Psalms + Proverbs – Part Two: Proverbs – Collab with Joy from Discipleship With Joy!

Hello friends! Welcome to the second post in a mini collab series I’m doing with Joy! We’re excited to bring you all our favorite verses from each of the Proverbs! (To check out our first posts, in which we shared our favorite verses from each of the Psalms, see my post here and Joy’s post here!)

What comes to mind when you think of the Proverbs? A fool and a wise man, standing side by side, compared in yawn-worthy language? Or a father, chatting with his son at the table, giving him tips on how to live for best success and fulfillment in life? Personally, I enjoy reading the Proverbs because if I have an issue, I’m bound to find at least one solution after flipping through a couple chapters. (The Proverbs is where I’ve gone when I’ve had “boy troubles”, by the way. It tends to shift one’s perspective quite a bit!)

Please please please read Joy’s post here as well! For those of you who didn’t see the last post, Joy is a blogger and writer who seeks to honor God through every word she pens. Her blog is full of fun stuff for believers and authors, and you all should totally head over and give her a follow! (Thanks for doing this collab with me, Joy!)

A couple years ago, a camp speaker recommended for those new to studying the Bible, to just read at least one chapter of the proverbs a day; since there’s 31 days in the month, you’ll finish by the end of the month, and still have some wisdom stuffed in your skull. It’s a free and easy bible-reading plan if there ever was one!

But for real, y’all. This advice was brilliant, and I’d encourage all of you who aren’t reading anything in particular, to take my challenge. Read a proverb a day for a month, then comment and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about the wonderful things God teaches you through it!

But now – for the post! I hope you enjoy!!

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“A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” ~ Proverbs 1:5

“Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” ~ Proverbs 2:3-5

“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” ~ Proverbs 3:12

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:13

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” ~ Proverbs 5:21

“My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you.” ~ Proverbs 6:20-22

“And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding.” ~ Proverbs 7:7

“Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.” ~ Proverbs 8:33

“Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.” ~ Proverbs 9:6

“The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.” ~ Proverbs 10:29

“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” ~ Proverbs 11:22

“A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.” ~ Proverbs 12:14

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” ~ Proverbs 13:20

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” ~ Proverbs 14:30

“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” ~ Proverbs 15:28

“The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” ~ Proverbs 16:1-3

“He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” ~ Proverbs 17:27

“A man who has friends may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24

“Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” ~ Proverbs 19:20-21

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.” ~ Proverbs 20:30

“He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” ~ Proverbs 21:21

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them.” ~ Proverbs 22:5

“Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” ~ Proverbs 23:4-5

“My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off.” ~ Proverbs 24:13-14

“A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well. It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory is not glory. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” ~ Proverbs 25:26-28

“He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears.” ~ Proverbs 26:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” ~ Proverbs 27:17

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” ~ Proverbs 28:26

“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” ~ Proverbs 29:25

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” ~ Proverbs 30:5

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.” ~ Proverbs 31:30-31

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I love the Psalms and Proverbs, but I love them in different ways. When I’m in down in the dumps or in the mood to write a song, I flip to the Psalms – but when I’m looking for wisdom that I can apply to my life, I’ll go to the Proverbs. I love how the Proverbs were written, essentially, to youth – from a father to his son, on topics that are relevant to the lives of youth. Have you ever stopped to think about how teens struggle with some of the character traits described in the proverbs? On the positive side, hard work, obedience to God, selflessness, honoring parents, and commitment to faith are some traits that believing teens long for, but don’t take steps to develop. And on the flip side, teens can struggle with mental and physical purity, addictions, laziness, purposelessness, and being an inconsiderate friend.

The answers to all these struggles are found in the Proverbs. The long-term solution is found in the power of Christ’s holy spirit, which roots out sin and shows us our pitfalls clearly so we can repent and do better next time.

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And that brings an end to the mini-series and collab with Joy! (Thank you so so soooo much for doing this collab with me, Joy!!) Although I’m not so sure I’m done forever – this was too much fun to give up totally! 🤣 But in the meantime, which proverbs did you like best? Which spoke to you in the place you’re in right now? I’d love to know some of your thoughts and favorite verses from the Proverbs!

