seen in the person’s eyes. Their countenance portrays what is in their heart. Those that are proud will flee self-examination and will blame or attempt to destroy those that highlight their deficiencies.  Those that are proud hate failure. When they do fail, they won’t ever blame themselves. They will blame someone or something else. It is never their fault. Have you met someone who is unwilling to ever admit their fault? What about a person who refuses wise counsel? What about a person who thinks that the only person that is right is them?

  1. A Lying Tongue

Have you ever played 2 truths and a lie? Each person has to say 2 things about themselves that is true and one thing that is a lie. The lie has to be something that is believable. Have you met people who lie and are believable? You believe everything they say, only to find out later that they lied to you. Then when you confront them about their lie, they tell another lie to cover up the first lie. Many times when we are in the company of these liars, they make us feel uncomfortable. These with a lying tongue bring about confusion on the part of those that are within earshot of their lies. Do you ever feel a sense of confusion when you are in the company of someone or they make you feel uncomfortable? You need to start doing some fact checking. Not only do those that tell lies confuse others, they also are self-deceived. “…the folly of fools is deceiving.” (Prov. 14:8).

  1. Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

This seems evident that God would hate murder. After all, when one person murders another, they are taking the life of that person made in the image of God. Abortion is murder. There should be no debate about this. Yet there is. In 1919, Congress passed the 19th amendment that allowed women the right to vote. This topic has not been hotly debated in 100 years. This topic does not receive publicity. There are no longer debates regarding the legitimacy of this. Abortion, on the other hand, continues to receive much attention. We live in a fallen world that allows doctors to murder unborn babies. Those that believe the baby is a precious life made in the image of God fight for the rights of those unborn children. Those that believe it is “their body their choice” fight for the right to murder the unborn baby. God hates the shedding of innocent blood. Babies are the most innocent that there is. They cannot even put up a fight.  We must also remember the words of John in I John 3:15 “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer…” It is not just the physical act of murder that God calls an abomination, it is also what we harbor in our hearts toward others that can be called murder.

  1. A Heart that Devises Wicked Plans

Do you ever wonder what is in your heart? Look first at how you respond to all the circumstances that happen in your life. If your response to every circumstance honors the Lord, you have a heart that honors the Lord. Our hearts in Scripture could also be called our desires. What is it you desire? What is it you want? When you lay awake at night and cannot sleep or you have a moment when your brain is not busy with work or whatever else may require brainpower, what do you find yourself thinking on? Are you dwelling on those things that glorify God like how to serve and love others? Or are you busy dwelling on how you can satisfy your selfish desires? If you are devising, scheming, or planning ways to satisfy your selfish desires, these are wicked plans. If you have to sin in order to accomplish the wicked plans your heart has devised, then you know that what you are planning is an abomination to God. Will your desires hurt someone else or will they glorify God? Take some time to consider what it is that you want. We do what we do, because we want what we want.

  1. Feet that Make Haste to Run to Evil

It is one thing to have a heart that devises wicked plans, but it heaps on our sin when we also carry out those wicked plans. These people are so eager to satisfy their desires they are hastily running to do evil.  We see this in our streets today. In so many big cities, we see people with feet that are quickly running to ransack buildings, cars, and people’s livelihood.  There is no respect of others or their possessions. We have allowed there to be mayhem and chaos. Sin does not produce peace, rather sin produces chaos and disorder. Two of our daughters are teachers. When there is peace in the classroom, it is because everyone is following the rules of the classroom. When there is chaos in the classroom, it is because the students that are creating the chaos are quickly running to evil. What surrounds your life? Peace and calm or chaos and drama? What is your heart devising that your feet are hastily running toward? Is it peace that brings glory to God or satisfaction of your selfish desires that is deceitful and brings chaos?

  1. A False Witness Who Breathes Out Lies

In the same list of seven things that God hates or are an abomination to Him, two of these mentioned include lying. Jesus calls Himself the ‘’Truth” in John 14:6. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The Word “truth” is used over 200 times in the Bible. Lying is an affront to the character of God since one of the names of Jesus is “truth.” Jesus calls Himself the “Truth” and the person mentioned here that God says is an abomination is a false witness. These are diametrically opposed to each other.  Satan is the Father of Lies. (John 8:44). As was mentioned earlier, someone who lies will make us feel uneasy or confused because we are never sure that what they are saying is believable. God, on the other hand, and His Word are the truth. Anything that contradicts God’s Word and makes us feel uneasy needs to be thoroughly investigated. Remember, “…the folly of fools is deceiving.” (Prov. 14:8).

