OOOh, God said the “S” word.
I remember a few years ago when a little girl came up to me in my classroom so upset. She walked up with her eyes widened, and said with horror in her voice, “Mrs. Shuff, Paul said the “s” word.” Now Paul was a seven-year-old- boy good boy from a loving family and I just couldn’t imagine him using the “s” word in class. I probed into the situation more and asked this sweet little girl exactly what Paul said, she told me, “Paul call me a stupid-head.” I had to hug her to keep her from seeing the grin and relief on my face. Oh, that was the “s” word Paul said
Well, Paul wasn’t the only one who said the “s” word. We read those words (in several translations) in Proverbs 12:1.
Proverbs 12:1-3 (NLT) “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. The Lord approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness. Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.”
Let us learn from this verse and love to learn from our mistakes in life. Making the mistake might have been fun at that time, or it could have been painful to us and/or to others. Being disciplined because of our error is usually not pleasant. Yet, discipline makes us stronger and more consciences of our actions. Discipline will make us a better person.
Don’t be, as Paul said, a “stupid-head” about being corrected on your mistakes. Learn to love and appreciate it.
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Now, when I continued reading Proverbs 12:1-3, the last verse brought about a vivid picture in my mind. The words, “the godly have deep roots”, encouraged me to search about deep roots with plants. Here is an excerpt from a site I read:
“Although surviving in the desert is difficult for humans, desert plants have evolved so that they can survive in all but the driest conditions. Many desert plants have adapted to the harsh environment by growing deep roots that can gather water from several feet under the surface. Without these long roots, these desert plants could not stay alive, nor could the wildlife that depends on them for food, drink and shade……A deep root system helps the plants stay grounded in the soil through harsh winds and other adverse conditions. And the plant is not dependent on rainfall to get water for survival.” http://www.ehow.com/about_6795632_do-plants-need-long-roots_.html
I love the last two sentences. They remind me that we will have “harshness” and “adversity” in our lives, but when we are grounded in Christ (deeply rooted in God) we will have stability and will be able to stand firm through it all. Amen!
Notice the last sentence, “And the plant is not dependent on rainfall to get water for survival.” Think about it. You can’t rely on soaking up a little godliness just on a few Sundays here or there, or only on holidays, or whenever you feel like it (rainfall). No. It may help you a little, but in order to survive this thing we call life, you need, not only a good downpour, but some deep roots into your Christian faith.
Go get grounded in God.
Have a wonderful Tuesday! Blessings to you all.
| April 24 |