Proverbs 2:1-5 (erv)
My son, pay attention to what I say. Remember my commands. Listen to wisdom, and do your best to understand. Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God.
Read
You might remember awhile back, I wrote a devotional with a really weird format. It was more like commentary on the scripture, instead of cohesive thoughts. Today, we’re back to that. There are certain verses that really just feel like they call for bullet points, and this is one of them.
If you missed that day, here’s what’s going on in my head, and what I’m sharing with you: I’ll be highlighting the verses that stood out to me in a specific section (in this case, it’s verses 1-5, above) and my notes on it, in hopes of sparking some of you to dig deeper into this scripture and allow God to speak to you through those words.
Here. we. go.
Cry out for understanding – cry out means to pray for. This is great insight into what we could be/should be praying for that many of us probably aren’t: wisdom.
Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure – Another gentle reminder that wisdom is one of the more beneficial things we could be seeking. I love the comparison of treasure here; how often do I pray for wealth or success in one way or another? Even if it’s not a direct pray for money, it’s usually some roundabout way of asking for more; praying for my career, for my husbands goals, etc. We place such a high emphasis on our treasures; what if we saw the same significance in gaining wisdom?
If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord – respect for the Lord doesn’t just come naturally. We were all born into a sinful word, which means we have a natural pull away from God. But through wisdom, we build respect for the Lord. Learning about Him and knowing Him naturally leads to gaining respect for Him.
This scripture has really caused me to evaluate my time spent in prayer. Am I praying for my own agenda? Or am I praying for wisdom and understanding?
Write
What about you? Are you using your time with the Lord to unburden your own heart, or to seek His?
Pray
Ask the Lord to help you take your focus off of yourself, and to place it on Him.
Eggnog Sugar Cookies30 minPrep Time
12 minCook Time
42 minTotal Time
Serves 25 Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies- 4.5 cups all purpose flour
- 3 sticks butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup eggnog
Royal Icing- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring of choice
Instructions
Cookies- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream together butter, vanilla extract, and sugar for about 2-3 minutes until light and smooth
- Add in egg and eggnog and continue mixing
- In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda
- Slowly add flour mixture to bowl, stopping to scrap down the sides as necessary
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap
- Place the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes
- Remove the dough as needed, leaving the second half to continue hardening while working on the first half
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Roll dough out onto a flour-covered surface and cut out shapes using cookie cutters
- Place cookies on parchment paper at least 1 inch apart
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottoms
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes
- Transfer to flat surface to cool completely before decorating
Royal Icing- Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder in a stand mixer or bowl
- Mix and add in vanilla extract
- While mixing on low, add in water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency
- You can check your icing consistency by using the 10 second rule
- Drag the tip of a knife through the icing and count to 10
- If icing takes approximately 10 seconds to smooth over, it's probably ready to use
- If it takes longer than 10 seconds, carefully add in more water, about a tablespoon at a time
- If it takes less than 10 seconds, add in more powdered sugar
- Fill piping bags or containers with icing and spread across cookies to decorate
7.8.1.2387http://oliviagrist.com/praying-for-wisdom-eggnog-sugar-cookies/
30 minPrep Time
12 minCook Time
42 minTotal Time
Serves 25 Cookies

Ingredients
- 4.5 cups all purpose flour
- 3 sticks butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring of choice
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream together butter, vanilla extract, and sugar for about 2-3 minutes until light and smooth
- Add in egg and eggnog and continue mixing
- In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda
- Slowly add flour mixture to bowl, stopping to scrap down the sides as necessary
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap
- Place the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes
- Remove the dough as needed, leaving the second half to continue hardening while working on the first half
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Roll dough out onto a flour-covered surface and cut out shapes using cookie cutters
- Place cookies on parchment paper at least 1 inch apart
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottoms
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes
- Transfer to flat surface to cool completely before decorating
- Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder in a stand mixer or bowl
- Mix and add in vanilla extract
- While mixing on low, add in water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency
- You can check your icing consistency by using the 10 second rule
- Drag the tip of a knife through the icing and count to 10
- If icing takes approximately 10 seconds to smooth over, it's probably ready to use
- If it takes longer than 10 seconds, carefully add in more water, about a tablespoon at a time
- If it takes less than 10 seconds, add in more powdered sugar
- Fill piping bags or containers with icing and spread across cookies to decorate