June 23, 2011
The important principle of learning to submit to authority early in life and learning what it means to surrender. It is the "giving up" of your desires and supposed "rights" and accepting the leadership of another. Exactly how we are to respond to Christ. How much easier it is to surrender yourself to Christ when you have learned this principle as a child with your earthly family. The heavenly (and earthly) consequences are enormous.
Proverbs 5:12–14 - "Then you will say, "I hated being told what to do! I would not listen to correction! I would not listen to my teachers or pay attention to my instructors. I came close to being completely ruined in front of a whole group of people."
Growing up I watched (and lived) the turmoil created by this very struggle—submission to authority. On one side I watched as my parents, knowing the importance of this principle, do everything in their power to teach and instill this principle in all their children. I also watched the battle and lived the turmoil as this principle was resisted and fought against by one of my siblings. The never-ending battle created turmoil in the entire family.
The important principle of learning to submit to authority early in life and learning what it means to surrender. It is the "giving up" of your desires and supposed "rights" and accepting the leadership of another. Exactly how we are to respond to Christ. How much easier it is to surrender yourself to Christ when you have learned this principle as a child with your earthly family. The heavenly (and earthly) consequences are enormous.
Proverbs 5:12–14 - "Then you will say, "I hated being told what to do! I would not listen to correction! I would not listen to my teachers or pay attention to my instructors. I came close to being completely ruined in front of a whole group of people."
Growing up I watched (and lived) the turmoil created by this very struggle—submission to authority. On one side I watched as my parents, knowing the importance of this principle, do everything in their power to teach and instill this principle in all their children. I also watched the battle and lived the turmoil as this principle was resisted and fought against by one of my siblings. The never-ending battle created turmoil in the entire family.
The refusal to submit to authority is a heart issue. A "core" issue, that only the act of total surrender to the ultimate authority, can remedy.
Growing up in this volatile and stressful situation I became the opposite. I became eager to please* and eager to obey. As a result, the choice to surrender my "rights" to Christ was not a difficult principle for me to learn and the decision was made early in my life to follow God and His Word—no matter what.
Proverbs 5:21–23 - "The LORD sees everything you do, and he watches where you go. An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the ropes of sin will tie him up. He will die because he does not control himself, and he will be held captive by his foolishness."
God knows. He sees. Jane (in the center column in her KJV Bible) has circled these cross reference verses: Proverbs 15:3; II Chronicles 16:9; Job 31:4; Job 34:21; Jeremiah 16:15; Jeremiah 32:19; Hosea 7:2; and Hebrews 4:13.
Proverbs 15:3 - "The LORD's eyes see everything; he watches both evil and good people."
II Chronicles 16:9 - "The LORD searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong."
Job 31:4 - "God sees my ways and counts every step I take."
Job 34:21 - "God watches where people go; he sees every step they take."
Jeremiah 16:17 - "I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me the things they do; their sin is not hidden from my eyes."
Jeremiah 32:19 - "You plan and do great things. You see everything that people do, and you reward people for the way they live and for what they do."
Hosea 7:12 - "When they go, I will catch them in a net, I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will punish them countless times for their evil."
Hebrews 4:13 - "Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived."
Evidently this is something we need to get a better grasp on—OR—this is another example of how God continues to use Jane as an encouragement to us. Maybe both.
Jane has notes written all over in her Bible, but rarely did she have any of the cross references listed in the center column of her Bible marked or noted. Because she has these circled I looked up the verses to read. When I turned to Job 34:21, I noticed I had written in the margins of my Bible the cross reference verses Jane had circled for Job 34:21 in her Bible. The exact same cross references she has noted for Proverbs 5:21–23. Rarely did Jane make note of the cross references listed in her Bible. Yet, when I am reading Job 34:21 on 1-25-11, I record the cross references she has marked (Job 31:4; II Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 5:21; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; and Jeremiah 32:19) and now almost six months later on 6/23/11 as I'm reading in Proverbs 5 she has once again noted those exact same cross references, this time with Hosea 7:12 and Hebrews 4:13 added. Not only did Jane mark these verses once, she marked them in two different places.
I'm listening LORD. It may seem that some people have gotten by with lies, cheating, stealing, dishonesty, and been successful at it. BUT you know! You see! And they will have to answer to you for the way they have lived. "Everything is clear and lies open before him." He knows, and that is enough.
Proverbs 6:12 - "Some people are wicked and no good..."(which God is quite aware of)"... they make evil plans in their hearts (Psalm 140:2) and are always starting arguments. SO trouble will strike them in an instant; suddenly they will be so hurt no one can help them." The KJV says, "Broken without remedy." Those are strong words. "Strike down." "In an instant." "Suddenly." "Without remedy." Harsh, and frightening, but those are the words God uses. Then Solomon lists six things the LORD hates and then adds a seventh thing that God cannot stand. (The NIV says "are detestable" and the KJV says "are an abomination.")
