by Sadie Robertson Huff | Feb 15, 2019 | Life Advice |
Hello to everyone around the world! I am so excited for the new structure of the blog and how this is going. I love knowing we get to connect three times a week as a community, and I love getting to write two blogs a month this time around!
I wanted one of the blogs each month to be an interactive blog that all of you can be a part of. A lot of times my friends and I will send scriptures to each other that jumped out at us and what we took from them as we are reading a chapter in the bible, so I wanted to start the same thing with all of you. What I am hoping we can do is go through the book of Proverbs together!
We will go through two or three proverbs each month to finish it by the end of the year. I am going to ask that you read along with me, and hopefully the things I point out that I took from my reading will encourage you, and the things you point out from reading will encourage other people reading the comments. This is not to hate on or compare to anyone who took something different from you from a scripture, but it is to encourage and learn from everyone’s own revelation from reading. This is all about learning and growing together in reading and knowing God. This week we will just focus on Proverbs 1 and 2.
You can pick whatever translation or version you prefer to read from, but I will be reading from the passion version, because I love the way it expresses the word and relates to our everyday life. If I use any other version, I will make sure you know. The book of Proverbs is one of the poetry books in the bible and is full of metaphors and poetic imagery, so if some things are tough to understand, ask God for the understanding. The word is all spirit breathed, and I hope through prayer and by us doing this as a community you will gain so much wisdom and understanding.
The writer of Proverbs is Solomon, the man who asked God for wisdom. Also, note that Solomon refers to wisdom as “she”, so do not be confused when wisdom is referred to has “she”. I think you will be surprised at how many things in the book of Proverbs answer some of those tough life questions that you have been wrestling with.
With all of that being said, it is time to dive right in!
Proverbs One
Proverbs 1:7 “How then does a man gain the essence of wisdom? We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God.”
I think so many times we try to figure out a formula with God as if wisdom from the Lord will come the same way wisdom comes to us in a math class. With God there is no need to memorize a formula, but rather a need for faith to just obey what He says. When you are living and walking in that obedient faith that is where Godly wisdom will come.
Proverbs 1:17 “to be aware of the snare of the best way of escape.”
I have always loved this verse! I found it to be so true in my life. The times I am walking blindly and not taking notice of what I am allowing to be poured into my life and being aware of the places I am walking into are the times that I have gotten myself in a trap I never meant to step into. The times I am aware of what I am letting in and where I am walking are the times I have more easily stayed on the straight path.
Proverbs 1:20-21 “Wisdom’s praises are snug in the streets and celebrated far and wide. Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning. But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life its lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd. You will hear wisdom’s warning as she preaches courageously to those who stop listening.”
I love how confident and loud wisdom is, but notice even with wisdoms voice being loud and even in her confident celebration, she is not heard. Just because you are filled with Godly wisdom does not mean everyone will choose to hear. However, do not stop singing it loudly and preaching it courageously, for the truth you know will set people free who do choose to listen.
Proverbs 1:33 “But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.”
I know this verse is like music to our ears. Free from fear? Confident and courageous? Rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life? We all crave these things, and we ask God so many times HOW CAN WE BECOME THIS WAY GOD?, and He simply answers with, “Listen to me.” You may be saying, “But He does not speak to me like He does to others.” He has already spoken. Meditate on His word and take it to heart and all of the sudden you will begin to see why you do not have to fear, you do not have to be shaken when the storms come, and you (YES YOU) can be confident and courageous.
Proverbs Two
Proverbs 2: 1-2 “my child, will you treasure my wisdom? Then, and only then, will you acquire it. And only if you accept my advice and hide it within will you succeed. So train you heart to listen when I speak and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment.”
I know! We are already on chapter two, but do not forget about what I just said about listening to God. Now let’s take that a step further, when you do hear from God and learn from Him treasure every word. Accept every word you read as good advice and hide it deep in your heart. As you begin to become familiar with His tone, you can train your heart to listen when He speaks, and live open to hearing more of what He wants for your life. I love how it encourages us to train our heart to listen. We hear things all day long, and many of those things from the world are not going to sound like God, so the training takes intentional time of growing.
