Expanding prudently

Last Sunday night a friend asked me if I have some more modern translations of Proverbs 31:10-31, as she only had the King James version available to her.  So I went home and checked out The Message translation, the New Living Translation and The Everyday Life Bible translation.

I hadn't read this passage of scripture for about 12 months. I was keen to see what God was going to 'speak' to me about as I read it. There were a few verses that I definitely felt drawn to, one was verse 16 from The Everyday Life Bible:

 

She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

It was the amplified portion of the scripture regarding expanding prudently and not courting neglect etc, that spoke directly to my heart. How often had I gotten side-tracked pouring time and energy into something that really wasn't God's plan for me to do? Or more commonly, not God's perfect timing for that activity?

 

The trigger for me knowing that I was entering the territory of 'neglecting of my present duties', was seeing a decline in our children's behaviour. For example, they would become less patient, and more reactionary to unexpected changes to routine.

 

Through the children's behaviour God was graciously reminding me that there was a couple of key purposes for me to fulfil at this time in my life and everything else could wait.

 

Sometimes it would take days, weeks or even months for me to get this message. Often God would use a gracious friend to help me understand what was happening within our home. Praise God for girlfriends!

 

Eventually I would come to a point where I was able to surrender 'my plans', ask for God forgiveness, apologise to my family and seek their forgiveness too. A very humbling time!

 

Slowly, slowly I am learning to give all "my ideas" to God and then wait!  Wait until I get the green light from Him to proceed. I am praying that my wisdom will increase so that I can indeed 'expand prudently'!

 

Why not be bold and ask God if there is an area in your life that perhaps has caused you to neglect your present duties? Open your heart, ready to hear the answer. Ask God to help you get to that place of surrender. It isn't easy, but the rewards are great, and often they are very unexpected rewards.