Proverbwise

In Honor of Praying Mothers

“Commit your ways unto the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

This morning I am praying for mothers whose hearts are heavy because of a wayward son or daughter, and my heart grieves with you. No one on this earth understands better the burden you bear than another parent who has experienced the excruciating pain, overwhelming fear, debilitating self-doubt, helpless frustration, and unanswered question of “Why, God?”

If you are like me, when Mother’s Day comes around, you think about the privilege God has given you of being a mother. You remember the joy you experienced when that precious baby came into the world. You reflect on the exhausting years of infancy and toddlerhood but recall the joy of that first smile, first word, first tooth, and first step. You remember the hilarious antics and sweet cuddles and story time and bedtime prayers. And you wonder what happened to this child that you loved with all of your being? This one for whom you sacrificed and invested your life in. This one that you would give your life for them today, if they would just turn to Jesus.

You prayed for them and taught them to pray. You taught them about Jesus and helped them memorize God’s Word. You disciplined them and you cheered them on. You encouraged them to develop their talents and helped them with their homework. You paid for music lessons and sports and hosted birthday parties and sleepovers. You faithfully took your children to Sunday School and church. You drove them to youth group, sent them to camp, and helped them raise funds for mission trips. You did your best to be an example to them of how to live and how to love. You were faithful to the Lord and to your family. You loved this child completely, and you trusted the Lord that they would be saved and would grow up to love and serve the Lord Jesus.

And it hasn’t happened…yet. They are grown, and your hopes are shattered. Your dreams and plans and expectations have not come true. Your heart is breaking. You are angry. And you struggle with the question, “What did I do wrong? What did I do to cause them to walk away from all that I taught them?”

What are we to do when all our plans have not worked out? We worked so hard and our efforts seem to have failed. I know the feeling, because I am where you are. What are we to do now?

As I have struggled through the many emotions of anger, anxiety, fear, despondency, grief, frustration, denial, hurt, confusion, and disappointment, only ONE solution remains. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Recently a friend shared with me a little about her experience with a child who had walked away from God. For twenty years this child had gone her own way. This mom explained, as she lifted her hands, palms open to God, “Every day, you have to give them over to God.” She faithfully prayed for her girl, and finally this girl was coming back to God.

We can teach our children about God. We can tell them of Jesus’ love for them and His sacrifice on the cross. We can pray earnestly and faithfully for them, and we can love them. But we cannot change their hearts– that is in God’s hands. It is a hard lesson to learn, but we have no control. We cannot change our children any more than we can change the weather. We cannot fix our children’s lives any more than we can fix the problem of terrorism in this crazy, messed up world.

There is only ONE thing we can do. We can pray. We can pray without ceasing. We can pray in the name of Jesus. My five-year old grandson was singing this morning as he was getting dressed for the day, “There is power in the name of Jesus…There is power in the name of Jesus…There is power in the name of Jesus…” I joined him and together we sang, “There is power in the name of Jesus, to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.” He said, “Grandma, when we get to that part we are supposed to sing it very loud.” This little boy had no idea of the heavy burden on my heart or that God was using him to remind me of WHO had the power to break the chain of sin in the life of my child.

Does Satan have a hold on your child? Keep praying in the name of Jesus, because HE alone has the power to break every chain of sin and every hold of Satan.

Faithful, praying mother, keep praying. Commit your ways to the Lord. Keep trusting Him, doing the next right thing, praying always, living by faith, pleasing God. All power and all authority belongs to Jesus, and HE is able to break the chains of sin and set our children free. Don’t give up. Don’t quit praying. Don’t quit trusting, “for He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Faithful, praying mom, today we honor you as a woman of wisdom because of your faith. Your faith honors and pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6). He hears your prayer and He will reward those who diligently seek Him. Your walk of faith not only pleases God, your life inspires and encourages other moms, giving them hope. Thank you for being faithful. We honor you today and we pray for you that you will be strong and courageous in the battle for the soul of your child. (Ephesians 6:10-12) As you continue to “commit your ways to the Lord, He will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:3)

