Microchurch Minute
Solomon gives us a very direct picture of the things the Lord hates: pride, lying, violence, a heart that devises evil, eagerness to run toward sin, false testimony, and the stirring up of division. These aren’t merely outward behaviors; they reveal what is happening inside the heart. This is where the connection to seeking truth becomes so important.
Wisdom is something we are told to seek, pursue, treasure, and hold onto. God’s Word gives us a standard outside of ourselves. Our feelings can deceive us. Culture can redefine what is right and wrong. Our own hearts can rationalize almost anything when we want something badly enough. But Scripture continually brings us back to truth. When we make this Truth our heart’s yearning, God’s Word becomes a guardrail for our lives.
The more we know truth, the more readily we can recognize deception. When we are digging into God’s Word, we become more familiar with His character, His standards, His voice, and His ways. Sin isn’t just something we’re “not supposed to do,” but something that pulls us away from the abundant life and purpose God has for us.
That’s why seeking God’s Word has to be intentional. Just like panning for gold in Alaska, we have to dig for the treasure that is wisdom from God. When Scripture exposes pride, dishonesty, lust, hatred, or division in us, it gives us an opportunity to surrender those things to God and make a different choice.
God’s Word can keep you from (insert your vice here)… well, every sin, really.
Not because possessing a Bible magically makes us righteous, but because truth changes the way we think, and transformed thinking changes the way we live.
Instead of pride, we can choose humility.
The lying tongue can be hushed in favor of truth.
Where evil sheds innocent blood, the follower of Christ can stand for and defend what is good and innocent.
The wicked heart devises wicked plans, while our hearts can pursue God’s plans.
Instead of running toward evil, we can turn and pursue righteousness.
We can shut down the influence of false witnesses by having the courage to speak truth.
And instead of causing chaos among the brethren, we can become a people who choose to make peace.
This also connects beautifully to purpose and calling. God has placed something specific on each of our hearts. There are people we are called to love, things we are called to accomplish, gifts we are called to steward, and opportunities God has placed in front of us. Sin distracts us from that calling. Wisdom helps us recognize what is trying to derail us so that we can keep moving toward what God has called us to.
We don’t dig into God’s Word simply so we can know more Bible verses. We dig because we want truth to take root in us. We seek wisdom because we want our lives to reflect the One who gave us our purpose in the first place.
Isn’t God magnificent in the way that He designed the triangle as such a strong shape? Like the trinity, three in one. The beautiful thing about a triangle is its stability. Three sides, connected and supporting one another, create a strong and enduring shape. What a beautiful picture of a life built upon the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Microchurch Minute
Thank you, Lord, for my suffering. Such a strange prayer to pray, isn’t it? No one actually enjoys the trials that life throws our way. Yet, when we know our Heavenly Father and recognize Him as the true and perfect source, we can confidently rest in the peace that surpasses all understanding. You see, when life is going “according to plan” we sometimes forget to praise Him. However what happens when we lose our job? Finances aren’t quite aligning? A sickness is announced that no one planned for? Our attention has a tendency to shift very quickly and it becomes a blame game. God, why did you let this happen to me? Why me? So self-centered, asking what God owes me. Imagine, for a moment, if God gathers our attention during unfavorable times and we choose to respond with “God, what do you want to teach me in this time?” asking what God is forming in me.
He doesn’t want us to wait until we’re in the thick of disaster to turn to Him. We should be fully reliant and expressive to God in all circumstances. Because here is the stark truth – our circumstances will continue to change. But who God is never does. He is perfect. He is good. He is just. He is eternal.
Illogical as it may sound, I believe that some of our most intimate experiences with God come as a result of going through trials when we finally reach the end of ourselves, accept that we have no further power to do anything and are left solely with the choice to only rely on Him. Not that we need to be broken to receive God, but it sure does become abundantly clear at that point. Even when it was painful, we can reflect back and see God in the details. Only a good and merciful God can take an affliction in the fallen world that was meant to harm us and still turn it around to use it for our good. It shifts our focus from what has happened to us to what we have gained from a deeper appreciation of God’s truth and who He is.
