Tag Archives: my son

Get Wisdom Get Understanding

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 320 - Proverbs 4:5-12 - Get Wisdom Get Understanding - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 320 – Proverbs 4:5-12 – Get Wisdom Get Understanding – Growing As Disciples

Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.  She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor.”  Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.  I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.  When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:5-12 (NIV)

I Desperately Need Wisdom

That is something I desperately need. That is something I’m surely lacking in my life. What do you desperately need and what is surely lacking in your life? I need wisdom. Well, that certainly is the beginning of wisdom. What is the beginning of wisdom, am I missing something, have I said something important? Yes, you have said something very important. You have said a couple very important things. First, you have humbly admitted that you need wisdom. You are under no illusions about the amount of wisdom you possess. You know that there is a severe shortage of wisdom in you. Humbly acknowledging your great need is the beginning of wisdom. Then, I am at a good starting point. Yes, that is true. But you said something else. You expressed some desperation in your need for wisdom. You have some passion in you about your need for wisdom. That puts you in an even better position regarding wisdom. How so? If you know you need wisdom and you are passionately desiring and seeking wisdom, will you not come and ask me for it? Yes, of course I will come and ask you for wisdom. What would be the point of my admitting and being passionate about need if I did nothing about it? It would be foolish to passionately admit a need and then do nothing about it. That is true. Yet, in this case, your doing, will consist of your coming to me to ask me for my help. This is true, because your admission of desperate need also contains the idea, that you will not be relying on yourself. You will not try to work your way out of being unwise. You will come to rely on me, isn’t that what you will do? Yes, that is exactly what I will do. I will ask for and rely on you for wisdom. I know that you will generously give me wisdom as I ask you for it. Yes, come to me. Ask me for wisdom. Rely on my wisdom to guard and guide your life. That is what I will do. That will be very good. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I will not live my life according to worldly wisdom. I will not rely on my own wisdom. I will ask you to guard and guide my life according to your wisdom. Help me to think, and to speak, and to act wisely so I can make decisions that are pleasing to you. Amen

Key Question…  How passionately are you seeking to life your life according to God’s wisdom?

Living It Out…  Ask for, receive, and rely on God’s wisdom to guard and guide you through life.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that God will generously give you wisdom when you ask Him for it.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God has generously given you wisdom throughout your life.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you ask for, receive, and rely on wisdom from the Lord.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 320 – Proverbs 4-5-12 – Get Wisdom Get Understanding – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                                                                                    www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Life To Those Who Find Them and Health

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 315 - Proverbs 4:20-23 - Life To Those Who Find Them And Health - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 315 – Proverbs 4:20-23 – Life To Those Who Find Them And Health – Growing As Disciples

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV)

Your Word

How will you pay attention to my word? How will you listen carefully to me? How will you make sure that my word is never out of your sight? How will you keep my word within your heart so that it is guarded from all the evil that is in the world? What will my word do for you as you pay attention and listen carefully to it? What kind of life can you expect to live if my word is never out of your sight and always in your heart? You have asked me a multitude of questions. I will start by saying that I will never let your word out of my sight and always have it in my heart. This is true because I will meet with you daily in your word. I will set aside a daily time and place to meet with you in your word. One might ask, “Why do I need to set aside a special time and place to meet with you in your word?” Life is busy. Life is noisy. Life is demanding. If I am to truly pay attention to your word, I need to make meeting with you in your word a priority. Not setting a time and place to meet with you in your word will make it almost certain that it will happen very infrequently. Is this your voice of experience? Yes, it is, despite my best intentions, I have gone great lengths of time without meeting with you in your word. I not talking days or weeks either, unfortunately, in the past, months can and have gone by without my meeting with you in your word. So, now I meet with you daily in your word. But that is not the only reason why I need a special time and place to meet with you in your word. If I am to listen carefully to you, I need to eliminate all distractions so I can clearly hear from you. I don’t want your word to go in one of my ears and go out the other. I want your word to deeply penetrate my heart. I want your word to never leave my sight. I want your word to do its work in me. What work will my word do in you? Your word will change my heart. Your word will transform my mind. All my thoughts and word and actions will be different as your word dwells richly in me. You word will give me a completely new life to live. Your word will guard and guide my life. Your word will protect me from evil in the world. Your word will give me life and health to my entire being as I hear and follow and obey you, as I live my life according to your word. Yes, my word will do all these things in you, for you, and through you. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I will pay attention to your word. I will listen closely to your word. I will not let your word out of my sight. I will keep your word in my heart as I meet with you in it. Use your word to guard my heart. Use your word to bring life and health to my entire body. Amen

