The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (33 page)

May 1

Don’t Believe Everything

     
A simple man believes anything,

          
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

     
A wise man fears the L
ORD
and shuns evil,

          
but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

First of all, our proverb says that the simple believe anything. Here’s a very important principle. Just because you have a negative thought, you don’t have to believe it. Refuse to overthink and overimagine.

Ladies, let’s apply this to the foolish tendency that we as women sometimes have called “jumping to conclusions.” We sometimes immediately assume the worst. We all know how this happens in our heads. Your husband is late from work, your friend cancels a lunch date. You don’t get a Mother’s Day card. You jump to conclusions. You assume that nobody cares about you.

So, secondly, the prudent give thought to their steps. They are not hotheaded or reckless. When you find you have jumped to a negative conclusion, try this: take it to the Lord. Ask him to give you perspective. Ask him to show you what’s true and to give you grace and wisdom to respond wisely. A moment of prayer can save you hours of anxiety. You’ll be surprised how quickly the Lord softens your viewpoint and gives you peace when you pray. Others will be surprised how you’re becoming easier to get along with, and that’s a good thing.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Let’s continue with the topic “a simple [woman] believes anything.” Not only do we believe negative things about others, but sometimes we believe negative things about ourselves. Have you thought,
I can never change
, or,
I can never be completely forgiven for my past
? Do you worry and believe the worst will happen? Do you sometimes believe God doesn’t care? These are lies; don’t believe them. Herbert Lockyer, author of
All the Promises of the Bible
, calculated there are over eight thousand promises in Scripture. You need to become a “promise believer.” Let me list a few to look up, write down, and believe with all your heart:

• Feeling alone? Hebrews 13:5
  
• Weary? Galatians 6:9
  
• Needing provision? Psalm 37:25; Philippians 4:19
  
• Afraid? Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 41:10
  

One Year Bible Reading

Judges 13:1–14:20; John 1:29-51; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 14:15-16

May 2

Short-Tempered

     
Those who are short-tempered do foolish things,

          
and schemers are hated.

Short-tempered.
This means “cranky, in a bad mood.”

Ladies, do your kids ever say about you, “Oh, you know Mom. She’s in one of her moods”? That means, “Stay away from her. You might get hurt.” A short-tempered mom screams at her child in the grocery store. She swats at him in anger. She says mean and demeaning things to him. A short-tempered wife bites her husband’s head off in front of the kids or in front of others. If he lost the keys or makes a wrong turn, she says, “Can’t you ever get anything right?” No, silly woman. You’re the one who is not getting it right. That is uncalled for, and it is foolish.

The second part of this proverb says that schemers—those who are crafty—are hated. What does that mean? Well, being crafty is being sneaky, conniving. This includes making snide remarks and little put-downs or undermining others.

I know. All of this sounds like I’m being very harsh and critical about women who are harsh and critical. Well, I am.

The point is that unless we see these things for what they are in ourselves, we will always live short of who the Lord created us to be. Always remember: we are created to be women of honor and grace, reflecting his loving character to others.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

What is another name for
short-tempere
d
? Impatient. One day I found myself being very impatient. I had to ask myself why. Honestly, I could see right away that it was selfishness. I was only thinking of what I needed and wanted to get done, and that made other people’s issues seem less important. Ouch! Have you been short-tempered and impatient? Do you steam inside, do you vent?

Let’s Pray

Lord, when those moments come, when impatience rises, put a check on my heart. Help me to see I might be making a mountain out of a molehill. Help me to take a breath, slow down, and give the situation to you.

One Year Bible Reading

Judges 15:1–16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 14:17-19

May 3

Kindness to the Poor

     
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,

          
but the rich have many friends.

     
He who despises his neighbor sins,

          
but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

Today’s proverb has two parts. The first tells us how it often is, but the second part tells us how it should be.

When Jesus taught us about life, he spoke about abundant life, but then he clarified the definition of
abundant
. He taught that the giving life is the rich life.

First John 3:17-18 says, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (
NKJV
).

Here is how Jesus describes an amazing scene in Matthew 25:31, 34-40: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, . . . He will sit on the throne of His glory. . . . Then the King will say, . . . ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom: . . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me. I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ [When they ask, ‘When did we do that, Lord?’] the King will answer, . . . ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (
NKJV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Matthew 25 shows us that in eternity there will be a great award ceremony. But unlike the Academy Awards, it will not be for the rich and the famous. I think we’ll all be surprised that some of the big, seemingly monumental accomplishments will only get honorable mention. The small, quiet, tender, compassionate acts of kindness will receive a personal thank-you from the King of kings. I want to hear that, don’t you?

Let’s Pray

Lord, forgive me when I shun the poor. Don’t let me miss the moments that are all around me to touch someone’s life with kindness, filling a need or easing a burden. In your name and for your sake, amen.

One Year Bible Reading

Judges 17:1–18:31; John 3:1-21; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 14:20-21

May 4

Talk Is Cheap

     
All hard work brings a profit,

          
but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Bottom line, girls: talk is cheap. We can apply this to every facet of our lives. Let me say that there is virtue and profit from doing our best, going the extra mile. But dragging around, putting things off, calling everything a chore is just a bad way to live.

So let me ask: Are there three areas in your life you would like to improve? Me too! It’s time for spring cleaning; so let’s write them down, and let’s get to it—because talk is cheap.

Do you have a closet in your house you need to declutter? Write it down. Set a date: “Next Saturday declutter front hall closet.” Don’t put it off. Get to it. You’ll love the results, because “all hard work brings a profit.”

Maybe you need some spring cleaning in a relationship. Don’t put it off. Ask the Lord to give you one tangible step to build a bridge with someone. Sometimes it’s hard to be the first one to take that step, but remember: our proverb today says, “All hard work brings a profit.”

And how about spring cleaning in your spiritual life? How about decluttering a negative habit? How about reading a psalm a day for the next week? You know what they say: “If there’s dust on your Bible, there’s dirt in your life.”

All hard work, though, brings a profit.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Did you know that in most churches 10 percent of the people do 90 percent of the work? If you are not involved in serving in some way at your church, chances are you also don’t feel very connected. There is no better way to build deep, lasting friendships within the body of Christ than to roll up your sleeves and jump in. There are thousands of little jobs that have to be done. Volunteer to help with vacation Bible school preparations. Join the cleaning crew or the hospitality team that makes coffee, do hospital visitation, or be part of prayer chain. Remember: all hard work brings a profit.

One Year Bible Reading

Judges 19:1–20:48; John 3:22–4:3; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24