Proverbs 2:4-5 “For if you keep seeking it like a man who would seek for sterling silver, searching in hidden places for cherished treasure, then you will discover the fear of the Lord and the true knowledge of God.”
I always take note anytime the bible uses the words “if” and “then.” It is such direct instruction with direct promise. IF you keep seeking, THEN you will discover. Keep seeking. You will not get lost searching.
Proverbs 2:11-12 “If you choose to follow good counsel, divine design will watch over you and understanding will protect you from making poor choices. It will rescue you from evil in disguise and from those who speak duplicities.”
I have seen choosing to follow good counsel in my own life come in to play in a really positive way. Sometimes it is hard to discern if people who come into our life or decisions we need to make are good or not, but when we are following good counsel, we can know that their understanding can protect us from making a poor choice.
Proverbs 2:20-21 “Follow those who follow wisdom and stay on the right path. For all my godly lovers will enjoy life to the fullest and will inherit their destinies.”
Again, it is giving us advice on who we are choosing to follow. It is so important that we are following those who are seeking the same thing. Am I saying not to speak to those who are not? Absolutely not! Love and encourages those who are not seeking wisdom, but be careful not to follow them. Stay on the right path, and you will enjoy life to the fullest. You might have temporary happiness on the path of the world, but there is fullness for you on the path of wisdom from God.
Now let these words sink in, and let what God is teaching you right now while reading go straight to your heart as a treasure for the soul. This is the beginning of training your heart to hear.
by Live Original | Sep 24, 2020 | Featured, Life Advice |
Note from Team LO: Thank you so much for joining in our Proverbs study that we’ve been going through as a community! This post is packed with goodness and biblical truth. If you want more from this study, or want to start from the beginning, click HERE to get started. Enjoy today’s post!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “I don’t know what I don’t know”? This saying is often used for people who lack experience in a certain areas of expertise, or even sometimes used by the humble to say that they’re just doing their best with the tools they’ve been given. To be honest, it really is a valid excuse… but an excuse, nonetheless.
As we continue in our Proverbs study, one thing is certain: “I don’t know what I don’t know” isn’t going to be as believable as an excuse as it once was. Packed with detailed instruction, the breakdown of wisdom v. foolishness, and the un-deniability of what stirs up evil and what brings about good in friendship, Proverbs 17 will leave you with a mindset of “I DO know what I DO know.” We’re excited for this one, friends! Let’s dive in.
Verse 4: An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Have you ever had those friends that have “selective listening”? Sometimes it’s funny because those friends will ask the exact question or repeat the exact phrase that someone just said, and if you’re close enough, you get to call them out and have a good laugh (lovingly, of course). But in verse 4, this is referring to people who have selective listening only for the words that don’t lead to unity, but instead lead to strife. Here’s the truth: Your flesh is always going to pay attention to words of flesh, and the spirit is always going to pay attention to words of the spirit. So which ones are you drawn to? This will tell you which “self” you’re living out of.
For further study of the new self v. the flesh: Colossians 3
Verse 9: Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
THIS ONE GETS REAL! Friend, are you quick to want people to know the mistakes of others? It’s like a game of telephone, gossip gets passed further and further down the pipeline, and by the end of it, everyone’s heard something, but it gets further and further away from what’s actually true.
There is SUCH a blessing for those who honor others by working to cover an offense of a friend. This doesn’t mean that you help a friend hide sin, it means that you don’t take it further outside of the circle of the ones who witnessed it. That way, your friend can focus of repenting to God and those who he/she hurt without having to further their shame. What a beautiful thing it is when you work to honor your friends by holding back your tongue.
Verse 14: The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
Do you ever just need someone to grab your face and say “quit!” Quit stirring things up, stop repeating what was told to you in privacy, stop sacrificing others on the altar of your own insecurities.
