The Whole Story

"For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones, 

I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him..." Proverbs 7:6-13

Did You Read It?

So I posted these verses on Facebook as my status and wrote at the end, "Read the rest of this chapter to get the whole story. There is much true here." The likes I had on it were much less than my usual "Bible verse" posts. So it makes me wonder?.....

Did you read the whole story? Did you see all the truths?

.... or did you only noticing "the harlot" and did it make you uncomfortable?

If that's why you didn't like it, I understand. It's easier to not associate ourselves with that, but unfortunately, our society is becoming more and more like this story.

Here is Why I Posted This:

"For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones"

OBSERVED: The writer is observing what is happening outside the window. The writer is walking circumspectly and watching the circumstances around him. Are you aware of your surroundings? (Eph. 5:15)

"I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house."

OBLIVIOUS/THE SIMPLE: This man went somewhere he wasn't suppose to go. This man didn't have understanding. He went "near her corner", like a child that played with fire and got burnt. Do you get involved with things you shouldn't? Reading your Bible will give you better insight on things that you need to avoid. :)

"In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night"

THE NIGHT/DARKNESS: Are you up later than you should be? Are you going places at night where you shouldn't be going? "Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19 Go to sleep early. Set for yourself a curfew. :)

"(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) "

SEEKING ATTENTION: This woman left her own home and went seeking after problems. Are you minding your own business and doing what God has told you to do? Or are you getting into trouble? "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;" 1 Thes. 4:11 Memorize this verse. Stay busy with things that honor and please God. :)

My Thoughts:

Whenever I post anything, I'm always double checking myself and very cautious about each word, paragraph, and the meaning behind it. This story is so relevant to our generation. It is an important one to study. I only give the preview, because God tells us to study His Word for ourselves. (2 Tim. 2:15) We must know our Bible and let His truths enter our heart.

As for the harlot.... Have we forgotten about God's love toward Rehab, the harlot? She became the grandma to Boaz, Ruth's husband. :D Or His love for the Samaritan woman who had 5 husbands and wasn't married to the man she was living with? Or His forgiveness toward the woman caught in the act of adultery?

I make mistakes and get myself in trouble. I'm an imperfect wife and mother: as the quote goes "to err is human". When I read this woman's story, I can learn from her mistakes and grow in godliness. I can avoid pitfalls and sins that so easily beset me. I can be a changed woman and live godly and wisely (like the writer). That's why I like this story. :)

God loves the sinner and forgives their sins... even this woman in Proverbs 7. We don't know the end of her life, but this part is here to give us an example of how to avoid temptations in our life/society. 

We don't know her whole story, only God does.

God Gave Me a Garden

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Gen 1:29 KJV

Discoveries:

I have been enjoying reading through my Bible year after year. Recently God started to show me all the different verses that talk specifically about gardening. There are SO MANY references to growing food and harvesting. Key Words to look up: herbs, plant, sow, harvest. God is our good Gardener and Creator of all Good things! He has grown more in your backyard than you can imagine! Have you ever stopped to look in your yard to see what plants, herbs, or fruits God may have given you to eat? 

(Did you know Dandelions are edible? Did you know they are considered to be a "bitter herb"? By the way, in Europe, they are harvested for food. Did you know God talks about them in His Word? Ex. 12:8)

Research/Wait:

"Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house." Prov. 24:27

Before I destroyed any part of my backyard, I did ALOT of research to discover what I already had. I found out that I have MORE edible foods than I thought possible! :) God loves to give good gifts to His children! Here is a list of what God has given me:

* Blackberries
* Green Plums
* Cherry Plums
* Two Hazelnut trees
* Horseradish roots
* Lots of Dandelions
* Clovers

I have borrowed books from the library such as: "Your Farm in the City", "Compost", "Organic Gardening, and "Western Garden Book of Edibles". All excellent reads! I got an app that shows you what plants you may have. It's called "LikeThat Garden". I started "gardening journaling" to keep track of my plants/fruits so that I could maintain them.

Laboring/Working:

I stepped out in faith believing that God will give the things I needed to succeed. I began planning on what to weed out. I began a compost for helping the soil to continue to thrive. As I labored, God blessed my efforts and, through the generosity of family, gave me some seeds and some herbs for my growing gardening!

Adding to the List:

* 7 Herbs (Dill, Rosemary, Cilantro, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Sage)
* A tomato plant
* Onions
* Lettuce
* Carrots
* Snap Peas

I know if I am faithful in maintaining and caring for my garden, God will continue to bless my work. He is my gardener. I am his servant.

Results:

I am already planning on preserving the fruits and berries by canning. I am excited to enjoy the herbs throughout the summer and preserve them for winter. I can't wait to taste the veggies and show my daughters how they are formed. 

This edible backyard will teach me more about my Creator. Just as I prune my fruit trees, God will teach me how to "prune" myself. Just as I weed out the bad plants, God will teach me how to weed out the sin out of my life. I'm excited to learn about God's Garden.

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: 

Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." Prov. 9:9