Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Women in the Word Wednesday - 2012 Summer Study Wk 6

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Today I am linking up with Good Morning Girls for "Women in the Word Wednesday"

Thursday, June 14th
- Proverbs 14:23
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Proverbs 14:23 says "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." I wonder if this is where the saying "talk is cheap" comes from. I mean, that is essentially what is being said here, right? 1 Thressalonians 4:11 says "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you" I like this verse about leading a quiet life. It doesn't necessarily mean "quiet" in the sense of not making a sound or not speaking, but quiet in the sense that you shouldn't be out there causing trouble, picking fights, or trying to involve yourself in matters that don't concern you. It also says you should work with your hands. I like that it says that specifically because it means you should get right down to it, right in the heart of it, as closely connected to your work as one can be. What a great mental picture.

Friday, June 15th
- GMG Reflection
- Living a Divinely Inspired Life Devotional (Day 1) --> Genesis 12:1-3, Psalm 139:13-18

I am reading a devotional called "Living a Divinely Inspired Life" and todays verses were Genesis 12:1-3 and Psalm 139:13-18. The focus of the reading was about our purpose and about asking God to show us what that purpose is. I think this reading was extremely timely for me as I am suffering through a sort of depression. I feel like I have no purpose. I spend days here at home, often with little to no social interaction with the outside world. I have recently deactivated FB again for studying, which has been helpful for getting more done, but has also left me feeling so disconnected from life. I miss hearing about people and what's going on in their lives. Yes, maybe I was living vicariously through them on FB, but still, it was some sort of connection, no matter how slight.

Monday, June 18th
- Proverbs 31:19 
- Proverbs 31 Woman book p. 20-21

The verse states "in her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers." I had to look and see what a distaff is because I was unsure as to what it was. According to Merriam Webster it says a distaff is "A stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning" I suppose this verse means that she makes things on a spinning device.

The Proverbs 31 woman weaves her own clothes, she works with her hands. Not only does she rise early, burn the late night oils, travel far to provide food for her family, etc. but she also makes clothing! What a woman! What a standard for us to aspire toward. While I may never make my own clothing, I can make other things for my family, and I should!

Tuesday, June 19th
- Colossians 3:23
- Ephesians 6:7

The focus of the two verses was to work happily at whatever we are working on, with a feeling that we are working for the Lord as opposed to working for people. Work as though we are working for a higher power and a greater good. I think this is a great thing to remember because we need to work and sometimes if we work with a higher power in mind maybe we will be more happy in our work.

Wednesday, June 20th 
- Proverbs 31:20
- Deuteronomy 15:7-8
- Proverbs 11:25
- Proverbs 31 Woman book p. 22-23


The book passage focused on the virtue of Proverbs 31:20 which says "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." We see here another trait of this miraculous woman, she has helping hands that help the poor. Today I prayed for beautiful hands, not in the literal sense, but in the sense of giving me hands that are beautiful because of the work that I have done for others, because of the kindness they have shown in providing food or money, or other resources to someone who is in need. Today I pray for beautiful hands for all of us. The other two sets of verses we read focused on the same realm of helping others, particularly those in need. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 says "If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need." To me this means that we should not be stingy when it comes to the poor, but rather we should give back freely. This is definitely something that I need to work on. I pray that I will be able to be more giving to others. And lastly Proverbs 11:25 says "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." As a blogger I followed stated this is the "water and be watered" verse. We must give in order to receive, we must water in order to be watered, we must refresh in order to be refreshed. What you give out to the world really will come back to you, so you best make it something good and something you want to receive again

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