A FENCE OR AN AMBULANCE

‘Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed, Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant; But over its terrible edge there had slipped A duke and full many a peasant. So the people said something would have to be done, But their projects did not at all tally; Some said, "Put a fence around the edge of the cliff," Some, "An ambulance down in the valley." But the cry for the ambulance carried the day, For it spread through the neighboring city; A fence may be useful or not, it is true, But each heart became brimful of pity For those who slipped over that dangerous cliff; And the dwellers in highway and alley Gave pounds or gave pence, not to put up a fence, But an ambulance down in the valley. "For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful," they said, "And, if folks even slip and are dropping, It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much, As the shock down below when they’re stopping." So day after day, as these mishaps occurred, Quick forth would those rescuers sally To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff With their ambulance down in the valley. Then an old sage remarked: "It’s a marvel to me That people give far more attention To repairing results than to stopping the cause, When they’d much better aim at prevention. Let us stop at its source all this mischief," cried he, "Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally; If the cliff we will fence we might almost dispense With the ambulance down in the valley." ... Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old, For the voice of true wisdom is calling, "To rescue the fallen is good, but ‘tis best To prevent other people from falling." Better close up the source of temptation and crime Than deliver from dungeon or galley; Better put a strong fence round the top of the cliff Than an ambulance down in the valley. By; Joseph Malins Proverbs 4: 10-15 (10) Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. (11) I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. (12) When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. (13) Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. (14) Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. (15) Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. (16) For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. (17) For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. (18) But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (19) The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. (20) My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. (21) Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. (22) For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. (23) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (24) Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. (25) Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. (26) Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. (27) Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Press Toward The Mark

(Phil 3:13-14) "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

As a mom, I know that every child is different. Even though your children may have physical similarities, every child has their own unique personality. I have four children, and they have four distinct personalities. What may come easy to one child, does not come easy to another. For instance, I have one child that school just comes easy to. To them, school is just a place they are made to go until summer comes. Tests are of little concern to them because they always make A's regardless of how much they study. They listen in class, they remember what they hear, they take the test,......so what's the big deal? On the other hand, I have one that hates school. They work hard, study twice as long, and barely get a B. And then, just every so often an A comes along. It seems that they try harder but the grade is never what they hoped for.

Recently, my youngest was getting ready for a test. His Grammy knew he had been working hard. For added incentive, she told him that if he brought an A home on ANY test, she would bring his lunch to school from the fast-food restaurant of his choice. The next day we were driving to school when my oldest daughter asked if she might be able to get the same deal from me. I said, "No." She asked me why, and I explained that she was older and quite capable of making good grades if she applied herself. Plus, she was not the one in need of this particular kind of encouragement right now. I thought I was waxing philosophical when I said, "The grade is its own reward.You should study hard and listen in class. When you pass, you should have a sense of pride that you earned the grade through your hard work." My daughter responded, "Well, doesn't that just mean I'm not a prideful person? And isn't that a good thing?" I laughed so hard I couldn't answer her.

As Christians, our goal is to strive to be like Christ. We have to "press toward the mark". To some, it may come easy. While others may struggle daily to get there. Sometimes we watch other people and wonder why it all comes so easy for them and why we have to work so hard at it. Christians are not supposed to meander through life doing as little as possible to get by. We are supposed to work hard!

Also, there are times when the Lord blesses someone, and we may find ourselves asking why He can't do the same thing for us. It is not that the Lord can't do the same for all of us, it is not that He can't give us what we want, it's just that His will for you is not the same as His will for me. There are lessons I have to learn one way, and you have to learn them another. He equips each of His children with the tools and/or skills necessary to complete their test. Our job is to use them, to the best of our ability in order to "press toward the mark." I want an A+!!! I probably won't get it because I am a dirty, rotten sinner who makes mistakes all the time, BUT I am going to do my best to achieve it anyway. In the end, I get to go to heaven, and that is the ultimate reward! Here on earth, it may not look like I have much to some, but the Lord has been ever so good to this little sinner girl and I thank Him for it. I owe it to Him to run the race to best of my ability. If we trust Him, he will take care of our needs. I love that I can take my empty cup to Him every day and He will fill it until it overflows with more than I deserve to have. Now, my cup may look like a "tea cup" to you, while someone else may have one of those "bubba chug" things but when God fills the cup, it doesn't matter what size it is, it is still FULL.

