Silver Haired Wisdom

Please note:  Fresh Starts will be taking a vacation during the month of July.  Posts will resume the first Monday in August.

Jen G. 2011

When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Immediately afterward, Jeroboam, a man who had rebelled previously against Solomon, came to the king to plead for Rehoboam to have softer hand than Solomon in leading the people. The king listened to the plea and then sought council from the men who had served his father for many years. The elders advised Rehoboam to do what was asked of him and lessen the yoke his father had imposed. And then Rehoboam announced the new and improved rules and Israel began a time of great joy and prosperity that still exists today. If only that were the case…

But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 2 Chronicles 10:8

Two things jump out at me in this Scripture. First, Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders had given him. Second, he consulted his friends instead. And then, he LISTENED to them. (You can read the whole sad story in 2 Chronicles 10.)

The story of Rehoboam is used over and over with kids of all ages as an example of the importance of listening to your elders. As important as it is to point out the foolishness of rejecting the wisdom of godly, older advisors for the short-sighted counsel of younger childhood friends, it is probably more important to note Rehoboam’s age when all this went down. 1 Kings 14:21 says that Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. FORTY-ONE. That is older than I am. I always had this squeaky-voiced, gangly adolescent male in mind when I read this story. Not so! Rehoboam was a grown man when he chose to reject the counsel of those much older and wiser and accept the counsel of those his own age.

Should we not seek counsel from mature believers who are about our same age, or even younger? Of course not. Godly wisdom is godly wisdom regardless from whom it comes. We should, however, be diligent in honoring the wisdom that comes from years of godly living.

The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31

The American culture is not one that honors age. We color the silver crown, surgically stretch out the wrinkles of time, and hide away many who are no longer ‘productive’ to society. The Body of Christ, which is universal and not bound by country, needs to hold older Christ followers in high regard, soaking up what they have learned and observed through years of a faithful walk with God. Learn from the aged, honor them; let them know that their experiences were not in vain.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the silver haired wisdom in my life. Thank You for godly parents and grandparents who have lived full lives for You and who are willing to share that wisdom, not just with me, but with countless others. Help me to honor those who have run the race with endurance, and to learn from them. Amen.

Challenge:
Take stock of how you receive counsel from older believers. Do you write them off as being ‘behind the times’ or ‘in the dark ages’? Do you only look to close-in-age friends for advice and input?

Look around your church this Sunday and make note of the age groups fellowshipping together. Most likely the make up is young with young, old with old. Head over to the older group, take a seat, and spend time with them. Learn from your elders and encourage your children to honor and respect godly age and wisdom. They will learn from your example.

Jen G. 2011

Who's the Mommy?

by Granny W. 2011


I am once again honored to have a devotional written by my grandmother. Be blessed and encouraged as you read her words of wisdom.

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Lately, as I observe some fathers or mothers interacting with their children, it seems the above Scripture is rarely applied. Many children are being given the opportunity to make decisions that should be reserved for parents. Frequently children are asked what they would like to do regarding naptime or a trip to the store. Does this scenario sound familiar?
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“I am going to the store now and you are going to stay home with daddy. Or would you rather go with mommy?”
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And once they arrive at the store, it might go something like this, “Would you like to ride in the cart or push your own?”
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Did I mention the child is three?

In this situation, in order to squelch the verbal abuse or screaming of the child, most moms and dads, out of embarrassment, give in to the child’s demands. This behavior is not reserved for the store. When you experience it in public, it is most likely happening in the home as well.

Can you imagine the pressure on a young child when they are asked to make choices regarding what is best for their health and well-being? Their minds are not fully developed to take on that responsibility. Should a child never have the opportunity to make decisions? Of course not! But the decisions should be age appropriate and not of a parental nature. That is why God gave you to your child.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:1-4

Dads and moms are the first authority in a child’s life. How the child is trained to respond to that authority will pave the way for their future response to the authority of the Lord and to those outside the home.

“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” Colossians 3:20

What starts as a refusal to sit in a grocery cart could very well lead to the refusal to follow a law one day. That sounds extreme, but lack of respect for authority starts somewhere. The good news is that respect for authority starts somewhere as well. We are all creatures of habit; if a child is trained to respect the authority of their parents, they will do so even when they are outside of their parent's care and presence. Let respect for authority begin today in your home!

