Your Name

Pr. 22:1
A good name is to be more desired than great wealth...

Every time I hear or read about the importance of integrity or having a good name, I think of the end of the play "The Crucible".   John Proctor has been falsely accused of witchcraft and he is told that if he signs a confession he will be saved from the gallows.  All he has to do is sign his name on a confession (even though it was false).  This is what he says as he struggles...

Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!

Oh, the importance of our name.  We only get one.  Let my life be lived in a manner worthy of only one name and in need of no other.

That they may be ready on your Lips

Memorization has again come up. 

Proverbs 22:17-18
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise and apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them  within you, That they may be ready on your lips.

How can these words of the wise be in my mind and on my lips if they are not studied, meditated upon and memorized? 

This is one of my goals of the way I am studying right now.  Reading the same chapter in Proverbs as is the date (thus all the Proverbs 22 posts today) and reading all of the Psalms for his date plus 30 through the end of the book.  This means I can read all of the Psalms and Proverbs each month.  Although I'm not memorizing, I'm hoping that the verses will become more and more familiar each month and will be mediated upon through the day.  So far....I like it.

The training of Children

Pr. 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Pr 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.

As pastor talked about this weekend, it is our job to train our children in the way they should go.  I often think about the early Christians who would use the term "The Way" to distinguish themselves.  Jesus said, "I am THE WAY, the truth and the light..." I must train my children up in The Way...not a way or any way...but in THE WAY.  I must train them up in the word of God.  I must teach them about Jesus, his sacrifice, his love, his glory.  As adults, they will be held responsible for their choices, but they will NOT know about God.  They will not be without excuse.

BUT...my hope is that the Lord would bless my effort to train them up in the way they should go.  My prayer is that when my children are old, they truly will NOT depart from it.  I'm not a name it and claim it kind of girl...but I suppose if there was one thing I would want to "name and claim" it would be the salvation of my children.

The second verse reminds me of a verse I read the other day. Proverbs 19:3 - The foolishness of man ruins his ay, and his heart rages against the LORD.

Every day I am reminded that foolishness is bound up in my dear little one's hearts.  Again..my job is to expose that foolishness...and the sin that it leads to...so that knowledge, wisdom and understanding may replace it.  This verse reminds me that my work...my daily, hourly work of discipline will be rewarded by removing this foolishness from them.  It may not be, probably will not be right away...but it will be removed...not because of anything I've done, but because of the Grace of God.  I am trusting in this promise from the Lord, that the rod of discipline will remove the foolishness, not away...but FAR from them.

Psalm 22:9-10

"You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother's breast.  Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother's womb."

I know that this Psalm is considered Messianic.  My study Bible says that the New Testament contains 15 quotations from this Psalm.  So, from a purely Messianic view point, it is easy t see this as Jesus.

But, my question, is...is this just about Jesus?  As I raise, and even nurse my babes, I pray throughout the day that the Lord would save them, would call them, would adopt them as sons (and daughters).  Is this another description of election...that even as a babe it has been determined?

Without the Gospel

Today, Tim Challies just posted a quote by John Calvin.  In my head, I heard a preacher presenting these few paragraphs and getting longer, stronger and bolder with every line.  Just reading it made me want to jump up and shout.

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune.

For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation [life] is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation [verbal abuse], abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death.

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.

Never Hurry...

Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.
Proverbs 19:2

I have been reading Charlotte's Web with my children and Charlotte, the spider is trying to teach Wilbur how to be "Terrific". She says to him, "Never hurry and Never worry". Those 5 words can easily be read over and forgotten, but for some reason, I've remembered them. When I feel rushed, or in the chaos of putting on 6 shoes, pulling up two pairs of undies, changing one blow out diaper and trying to find 3 doggies, 1 blankie and 2 pacis....I often feel overwhelmed...and lately I've been thinking of Charlotte "Never hurry and Never worry". I will take a moment and slow down.

When I read this verse in Proverbs today, again my thoughts went to Charlotte, "Never hurry". Even God tells us this...but I think in a different context.

I often become discouraged because my Christian walk is more like a crawl, or worse, like a newborn kicking and flailing about, but going no where. Mostly, it's because I'm not trying. My almost 4 month old should be starting to roll over soon...but honestly...I don't seem him trying too hard right now. He'll never roll until he works and practices, right?

Well, isn't it the same with us? The Bible tells us that it is not god for a person to be without knowledge....but guess what...it takes time to become knowledgeable. And, harder still...it doesn't just happen. It takes work, dedication, practice and occasional falls. And, at least from my experience...when I try to hurry along my walk, I find that I become discouraged, or I fall flat on my face in humiliation or sin because I did not take the time needed to grow. In other words, I hurried...and I erred...just as this Proverb states.

I recently heard of 2 missionary couples who studied and prepared for 9 years before they set out on the mission field to a remote island, to people who never heard the gospel. Did you read that??? 9 long, long, long years! I haven't even been married that long! They worked for 9 years before they left on their mission. They were full of knowledge about the people, about living in the jungle, about language development...they did not hurry. Then, when they made it to the island...they waited 4 years before being able to present the gospel. They had to spend 4 years taking a non-written language and come up with symbols and words before they could even teach the people (and translate the Bible).

But...during those 13 years of preparing...God was tilling the souls of tribal people's hearts and you know what...when they heard the gospel (which took 6 months of Bible teaching before they even made it to the cross...yes, they started at Gen. 1), the people were ready. They WANTED CHRIST!!!! They needed, wanted and cried out for a savior.

If those missionaries had not obeyed the Bible, if they would have said, eh...I was in boy scouts, I can make a fire and hurried over to this island...I'm quite certain their ministry would have been nearly fruitless. They waited upon the Lord. They acquired knowledge, they were patient, they did not err.

Pr 19:12

"The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against the LORD." Proverbs 19:12

Immediately when I read this, I thought of sin, our sin nature that we have even at birth. Our foolishness ruins our way. Even from birth our heart rages against the Lord.

But, Praise the Lord...that's not the end! We can be new creatures, if only we lay down our lives at the blessed foot of the cross. He will make us new. We can no longer be slaves to sin...rather we can be slaves to righteousness. Our heart does not have to always rage against the Lord...our foolishness does not have to ruin our way.

Prov. 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...
Prov. 19:23 - The fear of the LORD leads to life...

Sovereign God

"...and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." Psalm 139:16

Oh that I would remember this simple scripture each moment of my day. I become so frazzled by the work to be done, the bottoms to be wiped, the whines to contain and the cries to be soothed. If only, if only I would remember that each of my days have already been written...already ordained.

Trust Me he says. I know you, I formed you, I will lead you.