Author: Oluwatosin (Page 3 of 6)

Centre. Middle. Hub. Core. Kernel. Eye.

These are some synonyms of the word “heart”. It becomes clear that the heart isn’t just an organ. It’s a faculty – the most powerful one – from which our very existence (in every sense of the word) flows.

Right from the book of Genesis, to all of Scripture, and especially the Book of Proverbs, there is great emphasis on the heart.

In Genesis, when God was going to destroy the earth by flooding it, it was because the entire civilization had “heart problems.” The posture of their heart was wicked.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

genesis 6:5 (NKJV)

Every single thing we do as humans is originally done in our hearts. Everything we say is initially said in our hearts. Everywhere we go, we have first gone in our hearts. Everything we create, we have first manufactured in our hearts.

It’s impossible to do anything without first thinking about it.

Try it.

It’s simply impossible. Your heart is the very originator of your every move and action. It’s the wellspring or fountain – the source of your life. It directs the course of your life and is responsible for the kind of person you become.

This is why we’re so strongly admonished in God’s word to protect it at all cost.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

proverbs 4:23 (nlt)

David understood how important it was to have a healthy heart, so he cried out to God saying “Create in me a clean heart.” (Psalm 51:10)

Oh what a prayer! The word of God refers to David as the man after God’s own heart. How exactly did David pursue God’s heart?

One of the major ways he did so was by maintaining a pure heart. He understood that the depth of his intimacy with God was hinged on the purity of his heart.

Dear one, it is impossible to build true, deep, and lasting intimacy with God without consciously working on cultivating a pure heart.                                      

In teaching the beatitudes, Jesus said in Matthew 5:8 that “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to see God! I want to know Him in the deepest ways possible on this side of eternity.

I often find myself crying out to God – and I mean that literally; ugly crying from the core of my being, asking Him to give me a pure heart. I ask Him to purify, sanctify, and consecrate my heart. I ask Him to check my heart and see if there’s anything that displeases Him in there, and take it away.

I am so conscious of the state of my heart at every point in time. I know that it is impossible to truly walk with God without a pure heart. I understand that there are dimensions to His person and His purpose that He can never reveal to me if my heart is not right. I want all of Him and that’s why I cry so hard to be steeped in the spirit of purity and holiness.

I question my thoughts and intents before I do anything – before I do a post, make a comment, share that revelation, experience or story, speak to that person – I always try to judge my motives and ensure they are right before I take action.

Let me just say here that a pure heart isn’t one that never makes mistakes -absolutely not.

You already know David’s story. He made so many mistakes and got his hands in things he had no business getting them in, yet he had a right heart.

So how do you know if you have a pure heart?

• You know you have a pure heart when you’re super sensitive to the correction of the Holy Spirit; where your heart is broken the moment you realise that you hurt God with your thoughts or actions.
• Your heart is pure if you accept correction without defending your wrong actions.
• Your heart is pure if it is easily malleable, shapeable and moldable by God.
• Your heart is pure when you constantly find yourself genuinely crying out to God for the spirit of holiness to be poured out on you.
• It is pure when you have a reverential fear of grieving the Holy Spirit.
• Your heart is pure when your actions increasingly tell that they indeed are.

Dear one, you need to begin to care for your heart. You must nurture it so that out of it springs life and not death; kindness and not wickedness; good and not evil; righteousness and not sin; faith and not unbelief; gratitude and not complaining; honesty and not dishonesty.

You must actively consider the things that you think about. You must remain conscious of the kind of people around you, speaking into your life. You must watch whom you follow on social media, the music you listen to, the books you read, the movies you watch, the WhatsApp groups you’re in (yup, do that audit today!)

Please don’t joke with your heart. Care for it. Guard it as you would your physical eyes. Your very relationship with God depends on it. The outcomes of your life depend on it.

In The Passion Translation (TPT), the latter part of Proverbs 4:23 says “Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.”

Today’s post was especially inspired when three verses really jumped at me from our chapter of the day, Proverbs 12.

