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The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 31:10-12 (HCSB)
¹⁰ Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. ¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. ¹² She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:30 (HCSB)
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 106:1 (HCSB)
Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 106:48 (HCSB)
May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!

My observation:

It is good to close out another month of walking through the book of Proverbs for a daily word of wisdom, and the Psalms for a daily word of inspiration.

It is always good to start the day with a word of praise that resonates from a grateful heart. The Proverbs reminds me of how blessed I am to have a godly and good wife. The writer of the Proverbs asked the question, “Who can find a capable wife?” The answer is that only the Lord can provide such a wife.

Proverbs 18:22 (HCSB)
A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 19:14 (HCSB)
A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a sensible wife is from the Lord.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for providing me with a godly and good wife.

Father God, as I look back over my life I can see your divine hand leading and guiding me throughout my life. Lord, I often look back in wonder of where would I be without the Lord’s mercy that has been granted to me.

Father God, the words “thank you” seems so inadequate, but I pray that they will be pleasing in your ears.

My song:

Ten Thousand Thanks to Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/239

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 28:25-26 (HCSB)
²⁵ A greedy person provokes conflict, but whoever trusts in the Lord will prosper. ²⁶ The one who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 103:1-5 (HCSB)
¹ My soul, praise Yahweh, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. ² My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. ³ He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. ⁴ He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. ⁵ He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle.

My observation:

In our focal passages for today, I see a confirmation in the words of the Psalmist of the Proverb of his son Solomon.

In the Proverb Solomon said that whoever trusts in the Lord will prosper.  I notice that in this Psalm David does not make any requests of the Lord. He just praises the Lord for being so good to him, and recounts some of his blessings.

It is a good thing to begin our prayers with praise and thanksgiving to our Lord. I have found in my life that a life of praise begets blessings. Praise is becoming to the child of God. It suits your position in Christ.

Ephesians 1:12 (HCSB)
so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.

Psalm 103:1 (KJV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I extol you, my God, and my King. I will bless your name forever and ever.

Father God, every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Lord, you are great, and your name is highly exalted above every name in the earth below and in the heavens above.

Lord, you are great, and greatly to be praised. Let everyone that agrees say, “Praise the Lord!”

My song:

I will Bless the Lord (Click on link below to watch video with Andrea Crouch):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiwIPCfAVxQ&feature=related

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 27:18 (HCSB)
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever looks after his master will be honored.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 102:1-7 (HCSB)
¹ Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry for help come before You. ² Do not hide Your face from me in my day of trouble. Listen closely to me; answer me quickly when I call. ³ For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. ⁴ My heart is afflicted, withered like grass; I even forget to eat my food. ⁵ Because of the sound of my groaning, my flesh sticks to my bones. ⁶ I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. ⁷ I stay awake; I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

My observation:

The cry of the psalmist reveals the pain, the anguish, the trouble, and the suffering that comes from living in a fallen world.

You may recognize this song of despair for you may have been there or you may be going through similar circumstances in your present situation.

However, don’t spend too much time dwelling on your circumstances. If you focus too much on your circumstances, yourself, and your feelings, it will only make things worse.

The key to living the overcoming life in this world is to take your focus off of your circumstance and yourself, and to look up to the Lord.

Psalm 102:12 (NIV)
But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

Our days down here may be short, and our lives may have to endure trouble for a season, but thank God, troubles don’t last forever.

God endures forever, and every believer has the blessed promised of living with God forever. God will see you through this world, and lead you safely to your eternal home.

Psalm 73:24 (HCSB)
You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up in glory.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you that I serve a true and living God and that you are a God who endures forever.

Father God, I thank you that you are able and willing to lead and guide me all of the days of my life. And when this life is over, you will take me up in glory.

My song:

Conflict today is Fierce (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/893

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 26:23-25 (HCSB)
²³ Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. ²⁴ A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within. ²⁵ When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 101:1-4 (HCSB)
¹ I will sing of faithful love and justice; I will sing praise to You, Lord. ² I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. ³ I will not set anything worthless before my eyes. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me. ⁴ A devious heart will be far from me; I will not be involved with evil.

My observation:

In the Proverb Solomon gives us a list of some of the people we should avoid in life. This is not a good list to be on.

