Book Study: Beyond Scriptural Typography, Chapter Eight

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Proverbs 8:33 (NIV)

Is perception everything? Psychologists would probably say it plays a large part in how we process information, yet it does not mean personal interpretation is always accurate. Remember, it is based on how we perceive. As we process information whether sensory and/or mentally, there are lots of factors that can sway our thinking.

For me, this word tends to be the root of many of my rubs in life. When the vision of any situation is one-sided and then forced upon another individual (who of course has a different point of view) it can ignite a problem. It is not always easy to see a different viewpoint because you do not have the same experiences, surroundings, background, processing mechanisms, etc. as the other person. However, we do have the option of humbling our self-centered thinking and opening our hearts to try and understand a different perception.

Now, let us turn our thoughts to Bible intake. El Shaddai, one attaining greater wisdom, wrote Scripture. He has an all-knowing angle with sincere-unflawed character and love. When we are reading, studying, and digging for meaning, it is normal to interpret based on personal perception. We naturally surrender to our insight or the thoughts of those we surround ourselves with daily. It takes intentionality and time to posture ourselves under the foreign mindset of the Lord.

Thoughts on gaining God’s Perspective:

Humble yourself under His authority every time you encounter His Word.
Rely on the Holy Spirit’s wisdom over your own understanding.
Place your thinking at the feet of the Father and seek His perception.
Take time to truly listen to His voice above all others.
Be open to see, hear, feel, and comprehend on a level beyond earthly life.
Pray, submit, ask, and expect wisdom.
Present yourself to the Lord with reverence, obedience, and gratitude.
Allow the Holy Spirit to revitalize your philosophies, customs, opinions, and beliefs.

Change is not easy and comprehending the Lord’s perception is a challenge because His character is far removed from our own innate being. Present your questions and thoughts to Him. Consider His ways and purposefully seek the perception of our great Father.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

March 25, 2024 0

Book Study: Beyond Scriptural Typography, Chapter Two

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

Have you ever feared something in your life? I know I have and compiling a list might be overwhelming. So, what is fear? It can be an emotion, or an action based on believing something or someone may be dangerous and/or cause pain. From my past experiences, I might add – it can raise your anxiety level because of what you feel is to come. Fear can also be a chance to respond by decelerating or igniting even more fear.

What do you think of when the word fear is spoken? What if I said fear could be a healthy thing?

The Bible often references fear word regarding the Lord.

Job 28:28b “. . .The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “. . .Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the duty of all mankind.”

I have struggled with “Fear of the Lord” throughout my lifetime especially when I reflect on Proverbs 1:7 which clearly states, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. But as I have pressed into His Word and gained a greater appreciation for Scripture, I have come to realize fear of the Lord begins with accepting the fact that God is the only one who knows everything.

Fearing the Lord displays a healthy relationship with God. It is an action where we surrender to His authority not because we are forced to do so, but because we know He knows best. He expects us to keep an open mind to His advice and embrace His reproof. The Father is very clear about the outcome of those who follow Him and those who do not.

Romans 11:19-22 ESV Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off.

This verse gives us the knowledge of God’s position on following Him. He wants us to seek His wisdom and love His ways by being a lifetime learner. As a helpmate, He provided His very words, the Bible, to give us Godly counsel and instructions yet much like our salvation, the choice is ours.

We must believe Scripture is:

A living document assisting in engaging with God
A source of inspiration to change our perspective and actions
A guide to molding and shaping our lives to do His will
A window to knowing God’s character
Transformational, miraculous, powerful, set apart from all other text
A love story with us

Elevating biblical text necessitates work and a commitment to go BEYOND!

Fear-do you value God enough to understand the fear of the Lord? How deep is your awe and submission to the Father? Does His Word play a significant role in your life? To what lengths are you willing to go to make Scripture engagement a life-changing event in your life?

Chapter two of Beyond Scriptural Typography is entitled Exceeding Reasons. We each must find the exceeding reasons to embrace the fear of the Lord and why we would seek Biblical knowledge. The personal choice does come with the wisdom that “obtaining life-changing engagement skills with God’s Word is a refining process with a time factor attached.”

How will you spend your days ahead?

February 5, 2024 0

Choosing Wise Freedom

Blog post dedicated to **Audra Rea** (one who exercises freedom to serve others according to God’s wisdom)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13

What comes to mind when you think about freedom? The right to choose-free from bondage-carefree living-being your own boss-able to speak your mind-etc. America prides itself on the term based upon the foundation of the country. Many questions come to the surface when we go back 244 years ago.

Was their way of living better than dictatorship? Did they get everything correct when trying to establish a new country? Were they able to agree on everything? Does it really take trial and error to be a wise country? Are we a more united nation today from the struggles we have endured over the years? Do we really understand what the term freedom means? Is our focus on what is right or wrong more than what is wise? Are we better off in 2020 than they were in 1776?

I am not sure I can craft complete answers and thoughts for every question presented above. However, I can attest to freedom out of control. Self-centered rights taken to the extreme with very little grace or mercy extended to others. Retaliation seems to be the theme in exercising the “American Way”. The unity to be “one nation under God” somehow has taken a backseat and replaced with Self-preservation for One and One for Self-preservation. How often do we make our decisions on what is right or wrong personally according to our thinking without any regard to what is wise according to the Lord. (I am so guilty as charged!!!)