(Lamentations 3:22-24) "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is they faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM

I love to study the meanings of words. I like to know exactly what I am saying and what is being said to me. Unfortunately, most words are not used today as they were originally used because we have allowed their meanings to change. That's why I like the Websters 1828 Dictionary because it shows the original meanings of words. It's actually kind of sad that even the dictionaries of today have changed the meanings to match how we use the words rather than the other way around. It is man's way though. Since the beginning of time we have taken words and twisted them to mean what we want them to mean, rather than how they were originally intended. We even do it to God's Word, don't we? Just like the dictionary was intended to teach us so we'd know the meaning of our own language, and impart knowledge, God's Word is to teach us the way HE wants us to live. Both were meant to teach, train and instruct us in life. Both are used for knowledge, wisdom, and instruction. After we kids had passed first grade, just about any time we asked Mom how to spell a word she'd say, "Look it up." She wanted us to sound it out and get a dictionary and look for it, and then also read what it meant. That way we learned how to spell it AND how to use it in every day speech. INSTRUCT: To teach; to inform the mind; to educate; to impart knowledge to one who was destitute of it. To direct; to persuade or admonish. To form; to prepare. The word instruction is used 26 times in book of Proverbs alone. It is always used when talking of discipline with love, but also shows a sternness with that love. It is used with words like "chastisement" and "reproof." Of course the source of ALL wisdom and instruction is God. Proverbs 2:6 "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." The Lord has, thankfully, given us many resources for instruction: God - We cannot acquire the simplest skill without Him allowing it. His Word - He reveals his wisdom and shows us how to live. His Son - He came to show us grace and mercy. Parents - Most parents are a child's main source of wisdom. Teachers/ Counselors - People who use the experiences that God had brought them through to help us discern things or make wise choices. If a person is truly wise they will listen and willingly accept instruction, whether it be verbal or physical. Then they will apply it to their lives. Only a fool would refuse Godly counsel and choose to follow his own way. Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." God's child should be appreciative of Godly counsel and instruction. Our responses should be: To accept instruction. To apply instruction A person accepts instruction from God, parents, or wise teachers will reap the benefits of a righteous life. Someone who desires to do right, who desires to receive instruction is definitely going to obtain favour with the Lord and thereby with man. God protects those who willingly submit to His authority and to the authorities placed in their lives. This also brings a person honor. Honor is not something that is just handed out, it is something that is earned. It is a respect that is given to someone as a result of living according to God's Word. So the results are: Spiritual rewards Blessings Honor On the other hand, a fool refuses to heed instruction and is followed by destruction and shame. He truly hates himself. Proverbs 15:32 "He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding." The person that refuses to listen to wise counsel will reap the results of their own foolish choices. (Proverbs 1:24-28) A life lived that way will only lead to spiritual destruction and maybe even physical death. If we will just read God's Word and apply it to our lives we have success in a godly way and live life to the fullest potential that God intended.

HOW DID I GET HERE?