  1. One Who Sows Discord Among Brothers

Pride, a lying tongue, a murderer, a heart that devises wicked plans, and feet that make haste to run to evil will bring about discord. A person that possesses any of the previously mentioned six qualities will bring about discord, a disruption of peace. Relationships are valuable. God created us to have relationship with Him. He created mankind to have relationship with each other. After God created man, He created woman. “Then the Lord God said, ‘it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Gen 2:18). God created us in His design for relationship. Discord in relationship began to happen because of sin. We saw this first with Adam and Eve and the blame game that happened. We can cause discord in our relationships when we possess the first six qualities mentioned in this list. Others can cause chaos in our relationships when they sow discord. Have you had a disruption in a relationship? Maybe the relationship is not what it once was. Sometimes it is our pride or lying tongues that cause a break in the relationship. Other times, it can be others that sow discord by telling lies or creating drama/chaos in another relationship. Someone else can drive a wedge in another’s relationship with someone out of jealousy or desire to control a relationship.

In Hebrew literature, the seventh thing is the culmination. Discord, strife, conflict in relationships are generally caused by the first six things on this list. Do you have a relationship that has strife or discord? Or a relationship that is not what it once was? The first thing you must do is evaluate the cause. Did you cause it? Did the other person cause it? Did a third party cause it? God does not care who caused the disruption in the relationship. He tells us that no matter who caused the disruption, we should seek to mend it. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mt. 5:23, 24) It is always your turn to seek to mend a relationship.

 

God sent His Son Jesus to reconcile us to Himself. (Col.1:19, 20). God highly values reconciliation. If there is discord, strife, or conflict between you and someone else, do not let your pride get in the way. Go and be reconciled. Jesus gave His life. That is how highly God values reconciliation.

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
11
Apr
2023

Go to the Ant

I have been seeing and killing some black ants in my house. I always wonder where they come from and what makes them think coming inside is a good idea. I always see ants in my garden too. I move a rock or pull up a weed and they come scurrying trying to take their eggs to a safer place. We have all seen an ant carry an object bigger than itself. They have been documented to carry 20 times their body weight. If I carried 20 times by body weight, I would be able to carry 2,500 pounds. (If you do the math, you can figure out how much I weigh:). They will travel up to 700 feet from their nest for food, and will follow scent trails back to their nest after dark. Rather than sleep like humans do, they take eight minute power naps every 12 hours. Someone in the colony is always working. They are incredible creatures.

It is no wonder that God through the pen of Solomon told us to “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” (Proverbs 6:6).

Solomon used the little ant as a reprove for those who are sluggards, in our terminology today they are lazy. What things can we learn from Scripture about the ant?

The 1st lesson we need to learn from the ant is that we need to be self-motivated and self-directed.

The ant does not have a “chief, officer, or ruler.” (Prov. 6:7) In other words, the ant does not have someone to tell it what to do. The ant does not need a boss telling them what time to be to work, what they are supposed to do for their work, and how much effort they are to put into their work. The ant is self-motivated and self-directed. How many company owners would love to have employees like this? We had some trees cut down last week. The guy who cut the trees down has done some work for us in the past. During previous times, he had multiple employees. This time it was just him and his dad. He told me that he had a hard time getting any reliable help that worked as hard as his dad did.

This concept is also applied in the home. Whether one is a spouse or a child, the concept of being self-motivated and self-directed goes a long way in building and maintaining godly home relationships. A child who is self-motivated or directed can see the things that need to be done such as keeping their room clean, picking up after themselves, or clearing the supper dishes. A spouse who is self-directed or motivated can also see the things that need to be done without having to always be asked to take care of needed chores around the house. A home is a team effort and when there is someone that spends most of their time sitting on the couch watching television or surfing their phone while the others are busy taking care of household chores, the “couch potato” would be considered a sluggard.

The 2nd lesson we need to learn from the ant is the need to plan ahead.

The ant “prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” (Prov. 6:8). In other words, the ant prepares for times ahead. The ant knows that she needs to follow the calendar and prepare for when food is scarce. My husband comes from parents who are planners, hence my husband is a planner. They have lists for their lists. We like to talk about next Christmas before we even celebrate the current Christmas. I don’t even get a chore complete and he is planning for the next chore that needs to be done. The ant prepares and plans for the future. Again, an employer would love to have their employees plan for the future. Knowing what projects will take more time and planning accordingly.

The 3rd lesson we need to learn from the ant is the need to glorify God through our responsibilities.

A sluggard or a lazy person is found in bed more time than they are found on the job. (Prov. 6:9). When we miss work because we are in bed, call in sick as many days as possible, or are late to work because we overslept, we are lazy. God has given us responsibilities that we need to accomplish. These responsibilities are used so that we can fulfill our purpose in life, to glorify God. (Is. 43:7). If our employers or our families cannot count on us, then we are not glorifying God. Our families count on us to be carrying our load of the responsibilities. When our daughters lived under our roof, they each had responsibilities based on their age and abilities. They did not get the option to sit and play all day, but rather they had to get out of bed and do their chores. The same goes for a spouse. He or she must be reliable and fulfill their responsibilities and not place the burden of all responsibilities on the other. Our goal in our families is to seek to steward the relationships that God has given us in a way that glorifies Him.

The 4th lesson we learn from the ant is that their hands are busy.

