Day 7 – over the last couple of Proverbs God is very intentional to talk about an adulterous woman (not only in Proverbs but in other books as well) so it was a major problem then as it is now. However, the entire focus of this one is all about her. She is a very cunning and deceitful woman. God is very intentional to describe her in detail so that we made be made aware of her. He is also very intentional to teach men how to avoid her.

We should be diligently and persistently teaching this to our young men. I am the mom of a son who is 21 and I have strived to instill this into his heart. To me not only is he talking literally about a woman this can be applied to many other vices and sins such as alcohol and drugs! Verse 21 is a prime example of that… 21with her persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced with her smooth talk.

As a mom you can hope and pray that the values you have instilled to your young men will not lead them astray. Lord I pray for all the young and older men in the world that you would cover their hearts and thoughts in love and purity. That as women we raise up young men with the desires to pursue love and purity through you!

Continue to watch over the woman of this challenge that you would bless them with the knowledge and wisdom they seek in you. That you would also bring others to you through what we are sharing and that your words could touch their hearts in a profound way. 

Day 8 – wow this one is a jammed packed Proverb. This one is completely focused on Wisdom. Verses 1-11 wisdom calls out to us, instructs us, asks us to seek her, to understand her, to speak her, to discern her and to choose her! All of them are impactful but Verses 10 and 11 struck me… 10Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. One of Gods greatest gifts and curses to us is the freedom of choice for so long I chose it as a curse because I let me desires supersede wisdom. The beautiful gift is now I chose to take her instruction and ask and seek for her knowledge!

In verses 12-20 wisdom describes who she is and what she does; what she loves and what she hates. Verses 17 really stood out to me 17I love those who love me, those who seek me find me. Again the gift of choice and I am now choosing to love, understand, cherish her. I am now seeking to find her and I am promised that I will find her.

Verses 22-31 wisdom tells us when she was created. She was created first and she was with him while God finished creating the earth (wow). Verse 30 struck me 30Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, what an amazing thought. To celebrate with God as he created the earth and the opportunity to be by his side.

Verses 32-36 wisdom tells us what to do with her listen, watch and wait, and when you do you will be blessed. Verses 34 and 35 just reinforce to me the choice I need to make, 34Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35For those who find me find life and receive favor from The Lord. What an amazing choice and promise we have given to us. I choose to strive to find her and thankful that Jesus died for me so that I could have everlasting life with the amazing favor of God and Jesus Christ!

My prayer for us today is that we continue minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, and year by year to make the choice to seek, listen, discern, watch, speak and accept wisdoms teaching to us. May your day be filled with soaking in Gods wisdom that he offers to us!

Day 9 – yesterday we learned all about wisdom who she is, when she was created and how valuable she is. Today we are invited to chose either wisdom or folly. It is interesting to me how they are both referred to as she.

In verses 1-6 we learn that wisdom is a gracious hostess. She has built her house on 7 pillars, she lovingly prepares food and drink and invites all those who are simple of mind to leave their ways and seek wisdom and they will walk away from her home with insight.

Verses 7-9 we encounter if you do this then here is what will happen both in a positive and negative way. Negatives, mock get insults, rebuke wicked incur abuse and rebuke mockers they hate you. Positives, rebuke the wise they love, instruct the wise they grow wiser and teach righteousness and they will learn. I chose the positive!

In verses 10-12 we learn more about wisdom, fear The Lord and that is the start of wisdom, knowledge of the Holy One is understanding, in wisdom your life is long, if you are wise, wisdom is your reward, but if you mock you will be alone.

Verses 13-18 we learn about folly although from the outside she looks like a good hostess, she is unruly, her food and drink is stolen and she leads you to think the water is sweet and eating in secret is more delicious, but those who join her have no wisdom to stay away they have no idea that evil and dead reside there.

God is so good to point out the good and bad, he makes us aware why we should choose good, but why is it that we find ourselves at times not choosing the good, especially since we know where the bad leads! My prayer for us today is to become more aware of the choices we face everyday and that God makes it clear to us the good and bad of those choices and we are open to him and make good choices more often than ever before! When we are in him, he is in us! Have an amazing day! 

Day 10 – today’s Proverb is 32 verses of if you do this then you are this and but if you do this then you are this. Not sure this is making a ton if sense right now if you haven’t read it.

There are some really great verses… 4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. One of the themes in the Circle Maker is you have to work like it depends on you but pray like it depends on God and this verses reminds me of that, diligent hands bring wealth for me wealth just doesn’t mean money, but accomplishment, completion and satisfaction.

9Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. Living your life with integrity secures your place with God because you can’t live that kind of life without him but if you pretend to walk a righteous path, which is a crooked path, you will be found out, people will know that you are a fraud.

12Hatred stirs up conflict but love covers over all wrongs. If that isn’t more prevalent and visible in our society today!!! Unfortunately it seems our world enjoys hatred as that is what dominates the news and tabloids. It is so rare to hear about love and good, but if we let our love shine it will cover wrongs and wouldn’t that be a much better world for us to live in!?

There are so many other great verses in this proverb, that I would way surpass all my space!!! My prayer for us today is that we will show our light of love that it will cover those who let hatred shine! Smile and compliment someone and we will be the example of God’s love and wouldn’t that be awesome even if for a moment it covered their hatred! Have an amazing day!

Day 11 – like yesterday this Proverb is 31 verses of a comparison of what good brings and what evil brings. This one has some really great verses that stood out to me! I am truly touched how he is teaching me how to be a good person. 3The integrity of the upright guides them… 16A kindhearted woman gains honor… 17those who are kind benefit themselves… 24one person gives freely gains more… 25a generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. 30the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. I am striving to be all of these.

Each of these have sincerely touched me, 24 and 25 are my current focus 24one who gives freely gains more… I am trying to give freely being as transparent as possible and share my experience so that others can be inspired by his grace and love. 25a generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Again when we a generous with our love, compassion, heart and belief we will prosper not only in him but in others that we touch, if we refresh others by sharing our love, compassion, heart and belief we can inspire others with hope and encouragement in his grace and love! I know that there are many here in this Facebook community that reflect this verse!

My prayer for us today is that we freely share our love, compassion, heart and belief, as we are doing this we will come under attack and may he give us the strength to push through to show his grace and love! May you day be beyond blessed!  

Day 12 – another day that God chooses to talk about the good and evil. Like yesterday I am going to focus on the good and the verses that touch me.

1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge… Pretty self explanatory there, although sometimes it is very difficult to love discipline especially when you are going through it but when it is done we usually feel better and know that the correction was needed.

4A wife of noble character is her husbands crown… Oh how I strive to be that kind of wife to my hubby yet there are plenty of times that I fall short but there are times where I even surprise myself (lol).

14From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things… I challenge myself everyday to be this person, to speak kindness, encouragement and inspiration to all not only with my words but with my attitude.

25Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. Don’t we all experience a bit of anxiety/worry daily and sometimes hourly, how nice would it be to give a person in that moment the encouragement and kind word they need to elevate that anxiety/worry or even just a heart felt smile!

26The righteous choose their friends carefully… My problem with this one is that I am so guarded that I don’t allow friends to get close to me which in turn pushes them away. But as I am learning to open my heart and bring in those friends he has put in my life.

The good of the Verses 14, 25, 26 is a blueprint to being a better person and friend. So my prayer and challenge for us this weekend to let the fruit of our lips bring good things to others, help relieve their anxiety and share our hearts in a way that would uplift our friends. That God will bless your every word and step! Have an amazing weekend! 

Day 13 – we continue today to be able to choose being righteous or foolish. Yet we are human and sometimes are both because we let our desires over take his good desires for us.

6Righteousness guards the person of integrity but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Reality is I try to be righteous but I am a sinner and am overthrown by wickedness constantly but so grateful that Jesus died for my sins to be forgiven and I have the chance to be righteous everyday.

9The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. We are so lucky that Jesus re-lights our lamps for us when we fall short so that we can shine brightly again. This verse touched me tremendously

12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree if life. After reading The Circle Maker I realized that by living in fear and not pursuing my dreams that it made God sick, he wants us to dream big because we then come to him more to make those big dreams a reality, that makes him happy! Another example of this is

19A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul… Why would we let fear overtake us with this promise in front of us! Our longings/dreams when fulfilled are sweet to the soul!!! When we pursue and fulfill the dreams and passions that God intended for us then we get to leave a legacy behind.

22A good person leaves and inheritance for their children’s children…. How powerful is that!!!

There are so many great verses in this Proverb, yet for the journey that I am on right now 12, 19 and 22 have the greatest impact on me. That is the amazing beauty and gift of God’s word he uses it to breathe life into us wherever we are at and to each of our own journeys! My prayer for us today on his day is that we dream/long big so that we delight him and we rely in him to make those come true, we need to work like it depends on us, but pray that it depends on him. That we believe and cherish his promise that our dream/longing when fulfilled will be sweet to our soul! May your day be a blessing to you and others you touch!