The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (52 page)

July 14

Testimonies

     
He [or she] who gets wisdom loves his own soul;

          
he who cherishes understanding prospers.

Bottom line: the wise, godly life is the good life.

Wives, no matter where you live or who your husband is, the wise wife is the blessed wife. I know a woman who has a very cranky husband. He’s stubborn, prideful, and refuses to go to church, but God has given her the sweetest, most powerful dose of wisdom and joy. She is a light to everyone around her. Years ago the Lord gave her the verse “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1,
NKJV
). Well, she could see that even though her husband was making bad choices, she didn’t need to. She chose to “delight herself in the Lord,” and he’s prospered her, in spite of her circumstance.

I have another friend who is single, actually divorced. Her husband of many years lived a secret life, and then he left her. Her husband’s aging father lived with them and remained when his son left the family. Janie was brokenhearted but not bitter. She chose to walk the path of humility and grace. Her father-in-law remained under her care for many years. Her daughters initially struggled with feelings of betrayal and abandonment. Now they are both married and serving God. Janie clung to the rock of God’s love; she remained close to her church family and continued to choose wisdom. Her life is living proof that God prospers the godly.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

What’s your story? Is there a time when a big storm hit your life? Did you cry out to God? Did you see his faithfulness in the hardship? Then you have a testimony. Your testimony can encourage others. Revelation 12:11 says, “They have defeated [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.” Draw out three circles on a paper. In the first circle, write out your dilemma (life without Christ, or a hardship as a believer). In the second, write out how God sent help and hope. In the third circle, describe the fruit and joy of seeing God’s hand in your life. That’s your testimony. Now, will you share it with someone?

One Year Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 16:37–18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9

July 15

Slow to Anger

     
The discretion of a man [or woman] makes him slow to anger,

     
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

The New Living Translation phrases it, “Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.”

Discretion
is a word we seldom hear, and truthfully, something we seldom see, either. The Hebrew word is
sekel
, which first of all means “intelligence,” but it is not an intelligence that is just kept in your head. It is an intelligence that gives you good sense, good judgment that translates into wise actions. Discretion is applied here as we respond to disappointments, frustrations, and the failures of others. Are we quick to anger or slow? This is the true test.

Ladies, let’s take this for a test-drive in our daily living. When we see a dirty dish in the sink or socks left on the floor, does it tick us off? When someone takes our parking spot or scratches our car, when our kids lose their math books or our husband forgets our birthday, does it tick us off? When our friend does not return our phone call or the bank makes a mistake, does it tick us off? In the course of our days, hundreds of things can go wrong. If we respond with anger, even a quiet smolder, this is bad, unintelligent living—bad for us and bad for others. On the other hand, think of a time when you made a mistake and someone was patient with you, gracious, and sweet. What a surprise! What a breath of fresh air! It’s been said, “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

     
I spoke a word in anger to one who was my friend.

     
Like a knife it cut him deeply, a wound that was hard to mend.

     
That word, so thoughtlessly uttered, I would we could both forget.

     
But its echo lives and memory gives the recollection yet.

If we don’t learn from our mistakes, we are destined to repeat them. Grace wins friends and influences people. Practice grace, speak grace, and grace will come back to you.

One Year Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 19:1–21:30; Romans 2:25–3:8; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 19:10-12

July 16

Drip . . . Drip . . . Drip . . .

     
The contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. . . .

     
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Contention.
Contention
means “argumentative, ready to pick a fight.”

Our proverb today tells us that “the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping”—drip, drip, drip. Have you ever heard a description of Chinese water torture? The victim is trapped in place. Water is slowly dripped on the forehead so he can see each drop coming. Over a long, unceasing time, he is driven frantic. Drip, drip, drip, never really letting up. When one drop lands, you know there’s another coming. Can you see that we as women can do that when we get into the habit of being negative? Sharp little looks, negative words, criticisms, put-downs, never letting our husbands be right or respected. This is maybe even worse than physical torment. It pierces the soul. Do you see how this wears everyone down?

On the other hand, a prudent wife is from the Lord. Yes, indeed a wife that is gracious and wise, she’s a gift. “Every good gift . . . is from above” (James 1:17,
NKJV
). And so we as wives, and as women in any relationship, have to know that God can and will change us. If we have fallen into a bad, negative habit, this would be a perfect time to be honest with the need to change. It is also a great time to look up, call out, and ask the Lord himself to make us prudent wives who are blessings.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

A survey was done asking men why they cheated on their wives. You’ll be surprised at the number four reason: “My wife is a nag. She thrives on making me feel like dirt, nagging, fighting, and putting me down.” Of course, that is not a good excuse, but evidently it has driven many men away seeking silence and/or support. A prudent wife might have just as many issues to deal with in her marriage, but she handles them kindly. Will you take this to heart?

One Year Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 22:1–23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14

July 17

Instructions for Life

     
He who obeys instruction guards his life,

          
but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.

The Message
puts it this way: “Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills.”

Maybe you’re one of those people who never reads the manuals. You open the box when you get a new appliance, plug it in, and keep pushing buttons until it kind of does what you want it to do. Don’t ask me how I know. Well, those of us who do that realize we never really get the most out of that appliance, and by the time we figure that out, we’ve lost the manual. But sometimes it’s more than annoying. It’s dangerous to neglect reading the instructions. I once wanted to strip old wax from my floor. I thought,
I’ll mix bleach and ammonia. That will clean it really well.
I hadn’t read on the label that that combination is toxic. An hour on my knees breathing the fumes sent me to the hospital with lung damage.

My story is a good illustration of how we can create toxic situations in our lives by not applying the sound, practical instruction of the Proverbs.

Let me share a string of proverbs that, like a string of pearls, when obeyed, will guard your life:

• A soft answer turns away wrath (15:1,
  NKJV
  ).
  
• He who trusts in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish (11:28,
  NKJV
  ).
  
• An excellent wife is a crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones (12:4,
  NKJV
  ).
  
• The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise (12:15,
  NKJV
  ).
  
• Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil (3:7,
  NKJV
  ).
  

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

As you have read the Proverbs the last few months, are there a few that have really stood out? Have they pricked your heart, and yet you haven’t applied them? It’s been said, “To know and not to do is not to know at all.” In James 1:22, God speaks frankly to us: “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise you are only fooling yourselves.”

One Year Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 24:1–26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 19:15-16