The sluggard “folds his hands” (Prov. 6:10). It is hard to be busy with your hands when they are folded. No work can be done with folded hands. The result of these “folded hands” is “poverty” and “want.”  A lazy person will have folded hands that will result in not providing for the needs of their family. If a child’s responsibility is to load the dishwasher and they never do, the dishes will be dirty and the family will want for clean dishes to eat their meals on. If the husband and/or wife do not go to work to provide for the bills that must be paid, the family will experience “poverty” and “want.”

A sluggard is not just someone that fails to go to work to meet the everyday needs they have. A person can be a hard worker outside the home, but fail to “carry their weight” in the home. If they do this, they are also a sluggard.

In America we have become accustom to wanting life to be easy. When we desire ease, we fail to value hard work. This desire for an easy life can be seen in many different areas of our lives.

As you evaluate your life, think about how you respond in every circumstance. Do you want to glorify God and work hard, or do you want to take the sluggard’s way out? Are you self-motivated? Do you plan ahead? Do you glorify God in all your responsibilities? Are your hands folded or busy?

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 1 comment
05
Apr
2023

Confusion or Clarity

There are various methods for Bible study. As I have been writing this blog on the book of Proverbs, I have been making columns of the positives and negatives that are in each chapter. It certainly has helped me to organize the main concepts and ideas in each chapter. Proverbs calls these positives and negatives the way of the wise and the way of the fool. How many of us want someone to call us a fool? Wise? There are many different characteristics that define those that are wise or foolish. While we are on this side of heaven there will daily be things in our lives that would be characterized as foolish. The goal that God has for us is that with each day we live more wisely and continue to put off the foolish ways of our old self. (Eph. 4: 22-24).

As we enter Proverbs 5, we see wisdom contrasted with foolishness. Both wisdom and foolishness are referred to often as “she.” Proverbs 5 has four main characters. The father is speaking again to his son. We have seen this in the last four chapters. He is telling his son that he needs to be aware of the “forbidden woman” and be satisfied with the love of his wife.

Just because the father is speaking to his son, does not mean that there are only principles for young men in this Proverbs. There are principles in this Proverb for all.

Solomon says again that his son needs to listen, be attentive, incline his ear, and not depart from the wise words he was sharing with his son.  How many times have we as parents told our kids the same thing only in different ways?

I homeschooled my kids. I remember teaching a concept to one of our daughters. I explained the concept to her a number of different ways. Finally, the last way she understood it and said, “Why didn’t you explain it to me this way in the first place?” We all have different learning styles. We explain things how we understand them best first. That is what I did in this particular situation, but that was not the best way for her learn.

God has been using the pen of Solomon to tell us the same thing in different ways over and over again, and will continue to do so throughout the entire book of Proverbs. Why? We all learn different ways, and need things explained in different ways.

We understand the wisdom that Solomon was trying to impart on his son and also consequently on us. He keeps reminding him to listen. Do we listen to those that are wise?

The negatives in this chapter are the description of the forbidden woman, but no one is saying that only women are evil and men are perfect. Since Solomon was speaking to his son in this book, he would be warning him about the forbidden woman. If he was speaking to his daughter, he would have warned her about the forbidden man.

Let’s look at these qualities of the foolish person. They are deceptive (Prov. 5:3), leave us with a feeling of uneasiness (5:4), lead to a bad/deadly outcome (5:5), no thought to the consequences of their actions (5:6), no direction or goals (5:6), and self-deceived (5:6).

What happens to us when we do not listen and allow our lives to become entangled with a foolish person? We will lose our reputation and our integrity (5:9). The foolish are deceivers and manage to swindle others. God has called us to be good stewards of what He has given to us, but when we seek to satisfy our selfish desires the satisfaction we are seeking through these selfish desires never satisfies.

What is the conclusion of this chapter that compares and contrasts the wise and the foolish person? Proverbs 5:12-14 tell us what the foolish person looks like so then the converse of this would be the characteristics of a wise person.

“And you say, ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.’” (Prov. 5:1-14)

The wise person listens to those that are wise, searches God’s Word for the principles necessary to live a life of wisdom, and surrounds themselves with people that are wise. Do you run to God first when seeking to make a decision? Do you seek the counsel of those that are wise when making a decision? Do the people that you surround yourself with have godly goals?

The foolish person will leave us with a feeling of uneasiness or confusion. They will deceive you into helping them fulfill their desires, but have no care for what your desires are. They are seeking for others to meet their needs.

“For a man’s/woman’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.” (Prov. 5:21)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
22
Mar
2023

What Flows From Your Heart?

As our daughters grew up, we emphasized to them the value of saving their money. They would get birthday money or Christmas money, and we would encourage them to save it. We would go to the bank and they would put that money in the bank. We reminded them that they were saving their money to help pay for their college. They had a far off lofty goal that saving money would help pay for their college. When they were young, they did not quite understand what we meant by saving money for college. As they grew and matured, they began to understand what college was. We could have taken them to the store and given them the money so they could spend that money on a trinket that would not stand the test of time. There were some lessons to be learned in that exercise.