“The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are honest and reliable, but the counsels and designs of the wicked are treacherous.” – Proverbs 12:5

“Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but for the counselors of peace there is joy.” – Proverbs 12:20

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad.” – Proverbs 12:25

The righteous man’s heart is filled with honest and reliable thoughts; the wicked man’s, with deceit and treachery.

I especially love how verse 25 subtly reminds us to really care for our hearts.

If you’re discouraged, anxious, weighed down, feeling sad and hopeless, this verse reveals that what you need is an encouraging word.

You need to care for your heart enough to feed it what will make it healthy and glad again.

Speak to a trusted friend – that one that seems to have the gift of lifting people’s spirits with their words. Listen to worship music. Play a Joel Osteen sermon. Just fill your heart with words of encouragement and affirmation.

With these few points of mine, I do hope I’ve been able to convince you that heart work is the most essential work, and that you must constantly and consciously do it!

What is God teaching you from Proverbs 12 today?

This is a story I love to tell because it was a blatant display of God’s faithfulness and loving-kindness towards my family, just as it was a revealer of the true anchor of our patriarch’s faith.

The date was May 12, 2011. It was a night like any other – calm and peaceful – as was the norm in the ancient city where we lived; but calm and peaceful quickly turned to chaos and pandemonium when my family was awakened by the deafening and unending sound of gunshots.

At first, it seemed like the sound was coming from somewhere in the distance, but it was only a matter of minutes before my family realized that our very own home had been surrounded by quite a number of heavily armed men.  

It only took them a minute to break into our house and begin shooting again (my cousin was miraculously saved, as she got hit by a bullet).

Upstairs, my mother and sister were hiding in a bathroom, while my father paced around, praising the Lord.

Yes, you read that right.

He was praising even as the gunmen advanced closer towards where my family was. He could hear them fiddling with the stairway gate that led upstairs – something which in itself was strange – considering the fact that they had broken into the main house with their sophisticated weapons.

“I will enter His gates with thanksgiving hallelujah eh”

That was the song in my father’s heart in the face of impending danger and death.

And then everything turned around – confusion in the enemy’s camp!

Let’s just say, they began to eat up their own flesh and get drunk on their own blood.

They never made it upstairs and they left our house quickly and in a mad frenzy!

Boy was that some scary experience!

While we will always remember the salvation and deliverance of the Lord, I will never forget the message that my father’s faith preached to me.

That man’s anchor held in the midst of a raging storm. That was why praise could be his response to the enemy’s attack.

When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

 

proverbs 10:25 (nlt)

Please understand that this scripture doesn’t insinuate that unfortunate things never happen to the godly. In fact, it indicates quite the opposite. What this scripture really speaks to, is the posture of a man’s heart as well as his personal stability in the midst of a terrifying storm.

The wonderful thing is that the godly have a hope as an anchor for their soul – so even when contrary winds blow, they can stand firm and secure. They can come out stronger. They can walk through the fire and emerge without the smell of smoke. They can wade through rivers and not get drowned.

They can lose their job and not get bitter with God. They can experience heartbreak without breaking into a million pieces. They can lose a loved one and still lift their hands in worship. They can receive a disheartening medical report and still mutter “Lord, I trust you.”

I have massive respect for people who have endured life’s many battles, yet share an even deeper level of intimacy with God than when the storm hit. Oh! What an anchor they have in our faithful Father!

Jesus speaking in Matthew’s gospel, says:

Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.

 

matthew 7:24-25 (TPT)

The question isn’t whether the storm will come – because it will. The question is, will your anchor hold when it comes?

Jesus says the man whose anchor will hold is the wise man – the one who hears and applies His teaching.

I love that while the book of Proverbs tells us a lot about the benefits of wisdom, its true definition is given to us by the One who has been made unto us, Wisdom!

He says a wise man is one who hears and applies His teaching. So simple, yet so prolific; so powerful!

