The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (13 page)

February 13

Rebuked in Love

     
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;

          
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

     
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;

          
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

It’s been said that some people would rather be destroyed by compliments than saved by criticism.

Well, that’s true. In the real world you can win some of the people some of the time, but some people, absolutely none of the time. So, first of all, never venture into the realm of correcting others without praying for discernment to know which is which. With some—maybe with many—don’t waste your breath. Even the kindest, most gracious, honest comment will be twisted and overthought and misconstrued. Yep, we’ve learned that the hard way, haven’t we? To correct a fool is barking up the wrong tree.

But don’t give up on everyone. Recently I needed to have a little heart-to-heart talk with a dear friend. I was not annoyed or mad, just concerned. I hoped she would hear me out. I hoped she would know that what I said was not to hurt her but sincerely to strengthen and stretch her. Miracle upon miracle, she did receive my word, and in the end, this manifested not that I was wise, but that she is.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

A wise man (or woman) loves rebuke. Therefore, if you are serious about becoming a woman of wisdom, you need to let your own defensive guard down. It is not good if your family or friends or coworkers are afraid to address issues honestly with you for fear of your response. And even an unfair, unkind criticism can be a blessing, for it can send you to the foot of the Cross. There, the Lord himself will help you sort it out to see if there is an element of truth that you need to take to heart. He can then help you live it out in godly sorrow and true repentance. That is why they call him Savior.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 35:10–36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8

February 14

Fear of the Lord

     
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

     
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

     
The fear of the L
ORD
is the beginning of wisdom,

     
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The fear of the Lord.
I think for many this is a very misunderstood concept. But since over and over both the Psalms and the Proverbs tell us that “the fear of the L
ORD
” is key to the attainment of wisdom, we need to get a grip on what it really is—and then let it get a grip on us.

The fear of the Lord.
A. W. Tozer, one of my favorite authors, said this: “The current trick of frightening people into accepting Christ by threatening them with atom bombs and guided missiles is not scriptural, neither is it effective. By shooting off firecrackers in the face of a flock of goats, you could conceivably succeed in herding them into a sheepfold; but all the natural fear in the world cannot make a sheep out of a goat. And neither can fear of [an enemy] invasion turn impenitent men into lovers of God and righteousness. It just does not work that way.”

On the other hand, one of my all-time favorite moments to capture this is in Isaiah 6:1-5. Isaiah had just experienced the death of a king he respected. He was desperate. He looked up and he saw the Lord on his throne in heaven, glorious, high, and lifted up. Isaiah was totally in awe, filled with reverence, and it shook him up. Now, that is the fear of the Lord.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Are you afraid of God? Do you fear his punishment? Do you fear you could never please him? This kind of fear only brings torment and causes you to keep him at arm’s distance. Did this false fear come from a harsh and cold relationship with your father or someone in authority? Please give your heavenly Father a chance to break that mold.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I know it is unfair for me to blame you for the mistakes of others. Please help me lower my defenses and let you show me both your tender mercies and your awesome wonder.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 37:1–38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10

February 15

Wise Living

     
By me [wisdom] your days will be multiplied,

     
And years of life will be added to you.

     
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

     
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.

It’s been said, “People cannot decide their future. But they can decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.” So true. Although it’s right to live right and that alone is a reward, there are also many, many benefits to making wise, right choices.

So let’s take a moment to look at some of the just plain practical, personal benefits of wise living for us as women.

• Health.
  Wise living teaches us to be good stewards of our health. It is not wise to smoke or eat lots of junky food. It is wise to exercise and eat well. It is unhealthy to internalize anger and worry. It’s healthy to live simply and forgive easily.
  
• Beauty.
  A wise life is a beautiful life. I know several godly, gracious, wise women over eighty, and I have to say, I think they’re beautiful. Pastor Chuck Smith’s wife, Kay, is one of them. She is peaceful and contented and joyful. Actually, she glows.
  
• Blessing.
  Lastly, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35,
  NKJV
  ). Being selfish, living just to please ourselves, is a lonely and empty life—bottom line: foolish. Living to be a blessing doesn’t always add more days to your life, but it sure does add more life to your days.
  

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

As you read this, do you regret that you did not learn to be wise sooner? Do you feel that you have made too many bad, foolish choices and now you don’t qualify for the “abundant life” that Jesus promised? That is soooooo wrong! One of the great wonders of God is that he loves to pour out grace. Have you been foolish with your health, a relationship, your tongue? Ask God to help you sort out one old foolish habit and replace it with a wise habit. It might sound trite, but today truly is the first day of the rest of your life. Be intentional about change. Get started today.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 39:1–40:38; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12

February 16

A Foolish Woman

     
A foolish woman is clamorous;

     
She is simple, and knows nothing.

     
For she sits at the door of her house . . .

     
To call to those who pass by. . . .

     
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;

     
And as for him who lacks understanding,

     
She says to him, “Stolen water is sweet,

     
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

     
But he does not know that the dead are there,

     
That her guests are in the depths of hell.

A foolish woman is clamorous. To be clamorous is to murmur, growl, roar, rage, to be troubled, in an uproar, in a stir, a commotion, boisterous, turbulent, raging.

Here is a big clue for us. Every one of these definitions describes anything but a meek and quiet spirit. Usually if we women make an uproar on the outside, it’s because there’s an uproar on the inside.

A clamorous woman lures other people into her whirlpool—or maybe a better word is cesspool. I know that the first level of application of this proverb is the lure of sexual sin, but actually in the broader application, it can be the cesspool of just plain junk.

A woman who is all stirred up inside is usually just dying to pull others into whatever commotion is going on in her. Since misery loves company, she riles up others at church, at work, in friendships, and in families. She indeed is a foolish, clamorous woman.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

One thing you could never say about the Proverbs is that they are subtle. Remembering that God used King Solomon to write them gives a clue to the tone of this proverb. Solomon had way too many wives, and a few too many of them must have been clamorous. But any husband or family or workplace that has a clamorous woman has one too many. When you are tempted to murmur or growl or rage or roar, will you take a moment before you vent? Ask the Lord to calm the storm inside you before you stir up a storm around you.

One Year Bible Reading

Leviticus 1:1–3:17; Mark 1:29–2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18