Author: Beth Morrison

Read Proverbs Chapter 2.

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6 CSB

It’s interesting when I looked up the word “mouth” in Hebrew.  It comes from the word “peh” meaning to puff, i.e. blow away. The image that comes to mind is someone blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.  It’s seems an odd meaning for mouth in this phrase.

Or is it?

God so readily wants to impart wisdom to us, it is like a kid blowing out candles on his birthday cake.  He can’t wait to blow them out. His cheeks are all puffed up with air, there’s a hushed excitement all around.  Finally someone yells, “Just do it!”. Then “Gush!” He lets it all go. God so desperately wants to share with us, but are we willing to listening?  Are we noticing what He is trying to say to us?

I have to be honest.  I’m not a good listener.  God pretty much has to hit me over the head with a brick for me to get it.  Just yesterday, as I was thinking back over my life, I realized how much God had been trying to guide and direct me.  I also realized how good I was at not listening. Knowing exactly what I should do, and doing the opposite. Knowing exactly what God wanted me to do, and doing the opposite.  I’m a little bit better now then I was then, but I still have a long way to go.

God is waiting to give His wisdom to all of us.  We just have to listen to what He’s saying. We have to listen to what He’s saying through His word.  Through the circumstances we find ourselves in. Through the people we surround ourselves with. Through prayer and supplication.  We have to listen. If something keeps coming up, over and over again, it might just be God. You may want to stop and listen. It usually takes about three times before I start to get the message.  

Here’s an example.  Week after week I sit in WW.  I listen to my leader talk about tracking, for years, literally.  But I don’t track everything I eat. Friends have joined me at WW.  They track, and are losing. I don’t track, I’m not losing. Finally, just two weeks ago, the leader shared a story of woman who had -286 points but had tracked everything.  He or She was that honest with themselves. Finally, I got the message and started to track. It’s amazing, I’ve started to lose weight again.

How does that relate to God and wisdom.  I’ve been praying and praying to lose weight.  God has been trying to tell me exactly what I need to do.  I just haven’t been listening. I definitely haven’t been obeying. We need to listen to receive God’s wisdom.

Read Proverbs Chapter 1

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7 CSB

The Hebrew word fear in this context, literally means reverential awe.  In other words: The reverential awe of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  

Fear is often misunderstood in this verse. It is respect for the Lord.  It is an understanding that He is all powerful, can do all things. He doesn’t want us to fear having a relationship with Him.  He just wants us to respect what each of our roles are in it. He is God. We are not. Simple.

Unfortunately, one of the things that impacts our feelings towards God is the relationship we had/have with our earthly father.  Because we think of God as father, and we have only one earthly father, it is easy to see why we tend to do that.

For me, I had a great Dad.  He was God fearing, took us to church every week, raised us in the Lord.  One of my favorite memories is my Dad smoking a cigarette before church in his gray suit.  The only day of the week my Dad ever wore a suit was on Sunday. Dad was a strict Dad by a lot of standards, but I always knew I was his little princess.  He spoiled me rotten. I always knew my Dad loved me.

It’s easy for me to envision a loving God.  It’s easy for me to respect God, because I know the respect I had for my father.  Others have not shared the same blessing with me. Their fathers were distant, completely absent.  Their relationships with men in general have not been good experiences. Asking them to trust in a loving Father figure is harder. Asking them to have reverential awe for Him after their experiences with their earthly father seems impossible.  Why would anyone have reverential awe for God when there is so much pain in the world? Because there is also a lot of good in the world. Because when you begin to have reverential awe for God, you will begin to see the good. When you start to see the good, you will start to see how God, as you believe and trust in Him, works all things to the good (Romans 8:28 NIV).

This is where wisdom starts, with reverential awe.

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” Proverbs 27:9 NIV

I realized something about the lifetime friends God gives you. They help keep you humble. I had the privilege this afternoon to have a nice long chat with one of my oldest friends. She knew the date of the last blog I had written, which touched my heart in a way only she could.

At one point I was sharing with her how my life seems surreal. I couldn’t believe what an amazing husband God has given me. To which she replied, “I know, think about some of the guys you dated.” I can’t type it without chuckling. I love she knows about every guy I’ve ever dated. The good, the bad, the ugly; she knows them all.

Our friendship is unique because it started when we were teenagers. To date, we have never lived in the same town together. Our friendship has always been long distance. It has always been a staple in my life. One I’ve taken for granted, as we do with those closest to us. When I was lost and adrift, she is the one who led me back to Jesus.