The one who has made a practice of hearing and doing will hold up even when the storms of life hit without warning.

In His presence, you build strength and stamina ahead of the stormy days.

Those days often come without prior notice and they are always a great revealer of what your life is anchored on.

Your personal stability is dependent on the kind of foundation your life is built on.

Today, I’ll leave you with a verse and chorus from the great hymn by Priscilla Jane Owens.

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, Will your anchor drift or firm remain? We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll Fastened to the Rock which cannot move Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

What is God teaching you from Proverbs 10 today?

Recently, I got a direct message on my Instagram page from a company that apparently sells followers and likes.

I really don’t know how these guys do it, but they must have been monitoring my posts on social media. They knew I had just published a book. They knew I often posted inspiring content so they reckoned I would be hungry for followers, likes and views.

In their words, “We’d love to help you boost your followers and page activities (likes and views) and expand your reach on Instagram.” See how noble they made that sound? Expand your reach. How seductive.

They continued, “We sell followers based on your order, as well as likes and views at an affordable rate…”

Let me not bore you with the rest of the message.

This whole thing got me thinking.

How did we arrive here as a generation? How did we get to the point where we’re so hungry for fame that we’ll go ahead and buy fake followers? What exactly is the point of all this craziness? What is driving it? What’s the catch? Where exactly does this road lead?

I’ll never understand why anyone would think I need to purchase followers to speak the words that God has put in my mouth – to boost my ego? Because it’s certainly not for God’s glory!

What really gets me about the whole situation is how this ridiculousness is masked in the cloak of false nobility.

Two days ago, on our mastermind group, we had a discussion about the seductress mentioned in Proverbs 7 (and indeed other chapters) and we all agreed that in our day, the seductress represents more than a lure into illicit sex.

As one of my sisters rightly listed – ambition, position, “slay-age” (aka pepper them), the need to be seen, heard and validated by the world at any cost; all of these represent the boisterous and brash voice of the seductress – and it’s a spirit unleashed on our generation by the god of this world.

In The Passion Translation (TPT), Proverbs 9:13 refers to this seductress as the spirit named Foolish! This is certainly not a mere play on words. It’s highly instructive and loaded with insight.

Just yesterday we were praying for an impartation of the spirit of wisdom. Today, we see clearly that there is a spirit of foolishness that we need to consciously contend with.

It is no secret that the spirit of foolishness operating in our generation is in many ways like the seductress – alluring, deceptive, manipulative and ultimately, destructive.

One of the most instructive things that Proverbs 9 reveals to us is how this spirit of folly is clearly a twisted mirror image of wisdom.

Look at this:

“Come in with me,” she urges the simple.

To those who lack good judgment, she says,

“Come , eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways behind and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”

 

Proverbs 9:4-6 (NLT)

Here, we see wisdom calling out to the simple (those that lack sense) from the heights overlooking the city.

In the same way, the spirit of foolishness calls out to the simple.

In this context, their target audience (the simple) is one and the same, and so this foolish spirit from the wicked one attempts to adopt, and seeks to pervert the very same strategy of wisdom.

“Come in with me,” she urges the simple.

To those who lack judgment, she says,

“Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes best!”

 

proverbs 9:16-17 (NLT)

Do you see how twisted this spirit is?

No one will really know you paid for followers. It’s really not a big deal. It’s for the furtherance of your ministry and management of your brand perception. You actually need this.

Although this was not in the least bit a temptation for me, I use this example in an attempt to help you really see how folly sometimes tries to mask itself as wisdom.

She makes herself sound like the truth – like the real deal, like she’s after your wellbeing and growth.

Remember her from Proverbs 7? She makes sacrifices and pays her vows! She sounds religious. She can speak a little bit of Christian – just enough to get you confused and trapped.

Dear one, this is where discernment – a natural product of wisdom – becomes paramount! I see very clearly why Solomon urges us to “cry out for discernment” in Proverbs 2:3

Discernment is what will help you tell wisdom apart from folly when those lines become blurred.