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Psalms + Proverbs – Part One: Psalms – Collab With Joy from Discipleship With Joy!

During the month of July, I made a goal to read all of the psalms and all of the proverbs! (And Joy, from Discipleship With Joy, @discipleshipwithjoy.com, joined me!) Until things got really busy, I didn’t understand others’ surprise when I told them I was planning to read 5 psalms + 1 Proverb a day. But life resumed, as life always does, to be busy, busy, busy!

Although it took me a couple days into August to complete reading the Psalms and Proverbs and taking notes, I’m so glad I made that goal and completed both books of the Bible! They provided much-needed inspiration, comfort, and wisdom for various situations over the month of July.

But enough introduction! Joy and I are excited to announce a collab post; but not only one collab post, but two collab posts! Each of us have picked our favorite verse from each Psalm (and Proverb!) and are here to share them with you all! Some of these verses are special to me personally; some of them are saddening and thoughtful; some of them are beautiful or poetic; but all of them are meaningful.

Today’s post(s) contain our favorite verses from the psalms; hope you enjoy!

Be sure to also read Joy’s post here!!! She’s put together a lovely compilation of her own favorites that you will not want to miss! Be sure to follow her blog as well, especially if you’re into meaningful and thought-provoking content on writing, musicals, and the Christian life!

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PART ONE – THE PSALMS

“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Psalms 1:6

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” ~Psalms 2:7

“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.” ~Psalms 3:3

“How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness, And seek falsehood? Selah.” ~ Psalms 4:2

“Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.” ~ Psalms 5:8

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long?” ~Psalms 6:2-3

“The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.”

~ Psalms 7:8

“For I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established.” ~Psalms 8:3

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

~ Psalms 9:10

“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.” ~ Psalms 10:17-18

“In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?” ~Psalms 11:1

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” ~ Psalms 12:6

“But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” ~ Psalms 13:5-6

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” ~ Psalms 14:7

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” ~ Psalm 15:1-2

“Guard me, Oh El, for I have taken refuge in You. I have said to YHVH, “You are YHVH, I have no good besides You.”

~ Psalms 16:1-2

“Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.” ~ Psalms 17:5

“It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.” ~ Psalms 18:32

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” ~ Psalms 19:14

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” ~ Psalms 20:7

“For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.” ~ Psalms 21:7

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.” ~ Psalms 22:27

“He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” ~ Psalms 23:3

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.” ~ Psalms 24:4

“Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.”

~ Psalms 25:7

“Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip.” ~ Psalms 26:1

“Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.” ~ Psalms 27:3

“To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock: Do not be silent to me, lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” ~ Psalm 28:1

“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” ~ Psalms 29:2

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” ~ Psalms 30:5

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” ~ Psalms 31:19

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.” ~ Psalms 32:5-6

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” ~ Psalms 33:6

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” ~ Psalms 34:4

“Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me.”

~ Psalms 35:1

“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” ~ Psalms 36:9

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” ~ Psalms 37:23

“Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.” ~ Psalms 38:20

“I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.” ~ Psalms 39:1

“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” ~ Psalms 40:8

“By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.” ~ Psalms 41:11

“Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.” ~ Psalms 42:7

“Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle.”

~ Psalms 43:3

“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.” ~ Psalms 44:3

“Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.” ~ Psalms 45:10-11

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” ~ Psalms 46:1-2

“For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.” ~ Psalms 47:2

“For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide, even to death.” ~ Psalms 48:14

“A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” ~ Psalms 49:20

“But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?” ~ Psalms 50:16-17

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise.” ~ Psalms 51:17

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.” ~ Psalms 52:8

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” ~ Psalms 53:6

“Voluntarily I slaughter to You; I praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.” ~ Psalms 54:6

“He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me.” ~ Psalms 55:18

“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”

~ Psalms 56:8

“I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.” ~ Psalms 57:9

“So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth.” ~ Psalms 58:11

“I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense.” ~ Psalms 59:9

“Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.” ~ Psalms 60:11

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” ~ Psalms 61:2

“God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.” ~ Psalms 62:11

“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.”