This verse references water seeping out of a dam in the beginning phases. The way it works is once a dam has been breached, there is no holding back the water – there’s no turning back once it’s cracked.
Same way with our words: once we’ve started down the path of stirring up conflict with our words, it’s like the dam that will eventually completely erupt.
This causes division, brokenness in relationships, and a lack of peace. Let’s be people who won’t even entertain the beginning stages of gossip. Let’s not fool ourselves to think we can start and then just stop whenever we’d like. Jesus commands holiness, and when we let divisiveness in, we aren’t strong enough to hold it back. Seek his ways, his words, and his walk.
On further study on the impact on our words: James 3
Verse 22: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
The “good medicine” of our culture are things like Netflix, binging on ice-cream, online shopping, scrolling on Insta, and any other way of distraction. But this scripture says that the OG good medicine was and still is a “joyful heart”. And isn’t it true?! When you’re looking for what can sooth your soul, you’re never going to find it through someone’s IG story or in your favorite Home Edit episode (although all good things in their rightful place!), you’re going to find it in restoring your joy in the Lord. Don’t hand over your fragile, crushed spirit to what can’t actually mend your heart. Let the One who was crushed for you restore to you a joy in your salvation.
For further study on a joyful heart: Psalm 51:7-12
Verse 28: Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise, when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
This verse sums up this chapter so well. To paraphrase: YOUR WORDS MATTER, FRIEND.
It’s so easy to live in our own world, thinking we know best, and that we’re always right, or that we can say things flippantly without consequence. But Jesus says that we will be held accountable one day for every word we say (Matthew 12:36). It would be a shame to interpret this verse as saying that we shouldn’t ever speak, but it a charge to make sure that the words we speak are ones filled with the power and truth of the Holy Spirit in us. We have a helper to give us words, and his words are perfect, why would we not choose words in the Spirit? And yes, we will mess up, but even our words of repentance are just as powerful as saying all the right things.
Above all, let’s be people who love, are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry with one another. If this Proverb shows us anything, is that the abundant life is seen through a life of honoring one another, living in unity, and being quick to learn the ways of righteousness.
Let’s turn away from being people who don’t know what they don’t know to people who know that we know that we know how to love God and love people.
And that’s Proverbs 17! We hope you loved it and have loved this study! For more proverbs, click HERE and check out the study as a whole.
And follow us on Instagram @liveoriginal
by Christian Huff | Jul 30, 2020 | Life Advice
Note from Team LO: We are so excited about today’s Proverbs post from Christian Huff! This post is packed with goodness and biblical truth. If you want more from this study, or want to start from the beginning, click HERE to get started. Enjoy today’s post!
To me, the book of Proverbs is one of the most impactful and applicable books in the Bible. Why? Because it is filled with Godly wisdom and so much of what it says goes against the cultural norm that many of us see and even often feel like we have to go by today. I want to dive straight into these truths in scripture that Solomon, inspired by the holy spirit writes to us.
“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver!” (16:1). Solomon knows how valuable wisdom is and we know that because he is comparing it to gold, which at time was the most treasured good. Let’s substitute the word gold for another word that applies to our culture today. What about the terms like status or followers? Does that relate to anybody? Now let’s rephrase what Solomon said… “How much better to get wisdom than to be liked by the world?” Solomon is saying that wisdom is WAY BETTER than whatever else you could need. You cannot compare these earthly “things” to wisdom which comes from heaven. We know that wisdom comes from above because James tells us. Now, James is the brother of Jesus so we know that he is legit. James 1:5 tells us “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” In our world today we hear people say all the time, that they hate being misunderstood or that they wish they had more understanding on certain topics. Here, Solomon is saying again that to get understanding is to be chosen over silver, which was another huge commodity in his time. I want to encourage y’all to ask our Father for these things. The word says that if we lack these things to ask God who gives generously. We serve a God who loves us and wants to give us the desires of our heart if they align with his will. So today, do not hesitate to ask God for wisdom and for understanding, truly desiring these traits over anything that the world can give you because if you chose the latter it will leave you empty and unsatisfied.
