by tascha |
I have had a few requests via comments and private messages {on facebook} asking how I do this “Bible Journaling” so I thought I would do a blog post about it. [I may break it into a couple of posts, but I’ll post them quickly 🙂 ]
First of all, I must get this out of the way. I have not ever been an artist. I drew a few things {like lighthouses and fences, which have straight lines for which I could use a ruler! lol and I loved drawing big swirly flowers on cards} as a kid. It was fun, but I never felt like an artist and it did not really extend past my high school years. College years were not conducive to being very artistic with drawing, though I did make mini bulletin boards for a teaching class…
anyway…. All of that to say, this is a VERY new venture for me–as in, less than a month. There are bloggers and instagramers {find me here!} out there that have been doing this for much longer.
So, I was first introduced to this concept via TimeWarpWife Share and her blog post: I’m Writing a Legacy Letter, But It’s Not What You Think.
I read it as soon as it was published, as I subscribe to her blog; but I just let it kinda sit in my heart for a while. Then I started talking to my husband about what I thinking: I wanted to do this!
It was not really that I wanted to leave a book for my kids one day {though that could be a wonderful benefit}, but I wanted to create a memory with my kids. And I wanted to have a journal [maybe, possibly, a Bible one day] that would be very personal to me, that my kids could also glean a glimpse into the heart of there mom one day.
My very first sketch was … experimental.
I was on style-overload 🙂 having watched youtube videos and scoured blogs of other journalers.
Then I tried some color and an actual picture.
I was having fun!
Then I made a facebook album of a few pictures I and my kids had drawn {I want them to enjoy the Bible!} and a few people were encouraging. But I’d already caught the bug, so to speak. 🙂
Before this, I would read my Bible. I would pray that certain things God spoke to me would… stick… in my heart. And He has been changing me over the years.
But this type of journaling has opened up an avenue that just brings out some creative juices that were lying dormant [apparently]. And it simply makes my heart happy. Now, I know that Bible study is not necessarily for creating “happiness” but through studying Leviticus at Prayer Meetings at church has shown what true happiness is! –it’s becoming Holy, like HIM… and that is the purpose of Bible study anyway. 🙂
After a few random verses that I love, I decided to work my way through Proverbs during the month of July {2015}… I do not do it on Sundays and while I do read every day, if I do not get to the journaling part, it’s OK! I had to tell myself that upfront–or I would obsess about it. 😉
More on my process… soon!
IMPORTANT! Please remember that this… Bible Journaling… is an expression of your joy and love in studying God and His Word. Comparison is a joy robber! I look at my pictures and find all the flaws… then others look at them and see the beauty in the colors and words that touched my heart. This is about our hearts, not our artistry.
And you might enjoy reading this post by Time-Warp Wife…
by tascha |
And a free download at the end…
In my last post, I alluded to a relationship between Psalm 15 and the book of James…
Verse 1 of Psalm 15 asks a very interesting question: Lord, who shall abide in they tabernacle…?
We begin to see the answer with verse 2: He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
I like to break sentences apart and examine individual phrases (did I ever mention I was an English major in college?) as well as define words to their most basic meaning in order to understand.
So this verse tells me that if I am to dwell in God’s Holy Hill (His tabernacle, now ME)…
I must:
walk uprightly
to walk means to go the way of, a manner of life, traverse.
uprightly means whole & entire, sound or perfect, in accord {agreement} with truth and fact, with integrity, wholesome and innocent.
work righteousness
work means to make or commit or do.
righteousness is justness of law; what is right; proper weights & measures [balance]; ethically right.
speak truth in my heart
truth is the state of being true, something accurate based on reality {in this instance, I would suggest that Scripture is our only truth… feelings and emotions will lead us astray every time. We must line up with Scripture}
in my heart… my own heart. I must not try to deceive myself. I must be so in-tune with Scripture that I recognize a lie, whether I try to tell it to myself or another is trying to sway me.
Is my manner of life whole and full of integrity?
Do I walk in agreement with the Truth of Scripture?
Do my works commit justice of law? Are they ethical?
Are my deeds properly weighted or balanced?
Is my mind and heart so saturated with hearing and learning and mediating on truths from Scripture that I recognize a lie when the deceiver brings one to me?
These are all weighty questions I am asking myself… and I am trying not to deceive my own heart.