Discernment is what will help you see that even though that open door looks good, what it really leads to is destruction.

Discernment will help you see beyond the natural, into the realm of the spirit so that you can make decisions that will guide you on the path of life.

The spirit of foolishness is a perversion of the spirit of wisdom – and it takes spiritual intelligence to see that.

People, we do not war after the flesh. The battle for our generation is a spiritual one.

Today, I want us to stand as spokesmen for, and watchmen keeping watch over our generation and take authority over that lying spirit of foolishness!

Secondly, I want us to cry out to God for an outpouring of the spirit of discernment, because even the best of us are still human and can fall into error if discernment isn’t operating in our lives.

Please spend some time interceding as well as praying for yourself today!

What insights did you receive as you studied Proverbs 9 today?

“And God said ‘Let there be light!’” (Genesis 1:3)

Light.

That’s what we all know from Sunday School to be the first created thing – and fairly so – because that’s what Moses, the author of the Book of Genesis chronicled as the very first thing God created.

As I studied Proverbs 8 however, I realized that there was one who was, before the beginning of time; one whose creation preceded light’s; one formed by the sovereignty of the living God before the world as we know it was spoken into existence.

He created it and then assigned it the role of co-architect in His incredible, breathtaking, riveting, genius and overall indescribable work of creation.

Before God ever did a thing on earth, He created and possessed wisdom.

How does this strike you?

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:19 that “By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens.”

Wisdom was so vital that it had to be a co-creator with the maker of the heavens and the earth!

Have you ever considered the wonders of the world – the precision with which everything was made? Have you ever basked in the breathtaking beauty of nature and just stood in awe of the incredible Genius that is our God?

Scripture says everything that blows our mind about God’s work of creation was founded by wisdom!

Before any other created thing on earth, wisdom was.

I submit to you today that before anything of lasting significance and worth – before anything of genuine value and legacy can be created by us – we must of necessity have wisdom as our companions.

If the Ancient of Days deployed wisdom to co-create with Him, then there’s no escaping it for us.

If we are going to do any work that will be of earthly good and eternal significance, we must be steeped in wisdom.

If we are going to deliver uncommon results that will set us apart and establish our reign as kings upon the different mountains of influence we’ve been sent to, we must cry out for an impartation of the spirit of wisdom.

When the time came for the dwelling place – the Tabernacle of the Lord, Yahweh to be built, the Lord singled out Bezalel, son of Uri, not just because he had expertise in all kinds of crafts (I’m pretty certain that there were many in the land of Israel who were equally skilled).

The distinguishing factor for Bezalel was that the Lord Himself had filled Bezalel with the spirit of wisdom and ability, understanding and intelligence! (Exodus 31:3, AMPC)

My God! Do you see this?

What will set us apart in these last days will not be merely the skills we have acquired, courses we have taken or experiences we have gathered over the years.

It will be the Spirit of the Lord within us and upon us! The Spirit of counsel and might. The Spirit of wisdom that was with God at the very beginning of creation!

Dear one, wisdom is the principal thing! Its living presence in our lives must precede anything of worth that we hope to create. Without it, all our efforts could easily be futile. Everything we will ever need for good success is enveloped in our lover – wisdom.

Today, I’d like you to spend a few minutes talking to God and asking Him from the depth of your heart to pour out His Spirit of wisdom upon you.

Let it truly be your heart’s cry and desire.

As you pray, believe that you receive and you will have that which you have asked for in Jesus’ name!

What are you learning from Proverbs 8 today?

I love waking up in the mornings.

That probably sounds weird. “Err…okay, Tosin?”

I know! But I really do.

I often wake up to the gentle stirrings of the Holy Spirit, reminding me of something He told or showed me during the course of the night.

Other times, I’m awakened to write pages of unsolicited revelation that the Lord so graciously opens me up to. On those days, I haven’t gotten out of bed or uttered a word of prayer, much less read my Bible. I haven’t even given any conscious thought to the subject the Lord is speaking to me about; yet springing out of my very belly is this gush of living truth that often takes hours – sometimes days – to unpack.