“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord.” (16:5). This is a heavy verse and it can be a lot to digest. But, first let’s establish what these words mean. “Arrogant” means to be conceited or boastful. I think this verse is important because if we were to take a look at our world today then we would notice that there is arrogance all around us. The word “Abomination” means “a thing that causes disgust or hatred.” Now, I don’t know about you but I do not want to do anything that brings disgust to the lord. But let’s be honest with ourselves, we are humans in a lost world so we are going to mess up and miss the mark but we serve a gracious God who delights in us. Don’t get me wrong, yes, he does hate sin and what it does to us but he rejoices when we repent and turn to him, asking him for help and guidance in prayer. Let’s use the prayer of David for our example here in Psalm 139:24. “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” This needs to be our prayer and heartbeat when addressing sin in our lives. Always going back to asking God to help us and guide us. It is easy to at times be arrogant for whatever reason but making a habit of it can become dangerous if we fail to acknowledge the contempt that it brings to our Father.
I have always loved the way this next verse is phrased… and yes it may because I love honey… “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (16:24). Here, Solomon is telling us what our words are like when they are gracious. When they are gracious it brings health to the body. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that our tongues hold the power of life and death. So if they have the ability to bless someone and bring life they also have the power to bring destruction. May we speak graciously towards one another building each another up in love. I like honey and I want my words to be as sweet as it. I hope this message encouraged you today to ask God for wisdom and to search our hearts to see if there is any way in us that is offensive the Lord. Lastly, may our words be honoring and life giving. Thank you Jesus for your word that stands the test of time and that every word still rings true today!
Want more encouragement and wisdom from Christian? Follow him on Instagram @christian_huff
by Sadie Robertson Huff | Jun 18, 2020 | Life Advice |
Want to start from the beginning of the Proverbs Study? Find the full study HERE.
I don’t know if you have ever heard of the Instagram account called, “Whoa, wait. Walmart?” but it is dedicated to pulling out the gems that Walmart has to offer and gives you the pure shock of finding such quality items. Well, sometimes I feel like we treat the bible like ‘Whoa, wait. Walmart?’.
Some of us think, “Yes, it is God’s Word and yes, it is great, but is there anything in there that really applies to my life? How could something so old actually speak to where I am at right now?” If you have ever thought those things before, I would argue that it may just be a lack of reading the Bible to know the gems that are in it. Maybe it is kind of like your idea of Walmart that has stopped you from going and buying some solid clothing options, because you just didn’t think anything was current enough for you to thrive in. I have a feeling if you just read the Bible you will be saying, “Whoa, wait. THE BIBLE?”
Proverbs 15 speaks to us today better than any influencer could. Starting off in verse one it says, “Respond gently when you are confronted, and you will defuse the rage of another. Responding with sharp, cutting words will only make it worse.” (15:1)
We all know things in the world have been wild lately. It has been hard and sad and brought up the need for conversations that we need to have and have needed to have for a really long time. Many of us are seeking what and how to communicate.
In times like these it is so easy to want to get angry and snap back at people that have different opinions. It has left many of us questioning what to say and how to say things…but did we ever think that even in a time like this the Bible would have such great advice on how to handle conflict? That if we speak gently to one another we might could get somewhere instead of making it worse?
It goes on to say in verse four, “When you speak healing words, you offer others fruit from the tree of life. But unhealthy words do nothing but crush their hopes.” (15:4)
If we want to grow a harvest for the next generation, we have to speak healing words.
The next four verses I placed back to back because Solomon repeated himself several times, so this message must be really important for obtaining wisdom.
- You are stupid to mock the instruction of a father, but welcoming correction will make you brilliant. (15:5)
- Your plans will fall apart right in front of you if you fail to get good advice. But if you first seek out multiple counselors. You’ll watch your plans succeed. (15:22)
- Accepting constructive criticism opens your heart to the path of life, making you right at home among the wise. (15:31)
- Refusing constructive criticism shows you have no interest in improving your life, for revelation – insight only comes as you accept correction and the wisdom that it brings. Proverbs (15:32)
Do I hear anyone saying ‘WHOA, WAIT. THE BIBLE?’