It is said, “When children are small they step on your toes, and when they grow up they step on your hearts.” As a mother of five adult children, I have found this to be true for myself and for almost every mother I know. Both Kathy and I have the common bond of loving and serving our Lord Jesus Christ – and of walking through the stage of parenting young adult children, some of whom have not yet chosen to follow Jesus, in spite of our best efforts to teach them and many sleepless nights of prayer for these precious children of ours. As empty nesters (well, mine is almost empty), we are both very busy these days serving in our respective ministries. Yet God brought Kathy and I together as friends to encourage and pray for one another. We carve out coffee break times at Starbucks on occasion to get to catch up and encourage one another, or we find a few quiet minutes to talk at America’s Keswick, where Kathy serves as the Director of Partner Care. Kathy often asks a question when I see her-one that always challenges me – “So, what have you been reading lately?” I’m not talking about cheesy, simplistic novels, but books that challenge our thinking and our theology. Her question keeps me on my toes, reminding me to continue to learn, growing in wisdom, listening to what God has to teach me. Kathy is a student of Scripture, not for the sake of knowledge alone, but to become more like her Savior. She is a true woman of wisdom, and I am blessed to call her my friend.

 

When a Proverb Causes Discouragement

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

When you read through Proverbs have you ever had an “oh…I didn’t do it that way” moment? It is discouraging to find out you didn’t use godly wisdom or that there was a better way to handle a situation.

As an older teenager I decided to walk away from church and from any semblance of a relationship that I had with Jesus. My prayers weren’t being answered so I thought I could do things better by myself.  I thought I was so wise but I wasn’t. I was pregnant, divorced, remarried by the time I reached 23 years old. At 26 and after the birth of my second child Jesus drew me back to a relationship with Himself. Four years later my husband came to Christ.

Fast forward a number of years. My children are now grown. One has never professed Christ as his Savior and is living a lifestyle I would never choose for him. My daughter had a faith of her own, went to a Christian college and came home after her first year to declare she no longer believed as we do. I am sure many can relate to this pain. We once had some control over our children but not anymore.

During this time of figuring out how I did it all wrong I heard the wisdom of Dr. James Dobson on the radio, “The first five years are the most formative”. I listened to the whole program and felt regrets over my unwise decisions and the consequences they had for me, my son and my daughter. I didn’t train them early enough. Those formative years are so important but I was doing my own thing and trying to raise children. Even after coming to Christ I wasn’t a godly mother or an example from day one. I had to grow and learn and I began to think I learned too late. As I would share my heart regarding my prodigals with other Christian women I would be told, “Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it”.  Proverbs 22:6 never bothered me until my children had “departed from the way they should go”. I began to feel great regret over the mistakes I had made in their earlier years. I lived with those regrets and every time someone quoted Proverbs 22:6 to me; I sunk a little bit deeper.

Fast forward again. A number of years have passed. I began a deeper study on Proverbs using a study guide called The Art of Living Well by Kenneth Boa and Gail Burnett.  During this study I read:

“First, the maxims in Proverbs are universally true and applicable in most cases, but there is room for deviations. Proverbs are not promises of God. Rather they are keenly observed and divinely interpreted patterns of cause and effect in human behavior. Proverbs are totally valid, highly reliable, and typically repeatable. Nevertheless, God is at liberty to intervene and altar those patterns in any way He sees fit. He will do so when our best interest is at stake. Second, we must carefully read and interpret what these maxims are saying. Some people read what they want scripture to say and then get angry at God when He doesn’t deliver the way they have in mind. If in our own lives we find deviations from principles expressed in Proverbs, we should first go back and read what the verse really says and then examine the truth of how our situation fits that principle. These two cautions do not lessen the value of Proverbs, nor do they diminish the wisdom of following them. Indeed, Proverbs give timeless insight; and even today they offer us incredible predictability of outcome”

I finally understood. There was no magic bullet for raising godly children. The equation was never A + B = C. OOPs…you didn’t do that? You lose! Proverbs suggests that if you do A then B should be the outcome.

I began to understand many things like, the free will my children possess and that there are no guarantees. I could have been June Cleaver or some other idea of the perfect mother and my kids would still come to a point where they make their own decisions. Greater still was the understanding I gained about who God is. He is sovereign and has seen fit to intervene in my life and the lives of my children for His greater purposes. Only through my mistakes do I feel that I can relate to other mothers with prodigals. God uses our pain. As the Lord has used my past and my current situation, I know He has a purpose for my children and the path they are currently on.