This is such a literal manifestation of one of my favourite scriptures and confessions – Isaiah 50:4 – “Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught (ESV).

Lord knows I haven’t acquired the fullness that I’m pursuing, neither have I been made perfect – oh, but pursue, I will! I will actively press on. I will run and pursue with passion so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. ((Philippians 3:12)

As I read Proverbs 7:1 today, I saw how much easier it is for us to hear expressly and spontaneously, the majestic voice of God when we have stored up (and continue to store up) His word in our hearts.

Occasionally, the Lord may speak to us from His word about something we had no prior clue about, but most times, He reveals Himself to us in deeper dimensions and continues to expand His revelation in our hearts based on what we have fed on.

So you may be at crossroads in your life – trying to figure out the right step to take concerning something important – and then one day, as you worship, you hear in your spirit, a scripture that gives you clarity on the next step to take. It’s possible that you haven’t read that scripture in a long time – yet it comes alive so powerfully in your heart and solves an immediate need you have!

You may be having problems with a colleague or some other relationship in your life and as you think about how to navigate that situation, God’s word of counsel comes alive in your spirit through a portion of Scripture that you studied six months ago!

There’s nothing like having a rich storage and deposit of God’s word in your heart. We don’t start studying His word just when we’re faced with dilemmas or tough situations. We don’t start studying when we have urgent decisions to make.

We study so that like soldiers in the army of the Living God, we are always armed and ready for all of life’s unprecedented battles. We store up God’s word in our hearts so that we’re always ready to speak grace and comfort to the weary. We keep His word before our eyes so that we stay fully aware of what His will is for every area of our lives and for every situation that arises. We stay grounded in His word so that it’s readily available to guide us in every season (See Proverbs 7:1 – AMP. Also see AMPC).

We must pursue a blatant love affair with God’s word. We must fall deeply in love with it till it consumes our every thought and informs our every decision. It must become the air we breathe, the bread we eat and the ever melodious song on our lips.

We must say to wisdom (God’s word), “I love you,” and to understanding, “You’re my sweetheart.” (Proverbs 7:4 – TPT)

When you’re in love with someone, you never want to let them go. You stay up many nights just talking with your one true love. Your earphones or airpods semi-permanently adorn your ears because even when you’re driving, you just have to be speaking with them; and when you’re not speaking with them, you’re thinking about them.

You know what I’m talking about!

Well, this is how much in love we must be with God’s word.

The more of it you take in, the more of God you hear and see. The more answers you have. The more guided you are!

Make a commitment to growing that love affair with God’s word.

What is Proverbs 7 teaching you today?

“Tosin!” My father would shout as I tossed and turned in bed, having what many would call a lazy Saturday.

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep…” He would quote sternly. He’d never go on to the concluding part of that portion of scripture even as he interrupted my sweet sleep. Maybe it was because of the gravity of the next verse. He didn’t want to sound like he was cursing his child – but his quotation of Proverbs 6:10 was enough to knock sense into me.

I came across the concluding part of that portion of scripture in The Passion Translation (TPT) a while back and boy was I shocked!

“By making excuses you’ll learn what it means to go without. Poverty will pounce on you like a bandit and move in as your roommate for life.”

Wow! This is really something. I mean! God forbid and I forbid!

But as we know, the word of God is full of principles. In many of Jesus’s parables, he likened the Kingdom of God to a seed. What you reap is essentially the fruit of what you have sown.

We can pray, fast, declare, impose, reject and rebuke all we want. And while these have their place, they can never replace the principles that have been set in motion by God from eternity past.

If you sow laziness, you will reap poverty.

If you sow diligence, you will reap abundance.

These are the simple but profound principles of Proverbs 6:6-11.

Laziness has many brothers and cousins – over-sleeping, procrastinating, idleness, apathy, a life of excuses, and much more!