~ Psalms 63:6-7

“All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.” ~ Psalms 64:9

“You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.” ~ Psalms 65:9-10

“For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.” ~ Psalms 66:10

“Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.” ~ Psalms 67:6

“Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.” ~ Psalms 68:28

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” ~ Psalms 69:30

“But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.” ~ Psalms 70:5

“O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.” ~ Psalms 71:17

“The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” ~ Psalms 72:3

“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

~ Psalms 73:26

“The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.” ~ Psalms 74:16

“But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” ~ Psalms 75:7

“When God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah.” ~ Psalms 76:9

“I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” ~ Psalms 77:6

“When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.”

~ Psalms 78:34-35

“Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are appointed to die.” ~ Psalms 79:11

“Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalms 80:3

“I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” ~ Psalms 81:10

“Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.” ~ Psalms 82:8

“Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord.” ~ Psalms 83:16

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Your highways are in their heart.”

~ Psalms 84:5

“Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” ~ Psalms 85:12-13

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” ~ Psalms 86:11

“His foundation is in the holy mountains.” ~ Psalms 87:1

“My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.” ~ Psalms 88:9

“For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted.” ~ Psalms 89:17

“Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” ~ Psalms 90:15-17

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” ~ Psalms 91:14

“For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” ~ Psalms 92:4

“The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” ~ Psalms 93:4

“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.”

~ Psalms 94:17-18

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” ~ Psalms 95:6

“Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” ~ Psalms 96:3-2

“Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” ~ Psalms 97:11

“The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.” ~ Psalms 98:2

“Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.” ~ Psalms 99:6

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.” ~ Psalms 100:2

“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” ~ Psalms 101:3

“My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.” ~ Psalms 102:11

“Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” ~ 103:20

“May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.”

~ Psalms 104:34

“He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations.” ~ Psalms 105:44

“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise.” ~ Psalms 106:47

“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” ~ Psalms 107:9

“Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” ~ Psalms 108:12-13

“I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.” ~ Psalms 109:30

“The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” ~ Psalms 110:4

“He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.” ~ Psalms 111:6

“Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

~ Psalms 112:4

“He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” ~ Psalms 113:9

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” ~ Psalms 114:7

“May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” ~ Psalms 115:14-15

“For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” ~ Psalms 116:8

“For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” ~ Psalms 117:2

“Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.” ~ Psalms 118:25-26

“How can a young man cleanse his path? By guarding it according to Your word.”

~ Psalms 119:9

“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.” ~ Psalms 120:2

“The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” ~ Psalms 121:8

“Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.” ~ Psalms 122:4

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.” ~ Psalms 123:2

““If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us.” ~ Psalms 124:2-3

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”

~ Psalms 125:1

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” ~ Psalms 126:5

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” ~ Psalms 127:1

“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” ~ Psalms 128:1

“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me.”

~ Psalms 129:2

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning – Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.” ~ Psalms 130:5-6

“O Israel, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forever.” ~ Psalms 131:3

“Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy.” ~ Psalms 132:9

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” ~ Psalms 133:1

“Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord!” ~ Psalms 134:1

“For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.” ~ Psalms 135:14

“To Him who led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy endures forever.” ~ Psalms 136:16

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.” ~ Psalms 137:1

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”

~ Psalms 138:3

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

~ Psalms 139:23-24

“I said to the Lord: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” ~ Psalms 140:6-7

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” ~ Psalms 141:3

“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me.” ~ Psalms 142:7

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah.” ~ Psalms 143:5-6

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle – My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.”

~ Psalms 144:1-2

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” ~ Psalms 145:18-19

“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” ~ Psalms 146:5

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” ~ Psalms 147:11

“Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.” ~ Psalms 138:12-13

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” ~ Psalms 149:4

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise YHVH!”

~ Psalms 150:6

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Whew! There we are!

This past month-and-then-some journey through the Psalms really cemented my knowledge of these beautiful songs to God. I enjoyed putting some of them to music, studying some more in depth, and enjoying finding some favorite verses all over again! I really felt a theme of “drawing closer” throughout my reading – drawing closer to His kingdom by seeking to walk His Path, drawing closer to more godly knowledge by staying in the Word, and drawing closer to Him through prayer and petition. I’m so grateful I attempted this goal!

(Be sure to stay tuned for Joy’s and my next posts in this mini-series: Our favorite verses from the proverbs! I love the proverbs so much, not just because they’re inspiring, but also because they’re practical in our lives, from faith to everyday choices that reveal our faith to the world.)

Until next time, y’all! Have an amazing day! I’d love to know what you’re favorite verses from the psalms are; which ones speak to your heart right now?

July Goals + Inspiration!

Well hello hello everyone! HOW is it already July?!

I’m excited to start this new month and even more excited that I’m actually getting my goals post out in time! YES!! What have y’all been doing in the last … few days? 😂 I’m keeping cool during the heat wave in my area and doing some school to finish off the last day of June! Farewell, beautiful June! *gets sentimental* But hell-lo July! *spirit revives*

Is anyone else craving some rich spiritual meat right about now? Me too. I don’t consider myself a provider of wise words that satisfy, but perhaps my thoughts on this first day of July can be somehow beneficial to my readers and encourage them in some way! 🤍

Lately I’ve been thinking about my future a bit (as mentioned in this post). I found an amazing verse that helps me in the stage I’m in, as a teen girl with fewer responsibilities than a career-woman, wife, or mother. While I’m here in my current phase, with certain responsibilities as a daughter, I’m curious as to what I can do right now, for the future ahead. Within Ecclesiastes, (a book some believe to have been written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world,) is a little jewel that gives me a bit of relief.

“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”

Ecclesiastes 2:24, NKJV

Although this certainly relieves pressure, we do carry a certain responsibility during the teen years. Near the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, there lies an encouraging yet sobering message.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,

And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart,

And in the sight of your eyes;

But know that for all these

God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

And put away evil from your flesh,

For childhood and youth are vanity.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,

Before the difficult days come,

And the years draw near when you say,

“I have no pleasure in them.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 – 12:1, NKJV

There are ways that in my heart I long to follow. There are desires I have that are unfulfilled as of now, and dreams that may never be fulfilled. But as the verses above show, we have a responsibility to remember that while we pursue our dreams, we pursue them in a way that honors God and His plans for our life. May we pursue our future in a way that let’s our light shine as a witness to the world.

Additionally, I’d like to encourage all of you to let it go, if you’re feeling overwhelmed. I believe that our Father wants us to do His Will with ALL of our hearts, not grudgingly because we think we should. So if you feel guilty, pressured, or uncertain, my friends, just cast your cares and burdens on our Father, and He will give you His perfect yoke, which yields freedom and peace.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalms 55:22, NKJV

” ‘ “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ‘ “

Mathew 11:28-30, NKJV

(These three songs are some of my favorites! Listening to these songs would be a big favor to your musical ear! XD)

Alrighty, let’s get into July Goals! see below! 👇🙌

THEWILDFIREGIRL.WORDPRESS.COM

#1 Drink in the sun, but stay wise! (The last few days I swam outdoors, but I wasn’t very careful about applying sunscreen, so right now my face and arms are .. unbelievably red! So, going forward, I’m going to treat my body with a little more TLC when in the sun!)

#2 Swim at rivers, lakes, dugouts, wherever I can! I need practice in order to complete my next goal ..

#3 Pass my Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross. (I have never been a competitive swimmer so I’m a little intimidated by the idea of timed swims. I’ve been praying so hard that I’ll be given strength and energy to pass!)

#4 Hike two related trails *hopefully!*

#5 Read one Proverb and five Psalms a day (This will enable me to get through the books of Proverbs and Psalms in one month, without burning out, especially throughout the week of the Bronze courses.)

#6 Wake up at 5:30 so I can train for volleyball before the day gets hot! (And, of course, to give me an incentive to wake up earlier!)

#7 Get to lesson 140 in school, 29 lessons in both subjects.

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My own pic! (drinking sunlight counts as a drink, right?)

So there we go!! A little inspiration for the month ahead, my goals, and some pretty pics! What thoughts are running through your mind as July shines down into your backyard? Do you have any goals you’ve got planned to smash? I’d love to hear about it all, down in the comments!

Farewell my friends, and we’ll hopefully talk again next time!

Paul in Acts 15 and 21

(This is a discussion of a missionary attempt by Paul, based on what is written in Acts (and in other books of the Bible.)

He was Paul, the Pharisee. He was the one who oversaw Stephen’s stoning. He was the one who hated Christians and what they stood for. He was the one who sought them out to imprison and kill them. He was the one who persecuted believers, and, in doing so, persecuted the Messiah.

He was Paul, the apostle. He was a man whose vision changed his life. He was a man who went to nations near and far to preach the story of the God of Abraham and the Messiah. He was the one who loved all people and desired to help save them, who wrote meaty letters to them to admonish the growing churches. He was a man who endured all sorts of set-backs, persecution, and physical hardships, in the name of Yeshua. He was a martyr who died for Messiah.

Can you believe he was the same man? There was a drastic difference between the Paul he used to be and the Paul he became.

(Note: Paul’s Hebrew name was Sha’ul. However, Paul is the name most people recognize, so for this essay I will refer to him as ‘Paul”.)

After Paul first started talking about Jesus, it seemed that you couldn’t get him to stop! It didn’t matter if you imprisoned, shipwrecked, or tried to stone him, the guy just wasn’t at all fazed!

One scenario I would like to cover in this essay is the reason for the Jerusalem Council, (which was held in AD 50,) and the result of said council. The reason I want to discuss this is because I disagree with my teacher in his interpretation of the Jerusalem Council verdict. He believes, (as do many Christians), that the decision meant that Christians no longer have to obey the Law of God as given at Mount Sinai. (The Law is documented in the first five books of the Bible.)

In the beginning of Acts chapter 15, we see that there were people telling new converts that they must be circumcised in order to obtain salvation. Obviously, this idea was seen as incorrect by the apostles. Getting circumcised cannot give you salvation. We are saved by faith, like Abraham, whose faith (belief and obedience) made him righteous. (see Genesis 15:6 and Hebrews 11:8.)

Therefore, the council convened to discuss their response to the mislead congregation. They decided that in their letter, they would tell the people to “abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 15:26.) At first glance, it would appear that these are the only rules by which believers have to abide.

But let’s back up a bit.

Why would the apostles tell the new Christians to abide by these rules? They didn’t say anything about not murdering. They didn’t say anything about not stealing. So why only these four rules?

Well, the new Christians had just come out of a pagan system of worship, in which they would offer animals to their gods as bloody sacrifices, then drink the blood of the offerings. They would eat meat from animals which had been strangled to death, and then they would engage in sexual immorality with both male and female temple prostitutes. This was a very gruesome reality of the pagan religion. It was similar to the time when the Israelites were at Mount Sinai, sinning against God by worshipping the golden calf, and “sat down to eat, and rose up to play.” (Exodus 32:6.) So basically, the apostles were telling the people to give up their specifically pagan temple worship.

“But there’s more to being a Christian than just giving stuff up.”, you might say. I agree, and so did they. In verse 21, the apostles land the clincher in their reasoning. “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21.)

What does it mean when it says “Moses” is read? At the time, believers would meet in the synagogues on the Sabbath to read the law (which was called “Moses”, because it was given to Moses at Mount Sinai) and the prophets (the Bible books of the Old Testament.) If the new believers would give up their pagan practices, then when they went to the synagogues, they could learn to study and obey the Law from the teachers and other believers.

God does not want us to worship him in the way the pagans do. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32) New believers must discard the pagan ways of worship and learn to obey God in the way he has commanded them.

Although salvation does not come through circumcision, does this mean that circumcision is unimportant? Of course not! It is a way we can show love to God by our obedience.

Some people believe that when Paul went to deliver the letter, he would tell the Christians that they did not have to be circumcised. If this was true, then why did Paul circumcise Timothy just before taking him along in order to tell the gentiles that they did NOT have to become circumcised? (Acts 16:1-3) The theories don’t match up.

We must therefore conclude that although circumcision is not necessary for salvation, it is a way to obey God in a way he has commanded us to. It is a way to show others that we believe in Yahweh.

This brings up the issue of ‘circumcision of the heart’. Physical circumcision does no good without the circumcision of the heart, as we see in the prophetic times. Israel strayed from Yahweh in their hearts yet continued to offer Him sacrifices. He hated that they were only serving Him outwardly, while inwardly they worshipped others. (Isaiah 1:11-15, Jeremiah 4:4.)

In fact, Deuteronomy 30 itself refers to circumcision of the heart, so this is not a new concept.

What if Yahweh wanted us to circumcise physically … and circumcise our hearts … at the same time?

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10 years later, Paul came back to Jerusalem, and they rejoiced at the many new believers. But the elders told Paul that there were some people saying “Paul teaches that the new believers MUST NOT circumcise their children.” (Acts 21:17-26.) Were these reports true? Or were the people lying?

In verse 24, James gave Paul advice on how he ought to respond.

“Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.” – Acts 21:24, NIV (emphasis mine)

So the reports were NOT true! Paul was in fact living in obedience to the law. As we know, Paul believed that leaders should set a good example for the believers, as he said when he advised Timothy in his first letter. (See verse below.)

“…. But set an example for the believers, in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Paul set a good example for the believers in his life, by “living in obedience to the law.” He, an apostle of Christ, was following the Law even twenty-nine years after the resurrection of Christ!

Conclusion …

Contrary to common Christian thinking, the narrative in Acts 15-21 does not mean that the apostles decided against new Christians following the Law. In fact, they were in full support of it!

However, you cannot gain your salvation through following the law, and THAT is what Paul and the apostles were concerned about.

All throughout the Bible, it is written that the Law is good, reviving the soul, sweet, righteous, a lamp and a light … and it is true. (1 Timothy 1:8, Psalm 19:7, Psalm 119:103, Romans 7:12, Proverbs 6:23, psalm 119:142.) God’s law is not a burden or just a bunch of rules. It defines the boundaries for a healthy life and a strong walk of faith.

Let me know your thoughts!

Makayla

Ethics in the Bible

What is the view of the biblical materials on the role of ethics in the development of history?

In this essay, I will give a general overview of some of the ethical concepts in the stories of creation, the flood, the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, and in the Psalms and Proverbs.

Creation (Genesis (sin, fall, must obey, etc.)

The birth of ethics begins in Genesis. The first command in the Bible where God told man to not do something was: “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Man disobeyed the command, therefore he got the negative sanctions associated with the disobedience of that command – eventual death. The concept of ethics was formed very early on in the creation story, and likely the very “first sin”, was the rebellion of the serpent, which led to the first human sins (Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit.) Thus sin entered the world.

How do we know that the Bible contains ethics? Because it has a concept of right and wrong. How do we know what is right and wrong? Obedience is right and sin is wrong. What is sin? Sin the transgression of the law of God (righteousness). We could not know what sin was, except through the law and through commands like “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

The Flood

When all men but Noah and his family had stopped following Yahweh’s ways, Yah sent a flood to destroy all the evildoers, and saved Noah and his family in a boat. This story follows similar construction as the creation story: Yah allows people to live, yet they disobey, so he brings negative sanctions (death) upon the wicked. This time, however, Yah saves the righteous remaining. The message this sends is that He will not destroy those who obey and follow Him.