Have you ever been awakened from a deep sleep and been disoriented? Have you ever left a place, and driven somewhere and been so lost in thought that when you arrived at your destination you don't remember driving there or passing familiar landmarks on the way? Have you ever been forced to go somewhere that you really didn't want to go? Have you ever been out driving and someone pull out in front of you and then slam on their breaks? Have you ever been following someone (because you have never been to where you're going) and they leave you behind and you are just lost? Have you ever ridden in car with someone who "thinks" they know the way and then after your lost they refuse to stop and ask for directions because they are just sure if they keep going they will find it? Ps. 17:5 "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." Ps. 37:23 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." Ps. 37:30-32 "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him." In life there are many twists and turns. There are mountain top times, and there are deep valley moments. All of which are things that the Lord can use to mold us and make us into what HE wants us to be. Everyone LOVES those times when you are on the mountain top because the sun is shining bright, you can feel the sun on your face, and you can see the sky for miles, and the view is breath-taking. But we all go through valleys too. Most people don't enjoy those times. The warmth of sun is shaded by the depth of the valley, and it can be cold and dark, and lonesome. Ever go through a valley and wonder "How'd I get here?" There are different ways to end up in a valley. SLIP means to err, to fall into error. Unintentional error or fault. SLIDE means to pass in silent unobserved progression or an easy, smooth, interrupted course. STEP means to walk or advance into a place; progression; act of advancing. STUMBLE means to trip; to err. To obstruct in progress; to puzzle; to perplex.

There are times when we are innocently walking along and we slip and fall. Maybe we didn't see something in our path, maybe we weren't watching where we were going, whatever the case, we slipped, unintentionally. And there we are lost in a valley that we didn't see coming.

There are times when we slide by in life, doing as little as possible so that no one ever expects to much from us. When we slide, we do it slowly and quietly so that no one really notices that we're not around, and then the sin we get into seems to be normal. And we find ourselves to have slid so far from God that we can't hear Him trying to call us back to Him.

There are times when we see the danger up ahead. We know there is a dropping off point. There are warning signs that would detour us from the danger zone, but we press on. We step right into the path that we knew we should not have taken. And we are in a place that only God can get us out of. And we find ourselves begging for the help of God, whom we never consulted before stepping in this path.

There are also times when we are walking the right path, and we are looking ahead, trying to avoid the danger zones. We are careful when we walk so that we do not slip. We are cautious when we see a slippery place so that we do not slide. We take purposeful steps so as to follow those who have gone before us and left us a good path to follow. Then,... suddenly,... without warning, the person in front of you, the one whom you were watching so carefully, the one whose footsteps you were trying to follow in.....stumbles and falls. You try to catch yourself, you try to hang on to whatever you can but it is to late, and there you are, on your face in a valley you didn't even know was coming.

No matter which type of valley you find yourself in, God is your only way out. You may have sinned unintentionally. You may have allowed yourself to slowly drift away from Him. You may have willfully chosen it. Or someone may have stumbled in front of you and put you there. No matter. Only God can get you out. Sometimes He has to lead us out through the darkness, and sometimes He just reaches down and takes you right out of there. Either way, He is your only way out. Doesn't matter how you got there. Doesn't matter who's fault it is. All that matters is that you look to the One who can get you out.

Ps. 73:22-28 "So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."

"JUST LIKE MY HEAVENLY FATHER"