Have you ever been told something you really didn’t want to hear, but you needed to hear? If you accepted that advice then you are WISE! That may seem crazy to you because that moment probably made you feel stupid, but it is in those moments in life where we take giant leaps towards wisdom. Having different generations in our life is such a huge blessing and value that we need to realize! “Why Sadie? They are old and don’t get it!” No, they are wise and have lived through it! Let people speak into your life who are older and wiser, because odds are, they fell learning and want to teach you how to avoid the fall.
I want to encourage you in this time to take from what we are learning and use your words to make the world a better place. Allow ones who know more to speak into your life. We have to be willing to be the change we desire to see. In verse 19 it says to bluntly, “Nothing seems to work right for the lazy man…” (15:19) Do not be lazy in the midst of a history making year. This life is the only one we’ve got so rather you are happy about being a part of 2020 or not. You are here so be a part of the hope that is coming!
“The senseless fool treats life like a joke, but the one with living- understanding makes good choices.” (15:21) Make good choices and the world will be blessed by it. Your life is not a joke – it is a miracle and full of purpose that the world needs.
I want to finish with verse 11, “Even hell itself holds no secrets from the Lord God, for all is exposed before his eyes, and so much more the heart of every human being.”(15:11)
Why do I put this in here, friends? Because I want you to know that there is grace for not being the perfect leader, the perfect friend, having the perfect words, or being the perfect person. Just because you mess up do not stop trying. God knows your heart, and nothing is a secret to Him. His mercy triumphs over judgment. Don’t just do this life for Him – Do this life with Him. Let Him teach you.
Want more from Sadie and Live Original? Follow us on Instagram @legitsadierob and @Liveoriginal
by Live Original | Mar 12, 2020 | Life Advice |
WISE WOMEN
After reading through Proverbs 14, we are inspired and encouraged to be the type of women that God calls us to be.
Proverbs 14 compares and contrasts the wise with the foolish. As women of God, we have influence on other people’s lives. Yes, every single one of us has influence on this world in some way or another. We want to steward our influence and energy in positive and wise ways, and Proverbs 14 is a great guide to help us do so!
Want to start from the beginning? Start with Proverbs 1 HERE.
Let’s get started!
Verse 1: Every wise woman encourages and builds up her family, but a foolish woman over time will tear it down by her own actions.
When reading this at first glance, some of us may think it doesn’t apply to us. We may be thinking this only applies to women who are married with children, and yes it does apply to them, but it applies to ALL women. Like we said before, you have influence in one way or another. Your “family” in this this verse could be your roommate, friends, teammates, it could really be anyone you have any sort of connection with. Your family is your people.
Let’s be real, no one wants to “tear down” their people or would ever intentionally do so. But if we are not careful with what we say or do, we can hurt people easier than we think. So how do we avoid this?
Solomon says the key is being wise. And how do we know we are being wise? By diving into the word and listening to what God says. Bringing every situation to Him first before seeking answers in other people or things. Proverbs 14 lays it out beautifully for us.
Verse 3: The words of a proud fool will all come back to haunt him. But the words of the wise will become a shield of protection around them.
Our words are so important. In verse 3 we see that our words can become a “shield of protection,” if we are wise with what we are saying. This can be a simple as thinking before we speak and being the security check point for what is coming out of our mouths.
On the other hand, we can tear people down so easily with our words if we choose to be foolish and careless with what we are saying. It is easy to get lost in a moment and say things that we may not even mean. We can get caught up in gossip or putting others down to make ourselves feel better, but we need to remind ourselves that our words have POWER and we have influence. So, let’s choose our words wisely and build each other up by speaking truth and life.
Verse 7-8: The words of the wise are like weapons of knowledge. If you need wise counsel, stay away from the fool. For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track, while the fool only deceives himself and refuses to face reality.
