Last week we learned that wisdom is a posture before it is a possession. This week we will continue ascending into an augmenting awareness of wisdom by learning to cultivate a deep admiration of God. "How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you." Psalm 31:19

It's tempting to think that the problems of our world are so vast and complex that we shouldn't bother God with our "little" concerns.

But the Book of Proverbs tells us a different story. In it, we meet a God who cares how we use our words so we won't hurt others or get ourselves into compromising situations. We meet a God who cares about how we think and the way ugly thinking derails our lives. We come face-to-face with a God who wants to lovingly direct us in marrying the right person. We meet a God who cares about our careers, the way we handle our money, and our retirement – all for our good.

If you engage Proverbs with your heart, you will feel the presence of a good Father who puts his hand on your shoulder and wants to show you how to live this life well.

A vision for simple prayer that we can all engage in, is asking, believing and conversing with our Heavenly Father as His children.

Fear. We all fear it. Is it possible, though, that in the midst of our fears God's presence is most profound in our lives? Is it possible that when we're weighed down the most by fear that God is most at work in our lives? Is it possible that, mysteriously, fear doesn't have to be our enemy, but a doorway into the extravagant, abundant, rich, eternal life of God? Let's find out together.

Trials. It’s not word we like very much. It implies hardship, maybe pain, and certainly a fight. Those among us who are wise will recognize that our culture is teaching us, day after day, to think of trials as bad - as wrong - and the only sensible strategy in dealing with trials is to obsessively look for a way out. But scripture tells us a different story about trials. We learn that our trials aren’t just random disasters in our lives, but tools God uses to shape us. God is in command of our trials. This means that God is the one who is trying us, so we can trust him when we’re in pain. And the fact that God tries us implies that he cares about us. He loves us. So what now? What do we do with our trials? How do we think about them and respond to them? It’s one thing to believe all this. It’s quite another to meet God in the midst of our pain.