They learned saving (keeping), delayed gratification, value of money, goal-setting, planning, preparation, and wants vs. needs.

As we study the book of Proverbs, Solomon has taught us repeatedly that there is great value in listening. He encourages us to listen to those that are wise.

What is it we are supposed to do with these wise words?

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

We need to keep these words in our hearts. This doesn’t mean that we need to have God’s Word tattooed to our hearts. The word “heart” incorporates our thoughts, our emotions, and our wills. The technical term for these is our cognition, affect, and volition. All of these are considered the components that make up the word “heart” in the Bible.

Solomon is telling us in this verse that that person that we are flows or comes from our hearts. Let’s break this concept down.

There are many circumstances that happen throughout our day. With every circumstance that comes into our paths, we have a thought. With every decision that we have to make, we have a thought. We could list any number of circumstances, but every single circumstance produces a thought- even if you think that there is no thought. Many times from these thoughts an emotion is felt. Now we have a decision to make: how will I act based on this thought and/or this emotion.

The more times you respond the same way to any circumstance, the more your responses become your character.

Let’s say that you just cleaned the house, and in runs the dog with muddy paws. Without even seeming to take time to process everything, you yell at the dog and chase it until you can catch it and wipe off its dirty paws. All of this happened so quickly. A circumstance happened, you had a thought “I just spent 4 hours cleaning the house,” and then you experienced a moment of anger, followed by yelling and chasing. The next time this happens you do the same thing. Eventually, this is who you are. The angry house cleaner.

How did you get this way?

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23).

What comes out of cup of coffee when you are bumped? Coffee.

What comes out of you, when you are bumped? In other words, when circumstances happen that disrupt what you want, what comes out of you?

The heart is our thoughts, emotions, and wills. What “flows” from you every time you are bumped?

If we do NOT store up the wise Words that God has given to us from His word as Solomon says we are to do, what flows from us WILL NOT be thoughts, words, and actions that reflect God and His Word.

If we store up the wise Words that God has given to us from His words as Solomon says we are to do, what flows from our thoughts, words, and actions WILL reflect God and His Word.

Just as our children saved or kept their money for a future goal in their lives, so we must store up or keep God’s Word in our hearts for the circumstances that are always coming across our path.

From our children’s savings’ accounts flowed money that would pay for college. From your heart will flow, what you have saved up and treasured in it.

Not sure what you are keeping in your heart? Begin to evaluate your responses to the circumstances of life. Ask yourself, “What am I wanting? What am I thinking? What am I feeling?”

Is your response honoring to the Lord? If you are not vigilant in keeping your heart filled with truths from God’s Word, you will live according to the lies of Satan.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 1 comment
15
Mar
2023

When Solomon Speaks…

As a child, I grew up in a small town. We had three different channels on T.V. maybe 4 on a good day. I was the remote control. My dad would have me stand at the T.V. and change the channel for him. For that matter, I was also the garage door opener. I can remember my dad falling asleep on the couch watching something on T.V. that I didn’t want to watch, so I would get up and slowly turn down the volume of what he was watching. Then I would change the channel and slowly turn up the volume. It was my finest hour if I could watch a show I wanted to watch and he remained asleep. Remember, there were only 3-4 channels to watch so the choices weren’t that great.

There is one commercial that I still remember to this day. It ran for about 15 years. The commercial was generally set with a crowd of people. One person would lean in as if to tell a secret to another person, and say “My broker is E.F. Hutton, and E. F. Hutton says.” When the actor said E.F Hutton a hush would fall over the crowd and everyone would stop what they were doing and lean in so they could hear the financial advice that came from E.F. Hutton. We never would hear what E.F. Hutton was advising, but we certainly knew that whatever it was, it must be worth listening to.

As I have been studying and writing these blogs on Proverbs, I have been reminded of the E.F Hutton commercial. Each chapter that we have looked at so far keeps reminding us to listen. Proverbs 4:1 starts with “hear.” Solomon doesn’t tell us over and over to talk. Rather, he tells us to hear. He tells us to hear, to be attentive.

Solomon, who wrote Proverbs, was the son of King David and Bathsheba. King David is said to be a “man after God’s own heart.” (I Sam. 13:14). King David who killed a lion and a bear with his slingshot as a boy, and then killed the mighty giant Goliath. King David who humbly served King Saul and would do nothing to hurt “God’s anointed.” (I Sam 24:10). King David who was anointed to be King by God and Samuel, but he would not take the throne from Saul. He honored Saul, even though Saul was not honorable.

This same David was the father of Solomon. Was David perfect? No. He committed some sins that most of us would count as big bad sins. Yet, Solomon saw the value of listening to his father. “When I (Solomon) was a son with my father (King David), tender (meaning he was young) the only one in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba). He (King David) taught me and said to me (Solomon), ‘Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.’” (Proverbs 4:3-5).

The beauty of this whole thing is that Solomon valued what he learned from his father so much, he taught it to his son. “Hear, my son, and accept my words.” (Prov. 4:10).