Fast forward to today. Where am I? I am in the waiting room with many other mothers of adult prodigals. In the waiting room I am able to share and comfort others who deeply feel they are why their children are _______.  I am confident that God is bigger than ALL my mistakes! Proverbs 22:6 doesn’t sting like it used to. God has comforted me in ALL my tribulations and my prayer is that you will be comforted and able to let go of your regrets.

Blessings,

Kathy

Kathy Withers has served at America’s Keswick for the last 10 years. She currently is the Director of Partner Care. She lives in Whiting with her husband Dave. They have been married for 30+ years and are praying parents for two adult children. Kathy enjoys reading, Bible Studies and sharing with women through teaching and speaking. A few of her favorite quotes include:

“Don’t doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.”
“This too shall pass.”
“If it were going to be easy it wouldn’t have started with labor!”

(From Kathy’s Facebook page)

 

In Honor of Christy’s Nurses

Christy’s Nurses

“…The one who is gracious to the needy honors his Maker.” (Proverbs 14:31)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On December 7, 1985, Christy Therese Olachea was born. The day after she was born in Statesville, NC, she was rushed to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, for a heart catheterization. It was discovered that she had transposition of the great arteries. The prognosis was not good. There had been a few successful surgeries in the United States at that time, but only one in North Carolina. The good news was that her surgeon was the one who had performed that surgery successfully. Unfortunately, due to complications and multiple heart defects, Christy only lived for two months and nineteen days, but we treasure the eighty-one days we had with her. God used her life to impact the lives of many people, including us! And we were blessed by so many who came through our lives during her short lifetime. Taped inside her bed, we posted these verses from II Corinthians 4:15-18:

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We learned many lessons through Christy’s life. We can now look back and see countless ways that God used Christy’s suffering and our time of deep trial for our good and for His glory. But only in eternity will we see what is not yet seen, what God accomplished through the life of our precious baby girl.

Today, as I “stretch” back into my memory thirty years ago, I want to honor some very special people who spoke into our lives during those days, who loved our baby Christy, and ministered not only to our family, but to the families of many other little babies during the time that Christy was in the NICU at Baptist Hospital. I want to honor some women of wisdom who were gracious to “the needy,” and in their graciousness honored our Creator God.

I could never name all of those who cared for Christy and ministered to us during those difficult months. Each and every person who spoke into our lives was an incredible gift from the Lord. From pastors who stopped by the hospital and prayed over Christy, leaving notes when we were not there to those who cared for our little children at home. People helped by cleaning our house, preparing meals, praying diligently, providing funds to help with the expenses, and sending notes or cards of encouragement – to each one we are forever grateful. But today I want to honor some very special nurses from Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem who were “Christy’s” nurses. Cyndi, one of her first nurses, made a beautiful Moravian star paper ornament and gave it to us when we first came to Baptist Hospital after I was released from the hospital in Winston-Salem. She called it the “Star of Hope”.  We still hang it near the top of our Christmas tree every year. We remember Cyndi’s gentle kindness on those first days of Christy’s life.

Many of Christy’s seventy-eight days at Baptist Hospital required that she have one-on-one care. There were three special nurses who were with her twenty-hours a day, each for eight hours, five days each week. Lynn, Sue, and Dawn will always be remembered with love and appreciation as they lovingly cared for our baby girl each day. Lynn and Dawn drove the hour and a half to Mooresville, NC, for Christy’s funeral on a snowy February morning. They cried and grieved with us and blessed us by their presence. Sue was onher shift at the hospital, but sent her love. We are so thankful for each one who encouraged us, loved on us, and celebrated Christy’s life with us.

I remember the day we walked into the hospital on Christy’s two-month old birthday. A cake had been baked in her honor and the nurses had decorated her bed with a “Happy Birthday, Christy” sign. On Christmas day, they her dressed in red, wrapped gifts for our family, and celebrated Christmas with us and our three little children who spent Christmas day at the hospital so they could visit their baby sister. And then came the day when we found out that Christy would be able to come home. She was seventy-nine days old. The plan was that Christy would go home, grow, and when she turned three years old, she would have surgery to “fix” her heart. When we walked into the NICU that day, there was a big sign on her bed, “Mooresville or Bust!” She was coming home. Little did we know that God had other plans to “fix” her heart. It would only be a day and a half at home, and then she went to be with Jesus who fixed her completely, rescued her from a life of pain and suffering, and allowed her to grow up in heaven with him. Can you imagine growing up in heaven? Perfect beauty, no sin, no need for naps, no falling down and skinning a knee. Perfect love. The perfect heavenly Father. What an amazing thing that must have been for her!