In the Psalm, David, Solomon’s father, describes the kind of person that he was determined in his heart to be as he lived his life before his Lord.

David was not a perfect man and he was not a sinless man. However, he was a man that God was pleased with.

Acts 13:22 (HCSB)
After removing him, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man loyal to Me, who will carry out all My will.’

David was a man who was loyal to God. His greatest desire was to be pleasing in the eyes of his Lord. This required that he had to deal honestly with his sins.

Psalm 51:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. ² Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

In first John chapter one verse five through ten are the keys to maintaining fellowship with our Lord. The choice before us is walking in the light or walking in darkness.

1 John 1:7 (HCSB)
But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that the determination and dedication of my heart will be to walk in the light where you are walking, and to be loyal to you. Lord, when you look at me I pray that you will see in me a person who is willing to carry out all of your will.

My song:

The Whole World was Lost in the Darkness of Sin (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1018

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 25:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ These too are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied. ² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV)
¹ A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! ² Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. ³ Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. ⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ⁵ For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

My observation:

Solomon said there are some things that warrant investigation.  The Apostle Paul said the same thing in his letter to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:15 (HCSB)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

There may be some things in the bible that are difficult to understand.  There are some things that are not revealed. That is logical because He is God and we are not.

Isaiah 55:9 (HCSB)
“For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

However, when we come to passages like Psalm 100, God has revealed everything that we need to know about thanksgiving.

Who is to give thanks? He answers that in verse one, “all the earth”.

How do you give thanks? He answers that in verses two through four.

Why give thanks? He answers that in verse five.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for the revealed truth that we find in the Word of God.

Father God, I ask that you would stir within our hearts the desire to daily and devotedly search the scriptures so that we may know the ways of God and the will of God for our lives.

Father God, I pray that our thanksgiving will be not only with our lips, but that it will translate to thanks living by our submission and sacrificial service.

My song:

All Things Come from Thee (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh588.sht

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 24:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength; ⁶ for you should wage war with sound guidance— victory comes with many counselors.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 99:6-7 (HCSB)
⁶ Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those calling on His name. They called to Yahweh and He answered them. ⁷ He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.

My observation:

I always linger when I come to a passage in scripture that calls attention to the power of prayer and the scriptures in the lives of the servants of God.

It is truly the wise servant of God who makes it their goal in life to enroll in the School of Prayer, and in the School of the Word of God. The Psalmist gives us a list of three great men of prayer and the Word of God to encourage us in our walk with God.  There is great profit in learning from the saints of old.

Romans 15:4 (HCSB)
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

The Word of God, prayer, and obedience form a link that is the essential ingredients of living wisely, and living the victorious Christian life. The scriptures give evidence that this is true.

John 15:7 (ESV)
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Acts 6:4 (ESV)
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Psalm 66:18 (ESV)
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for the example of Moses, Aaron and Samuel that give us encouragement and hope.

Father God, I pray that you would strengthen me to remain anchored in the book, and devoted to prayer.

My song:

How Firm a Foundation (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_How_Firm_a_Foundation.html

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 21:2 (HCSB)
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 98:1-3 (HCSB)
¹ Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have won Him victory. ² The Lord has made His victory known; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. ³ He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen our God’s victory.

My observation:

The people in our life, even those who claim to love us, may play with our hearts, and this may cause us to experience a great deal of pain. However, it is comforting to know that the one who knows our heart best, and who is able to evaluate the motives of our heart, will never do anything to harm us. We may experience trials and trouble in our life that hurt us, but God does not inflict harm upon his people.

It is because of the greatness and the goodness of the Lord that the psalmist is able to exhort the people then and us today to sing a new song to the Lord. In our focal passage, the psalmist praises the Lord for his redemption, righteousness, love, and faithfulness.

Each of us, who are a believer, can praise the Lord for these same reasons. However, there may be many other reasons that you have for singing a new song to the Lord. In fact, your new song may be an old song, but you can sing it with new meaning because of something that the Lord has brought you to, and now he is bringing you through it.

The Lord can use the trials and the troubles that we face in life to teach us something new about him.  It has been my experience that I learn more through my troubles and trials in life than through success. One writer has said, “God shouts at us through our pain”.

