My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers: write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister, ” and call understanding your kinsman…  Proverbs 7:1-5

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(although the law required them to be made).  Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Hebrews 10: 8-10

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First he says: This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.  I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”  Then he adds:  “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”  And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.  Hebrews 10:15-18

For my birthday this month, my husband asked me what I wanted…I want wisdom, I thought…how does someone else wrap that up for you!? On my way to the Starbucks journaling group I heard on the radio some words about wisdom. It was a reminder that pain can create beauty in our lives. That got my attention! The oyster takes it’s little irritations and wraps them up over and over in a sticky substance, that eventually forms a thing of beauty…a pearl. Hhmmmmm…a pearl of wisdom. Then the pastor continued to say that we can have all of the knowledge that we want to spend time gathering…and it will not be wisdom until we apply it…to our little irritations in life!!

I decided that I wanted a pearl ring…A constant reminder, bound on my finger. I have the connection to the covering. My life is covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He has taken my filthy rags (covering) and given me his covering of righteousness. I can “apply” that to my irritants!!! The knowledge of this is imparted to me as I seek it through the word… that is alive. It is written on the tablet of my heart! Oh that wisdom would come from my mouth!!!!

I need to keep my life under the blood. I am the pearl of great price to Jesus. Matt 13:46 Who am I to not apply that to my life and my circumstances. My life can become a thing of beauty when it is covered by Him.

Lord please help me to remember that you have already provided the way for my life to be a thing of beauty…to glorify You. Thank You for Your word, and thank you for the simple illustration of a pearl. I long to be a woman of wisdom. Thank you for the shedding of your precious blood. Just as Abraham was obedient to Your call in Genesis, I pray that I will answer you quickly when You call on me. Lord, here I am.

With all of the complications that our life and upbringing and society and culture and sin bring to the table as we prepare to study God’s Word… there is at least one plain truth that I feel confident needs little translation. 

Jeremiah 3:22    “Come back, wandering children! I can heal your wanderlust!” -the message 

“Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” -NIV
“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” -NASB 

God is able and willing to heal.  To restore.  To make whole what we have willingly and sometimes enthusiastically broken.  God reconciles us to Himself through Jesus Christ.  The Psalm reading for today mentions some of the amazing things The One True God does on a regular basis: He is the Maker of heaven and earth, He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who have fallen, loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and takes the side of orphans and widows.                   The LORD reigns forever. 

We really messed ourselves and our world up with the fall in the Garden of Eden.  We continue to mess things up… regularly.  Fortunately the reading from Titus tells a little bit more of the plain truth I mentioned above:  But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

The plain truth of it is simple.  The kids in the children’s program can tell you…  Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  The song simplifies, but does not water down what we will spend an entire lifetime learning, relearning, wrestling with, and deepening in understanding: Because of who The Lord is, I am loved by Him and He pursues me with reckless grace.  Thank you God, may we all remember this and never feel as though the Good News is somehow “simple” and “old news.”  Amen.

I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land….Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Psalm 143:6,8

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction….For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:2,6,7

Interesting scriptures that stand out to me this morning. I just finished the Portland Marathon on my 50th birthday…last Sunday. This was not a race for me It was a way for me to get myself out the door and to exercise…be a good steward of my body, and have fellowship along the way…Drinking water during the marathon was important…they say that by the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

In my life,work,play,service, I desire to quench the thirst of my soul before I am all dried up. I am so encouraged by the passage today that the Lord will meet me in the water of His word to refresh my soul. It is my responsibility to take myself to the fountain to dip my heart in the stream of life.

That was evident to me yesterday…All day, the idea to have a tea party at Wednesday night bible study kept coming to mind…I did not have the time to pack a tea party up when I started out the door. As the day progressed, the time opened up, and I stepped out in faith…We were studying Genesis chapters 17,18. When we arrived at the table set before us, there was a sweet fellowship…a pouring out of tea, and an overflow from our hearts. I realized that I need to be in the word to have a pouring out of my heart. Those women all brought to the table, the Master’s table, the wisdom and fruit from their hydrated hearts.

I am in this marathon of life…much longer than 26 miles…and may it not be in the desert of a parched soul. I want to be a woman that finishes the race, keeping the faith. I am grateful for the glimpses of faith from others along the way…The water of the word.

Lord, I want to be a strong finisher. I do care how I finish this race. I want to come to you long before my soul is parched, to be refreshed in you word. Lord please use my life to pour out to others. I do not want anyone to miss out on You. You are the oasis in a dry land, and thank You for your provision and strength.

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Isaiah 50:4 “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”

The Lord has given us an amazing gift of His Word in our language, easy to access, and with lots of good Bible teachers to help us understand. And yet, how often do I try to start my day without learning something new from it? He awakens me each morning with the option, out of my free will, to open His Word & learn or to just rush headlong into a busy day without His wisdom. When I take the time to read & listen to Him I am always blessed. Often I am able to encourage a weary person along the way with some treasure I read in the morning. When I miss this time I miss having an instructed tongue, I miss the chance to encourage with His wisdom, which is the only wisdom that works.

Lord, please help me stay in Your Word daily. Thank you for the many blessings I have received, and for the many times I have been blessed by sharing Your truth with others. Help me to only share Your truth.