Wisdom & Discipline Go Hand in Hand

On the morning of the fourteenth my nine year old daughter, Iliana said, “Mom I noticed that there are two things the Proverbs are talking a lot about so far. It is talking about discipline or correction and fearing the Lord.” I couldn’t believe that she said that. I knew that it was definitely something that the Holy Spirit wanted us both to see. I know this because before she sat down to read with me that morning I had just read Proverbs chapter fourteen. In my study journal I noted and highlighted the following:

2 Main themes I see so far in Proverbs. Discipline & correction & fearing the Lord. .

I was so happy to see our Lord talking to Iliana and then to see that she was listening brought such joy to my heart. I immediately told her that her revelation was most certainly from the Holy Spirit. I prayed that she would continue to have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying.

I proceeded to look further into both of these themes. I have started with discipline and correction. What I have discovered is that if we want to receive wisdom, grow in knowledge and understanding then we must have a willingness to be taught, receive wise counsel, criticism, correction, and sometimes even rebuke. If this is a problem for us then we need to truly seek God’s help because we are in danger of heading down the wrong path.

Let me show you what the Proverbs says about this subject and may the Holy Spirit give you eyes to see and ears to hear how important it is that we truly grasp the importance of these principles.

• Wisdom and discipline go hand in hand.

“These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline..” Proverbs 1: 1-2

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

• The Lord disciplines and corrects us.

“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 (see also Hebrews 12:5-6)

• The wise love and accept correction.

“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction” Proverbs 12:1

“The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.” Proverbs 10:8

“To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.” Proverbs 25:12

• Those who reject discipline harm themselves and are in danger of going astray.

“People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.” Proverbs 10:17

“If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.” Proverbs 13:18

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Proverbs 15:32

“Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. Proverbs 29:1

• Correction makes wise people even wiser.

“If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.” Proverbs 19:25, 21:11,

“So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” Proverbs 9:8-9

“If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. Proverbs 15:31


Lord your Word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from You. Everything is naked and exposed before Your eyes, and You are the One to whom we are accountable. So please show us anything in us that would keep us from receiving your Word and instruction. We want to receive wise counsel, correction, and even rebuke and become all the wiser. Teach us and correct us because we long for Your wisdom. In Jesus name..Amen.

It'll Be Ok!!

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

It’ll be ok I promise. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get so caught up in trying to figure things out; contemplating all the what ifs, that we lose our peace and joy. We begin to meditate on the dilemma so much that we have forgotten to take it to our Lord in prayer. If we get into trying to fix our problems on our own in our own strength we most certainly will complicate things even further. We have to learn to instinctively run to the throne room full of humility and a willingness to listen and obey. Then we can make our supplications known to God, lay down our will at His feet and accept His Wisdom thankfully. Then His peace will most certainly guard our minds and hearts from worry, fear, and anxiety as we meditate and trust in His Word, Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

James 1:5-8 says “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Our Lord is our source of wisdom and direction. Through prayer and reading of the Word the Holy Spirit reveals which way to go. He is always going to be faithful to lead us down the right path when we ask Him for direction. However, we must be willing to accept His divine counsel. It is foolish to seek God’s face and present our problems to Him to only do the exact opposite of what He has shown us to do. Don’t allow fear, doubt, confusion, and especially compromise to deter you from following the Lord’s will and way.

I have learned that sometimes our Lord’s response is far from what I expected and then others time it is confirming and clarifying the vision that He has already given me. However, when His response is totally opposite of what I thought and most certainly not the way the world would handle my situation I remember the words in Isaiah 55:8-9. It says:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Let us remember that our Lord is faithful and He always works everything out for our good because He loves us so much. He is our Faithful Father carefully watching over us guiding and protecting because He has promised to. Our hope and faith has to be so devoted to Him that we trust Him at His Word. We have to trust him with all of our hearts, and not depend on our own understanding. If we seek His will in all that we do, He will show us which way to go. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Remember that you do not have to be under the yoke of worry or confusion. Get on your face before God and give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22)

Trust Him and it’ll be ok!!!!

A Proverb A Day

My hearts desire this year and my prayer to our Lord was for Him to draw me even closer, to reveal Himself more to me, and to impart His wisdom in me. In fact God’s wisdom is something I have been praying for and seeking ever since I read the story of Solomon in 1 Kings.

When the Lord appointed Solomon as king he visited him in a dream and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon humbly saw the need for greater wisdom to rule and lead God’s people so instead of riches or a long life he asked God for wisdom to govern His people. Solomon desired to have an understanding heart and to know the difference between right and wrong. This greatly pleased our Lord so He gave him the desire of his heart. King Solomon had a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have. (1 Kings 3:5-15)

At the beginning of this year the Lord reminded me of when I used to meditate on Solomon’s teachings daily found in the book of Proverbs. I felt inspired to get back to reading a chapter of the book of Proverbs daily as part of my morning devotionals. I also felt lead to teach my children to use this as their daily devotions. We have been sharing with each other the revelations, corrections, and directions that we have been receiving through our daily readings.

When I read Proverbs 1:1-6 I realized immediately why the Holy Spirit wanted us to meditate on these nuggets of wisdom daily. Verses 1- 4 says that the purpose of the Proverbs is to:

• Teach people wisdom and discipline
• Help them understand the insights of the wise.
• Teach people to live disciplined and successful lives
• Help them do what is right, just, and fair.
• Give insight to the simple
• Give knowledge and discernment to the young

“Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.” Proverbs 1:5-6
The book of Proverbs is a book that imparts skills for living wisely in this fallen world. The instructions and advice given in this book if applied to our lives will result in humility, fruitful relationships, sound financial practices, and gainful vocations.
I encourage you to read a chapter a day based on the date. Today is the 13th so read the 13th chapter and then tomorrow read the 14th and so on. I promise you will receive confirmation and clear instructions for daily living.

Below are some nuggets of wisdom from the book of Proverbs that I have recently read.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23

“Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

“All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” Proverbs 8:13

“So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” Proverbs 9: 8-9

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Proverbs 9:10

“A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays clam when insulted.” Proverbs 12:16

“Those who control their tongue will have a long-life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” Proverbs 13:3