Imagine with me being in the court of Solomon. There is conversation going on around in Solomon’s court. Then Solomon clears his throat and says to his son, “Son, be attentive, Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” (Proverbs 4:5-9).

Solomon is telling his son that in order to have the honor that his father David had, “he needed to listen to what he had to say, and do not forsake his teaching.” (Prov. 4:2).

In other words, when Solomon speaks, everyone listens.

There is nothing more sweet to a parent than to hear their children repeat the things that they have heard their parents say. Imagine how proud David would have been to know that Solomon was quoting him to his son. When we teach and live out what we have been taught, we know that it has taken root.

In order to be wise, Solomon says we must listen. In order to listen, we must be humble. Those that were surrounding the actor quoting E.F. Hutton knew that what E.F Hutton says was worth listening to. This requires humility to realize that you don’t know everything and need to learn from those who do.

“I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.” (Proverbs 4:11, 12)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
08
Mar
2023

Principles

Have you had a conversation with someone, and you did not see to eye on the situation? It could be a situation with a family member, friend, co-worker, or a boss. What about a decision you needed to make and there were multiple options to choose from, maybe there were only two options to choose from?

Life is about circumstances and choices. We are constantly inundated with circumstances and choices.

As we continue to look at Proverbs, we continue to see throughout the book that making wise choices and responding wisely in the midst of each circumstance will bring us blessings and peace. Wisdom is essentially living according to godly ways and godly principles. We have two choices in how to live life: wisely or foolishly.

How many times have we struggled to make a decision or struggled in how to respond in the midst of a circumstance? If we are seeking to follow God’s principles, our first step is to follow James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

What has God given us to help us in respond wisely in all circumstances and make godly choices? The first thing we must follow is His Word. Does God’s Word give us the answer to our question? It may not specifically tell us what job to take, what church to attend, what person to marry, who to become friends with, or where to go on vacation; but it gives us very direct principles to answer these questions.

II Peter 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

How do we know how to live a “life of godliness?”  “Through the knowledge of Him who called us” (II Peter 1:3.

Do you seek God’s Word and seek to find principles that pertain to your decision or circumstance or do you seek the option that you think in the moment will make you happy?

We are in the second half of Proverbs 3, and in it there are three principles that will help us to life a life of godliness.

  1. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. (Prov. 3:27)

The verses that follow (Prov. 3:28-32) tell us not to turn someone away when you can be of assistance, do not plan to do evil against another, do not strive with someone for no reason, do not envy another, and do not be devious.

How often do we treat others through the lens of our own selfishness? We want something and we want the other person to provide it for us. We want something and someone else is getting in the way of what we want. We treat others selfishly rather than “treat others as you want to be treated.” (Mt. 7:12)

  1. To the humble he gives favor (Proverbs 3: 34)

C.S. Lewis said that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. When we are humble, we realize our own inadequacies and weaknesses. We realize that someone may be better able to accomplish the task. Humility is allowing someone else to get the praise for something and not trying to steal the recognition from them. Humility is realizing that you don’t always have the answers and need to seek wise counsel.  Three times in Proverbs 3 Solomon says “my son,”  reminding the reader that often our parents know us better than any other person and know us better than we know ourselves. It is a wise parent that will take their child to God’s Word to assist them in making a decision or navigate a circumstance. So often we see children buck at the teaching of their parents because they want to do it in the famous words of Frank Sinatra “My Way.” Do you want favor? Solomon says in order to gain favor, we must be humble.

  1. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace. (Proverbs 3:35).

Would you rather live a life with honor or disgrace? Since we are made in the image of God (Gen.1:27), God has given us the play book on how to live life. The play book is His Word. He has told us repeatedly that living a life of wisdom will bring about honor, but being foolish will be disgraceful. When we see someone that explodes in anger, is always “negative Nancy,” goes to a substance for comfort, always looks out for their own interests, dishonors God, or dishonors their parents, we see someone who is foolish. Have you seen these people in real life? Do you see the fruits of their wisdom or the fruits of their foolishness? Are they people that are honorable that you want to spend time with or are they people that are a disgrace.

The book of Proverbs is a book of principles. Solomon was letting us know that as he observed life this is what he saw. He saw that the typical wise person was honorable and the typical foolish person was a disgrace. The typical humble person received favor. The typical wise person offered to help those in need.

When faced with a circumstance or a choice to make, what will you do? You must seek God’s Word for a principle or command to follow in making that choice. No matter what the choice, there is a godly principle to help us navigate the way wisely.

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 2 comments
01
Mar
2023

Peace, Favor, Straight Paths, Healing, and Refreshment

I have two favorite Proverbs, Proverbs 3 and Proverbs 31.  I often pray Proverbs 3: 1-9 for people, but my aspirations is to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 3 lived out in life is certainly an avenue to become like the Proverbs 31 woman.