And one day we see Christy again. We will find out about those things which are not seen. For now, we live by faith, we see the grace of God in this life, and rejoice in His goodness that was poured out on us through the graciousness and ministry of Christy’s nurses thirty years ago, who lovingly cared for our baby girl and by their actions honored their Maker, our heavenly Father who gives good gifts to His children.

Thank you, Lynn, Dawn, Sue, Cyndi, Tammy, and all of Christy’s nurses. Thank you to each nurse who ministers to the helpless and needy every day.

 

 

My husband and I met Scott and Lynn Jackson about ten years ago, soon after they left pastoral ministry to begin serving as missionaries with Churches in Missions. They were serving as prayer leaders for a conference at  America’s Keswick.  Scott and Lynn care deeply for pastors and their wives, they are faithful prayer warriors, and servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have been blessed by their encouragement in my own life and I am thankful for every time Lynn and I have the opportunity to get together and share what God is doing in our families and ministries. I have observed a beautiful practice of Scott and Lynn as we gone to dinner with them a few times through the years. They always speak kind and gentle words of encouragement to the person who serves us. And they always ask the server how they can pray for them. Very often, the person serving is taken by surprise but opens up and shares something that they are going through in their personal lives. And then Scott and Lynn will pray for the server by name and for the specific requests. It is an amazing thing to experience, and has challenged me to become more sensitive toward the needs of those around me. In January, Lynn and I had the unexpected privilege of facilitating a workshop for pastor’s wives on Psalms and Proverbs, books we are both studying respectively. What a joy and delight it was! I am honored to have Lynn as a friend and co-laborer in serving our Lord Jesus Christ. I know you will be encouraged and challenged by her insight and wisdom.

Are You Bringing Pleasure to the Master Gardner?

by Lynn Jackson

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

It’s May….a joyous time for any gardener!  There is nothing like feeling the soft dirt fall through one’s fingers.  This can only come after the gardener has chosen the plot, removed the weeds and broken up the hard soil. May is the beginning of what the gardener has been dreaming and anticipating all winter.  What plants he will grow, where he will place them. The anticipation of fruit and who he will bless with the fruit: family, friends and neighbors.  And there is always the hope of a bumper crop; to have an abundance of fruit for unexpected guests or people in need. It’s so refreshing to be generous with one’s fruit!  This brings great delight to the gardener!

“The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight.”  Isaiah 5:7a

Have you ever considered the thought of you being a plant in God’s garden of life?  Just think of the delight that you could bring Him!

“They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.” Isaiah 60:21b

I long to be a healthy plant in His garden and flourish where He has cleared the ground and planted me in life.

“You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it.  You cleared the ground before it.  And it took root and filled the land.  The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.  It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.”          Psalm 80:8-11

Can you imagine God’s joy of this healthy flourishing plant? Have you been transplanted by the Master Gardener?  Have you accepted where you are and taken root?  Are you flourishing in order to provide shade for those passing by or fruit that The Master Gardener may share to refresh those whom He has brought your way? Are you flourishing and healthy so that fruit is being produced in your life? Or are you resisting where He has planted you?  Are you refusing to offer shade, even to those in your family who are the closest and perhaps in desperate need?

Often we think of seasons of life as childhood, adolescence, adulthood and the senior years. The previous stated are stages, not seasons.  They are

stages of life that will never be repeated. Seasons reoccur, over and over again.

 

Seasons of Life Can Be

Winter: harsh times; a silent marriage, difficult children, death of a loved one

Spring: new beginnings; promotion, new baby, upgrades

Summer: a time to flourish, fat bank account, peaceful family times

Autumn: anticipating change; empty nest, divorce, illness

Winter is a time when there seems to be no life.  All appears dead and bare, even hopeless. But life is there.  Life is either in the gardener’s heart and mind with planning and anticipation of his annual plants.  Or in the unseen, deep roots of the perennial who is storing up nutrients during this seemingly desolate time.

