Acquire Wisdom! Acquire Understanding!

This morning I felt led to share some things that God is showing me in the book of Proverbs. I started reading Teach them Diligently: How to use the scripture in child training by Louis Priolo. While reading I realized that I hadn't memorized a lot of scripture. It was becoming increasingly hard to use scripture to discipline her when I didn't have enough of it stored in my head and my heart. This lead to my study of Proverbs. This is an amazing book for wisdom. I didn't realize how much of it could pertain to child rearing! I guess that is the amazing thing about His word; you can always learn somthing new.

Wow. I'm really chasing a rabbit here. Let me get back to my point ;).

Sometimes I feel, what's the word...silly when using biblical language to correct Michaela. It's not something I heard growing up and it's not the main stream way of correction. I second guess myself and think that maybe she is just too young to understand "obey", "honor", "respect", "wise", etc. I mean, she's only two.

But God confirmed to me this morning through His word that I should continue to use the scriptures to correct her. Proverbs 4:3-9 says,

³When I was a son to my father,

Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
⁴Then he taught me and said to me,

"Let your heart hold fast my words;

Keep my commandments and live;
⁵Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
⁷"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
⁸"Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹"She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."

King David taught Solomon at a young age about wisdom. My first thought was that he had to be very young because it said the only son in the sight of my mother. I assummed there were more children so he was probably very young. He still might have had more children with Bathesheba but it doesn't mention it in scripture so I don't want to make that assumption. He does use the word tender so we can say that he was a young person.

From the young age David is teaching Solomon to acquire wisdom and acquire understanding. According to Webster's dictionary acquire means "to get as one's own". My goal as a mom is to lead my children to love wisdom and to fear God. I don't want them to fear me as a parent because one day I will not be here. One day they will leave my sight but they will never leave the sight of God.

Not only am I to teach her wisdom but I also have to teach her how to use this wisdom. She needs to acquire understanding. I need to let her see how the Bible is practical in her everyday life. Another goal is to show her that God wants her to use His word everyday. To be a Christian doesn't just mean we go to church. It means we are striving to follow Christ and become more like him everyday.

So I guess this means I need to continue to feel silly.

Thanks for showing this to me God and letting me share your wisdom with others.