I like prescriptions and procedures. Don’t you? When you are reading an article or a blog, are we not all drawn to the steps toward a certain goal? I typed into Google “steps to a new you.” The 1st three listed were “5 steps to a new you,” 10 steps to a new you,” and “15 steps to a new you.”  I would much prefer only to have to do 5 steps and I can become a new me.

Proverbs is like a handbook that tells us how to be wise and not to be foolish. Proverbs is the steps we need to be wise, in essence to be a new you. If you do not follow what Proverbs says about becoming wise, then you will be foolish.

Do you want a new you? Do you want a better you? Do you want a you that brings glory to God? Let’s see what Proverbs 3 says about how to be that person. What we are going to see may seem repetitive to what we have already seen in Proverbs 1, 2. The thing about repetition is that we know that if the same thing is said over and over again, we know it must be important.

“My son (or daughter), do not forget my teaching, and let your heart keep my commandments. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you” (Proverbs 3:1, 2).

Let’s look at four things that we can have when we follow God’s path for our lives.

  1. Long and peaceful life

Do you want a long life? Do you want a peaceful life? According to Proverbs 3:1 in order to have a long and peaceful life, we need to remember and keep or live out the wise teaching God has given us: wisdom in His word, wisdom from wise parents, and wisdom from those that have lived life according to God’s Word.

  1. Favor and good success in the sight of God and man

According to Proverbs 3:2 steadfast love and faithfulness will provide us favor and good success. There are many relationships that have conflict. There is not a day that goes by that many of us do not experience conflict with family, friends, co-workers, customers, etc. How do we avoid these points of conflict or how do we effectively work through them? Show love to others and be faithful to God’s Word. If we live in relationship with others selfishly, we will have many points of conflict.

I am currently reading a book about being a peacemaker. (The Peacemaker by Ken Sande). He talks about four principles that we need to use in the midst of a conflict.

  1. Glorify God
  2. Get the log out of your own eye
  3. Gently restore
  4. Go and be reconciled

These principles are the principles that Solomon was trying to help us understand in this Proverb. How do we have favor and good success with God and man? Have steadfast love and be faithful. In other words, show others love and be faithful to God and His word.

  1. He will make straight your paths

How do we have straight paths? “Trust in the Lord with your whole heart” When we trust in the Lord and various events happen in life, no matter how difficult they are, we trust the Lord and “do not lean on our own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). So many circumstances happen in our lives and we look at these things and think, “why did God let this happen to me? This isn’t fair. I didn’t deserve this to happen to me. I have been obeying God’s word and living life according to what God has to say, and now this happened to me. I have been so kind to this person and showing them such love, and they treat me like this. I don’t deserve that. Why did this accident happen? Why this diagnosis?”

You could add so many more things to this list of things that don’t seem fair. What God wants us to understand is that even though it seems like difficult things happen, when “we trust God and we acknowledge Him in all of our ways,”  “our path will be straight.”  What we want to do is “lean on our own understanding.” Leaning on our own understanding, makes the way that we are on crooked. In our own understanding the way does seem crooked, but when we trust God our path is straight. Every circumstance that comes into our lives is meant to reveal what is in our hearts. These circumstances are meant to reveal the kind of person that we are.

  1. “It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8)

Have you ever not felt well, especially your stomach, related to stress or anxiety or depression? Many times we have our stomach in knots or feel nauseated because of the things that are happening in our lives. We are trying to solve the problems that we have or deal with the difficult relationships that we have or make a decision that we need to make based on our own understanding, based on our human wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the main theme of the book of Proverbs. The opposite of fearing the Lord is being wise in our own eyes. If we do not fear the Lord in all areas of our lives, we are being wise in our own eyes.

What happens when we are “wise in our own eyes?”  We seek out people that will agree with us on a decision, a problem, or how we handle a difficult relationship and they will give us the same advice that we want to hear. We consider this to be validation of what we think. What about when we are trying to make a decision or solve a problem and we pray about it, and decide we have peace from the Lord and it coincides with what we want? Does this peace we are experiencing actually come from the Lord?

Ken Sande in the Peacemaker says “You won’t be helped by people who are likely to tell you what they think you want to hear (II Tim 4:3). Therefore, be sure you turn to people who will love you enough to be honest with you.” (p. 40)

How many people say that their life verse is Proverbs 3:5, 6 and yet when you look at their life, you don’t say a life of faith in God? Rather you see a life that is living by their own understanding and wisdom. If you are not sure the path you are on, seek out wise people and ask them. Don’t ask those that will agree with you, ask those who love you enough to be honest with you. Once you are on the right path you will experience peace, favor, straight paths, and healing.

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com, 0 comments
22
Feb
2023

Who will win?

I love a good competition. I was born into a family that loved competition, and I married a man who loves competition. We enjoy playing games just the two of us. (By the way, the last game we played, I won:)

Competition can be a good thing. Have you noticed, though, the amount of things that are always fighting for our attention? Let’s just name a few things to get us both on the same page: Phone calls, texts, emails, social media, music, advertisements, podcasts, books, television, friends, family, work, books we read, house work, meal prep, laundry. The list could be endless. As I was thinking about what I needed to accomplish today, I decided I would get done the most pressing thing with the nearest deadline.

