The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (4 page)

January 9

Fireproof!

     
Wisdom will save you from the immoral [man],

          
from the flattery of the adulterous [man].

     
[He] has abandoned [his wife]

          
and ignores the covenant [he] made before God.

     
Entering [his] house leads to death;

          
it is the road to hell.

     
The [woman] who visits [him] is doomed.

          
[She] will never reach the paths of life.

Today’s Wisdom for Women is a sober and vivid heart-to-heart talk. It was written as from a father talking to a son, telling him that getting tangled up with an immoral woman will ruin his life. But I have taken the liberty of switching it as a warning to women about the dangers of yielding to an immoral man. The principles are exactly the same.

Ladies, right now I have a burdened heart regarding this. I could tell you hundreds of stories of broken families, wounded children, scars, and shame that women feel for the rest of their lives because they left the guard off their heart and played with the fire of sinful sex outside of marriage. Don’t do that. If someone at the office, an old boyfriend, a stranger on the Internet, or someone else’s husband starts flirting with you, that’s a red flag. Some men think flattery will get them everywhere. Slam the door on that. It is far easier to stop something that never got started than to reel in lust turned loose.

So be wise, and you’ll never regret being foolish. Amen? Amen!

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

How can you fireproof your heart from the pitfalls of sexual temptation?

Avoid trashy movies, magazines, and atmospheres. They ignite sparks of trashy thoughts, emotions, and images.

Loneliness and isolation make you emotionally vulnerable. Get connected and involved in serving. Serving will fill your emotional cup and brings you joy.

Pray! Ask the Lord to stir your heart to fall freshly in love with him. “Take delight in the L
ORD
, and he will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4).

One Year Bible Reading

Genesis 20:1–22:24; Matthew 7:15-29; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 2:16-22

January 10

Trust

     
Trust in the L
ORD
with all your heart,

     
And lean not on your own understanding;

     
In all your ways acknowledge Him,

     
And He shall direct your paths.

There is a great hymn with the words “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

A few years ago I was in New York City and decided to take a bus tour. As we passed the Brooklyn Bridge, the guide told us a fascinating story. When the bridge first opened, thousands came to cross over, but a few weeks later, a woman who was walking up the steps tripped and screamed. The scream triggered a panic that the bridge was ready to collapse. In the panic and crush, twelve people were killed. The fear of a collapse remained in people’s minds, and few trusted the bridge. It sat virtually unused. Then P. T. Barnum was asked to take twenty-one of his elephants across the bridge. Under that massive weight, the bridge held up, and confidence was restored.

So let me ask you, have you ever fully put your
full
trust, your
full
weight—heart, soul, and mind—into the promises of God? Let me tell you, there is no greater thrill, joy, and reward. This verse will never be truly yours until you do that. “Trust in the L
ORD
with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” He will direct your paths . . . because he promised.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

“Trust in the L
ORD
with all your heart.” Among the roadblocks to faith and trust are our emotions. Can we trust them? No! Emotions can spin us down into anxiety, fear, and depression.

Trust is a choice, an act of intentional obedience to God himself. Will you consciously and intentionally surrender a specific area of concern into his safekeeping right now?

Let’s Pray

Lord, I lift this burden up to you. Please forgive me for the many times I have worried and tried to work it out with my own understanding. Today I want to trust you completely and see you unfold your perfect plan.

One Year Bible Reading

Genesis 23:1–24:51; Matthew 8:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 3:1-6

January 11

Be Teachable

     
Do not be wise in your own eyes;

          
fear the L
ORD
and shun evil.

     
This will bring health to your body

          
and nourishment to your bones.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes.” Let me repeat this for us, ladies. “Do not be wise in your own eyes.” Pivotal phrase: “your own.” Okay, repeat that phrase with me. Shun evil like you would shun a bad snake. The results are given in verse 8.

Backing this up to the first part, don’t . . . Don’t be a wise guy. Don’t be so full of yourself that you get stuck in thinking that you are always right. This implies that everyone else is always wrong. That’s annoying to others, and it’s short-sighted and foolish on our part.

So don’t think you can’t learn and grow. Don’t think you don’t need to. Be teachable. Be receptive. Be hungry to learn—first of all, from God himself, but then also from others. Make all of life and every day your classroom.

Some of the most godly, mature people I know read God’s Word like an eager child, hanging on to every word. Their hearts are open. And they love to glean from others. They are always asking others, “What have you been learning from the Lord recently? Tell me. Let me learn too.”

My friends, don’t you love people like that? But most of all, don’t you want to be someone like that? You do? Me too!

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

What if someone asked you, “What good thing have you learned lately?” I hope your answer would go deeper than a new health tip or a new recipe for cupcakes.

Have you relied upon a promise of God lately? If not, do! You will learn he is faithful. And you will end up with an amazing “God story.”

Have you taken notes as you read a story in the Bible lately? Matthew 8:23-27 describes the day a storm hit while the disciples were out at sea. Their boat was sinking and they thought they would die. Why don’t you read it for yourself and see what you learn and how it applies to your storms?

One Year Bible Reading

Genesis 24:52–26:12; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8

January 12

Honor the Lord

     
Honor the L
ORD
with your wealth,

          
with the firstfruits of all your crops;

     
then your barns will be filled to overflowing.

This is both a challenge and a wonderful invitation. The first part of this formula for blessing is “honor the Lord.” Let me tell you: every single thing that we do for the Lord needs to start there, or else it’s just meaningless performance of duty.

To honor the Lord is to always remember God is more than worthy of honor. He is the King of majesty. He is God almighty. He is the God of comfort and love. The Lord is honorable. It is our great privilege that he would allow us to bring him anything. After all, he is the giver of all things that we have to give. Never forget that.

And so when you write out a check to give, be joyful, because the Lord loves a cheerful giver. But more than your money or your things, may I ask you to give the Lord of glory the firstfruits of yourself. Give him your first hour in the morning, meeting with him, letting him lay out your priorities for the day. Honor him with the way you keep your commitments, with the way you treat people, with the way you serve, with the way you work at your job. If you’re a Sunday school teacher, pour your heart into those kids. If you’re a greeter at church, welcome people as if they truly are entering the house of God and you’re the doorkeeper.

So if you want a rich, overflowing life, live your entire life with this principle: “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23,
NKJV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Is there an area of your life where you have failed to honor the Lord? Have you wondered why your life seems barren and fruitless? Will you take God at his word? Will you ask him today to show you a need you can fill? Give it a try! You will see that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

One Year Bible Reading

Genesis 26:17–27:46; Matthew 9:1-17; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 3:9-10