Thursday, April 4th, 2024

Greetings and salutations on this day above ground in the wee hours before dawn here in the Sonoran Desert of the great American Southwest, dear Reader. I love my new nebulizer; I've had three breathing treatments so far and each has been super quick as well as very effective, it's great! How wonderful modern medicine is, I'm so grateful. 💖

Without any further delay I'll post today's Proverb from the Book of Wisdom (Proverbs 4 NIV, copied and pasted from biblegateway.com):

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

4 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.

2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.

3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.

4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,[b] get understanding.

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
and the years of your life will be many.

11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
 turn from it and go on your way.

16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet 
and be steadfast in all your ways.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

Footnotes

Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level

See, if you're anything like me (and know that, to some degree or another, you're a fool) then these words will resonate with and minister to your soul. On the flip side of that, though, if you are unteachable then you probably won't get much out of it (and that's a shame). Wisdom is wasted on those who care nothing for it, that's the reality of it. You're here reading my blog, though, so (for that reason) I choose to believe that the eyes reading this are the eyes of someone else who's in search of truth, too, and I pray that you find that Truth, in Jesus' Name, amen. Let us seek it out together; we are created for community. 

I used to approach this matter of Faith in ALL the wrong ways, man. For years and years I was motivated by pure human emotion (meaning that my feelings were my god rather than God Himself). It used to be that if I didn't like something that I read in the Bible, I rationalized that it was there by mistake. Yes, I really used to do that. For years (like, decades). It is SO easy to be deceived (at least that's true as far as I'm concerned, I can't speak for anyone else). Anyway, I hate how our feelings often lie to us, but they do! Feelings are fickle; for that reason, we're not supposed to just live on emotional autopilot. Living based on our emotions is the default human setting, and we expect it from children. At some point, though, we're supposed to mature and develop beyond that. It's especially important for us believers, so we will speak the truth in love to others. 

May you find whatever it is that you seek today, dear Reader. Thank you for seeking truth and wisdom with me; I pray the eyes of your understanding are opened, that your heart and mind are filled with truth, that Hope and love sustain you, now and always. In Jesus' Name, amen. 💜