We all have choices as we go through our days because so many things are competing for our attention. How do we decide what to choose to do and what we will fill our time with?

Proverbs 2 tells us about a few things that are competing for our attention, and as we analyze these things what is best should rise to the surface as we read about it in the Bible. However, as we get caught up in the whirlwind of our days, it may not seem so obvious on what we should choose.

Read through the box below and take some time to ponder what is in each column and the contrast that the first column – the way of wisdom from the Lord – and the other two columns that are the way of destruction.

Proverbs 2:6-11, 20-21 Proverbs 2: 12- 15 Proverbs 2:16-19, 22
The Lord gives wisdom The way of evil The forbidden woman
From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding Men with perverted speech Adulteress
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright Forsake the path of uprightness Smooth words
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity Walk in the ways of darkness Forsakes the companion of her youth
He guards the paths of justice Rejoice in doing evil Forgets the covenant of her God
He watches over the way of His saints Delight in the perverseness of evil Her house sinks down to death
You will understand righteousness,  justice, equity, every good path Men whose paths are crooked Her paths lead to the departed
Wisdom will come into your heart Devious in their ways None who go to her come back
Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul Nor do they regain the paths of life
Walk in the way of good
Keep to the paths of the righteous
The upright will inhabit the land
Those with integrity will remain in it

God’s ways protect us from harm. His ways are pleasant. His ways are good. His path is straight. His ways provide peace.

The ways of the man with perverted speech and the forbidden woman provide nothing good. The difficulty is that these ways are deceitful. We do not realize we are on this path at first. It seems to be fulfilling our desires and longings. We would call these people in our language today manipulators. They make us think that their ways are good for us and will provide us with the peace we are longing for. We think that their ways will bring fulfillment to what we want. What they really do is bring chaos into our lives. Their words and their actions bring chaos. Their words and actions cause you turn away from those who really love and care for you. They do this because they twist the words and actions of others into something they are not. Today, we call this gas lighting.

However, as we begin on this crooked path ourselves we are blind because the way is “dark.” We find ourselves making excuses to those that truly love and care for us. As we head down this “dark and crooked” path, the ones that love us are like Proverbs 8:1 “Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?” Wisdom calls out after those that are on the dark crooked path, but the further they get down this path they can no longer hear what wisdom is saying. The further they get from the voice of wisdom, the closer they get to destruction.

What is competing for your attention? What is competing for your thoughts? What is competing for your time? What is competing for your treasure (money)? What is competing for desires?

What is competing for your heart?

Stop and look around what path you are on. If you do not know, ask those that love you the most. If you do not know who loves you the most, ask your pastor. Many people have wise parents that would also love to give some wise counsel. You may not want to ask the ones right next to you because they may be on the same dark crooked path that you are. We need those that are wise in our lives so they can speak God’s truth into our lives. We need them to help provide that discernment in the midst of the competition

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding.” (Prov. 2:1, 2)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
08
Feb
2023

Then You Will Understand

As we study the book of Proverbs there are some key threads that can be found in almost every chapter, fear the Lord and listen to those that are wise. If we were to outline the book almost every topic would be able to fall under these two major categories.

As we dive into Proverbs 2, both of these major themes are interwoven. As I have grown in the Lord and been seeing the things of my heart revealed through various circumstances that happen, I see how valuable fearing the Lord is.

Proverbs 2:5 tells us “THEN you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

If we look at the verses preceding verse 5, we can see what the prescription is for understanding the fear of the Lord and finding “the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:1 tells us to “receive God’s words and treasure up His commandments.”

We must receive God’s Words. When we receive something we have the idea of accepting it. Have you ever taken something, but did not really want it? One of my daughters (who shall remain anonymous) had asked for a specific shirt for Christmas. I saw one that was similar and I really liked it, so I bought it for her instead. It was not the one that she wanted. She opened the present and took it home with her, but most likely won’t wear it or will wear it for yard work or as a paint shirt. However, when I got her something that she really did want she told me all about how she was going to use it and how much this was going to be helpful in her life. This is what receiving God’s Words is like.

We sit in church, read our Bibles, go to a Sunday School class, or listen to a podcast and hear the Words of God, but what do we do with them? Are we like the shirt that was opened but not used for its intended purpose? We hear the words, but there is no application or change in our lives? Or are we like the other gift that will transform our lives and bring about change.

When we receive God’s Word and treasure it, there will be change. There cannot help but be change. However, when we accept the gift of God’s Word, but do not see the value and the treasure that it will add to our lives it is in essence going in one ear and out the other. No brain cells captured the words of wisdom.

Proverbs 2:2 tells us that we must “make our ear attentive to wisdom and incline our heart to understanding.” This sounds purposeful. This is not something that happens naturally. We are naturally bent towards laziness and gluttony or the satisfaction of our sinful desires. We don’t want to listen to wisdom if it contradicts the desires of our hearts. Have you ever taken a moment and actually thought about what you really wanted? Try it and see what you come up with. Would you be like Solomon who asked God for wisdom when you could get whatever desire you wanted?

