The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (9 page)

January 29

Financial Foolishness

     
My child, if you co-sign a loan for a friend

          
or guarantee the debt of someone you hardly know—

     
if you have trapped yourself by your agreement

          
and are caught by what you said—

     
quick, get out of it if you possibly can!

          
You have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.

     
Now swallow your pride;

          
go and beg to have your name erased.

     
Don’t put it off. Do it now!

          
Don’t rest until you do.

The topic of today’s Wisdom for Women is the danger of getting entangled in other people’s financial dealings. If we can learn any lessons from the financial crisis we are currently in, both publicly and personally, we can see that we have not been wise. It’s risky business to back up someone else when they are involved in risky business and can’t stand on their own. Oh, if Capitol Hill and Wall Street and those who live on our street would listen and heed God’s wisdom as stated in today’s proverb!

So, ladies, what can we learn? We need to be less dependent on credit for ourselves, our kids, and others. If we can’t save up for something we want, we need to truly assess if we really need it.

When my husband and I bought our first home, we had no one who could give us a down payment or cosign for us. The first house we tried to buy fell through because we didn’t qualify. In retrospect, it was a blessing. It was a house in an area that wasn’t good for us, and it was a payment we really couldn’t afford. So even though at the time it felt like a bad thing, it was a good thing. It taught us to be realistic. We spent the next year and a half saving. Then when we did buy, it was a victory and a blessing.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Does God really care about our finances? Yes, actually he does. Foolishness and carelessness with money has been the ruin of many marriages. Loaning money to someone who isn’t wise with money and doesn’t pay you back has soured many friendships. Let’s be wise savers and frugal spenders.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 8:1–9:35; Matthew 19:13-30; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 6:1-5

January 30

Ants Aren’t Lazy

     
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

          
Learn from their ways and be wise!

     
Even though they have no prince,

          
governor, or ruler to make them work,

     
they labor hard all summer,

          
gathering food for the winter.

     
But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?

          
When will you wake up?

     
I want you to learn this lesson:

     
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

          
a little folding of the hands to rest—

     
and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

          
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

You might not realize that the proverb that we look at every day is taken from the daily proverb in the
One Year Bible
. I love this reading schedule. It takes us sequentially through the whole counsel of God. I love that the Proverbs address practical and important life issues.

Today’s Wisdom for Women deals with the topic of personal diligence and uses the amazing little ant as an example. These tiny creatures put some of us to shame. What’s the secret of their success? They just keep at it, even though no one is standing over them telling them to.

Child of God, consider the ant. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control because it’s a by-product of the Spirit’s presence in our life. We need to start there. Diligence needs to start, first of all, in spiritual things, seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then asking him to fire you up. Ask God to give you the work ethic of our wise little friend, the ant.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

I love the ant! She is the perfect illustration of the principle “Inch by inch, anything’s a cinch!” Let’s apply her example. For instance, why don’t we clean out our closets? Because, once they start getting messy, messy takes over—right? Well, let’s reverse the process. March into your closet and put five items in place. I’m going to. Now, savor the small victory and it will inch you on to others. Yay ants!

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 10:1–12:13; Matthew 20:1-28; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 6:6-11

January 31

Troublemakers

     
Here is a description of worthless and wicked people:

          
They are constant liars,

     
signaling their true intentions to their friends

          
by making signs with their eyes and feet and fingers.

     
Their perverted hearts plot evil.

          
They stir up trouble constantly.

     
But they will be destroyed suddenly,

          
broken beyond all hope of healing.

A naughty person. Most of us remember some boy in elementary school who was always messing around—causing trouble and getting others in trouble. Well, some little boys and some little girls never grow up and out of that behavior.

What’s the value of talking about them? Moms, talk to your children. Teach them not to make trouble or to look at bad behavior as cool or fun. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33,
NIV
). But don’t —please don’t—hate those kids, either. Sometimes they are just acting out. Maybe they’re craving attention. Maybe they have no one at home to reel them in. Did you ever think about who is assigned to pray for those children? Sit down and write down the names of those kids who are troublemakers and pray for them by name.

And while you are at it, do you have any troublemakers at work or among your relatives or in your church? Maybe they are acting out, craving attention, too. Don’t hate them, either. Did you ever think about who is assigned to pray for them by name? Maybe, just maybe, you are!

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

I have a friend who has a jail ministry. She has truly found her niche. Every day when she goes in, she knows she will talk to someone who is considered a “lost cause.” But she has also seen that for some, jail is a wake-up call. She is a light to show them the way out of the darkness. You don’t have to go into the jail to find someone who needs that. Will you ask God to assign you just one person who needs a ray of hope? And then, will you shine it?

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 12:14–13:16; Matthew 20:29–21:22; Psalm 25:16-22; Proverbs 6:12-15

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