1) A proud look.
2) A lying tongue.
3) Hands that shed innocent blood.
4) Mind (heart) that thinks up evil plans (wicked schemes).
5) Feet that are quick to do evil.
6) A witness who lies (a false witness who pours out lies).
AND
7) Someone who starts arguments among families. (A man who stirs up dissension, "he that soweth discord.")
Wow! These are things the LORD hates! Can you imagine your actions being hated by God? I want my life and legacy to be one that is pleasing to God. A life that brings honor and glory to Him. I want my life to be the exact opposite of that list.
Addendum: 4/17/15 ~ *I became "eager to please" as a way to cope and survive the turmoil caused by the constant fight against authority. I am not saying it was an emotionally healthy way to cope. It took many years for me to realize the issues being "eager to please" created and to work through those issues.
Growing up in this volatile and stressful situation I became the opposite. I became eager to please* and eager to obey. As a result, the choice to surrender my "rights" to Christ was not a difficult principle for me to learn and the decision was made early in my life to follow God and His Word—no matter what.
Proverbs 5:21–23 - "The LORD sees everything you do, and he watches where you go. An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the ropes of sin will tie him up. He will die because he does not control himself, and he will be held captive by his foolishness."
God knows. He sees. Jane (in the center column in her KJV Bible) has circled these cross reference verses: Proverbs 15:3; II Chronicles 16:9; Job 31:4; Job 34:21; Jeremiah 16:15; Jeremiah 32:19; Hosea 7:2; and Hebrews 4:13.
Proverbs 15:3 - "The LORD's eyes see everything; he watches both evil and good people."
II Chronicles 16:9 - "The LORD searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong."
Job 31:4 - "God sees my ways and counts every step I take."
Job 34:21 - "God watches where people go; he sees every step they take."
Jeremiah 16:17 - "I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me the things they do; their sin is not hidden from my eyes."
Jeremiah 32:19 - "You plan and do great things. You see everything that people do, and you reward people for the way they live and for what they do."
Hosea 7:12 - "When they go, I will catch them in a net, I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will punish them countless times for their evil."
Hebrews 4:13 - "Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived."
Evidently this is something we need to get a better grasp on—OR—this is another example of how God continues to use Jane as an encouragement to us. Maybe both.
Jane has notes written all over in her Bible, but rarely did she have any of the cross references listed in the center column of her Bible marked or noted. Because she has these circled I looked up the verses to read. When I turned to Job 34:21, I noticed I had written in the margins of my Bible the cross reference verses Jane had circled for Job 34:21 in her Bible. The exact same cross references she has noted for Proverbs 5:21–23. Rarely did Jane make note of the cross references listed in her Bible. Yet, when I am reading Job 34:21 on 1-25-11, I record the cross references she has marked (Job 31:4; II Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 5:21; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; and Jeremiah 32:19) and now almost six months later on 6/23/11 as I'm reading in Proverbs 5 she has once again noted those exact same cross references, this time with Hosea 7:12 and Hebrews 4:13 added. Not only did Jane mark these verses once, she marked them in two different places.
I'm listening LORD. It may seem that some people have gotten by with lies, cheating, stealing, dishonesty, and been successful at it. BUT you know! You see! And they will have to answer to you for the way they have lived. "Everything is clear and lies open before him." He knows, and that is enough.
Proverbs 6:12 - "Some people are wicked and no good..."(which God is quite aware of)"... they make evil plans in their hearts (Psalm 140:2) and are always starting arguments. SO trouble will strike them in an instant; suddenly they will be so hurt no one can help them." The KJV says, "Broken without remedy." Those are strong words. "Strike down." "In an instant." "Suddenly." "Without remedy." Harsh, and frightening, but those are the words God uses. Then Solomon lists six things the LORD hates and then adds a seventh thing that God cannot stand. (The NIV says "are detestable" and the KJV says "are an abomination.")
1) A proud look.
2) A lying tongue.
3) Hands that shed innocent blood.
4) Mind (heart) that thinks up evil plans (wicked schemes).
5) Feet that are quick to do evil.
6) A witness who lies (a false witness who pours out lies).
AND
7) Someone who starts arguments among families. (A man who stirs up dissension, "he that soweth discord.")
Wow! These are things the LORD hates! Can you imagine your actions being hated by God? I want my life and legacy to be one that is pleasing to God. A life that brings honor and glory to Him. I want my life to be the exact opposite of that list.
- Humble
- Honest
- Helpful
- Considerate
- Thinks good of others
- Truthful
- A peacemaker
Addendum: 4/17/15 ~ *I became "eager to please" as a way to cope and survive the turmoil caused by the constant fight against authority. I am not saying it was an emotionally healthy way to cope. It took many years for me to realize the issues being "eager to please" created and to work through those issues.
Next Entry: Proverbs 5 & 6 (Continued)
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