Proverbs 2:3, 4 concludes in telling us what we must do in order to understand the Fear of the Lord.

“Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:3, 4)

These verses are telling us that every part of our lives is seeking wisdom. We are listening for wisdom. We are seeking wisdom from all the right sources. We are searching for it like we would a lost treasure.

My husband and I love to watch mystery shows. Right now we are watching a show that involves some college students searching for a lost treasure that was hidden by three different tribes of Indians to keep it safe. They are setting aside everything in their lives and laying aside their own personal safety to find this treasure. Their goal in life is to find the treasure.

Is your goal in life no matter the cost to seek wisdom? Godly Wisdom? When you receive this godly wisdom do you seek to use it in your everyday life or do you cast it aside because it does not help you in satisfying your desires?

The key to understanding the Fear of the Lord is searching for wisdom from the right sources and then using it daily in your life because it is a treasure!

“Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:5)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
25
Jan
2023

Valuable Words

As we continue our study of Proverbs, let us revisit the definition of wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to navigate life. Everyone is navigating life. The question is how are we navigating life? The remainder of Proverbs 1 gives us some clues as to how to determine if you are navigating life in a way of wisdom or a way of folly. Every decision we make will affect our lives. We do not realize or think about how each decision will impact the decisions we make in the future.

We all understand this when it comes to what we eat, at least I think we do.  If you eat 1 doughnut every day, that does not seem to be that big of a deal, but that 1 doughnut provides no nutritional value and adds calories that our body has to burn. Pretty soon we will have added 20 pounds to our body and our joints will wear out sooner and our cholesterol will be elevated. One doughnut seems like no big deal, but over time that choice will affect our future health.

Wisdom

How we navigate life – WISDOM – is made up of tiny little choices that we make every day.

My last two blogs (To Know and Receive Wisdom and Fear God or Foolishness) gave us an introduction to Proverbs. The remainder of Proverbs chapter one I have condensed into two different lists. The two lists are the way of wisdom and the foolishness.

The first thing on the list is to listen to your father and your mother’s teaching. The book of Proverbs is addressed to a “son” of Solomon. The word “son” is used 55 times in the book of Proverbs. The word “Father” is used 26 times and the word “Mother” is used 14 times.

Solomon is trying to tell his son and also all of those that have come after him that read the book of Proverbs that the most important thing we can do in order to be wise and navigate life in a way that is wise is to listen as children to our parents and to their teaching.

Listen

Why should a child listen to their parents? God gave each parent the child/children that He knew would need those parents. I could have had any number of parents and yet God chose the parents that he knew that I needed. He chose the parents that He knew you needed as well. He chose the children you have to be your children.

1. Lived Life

Since God chose these particular people to be our parents, there must be a reason or two. The first reason is that each of our parents have lived life longer than we have. They have made decisions, both good and bad decisions, and they want to be sure that you learn from them so you do not make the same poor choices that have hurt them or you make the same godly choices that have helped them.

2. Know Us

The second reason that we need to listen to our parents is because they know us. Just as God knows everything about us, He has given us parents that know us. They know what we like and what we don’t like. They know our strengths and our weaknesses. They have walked through every day of life with us so they know and share the memories that we have.

Whenever there is a choice to make, we should consult our parents and include them in our decisions. As we age, we begin to make decisions on our own because we have been practicing with our parents how to navigate life –WISDOM- in a way that is honoring God.

Our parents have sacrificed so much for us. I have sacrificed so much for my kids, and I would do it all over again. Parents have done so much to invest in the lives of their kids. Why would we not want their input and words of wisdom in our lives? Why would we shy away from their advice?

If we do shy away from their advice, what is our reasoning? Do we shy away from their advice, because it contradicts what we want? We must ask ourselves, why does it contradict?

As we continue the study the book of Proverbs, we will delve into these ideas in future blog posts. For now, consider with me how valuable your parents are and how valuable the words they want to share with you are.

Proverbs 1:8 “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching”

 

I have also kept the list in this post of what we see in someone that is wise and someone that is foolish from Proverbs 1.

 

Wise

Hear your father’s instruction

Do not forsake your mother’s teaching

Does not consent to enticement by sinners/foolish

Does not walk in the way with the foolish

Wisdom cries aloud the truth

Dwell secure

Easier life in the end because of the difficult choice to listen to wisdom in the beginning

Does not dread what is to come

Foolish

Entice others

Looks for ways to ambush the innocent –manipulates others

Looks for ways to take from others

Manipulates them into thinking that they will split all things (v. 14)

Runs to evil

Greedy

Takes from others unjustly

Simple

Scoff at the truth

Hate knowledge

Refuses to listen

Ignores wisdom’s counsel

Calamity will strike

Will be distressed and anguished

Hate knowledge

Did not choose the fear of the Lord

They will get what is coming to them because of their foolish choices

Complacent

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments