From a Cluttered Desk

I am Tammy Cardwell, she of the cluttered desk. (Hey, you think I'm kidding?!) I'm having a blast here in Blogland and invite to you to peruse my ramblings. Like a buffet, they offer variety - essentially whatever makes it to the top of the piles that sometimes clutter my brain. We'll eventually cover it all - homeschooling, God, our church, the Eclectic Homeschool Online, books I'm writing and publishing, conferences I speak at, the joys of grandmotherhood, and hopefully chocolate. Of course, this is only what's near the top now. Who knows what's in those piles?

Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Hey, I wonder if this is where they got the "Just say no" campaign that was used to combat drug use some years back. I remember hearing some people scoff at the commercials, insisting that the answer was too simple. Obviously it’s not, because God uses it too. My son, if a sinner tries to persuade you to join him in his sin, just say no. End the discussion right there.

Proverbs 1:11-14
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole as those who go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

Well, that covers a huge chunk of the crimes committed in the U.S. today, doesn’t it? I’d like to think that few people who read this book will be invited to take part in such activity, but I know better. How many of our children receive this invitation more than once? How many of them face the temptation to fall for one of the devil’s biggest lures-THINGS?

Parents, talk to your kids. Maybe you should even study Proverbs with them. Show them that this temptation is not new, but is nearly as old as man. Help them see, too, that the rewards of such sin have not changed. Yes, we all want to think that of course our kids would "just say no," but it never hurts to give your children instruction in righteousness as Solomon did.

After all, if he felt it necessary to speak these words to his own sons…

Proverbs 1:15
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Get away from them immediately!

This really is what he’s saying here. It’s more than just saying no when they ask the one question. It is telling them no and then getting out of Dodge. If the people you’ve been hanging with would even consider doing such things, it is time to end your association with them. I’m jumping ahead, but Proverbs 13:20 says, "…the companion of fools shall be destroyed." Solomon elaborates on the destiny of these people in the verses.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

PS: You can read more of my Meditations on the Word right here at TammyCardwell.net.

Proverbs 1:8
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

I love this. Dads, take note! Yes, Solomon is talking about himself and yes, he could be talking about our heavenly Father as well, but he is also talking about you. He is telling your sons to listen to your instruction. Clearly, though it is often the mother who instructs her children in righteousness and wisdom here in the U.S., Solomon considered it the father’s responsibility. So does God, of course. Study Deuteronomy and you see again that it is the fathers who are called to teach their children the Laws (the Word) of God. Not, of course, that this lets Mom off the hook!

Look at the original language and you see that "the law of thy mother," is actually the Law of God that Mother lives by. So Mother is also speaking God’s Word into the lives of her children and these children are commanded to obey it-never forsaking it.

We, the children who hear the instructions of our heavenly Father and do not forsake the law of our mother, will live godly, righteous, wise lives, and these are rewards indeed.

Proverbs 1:9
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

We’ll look so purty!

Seriously, though, the "ornament of grace" is like the wreath worn by winners in the ancient Olympic games; it is a sign of victory. And the chains around our necks? These are signs of kingship.

So he who listens to, really hears the instruction of his father and walks in obedience to it (I, of course, am also thinking of my heavenly Father here), and does not forsake the law of God, will be like a victorious champion and king.

And remember that the victor’s wreath and the king’s chains are visible signs meant to make others aware of the wearer’s status. When we walk like this it is not just an inward thing; it will be apparent to those around us.

Likewise, the one who refuses to live as he should shows obvious signs of his inward condition as well.

Read more of my Meditations on the Word right here at TammyCardwell.net.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Okay, first things first; I never want anyone to be able to call me a fool, so I purpose in my heart never to despise wisdom or instruction.

It’s easy to say this, but I know from experience just how much foolish flesh hates wisdom and instruction. It’s all too easy to take offense when a fellow believer points out your weaknesses, when someone gives you instruction in righteousness. You see this in people of all ages, though it is usually more apparent in younger people simply because as we age we learn-either how to receive the instruction or how to hide the fact that we aren’t.