Key Question…  How has keeping God’s word in your heart, given you life and brought health to your entire body?

Living It Out…  Daily pay attention and listen closely to God’s word, never let it out of your sight and keep it in your heart.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that God’s word will give you life and health to your body as you keep it in your heart.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are always keeping God’s word in your heart.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you pay attention and listen closely to God’s word, keeping it before your eyes and in your heart.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 315 – Proverbs 4-20-23 – Life To Those Who Find Them and Health – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                                                                                    www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Find The Knowledge Of God

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Knowing God - Proverbs 2:1-6 - Find The Knowledge Of God - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Knowing God – Proverbs 2:1-6 – Find The Knowledge Of God – Growing As Disciples

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV) 

Hidden Treasure

What are you seeking in life? What is worth your all out pursuit? What do you value above anything else? You don’t need to dream up some good answer to these questions. You have already answered them. How could I have possibly already answered questions that I am just now hearing for the very first time? Your answer is in one of your words. What word? How do you spend your time? You spend your time on what you are seeking. You use your time to pursue what is most valuable to you. How you spend your time indicates what is most you most treasure. That’s an interesting thought. I have never thought of time in quite like that before. I’m wasting a lot of time on what is not valuable. I’m spending a lot of valuable time on what is certainly not a treasure. Then it is time to reevaluate how you are spending your time. Yes, it is.

What do you treasure? How would you like to reallocate your time with what you really value? You are my treasure. I value my relationship with you. I want to know and love you. Your word is a treasure that is more important to me than silver or gold. I want to listen attentively to your words. I want to cry out for insight and understanding. I want to be molded and shaped by your word. I want to be guided and directed by your word. I want to live my life according to your word. I want to know your wisdom. I want to have your knowledge and understanding. This is what I want. This is what I desire. These desires are all worthy of my time. Yes, they are.

If you want my wisdom, knowledge and understanding what will you do? If you want to come to know and reverence me as God how will you spend your time? I will spend my time with you. I will earnestly seek with you all my heart. I will turn my ears to listen to all that you have to say to me. I will accept your words and take them in as my own. I will pursue you and the life that you have given me to live. I will look out for all you want to show me. I will search for all that you want to give to me. I will pursue your words like hidden treasure. Yes, you will.

Lord, I am listening attentively to your word as I store it in my heart. Your word is more valuable to me than any treasure of silver or gold. Help me to know and reverence you as God. Give me your wisdom, knowledge and understanding as I earnestly seek you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Knowing God – Proverbs 2-1-6 – Find The Knowledge Of God – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

The Lord Gives Wisdom

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 34 - Proverbs 2:1-6 - The Lord Gives Wisdom - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 34 – Proverbs 2:1-6 – The Lord Gives Wisdom – Growing As Disciples

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,  turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,  and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,  and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV)  

Hidden Treasure

I definitely want that and all that comes with it. What is it that you want? I want wisdom and understanding and insight and knowledge. What is it that you most want to know? I want to know you. I want to know your will. I want to know your ways. I want the wisdom and insight and knowledge that can only come from you. You have very good desires within you. Do you believe that I will give you all that you are asking of me? Yes, I believe that you will give me not only what I am asking of you, but I also believe that you will give me what I could not have ever dreamed of or even imagined. That is very good.

