Remember Family Values

Over and over in Scripture we read that children have one responsibility in their families—to obey their parents. The world would be a much better place if children were instructed well by their parents and responded obediently to their instructions. Much of today’s crime and violence can be traced back to the home where good examples and teaching were absent or where the children were disobedient.

Good Advice

There is an old adage that says, “If you want knowledge, go to college. If you want wisdom, go to God.” Solomon understood this truth when he asked God for the gift of wisdom over and above all other gifts.

I’ve learned that knowledge can take a lot of time and work to attain while wisdom is more like a gift that is bestowed upon you.

True Obedience

I love the glimpse into God’s inner thoughts! “Should I tell Abraham?” he asked. “Yes” he answered, because he wanted Abraham and his family to obey him (Verse 17 is a question in the Hebrew text, not a statement as found in the CEV).

Darkness and Light

We were in the middle of a deep cave in Papua New Guinea when our guide said, “I will leave you now to bring the others.” When he disappeared around a bend, taking the only flashlight with him, the darkness was complete. We dared not move from where we stood for fear of falling over or into something that could harm us.

Don’t shoot the messenger!

I’m sure, like me, you’ve had experiences where you are asked to relay a message to someone that is not exactly what the person wants to hear. Not to mention that you’re simply the messenger.

Moses and Aaron experienced this firsthand. God had given them a message to deliver on his behalf that would affect the future of the entire tribe of Israel.

First things First

When purchasing a house, you need to go to the basement and look at the foundation. This is especially true when houses are old. I have seen more than one basement which was crumbling. Such a house should probably not be purchased.

The absence of wisdom in our life is like those crumbling basements.

Wisdom as a Verb

Years ago my husband learned to wind surf. The instructor spoke for twenty minutes. Most of the people that surrounded the instructor had no patience to listen. They wanted to get out there and just do it. My husband is the patient sort. He listened, then went out and sailed like an expert. I watched as the others fell constantly off their boards into the lake. I am reminded of wisdom and its daily call to us to instruct us in all aspects of our lives.

Simple but Hard

Work hard and obey God. This is what parents try to teach their children for the duration of the time they are with them. From the moment children are born it is the parents’ task to prepare them to leave. If all words of wisdom to children could be summed up it would likely sound something like the above. If children learn these two things, they can leave home expecting to succeed in life.

When Songs Turn to Complaining

Israel’s wandering in the desert was a training ground. God needed to teach the people how to be faithful to what they knew to be true about him; to trust and not complain.

Israel’s massive camp began to move from the sea out to the relative safety of the Desert of Shur. Now, after three days, the supplies were running low.

Read More test @en, obedience, listening, grumbling

The People Prepare to Meet God

These next two chapters are central to the story of the Old Testament. God is coming down to meet and speak with his own people. They are his own because they are descended from Abraham, and he has led them back from slavery in Egypt. God has redeemed them from the might of Pharaoh. He has provided for them in the wilderness and he has been with them in the pillar of fire and cloud.