"The fear of the Lord" is a phrase I never understood as a child. On the one hand adults told me He was love and on the other hand they wanted me to fear Him-or so I thought. The word translated as "fear," though, actually means "reverence" in our modern language. This does imply some fear, but also a great deal of respect and esteem; obviously, you would not esteem someone that you feared in a bad way.

So it is reverence for the Lord that is the beginning of knowledge. The very first thing we must do if we truly desire wisdom is develop a genuine reverence for God.

Remember that you can always find more of my Meditations on the Word right here at TammyCardwell.net.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Here I go making plans for regular postings and in almost the first week I come near forgetting a scheduled post. Go me. [snort]

Proverbs 1:5
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Here Solomon (and the Holy Spirit) says what I know to be true. Just as we never outgrow the Bible in general, we never grow so wise that we cannot gain from this book in particular. In fact, Proverbs repeatedly talks about how the wise man actively seeks more wisdom. In other words, the fact that we come to the book of Proverbs seeking wisdom is a sign that we walk in at least a little wisdom already. This is reassuring.

I couldn’t resist looking up some more words in the original. "Hear" is great. It means, "to hear intelligently," and the implication is that hearing involves truly paying attention and walking in obedience to what you hear. And the "learning" that the wise man will increase, or work to get more of, is "something received." The implication here is mental, which is interesting when you consider the amount of research that has connected continued mental activity-in other words, continuing to learn throughout life-with not developing Alzheimer’s.

Finally we come to, "And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels." I can’t read this verse without thinking of some people I’ve known through the years, people who thought they knew it all, people who really thought they were men or women of understanding. According to this bit of Scripture, they were mistaken, because they turned away from the wise counsel that the man of understanding seeks out.

Proverbs 1:6
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

So this is another reason Solomon’s proverbs have been recorded for us. They teach us to understand proverbs and their interpretations, the words wise men speak, and a wise man’s "dark sayings." The word translated here as "dark sayings" means puzzle, trick, or conundrum-in other words, a riddle. So Proverbs not only teaches us how to live like wise men, but how to think like them as well. There’s nothing like getting the whole package!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

 Proverbs 1:3
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

Okay, I know that "receive" is an active verb. Someone else can give me a thing, but for me to receive it takes active effort on my part. So another part of Solomon’s purpose is to enable me to receive-to take what is given and make it mine. And the things I’m receiving?

I will be enabled to receive instruction of wisdom. I know from the Scriptures that wisdom is vital, that without it I will never accomplish all God has planned for me. So yes, I want to truly receive and act on instruction in wisdom.

I will be enabled to receive instruction in justice. Hm… When I checked out "justice" in the original language, I found that it refers to the right: the natural right, the moral right, and the legal right. We tend to think of justice strictly in the legal and moral senses, perhaps mostly in the legal sense. But what about natural right?

I will be enabled to receive instruction in judgment. Since I was already looking up key words in the original language, I looked at this one too. I was expecting it to say something along the lines of "making wise decisions." It does not. This is actually a legal reference to a verdict, whether positive or negative. This surprised me until I remembered  that Solomon’s proverbs are essentially teachings given to his sons. Yes, it does make sense that they would need to understand what it takes to make wise verdicts. On the surface, the same may not seem true of us, but we are sons and daughters of the King and yes, we are put in positions of judgment much more often than we realize. Too, in learning how to judge rightly, I learn when not to judge at all; considering how quick some Christians are to judge others, it is a good thing that we are enabled to received instruction in this area!

Proverbs 1:4
To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

Exactly! Those of us who need help, whether we’re simple, young, or in our elder years, may come to the book of Proverbs and find the guidance and instruction we need.

