Tag / god

by Janet Paschal

GET SMART

So, we’ve wiped the board clean – again. We have rolled into a new year, complete with hope and repetitious resolve to do better this time around.

Years ago, I began reading a chapter of Proverbs every day. Thirty-one chapters works out well each month so that by year’s end the book has been absorbed at least 12 times. It erases the guess work about the starting point everyday, it addresses all of the facets of real life, and it comes with rich, wonderful promises. Not all, but most of these chapters were written by David’s son, Solomon.

You all know the story. When Solomon was a young child, God made him king over Israel. With the kingdom firmly established in his hands, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, Ask whatever you want me to give you. Solomon answered, You have shown great kindness to [me] and my father, but I am only a child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.

The Lord was pleased with this response. He told Solomon, basically, Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Also, I will give you what you have not asked for – both wealth and honor – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

So God gave Solomon “wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” His fame spread to all the surrounding lands and people came from all nations to listen to his wisdom.

Early in the book (chapter 4), Solomon condenses the book to a single word. It is nothing less than brilliant: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.”

If you browse growth and self-help books, you may have noticed that most of them share a focus that could have been launched directly out of the book of Proverbs. The advice is ageless and bedrock solid. In three thousand years, it has not required updates or cultural adjustments. There are no alternate versions targeting rich, poor, wise, or simple. The wisdom that God bestowed to him was applicable to all of His creation because He knew that we all shared the same condition, the same need, and the same pilgrimage.

In my study Bible, I have the word “WOW” written at the top of chapter 8. It is a thumbnail of the entire book. It compels me to read it, to absorb it. Cecil B. DeMille would have been challenged to have introduced the ideas as spectacularly as Solomon. He personifies wisdom as a woman whose message is so vital that she treks to the highest point of the city, positions herself beside the entrance gate, and cries aloud, “You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it … I have trustworthy things to say … Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

I dwell [with] prudence, knowledge, and discretion. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, … power.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

The Lord brought me forth as the first of His works. I was formed … at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

I was constantly at His side. Now … listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.

For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.”

Now, most of you have probably long since passed this point in your journey. Thank you for your tolerance, as I am a slow learner. Proverbs speaks to me with new depth. My heart is drawn toward it. It allows me to offload my cares, decisions, and future into His hands. When we ‘press in’ to know Him, He strategically orders our steps and carves out a straight path. Then, like Solomon’s father, David, we can celebrate not only the fact that we are on His path, but that we can RUN in it. This from the man after God’s heart:

I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. (Ps 119:32)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright … He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path. (Pr 2:6-10)

I pray that you will RUN in the path today!

by Janet Paschal

WONDERFUL AND MAGNIFICENT

In 2002, Pastor Rick Warren wrote a book he titled, The Purpose Driven Life. Publisher’s Weekly called it the bestselling non-fiction hardback in publishing history, selling more than 32 million copies.

What was the appeal? It answered the basic question, Why am I here? It offered readers a path to uncover their unique purpose and to formulate a plan to fulfill it.

God has always been a Planner. Nothing is haphazard in His universe. The trees He grew have purposeful seasons. The sun, moon, and stars He set with courses and orbits; the oceans He regulated by tides. He established seasons in the hemispheres, set by the perfect tilt and rotation of our planet.

Nothing is haphazard in His ecosystem. The myriad of players in His universe all converge and interact; they all benefit and sacrifice; they are all completely dependent upon each other to sustain and fulfill God’s intended purposes.

Nothing is haphazard in His creation. When He created the first man and woman in His perfect garden, He gave them everything they needed to fulfill their purpose. He outlined their responsibilities along with rules, boundaries, and expectations. O, what a plan He had there.

So, one day I’m reading in Isaiah looking for context about another matter and I hit the middle of chapter 28. I’ll paraphrase:

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway, scatter cumin, and plant wheat in its field?

His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.

Just as He planned the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them, our Father made a plan for us. Today. HIS PLAN IS WONDERFUL AND HIS WISDOM IS MAGNIFICENT. Today. Just as His ecosystem incorporates every finite part into the whole, so is His plan for us detailed and intricate – beyond finding out (Rom.11:36). The encounters that bring us frustration today may be necessary to bring about a greater purpose tomorrow. The roadblock that proves uncrossable today may ‘make a way where there is no way’ in the future. The phone call that rocks our world this afternoon will be purposed and accounted for. Our Father wastes nothing. HIS PLAN IS WONDERFUL AND HIS WISDOM IS MAGNIFICENT.

