InstaEncouragements Blog

30 Sayings of Counsel and Knowledge

6/10/2022

This Spring, while reading through God's Word with the girls over in the Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group, I discovered 30 sayings of counsel and knowledge that King Solomon records for us in the book of Proverbs. Solomon (990 BC to 931 BC) is credited to have been the wisest man that ever lived, and these 30 sayings of counsel and knowledge that he recorded for us in Proverbs 22-24 are still applicable today.

"Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?" Proverbs 22:17-21

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Lessons Learned in the Mundane

6/3/2022

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Have you ever wondered where David learned to fight Goliath? David’s courage and dependence on God were developed in the everyday, mundane tasks of life. He didn’t know it then but God was preparing him for this very day all of his life! David was a simple shepherd boy keeping his father’s sheep. That seems somewhat mundane, right? However, that task taught David many valuable lessons. In those fields he learned to depend on God, and he developed the courage to fight the giant Goliath. #Bible

"As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him." 1 Sam. 17:23

Have you ever wondered where David learned to fight the giant Goliath? David’s courage and dependence on the living God were developed in the everyday, mundane tasks of life. He didn’t know it then, but God was preparing him for this very day all of his life!

David was a simple shepherd boy. He kept his father’s sheep. That seems like a somewhat mundane task, doesn’t it? However, keeping his father’s sheep taught David many valuable lessons. It’s in those fields that David learned to depend on God, and it’s there that he developed the courage to fight the giant Goliath.

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2 Ways God Reveals Our Sin Through Parenting

5/27/2022

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I'm a firm believer that God always gives believers His best. We are never missing out or overlooked because He never withholds good from us. Whatever season of life God brings is His best for us. Whether young or old, single or married, childless or parents, God is teaching us, growing us, and sanctifying us with His very best. In every season of life I see how He is increasing my faith and expose my heart to grow and change me. Each season builds on the last. #parenting #children #mom #family

I am a firm believer that God always gives every believer His best. We can always be assured that we are never missing out or overlooked because God never withholds good from us.

Whatever the stage and season of life God brings to us, it is His best for us. Whether young or old, single or married, childless or parents, God is teaching us, growing us, and sanctifying us with His very best.

In every season of my life so far, I can clearly see how He has used each one to increase my faith and expose my heart in order to grow me and change me.

Additionally, each season has built upon the other. Just when I think I may have discovered it all or figured it out, God shows me how much I have yet to learn.

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Choosing Motherhood

5/13/2022

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We celebrate #mothers on Mother's Day because of the #relationship we have with them. For those of us #blessed enough to have had good, godly mothers, this relationship is one that imitates God’s relationship with His #children because it is a relationship built upon often unrequited sacrifice, selflessness, and #love. Just like we love #God because He first loved us, we love our mothers because they have shown so much love for us before we even knew how to reciprocate. #motherhood #mothering

This Mother’s Day was my first time being included in the “mother club.” It felt good—if strange—to have people wishing me a “Happy Mother’s Day.” So many people assured me this past Sunday that I was indeed a mother, and it got me thinking about what truly makes a mother and why we actually celebrate mothers.

We celebrate mothers because of the relationship we have with them. For those of us blessed enough to have had good, godly mothers, this relationship is one that imitates God’s relationship with His children because it is a relationship built upon often unrequited sacrifice, selflessness, and love.

Just like we love God because He first loved us, we love our mothers because they have shown so much love for us before we even knew how to reciprocate.

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Sweeter Than Honey: Using Our Time Wisely

4/26/2022

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As I read Proverbs 22-24, I am struck by the words to the wise about how we are to use our time. In Proverbs 22:13, I see a worrier, a person who is hunkered down in their comfort zone and afraid to venture out into the unknown because of potential dangers. I've often said, “Good things are waiting for you, friend, just outside your comfort zone--things you never dreamed possible. And the best thing is, God is waiting to meet you there!” It's the truth, friend! #Biblestudy #devotional #goodreads

From the Old Testament to the New, the eternality of God's Word is clearly proclaimed:

Job tells us, “I have treasured the Words of His mouth more than my portion of food” (Job 23:12).

Isaiah reminds us that, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

And Matthew records Jesus saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

God's Word is like an eternal Love Letter to us!

Have you ever received a love letter, friend? Did you read it? Did you read it just once, or did you read it over and over again? A Love Letter is a treasure when you love the One who sent it!

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How Can I Know the Will of God?

4/22/2022

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Does it ever feel like you’re grasping at straws to figure out what the will of #God is for your life? How can you and I determine the will of God for our lives, both in the big decisions of life as well as the everyday decisions? I remember my dad telling me that 95% of God’s will is found in God’s Word. I was worried about the 5% concerning when, where, how, and with whom I would live out that will of God for my life. #Godswill #willofGod #Bible #Biblestudy #Scripture #Jesus #lifechoices

I remember when I was a teenager, and I was wondering what God wanted me to do with my life. I heard people say that I should be doing the will of God. But at the time it felt like I was grasping at straws to figure out what the will of God was.

I listened intently to the preaching and read my Bible looking for that big flashing sign that would say this is the will of God for you! But I never found that. Instead, I found simple steps of obedience in God’s Word that pointed to His will for my life.

I remember my dad telling me that 95% of God’s will is found in God’s Word. I was worried about the 5% concerning when, where, how, and with whom I would live out that will of God for my life.

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Remembering to Count Your Blessings

4/15/2022

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How can my foolish heart turn a month of #blessings into a #complaining spirit? The answer is quite simple. Dissatisfaction comes naturally. #Gratitude is learned. #Scripture is filled with calls to #praise #God with a #thankful heart, probably because God knows our propensity to selfishly cling to our #complaints like they’re a good thing. We like to have a few good things to #complain about. However, #praising God for His blessings makes us and others focus on His goodness. #blessed #bless

The sound of “Count Your Blessings” instantly transports me back in time. I grew up singing this beloved hymn, but sometimes, in the nostalgia of the melody, I forget the powerful truth of the words. This past month has been so full and packed with good things:

My Mom received clear pet scans and biopsies and was told, to the disbelief and astonishment of her doctors, that she is in remission after taking only half of the prescribed chemo treatments.
My husband and I escaped for a weekend babymoon, a time for just the two of us.
My church friends and family gave baby Lucy and me the most beautiful shower, supplying many needed baby items.
My parents were able to visit for nearly a week. We enjoyed time together and celebrated Mom’s improving health and our upcoming addition to the family.