Because, as Jeremiah writes in chapter 17: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
…and when I do NOT do these things… my Spirit {God’s Spirit IN me} is troubled and there is no peace in God’s Tabernacle!
FREE DOWNLOAD BELOW
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This was my first attempt as using watercolor pencils.
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by tascha
The last post broke down verse 2… in answering the question from verse 1: LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
If you missed it, there were some weighty questions I asked myself at the end.
And the thoughts are continued in the next few verses….
3~He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4~In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5~He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
I would like to just say up front, these are not easy or very comfortable points to talk about…
Becoming a mature Christian is not an easy path, but God does have a few promises that I would like to point out before I continue:
…lo, I [Jesus] am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:20
Paul often ended his letters with:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:28
The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:22
Grace be with you all. Amen. Titus 3:15
from Peter:
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10
and a few promises from the OT that apply:
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Psalm 119:28
…the joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10
Our God WILL be with us; He will strengthen us; and He will fill us with His grace… as we meditate on His Word and place our hope in HIM.
…and these are only a bare scratching of the surface of the promises of God’s help for us when we trust in Him and study and apply His Words.
So, my friend, let us be STRENGTHENED by our God
for this task of maturing spiritually 🙂
Psalm 139:9,10
We will delve into the actual verses in the next post…
I would love for you to share a favorite promise in the comments.
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by tascha
I am not lightning quick when I study through a book. I would say a snail’s pace describes me. 🙂
But, I am going to attempt to review a a thought or 2 from a few verses at a time… and there will be several references for looking up, if you choose.
The best way to explain Scripture is with other Scripture!
James 1:1-12
¶ 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
¶ 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
James is speaking to Jews. But he is also writing to CHRISTIANS… of which I am one. I pray you are also!
And he is starting with the basics… having Joy ~ facing trials ~ learning patience. {It’s a circle of events in my own life. 🙂 }
As a believer, my joy will not come from the circumstances around me.
It will not come from the people around me.
It will not even come –from inside me.
My joy will come from following God
–into and through the storms that rage.
And when I follow Him, there will arise temptations [1 Corinthians 10:13].
…count it all joy when ye fall… Count: to see the end of a matter. We must look ahead and… | when: KNOW it WILL happen
We will have need to rebuke one who desires to devour our very soul [1 Peter 5:8 & 9 | James 4:6-8].
…into divers temptations… diverse: various types- the devourer knows our weaknesses
We will have a fight on our hands…but God did not leave us defenseless! [Ephesians 6:10-18]
But it will be a JOY to us to have these temptations, these tempestuous times, because they work PATIENCE in us.
And Patience wishes to have HER way with us,
in completing a perfect work,
that will make us whole.
The devil wishes to devour our testimony so that we may not [or so we choose not to] serve GOD. Satan desires that we serve him. Satan uses our mistakes and folly to make us think we are no good for the Work of God.
But Patience… oh, sweet Patience, she wants to bring about perfectness in our hearts so that we lack nothing we need, thus bringing perfect Glory to our Savior.
My friends… rejoice in the difficulties that come... even when they arise from our own foolishness, because Patience works.
And God can cause ANYTHING bring Himself Glory, when we are following His call. [Romans 8:26-28 & 31]
[EDIT: if you click over here, I have this drawing available as a coloring page.]
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by tascha
still in James 1…
The next several verses have thoughts that flow… this is a letter after all, and I am unsure exactly where to separate my thoughts… so, this one’s going to be a little longer than usual.
verses 19-27
19 ~ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20~ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21~ Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22~ But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23~ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24~ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25~ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26~ If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27~ Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
These verses quite plainly spell out the HOW of growing and becoming Spiritually Mature.
Previously we’ve been instructed that Patience needs to be allowed to do her perfect work… and this is accomplished through trials and temptations. We are learning to run to God through those difficulties.
We are learning to ask for wisdom… without our faith wavering. Sometimes I find myself repeating this particular lesson more frequently than I’d like. 😉 I am, ashamedly, often tossed about like a wave of the sea.
We learned that we succumb to temptation when are drawn away by our own lusts…
We know that nothing we have or accomplish in this life will effect out standing in Heaven–any and all rewards will be because of God’s good gifts… one of which is helping us endure the temptations that bring a Crown of Life {that we will then cast at Jesus’ feet!}.
Here, verse 19 is fairly plain words:
Wherefore: because of all the previous we’ve talked about…
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: I really think this does not need explaining. I just need to remember it! {as maybe you do, too?}
How often do I jump to a conclusion [speak quickly] without hearing all the facts [disregarding the hearing part] {just ask my husband—way more frequently than I care to admit}.
