The beginning of wisdom is to fear God and to understand that God is in control of everything that happens. The days are short. Times are so evil, yet God, He is in control. There have been evil, perilous times like this before.
“My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.”
“As for me, I will call upon God, the Lord shall save me.”
” For it was not an enemy that reproached me, for then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked into the house of God in company” ~ Psalm 55
So often those who hurt us the very most are our family, friends, fellow Christians, acquaintances in the church, people, the very people who are supposed to love us. Thus it is harder to forgive these erring ones. They catch us off guard, we didn’t expect that from them. Their common faith, or bonds to us disarmed us, we didn’t see it coming, didn’t think it possible. The Lord binds up our wounds. He cares for us.
“Evening and morning and noon shall I pray, and and He shall hear my voice”. God shall hear and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, they fear not God. ~ Psslm 55
We ought to fear God. We ought to be afraid to sin. We ought to fear his chastisement.
Here in the 4th chapter of Proverbs we receive a warning. Get wisdom! That is the principle thing, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt wisdom, not man, not people in the church, not the admiration of the Pastor, or impressing people with our good works. No, the Bible says get wisdom! Exalt her, and she shall promote thee, she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her. She shall give thee an ornament of grace, a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it , pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Put away from thee a forward mouth, and preverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left. Remove thy foot from evil. ~ Proverbs 4
We are to worship God and exalt Him above all other things, institutions or persons. Then we will serve Him alone with a full heart. As for wisdom, He promises in his word to give it liberally to all who ask, only do not doubt. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. But He that seeks the Lord shall not want for any good thing.
Sarah Hopkins Art 