I know that all Scripture is inspired by God and suitable for reproof, instruction in righteousness, etc. (II Timothy 3:16) I also understand that "everyone" knows how important  the book of Proverbs is and how readily we can apply it to our daily lives. So why is it that I’ve only begun daily readings of the Proverbs in recent months?

I can answer this in part right now. It’s because every single chapter offers so much that I often feel guilty moving on to the next verse without taking time to sit and truly think about the one I just read. This is why I’ve decided to follow this path-meditating on the book of Proverbs a bite at a time. It will obviously take a long time to work my way through the whole book, but oh, the things I can learn!

Happy Wednesday!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I’ve decided to start something new. Hopefully this will help me be a little more consistent with my posting, and also share more variety. The plan is that on Mondays I’ll post things from my personal archives, articles or other things I wrote ages ago and have had filling file folders for who knows how long. On Wednesdays I’ll post brief selections from the new book I’m working on, Meditations on the Word: The Proverbs.

So here goes!

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

I have never fully appreciated Proverbs before-not until I began reading them daily (31 chapters = 1 per day) a few months back. The problem, I believe, is that there is no much crammed into each chapter that the best you can hope to really internalize is a nugget here and there if you read them faster than one verse at a time. And one verse at a time makes for very slow going.

But in meditating on the Word going slowly is the point, so I come to Proverbs with fresh intent, to sit at the feet of one of the wisest men who ever lived and really listen to what God has to say through his words. So I have asked the Holy Spirit to teach me, and I share my thoughts with you.

Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

There was purpose in the recording of Solomon’s wisdom. It wasn’t done to exalt him or make him look even better than he already did. He set these proverbs down so that we would "know wisdom and instruction" and "perceive the words of understanding."

I certainly want to know wisdom or, as some translations put it, godly wisdom. My own wisdom certainly amounts to nothing. Give me godly wisdom instead-the wisdom that reflects that of my Father in heaven.

"To know…instruction…" The phrasing here is interesting. Instruction is good for us, and sometimes we don’t know it for what it is. Instead of taking instruction and acting on it properly, we may tend to take offense and turn away. This is our mistake, because it leaves us lacking when part of what we need was right in front of us.

And then there’s the next part of his purpose, that the reader would be able to "perceive the words of understanding." How many times have I been in a service and known the minister was saying something vitally important, but I just couldn’t get it, simply could not internalize it like I needed to? So if I study Proverbs, I will gain ability in this area? This one promise, if I had no other, would make it worth the effort!

And that’s the end of the first week’s snippet!

If you enjoy this sort of thing, you can find more of my Meditations on the Word right here at TammyCardwell.net!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

You know meditating on the Word is important to me and may even have read samples of my own Meditations. There are many ways of meditating on the Word, however. Or perhaps I should say there are many ways in which your meditations can be recorded. The following is a result of God leading me to the first three verses of Psalm 1 during my prayer time yesterday, as I recorded it in my prayer journal.

Psalm 1 from my perspective, referring to the Amplified version.

Blessed - happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable - are we, because we do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], stand [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, or sit down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. We are blessed because of this, and it is an established fact that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow to it.

Instead of doing these things, we delight in and desire the law of the Lord and it is on His law - the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God - that we habitually meditate [pondering and studying] day and night. I decree all of these things about me, Jack, and everyone I pray for regularly (following this is a list of those people)

We are all like trees firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water. We are well looked after by the Master Gardener. We are ready to bring forth our fruit in its season. Our leaves do not fade or wither; our bodies show no bad signs of age, the passing of time, or environment, be it pollution, poison, or whatever. And everything we do prospers and comes to maturity. Yes! (Jeremiah 17:7-8) We are most blessed because we believe in, trust in, and rely on the Lord, because our hope and confidence are in Him.

We ARE like a tree planted by the waters, one that spreads out its roots by the river, and we do not see and fear when heat comes, but our leaves stay green. We are not anxious and careful in the year of drought; nor do we cease from yielding fruit.

Thank You God! Thank you for reminding me of all of this today!