The beauty of our story, when we were teenagers hanging out, we never talked about God. We lost touch for about three years, during that time her faith had exploded. Mine had not. When I called her down and out, the first thing she did was tell me about Jesus.

That was decades ago. We’ve grown in Christ together ever since then. We’ve grown in a way, only friends who knew each other before Christ can grow. We’ve grown in ways you don’t realize until you have enough distance to look back and say, “Wow, we’ve come a long way since then.” The beauty of our friendship is, we both know, without doubt, it’s God that has gotten us here.

It is God that has carried us all these years. It is God that made us friends. It is God that keeps us together. It is God that has our tomorrows. And we didn’t even know it when He was doing it. We are constantly amazed at the myriad of ways He is working in our lives individually, as well as together.

Friends are gifts from God. New, old, those yet to meet. All of them are gifts from God.

“Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10 NASB

I’m learning how obtuse I have been in my life. I’m learning all these new, big words since I started back to school. I’m spending more time in my dictionary than any other book. Obtuse, according to the dictionary means annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand. I’m guilty of both, I have been obtuse in my life. But I’m learning!

For instance, I can completely miss what is happening right in front of my face. Here’s an example from my single days. In this case I’m erring on the “slow to understand” side of the definition. We’ll see if my husband reads my blog with this one. If he does, I know I’ll hear about it, said with a big smile on my face.

I just realized an IRS agent had a crush on me, I was obtuse. He helped me when I was audited. Long story short, I had done my own taxes and made a mess of it. If you can at all help it, have someone who knows what they’re doing do your taxes. It will save you having to meet an IRS agent. Gratefully, I had a very nice one.

He was so nice, I sent him a thank you card for his efforts. About two weeks later, he calls me with a few follow-up questions. Which irritated me. I was tired of dealing with it. It just occurred to me today, when I was having my business taxes done, it was because of the card. I think the guy might of liked me.

I don’t know, I never will know. I was to obtuse to know what was happening in the moment. (See how I snuck obtuse in there? The more I use it, the more it helps me remember what it is. )

This scripture we started with is when God was calling Samuel into ministry. God had already called out several times, but Samuel didn’t know who it was that was calling. He was obtuse in the moment. The beauty of this story, God doesn’t stop trying. He keeps calling out until Samuel responds, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

I don’t want to be obtuse when it comes to God. I want to always hear Him when He calls me.

I have a friend, whom I had the privilege of playing on a tennis team with a few years back.  Her name also happened to be Beth. Beth and her husband John bucked the system. To this day, they are the only people on earth I know who have done this.  Truly done this. They bought a boat and raised their children on the sea. Teaching them through experience more than they could have ever learned sitting in a classroom.  They sailed, and still are, all over the world. Experiencing! Loving! Living!

We get so caught up in having to do a system.  There has to be a formula to everything. Nothing can be ambiguous.  God forbid we just buck the system and let God lead us. Satan has done such a good job getting us focused on the system.  So much so, if there isn’t a system we spend our time creating one. That isn’t how God created US. He created US to be free.  To live our lives individually, not together. Yes, we need community, but not every community has to be the same. If fact, they shouldn’t be the same, different people need different types of community.

We need to stop trying to make everyone the same, and instead just embrace who they are.  Be grateful for them. For the gift they are.

Reading book the book “Unchrisitan” by David Kinniman. It is all about how the outside world views those who attend church.  It ain’t pretty. They don’t think much of us, to say the least. And with good reason. We in the church, myself at the front of the line, have given them good reason to think the way we do.  I’ve been so focused on judging, I haven’t done enough loving. Nothing humbles me more than that thought right there. I haven’t loved enough. That literally breaks my heart.

It breaks my heart the people I’ve had the opportunity to love on, and haven’t.  It breaks my heart the divine appointments God lined up for me that I completely missed.  It saddens me the chances I had, those moments when God was trying to bless me with something really special, that I missed them.  It breaks my heart.

I need to do better at loving people.  It’s hard to admit, but it is true.

God help me!

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. ” Proverbs 22:6

I’m beginning to believe the key to life is good habits. I understand, at 49 years old I should have realized this earlier, I never said I was a quick learner. I’m learning this now because I’m starting to reap the benefits of them now, years later.

