The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (28 page)

April 12

Be Teachable

     
A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline;

          
a young mocker refuses to listen.

There is a clear line drawn between someone who is wise and someone who isn’t. And one of the defining marks is “a teachable spirit.”

A foolish person won’t learn. She already knows it all. She thinks she knows better than anyone else. So you are wasting your breath to try to talk out a problem.

Whether it is at work, in a ministry, among friends, or in a family, everyone just leaves a foolish person alone, because if you do talk to her, she is going to be offended and defensive. I hope I am not talking about you . . . and I hope I am not talking about me.

On the other hand, there are some precious people who are a delight to be friends with and to serve with. They are open, receptive, growing, and eager to learn. It’s refreshing. It is easy to trust them, because they are not going to undermine people, hold grudges, or get set in a defensive box. On top of that, I feel like I am not only able to minister to them, but I always learn from them. One of the great keys is that a teachable person is constantly open, listening and learning from God!

Hebrews 3:7 warns, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the day of rebellion’” (
NKJV
).

So, who are you in this picture? And the important question now is, who do you want to be?

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

“A wise child accepts discipline.” Are you a parent, supervisor at work, or ministry leader who sometimes has to correct or discipline someone? You can make it harder or easier to receive. The definition of
discipline
is “training that develops self-control, character, orderliness, and efficiency.” Don’t come down like a hammer. When you discipline, it should not be to punish, but to train. It is to help that person grow, not just for your benefit, but theirs. Next time, before you speak, will you pray? Ask God to give you words that build up and direct, not tear down and discourage.

One Year Bible Reading

Joshua 5:1–7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 13:1

April 13

Don’t Speak Rashly

     
From the fruit of her lips a [woman] enjoys good things,

          
but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.

     
He who guards his lips guards his life,

          
but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Ladies, this is a good word for us. We will never be women of graciousness and honor until we get this area of our lives completely under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s proverb warns us: don’t speak rashly. To speak rashly is to speak whatever you feel like speaking, with no restraint, with no thought or care. Don’t do that. Don’t ever do that. As Will Rogers said, “People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.”

Moms, we have to remember that children learn what they live. If you are quick to vent anger at your kids, or husband, or the clerk at the store, it will backfire on you. Either those around you will shut down, or you will see your kids “acting out” your behavior.

Many kids learn a lot about their parents’ faith as they ride in the backseat going to and from church. Do they hear bickering and tension going to church, but then see another face presented as they walk in the church door? Do they hear criticism and gossip as they ride home? This is confusing and disappointing. James 1:26 tells us, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself, and his religion is worthless” (
NIV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

I have a friend who was a screamer as a young mother. As a Christian, she knew it was wrong. So she felt constantly condemned. But she couldn’t stop. Just one spilled glass of milk would set her off. She was desperate and cried out to God for help. Then she heard a teaching on the Holy Spirit. She learned that he could give her strength that was beyond her own. That very day she desperately cried out to God, asking him to come and fill her with his supernatural power—and he did.

Do you feel helpless to change? Will you sit down right now and cry out to God? Ask him to fill you will his dynamite power, knowing he will, because he promised.

One Year Bible Reading

Joshua 7:16–9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:2-3

April 14

Soul of the Diligent

     
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;

     
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

This proverb is not about being rich materially; it is about being rich spiritually. It answers the important question, why? Why is it that so many Christians are spiritually dry? They do not grow year after year. Why is it that they have no victory? Why don’t they know God’s Word? Why do they have more fruit of the flesh than fruit of the Spirit? Bottom line:
spiritual laziness
.

Amy Grant sang a song called “Fat Baby.” These are the words:

     
I know a man, maybe you know him, too.

     
You never can tell; he might even be you.

     
He knelt at the altar, and that was the end.

     
He’s saved, and that’s all that matters to him.

     
His spiritual tummy, it can’t take too much.

     
One day a week, he gets a spiritual lunch.

     
He’s been baptized, sanctified, redeemed by the blood,

     
But his daily devotions are stuck in the mud.

     
He’s just a fat, he’s just a fat little baby!

So, question: How important is your own personal spiritual life to you really? There is absolutely no richer, sweeter return on an investment of time and energy than to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness. God himself makes us a wonderful promise: “The soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” And you can take that to the spiritual bank!

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Every day at the bottom of the page is the
One Year Bible
reading for the day. Through the years I have heard people say, “Oh, I tried reading with a schedule, but I gave up after a while.” Hebrews 5:12 challenges us to grow up: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (
NKJV
). Spiritual maturity only comes to those who learn to eat the manna of God’s Word for themselves. Don’t just rely on teachers to spoon-feed you. Will you try again? There are some valuable lessons in today’s reading that will challenge you and feed you and help you to grow.

One Year Bible Reading

Joshua 9:3–10:43; Luke 16:19–17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4

April 15

My Heart, Christ’s Home

     
The righteous hate what is false,

          
but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

     
Righteousness guards the man [or woman] of integrity,

          
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

To hate what is false—have you ever thought about how valuable it is—actually, how truly life changing and character building it is to develop a viable, clear, tangible hatred of falsehood? It is righteousness that guards our integrity, whereas wrong tears us down.

First and foremost, we need to hate anything and everything that lurks in the corners and closets of our own souls that is false and wrong. I love the little booklet
My Heart—Christ’s Home
, by Robert Munger. It pictures your heart as a house. Jesus comes and walks into each room. And as he does, the light floods in. He then lets you know what is not right. Honestly, has it been a while since you asked him to do that for you? When we see things in our hearts as he sees them, it is the first step to wanting and asking him to set us free and cleanse us from whatever is false and wrong.

Next we look outward; we need to hate the false and wrong in this world. Compromise is not a part of godly living. James 4:4 asks us an important question: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (
NIV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

     
The dearest idol I have known,

     
Whate’er that idol be,

     
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

     
And worship only Thee.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I truly do want for my heart—my entire life—to be your home. I am painfully aware I have let little compromises crowd you out. I long to be a woman of integrity and to live as a testimony that you who have begun a good work in me will complete it. Thank you that you never give up. In Jesus’ name, amen.

One Year Bible Reading

Joshua 11:1–12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6