–    A Walk Through Proverbs –

Welcome,

     Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and take a quiet breath for a moment.

     This devotional journal (or walk) was not written by a pastor, Bible scholar, or even someone who claims to have life all figured out.

     It is written by an ordinary guy simply trying to walk honestly with the Great Spirits of God one day at a time.

     Life has a way of wearing people down sometimes.

     The body gets tired.

     The heart carries grief and sorrow.

     The mind becomes noisy.

     Faith can feel strong one season, but very quiet the next.

     Yet through it all, God remains patient.

     The biblical book of Proverbs is filled with simple wisdom for ordinary life: on how we speak; on how we treat people; on how we handle anger; on how we walk through difficulties; and on how we slowly learn to trust God more deeply.

     This journal (or walk) is not meant to overwhelm you.

     It is simply an invitation to slow down for a few minutes each day and quietly reflect on the word, grace, wisdom, and life God has placed in front of you.

     Some days may encourage you.

     Some days may challenge you.

     Some days may simply help you breathe a little deeper and remember you are not walking alone.

     You do not need perfect faith to begin – Just an honest heart.

     So, pour another cup of coffee or tea if needed, and let us walk through Proverbs together one day at a time.      The Old Guy with his Bible.

DAY 1:

= WISDOM BEGINS WITH HUMILITY =

SCRIPTURE = Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge….”

REFLECTION = One thing life teaches us sooner or later is this – None of us know as much as we think we do.

     When we are younger, we often feel certain about almost everything.

     Then life happens.

     We walk through disappointment, loss, failure.

     Broken Relationships.

     Unexpected turns we never saw coming.

     Personally, I have lost jobs, walked through a divorce, survived a widow-maker heart attack, and continue living with multiple chronic illnesses.

     Like many people, I have also wrestled with quiet questions that do not always have easy answers.

     Questions such as:

     Why Me?

     Why Now?

     Will things ever get easier?

     Over time, many of us slowly realize wisdom is not about pretending to have all the answers.

Real wisdom usually begins with humility.

Proverbs reminds us that wisdom starts when we recognize the Great Spirits are of God – and we are not!

That is not meant to make us fearful in an unhealthy way.

It is meant to help us live with reverence, trust, and openness.

Some of the wisest people I have ever met were also the gentlest.

They listened more.

Spoke carefully.

Admitted when they were wrong.

And understood they still had much to learn.

Humility softens the heart enough for wisdom to enter.

Maybe today God is not asking us to have everything figured out, maybe He is simply asking us to stay teachable!

WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME = The older I get, the more I realize wisdom often sounds quieter than pride.

QUIET REFLECTION = Where in my life might the Great Spirit of God be asking me to become more teachable?

JOURNAL SPACE =  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A MOMENT OF PRAYER = Great Spirit of God, help me walk with humility today. Teach me to listen well, learn slowly, and trust You more deeply. Amen.