Honestly, we all need to look inwards and be truthful with ourselves on where we need to put in work and make adjustments.

Are you constantly tapping on the snooze button on your alarm? Do you find yourself dragging or lazing around till late into the morning and hiding under the excuse of not being a morning person (even though you don’t get any significant work done even at night)? Are you always late for appointments? Are you often disorganized, confused or disoriented?

Can you account for how you spend your minutes and hours? Do you plan your day ahead? How well do you do with scheduling? Do you have a goal/productivity journal? How do you track the progress you’re making on the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Are you just sitting down hoping that by some streak of luck, everything will sort of come together?

Transformation doesn’t happen by accident. Success doesn’t just happen either. You’ve heard it severally that success is a product of daily, consistent habits.

If you’re waiting to be motivated by some external force, you’re never really going to accomplish anything of worth and significance.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve drawn from the example of the diligent ants is that they are motivated by a compelling vision. That vision is the recognition of the fact that winter is in the horizon and there will come a time when they’ll be unable to gather food. It’s the vision of the kind of life they desire to have during the winter season. They recognize the importance of seizing the moment so that they can create the kind of future they desire. They understand the need to work now so that they can have plenty later.

The ants have no chief, no boss, no manager – no one has to tell them what to do. They are self-motivated and their motivation is propelled by their vision.

My coach always says that if you struggle with laziness and getting things done, it’s because you have not received a compelling vision for your life.

Your vision will keep you up late at night. It will wake you up early in the morning. It will supply the fuel you need to move from planning to execution so you can create the future you desire.

This is a good place to ask the Lord to show you His compelling vision for your life.

In my own life, I have found that lazy habits dropped off naturally and got replaced with productive ones the moment I captured God’s vision and purpose for my life. It was an automatic reset!

When you catch that vision, you won’t need any external motivation. No one will tell you to wake up an hour earlier or stay up two hours later. No one will tell you to immerse yourself in studying and preparing for your next level. No one will have to tell you to make that call, start that business, begin that blog or create that product.

You will simply find that you’re moving in the direction of destiny, purpose and abundance!

Vision is the most potent antidote to laziness.

Be like the ants. Catch your compelling vision and kick poverty in the behind!

What are some of the most important lessons you’re learning from Proverbs 6?

Many weeks ago, I took a poll on my Instagram Stories. I wanted to know how easy it was for people to accept the truth particularly when it was hard and bitter.

The results didn’t surprise me at all. A large percentage said they found it really difficult to accept hard truth; and because they found it hard to accept, they equally struggled to express bitter truth to their loved ones even when it was obvious that the latter needed to hear it.

There’s no doubting it. Hard truths are just that – hard to accept. We’re not wired to enjoy discomfort of any kind – and in several ways, receiving wise counsel can be uncomfortable.

King Solomon understood the natural tendency of man to rebel against discipline. That’s why he went ahead to admonish us not to despise the Lord’s discipline or get upset when He corrects us. (Proverbs 3:11)

I remember a time in my own life when I just couldn’t handle the truth. I immediately developed ill-feelings towards anyone who tried to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. In this area of my life, I wasn’t just behaving like a simpleton. I was acting like a fool (notice that there’s a difference between a simpleton and a fool?). Ouch! Well yeah! My heart was hardened against the truth and it wasn’t long before I started spiraling down a slippery road.

When some of my loved ones tried to caution me about a man I was in a relationship with, I refused to listen to the voice of wisdom. When my mother said she would pray about him, I got upset because I didn’t want her to come back with any negative reports from her prayer time. I was pushing back so hard against wisdom and I didn’t even know it.

So, down and further down I spiraled, losing my very essence, completely deceived, ensnared and locked up in a pit that would take a war waged by the host of heaven to rescue me. By the time I realized I needed to get out of that entrapment of a relationship, I couldn’t see an escape route.

