Proverbs for daily living

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 29
(Please read the entire chapter of lovely proverbs yourself. I will comment on a few of them with the help of my NLT Bible notes.)

Verse 1: Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair. (Criticism in constructive form is good for us because it forces us to accept the good kind of change. If we don't accept criticism we will break because we fail to recognize our shortcomings.)


Verse 15: To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. (Parents often weary of disciplining young children. They feel like all they do is nag, scold and punish. But don't give up! You must not let your children do whatever they want. They need consistent, loving discipline.)


Verse 16: When the wicked are in authority, sin increases. But the godly will live to see the tyrant's downfall. ( When the wicked are in leadership roles, sin can prevail in any organization including church and government. The climate comes from the top. People tend to become like their leaders. What kind of climate are you setting for the people you love?)

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy. (Divine guidance refers to words from God received by prophets. Where there is ignorance of God, crime and sin run rampant. Public morality depends on the knowledge of God and keeping God's laws. In order for nations and individuals to function well, people must know God's ways and keep his rules. YES, THAT MEANS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!)


HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? I especially like another verse about the discipline of young children. We've already had a couple of proverbs that were similar. I can remember when my children were in their teens and I felt so frustrated that it was all I could do to keep from running away somewhere. I felt like they hated me for being "on them" so much of the time. Sometimes during raising children we get very frustrated and feel like we have ruined every chance for a loving relationship with our children. But remember that kind, firm, correction helps them learn. And learning makes them wise. Consistency is the key and ultimately they will learn to discipline themselves. The child I was the hardest on- my daughter- has turned out to be a responsible, hard-working adult. I'd like to take some credit for that along with the Lord.


Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for our friend Dennis Moore who has stage one Alzheimer's.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.