The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (17 page)

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March 1

Words That Nourish

     
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,

          
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

     
The lips of the righteous nourish many,

          
but fools die for lack of judgment.

Ladies, never underestimate the power of the words that you speak. Words can be like precious silver used to add value everywhere you go and anytime you speak. Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”

This should make us excited and at the same time sober. We all know we have been foolish, even destructive, at times with our words.

So David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O L
ORD
, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14,
NKJV
). This is the key. For our words to be right, our hearts must be right. And so we can do what David did. We can ask the Lord himself to give us a sense of his presence and a desire to please and honor him at all times. This holds us accountable, but it also gives us a realization that he can give us his good, right, true, helpful words that bless others. He can give us insightful words for a complicated situation. He can give us a soft, peaceful word when there is tension in the air. He can give us words of encouragement for someone who is down and kind words for those who are in pain.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Words of comfort in a time of grief are nourishing, like water to a thirsty soul. The grief of loss comes in many forms. A painful divorce, a prodigal child, a failed business, even a moving away is a loss we grieve. The death of someone we love goes deepest. Please remember that when we’re in grief, we don’t need advice or quick-fix answers. Think of comfort as the combination of two words:
come
and
fort
. If you know someone who is grieving, will you go to that person? Just your personal presence and a kind look are a message of care. Then make your words like a fort: sheltering, supportive, and safe.

One Year Bible Reading

Leviticus 24:1–25:46; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21

March 2

Blessing and Beauty

     
The blessing of the L
ORD
brings wealth,

          
and he adds no trouble to it.

Ladies, this is a great and wonderful promise from God himself to us. The blessings of God are the only true commodity that can fill us so completely that we become full and rich, internally rich. But does “blessing” mean riches like money or health or beauty or popularity? No. These things can give us temporary happiness, but
temporary
is the key word. These things don’t last, and they can’t give us lasting satisfaction either. Through the years, Hollywood icons from Marilyn Monroe to Brittany Spears have been tragic illustrations. A picture is worth a thousand words. They had all the money, beauty, and popularity this world offers, but definitely those girls had troubles, lots of troubles.

So what is “blessing”? Literally it means God’s favor—his smile on your life, his pleasure. And most of all, the greatest blessing is his presence, his friendship. His presence brings peace and joy even when times are hard. He comforts us in times of pain and gives us strength when we are weak. These are things that the world isn’t selling and money just can’t buy.

Paul the apostle is such a perfect picture of this. When he was in a Roman prison, he said, “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:11,
NIV
). It’s been said that “contentment isn’t getting what you want but wanting what you have.”

“The blessing of the L
ORD
brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22,
NIV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

While we’re on the topic of definitions, let’s address the concept of beauty. There are many brokenhearted women because they look in the mirror and do not see the Hollywood version of beauty. We need a reality check. Those cover girls don’t look that good when they wake up either. And remember, true beauty is more than skin deep. Beauty sometimes comes in simple packages. God raises the bar on real beauty in 1 Peter 3:4: “Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (
NKJV
).

One Year Bible Reading

Leviticus 25:47–27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22

March 3

Wise or Foolish?

     
A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct,

          
but a man [or woman] of understanding delights in wisdom.

This proverb sets before us two women, a foolish woman and a wise woman. The point is not just for us to see the difference, but for us to choose who we are now and who we want to become.

Woman number one is foolish. She finds pleasure in evil conduct. She plays games that cause trouble. She takes a wicked pleasure in causing division or hurting people’s feelings. She is drawn to sin, and no matter how much grief it brings her or others, she keeps going back for more. She is foolish because she never learns that the ounce of pleasure she gets in the moment of sin later delivers a pound of heartache. Second Timothy 3 tells us, “In the last days perilous times will come: For [people] will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, . . . headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (vv. 1-4,
NKJV
).

But woman number two is a wise woman, a woman of understanding. Psalm 1:1-2 is her mantra: “Blessed is the [woman] who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But [her]delight is in the law of the L
ORD
, and on his law [she] meditates day and night” (
NIV
).

So, to be wise or foolish? That is the question. The point is for us to choose. Who are we now, and then who do we want to be?

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Part of becoming wise involves becoming increasingly sensitive to the red flags of warning and conviction sent by the Holy Spirit. For instance, if you’re in a group of women and someone says something that triggers negative emotions in you, you might feel the desire rising to shoot back a sharp, retaliatory word. God will be faithful at the same moment to give a “check.” What does that little voice sound like? It can be as simple as, “Zip your lip,” “A soft answer turns away wrath,” or, “Count to ten, Debbi. Count to ten.”

One Year Bible Reading

Leviticus 27:14—Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-26; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23