Matthew 18:1-7 "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! My father is Pastor Charles W. Savage, II. He was born and raised in Ohio. He is number nine of twelve children. He received Christ as his Saviour when he was sixteen years old. He spent four years in the army and eight in the army reserves. He drifted from the Lord while he was in the army but, thankfully, when he was twenty-six years old someone from the local, independent Baptist church was out going door-to-door, and they found him. He gave his life back over to the Lord before I was ever born and our family has never known a time when we were not serving the Lord faithfully in a local church. He surrendered to preach, went to Bible college, and worked himself almost to death trying to take care of his family. He worked in a church for ten years as....Associate pastor, song leader, bus driver, choir director, Sunday-school teacher, head of men's soul-winning group, janitor and lawn mower. The church also had a christian school so he worked there too as...principal, teacher of grades 7 - 12, basketball coach (whenever we didn't have one), P.E. teacher, and janitor. On any day or night he had free, he was building a house for the pastor on the property the church had purchased for him. Then he moved us to a place where he started his own church. And he still does whatever needs to be done for the Lord's ministry. MY DAD IS "SUPER-DAD!" (Now, he doesn't brag on himself. He would never try to take any glory for the way the Lord used him. But, I need to use him for an example in this, K?) I can write his whole life story here if I wanted to. Know why? Because there is nothing in it for me to be ashamed of. Don't get me wrong now,...Mother was there too. She worked hard, right a long beside him, every step of the way. She seldom got (or gets) the credit she deserved. I believe that God will hand her a special crown with Daddy's name etched in it, and he'll wink at mom so she knows that HE knows all the stuff she did. She is AWESOME! But back to my father...... The Lord took this little child and set him in the midst of them, and said, "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." My Daddy was just like that. If you didn't receive one of his kids, you didn't receive him. Basically, "you mess with me, you mess with the whole family." He taught us to be proud of who we were in his words, as much as in his actions. He taught me to ride a bike and swim. He ran off pesky boys, and "well-meaning" church people. He protected me and my siblings from every harm or hurt he could. And with little more than you could feed two people on, he always made sure there was food on the table, a roof over our heads, and clothes on our back. In short...He loved (and still loves) us. I haven't always been the best daughter but God gave me the BEST Dad! I am not ashamed for anyone to know that Charles Savage is my father. I am proud to be his daughter. Even better than that, HE tells people that he is proud to be my dad! He identifies himself as my father, and I identify myself as his daughter. He has never done anything to make me ashamed to be called his child. He has never (like in the verses above) brought "offences" to me. JUST LIKE my Heavenly Father, my Daddy loves me. JUST LIKE my Heavenly Father, my Daddy chastised me. JUST LIKE my Heavenly Father, my Daddy hated when we sinned. JUST LIKE my Heavenly Father, my Daddy never left me nor forsook me. Our Heavenly Father wants to be identified with us too. Isn't that amazing? Why would He want to be identified as our Father? He who has never known any sin wants to be known as our Father! We are so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that wants to be identified with us. I am more than glad to claim Him as my Heavenly Father and so very thankful that he claims me as his child. (And if you mess wit me, my father beat you up!):-)

BLOW YOUR TRUMPET!

