Proverb for the Week of May 30th

Memorial weekend is the official kick-off to summer.  What are your plans?

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.  Proverbs 21:30

Keep God in your heart.  Seek Him when you make your plans, and have a blessed and safe Memorial weekend!

Proverb for the Week of May 23

Many of us are in a position where we are instructing others on a regular basis. If you are a mom, then you instruct your children every day. If you are a teacher, you instruct many children every day! No matter what you do, you will find yourself teaching others at some point in time. But when is the last time you listened to instruction? We need to listen to God's instructions every day if we are going to effectively instruct others. Where are God's instructions? In the Bible!

Proverbs 16:20 says, "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

May you have a blessed and prosperous week!

Proverb for the Week of May 16th

The Hebrew word translated as fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, means one who is morally deficient.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7

How are your morals? Live your life with wisdom and discipline and fear in the Lord, and you too will have knowledge.

Have a blessed week!

Proper Nourishment is required for Good Health

     I just spent the last two weeks recovering from a tonsillectomy.  I was miserable!  I am glad that it is over and I am almost back to normal.  One of the most important things my doctor told me was that I needed to drink lots of fluids and get as much nourishment as I could.  Since I could not eat solid food, I had to stick with soups, pudding, and Popsicles.  This was great for a few days, but eventually I needed some real food.  You could live on pudding and Popsicles, but you wouldn’t be very healthy!  Once I was back to eating a healthier diet, I quickly started feeling much better. 

     Have you ever felt like you were trying to nourish yourself with something that is just not very healthy?  I don’t just mean the physical nourishment either.  We need nourishment for our mind and soul as well as our body.  God provides us with every kind of nourishment we need to keep every part of our body healthy.  From the physical food we need, to the encouragement and strength our minds and souls need, He gives it all to us.  In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter thirty-two, verses thirteen and fourteen, Moses is reminding the Israelites of how God provided for their ancestors as well as providing for them.  In verse thirteen Moses says, “He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields.  He nourished him with honey from the rock and with oil from the flinty crag.”  Verse fourteen goes on to say that God provided choice meats, milk and cheese and juice from grapes for Israel.  The Israelites were God’s chosen people, but they forgot who provided for them.  In those two verses, Moses is reminding them who their provider is.  It is important that we do not forget that God provides for our physical nourishment.  That is why we thank Him before our meals!
 

     God also provides the nourishment that our minds and souls need to be healthy.  This nourishment can be found in every book of the Bible.  That’s right, every book.  I love that God’s nourishment for our souls can be found no matter what book of the Bible we are reading.  I personally love the book of Proverbs.  In chapter three, verses seven and eight it says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”  In Proverbs chapter fifteen, verse thirty it says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”  This is nourishment for both the physical and mental health of our bodies.  God says that if we live a life that honors Him we will have good health. 

     So how do you live a life that honors God?  We are so busy with kids, chores, and jobs outside the home that sometimes we feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done.  How do we fit in time for God?  God needs to be the most important part of our day.  If you have to get up early to spend time with God, then do it.  Even just ten minutes in the morning with God can change your whole day.  We know that how we start our day sets the tone for how the rest of the day is going to go, so choose to start it with God.  If you’re in Michigan, we have Family Life Radio and Smile FM.  This is a great way to receive God’s nourishment through music all day long.  Even if you’re not in Michigan, you can listen to Smile Fm online at www.smile.fm.  Seeking God through out your day will improve your attitude and give you peace.  One of my favorite bible verses is found in the book of Matthew, chapter six, in verse thirty-three.  It says, “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”  If we seek God first in everything, he will provide us with all that we need.  Whether it is nourishment for our physical bodies or nourishment for our minds and souls God will give it to us if we look to Him first.  Have a blessed day!