God does not always give us the explanation that we are looking for. But through trials and living on this side of Heaven, we see what God forms in us through the ups and downs of life. Further proof that wisdom is far more valuable than any earthly treasure.
Firstly, God is good. Following that, God does good. It’s not the other way around, we don’t get to judge God based on what He does and does not allow to happen to us. Resist the temptation to believe that you did this on your own. The education you got, the new car you bought, the house you carefully designed, the successful communication in your marriage… those are not things you did of your own power. Those are gifts that the Almighty has enabled, empowered and aligned for you. It really is good to lean full on Him and follow His lead. He has good plans!
Microchurch Minute
What if I told you there was a gift, but you had to go look for it? It’s like nothing you’ve seen before, so incredibly valuable and life-giving. Would you be motivated to seek out such a highly valued treasure?
That is what Solomon is instructing his sons to do in Proverbs 4. Keep looking for wisdom. Ask the Lord for it. Pursue it at all costs.
Wisdom isn’t something that simply happens to us. We have to pursue it. And that highlights our personal responsibility to know God and know His Word. You cannot sit in a secluded corner watching your trash TV, ignoring the biblical influences God has placed around you, and then get angry that God isn’t giving you wisdom.
He would love to give it to you! But Scripture calls us to ask for wisdom, seek it diligently, and then put safeguards in place to protect it.
It’s hard to see from our picture, but there is a very petite Teah in the corner behind some strong protectors. What chance do you think little brother had of getting to her through the giants surrounding her?
This is the type of protection we are called to place around our hearts, our souls, and our very knowledge of God.
Guarding your heart isn’t simply an afterthought. It is an essential spiritual practice. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Everything. What you speak. What your eyes are drawn to. The direction your feet wander. The choices you make. The things you begin to desire.
So get uncomfortable and ask yourself:
1. How am I going to pursue wisdom this week?
2. How can I guard my heart more effectively?
3. What distractions do I need to eliminate that are keeping me from doing what God has called me to do?
And please don’t misunderstand me, the act of guarding your heart isn’t simply about willpower. It is about actively choosing to fill it with something better.
If we are constantly pursuing God, filling our thoughts, minds, and souls with His Word and His presence, there is less room for everything else to take root.
That’s the end goal. More of You, Lord. Less of me.
So what are you watching? Is there something you’re consuming that might open up a guilty pleasure from your past? The Lord has already set you free. Don’t put even your toe back on the road that once led you toward destruction.
What messages are coming through in the music you hear? David understood the importance of music throughout Scripture. We see God’s power on display when music is used as an act of worship. There is power in melody. It can be used for His glory, or it can be used to advance the enemy’s kingdom. Pay attention to what is speaking into you.
Look at what, and who, you are in proximity to. Who have you married? Where do you work? Who are your closest friends? What are you allowing into your soul through that little piece of technology in your hand? I encourage you to surround yourself with a body of believers.
The voices you allow into your life eventually influence the choices you make.
God gave us the gift of community so that we can encourage one another, share the truth of His Word, sharpen one another, and continually point each other back to Him.
Because ultimately, He is the only true source of wisdom worth pursuing, and the treasure we find in Him is worth guarding at all costs.
Microchurch Minute
What does wisdom mean to you? According to our character friend, Hal (he’s wicked smart), it allows us to not have one focus but a breadth of sight. Wisdom is of utmost importance, more valuable than any earthly possession. Our true riches aren’t found here, but in attaining peace and confidence as our lives align with the One who created us.
I’m not just referring to earthly wisdom, but to the wisdom that is God-breathed and rooted in the truth that laid the foundation of the world. Pause and consider the depth of that reality. God is perfect in all His ways, flawless in every decision, and just in every judgment. Nothing escapes His notice, and nothing is beyond His understanding. Because He is infinite and I am not, I can gladly yield to Him, trusting that His wisdom is always greater than my own.
