What’s your Scriptural discipline? What do you do, frequently in a consistent manner that gets you into The Word, and thus The Word seeps back into you? For me, one discipline has been to read 5 Psalms and 1 Proverb every morning. The reasoning behind this pattern is simple, if you want to know ‘the heart of God’, read what ‘the man after God’s own heart’ wrote! David wrote most of the Psalms. Then, if you want to know the Wisdom of God, read what ‘the wisest man who ever lived’ wrote! Solomon wrote most of the Proverbs. Repeat each month. This is one way of studying to show yourself a workman approved unto The Author, rightly dividing His Word.
I love the 1st day of any month, because that’s the day I will read Psalms 1 and Proverbs 1, (by the way the other 4 Psalms of the day are 31, 61, 91, 121). May I suggest you stop and read Psalm 1 and Proverb 1 before this day is over? Read and read very slowly, I think you see some neat things. Likewise, I also recommend that you get yourself a free copy of E-Sword from Clint@awakenedchurch.com. It’s neat to see the original language of Hebrew/Paleo Hebrew that our English words came from.
‘A wise man will hear and increase in learning’, Proverbs 1:5. How much wisdom do you have? How much do you want? Doesn’t ‘James’ say, ‘if any of you lacks wisdom , let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.’ So you obviously gotta open your mouth and ask! Say Ahhhh!
The purpose of Proverbs according to Proverbs is: ‘To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the knowledge and discretion…to understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.’ Pvb. 1 2-6 Who wouldn’t want any of these? Oh, that’s right, Proverbs goes on to describe 5 different types of fools! 3 of which, we are to stay away from. (see March ’11 Article, ‘I Pithy The Fool)
This past year I have incorporated a morning standing prayer, The Amidah to my discipline, I mean if it’s said of ‘Jesus’, He prayed in a certain place (Luke 11:1) and ‘as was His custom’ Luke 22:39, and if He specifically says ‘Whenever you (insert your name here) stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in the heavelies will also forgive you (insert your name here) your transgressions.’ (Mark 11:25) So I too now have a custom and certain place and stand and pray the Amidah. (By the way Rico Cortes has an excellent teaching on this and I exhort you to listen to it, find it @ www.wisdomintorah.com)
In this Amidah there is one section entitled understanding, ‘You bestow wisdom to man and teach understanding to mortals. Bestow upon us, wisdom, understanding and discernment from you. Blessed are you O Yahweh who bestows wisdom!’ Reminds me of what James is telling us. So I ask everyday! I may be a wise guy (after all I’m from Jersey) but I know I’m not a guy that’s wise!
Psalm 81:10, ‘Open your mouth wide and I will fill it’ Say Ahhh!
Here’s the Hebrew words for:
Wisdom = Chokmah; Understanding = Tobunah; Discernment = Biynah; and Prudence = Ormah
Pretty neat, huh? Add to that, the word found in Psalms quite a bit Selah! Which means to stop, pause and think about what you just read!
I’ll share one of my ‘Ahh’ moments from one of the Ah words.
I always wondered what ‘Jesus’ meant when He said, in Matt. 10:16, ‘to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves’. After all in that very same verse He’s telling us that we are being sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. Until I looked up in the Hebrew, the word Prudence from Proverbs 1:4. Ormah which means shrewdness, craftiness, to be subtle. Hmmmmm. Who was described as more subtle than any beast in the field which THE Lord God had made? (Gen. 3:1) Say Ahh!
So here was Our Master, telling us to be wise as that snake, yet harmless as a dove. Keep in mind our adversary is NOT a Creator, he is an imitator. He watches what Abba Father, THE Creator does to bring and sustain Life and corrupts it ever so subtly, leading us to death and destruction. So if ever you want to know where The Father is, just take a page from the adversary’s’ play book and be prudent and subtle yourself. Quit casting His pearls before swine. Open your mouth wide and say Ahhh, and ask for this kid of Ah, Ormah, prudence. Especially in this hour and the coming hours. Selah!!!
One more closing Scripture for you in this ‘New Year’ from Jeremiah 6:16, ‘Thus says THE Creator: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ So to be prudent on this, is it fair that the Corruptor would phrase this verse, ‘Thus says the ADVERSARY: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the new testament paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ Say Ahhh!!!!!
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