It was then that I began to say “If only I had listened to wisdom’s voice and not stubbornly demanded my own way, because my heart hated to be told what to do!” (Proverbs 5:12 TPT)

Today, my heart is particularly with you, my friend who is single, dating or about to make a relationship decision.

A major litmus test for knowing if you’re in God’s will is how open you are to receiving wise counsel concerning that person you’re dating or considering being in a relationship with.

Another one is the actual counsel you’re receiving concerning that person – especially from trusted loved ones.

If everyone around you is concerned about someone you’re seeing, you need to pay close attention. Way too often, we’re too emotionally entangled to hear God’s voice  so He uses those in our lives to reach us.

The enemy is out to attack your destiny and one of the easiest ways for him to do this is by getting you entangled in a destiny destroying relationship.

That guy will talk smooth. He’ll look good. You may be allured by the sensuous fragrance of his perfume. You may feel hypnotized by the mere sound of his deep, insistent voice. You may feel yourself losing control, falling harder and harder for him. Add the fact that he goes to church and speaks some Christianese. He will have a form of godliness – just enough to draw you in – but his heart is far from God, and like the seductress in today’s chapter, he leaves his victim with nothing but a bitter conscience.

“She will ruin your life, drag you down to death, and lead you straight to hell. She has prevented many from considering the paths of life. Yes, she will take you with her where you don’t want to go, sliding down a slippery road and not even realizing where the two of you will end up! Listen to me, young men, and don’t forget this one thing I’m telling you— run away from her as fast as you can! Don’t even go near the door of her house unless you want to fall into her seduction.” (Proverbs 5:5‭-‬8 TPT)

Although Solomon was addressing his son, these words of wisdom ring just as true for God’s daughters.

Dear one, take heed. Seek God’s face concerning every potential relationship – before your feelings begin to get in the way. Quit the whole secrecy game. Be accountable and listen to the voice of wise counsel.

What are some of your biggest learnings from Proverbs 5?

“If you do everything that I teach you, you will reign in life.” – Proverbs 4:4 (TPT)

The whole chapter 4 is packed with so much insight but I’ve been stuck on this one verse.

“If you do EVERYTHING I teach you, YOU WILL REIGN…”

God’s way is the way. It’s too sure! It produces undeniable results. It uplifts. It enthrones. It opens doors. It promotes. It enriches. It releases the miraculous. It heals. It delivers. His word is efficacious and infallible.

One instruction diligently obeyed to the letter has the ability to disrupt your entire life for good! One word from God carefully and precisely carried out can totally take you from zero to one million!

There is life-transforming power behind every word God speaks. God’s word is like a seed – potent and powerful; able to become a giant tree that splits even boulders and rocks!

I don’t think obedience is our biggest problem as believers. I think we wouldn’t struggle too much to obey if we knew without a doubt that God was speaking to us.

Our biggest problem is our inability to hear or discern His voice.

According to Proverbs 4:4, the pre-requisite for reigning in life is doing everything He says; but how can we do everything He instructs us if we don’t hear Him? And how can we hear Him if we don’t dwell with Him?

I sense so greatly the need for us to cry out for a fresh hunger for God and His presence. We can never truly be everything He has ordained us to be or access everything He has prepared for us if we are only visitors to His dwelling place.

We must abide.

 

We must carry Him and His word in our hearts all day, everyday. We must commune with Him even we’re not consciously doing so. We must be so consumed with Him that even when our sleepy eyes pop open at 3am, we find ourselves mumbling words of worship and adoration as we drift back to sleep! We must, in the words of James W. Goll, be radically wasted on Jesus. We must carry an awareness of His presence all day, everyday. We must sit with His word. We must assume the posture of worship. We must ask Him “Lord, what will you have me do? How can I serve you? How can I love you? What are you teaching me?”

We must be hungry for revelation-knowledge and encounters that will radically change our lives. I do not speak only of spectacular encounters where you experience physical manifestations of God’s presence.

In fact, I refer more to encounters in which the written word of God (logos) comes alive in your spirit and becomes living, breathing revelation to you (rhema); where it births rock solid convictions and unshakeable faith, ushering you into a realm of confident rest in the Ancient of Days.