EZEKIEL 33 This is an awesome passage of scripture! In verse one God is letting them know that he is going to bring the sword upon the land ...."When I bring the sword upon the land..." and he is even gracious (as He always is) to give them a way out. Aren't you thankful that God always provides us with the way to do right, and all we have to do is follow? He tells them to pick a man and set him as a watchman. Now this guys job is pretty self-explanatory, if you read the passage. Basically, if he sees any danger he is to blow the trumpet. Verses 4 - 6 go on to tell us that if the people hear the trumpet and heed not the warning, then their blood is on their own head. BUT, if the watchman sees the danger and doesn't sound the warning, then the people's blood is upon his head. Sounds pretty fair doesn't it? I mean if he doesn't sound the warning and I die, then it's not my fault. YEAH! It's his fault. ........WAIT! If he doesn't sound the warning, it's his fault, sure, but..........I'M DEAD! ...WAIT! I don't want to die if he doesn't do his job!!!!! Exactly. Today we live in a world where no one wants to be the "bad guy." Nobody wants to tell anybody when they have done something wrong because they don't want to offend anyone. We hear things like, "What about their self-esteem?" or "What if they get mad at me?" If we stick to that thinking then everyone does "that which is right in their own eyes." That is not Christian thinking. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." What if the car that is heading toward your child, who is playing in the street, NEVER blows his horn? What if your child was in the cross walk and following all the traffic safety rules but still got hit? And what if the driver who has just struck your child with their car says, "Well, I didn't want to upset them, or hurt their ears with the sound of my horn." Are you telling me you'd not be upset? How much more then ought we as Christians to sound the warning for the world. God is LOVE! Yes. God DIED for you! Yes. But what about what happens if they don't listen? Are we not to tell them that God will cast them in the lake of fire because it might considered "negative"? Are we not to warn our children that there are things that God HATES (Pro.6:16-19) so that they will stay away from that thing? We also live in an age where no one takes responsibility for their own actions. It is NEVER our fault, it is always someone else's fault. We are NEVER wrong, the other person ALWAYS is. In this passage it states that the children of Israel tried to say that God's way was "not equal" (v.17). Wow, how bold? Yet we do the same thing every day. We either do not sound the warning so we can be every body's friend, or we ignore it because we enjoy what we're doing. Or, we will twist the Scripture to mean what we want it to mean, so we can do what we want to do. God expects more of "His own" than that. That's why he says, "The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it." (Ez.33:12-13) God expects his children to be like Him. That is why our punishment is greater than the punishment of those who are not his. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (Jms.4:17) I mean, aren't we as parents the same way with our kids? We expect more from them than someone else's kids, because they are ours.They belong to us. We taught them, and they should know better. We have a choice though. We can stand on our sword (v.26) or we can pick it up and fight! We can silence our horn, or we can blow it with all our might! I don't know about other Mom's but I sure want that car to honk it's horn REAL LOUD so my child has a chance to escape an injury that could affect the rest of their life. I also want to do my best to teach them to stay out of harm's way so that they see danger before they are in the middle of it. I also expect their pastor, their grand-parents, their Sunday school teachers, and any other Godly influence in their lives to "blow the horn" and "sound the warning" when danger is approaching. Sound it loud! Sound it often! Even if my children refuse to listen, keep sounding it until they do. To my children: I love you with all the love a person can possess. I promise to do my best to give you EVERY opportunity to do the right thing. If you choose to go against the Word of God, and make sinful wicked choices, you will do it WITHOUT my help, without my support, and without my encouragement. You can listen and live or you can choose "to not to."

I FORGOT BUT GOD FORGAVE

"I forgot." I cannot tell you how many times I hear that phrase in a day. It is perhaps one of the most common phrases used as an excuse for something you should have done and didn't. There is no telling how many times I said it to my own parents. And now, I hear it from my children. "Why didn't you clean your room?"..."I forgot!" or "Why didn't you take out the trash?" ... "I forgot!" Even as an adult, I use the phrase often. "Mom, did you get me the notebook paper I need for school?" "No, I forgot." I could go on and on, but I won't. In a spiritual sense we say the same thing to God just about as often. I mean, don't you think He asks too? "Why weren't you in church when my Word specifically says that you are not to forsake the assembling.....?" "Oops, sorry Lord, I forgot." or "Why did you say that when you know my Word specifically says not to let corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth?" "Sorry again Lord, I forgot." Again, I could go on and on, but I won't. We have a tendency to think that God is forgetful, like we are. We take verses in His own Word and twist them out of context, in order to do what we want to. For instance, we will do something we know we are not supposed to (sometimes even when we know we shouldn't) and we will do them anyway. Then, we will say, "Well, I asked God to forgive me and he doesn't hold it against me anymore." You know what? I wish that were true. I mean, the thing that IS true, is that before I knew Him as my Father, I was a dirty sinner on my way to hell, and when I accepted Him as my Saviour, he took me, knowing what I was (and would be) and forgave me of those sins. He buried them "in the deepest part of the sea" (Ps.103:12), or "as far as the east is from the west." (Micah 7:19) At least those are the parts we like to remember anyway. But He still loves me, and He still claims me as His own, even now that I am a saved, rotten sinner! BUT, His Word says something we tend to over look. II Cor. 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Now if I understand this correctly, we will stand before Christ and be judged for the things we've done "in the body". Well, I don't know about you, but I certainly am still in my body. So, even though Christ forgave and continues to forgive me of all my sin, He is STILL going to hold me accountable for what I have done since I became HIS. And thankfully, He is still going to let me live in His Heaven, even though I don't deserve it. I may not have as many rewards as I had before I did those things "in the body" that I knew I shouldn't do and did anyway, but I still get to go to heaven because I am HIS child. PRAISE THE LORD and THANK YOU JESUS!!! So, next time you start to tell someone that they should forget all your sins, like God does, you need to remember two things: 1. We will never be like God or as good as God, until we get to heaven. We can "...press toward the mark...." but we will never attain the perfection of God. 2. God does forgive but we are still held accountable for what we've done. Our God is not mindless. He doesn't lose his mind just because we do. We have to stop putting Him on our level. HE IS NOT ON OUR LEVEL. He is WAY HIGHER than we could ever hope to be. II Corinthians 5:14-15 says"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." Praise the Lord for His forgiveness and move on with your life. But, don't expect that you can "live unto yourself" and not be held accountable. Before I close, let me give you one example. If the church treasurer steals all the churches money, and spends it, BUT he comes back and asks for forgiveness, do you forgive him? The answer is YES! Do you let him go back to being the treasurer? NOPE! Are you then holding his sin over his head? I don't think so. I mean, I trust the Lord to keep my children safe but I don't let them play on 465 in rush hour traffic either. God gave us (well, most anyway) common sense. Let's use it!

