This is for the Ladies (Proverbs 14:1)

The hunter of the family has always been the man. He goes out, kills an animal and brings it home for his family. In 2010, it hasn't changed much. The man now goes to work to bring home a paycheck for his family. The woman, however, has always been the nurturer of the family. She is the one that internally provides for the family.

"Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1, Amplified

It is the wise woman that constantly provides for her family. Now I am not talking about keeping the women barefoot and pregnant, or that her place is only in the kitchen. I am talking about her place as the nurturer. AS she fulfills the role the Lord has given to her, the family unit becomes stronger.

The foolish woman does not fulfill this role and her family falls to pieces. This is not to say that she purposefully tears her family apart, but when the we stray from the things the Lord has laid out for us, everything seems to crumble. It is like the brand new car that sits in the driveway and never started. Eventually it will brake down because it was never treated properly. Everything in this life has a maintenance plan. The family simply needs to be nurtured.

Satisfaction (Proverbs 13:25)

Satisfaction can come in so many different forms. One thing I like to define satisfaction as is "just enough". For myself, I tend to eat till I am full. New Year's Eve, I went to Carrow's and had a burger and fries, then went to a party where I continued to eat. At the party I had pigs in a blanket, taquitos, chicken tortilla soup, hot wings, chips, almonds and a few Diet Cokes. I was stuffed, and uncomfortably so. Satisfaction is getting just enough; not too much nor too little.

"The [uncompromisingly] righteous eats to his own satisfaction, but the stomach of the wicked shall want." Proverbs 113:25, Amplified

There are two different ways that this verse can be viewed. In a physical stand point it seems that the righteous man does not go hungry whereas the wicked man starves. However, in the Gospel of Luke we find the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus ended up in Abraham's Bosom whereas the rich man ended up on the other side of the gulf in Hades. In this life, Lazarus went hungry, and the rich man ate till he was full. In life today, we can see that this verse is not necessarily true in the physical sense. There are righteous people in the world today who are going hungry, and there are evil men whose pockets are lined with wealth and their stomachs are never empty.

So what does this verse mean? As a child of God, we have the ability to be satisfied in every aspect of our lives. Do not think of the word "eat", rather replace it with the phrase "experiences life". The righteous experiences life to his own satisfaction. As food is placed on the table, we say a blessing over it and eat enjoying the experience with the family. The meal is an experience to be shared and enjoyed with others. As we travel on vacation, a prayer is said over the travels we make and enjoy the trip with whomever we are with. The righteous man includes the Lord in everything that he does, therefore the experiences of his life are satisfying.

The wicked man has no one to share those experiences with because he is a selfish man. There may be times when he includes others in his debauchery, but in the end it will be about himself. In selfishness, there will never be enough. The wicked and the sinner do not understand satisfaction.

Diligent Discipline of the Lord (Proverbs 13:24)

What a great verse to ring in the new year with.

"He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him diligently disciplines and punishes him early." Proverbs 13:24, Amplified

The Lord has taught me so much this past year. 2009 was not without its downfalls, however, if I have learned on thing, it is that the Lord loves me. He has disciplined me over this year to show me that He loves me. "The rod and rebuke give wisdom..." (Proverbs 29:15, NKJV) "Correct your son and he will give you rest..." (Proverbs 29:17, NKJV)

I thank God that He loves me enough to rebuke me. What this does is it puts me back on the right path and shows me that He has not forgotten about me. I may forsake him in prayer and in reading my Bible or going to church. But He is ever diligent to keep me in His right standing.