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly father, my prayer for the moms who are reading this devotional today is that You will give them Your wisdom to discern any problem areas they were not aware existed. Amen.

Challenge:
Summer is upon us and the extra burden of school and schedules has been lifted for a few months. Use this time to discover who the parents are in your home. If it is your children, ask your Heavenly father how you can lovingly reverse the situation. Then enjoy the blessings of watching your children go the way they should from childhood to adulthood.

Granny W. 2011

What Are You Wearing Today?

By MrsB :)

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. In the Church, we know that this day was when the Holy Spirit was poured out (Acts 2), yet this day has a longer history than just the Church age. This day is also called the Feast of Weeks or “Shavuot” in Hebrew, and it was ordained by the Lord as a special day of offering and sacrifice (Lev. 23).

In Israel, it is traditional to read the book of Ruth during the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot because the events in the book occurred at the beginning of the barley harvest, and the Feast of Shavuot takes place during the barley harvest. So in preparing for Pentecost/Shavuot this week, I read through Acts 2, but I also re-read the book of Ruth. You know the story –

A man named Elimelech, his wife, named Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem because of a famine and went to live in Moab. While there, Elimelech died, and his two sons married Moabite women. Then the two sons died! Naomi and the two wives were widowed, leaving them all in a desperate situation. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, as the famine was over, but she encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers in their own country.

Orpah returned to her family, but Ruth wanted to stay with Naomi. Ruth went on to demonstrate her love for Naomi by gleaning grain from the fields of Boaz, and the rest of the story revolves around Naomi realizing that Boaz could be Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer and how that did come to pass.

But a verse stood out to me: Naomi told Ruth how to make herself known to Boaz. Naomi told Ruth to, “Wash yourself, therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes…” Ruth 3:3. Other verses about garments came to mind when I read this. In Isaiah 61, the Lord Jesus is speaking about what He has been anointed to do, and one of them was to give the children of Israel “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). And Revelation 19 says: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean…”
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Ruth decided to follow the One True God and begin a new life. She put on her best clothes in order to be known by Boaz. Is there something here for us today? How are we to conduct ourselves in order to be known by others? What are our “best clothes” as believers in Jesus?

Paul encourages us: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" (Col. 3:12). As we reflect on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost/Shavuot this week, let’s ask the Lord to give us garments of praise, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. If we do this, we will be known by the world as those who are following the One True God and who have begun a new life in Jesus the Messiah.

Prayer:
Lord, I ask You to give me a heightened awareness of how I clothe myself this week. Give me eyes to see that my “garments” are not merely external, but ones that show Your character to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge:
As you put on your garments this week, think of “putting on” praise, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are all manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank the Lord for filling you with His Holy Spirit so that you can walk in His ways before your God, your family, and the world.

MrsB. :) 2011

Name Them One by One...

by Jen G. 2011

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world… Philippians 2:14, 15

The words to the hymn “Count Your Blessings” came back to me this week as I was crabbing to my grandmother about all the ‘misfortunes’ of the previous days; a broken dryer, a broken dishwasher, quarrelling amongst my children, chipped paint on the baseboards… It was ugly. Granny, however, kept pointing me back to the Lord and the importance of recognizing His provision in all areas of my life.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

We have been blessed with plenty of sunshine and our parents’ dryer for rainy days. The broken dishwasher has enabled me to teach my children a new skill (hand-washing dishes), as well as provided them with the opportunity to be productive together. The sound of bickering has alerted me to the fact that I have slipped in some in my child training and need to get with the program. Chipped paint….well, I am thankful that I have walls!

In the midst of counting my blessings, I include Granny and the rest of my family who always point me right back to the Lord. Are you that compass for someone or do you join the pity party of a friend or family member? Begin to count your blessings and help others count theirs as well.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25

Prayer:
Father, thank You for constant reminders to count my blessings. Everything in my life is an opportunity to give You praise. Help me to be the blessing counter with a friend or relative who is struggling with seeing Your goodness in all things. Amen.

Challenge:
Monitor your blessing counting this week. Are you doing a good job or have you fallen off the gratitude wagon? Look for ways that the Lord could be using circumstances to strengthen your faith and draw you closer to Him. Keeping a Gratitude Journal or a Blessings Book is a helpful way to keep on track.  Be mindful of your conversations with friends; be the encourager who points them to thanksgiving. 
Jen G. 2011