Proverbs 3 walks us through the most holistic of living instructions for our lives here on earth. We are to walk with God in our day to day lives. Intelligence is simply the act of gathering information, wisdom knows how to live in light of God’s truth. True wisdom starts with remembering God’s word. This is why Scripture memorization is such an important spiritual discipline. As we engrave His truth in our hearts, it begins to shape our minds so that we walk in obedience and have the opportunity to experience His peace and steadfast love. Obedience becomes less about following rules and more about reflecting the character of Christ.
In recognition of God’s omniscience, we can fully trust in Him. It’s pretty cool when this happens. God will open doors and lead us down paths that don’t even begin to make sense. That is what trust allows us to do, step confidently into the unknown without fear or hesitation. We don’t have to know His plan when we know Who holds all of our tomorrows!
This depth of wisdom requires great humility on our part. It is our pride that often gets in the way, telling us that we already know enough, or our foundation of past experiences disproves something that only a miraculous God can do. Humility keeps us teachable, God loves when we press into Him and seek His direction.
Humility is the base for Christians to accept God’s discipline as a good thing. His correction is proof that we belong to God, He is committed to our growth. Our Heavenly Father shapes us through trials so we will grow in wisdom and maturity. Even in your darkest valley, He creates an opportunity for you to know Him more deeply.
This chapter closes out reminding us of the importance of wise living. A life of wisdom is revealed in the way we love others, extend grace, pursue peace, and generously care for those around us. It reveals something much greater than self-reliance.
Are you living God’s wisdom the reverence it deserves? Take a moment to search your heart. How often do you seek His wisdom before relying on your own understanding? My prayer is that the Lord continues to shape my heart so that my words, decisions, and actions reflect His wisdom, bringing glory to Him in every area of my life.
Microchurch Minute
Psalm 34 comes to us from David after he pretended to be insane before Abimelech to protect himself while fleeing from Saul. Hardly a picture of an easy life, right? David was a man after God’s own heart, a shepherd chosen to become the king of Israel. He trusted God and believed His promises. By earthly standards, we might assume that someone so faithful would have been spared hardship.
But that’s never been God’s promise to His people.
When we turn our faces toward God and place our trust in Him, we become radiant with His presence. Imagine warm beams of light cascading over your skin, illuminating everything they touch. That is the peace God offers His children, not a life free from trouble, but a life marked by His presence in the midst of it. Jesus Himself told us to expect trials. Yet whatever comes our way, we can rest knowing that God is faithfully holding us through every moment.
Throughout this psalm, David repeatedly speaks of crying out to the Lord and being answered. God created us for relationship with Him, and prayer is one of His greatest gifts, a way to commune with Him intimately and personally. But prayer requires intentionality. We must take the first step and call upon Him, not only when life falls apart, but in every season.
God’s character never changes. He is steadfast, trustworthy, all-knowing, holy, and good. He is always worthy of our praise.
When you’re standing on a mountaintop, celebrating a new job, earning a degree, welcoming a child, or reaching a financial milestone, it feels natural to praise God. But what about in the valley? When you’ve lost someone you love, received an unexpected diagnosis, or find yourself living a story you never wanted to tell… do you praise Him then?
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. While we often magnify our problems, I wonder how often God is simply waiting for us to place them back into His hands. They were never ours to carry alone.
When our focus shifts from our circumstances to the character of God, we discover a peace that defies explanation. The situation may not disappear, but our perspective changes because we remember who is ultimately in control. We aren’t handing our burdens to Someone who is just now taking responsibility for them, we’re entrusting them to the One who has been holding them all along.
When our eyes remain fixed on God, we can’t help but exalt Him. Christianity has never been about showcasing our own accomplishments. Instead, we magnify God’s redeeming grace, His endless mercy, His faithful provision, and His power that is always sufficient for our every need.
So take a moment to reflect on the undertone of your daily conversations. Do your words naturally point people toward God, or toward yourself? Are you subtly seeking recognition through carefully disguised humility, or are you using every opportunity to magnify the One who gave you every good thing?
