How Wisdom Builds Her House

Hey, friends! Today we are in Proverbs 9 with the Good Morning Girls. Here we see how wisdom builds her house. Let's take a look!

Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.
~Proverbs 9:1

As soon as I read this first verse of Proverbs 9 this morning, I knew I had to do some research into what the seven pillars are. Here’s what I found.

Seven symbolizes perfection or completeness. These seven perfect pillars have been hewn (cut out) of rock so Wisdom’s house is permanent and lasting. 

After doing some research on the seven pillars, I learned that we must look back at Proverbs 8:12-14 where we find the seven attributes of Wisdom. These seven attributes are the seven pillars that support the house of Wisdom.

How Wisdom Builds Her House

Proverbs 8:12-14 says:

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 

¹³ To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance,  

evil behavior and perverse speech. ¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine; 

I have insight, I have power.

Pillar 1: Prudence (The ability to keep oneself from being misled.)

Pillar 2: Knowledge and Discretion (knowing what is going on around you; looking ahead and then having a plan of action)

Pillar 3: Fear of Lord (having a reverence for God that is expressed in daily living; being committed to God’s purpose; turning from and hating evil)

Pillar 4: Counsel (to give good advice/wise guidance; to listen to counsel for your own life too)

Pillar 5: Sound judgment (behaving wisely from day to day)

Pillar 6: Understanding (to understand that Wisdom comes from God; disciplined study and learning from the Bible in order to receive instruction from God; to be able to discern between good and evil)

Pillar 7: Power (Power for our life is found as we walk in the previous 6 pillars; we will be fortified against the evil of this world and will be known as a true child of God.)


It's so important that we build our spiritual houses (lives) with these seven pillars of Wisdom. We can only do that by spending time daily in the Bible. It's time spent in God's Word that will help us gain these attributes of Wisdom for our own lives. I'm so thankful for Courtney and her ministry at Good Morning Girls because it was through Courtney's guidance and the SOAK method of Bible study that I have learned how to dig into God's Word in such a way that spiritual growth happens in my life. It can happen for you too! Please continue to join me and the Good Morning Girls in our Proverbs Bible Study.

How Wisdom builds her house is exactly how we should be building our spiritual house, so let's continue to build in each of these seven areas!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 


I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

 

4 Steps To Finding True Wealth

Today we are in Proverbs 8 with the Good Morning Girls. In this chapter we hear the call of Wisdom to true wealth.

No amount of the riches of this world can compare to the true wealth that Wisdom offers.

How do we find this true wealth?

Here are 4 steps to finding true wealth that only comes from the Wisdom of God.

4 Steps To Finding True Wealth

First, we must hear the Word of God.

Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

~Proverbs 8:6

Second, we must receive instruction from God.

Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.

~Proverbs 8:10-11

Third, we must love truth and wisdom.

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

~Proverbs 8:17

Bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.

~Proverbs 8:21

And fourth, we must seek God and His wisdom every day.

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

~Proverbs 8:17

The temporary things of this world are perishable, and only true wealth can be found in the Wisdom of God. Which will you choose this day?

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

       

When You're Tempted To Sin

Something came to my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 7 in our summer Bible study with the Good Morning Girls. As I was reading the warning about the adulterous woman, I began to think about how the words of verses 24-27 could also be a warning about any sin that would try to tempt Christians who are striving to walk on the path of Wisdom with God.

Let's take a look at the verses I'm referring to. We'll also discover in these verses 3 ways to guard yourself when you're tempted to sin.

24Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

25Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

26Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

27Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. 

~Proverbs 7:24-27

Now go back and read these verses again and replace all the feminine pronouns with the word "sin".

24Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

25Do not let your heart turn to sin's ways or stray into sin's paths.

26Many are the victims sin has brought down; sin's slain are a mighty throng.

27Sin's house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

~Proverbs 7:24-27

Wow, isn't that amazing?!

Do not let your heart turn to sin's ways!

Do not stray into sin's paths!

Sin has many victims who have been brought down by its deceitfulness!

The number of sin's slain is a mighty throng!

Sin's house is a highway to the grave...leading to the chambers of death!

3 Things To Do When You're Tempted To Sin

Thankfully, we also discover in Proverbs 7:24-27 three things we can do when we're tempted to sin. God has not left us all by ourselves to fend off the devil and his traps of sin. He's given us a way out of any temptation to sin.

1.  Look up to God and remember His Word {verse 24}. This is where committing God's Scripture to your memory will really come into play. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood {Ephesians 6:12} so it's very important to remember that the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God alone {2 Corinthians 10:4}.