After the flood, a disgraceful thing happens in Noah’s family. Ham (one of Noah’s three sons) sees his father’s nakedness. Instead of keeping his mouth shut, he goes and tells his brothers, who go and cover up their father, turning their faces away that they might not see Noah. Noah wakes up and finds out what happens, and becomes very angry, cursing Ham’s son Canaan, and blesses his other two sons.

What can we learn from this? Don’t take or see what is not yours to take or see.

Giving of the Law

The people of Israel had just been freed from slavery and had come out of Egypt. Yahweh gave his Law to Moses, the chief spokesman of the people, to tell the assembly of the Israelites. Because of this, it is often referred to as the “law of Moses”, however Moses didn’t command the law, Yahweh did. Therefore, we may also call it the Law of God.

In giving a Law, Yahweh was giving His people a choice; either to obey or disobey him. He was telling them that in order to be His people, they must obey Him. What were the sanctions for obedience?

“Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you.”

Exodus 20:12

Positive actions (such as honoring your father and mother) warrant positive sanctions.

Moses had gone up to the mountain to receive the Law from Yahweh. But the people, becoming anxious at waiting for Moses for 40 days, decided to worship a golden calf, an idol, instead of obeying Yahweh’s command, “You shall not have any other god before me.” When Yah told Moses what happened, he came down from the mountain to carry out Yah’s punishment.

Moses made them melt down the golden calf, grind it up, and put the gold in water to drink. Then the Levites carried out a massacre and killed about three thousand people. Then, a plague broke out among the people.

So we see that negative actions (disobedience of the law) warrants negative sanctions.

I believe the law is still applicable today, and we know that Yahweh never changes. Therefore, in the development of history, the law has remained a way for us to show others our morality comes from Yah.

Psalms

This book, written by David, contains songs and poems of praise to Yahweh. Themes David stresses are worship, obedience, resolution of inner conflicts, sovereignty of Yahweh, and many more. How does David want to be treated? He wants to be saved from the persecution of his enemies, because he obeys Yah. How does David want his enemies to be treated? He wants them to be destroyed for their unlawful acts.

Again, negative actions means negative sanctions.

Proverbs – Consequences of choosing to follow the right path …or choosing not to.

Proverbs is a book written by the wisest created man in the Bible, Solomon. Throughout the entire book, Solomon gives his son advice on wisdom, integrity, obedience, and interacting with people. He uses metaphors and contrived circumstances to emphasize the importance of being moral, wise, and humble. Proverbs 7 and Proverbs 31 compare the wayward woman with the righteous one.

Solomon holds to the principle that if you associate with immoral people, you may be affected, and if you are immoral, you will face negative sanctions such as poverty, shame, and death. But the sanctions of being moral and wise include prosperity, happiness, and long life.

Conclusion

The Bible has TONS to say on ethics. I’ve only scratched the surface. But these five stories/books can teach us that there IS morality, and the Biblical consequences of immorality are hardships, curses, and death. But the consequences of obedience and faith are positive sanctions.

Why we praise

Photo by Shelagh Murphy on Pexels.com

David is up and down like a yoyo all the time. But even at the end of Psalms which cry out to Yahweh for deliverance, there’s a common factor; a line about praising Yah.

So … what does this mean? Why does David praise Yahweh even when he’s being persecuted, when he’s depressed, and when he has sinned? Is he trying to appease Yah with praise? Is David simply afflicted with a case of long-term-optimism, or is he blessed with this condition?

Well, we know Yah cannot be appeased with insincere praise. In many of the Prophetic books, Yah says over and over again that Israel’s sacrifices and prayers are worth nothing to Him, and that He is sick of it because they are also worshipping false gods, and not worshipping Him with their whole heart.

Taking into account all the Psalms, we know why David praises Yahweh.

1. Yahweh is all-powerful. He is sovereign over all, and so His glory alone makes Him worthy of praise.

2. Yahweh saves. The degree to which David described His trouble is unbelievable. He describes being pursued, deceived, trapped, abandoned, and betrayed. And Yah saves him out of it all.

3. Yahweh’s law. The law is perfect, pleasing to the soul, like honey, life-bringing, everlasting. A wonderful covenant from Yah.