It may feel as though you have been abandoned in this seemingly bleak season.  Can you ask God to help you believe that He is indeed at work?

“…My Father is always at work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:17

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. “ Hebrews 11:

Spring time often brings pruning.   Pruning that encourages and makes way for new life.  I’ve heard it said that the more mature the plant, the deeper the pruning.

Are you trusting The Father’s skillful hand or shrinking away?

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 12:5,

 Summer is an intense season!  A healthy plant must be tended to daily.  It is inspected for disease, watered, weeds must be identified and pulled.  The pulling must be done with an attentive hand in order not to disturb or bruise the roots of the plant. Roots are vital in absorbing nutrients and hydration for inner growth that produce outward fruit.

Do you believe that God is involved in your daily life?

“…Sing about a fruitful vineyard; I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually.  I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.” Isaiah 27:2-3

Autumn is a time for harvesting.  The joy of harvesting the fruit is an outcome of a healthy plant.  How awesome to think that we bring delight to The Lord, The Master Gardener when He distributes our fruit to whom He pleases. The healthier the plant the more the plant will flourish and prosper.  I find it fascinating that the more fruit picked from a healthy plant, even more fruit will come. The plant becomes generous with fruit! The plant is not only refreshed by growing more fruit but The Gardener is refreshed as He shares His fruit with whom He pleases!

Are you willing to bless those around you, for your Father’s pleasure or are you begrudgingly hoarding your fruit?

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

Psalm one is a deep challenge to tend to ourselves, making sure we are planted by the living water, receiving vital nourishment in order to stay healthy.  It’s our call to drink deep and continue growing into a healthy plant, regardless the season. God will produce the fruit. He will keep our leaves hydrated or store up the nutrients in our roots when there is seemingly no life, if we keep drinking. This shows how vital it is to be in The Word of God, daily. And actually, I believe our fruit is none of our business.  Our business is to be a healthy plant.  The fruit produced is The Master Gardener’s to do with what He pleases, to fulfill His will, His desires.

As a plant in your heavenly father’s garden…how are you doing? Are you planted by the stream of life; Jesus?  Is He your living water?  Is He your life source or have you transplanted yourself in a place too far from Him?

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:3

What season are you in?

Every season has its own type of beauty. Will you ask God to help you see the beauty in the season you find yourself?

Are you taking sips of His Word to stay healthy?

Have you experienced this life season before?  What did you learn that will help you endure this season again?

What could God be calling you to do, in order to become healthier in the season you find yourself today?

Rest assured this season will eventually end and another will begin.  But the master gardener stays the same.  May you determine in your heart to stay close to your Jesus in the life circumstance that you find yourself. May you bring great delight to your Heavenly Father, the Master Gardener, regardless the season.

Jesus said:

”…If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:37b-38

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1

As His children may we strive to be healthy in any season of life we find ourselves.  And may we bring pleasure to our God as He shares His fruit to whom He chooses.

Lynn and her husband Scott Jackson were in the pastorate for 22 years and are now beginning their 10th year as missionaries with Churches in Missions.  Lynn assists her husband in facilitating short term mission trips in and out of country as well as a ministry of encouragement to pastors and wives. She is also available as a public speaker for luncheons, women’s conferences and retreats.  It is her passion to share her Jesus and His Word as she challenges and encourages women. 

I don’t remember exactly when I met Darla for the first time, but I think it was about twenty-five years ago when we lived in Atlanta, GA, in 1987-1989. At any rate both of us had young children at home, and when God brought us together, something just “clicked”, and we became friends for life. When Darla sent this article, she signed the email with these words, “Darla, your forever friend.” I love that, because Darla is my forever friend both in this life and in the life to come. For some reason the Lord tends to send me friends who live on the other side of the world, literally. Darla and her husband Bill serve as missionaries in the Philippines, so our visits are few and far between. But when we do see each other on those rare occasions, our conversations begin right where we left off. You would think we had spoken only hours or days ago. One day when we get to heaven, I expect that Darla and I will really do some catching up. It will probably last a few hundred years, since we will have eternity to talk. I am so thankful for this precious friendship, and I pray that you will find a friend like Darla. She is a humble, godly wife, mother, and grandmother, who is not only fun and funny, but exhibits patience, a life of prayer and spirit of love. Darla is a gifted women’s speaker and writer. If you are blessed to get her e-mail “epistles”, she will have you laughing and crying and rejoicing every time! 