We must be so hungry that we’re willing to go without physical food so we can feast on spiritual food; where we’re not fasting just because we need a miracle but because He is the miracle we desire! Ahh!! Do you know what I’m talking about? Food becomes the least of your concerns!

We must seek Him diligently for He promises to reveal Himself when we do.

We must drown out the noise and focus on The Voice.

The more you zoom into Him and allow Him become your focus, doing away with the distractions the world brings, the more you will see Him; the more you will hear Him. And as you obey what you hear, your reigning in life is guaranteed.

Dear one, this is a call to pursue His presence like your life depends on it – because it does.

Question of the day: What is God teaching you today from Proverbs 4?

Please share with us.

I couldn’t understand why she was so hostile towards me.

One day we would be really cool and all jovial, and the next day, she would give me a cold shoulder.

With time, I began to experience even more hostility than warmth and friendship. I would later realize that I wasn’t the only recipient of her hostility. She just couldn’t help her habit of snapping at people and being extremely critical of others. It was almost as though she didn’t like human beings.

She was like a big sister to me and I was around her very often. She often criticized and made unkind jokes about me. I experienced her criticize others so much and so often that her attitude began to rub off on me.

The natural consequence was that I became very critical of other people too; quick to spot negativity, quick to judge, very irritable and extremely intolerant.

I could make up a whole scenario in my head, act out the script and pretty much start a cold war with someone based on something that existed in my brain. I would stop talking to someone because I had a fight with them in my head. Sure enough there could have been a tiny trigger from my interactions with whoever I was picking a fight with but I was often acting based on an exaggerated version that existed in my mind.

When I read verse 30-32 of Proverbs 3, I realized how deeply important our relationship with others is to God.

Dear one, you can have a great relationship with the Father and have access to His presence, but there are levels of intimacy with God that you will never unlock until you start speaking His love languages.

 

One of His love languages is genuine love for other people. Could it be that you’re struggling in your relationship with God because you walk in such pride, criticism, indifference and hostility towards others? Are quick to pick a fight with someone who hasn’t wronged you and then blame it on your “mood”?

If you’re going to go deeper in your walk with the Lord, you’re going to have to learn to work your love muscles. You’ll need to learn to genuinely love, care for, and be kind towards others. You’re going to have to start looking out for the welfare of the people God has placed in your life.

“And why would you quarrel with those who have done nothing wrong to you? Is that a chip on your shoulder? Don’t act like those bullies or learn their ways. Every violent thug is despised by the Lord, but every tender lover finds friendship with God and will hear his intimate secrets.”
Proverbs 3:30‭-‬32 TPT

The Bible calls those who walk in hostility toward others bullies – even violent thugs!

I really love verse 32. It says every tender lover finds friendship with God and will hear his intimate secrets.

I don’t know about you but I want to hear God’s intimate secrets. I want Him to speak to me as a man speaks to his friend. I want Him to gist with me in my dreams and give me heavenly encounters in my waking moments. I want to be part of His inner-circle – the one He reveals the deepest mysteries and secrets to.

If it would take me pulling down the walls of pride, hostility, criticism, and judgement; if it would take me walking in true love, genuine care and concern – I would gladly do it!

Let’s quit being childish and blaming stuff on personality types and mood swings. Don’t let your personality type hinder you from accessing deeper levels in your walk with God. Quit getting offended by things that don’t even matter! Stop creating scenarios that exist nowhere else but in your head. Quit the jealousy. Quit the envy. Let the Lord deal with the spirit of pride in your heart.

We love people, not because they’re loveable, but because it’s a sure way into the heart of the One who matters the most to us.

I am strongly convinced (based on scripture) that this so important to the Father. Please think deeply about your relationships and begin to make amends where necessary. Let love be your code all-day, everyday.

Question of the day: What are some of the most striking insights you received as you studied Proverbs 3 today?