No, the farmer does not plow and continue plowing over and over. He must plant. What he grows is not harvested by a ‘one size fits all’ method. God instructs him in the right way. He, alone, knows best how to produce a bountiful harvest in our lives. Like the farmer, He instructs and teaches us. Thus, we become like a tree planted by the streams of water that yields fruit in its season; whose leaf does not wither; and whatever he does, he prospers. (Ps.1:3)

Our Father is not haphazard. Our lives and the smallest events of them are not capricious and arbitrary. The Grand Planner who fulfills all of His purposes and integrates all of the moving parts of our days, has a plan. Today. And HIS PLAN IS WONDERFUL AND HIS WISDOM IS MAGNIFICENT!

by Janet Paschal

HAMBURGER, ANYONE?

Have you ever wished you could redo a conversation, a meeting, an encounter? Have you ever had the PERFECT response dawn on you the day AFTER you had a tough conversation?

I’ve just read through the tiny book of James again and, as always, I was struck by his sincere concern for the “twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” He began by acknowledging their suffering and encouraging them to persevere. He reminded them of the subsequent reward for their faithfulness and the assurance that God is more than sufficient for their circumstances. He assured them that it would lead them to become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James was a born leader. He would have been a very competent CEO, showing empathy, encouragement, expectations, warnings, and reassurance. In business school we are taught to approach others using the “hamburger theory” – that is, begin with the positive (the soft bun on top), followed by correction (the meat in the middle), and ending with more positive (the soft bun on the bottom). That is exactly what James did. In fact, he left them with the promise that they had the potential to “turn sinners from the error of their way and save them from death.” That is genuine, artful motivation.

BUT the part of the book that spoke to me, that yelled at me, that screamed my name was this:

James 1:19 …Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

Okay, he’s got my attention. I am completely GUILTY of trying to offer quick responses, of waiting for someone else to finish what they are saying so that I may add my (always ready) opinion to the conversation. (The angry part I don’t have a problem with, but I’m still batting a low .333 here.)

James’ advice has become my mantra and I live my life behind internal reminders to follow it. When I head for a meeting, a rehearsal, a concert, a church service, I pray aloud during the drive, “Lord, please help me to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and quick to build up…” (I added the last one). It saves me from sleepless worry that I failed to show compassion or to convey my accurate perspective. It reminds me to make sure that I hear someone’s true heart, and that I focus on their strengths.

These 14 words from the first martyred apostle still ring loudly in 2024. They are more relevant today than ever in our culture, in our homes, in our relationships. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry….”

That’s way better than a hamburger!

by Janet Paschal

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADS!

I remember it well…. My nephew was set for graduation day. Alongside the pomp and circumstance, he seemed to be feeling a myriad of emotions: joy, relief, uncertainty. I watched as his class was entering the stage. They were all nice looking kids, but my eyes were fixed on the spot where he would enter.

He was smart, kind, patient, and a little shy. He loved the Lord more than anything, and he had more than one classroom discussion with his religion professors. They respected him, and he them. I assumed that he would have a reasonable amount of fear and trepidation, crossing the threshold into adulthood with a new career, new friends, and growing responsibilities.

There were a number of things that I wanted to say to him; things I wanted him to know. I remembered some scripture that seemed to apply: PROVERBS 30: 7-9 (NIV) Two things I ask of you, Lord: do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

We titled the song, I WISH YOU ENOUGH
For every beginning, something is ending, everything changes but change
It’s funny how life is forever amending the plans that we all pre-arrange
So laugh when you can, cry when you must, And I pray you’ll always live deep
Always remember, sometimes you must drink from the bitter to savor the sweet

I wish you love, I wish you joy, I pray that happiness camps outside your door
I hope you win, I hope you lose, I pray you’ll realize that both are good for you
May you never have too little or too much, I wish you enough.

So, savor the journey, live every moment, hold fast to all you believe
And you will discover a strength in your weakness, in ways you could never conceive
Godspeed, my friend, peace and goodwill, I fondly bid you adieu,
Always remember, as long as I live, I will be somewhere praying for you

I wish you love, I wish you joy, I pray that happiness camps outside your door
I hope you win, I hope you lose, I pray you’ll realize that both are good for you
May you never have too little or too much, I wish you enough.

Blessings to you all….
Janet