4. Yahweh’s love is everlasting. We have all felt the pain of some form of rejection, whether it come from our family or friends, but though mankind can be flighty, Yah always loves us.

5. Yahweh created us. He chose to bring us into being. Man was created to praise Yah! When you think about it that way, you realize just how short is the amount of time we worship in our lives. We should be praising Yah throughout the week, in addition to on the Sabbath.

And yes, instead of being afflicted with long-term-optimism, David is blessed with the above knowledge of Yah. The Hebrew word for “to know” means so much more than simply learning a certain fact. When someone “knows” someone else, it means they have an intimate understanding of the essence of the other person. Their soul. Their personality. They KNOW them inside and out.

“O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.”

– Psalm 139:1, KJV (italics added)

With such a relationship, David has no choice but to be delighted with how close he is to Yah. We can also strive to have such trust and knowledge of Yah, and to be a man or woman after His own heart.

But long-term optimism isn’t really a “thing”, as we would say these days, or at least it shouldn’t be. I would rather describe David’s constant delight in Yahweh as knowing that even though he was going through some tough times, he knew Yah would take care of him in the end. David knew that rough periods shape us into someone we need to be to deal with the situations we will face in life, and because he understood that it was for his good, he praised Yah.

~ Makayla

Historical sanctions in the Psalms

The Psalms is one of the largest books in the Bible (At least, it has the most chapters!) It can be the most wonderful book to read or the most tedious book to read, depending on how you look at it. However, it is the opinion of Gary North that everyone should read all the Psalms at least once in their lifetime, and I wholeheartedly agree. One of my favorite parts about reading the Psalms is recognizing lyrics to modern Christian songs!

I saw the main themes in the psalms quite accurately illustrated in a meme once 😉

But all kidding aside, there is an overwhelmingly large variation of themes in the Psalms. The Proverbs are pretty straightforward – the wise, the glutton, the fool, and the righteous. But when it comes to David, we get the picture. The WHOLE picture.

– Judgement upon the wrong

– Salvation for the righteous

– God’s decision to keep his covenants

– How wonderful and perfect God’s law is

– How amazing God’s creation is

– How supernatural God’s works are

– How God is capable of anything

But there are some main themes that come into every single psalm, namely: The desire for right and the presence of God being sovereign.

1. God – Sovereignty
2. Man – Authority
3. Law – Command
4. Causation – Sanction
5. Time – Inheritance

To bring up Mr. North’s model again, we will be focusing on Sanctions.

In many of the psalms, David praises God’s law and puts a positive emphasis on the righteous and on righteous acts. At the same time, he will often tear the reputation of the evildoers to pieces, beg God for their destruction and shame, and praise God when his enemies are dead. (I’m glad I wasn’t David’s enemy!) This shows us (although we could find plenty of examples elsewhere) that David had a heart that really sought after righteousness, and was grieved to see lawlessness.

The main kind of sanctions in the Psalms were that the sanctions of the righteous were prosperity, health, etc, whereas the wrongdoers got exactly the opposite. The inheritance of the righteous was God himself and long life, but the inheritance of the wrong was (and is) death.

It is important that no civilization have anarchy, otherwise it isn’t a civilization. So if there’s a law to be followed, (a) it must be followed, and (b) the people who don’t follow it must be punished, so other people don’t see the “no consequences” rule and also try to get away with it.

Obviously David wasn’t trying to write a self-help book to say, “Hey there Israelites, listen up! Sing all the time, cry your bed into an ocean when you’re sad, and float clear up into the sky when you’re happy!” He was writing songs and poems TO Yahweh to illustrate his feelings and values, and we can learn from these. And the most important thing to learn is (1) David loved and obeyed the law of God. We should do the same.

The second thing to understand is (2) Everybody gets what they deserve … but for those who repent, the consequence of death eternal is taken away, and we have a chance to be redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice. This is the importance of historical sanctions in the Psalms.

Thanks for reading!

~Makayla