For instance, my Mom always made my brothers and I brush our teeth. Hated it. Still do. Can’t stand brushing my teeth, but I have too. I’m definitely not perfect at it, some day’s it’s only once a day, truth is truth. But I brush my teeth. Thanks Mom!

When I was working my way out of debt, thanks to Dave Ramsey, I developed good habits. Now it’s close to 20 years later, debt free except for mortgage, money in the bank, AND I’m paying for my Masters with my part time business. Because I developed good habits.

Relationship, I’ve developed habits there as well. I know telling the truth up front is always easier than trying to hide it, no matter how hard it is to tell. I’ve learned saying “Sorry” isn’t the worst thing in the world. I’ve learned there is no amount of grace I would ever have to give someone, that Christ hasn’t given me more. I’ve learned life is about relationships, community, love.

I’ve learned a lot, but I’m beginning to think one key is (because I’m sure there’s more than one key) good habits.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ” Psalm 37:4 ESV

I should be studying. Let me tell you that upfront. I have 10 chapters to read and a Discussion Post to write. Granted these are personal goals, not necessarily the school’s goal. Classes start tomorrow and I don’t have anything officially due until next Saturday. However, because it is ALL new to me, it is taking me twice as long to get the work done. I have to learn the system as well as do the work. It’s exhausting to say the least.’

So here I sit, writing a blog when I should be studying. It’s such a good one though I just had to share.

I’ve been dealing with some pretty difficult heart issues over the last couple of months. God has really been doing work in me as I work through it. I’ve never felt closer to Him than I do now. It literally is overwhelming. In order for Him to do this work in me though, I’ve had to be very intentional about keeping my eyes on Him. There has been so much going on around me to distract me. It’s very easy to lose focus.

This morning as I was getting ready for church, the Lord reminded me of when He first taught me this lesson. I was somewhere in my early 20’s. I had flunked out of school twice in Pennsylvania. My family was giving me one last shot before they were done with me. I moved to Virginia. Lived with my brother and enrolled in school here. Third charm wasn’t the charm for me, but I did manage to finally graduate. Eventually!

I worked at a local hotel to support my efforts at school. I met a guy there and fell madly in love. MADLY! Took me years to get over him when it was all said and done. What I thought was going on between us and what he thought was going on between us were two totally different things. My heart was broken. I found out he was in love with one of the other girls. A friend of mine I worked with as well. AND we still had to work together. I needed the job. It was how I was getting health benefits at the time.

It was then, God taught me to not worry about what is in your peripheral vision. Only worry about what is in front of you. You don’t need to know everything. Every time my mind wandered into thoughts of what they were doing, I’d remind myself. “They’re not in front you. God isn’t asking you to deal with them. It’s none of your business.”

I preached that too myself for years. I’m still preaching it to myself. I’ve gotten a lot better at it after 25 plus years of practicing.

Yesterday, I drove a friend around Williamsburg, sharing my life there with her. Even introduced her to Cody. The hotel where I learned this lesson, it happened to be the first thing I told her about yesterday. I learned a lot working there! I’m still using it!

“I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. ” Philippians 3:12 CEV

2018 proved to be a more challenging year than expected. Losses of loved ones unexpectedly. Being faced with the evil which exists in this world early in February through the tragic murder of an amazing man of God whom we had the privilege to know and love. Diagnoses of cancer in friends and family. Job loss. It took a toll on my heart.

With each event was a new challenge to find God in it. To seek Him first and foremost. There were days it was very hard to take my eyes off of the circumstances around me and place them on Jesus. There were days the only way I achieved it were by the people who led me there. When Mike woke up after being shot five times and losing his son, he asked for his Bible. He helped me look to Jesus in the face of tragedy. When Jill thanked God for His perfect timing in finding the spot that saved her life, she led me to Jesus. When Uncle Earl checks in each week at his church in Texas it leads me to Jesus. When Leslie tells me of her God moment in the midst of her cancer diagnosis it led me to Jesus.

I’ve tried hard to keep my eyes on Jesus this year. There are times I faltered, even fell. But always, He forgave me. Always, He lifted me up. Always, He kept me going.

It is hard to put into words the experience I just had at Bayside Community Church (https://mybayside.church/) in Bradenton, Florida. I left there so overwhelmed with God’s Spirit I wept. I’ve never experienced anything like it before in my life.

I felt God’s presence the moment we walked through the door. The smiling faces at the door. David, who spotted us as guests and introduced himself. The worship with songs I’d never sung but spoke directly to my heart. The message which gave me new perspective on the Christmas story. A perspective I so desperately needed to hear.