How often do I allow myself to become frustrated, just because -to be perfectly honest- I am thinking of myself and what I want, the next thing I want to do, see, etc. Instead, I should be more patient… allow Patience to work her work.
Because, you see, our anger [the wrath of man] does NOT work the righteousness of God.
It just doesn’t.
And another wherefore… because of these things: we are supposed to lay apart [put aside, throw away]: all filthiness [just what it sounds like: dirty & defiling] and superfluity of naughtiness [excessive or in abundance malice, evil, wickedness].
It sounds as though our Lord is equating our swiftness to wrath and speaking and evasion of listening to being filthy and naughty… not exactly what I want to hear.
So often I choose not to hear this. What about you?
And continuing: receive [take to yourself] with meekness [mild disposition, gentle spirit] the engrafted word [learned by instruction], which is able to save your souls. When we take to heart and heed this instruction, it is able to save our souls!! {This is not salvation, but saving us from the heartache that comes from the consequences of our sin.}
Though the rest continues, it slightly pivots to another thought.
We are to hear the Word.
This is plain… and our speech and our emotions [anger/wrath] should come more slowly.
But we should ACT on what we hear from The Word…. or we will deceive ourselves into thinking… well, that just knowing what God says is enough.
And it isn’t.
22 ~ But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23~ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24~ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
If we hear only and never do…
but do what? [to be perfectly blunt: strive for Holiness… perfectness of God’s work in our hearts]…
…if we only hear and never do, it is as if we woke up and saw our crazy hair and whatever else might look a little out of place straight out of bed and just let it go…. [I think, personal appearance DOES mean something to God, just not in the way some people try to teach, but that’s another post for another time 🙂 ]…
Would you leave the house without changing into clean clothing and at least brushing your teeth and straightening up your hair? Some days require a little more work than others… and some days I care less than others… but that doesn’t make it appropriate to walk out of my house in a dirty and unkempt manner . [no matter what society is trying to tell us!!!]
When I see my natural face [sinful nature] in the mirror [Scripture], I am supposed to DO something about the dirtiness I see…
so I can be blessed in my deeds:
25~ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
One last thought… Religion is not bad. It is simply one facet of showing the Love of God to others.
BUT… and this is a big one: if I cannot control my tongue {speech},
my religion is vain and I have deceived myself…
26~ If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27~ Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Have you ever met someone who fits that?
I know I’ve BEEN one that fits that description.
Have you?
Sometimes growing up is hard… 🙂
I’m so glad he addressed this to his “beloved brethren” or I might have felt I was being attacked by a judgmental person…
And the next post will begin chapter 2!
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by tascha |
This is not exactly a “spiritually or Biblically-inspired” post.
It is more a “I wonder if anyone else has ever thought about it this way” post.
And it’s been sitting in my “draft” folder for a while now…
I had a conversation with a sweet new friend last night that prompted me to truly articulate this thought I’ve had for a while now:
Somedays, I truly feel as though motherhood may have given me a split personality {and I am not trying to belittle those with actual mental disabilities here!}.
I realize my children need ME.
But they need ME differently among them. They are each so individual and unique. Yes, I must be consistent in rules and discipline; but things they need, things they forget and need me to remind them of, things they have not yet learned, are ALL different for each one.
My poor oldest child, she is nearly a young woman, and yet I continue to remind her of things that, really, only her younger sisters need help with. I know that frustrates her. She’s so grown up and the others are still “babes”.
My middle daughter has some food and environmental allergies that sometimes means our whole family just misses out on stuff like… peanut-butter pie… because I just can’t chance it being around and her wanting a taste or being sad that she can’t have it. And she’s trying to grow up as quickly as her big sister, but she really isn’t there yet.
My third… a whirlwind of a girl. She plunges head-long into EVERYTHING she does. She has gusto! 🙂 And thinks very little, if ever, before acting. But her little heart is so tender and pliable, I must be restrained when calling a warning at her to not sit on her brother, or some other situation that could cause harm to one or multiple people. lol. She will just loose it, and the whole situation will disintegrate before our eyes.
My youngest is a boy. After 3 girls we have a boy. ‘Nuff said.
