House Beautiful

A house is built by wisdomand becomes strong through good sense.Through knowledge its rooms are filledwith all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

Proverbs 24:3-4

I just returned from visiting a third-world country. Sadly, it is marred with building projects that are poorly constructed, half finished, abandoned, and vandalized. The country is rich in natural resources and spectacular beauty. But many people live in unkept shacks, their situations never improving from generation to generation. It makes me wonder.

Today’s beautiful proverb pictures a stunning contrast. The key words are built, wisdom, strong, good sense, knowledge, filled, precious riches, and valuables.

I know many women who came from a life of shambles. But I have also seen those very same women completely turn toward God with desperate hope. I have seen God restore marriages, bring back prodigal children, reconnect mothers with children placed for adoption, and help women who were drug addicts become leaders and mentors to restore others.

Joshua stood at the dividing point in the Israelites’ history and shouted these words: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the [people] in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV). Joshua had seen the Promised Land. He knew that nothing compared with it. As we read these words, God is throwing open the door. Will you choose today to let the Lord be the unrivaled God and ruling King of your home? He will then fill your life with precious riches: peace, kindness, fruitfulness, his strength, and most of all his presence.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

“A house is built by wisdom.” The building process does not happen overnight. Brick by brick it is built from the ground up. Is there a portion of your life that needs reconstruction? All right—get started! Ask God to show you where the root of the problem is. Face it honestly. Face where you have been foolish or unsurrendered. Repentance removes the rubble. Forgiveness gives you a fresh start. His Holy Spirit then empowers you and provides all the materials you need to rebuild.

One Year Bible Reading

Isaiah 45:11–48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4