Ecotone at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. by Kai Schreiber from Jersey City, USA
Today
This is my first day at home since Saturday. A pause in my week to play catch up, and you would think that me, as a homeschooler, I would “homeschool’? Silly. That’s so old school.
What I’m Studying
My son, do not forget my [a]teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2
For length of days and years of life [worth living]
And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.
3
Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you];
Bind them [securely] around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4
So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
Do we understand the importance of wisdom in our lives? The rare gift of time spent in the word of God, reading, turning it over in our minds, writing it down and holding it close.
Wisdom/teaching/commandments
- do not forget
- let your heart keep the commandments, for all the days of your life
- tranquility, prosperity will be added to you
- mercy, kindness, truth-let it define you, bind it to you, write it on your heart
- favor is FOUND with God.
So, in a technology-laden world, full of messages, pictures, movies screaming at us from all angles, there is the God of tranquility who says: do not forget. Let your heart keep my word. Stay close to My wisdom. Can we honestly say that technology brings us peace? In the middle of the night, has it ever brought us joy? Has it ever extended mercy, kindness or truth? If so, please let me know.
5
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6
[b]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.
8
It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]
And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.
Trust. Okay, so here’s what I love about digging into the Hebrew here, figuring out what the word means, how it applies.
בָּטַח bâṭach, baw-takh’; a primitive root; properly, to hie (to strive, to hasten) for refuge (but not so precipitately as H2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure:
So trust in the LORD. Strive, hasten for refuge in the LORD. Run for His cover. Be confident in His care. Be confident in His teaching, His wisdom, His commandments. They will not fail you. He will not fail you. See how beautiful it is NOT to take a verse out of context but to include the verses AROUND?
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
שָׁעַן shâʻan, shaw-an’; a primitive root; to support one’s self:—lean, lie, rely, rest (on, self), stay.
Run for His umbrella. His covering. His cloak. His wing. His pinions. You’ve messed up? So have I. You’ve run from Him? So have I. His grace is sufficient. His mercy is enough. His love is WIDE. His love is DEEP. His love is ENOUGH. Trust, seek refuge with HIM. Don’t lean, or try to support yourself.
I think of it like this. Whenever I try to sit on the floor and lean on one arm for any length of time, that arm begins to fall asleep and get prickly. I can’t do it. I get fidgety. I really should just sit in a chair, with a back. It’s better.
In everything, keep acknowledging Him. Keep looking at Him. He loves us so much. He is our answer. He is our saving grace. He is our healing. He is our refreshment.
My Prayer Focus Today
Today, I’m praying for our youth. I’m so burdened for our kids today. Join me in praying for our next generation, that they will trust in Him, rely on Him and find Him to be a soft place to find their hope. He is our only Hope.
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