Proverbs

Word of the Day: Proverbs 5:1-9:12

“Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10-11

OH HOW MUCH I WANT TO SAY TO YOU TODAY!!! But alas, I am not able at the moment. siiiigh….

So, if you’re jonesing for something more to read after these GREAT Proverbs, here’s a link to another chapter from Dandelion Season.

Don’t Hold Back.

Proverbs 1:1-4:27
” Let your heart hold fast My words;” Proverbs 4:4

I’m spending today getting organized for the next few weeks so I’m reposting a chapter from my book Dandelion Season. You can find it here in e-book format or here for print format.
Enjoy the throwback Thursday post, on a Wednesday. 😉

————————

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”  Psalm 139:14 KJV

What is it about youth that we are so obsessed with? Why is it that we even want to look younger than we really are? Think about every year of your life so far. Have some of them been really great? And some of them really hard? During those hard years, what about them was so difficult? What did you do about it? During that time in your life where you were being shaken where did you look for help? Did you look to the problem or God? And now in the aftermath of that situation, looking back, what did you learn from that shaking? Did you draw closer to God through it? Did you learn something about yourself? Him? Someone else?

For every wrinkle or silver hair on our bodies, there is a corresponding event. For every scar there is a story, every broken bone, and new strong point (they heal stronger than they were to begin with). Every single tear that we shed God collects (Psalm 56:8). He CARES about our hurts and He never wastes a single one. He USES them to teach us, to mold and shape us and help us grow to help us heal. So then why, oh please someone tell me why is our culture so ready and willing to cover all that up; to hide the help that God provided us in our time of need? If every silver hair equals a lesson well learned, why dye it back to the way it was before and cancel out your wisdom? Pretending it never happened? How do you think God feels about that? I mean He’s the one who painted that hair silver in the first place isn’t He? If He’s going to take the time to count how many are on your head (Matthew 10:30) I’m pretty sure He’s got them all labeled with a color too!

When my husband and I were dating we used to always talk about growing old together, what we’d do when we retired, and how we would spend eternity together. Now, keep in mind, this is when we were young teenagers! And now, every single silver hair on my head is a reminder to me how I am now getting to live out some of those dreams with my husband, and that I am one silver hair closer to that final dream of eternity with my husbands – both of them! So now, tell me, WHY would I want to try to hide the fact that I am literally living out my dream of life with the man I love?

The same is true of my spiritual husband Jesus, think about it; He numbers every hair, collects every tear, and counts every footstep. Does it sound like these things matter to Him? Then shouldn’t they matter to us? Every morning women get up and paint over the face that God painted first. His fingers traced those laugh lines around your mouth, “Aren’t they beautiful?” He says. His brush painted that stretch mark iridescent, “Aren’t those children wonderful?” He asks. Those spider veins are His handiwork too! Your royal purple blood shining through your fleshy exterior. “Oh, you are so beautiful!” He exclaims proudly, “I did such a work on you, and that’s just on the outside! You should see what all I’ve painted on the inside!”

She who has eyes let her see! We may think a child’s skin is beautiful because it is flawless, but really it’s because it’s still blank! God hasn’t painted anything on it yet. But you! You’re a half-finished work of art, painted by the Master himself. THE Master! Better than Picasso, or Rembrandt or hey, even Andy Warhol! This Master is the One who painted them! And He’s painting you too!

You may not like the way you look in the mirror, but God loves it! He doesn’t make mistakes (Deuteronomy 32:4) so why question His judgment on how low your breasts sag or how wide your hips are? And really, what’s the point? I mean where does it get you other than losing money on beauty “aids” and a huge loss of self-confidence in the beautiful woman God’s creating in you. No, He’s not done yet, that takes a lifetime, but look how far He’s come with you! Step by step He’s led you down life’s road, right by your side (whether you recognized Him or not) He was there the whole time. He is ever so fond of you, and loves you so desperately, will you choose to believe Him today? Will you choose to cling to His promise never to leave you, to never let go. Will you choose to believe Him when He tells you that you are fearfully and wonderfully made? If you do, it might just change your entire perspective on the world. Remember God doesn’t make mistakes, He makes miracles – that’s you sister!