 

Proverbs thoughts by Darla Ebert:

“Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.” Proverbs 14:33

“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”  Proverbs 15:14

The Book of Proverbs hits us “where we live” and no book of the Bible, as a whole book, has brought more conviction into my own life than has Proverbs.  The three areas I am most alerted to and brought up short by are to be found in abundance in Proverbs.  They are: wisdom, guarding the tongue, and prayer.  While guarding the tongue is a command that is encapsulated by or within wisdom, still it stands apart and alone, in a very unique way, when the heart is convicted.  And my heart has been convicted over and over again.  In fact, as applies to the tongue, I can well remember the day when the Lord spoke to me in particular about my words when He pointed out, almost in an audible voice, “This command is not to rob you of the joy you THINK you get by gossiping or ridiculing or criticizing.  It is to spare you something worse later.”  And how true I have found that reminder  to be, over and over again.  I have very often wished I could take back words  or unsay something but have NEVER been sorry over having kept silence.  And so the best way to evidence wisdom to others is to keep quiet.  Keep quiet and listen and pray.  I like so much the above mentioned verse that “wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding”.   Resting is peace and quietness, it is healthy and encourages growth in the spirit.  Our hearts flourish and grow rich with wisdom as we are quiet in the Lord, quiet and meditative.

But nothing brings out wrong words more than anger itself, it is the root of wrong speech in my own life and it can take many forms, one of which is ruminating on our hurts which comes out in wrong speech.  I think of the words of Frederick Buechner:  “Of the seven deadly sins, (Proverbs 6:16-19)   anger is possibly the most fun, to lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back –in many ways it is a feast for a king.  The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself.  The skeleton at the feast is you.”  Of course wrong words are not  only  the outcome of anger alone but are borne of jealousy, envy , spite and hatred which sins are covered at length in the book of Proverbs.

The second verse mentioned at top, Proverbs 15:14 speaks of fools and their habit of “feeding on folly”.  Nothing better proves the saying, “we are what we eat” than the dynamite thought inferred by this one verse regarding the outcome of feeding on folly (looking for it, delighting in it, cultivating it).  And worse, foolishness begets foolishness.  In the same way we can honestly acknowledge that wisdom increases exponentially as we feed on IT, on wisdom.

Prayer is mentioned only three times in the book of Proverbs:  Proverbs 15:8; 15:29; 29:9 though prayer is alluded to throughout the book in one way or another.   In the first two verses  the lot of the wicked is highlighted against the blessing of the righteous as applies to prayer:  “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD”, “The LORD is far from the wicked”;  and: “The prayer of the upright is acceptable to Him”, “He (God) hears the prayer of the righteous”.  While the last verse in Proverbs 28:9 bluntly says the prayer of the one who turns away from hearing God’s word is “an abomination”.

Because God convicted me many years ago to LEARN to pray and pray thoroughly, often and well, I have been intrigued by its being mentioned specifically in the book of Proverbs.

There is so much more than could be said regarding the personification of Wisdom and Folly in the book of Proverbs , both manifesting themselves as women, ironically.  In Proverbs 3, 8,9 Wisdom is illustrated as a woman and in Proverbs 5,6,7 a woman also represents Folly.  This would make a study all by itself.

Concluding with a thought-provoking quote from Harold Cooke Phillips:

“This coming to know Christ is what makes Christian Truth redemptive Truth, the truth that transforms, not just the truth that informs.”

Darla and her husband, Bill Ebert, are missionaries in the Philippines, where Bill serves as Dean of Students at the  Center for Biblical Studies Institute and Seminary. Bill is a second generation missionary who has followed in his parents footsteps, and Bill and Darla now have a third generation of family serving with them, their daughter, Teri and her husband. Steve. Darla grew up in Salem, VA, and then attended Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN. After graduation, Darla and Bill were married in 1977 and then moved to Quezon City, Philippines in 1980. They now serve in Antipolo, Philippines. Darla is actively involved in the school  teaching women, leading ladies Bible studies, and serving in the church. Bill and Darla have three adult children and five grandchildren.