In verse 7 and 8 we see Solomon talking about words and counsel. He calls wise words “weapons of knowledge.” Sometimes it is hard to discern what is wise and what is foolish, but the best way to test this when someone gives you advice is to check it with what the Bible says. If you have someone speaking into your life, the words should be rooted in Biblical truth, which will ultimately put you on the right path, rather than blindly following words that come from someone who may just be inserting their opinion rather than trying to lead in what God says about a situation.
Verse 12-13: You can rationalize it all you want, and justify the path of error you have chosen,
but you’ll find out in the end that you took the road to destruction. Superficial laughter can hide a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the pain resurfaces.
This part of the verse really made us reflect. How often do we rationalize sin? ALL THE TIME. It is second nature for some of us to tell ourselves that what we’re doing is not that bad, or we look to our neighbors and compare our sin to theirs to make us feel better about what we have done wrong. This leads to destruction. In reality, we’re all sinners and we are all undeserving of God’s grace, but we are given grace anyway!
Instead of justifying our sin, and brushing it off, we can actually bring those burdens to God and He says that He will make our burdens light! We can come to Him in surrender and experience freedom by admitting that we need a Savior.
Verse 13 talks about “superficial laughter” and how it can “hide a heavy heart.” We think this is very relatable to today. In order to make light of hard circumstances, some of us will just laugh and make jokes, when in reality, the pain of that hurt won’t go away. Addressing the problem and admitting the pain shows strength and is a sign of a wise woman. Bringing that heavy heart to God will allow for healing, rather than just laughing things off to hide the pain.
Verse 26-27: Confidence and strength flood the hearts of the lovers of God who live in awe of him, and their devotion provides their children with a place of shelter and security. To worship God in wonder and awe opens a fountain of life within you, empowering you to escape death’s domain.
Wow, so many good things to unpack in those verses. First off, we all crave inner confidence and strength, don’t we? This verse said that confidence and strength will “flood our hearts” when we love God and are in awe of Him. When we choose to seek God, we get to experience the confidence, strength, and LIFE. When we worship God, it opens “a fountain of life”. This is real joy and freedom! When we choose Him, we are no longer slaves to death, but we get to experience life and life in abundance while knowing that we get to spend an eternity with our Savior! How cool is that?!
Verse 29-30: When your heart overflows with understanding, you’ll be very slow to get angry. But if you have a quick temper, your impatience will be quickly seen by all. A tender, tranquil heart will make you healthy, but jealousy can make you sick.”
In verses 29 and 30, Solomon addresses anger, patience and jealousy. Three topics that a lot of us can relate to on a daily basis. Being understanding for others is the first step to not getting angry. It is so hard when we have blinders’ on and can’t see something from another person’s perspective, and it causes us to get angry. But if we try and put ourselves in their shoes, we will be slow to anger and learn to become more patient with those who may act or think differently than us.
Solomon talks about jealousy and how it can actually cause you to be “sick.” We think King Solomon is addressing anxiety here. One of the key factors of anxiety is comparing everyone else’s lives to our and then becoming jealous of what others have. This could not ring more true today. We are constantly looking at other’s highlight reels of their lives and wishing ours looked the same, and it causes us to be sick. But if we choose to look inward and focus on our own lives and our own personal walk with Jesus, it will slowly begin to heal our hearts and we can become healthy.
We want to end on this note. This chapter of Proverbs is packed with truth about positive ways to live our lives and to be “wise.” Some of us may read this chapter and think, “Wow I feel really like the foolish one.” But that is the beauty of the Gospel. No matter how foolish, messed up, or wrong we may be, we are given GRACE and can become wise by listening to what God has to say to us. He is not keeping a record of everything we have done wrong and thinking we are foolish. He sees us as His children and wants to give us the best fatherly advice that He can give. He wants to see us full of life and joy! We are given access to the BEST life advice from a Heavenly Father that loves us. We can have peace knowing that He always has our best interest at heart.
Want more from Sadie and Live Original? Follow us on Instagram @Liveoriginal
