Coming to the Still Waters

Today is an in between books of the Bible devotional.  I have been continuing to think about last Sunday's sermon on the Luke 5 passage containing Jesus' calling of Levi the tax collector as a disciple.  It reminded me of our summer adult Sunday School series on the  "9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations." The 9 arts are: noticing praying listening asking questions loving welcoming facilitating serving together sharing  In the Luke passage Jesus leaves the large group of religious leaders and  "went out."   Now Jesus has exited the building and he  "saw"  Levi.  He noticed him.  He had a concern for this man sitting at the tax office.  After Jesus  "went out"  and  "saw"  He  "said."   Jesus opened up His mouth and called to Levi to follow Him.  He wanted Levi to know who He was.   What is interesting is that Levi follows Jesus' pattern.  Levi  "went out" ...

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:28-31, which read, Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying:  "Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all."  Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.  Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. The queen mum is finishing up her instruction to her king son about a worthy woman to be his wife but it is also the end of this book and we have summarizing statements here.   What greater praise than for a wife and mother to received the praise of her children and husband.  The children rise up and the husband vocally says something about her.  Why is this happening?  It is because of all the verses before that have described her character and her activities that are focused on her God and others, especially her household.  These reactions are a response to her obedience...

Here is the Thanksgiving broadcast about my mom.  I know that my family listens in here so I hope I gave an accurate picture of our beloved mother who is with the Lord. Adam 

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:23-27, which read, Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.  She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen.  Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.  She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. There are so many great phrases in these verses.  Let's see if we can walk through some of them in order and learn from this wisdom of the queen mum to her king son about a worthy wife.   She is projecting into the future when she gives some of these qualities about this lady.  These are qualities that are a result of one who is following after God.   The first is that her husband holds a position of authority with good standing of a solid partner and home that is God honoring.  He has ...

Here is a re-taping of the message given last night at the community Thanksgiving Eve service at the 1st Congregational Church in Peru.  It was a great time for God's family to be together.  A bobble in the middle but that keeps me humble.  Have a great day and GO LIONS!!!

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:18-22, which read, She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night.  She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.  She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches our her hands to the needy.  She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.  She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. This worthy woman that is being described by the queen mum to her son king is very ambitious.  She is seeing a return on her labors.  She had planted a vineyard in the day and her she is weaving, distaff and spindle, into the night.  She is up before dawn preparing food and spending the day searching out good produce for the next meal.  Her priority is the care of her household and it requires her full attention and energy. She is also someone who thinks beyond her own household.  She noti...

Here is Evelyn Mae Biggs along with her mom, our oldest, Anna and also my wife, grandma Stephanie.  All are well and the trip the night are sure worth it when we get to experience this!  Our count is up to 7 grandchildren spread from Texas to Colorado to Illinois.   Adam

Here is another segment of Down To The River.  Jesus comes in contact with a leper and we see His reaction to an "untouchable."   There is also a great analogy here. Adam

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:13-17, which read, She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight.  She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.  She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens.  She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.  She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. The queen mum is speaking to her son King Lemuel about the worthy woman to seek out as an excellent wife.  She is trustworthy and adds to his life.  She thinks and does the best for him with the length of her life with loyalty.  Now the queen mum gives her practical actions to paint this picture for her king son. The first is that she gathers wool and flax.  These are materials for making clothes.  In the position she would be in if the king's wife, the queen, this would be unnecessary but now she is one who provides clothin...

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:10-12, which reads, An excellent wife, who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. We will just tackle an introduction to this section of scripture titled in my Bible as  "Description of a Worthy Woman."   Context is important as we go forward because some of the descriptions we will look at may not instantly relate to us and our time because we ask the question,  "Who is speaking here?"   It is the mother of a king.  She is speaking from someone who lives in a world of the high class.  She is going to use illustrations and word pictures from that vantage point.  The wise mother of a king son has talked to him about holiness, sobriety, and compassion.  She now goes back to holiness and speaks directly about what kind of women he should look for in a wife....

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:8, 9 which read, Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.  Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. The wise mother has spoken to King Lemuel, traditionally thought of as Solomon, about holiness in the area of sexual purity and the honoring of God's definition of marriage and then the area of sobriety in regards to alcohol or other substances that would cloud judgment.  Now she focuses on the compassion of the king for the mute, unfortunate, afflicted and needy.   The king has a responsibility to speak for those who cannot physically or are so wounded by physical or emotional events that the right is defended for them when they hindered from doing it themselves.  I have been in those situations when someone has been so rocked by a life experience that they don't know what to do next or maybe they want to do something rash that would make it worse....

Here is another broadcast of Down To The River.  We meet up with our Savior as He again speaks to Simon.  Have a great Lord's Day. Adam

Today our verses are Proverbs 31:4-7 which read, It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, for they will drink and forget what is decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.  Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is better.  Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more. The wise mother instructed King Lemuel or as tradition says, King Solomon, first of holiness in the area of sexual purity to the definition of marriage and now is onto sobriety in the area of alcohol use.  This sounds like a mom to give the extreme about this subject.  She says it is not for and out of the question for kings to drink and rulers to desire alcohol that brings about injustice for others.   One of the effects of alcohol is that it weakens our reason and judgment.  For the king and the rulers that would mean the possibility of not reme...

Today's verses are Proverbs 31:1-3, which read, v.1, 2 - The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:  What, O my son?  And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? We come to the last chapter of Proverbs and it contains two sections.  The first is the words of a mother to her son who is a king and the second is the description of a excellent wife.  King Lemuel, by Jewish tradition, is another name for King Solomon so this is his mother's wisdom to him.  There are going to be three areas that she is going to stress to her son who is the king.  The verses give us the phrase  "O son"  three times to indicate the importance of what is to come.  The king is her son, her biological son, and the son she vowed to God in dedication to be given to God for service.   v.3 - Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings. The first point made by the mother to her so...