When I opened my Bible expecting to go into Proverbs God led me here instead. He knew I would be needing it, because later in the day the rains started yet again and today I found out that yes, it is now going to be yet another two weeks before we start real building on our wonderful, new home. God has marvelous timing, doesn’t He? He knows exactly what encouragement we are going to need and, if we’re listening, gives it to us ahead of time so that we will be reminded of just how much He loves us.

Be blessed on this holiday weekend!

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

I’m working on a book of meditations on The Proverbs. (If you’re unfamiliar with meditations, make sure you check out my  Meditations on the Word, which I’ve published here at TammyCardwell.net.) I am continually amazed by the wealth of wisdom to be found here, nearly overwhelmed by how much there is to learn in these 31 chapters. When I first began, I thought I could have the book written in a few months, but in reality it may take years. There is so much here that I am literally working one verse at a time. (No, I’ve not dared look at how many verses there are in this book. LOL!)

With these things in mind - that the book will take much longer to write than I’d thought, and that there is so much valuable wisdom here - I’m considering offering my thoughts on a proverb a week, taking one little bite out of this book each week and chewing on it for a few minutes.

For instance, I encountered this proverb in last night’s reading.

Proverbs 27:21 (NLT)
Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.

Is this not the honest truth? Think of what you’ve seen praise do to and for people. Those with no self-esteem grow in self-confidence. Those who are prideful and arrogant grow even moreso. Truly, not only can you  tell what a person is made of when they’re praised by others, but just as fire changes the makeup of silver and gold, so can praise change the makeup of a person.

So the question is, "How do I respond to praise?"

Good question.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Leviticus 18:5
If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.

This is true on many levels. Obviously, the children of Israel found spiritual life through obeying God’s laws and regulations, but they really did find physical life too.

It is astounding, how many of God’s laws and regulations were health-related. When I first learned this, I wondered, but then I realized that they didn’t have all of the information that we take for granted today. They didn’t know about bacteria and germs and how to avoid passing contagious diseases from one person to another, so they had to be told, “Don’t do that.”

One might wonder why God would simply give them a list of rules without taking time to explain them all, but in reading Leviticus one realizes that there were so many rules they had to learn quickly that there’s no way. They were like children, and as is often true with children I’d say that in this case it really was easiest just to say, “Don’t touch the stove!”

And like obedient children, they did what they were told to do and they truly did find life, I’m sure living healthier lives than did those who lived around them. In fact, though I’ve not studied the health-related practices of ancient civilizations, I’d hazard a guess that they were ages before their time in this area.

Talk about Daddy taking care of you!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Leviticus 17:10-11
"And I will turn against anyone, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you, who eats or drinks blood in any form. I will cut off such a person from the community, for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.

I’ve been reading Leviticus (this is the New Living Translation) and have seen once again the huge importance God places on blood. Considering all I’ve read and what I know of the rest of the Scriptures, the import of these two verses is almost overwhelming. There is so much here to consider.

First, God gives the command that no one can eat or drink blood because He gave it specifically to serve two purposes (both holy) – to give life and to bring atonement for sins. The blood was to be kept separate and given special treatment even when preparing to cook the daily meal. Never, for any reason, could man take blood into his own body; were he to do so, rather than covering his sin as it would if offered on the altar, it would, through his misuse of it, result in him being cut off from the community.

God is clear. Never abuse the blood!

And then we move to the New Testament and to Jesus, who says, “This is My blood. Drink it.” Now everything has changed. THIS blood we must drink, we must partake of. The Old Testament showed the blood being offered on the altar repeatedly to make atonement from sin. The New Testament Blood was offered up one time only, to redeem us from sin. In the Old Testament we could not drink the blood because it was holy. In the New Testament we are commanded to drink The Blood because we have been made holy. The Blood-giver lives in us; the life of our ‘flesh’ is in His Blood.

There is so very much to be seen, to be learned, about The Blood, and the learning really does start with the Children of Israel in the desert.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C