Train trip meditations

Today my daughter and I are on the train, traveling across a lot of flat farm country on our way to visit my sister and her family and my mom and dad, who live with them now.

We’ve had some delays, and right now are stopped by a field of corn.

We’re going again! Yay!

Towards the beginning of our journey, I was rather shocked to see what appears to be a field of soybeans growing right next to oil refineries and a smoke stack of some sort spewing something or other into the air. I don’t really think I would like to eat the soybeans from that field….

I do have my Bible open on my lap. Here’s a picture so you can study with me!

The Lord “stores up sound wisdom for the upright.”

We just have to go to the storehouse of His Word and gather some! It’s free for the taking! How many other things are free in life!? 😀

“He is a shield to those who walk in integrity…He preserves the way of His godly ones.”

Walking outside of integrity and godliness is walking out from under the umbrella of His protection. When we choose to go our own way instead of His, we expose ourselves to danger.

There is an order to this.

1. Walk in obedience to His Word, and
2. THEN

“you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.”

Why that order I wonder? I think the next verse explains it: because

“wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”

Those who are willfully walking outside of God’s will, harden their hearts and do not find His wisdom to be pleasant. They refuse to receive the good thing that is being offered them.

“Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way of evil….”

Once again, wisdom offers protection, but choosing foolishness instead leaves us open to attack.

Ephesians 4:27 “and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

I’m going to leave the verse on forgetting for another time, as I found that is mentioned more in Scripture than I had realized!

Notice in chapter 3 how one verse gives a command, and the next verse explains “why”.

I like that! 😊

Here are the various benefits to be reaped from obeying these commands:

• Long life,
• Peace,
• Favor with God,
• Good reputation with man,
• Our path made straight for us,
• Healing to our body,
• Refreshment to our bones,
• Enough food to eat with plenty to share with others,
• Reassurance of God’s love.

I like that list, don’t you?

So let’s open up our hearts to God’s teaching and walk in obedience to Him, so that we might reap the benefits that He longs to offer us and bear much fruit for His glory!

If we’ve gone astray, let’s stop and start over and enjoy the ride with Him as the driver!

Let’s not hang around the fields that border the spewing of toxicity, but rather receive our nourishment from the pure Word of God.

“How blessed is the (one) who finds wisdom…for her profit is better than the profit of silver…nothing you desire compares with her…and happy are all who hold her fast.”

(Various verses taken from Proverbs 2:7 – 3:18 NASB)