I heard God whisper to me, I’ve been with you the whole time. I have never left you. You are meant to be here. You are meant to hear this message.

He taught us how to be wise in 2019:

1. Seek Jesus
2. Worship Jesus
3. Bring your best for Jesus
4. Represent Jesus

I have a renewed passion to represent Jesus well. I asked God for forgiveness for the times I’ve failed to do that one thing. For the times I made it about me instead of about Him. I vowed to do better in 2019 than I did in 2018.

More than anything, He confirmed I’m on the right path. I’m heading in the direction He wants me to go. I felt it so clearly in my spirit like never before.

I don’t know what challenges lie ahead for me in 2019, but I know I won’t face them alone. I know, He is with me!

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under the heavens.” Eccl. 3:1  (NLT)

I have so many ideas swirling around in my mind, I don’t know which one to work on first.  As I started praying about what to do, I started thinking about all of the ways I’ve heard God tell me to slow down over the years.  I never listened.

Now I’m trying to listen more.  I’m trying to trust more.  I do have enough time to do everything God wants me to do here on earth.  I may not have enough time to do all I want to do.  I will have time to do everything God wants me to do.

Deciphering what God wants me to do is what can be tricky.  The constant battle going on between what I want versus what God wants is a real tension.  Knowing I should be praying for the person who hurt me.  Knowing I should forgive the offense.  Knowing I’m to live my life in moderation.  Knowing my ultimate job here on earth is to love God with all my heart, mind, body and soul  AND love others as myself. (Mark 12:30-31)  Knowing I should do all of those things. but doing them is a constant battle.

I don’t want to pray for my enemies.  I don’t want to forgive their offense.  I don’t want to live my life in moderation.  I want to eat the whole pie!  And there are times I don’t want to love God.  There are times I don’t want to love others.

There are times I don’t want to pace myself.  I don’t want to make a plan.  But that is exactly what God is calling me to do.  Pace myself.  It’s a challenge I battle constantly.  That’s why I found this verse today.  To remind myself there is time.  It doesn’t all have to be done today.  

What a novel concept for someone like me.  

“Where you go, I will go.  Where you stay, I will stay.”  Ruth 1:16

One of my all time favorite verses.  It’s in the book of Ruth, probably my favorite book of the Bible.  Ruth is speaking to Naomi.

A few years ago I did a study on the book of Ruth.  We, a group of women from all different church’s, read through the book together.  We did a chapter a week, then would get together for coffee to discuss.  My dear friend Marie, who I met then, gave me a small plaque with this verse on it.  It sits on my desk.  I see it every morning.  It always makes me smile.

Why I love this verse?  Naomi, Ruth’s mom-in-law, has lost everything.  Her husband, her two sons have all died.  Ruth has lost a husband.  She has left her family.  She is determined to follow Naomi, who has changed her name to Mara “because the Almighty has made life very bitter for me” (Ruth 1:20b NLT).  Ruth is choosing the harder path if she goes with Naomi.  She knows she will be the foreigner in a foreign land.  Yet these are her words.

I love her loyalty.  I have rarely witnessed this type of loyalty in my short life here on earth.  It is a beautiful reflection of my relationship with God, as hard as it may be sometimes.  To go where He takes me,  to stay where He stays. 

Ruth wasn’t following Naomi, she was following God in Naomi.  Naomi, in the midst of her despair clings to God.  When she says the “Almighty has made my life bitter”, she’s still acknowledging His presence in her life.  God is still a part of her life.  It is God in Naomi.  That is who Ruth is following.  

Not only is Naomi leading Ruth to God.  She’s discipling her as well.  She is literally “showing her the way” to follow God.  She wasn’t preaching her faith, she was living her faith.  One of my favorite quotes is by St. Francis of Assisi:

 “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Naomi was living this quote long before it had ever been spoken.  She lived it so well Ruth was willing to give up everyone, everything she knew and follow her.  Wow!  Through all of her pain, all of her sorrow, Naomi never took her eyes off of God.  As a result neither did Ruth.  As a result, Ruth was introduced into the lineage of Christ:

^“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,”  Matthew 1:5

Lord, what could happen if I lived my life like Naomi?  If my actions spoke of Your love for us more than my words.  I can’t even imagine Lord.  I’ve got a long way to go.  I am willing to try.  Let the journey begin!