The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (10 page)

February 1

Things God Hates

     
There are six things the L
ORD
hates,

          
seven that are detestable to him;

          
haughty eyes,

          
a lying tongue,

          
hands that shed innocent blood,

          
a heart that devises wicked schemes,

          
feet that are quick to rush into evil,

          
a false witness who pours out lies

          
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

No doubt about it, not only are we to be students of what pleases the Lord, but we must be vividly aware of what displeases him. Here are seven things. Maybe as you read the list you thought,
Wow yes, those are so bad. Bad people do those bad things. I would never do any of them.
Really?

Let me pick out two that we as women are sometimes especially prone to—faults we see in others and yet sometimes don’t see in ourselves.

• Haughty eyes. This is “that look”—that annoyed look, that rude look. It is the look at someone you think is below you, that you look down on. Have you ever heard the expression “if looks could kill”? Well, looks kind of do kill. Have you ever known someone who just made you cringe when you were around them because they looked at you like dirt? Enough said. Don’t do that.
  
• Another thing that the Lord hates is causing rifts—causing division. Planting little seeds between people that make them distrust each other. Pointing out flaws and failures. Never forget: God hates it, so don’t do it—ever.
  

The antidote for both is love. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35,
ESV
). Love covers a multitude of sins.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

God hates it when we use the expressions on our face to put others down with frowns and scowls. I have a friend who was doing that without realizing it. Then she stood at the mirror and could see that her frowns were becoming permanent.

The Lord spoke to her heart: “You can fix your face.” It seemed silly and even impossible at first. But she knew it was the Lord’s prompting. God had softened her heart, and she decided to practice on the outside what he was doing on the inside. Good idea! Let’s try it.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 13:17–15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; and Proverbs 6:16-19

February 2

Guard Your Heart

Our proverb today warns us that when sexual temptation comes, it is strong. Therefore the Word of God must hold us stronger. Godly parents who teach their children to love God’s Word are giving the greatest gift and protection a child could ever have.

     
My son, keep your father’s commands

          
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

     
Bind them upon your heart forever;

          
fasten them around your neck.

     
When you walk, they will guide you;

          
when you sleep, they will watch over you;

          
when you awake, they will speak to you.

     
For these commands are a lamp,

          
this teaching is a light,

     
and the corrections of discipline

          
are the way to life,

     
keeping you from the immoral woman,

          
from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

     
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

          
or let her captivate you with her eyes,

     
for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,

          
and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

In Homer’ story
The Odyssey
, Odysseus was warned that he and his crew would sail near the land of the Sirens, whose song would enchant them and lure them to their death, where they would join others who had fallen and whose bones had rotted. Circe warned, “You must sail straight on past. Lash yourself with ropes on the mast, and if you are tempted, have someone tie you even tighter.”

Temptations will come; none of us should kid ourselves. The Word of God, hidden, treasured, and obeyed deep in our hearts, will hold us fast and keep us safe.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

The moral of the story of the Sirens is this: don’t trust your emotions. Don’t leave your heart unguarded. It’s a dangerous world out there. There are lots of women who did not receive instruction about morality and wise living as they grew up. Maybe you didn’t. It’s never too late. Get involved in a women’s Bible study! The combination of fellowship, accountability, and growing together in God’s Word is powerful and wonderful.

Let’s Pray

Lord, help me to bind your words close to my heart; tie me tighter to you. Please guard my heart and hold me safe.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 15:19–17:7; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 6:20-26

February 3

Shame and Disgrace

     
Can a man [or woman] scoop fire into his lap

          
and not be burned?

     
Can he walk on hot coals

          
and not blister his feet?

     
So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.

          
He who embraces her will not go unpunished. . . .

     
But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,

          
for he destroys his own soul.

     
Wounds and constant disgrace are his lot.

          
His shame will never be erased.

     
For the woman’s husband will be furious in his jealousy,

          
and he will have no mercy in his day of vengeance.

     
There is no compensation

          
or bribe that will satisfy him.

Today’s proverb starts with a rhetorical question: “Can a man [or a woman] scoop fire into his lap and not be burned? The answer is “No, of course not.” You would be crazy to think you could. So why do some people think they can play around with the fire of adultery and not end up with scars and ashes? Why?

Adultery—how easy it is to fall into, but how deep are the wounds. I remember a friend telling me her story. As a child her family’s world revolved around the church. All of her best memories are of her time there with the family of God. But one day when she was just six, her parents had a meeting with someone in the church office. They sent her outside. She heard screaming and cursing. She knew something terrible had happened and her mom was to blame. When they left, her dad never returned home and they never went back to church. It was adultery. Adultery changed her entire childhood.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Has your heart been broken by the damage of adultery in your own family or those you love? Maybe you are the one who fell. John 8 relates Jesus’ encounter with a woman “caught in the act.” If you haven’t read it lately, will you turn to it and relive the scene? As painful as it is to read, it ends with an amazing moment of grace. Just simply Jesus says, “Neither do I [condemn you]. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Nothing less, nothing more.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 17:8–19:15; Matthew 22:34–23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 6:27-35

February 4

Preventive Medicine

     
Follow my advice, my son;

          
always treasure my commands.

     
Obey them and live!

          
Guard my teachings as your most precious possession.

     
Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.

          
Write them deep within your heart.

     
Love wisdom like a sister;

          
make insight a beloved member of your family.

     
Let them hold you back from an affair with an immoral woman,

          
from listening to the flattery of an adulterous woman.

There you have it: a love affair with God’s Word will make you immune to love affairs with the world, the flesh, or the devil. How great is that?

So exactly how do you do that? How do you fall in love with the Word of God? Let me give you three practical things.

1. Ask the Lord himself to stir up your heart and to give you a joyful hunger for his Word. This is a supernatural work. Please know that this is the kind of prayer the Lord is so happy to answer.
   
2. Since it’s helped me so much, I will recommend that you go out and buy a
   One Year Bible
   . This helps you with that beloved habit of daily personal reading.
   
3. Scripture memorization. I know you might think this is impossible for you to do, but just try it. Write out a verse that you would really love to know on a 3 x 5 card. Carry it everywhere. Read it and practice it. In days it will be written on your memory, in your thought life, and also in the deep places of your heart.
   

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Our proverb today tells us not only to treasure God’s Words, but to “obey them and live.” This is where the rubber meets the road. Let me challenge you to a seven-day test. For seven days straight, read your Bible first thing in the morning and write down two lessons you learn.

Then, don’t just put your Bible away and move on. Still your heart and ask God to show you one specific thing you can apply to your life right away. Something amazing and personal happens when you sense the unction of his Spirit moving on your heart.

And then, of course, do it! The results in the days to come will indeed reveal God’s teachings as your precious possessions.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 19:16–21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 7:1-5