October has 31 days and there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs... Join me in committing to reading one chapter of Proverbs a day for the month of October.
I've done this a couple times before, both alone and with Ken. If you can read it with your husband that is great but even to sit alone and think on the wisdom it offers is worth the time. It is an amazing source of godly wisdom... living and active, applying to you and me today! It is great for all believers, especially for moms and dads as you are daily instructing and training your children in the Lord, really good for us women who tend to have trouble controlling our tongues (which has the power of life and death... sobering stuff) and maybe even nagging our husbands to the point of torture... also, money, pride, the ways of a fool, speaking truth, envy, being gentle, and forgiveness to name only a few treasures. The last time I did this was in March. I kept a journal and took notes daily as I read. It can take as little as 5 minutes or much more depending on how much time you want to spend in there.
Here is a cool personal testimony as to why I encourage you to do this:
On Monday, March 5 we found out we had lost our baby. That same day I was two days behind on reading from the weekend and caught up reading chapters 3-5 that morning before going to the doctor. When I got home after having what felt like the wind knocked out of me, I had to lay down and take a few minutes to process the news. It was then I felt the Lord prompting me to choose: to fall into a pit of great despair and sadness (which I felt myself sinking into) or to CHOOSE to trust him. He was not telling me don't grieve, but he was asking me to let him carry me. He was asking for me to step out and trust him in a moment when I had no control of the outcome. He wanted me to step into rough waters, be willing to trust him wherever he might lead me. He wanted me to ultimately find my rest in him alone.
I knew what he was asking of me. But I really wanted to just do it my way. It was then he told me to get my Bible. He lead me back to what I had read earlier that morning and so straight to Proverbs 3:5 I went (notice the date was also 3-5-13). It reads, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." To be honest when I read it that morning my attitude was wrong toward that verse. I actually thought, "yea, yea I know that verse... I've heard that before... I want something new." But then God brought me back to it and shined a new light on what it really meant to trust him when I did not understand, when I did not have control, when my faith was failing and my heart questioning him. It was a time of awakening for me. It was in that moment I decided to trust God even though I was grieved terribly and did not understand why this had happened. As much as it meant giving up my way, it was an easy choice because I knew after all he had done for me I could not keep from giving him all of me. It's really amazing to me how even when we don't understand our circumstances we can still choose Him and trust Him! And now, looking back, I am sure that because of going through a miscarriage and making the choice to trust him I experienced the sweetest time I have ever had with the Lord.
It was surely no coincidence I read that verse on that day and the date coincided with the verse he took me to. The Lord has those same kind of treasures for you to find in His word if only we will chose daily to sit at his feet, dig into his word and listen.
You have about a week to psyche yourself up for this challenge! Hope you will!