As I have been traveling through the book of Proverbs, wisdom and folly are presented verse after verse. Solomon was a leader of many and wanted to acquire the wisdom of the Lord. He carried out James 1:5-7 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord”. Solomon exercised his freedom to seek out what was wise through his fear of the Lord. He had regard for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation yet he even had transfer issues—difficulty living it out in all areas of his life.

Choosing wise freedom under biblical authority is not always easy (or popular for that matter). However, it is essential for us to understand the source of perfect knowledge – “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). Proverbs 2:6 reminds us that wisdom comes from the mouth of the Lord through knowledge and understanding.

So, when we grasp God’s insight and apply it to our freedom according to His wise counsel, maybe it should also reflect the seven attributes stated in James 3:17. Boy, do I have some work to do! As I process this knowledge and begin to let it penetrate my heart, I am really convicted.

On this 4^th of July, I have realized my “American freedom” lacks God’s purity and may even reflect the freedom of folly. As for me, my freedom focus has been altered by this single verse.

I pray this post has given you a different stance of freedom and made you think about what is wise for your life more than what the world says is right or wrong.

1. Peace-loving-inclined to avoid conflict or aggression

2. Considerate-careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others

3. Submissive-ready to conform to God’s authority; meekly obedient

4. Full of mercy-compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm

5. Good fruit-to produce God-pleasing goodness

6. Impartial-treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just

7. Sincere-free from pretense or deceit

July 4, 2020 0

Are You a Wise Synthesizer?

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 NIV)

In today’s society, if you want to gain knowledge about a particular topic, “google it”. Chances are you will find the general information you need. Possibly even a video to go with it. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t as easy. Technology has brought us a long way baby!!! Who knows what the next thirty years will hold.

Recently I came across these words, “We are drowning in information while starving for wisdom”. In my research, I found this was only a partial piece of the famous epigram by E. O. Wilson, biologist and writer. The remainder states, “The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.” Um…then I read his take on religion and God. I’ll let you research that for yourself and come to your own conclusion. (Just google him! 😊)

Wilson made a good point about the amount of information at our finger tips. As we gain and experience information, we increase our knowledge base. Unfortunately, this doesn’t produce the discernment wisdom gives. For instance, knowledge can give us the insight of the most eloquent words to prove our stance; wisdom delivers the discernment of when to open our mouth and deliver the speech and when to put a zipper on our lips.

So, how do we find wisdom? Wisdom is found in God. He provides the insight of how to apply the knowledge we find in scripture and we obtain from life experiences. Wisdom is ours for the asking. Just remember, we must do the seeking as well. In Proverbs we find a full invitation from God’s wisdom along with the value and promises it holds for anyone so inclined to embrace it. In chapter eight alone, we find a multitude of skills wisdom provides: discretion, justice, wealth, honor, counsel, strength, and righteousness are just a few.

Now that we have discussed the sources of knowledge and wisdom, let’s focus on the analogy of being a synthesizer. First, to all of the music-technology-savvy peeps, extend me grace. My precise knowledge of a synthesizer is definitely lacking in detail and even full comprehension. However, I know it is capable of producing various sounds based upon all the different frequency signals it takes in. From my understanding it usually has a control to go with it. That’s as deep as I need to go for today. (Here’s a video if you need more information https://youtu.be/ECl-XbgqljY) (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!)

Therefore, Wilson may have been on to something when he compared us to a synthesizer. Yes, we do have to put together all the “right information” as a multitude of information signals arrive daily. And Yes, we must obtain the discernment of the “right time” by critically thinking through what “sound” (action) we should produce and when. However, to “make important choices wisely” the controller to our synthesizer has to be God. A point Wilson might have missed.

We are and will continue to be synthesizers. We even get to choose the different frequency signals we intake. However, if we want to walk in wisdom, God must be given full authority over the controller. Just something to think about…

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge, its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (Prov. 24: 3-4 NIV)

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (Prov. 13:20 NIV)

May 22, 2020 0

How Do I Adorn My Life With Wisdom?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Would you like to be granted wisdom like Solomon? Solomon was keenly aware that true wisdom began with his relationship with the Lord. It meant surrendering to the fact that God is a better executive over his life than he was. Solomon knew he had to let God Reign to be successful. Also, he had to train his ears to hear the Father. Yes, he had to find the mute button to his mind’s voice too! But the biggest take away we can learn from Solomon is his declaration that wisdom comes from the Lord.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

So how can you obtain it? The bible tells us that it is ours for the asking. Wisdom bids us to come and seek it in Proverbs 1:20-33.

Ask for it, seek it, value it, hear it, and apply it.

We need a willing heart and a spirit of receptiveness to its teachings. As we search for it, wisdom requires us to be engaged and found in the presence of God. Our time has to be spent hearing and meditating on God’s Word as well as diligently praying for God’s wisdom to be given to us. Most of all, we must treasure it and be willing to apply it to daily living.

WOW! That is quite the list but, be encouraged my friend. The benefits are numerous and sweet!!

In Proverbs 2, wisdom promises some of the following:

Knowledge of the Lord
God’s protection and guidance
The Lord’s discernment and understanding
Deliverance from evil
Ability to walk out a righteous life

What is holding you back from adorning your life with wisdom? It is simply a choice. Be wise and heed to God’s ways or join folly and do life your own way.

Read Proverbs Chapters 1-3 and make a choice. As for me, I choose wisdom because I want a long and peaceful life, favor in the sight of the Lord, successful ventures, good health, prosperity, a fruitful life, and to follow God’s will.

I pray you want the same adornments.

May 11, 2020 2