Counsel, Encouragement, God's Promises, Guidance, Holiness, Obedience, Peace, Prayer, Righteousness, Trust, Wisdom

Straight Paths

The book of Proverbs is full of Godly wisdom, some verses are just plain practical things, and some are steps to living a life of righteousness and holiness.  The beginning of holiness and righteousness is Godly wisdom and following the direction that comes from God.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (ESV)

The first thing we need to understand is that wisdom comes from God.  Proverbs 2:6 tells us, “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (NASB 1995)  We need to understand that God sees everything from beginning to end and we can only see a small part of the path we are traveling in this world. His understanding is greater than ours and if we depend on our own understanding and knowledge, we can find ourselves going in a direction other than what God has planned for us, then we cannot fulfill God’s plan for our lives.  J. Vernon McGee states in his commentary on Proverbs, “This is a very solemn admonition; yet it offers such wonderful assurance of guidance into a way of peace.”  Following God’s direction will lead us into a life that brings peace and rest.

The book of Proverbs also tells us that following our own wisdom is foolish. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26 KJV) I can’t tell you how many times in the past I decided to do something without praying first and asking for God’s help and went by my own understanding of the circumstances only to find everything falling apart and I was in deep trouble.  In that instance, I could honestly say I did something foolish because I didn’t go to God first, or I ignored a prompting from the Holy Spirit. When we trust in our own flawed wisdom or murky understanding, we can get ourselves far away from God’s design for us and that can lead to discord in our lives.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  The word “fear” can be translated “awe” or “reverence.” As we have reverential fear of God, we gain understanding.  Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (NIV)  As we study God’s Word for guidance, we gain an understanding not only of Who God is, but what He wants to do in our lives.  We learn about how to live Godly, righteous lives that reflect His light to those around us. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)  When we trust Him to guide us, walking those straight paths He leads us on, we can rest knowing that everything is in His control and His plans for us are only for our good and His will is accomplished in our lives.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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