Whether God whispers or shouts, when he speaks he is capable of doing great and mighty things in the lives of his people, and that should cause us to sing a new song to the Lord. Sometimes, our singing may even turn into a shout to the Lord.

Psalm 98:4 (HCSB)
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I delight to join with the psalmist in singing a new song, and in shouting joyfully to the Lord. Jesus, I thank you Lord for being so good to me.

Romans 8:34 (HCSB)
Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

My song:

Hallelujah! Sing to Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/125

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 20:18-19 (HCSB)
¹⁸ Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance. ¹⁹ The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 95:1-7 (NLT)
¹ Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. ² Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. ³ For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. ⁴ He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. ⁵ The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. ⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, ⁷ for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!

My observation:

It is hard to find a good and close friend that you can have confidence in and receive wise counsel from. If you have such a friend, you should cherish that friend.

However, I am encouraged by the Psalmist who reminds us that we have the greatest friend our hearts could ever find when we have the Lord in our life.

What a blessing and comfort to know that our great God watches over and cares for his people. He is the end for your search for a loyal friend who will stick with you when you are on top of life, and who will not forsake you when you are at the bottom with no place to look but up to him.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for your loving and compassionate care that you give to all of your people, who are precious in your eyes.

Father God, help me to choose wisely the people I confide in, and reserve my highest praise, and deepest trust for my maker and my savior.

O Father, help me to learn to listen to your voice every day, and to walk with you every step along the pathway where you are leading, guiding, and caring for your beloved people.

My song:

I’ve found a Friend, Oh, Such a Friend (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/288

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 19:3 (HCSB)
A man’s own foolishness leads him astray, yet his heart rages against the Lord.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 94:16-19 (HCSB)
¹⁶ Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers? ¹⁷ If the Lord had not been my helper, I would soon rest in the silence [of death] ¹⁸ If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your faithful love will support me, Lord. ¹⁹ When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.

Psalm 94:22 (HCSB)
But the Lord is my refuge; my God is the rock of my protection.

My observation:

What a blessing it is to live your life and be on the side of the Lord. However, there is another way, and the contrast and the outcome leaves you in very difficult and hopeless circumstances. It is the wise person that chooses to walk in the pathway of the Lord. On the other hand, the foolish person chooses to refuse to submit to the Lord, and to walk in the straightway.

Why not choose to be counted among those who listened to and heeded the message of Jesus when he came preaching the way to have real life.

Matthew 7:13-14 (HCSB)
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

Matthew 10:32-33 (HCSB)
³² “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

The Christian life is not an easy life, but it is a privileged life. You have the privilege of having a God who has promised to take care of you all of the days of your life. In our focal passage from Psalms, the poet said if your foot slips, the Lord’s faithful love will support you. The Lord will give you comfort and joy in exchange for your worries and anxieties. He will be your rock in a weary land and shelter in the time of storms.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for being my Savior and my Lord. What a wonder and privilege it is to have the Lord on my side.

Lord, I have found it to be so true in my life that when I fear the Lord, I don’t need to fear anything else. Lord, everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe it all to Jesus. Lord, I thank you for being my maker, my savior, my redeemer, and my keeper.

My song:

Lord I Thank You (Click on link below to watch and listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZR1K-rzuvM

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 18:10 (HCSB)
The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 93:3-4 (HCSB)
³ The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their pounding waves. ⁴ Greater than the roar of many waters— the mighty breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is majestic.

My observation:

Life in this world in filled with trouble.  In fact Jesus warned his disciples of this fact, and told them to expect to have trouble in this world.

John 16:33 (ESV)
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

No matter what you are going through, there is one thing that is solid, and that you can stand upon. The Lord reigns! Our God is sovereign and everything is under his control. In every life some rain will fall, but God’s throne is above the floods.

Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV)
¹ But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Notice what the sovereign God says about his people. I have created you and I have redeemed you. If the waters of trouble and tribulation are rising to flood status in your life, take courage in knowing that if God leads you to it, he will lead you through it.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you that there is a God in heaven and that you rule and reign over everything that you have made.

Father God, when the raging waters of trouble and tribulation come into my life, I will rest in the comfort of knowing that “Our God Reigns”.

My song:

Our God Reigns (Click on link below to watch video of this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px_MIcIwLEw&feature=related