Hear the word of the Lord:
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1:20-33
Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Wisdom cries out ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1:20-33
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Undivided ...
Hear the word of God:
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
Psalm 86:11-12
Undivided! Closeness with God involves moving other things out of the way so we can fully see God. Simplicity is like fasting from the things in your life. Simplifying involves emptying self so we can become hungry for the things that should be the really important things. Getting rid of the distractions allows us to refocus. This is how we remain in the world but not of it.
Undivided! Are you? What if I challenged you to simplify? What is dividing your attention? Between today and Thursday, I would like to ask you to take just one distraction out of your life. What would you choose? We’ll see if anything has happened in your spiritual walk. God bless us all as we try.
Jason
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
Psalm 86:11-12
Undivided! Closeness with God involves moving other things out of the way so we can fully see God. Simplicity is like fasting from the things in your life. Simplifying involves emptying self so we can become hungry for the things that should be the really important things. Getting rid of the distractions allows us to refocus. This is how we remain in the world but not of it.
Undivided! Are you? What if I challenged you to simplify? What is dividing your attention? Between today and Thursday, I would like to ask you to take just one distraction out of your life. What would you choose? We’ll see if anything has happened in your spiritual walk. God bless us all as we try.
Jason
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Principles of simplicity ...
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. Time saving devices almost never save time.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Walk whenever you can. Listen. Marvel at God's creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. Let what you say be simply 'Yes or No'.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God.
Taken from Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline.
Think about it!
Jason
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. Time saving devices almost never save time.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Walk whenever you can. Listen. Marvel at God's creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. Let what you say be simply 'Yes or No'.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God.
Taken from Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline.
Think about it!
Jason
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Simple or complex?
I know that our discipline classes have been so spread out over the last two months. Spring Break took us away from getting together, and so many of us have been in and out of town. If you have paid attention though, you have noticed that the devotionals have not stopped on our devotional blog. There has been a discussion every day about involving ourselves in a spiritual discipline. The point of all of these times together is to help us grow closer to our Father, with the hopes that our faith in our God will overflow into the lives of our boys, our families, and our community. How are we doing? That is a question that we will be discussing next week in our final disciplines class. I do want us to prepare ourselves for that time together. We will be going through the disciplines we have discussed and sharing any thoughts or feelings we have had along the way.
“God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising.”
Ecclesiastes 7:30
Worries, stress, arguments, strife in marriage and friendships. How many of us have had at least one of these problems in our lives? As we have worked on our time with God, I know that there have been things in my life that have automatically changed because my time has been centered more on Him, than on myself. Some of you have made comments similar to this in emails, blog comments, and in your own personal journals that you have shared with me. We all have so many things in our lives that keep us from having more time to spend with God and our families as well. I would like to ask you to pause as you read this and make a list of things that you think you have placed ahead of your relationship with God.
God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising! I enjoy this quote. It sheds so much light on the problems that we have allowed to take over our lives. Remember those worries, stresses, arguments, and problems in relationships? How many of them were caused by God, and how many of them were caused by some of those things that we have allowed to come before God?
“The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward life-style.” - Richard Foster from the book, Celebration of Discipline
We live in a world where everyone wants to have what their neighbor, co-worker, friends, and other family members have. I made that list of people because I have heard someone say as much about those people just this week. My own son was saying how much he wanted the Transformer that he had seen another child have. We want, want, want, but have you ever thought about what you give away with each and every thing you buy or receive?
I can look back on many of the problems I have been through in my life and many of them were caused by me misusing my time doing and getting things. What if we tried to think of our lives in a more simplistic manner? What might change if we focused on simplifying our own lives? These are questions that we will be discussing during this next few days. I do want to end this thought today by asking each of us to take our problems and give them to God. Ask him with sincerity to truly help you to do an overhaul on your spiritual life. Use some time in study, prayer, and solitude to think about your life and those you love, especially God and just meditate on some of the things we discussed today.
May God bless us as we seek simplicity.
Jason
“God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising.”
Ecclesiastes 7:30
Worries, stress, arguments, strife in marriage and friendships. How many of us have had at least one of these problems in our lives? As we have worked on our time with God, I know that there have been things in my life that have automatically changed because my time has been centered more on Him, than on myself. Some of you have made comments similar to this in emails, blog comments, and in your own personal journals that you have shared with me. We all have so many things in our lives that keep us from having more time to spend with God and our families as well. I would like to ask you to pause as you read this and make a list of things that you think you have placed ahead of your relationship with God.
God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising! I enjoy this quote. It sheds so much light on the problems that we have allowed to take over our lives. Remember those worries, stresses, arguments, and problems in relationships? How many of them were caused by God, and how many of them were caused by some of those things that we have allowed to come before God?
“The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward life-style.” - Richard Foster from the book, Celebration of Discipline
We live in a world where everyone wants to have what their neighbor, co-worker, friends, and other family members have. I made that list of people because I have heard someone say as much about those people just this week. My own son was saying how much he wanted the Transformer that he had seen another child have. We want, want, want, but have you ever thought about what you give away with each and every thing you buy or receive?
I can look back on many of the problems I have been through in my life and many of them were caused by me misusing my time doing and getting things. What if we tried to think of our lives in a more simplistic manner? What might change if we focused on simplifying our own lives? These are questions that we will be discussing during this next few days. I do want to end this thought today by asking each of us to take our problems and give them to God. Ask him with sincerity to truly help you to do an overhaul on your spiritual life. Use some time in study, prayer, and solitude to think about your life and those you love, especially God and just meditate on some of the things we discussed today.
May God bless us as we seek simplicity.
Jason
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