What must you do if you want to receive all that I want to give to you? I must accept your word. By accept, I mean I must take your word deep into my heart and mind. I must allow your word to dwell in me richly. I must store up your words within me so that they are always with me. By accept, I also mean that I must be willing to set aside not only my own thoughts and ideas and opinions, but also those of the world. Your word must be and must have final authority in my life. If my thoughts and ideas and opinions are in conflict with yours, I will know who needs to change their thinking. Who would that be? That would be me. Good answer.

How urgently and passionately and fervently must you seek my word if you want to receive all that I want to give to you? I know one thing for certain. What’s that? Your word is more valuable to me than silver or gold or any hidden treasure. All of these will pass way. Your word will endure forever. Yes, it will. So, I will seek your word with all that is within me. I will cry out for your insight and understanding. I will call to you, so I can receive your instruction and follow your guidance. I will wait patiently with you in your word, so you can teach and train and guard and guide the entire course of my life. That will be very good. Yes, it will.

Lord, I will accept and store your word in my heart. I will turn my ears to your wisdom. Your word is more valuable to me than silver, gold or any hidden treasure. Use your word to give me wisdom. Use your word to help me to know and love, follow and serve you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 34 – Proverbs 2-1-6 – The Lord Gives Wisdom – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Hold On To Instruction

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Discipleship Devotional Study - Life - Proverbs 4:10-13 - Hold On To Instruction- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study – Life – Proverbs 4:10-13 – Hold On To Instruction- Growing As Disciples

Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:10-13 (NIV)

Attentively Listening

Are you listening attentively to my words? Are you paying attention to all that I want to say to you? Are you taking a hold of all my teaching and instruction? I would like to say that I am, but I am sure that I am not. Why is that? What is hindering you from hearing and receiving every word that I want to speak into your life? I can think of several bad reasons why I am not hearing and receiving all that you want to say to me. Lets talk about this.  

I have been too busy or at least I think that I have been too busy. You are too busy to listen to what I want to speak into your life? That is a very troubling question. Why is that? What could be more important than listening to all that you want to say to me? Obviously, there is nothing that could be more important than listening to you. Somehow, I have let my life become filled up with places to go, people to see and things to do. I know that I will never hear you over the noise of my own life. I need to stop and take time to listen to you. Yes, you do. What else is hindering your ability to listen attentively and pay attention to my words?

I have been stubborn, independent and self-reliant. What do you mean by that? I think that I have all the answers. I think that I have all that I need. No one can tell me anything. I’m sure that I can accomplish everything that is before me with my own gifts, talents and abilities. How does all this sound to you? It sounds really pathetic to me. Why is that? I know that I don’t have all the answers. I know that I don’t have all that I need. I know that my gifts, talents and abilities are very limited and will never enable me to accomplish all that you have given me to do without your help. You’re absolutely right about that, what else is hindering your ability to hear and receive all that I want to speak into your life?

I have wanted to do things in my way, according to my own plan. That had to be very hard for you to admit. Yes, it was. Listening to you and to others might change my plans. I might become uncomfortable. I might not want to do what I am being asked to do. I might think that I have a better idea or way of my own. How does all of this sound to you? I have been so filled with pride. It really disgusts me. At least you are facing these sins of yours. Yes, I am. Are you willing to turn from them? Yes, I am. Why is that? I really do want to hear all that you have to say to me. I really do want my life to be guided by you. I do want you to teach and instruct me. I want to remember, take hold and not swerve away from any of your word. What will you do? I will make attentively listening to you the priority of my life. Then, you will be hearing from me.

Lord, I need to hear and receive all the words of wisdom that you want to speak into my life. Help me to be open and receptive to all that you want to teach me. I will listen attentively and hold on to all that you want to say to me. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Life – Proverbs 4-10-13 – Hold On To Instruction – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com