PROVERBS

PROVERB: A short sentence often repeated, expressing a well known truth or common fact, ascertained by experience or observation; a maxim of wisdom. One of the things my children enjoy the most about eating chinese food is the fortune cookie that we get at the end of the meal. They each take one and open it quickly to see what the little piece of paper inside will say. Then they try to decide if what they got really fits them. They say things like, "Oh, that sounds just like so-n-so" or "Man! I wish I'd gotten the one she got." (That usually happens when the paper says that fame & fortune are on their way). It is always fun to see what each person gets. However, there really are people in this world that live their life by these "sayings", which are referred to as chinese proverbs. There are even some who live by, what we call, old wives tales. You know,..."a stitch in time saves nine" and "A watch pot never boils" ... things like that. Though some of these have great meanings, and may even provide a little wisdom, it is still earthly. It is man-made. For the past few summers now, I have made it a rule with my children that no one gets to eat, play, swim, watch TV, or whatever else there is until they read the Proverb for the day and quote the memory verse that I have chosen from the chapter. Of course, the Proverb I'm referring to is a book of the Bible, located between Psalms & Song of Solomon. You might wonder why I'd do that. Well, let me explain... Real wisdom, Godly wisdom comes from the Word of God (KJV). I want my children to be wise. Wisodm will give them "the skill needed to deal with certain situations and the ability to discern between what matters and what doesn't." This is what Solomon was asking for when he asked God for wisdom. God rewarded his request by giving him a knowledge that far exceeded anyone else around. Because of this wisdom, people would travel for miles to seek his counsel. I am so thankful that God inspired him to pass some of his wisdom on to us through his Holy Word. The beginning of all wisdom is..."the fear of the LORD" (Prov. 1:7). This is not a fear that causes us to live in terror, but a fear that is reverent. A fear that causes us to live a life that is holy and righteous because that is what our GOD is. In order to be wise, we have to begin with a right relationship with the Lord. Lost people can have skill, and smarts, and be clever, but this wisdom that is in Proverbs can only be achieved by those who belong to God and have the right kind of relationship with him. When we reject wisdom and instruction, and refuse to fear the Lord, we are foolish. Someone who would ignore wisdom is just stupid. The Bible calls them a "fool". When you lead a life that is absent of God's wisdom and instruction you will never have any peace. When you purposely refuse to heed God's Word you have no one to blame but yourself when the consequences come. (Gal.6:7) There is a day of reckoning coming. When you stand before God and remember wisdom's call to righteousness (Prov.1:24) you will wish you had heeded God's Word. Prov. 1:24-33 "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them."