2.  Keep your heart focused on God's truth {verse 25}. Satan is the father of lies and the truth is not in him {John 8:44}. When you're tempted to sin there is usually a lie of Satan involved that he has tried to infiltrate your mind with. Call on the truth of God to set you free {John 8:32}! Get into the Word and see what God has to say about the sin that is trying to ensnare your heart and lead to you sin against God.

3.  Think about the future consequences of the sin {verses 26-27}. Again, you'll find the truth in the Word of God about the future consequences of sin. The consequences of sin to consider when you're tempted to sin are: separation from God {Isaiah 59:2}; quenching the Holy Spirit of God {1 Thessalonians 5:19-22}; the hurt of others {Exodus 1:22 and Matthew 2:16-18}; and the understanding that giving in to one sin can lead to giving in to other sins. King David is one example of someone who followed hard after God's heart and gave in to the sin of lust which led him to the sin of ordering the murder of Bathsheba's husband {2 Samuel 11}.


I'm so thankful to God for leaving us His Holy Word as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path {Psalm 119:105}! I'll leave you with this Scripture from the apostle Paul:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. 

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

~1 Corinthians 10:13

Be alert, my friends, to the temptations of sin that Satan will throw into your path. And always be on the look-out for the way of escape when you're tempted to sin by wielding your sword of the Spirit - the Holy Bible, God's Word to us on our journey of life.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Teaching Our Children the Importance of Memorizing God's Word

Welcome friends, to Week 2 of our Proverbs Summer Bible Study with the Good Morning Girls! Today we are in Proverbs 6.

The cry of my mother's heart jumped out at me as I read verses 20-22. Here's the best piece of parenting instruction we can give our kids:

My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake 

the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart;

tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you;

when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, 

they will speak with you. ~ Proverbs 6:20-22

Teaching our children the importance of memorizing God's Word is one of the most valuable tools we can equip them with in their personal walk with the Lord. In our home we have tried to lead by example, the importance of God's Word, by spending daily quiet time in the Word as well as time of family devotions in the Word of God. We've taught our children to memorize verses in the Bible that they can use in times of trouble, fear, or doubt as well as verses of thanksgiving and praise. We've always stressed how the Bible has every answer to anything we may face in this life.

This spiritual discipline will reap a harvest of spiritual fruit in the life of our children as truths from God's Word are brought back to their remembrance throughout their adult lives. My daughter, who is now a married woman with a child of her own, just shared with me the other day how Scriptures that she had hidden in her heart as a young girl continue to come to her mind today and help her in the season of life she is now living. Praise the Lord!

Teaching our children the importance of memorizing God's Word will ensure that our children can take God with them anywhere as they journey through life. They will be ready for the spiritual battles of this life that can only be conquered by the sword of the Spirit! 

Let's get to equipping them now! Here are some fun ideas that we have used to make memorizing Scripture fun!

7 Ways to Make Memorizing Scripture Fun!

1. Use hand motions/sign language.
2. Write the verse down on slips of paper. Fold each piece of paper and place them individually inside balloons. Blow up the balloons and tie with the Scriptures inside. Let your children stomp the balloons to pop them. Gather the pieces of paper and put them in the correct order of the verse. Say the Scripture verse together.
3. Use a dry erase board to write the verse on. Say the verse together and then pick a word of the verse to erase. Say the verse again, filling in the missing word. Repeat until the entire verse has been erased and your children are saying it from memory.
4. Have your children write the verse on an index card and place it on their bedroom or bathroom mirror so they will see it each morning. Recite the verse while getting dressed or brushing their teeth.
5. Buy pretty journals for your children to keep their Scripture memory verses in. Each day they can write their memory verse. At the end of the week, the verse should be well hidden in their hearts!
6. Scripture Release is a wonderful website that puts Scripture verses to music! Let your children pick out the Scripture verse they want to memorize and download it for them so they can listen to it throughout the day. It won't be long before they'll be walking around the house singing their Bible verses!
7. Godstruck Ministries for Kids is a Christian family who have produced a curriculum using music and motions to help children memorize God's Word. I had the privilege of meeting them at our local homeschool conference two years ago. They asked me to write a review of their products which I was more than happy to do (Scripture Songs for Kids)!

I hope these ideas will inspire you to help your children memorize God's Word! After all, teaching our children the importance of memorizing God's word is a valuable tool that they will be able to carry with them well into their adult lives. That's right...you and I still need to keep this spiritual discipline in our lives so that we can pray God's Word back to Him as we journey through this life!

We see in verse 22 how God's Word leads us, keeps us, and speaks to us. Time spent in God's Word and memorizing God's Word will never return void as we carry it with us in our hearts.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!