Today's and tomorrow's devotions will cover the characteristics of the young lady mentioned in Proverbs, chapter 7. So, before we go any further, go ahead and do your Proverbs reading for today.
If you read the whole description of this woman, I feel sure you would take offense if someone were to compare you with her. I know I surely would! It's certainly not my intent to compare any of my sweet Beautiful Girls to this woman, so please don't assume that. But, we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, honestly search our own hearts to see if any of her characteristics could just as well be ours.
1.) The very first thing the Bible mentions concerns her choice of dress. "Harlot" is the Bible word for prostitute. The Scripture doesn't say she was a prostitute; God said that she dressed like one. I don't know that there is a certain "uniform" that a prostitute wears, but whatever her choice in clothing, she dressed in such a way that advertised herself.
2.) She was loud and stubborn. Neither of these qualities increases a woman's beauty. Being loud---the center of attention or obnoxious---never makes a girl pretty. Rather, just the opposite is true.
3.) This young woman might have been called a busybody. Instead of caring for her home, she was out running the roads. Busy...but not in a good way.
We will continue tomorrow with our study of this young woman in Proverbs 7. Our goal for our own selves should be to have character traits that are as far as possible from the ones this young woman demonstrated.
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 7
I Timothy 5
Monday, January 6th
Many made New Year's resolutions and probably a vast majority have already broken them! But, here's one resolution I'd like for my Beautiful Girlhood group to make together: 365 Days of Kindness. I'd like to challenge you to consider making a covenant with God that you will try your best to do one random act of kindness for someone every single day this year. It doesn't have to be a huge deal. Make someone cookies, pick up their newspaper, give someone the last piece of pie, etc. And, here's the clincher: do the good deed without making a big deal of it. You may not be able to do it anonymously, but you can do it without making a big production. Take a look at Romans 12:8,
This sort-of goes along with our post several days back about giving our alms before God and not men.
365 Days of Kindness. I guarantee it will change your life. Why not start today?
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 6
I Timothy 4
...he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
365 Days of Kindness. I guarantee it will change your life. Why not start today?
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 6
I Timothy 4
Sunday, January 5th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby
“Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory
of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31
Remember how
at our caroling night last month, I said I’d be launching a series
of posts about glorifying God? Here’s the beginning! Today, I
wanted to remind you of this key verse, the verse by which we can
measure everything in our life. If we wonder if something is right
or wrong, all we have to do is ask, “is it to the glory of God?”
When we really ask that question, the answer comes out more easily
than we might think!
What is
glory? “Brightness, luster, splendor, magnificence, distinguished
honor or ornament; that which honors or makes renowned; that of which
one may boast.”
Everything
we do is supposed to revolve around Christ – the big question we
have to ask ourselves is “does MY life revolve around Jesus
Christ?” But sometimes, we wonder – “does it really matter if
I glorify God in ALL of my outfits? How do I glorify God when my
peers at school could care less about pleasing God? I don’t have
to glorify God if my parents are not faithful Christians…do I?”
I have quite
a list made up of topics to write about – our speech, behavior,
Facebook, Pinterest, family, friends, music, and more – but maybe
there’s something on your
heart that you’ve been wondering – “how do/can I glorify God in
this?” Either comment here or text me with what you might have in
mind so I can add it to my list!
In the
meantime, begin a habit of asking yourself, “Is what I am about to
do/say/hear/watch/wear/see glorifying to God?”
Proverbs 5
I Timothy 3
Saturday, January 4th
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:1-4
The word alms means money, clothes, food, and other things given to poor people. When God speaks to us about giving alms, it is always about giving to others. The verses that are referenced today explain that we need to be careful to have the right motivation when we are doing good unto others. Have you ever done something that was a good thing, in and of itself, but deep in your heart, the real reason you were doing it was for the praise or credit you knew would be forthcoming? You'd not be human if you've never done that; all of us have done the right thing for the wrong reason.
Be careful, girls, when the praise of men is what we are seeking, it will be what we wind up with. Notice the reward...the glory of men. To receive the eternal rewards, we need to be careful that our acts of kindness are done for the honor of the Lord Jesus. Having said that, let me explain something. There will be times when we do the right things for the right reasons that people notice or find out. Don't be bothered thinking that because someone noticed your kindness that your reward in heaven is diminished; that's not so unless your purpose for the good deed in the first place was to be seen.
Be kind, do kind things; but, do so not caring who gets the credit.