To those with more children, I am not trying to ‘prove’ my life is as hard or harder than yours… just stating some observations. 🙂
And then, my husband needs a WIFE, not a mother {he already has an awesome mother!}. And apart from “child of God”-which is my identity at its core- this is where I find my primary role in life – to be the best wife for him. If I’m an awesome mom and a lousy wife, I’ve not become what God created me to be!
And I do have a few friends… who like to speak to me as adult in my own right, not as a mother or a wife….
And so, maybe this is a little bit to be encouraging spiritually
… I need God! You need God! 🙂
If God does not help us in relating to all the most important people in our lives, we are a people most undone!
If I cannot be Christlike to my own family, how can I expect those outside my family to see Christ in me?
I’m not saying I loose it every day, but there is at least a portion of most days where I struggle really hard not to! And there have even been a few hours all strung together that I feel I {MIGHT} have it all together–HAHAHAHA. nope. not really!
And only bending my knee before His throne will help me be “ME”–a child of God–to those around me, whether I feel SPLIT or not. 🙂
by tascha
when life hands you {crazy}
Right about one year ago I wrote this post… but it never got published. It was raw. It was typed out in frustration.
But when I came across it yesterday, all I could see was that it was REAL… authentic feelings that I now know many moms feel.
And it’s not a sin to BE frustrated-only to allow it to control you.
The ages and such are a little different now, but the truth still applies… a whole year later:
…when life hands you crazy:
I know many families with more than 4 children who seem to really have it all together.
And I know families with less than 4 children who seem to, well, NOT have it all together.
Me? OH! Our family has 4 children… and definitely do NOT have it all together!
{but together, we have it all :)}
But, on occasion, we give the illusion that it’s all dandy. [hehe]
I have found that life just dishes out crazy… like there’s not tomorrow! {and there may not be}
So what’s a girl to do when the crazy just keeps coming?
The answer might sound difficult, but it’s really just a mindset:
EMBRACE IT.
Welcome crazy to just come and have a seat right next to you!
Crazy comes
and your baby has an outfit-dirtying-blowout 5 minutes before you are supposed to leave for school… go ahead and cry. We’ve all been there!
Crazy comes
and your already-trained-toddler wets herself in the bathroom… at church…
Crazy comes
and your 3rd grader reminds you of her project that was not finished but is due… today.
Apologize after you loose it, and take a few moments to remind her of her own responsibility… and that childhood is the time to learn it.
Crazy comes
when your baby breaks out in hives caused by an allergic reaction to his meds…
…and your 5 year old breaks out in something… caused by a-still-unknown-source…
…and your husband’s asthma [which has been very mild for years] starts acting up daily and your heart is terrified of the struggle to breathe…
…and you have friends and far-away-family struggling with things that make a soul yearn for the Lord to just return and take us all away…
And then you remember there are those who are not yet ready for that.
And so, crazy strikes yet again and you realize that life is going on… for now… and HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH CRAZY?
oh, right… EMBRACE it.
The days I handle the crazy the best are the days I wake up and struggle to get out of bed... And my 5 year old gets up in a grumpy-funk, and I snap at her at 6:35 am…..
and I see the hurt in her face, in the face of her older sister sitting there listening to it…
I realize crazy has come yet another day into my home.
I stop.
I hug that 5 year old squirming her grumps away.
And I whisper a prayer that sounds something like… “oh God, please help me!”
I speak an apology to my babies and coax some laughter out of their little bodies.
because those are the days I am forced to keep muttering… “Lord, make me love with your love and make me speak with your words and make me touch with your embrace…” all day long.
Right about one year ago I wrote this post… but it never got published. It was raw. It was typed out in frustration.
But when I came across it yesterday, all I could see was that it was REAL… authentic feelings that I now know many moms feel.
And it’s not a sin to BE frustrated-only to allow it to control you.
The ages and such are a little different now, but the truth still applies… a whole year later:
…when life hands you crazy:
I know many families with more than 4 children who seem to really have it all together.
And I know families with less than 4 children who seem to, well, NOT have it all together.
Me? OH! Our family has 4 children… and definitely do NOT have it all together!
{but together, we have it all :)}
But, on occasion, we give the illusion that it’s all dandy. [hehe]
I have found that life just dishes out crazy… like there’s not tomorrow! {and there may not be}
So what’s a girl to do when the crazy just keeps coming?
The answer might sound difficult, but it’s really just a mindset:
EMBRACE IT.
Welcome crazy to just come and have a seat right next to you!