Be careful, girls, when the praise of men is what we are seeking, it will be what we wind up with. Notice the reward...the glory of men. To receive the eternal rewards, we need to be careful that our acts of kindness are done for the honor of the Lord Jesus. Having said that, let me explain something. There will be times when we do the right things for the right reasons that people notice or find out. Don't be bothered thinking that because someone noticed your kindness that your reward in heaven is diminished; that's not so unless your purpose for the good deed in the first place was to be seen.
Be kind, do kind things; but, do so not caring who gets the credit.
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 4
I Timothy 2
Friday, January 3rd
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Some of you have shared with me some of your concerns for your futures. You're busy planning your life! Which college to attend, what your major should be, whether you should live at home or on campus, and should now be the time to be involved in a serious relationship are all honest, relevant questions. There's just so much that we can be anxious about, isn't there?! But, the honest truth, girls, is that the Lord cares about every single detail of your life, right down to where you go to school and what you choose to take while there. Your life is to be for His glory, so of course, He has a plan for you. Sometimes though, what causes the anxiousness in our hearts is that we're afraid that His plan won't be our plan. Our reference verse today warns us of trying to "figure it out on our own" by leaning unto our own understanding. Sometimes we just can't make sense of what the Lord is doing or how He is leading; but, we can rest in calm assurance knowing that as we choose to acknowledge Him, He will guide our direction.
What does it mean to acknowledge Him? One definition of the word might be to take note of. Very simply, we are to take note of the Lord in every aspect of our lives. We are to involve Him in each decision, invite Him to dominate our goal making, and introduce Him to each person He puts in our path.
When we acknowledge Him in all our ways, the promise is clear: He WILL direct our path. He will guide our thinking, lead our hearts, and use us to draw others to Himself.
Proverbs 3
I Timothy 1
Thursday, January 2nd
One of the things I try to remember to thank God for often is His hand of physical protection. There have been times that I know of a certainty that the Lord's angels surrounded me (or someone in my family) and kept us safe. There's just so much danger in this world that if we're not careful, it could be very easy to be afraid of everything! There are some who live in a constant state of fear, and I think it must be a miserable way to live. There's a difference between a realistic fear (such as of frogs and lizards) and a complete phobia that inhibits normal, everyday life.
I think of the example of the Apostle Peter. He was a bold, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy who often talked too much. We know that Peter got scared though and because of his fear, he faltered.
His fear was reasonable---he thought he'd drowned! Though his faith waivered in the midst of the turmoil, God took care of him and lifted him out of the churning waters.
As we begin 2014, it's time we face what we fear the most and trust the Lord to give us victory. Are you afraid to really let go and trust God with your future? Maybe your fears center more on the tangible---like whether you'll have your basic needs met. Still yet, perhaps you are genuinely terrified of being hurt or losing someone you love. The simple fact, girls, is that we all fear something. The question is does the fear control us OR do we allow the Lord to control our fear?
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 2
I Timothy 1
I think of the example of the Apostle Peter. He was a bold, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy who often talked too much. We know that Peter got scared though and because of his fear, he faltered.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
His fear was reasonable---he thought he'd drowned! Though his faith waivered in the midst of the turmoil, God took care of him and lifted him out of the churning waters.
As we begin 2014, it's time we face what we fear the most and trust the Lord to give us victory. Are you afraid to really let go and trust God with your future? Maybe your fears center more on the tangible---like whether you'll have your basic needs met. Still yet, perhaps you are genuinely terrified of being hurt or losing someone you love. The simple fact, girls, is that we all fear something. The question is does the fear control us OR do we allow the Lord to control our fear?
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 2
I Timothy 1
Wednesday, January 1st
Yesterday's devotion topic covered facing an unknown future with a known God. Ladies are notorious for fretful and anxious. We worry about big things; we worry about small things. Sometimes we worry about what we're going to worry about! So, it is comforting to trust that although I can't actually see what my future holds, I know The Lord already has every detail of my life planned.
Even though knowing my Lord is in control stills my anxious heart, there is another aspect of finding peace in 2014 that we may all need to consider. Consider Philippians 3:13,
Even though knowing my Lord is in control stills my anxious heart, there is another aspect of finding peace in 2014 that we may all need to consider. Consider Philippians 3:13,
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before
Is there something that you need to forget in order to move forward? Perhaps a situation or even a particular person that disappointed you in 2013? On the other hand, is there someone that YOU disappointed last year? Many of you made commitments to be personally accountable for your Bible/prayer time, and though you had a genuine desire to maintain, you somehow dropped the ball and didn't finish that commitment. What better time than a new year to start over---brand new! This is precisely what our verse today means! Forget about what's done; start fresh right now and keep your commitment to The Lord!
Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 1
II Thessalonians 3
Proverbs 1
II Thessalonians 3
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