Crazy comes
and your baby has an outfit-dirtying-blowout 5 minutes before you are supposed to leave for school… go ahead and cry. We’ve all been there!
Crazy comes
and your already-trained-toddler wets herself in the bathroom… at church…
Crazy comes
and your 3rd grader reminds you of her project that was not finished but is due… today.
Apologize after you loose it, and take a few moments to remind her of her own responsibility… and that childhood is the time to learn it.
Crazy comes
when your baby breaks out in hives caused by an allergic reaction to his meds…
…and your 5 year old breaks out in something… caused by a-still-unknown-source…
…and your husband’s asthma [which has been very mild for years] starts acting up daily and your heart is terrified of the struggle to breathe…
…and you have friends and far-away-family struggling with things that make a soul yearn for the Lord to just return and take us all away…
And then you remember there are those who are not yet ready for that.
And so, crazy strikes yet again and you realize that life is going on… for now… and HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH CRAZY?
oh, right… EMBRACE it.
The days I handle the crazy the best are the days I wake up and struggle to get out of bed... And my 5 year old gets up in a grumpy-funk, and I snap at her at 6:35 am…..
and I see the hurt in her face, in the face of her older sister sitting there listening to it…
I realize crazy has come yet another day into my home.
I stop.
I hug that 5 year old squirming her grumps away.
And I whisper a prayer that sounds something like… “oh God, please help me!”
I speak an apology to my babies and coax some laughter out of their little bodies.
because those are the days I am forced to keep muttering… “Lord, make me love with your love and make me speak with your words and make me touch with your embrace…” all day long.
by tpiatt
When I was was young there were a few circumstances that occurred that turned my world on its head.
Now that yet another situation has turned my world upside down and been the cause of confusion, I realize that:
even as a child I was learning some lessons about God,
about life, about human nature… and myself.
I may speak about the other types of lessons sometime, but for today I want to share a few lessons I have learned about God… when my world seems turned completely bottom-side-up.
**The verses often quoted from Romans 8 are not idle platitudes:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered…. These past few weeks I have been so grateful to have this comfort. When my heart is overwhelmed, The Spirit of God intercedes FOR ME at the Throne of Grace!
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.…And God listens.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.… I have seen it before, and I know I will see it again: Even when it seems that God could not work a situation out, I turn around and His name is being glorified and the darkest hour IS “just before the dawn.” While I do not yet see the rays of a new day pouring over the horizon of my heart, I am just as confident in them as I am of my salvation!
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.… and “bad things happen” because this world is a sinful place, but God uses circumstances to mold my life to be more like Christ.
**It is not about my supposed position of service or paid ministry that makes me useful to God. It is my heart being conformed to the image of His Son, so that I may be counted among the “firstborn” of God.
**It amazes me to watch how God uses us, sinful creatures, to accomplish His will, giving Himself supernatural Glory and causing His Name to be praised!
Verse 35 asks who could separate us, His own, from the love of Christ... and the answer in all of us should be the same as the apostle’s:
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There are others hurting and questioning over some current situations in the life of my family. I give them these verses from II Thessalonians 1:
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.…
**Remember that God has called each of His children to proclaim His Gospel to the lost. That is our highest calling!
And I pray that those hurting and confused over issues would ask for Lord to **remove all secondary causes** -meaning the human instruments-
and believe that God IS in control.
He wants us each to learn something,
**and the ultimate Glory is for God’s name to be praised in your own heart and life, even through this.
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One of the hardest and yet most rewarding things we can learn in the Christian life is it TRUST GOD…
…we are not commanded to trust any man or the wisdom of men.
Only trust God.
He is the only one that loved us enough to take the punishment of our sin upon His own body to pay for it.
In Proverbs 3 we are told:
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: …bind mercy AND truth about they neck. Often truth seems to call for judgment,
**but God asks us to COMBINE truth WITH mercy.
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man… and this combining truth with mercy {goodness, faithfulness, kindness} will bring us favor with man-this is a good thing.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding…
**our own understanding will fail us.
Our own heart is full of wickedness. ALL men’s hearts are full of wickedness.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths… But God can and will direct the path our lives take when we acknowledge Him.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil…
We must not seek a wisdom from our own experiences
…or from a man.
This wisdom is faulty and flawed by sin.
Only fear the Lord. Only live your life as far from evil as you can…
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones….
and your soul will be healthy and ready to stand before Him…
…even if your heart is breaking.
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