Get wisdom; get insight; DO NOT FORGET, and DO NOT TURN AWAY from the words of my mouth… LISTEN, my son, ACCEPT WHAT I SAY, and the years of your life will be many…The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5, 10)
What awesome words of wisdom, do not forget and do not turn away! It is so clear in my memory what two people at the church I was attending, said to me in separate incidences “It won’t be long until you are just like the rest of us, that zeal will be die down!” I was 29 years old and had recently been saved then sanctified (delivered from drugs and alcohol), then filled with the Holy Spirit and great excitement! My mind was filled with continuous thoughts of the awesome joy I was experiencing, for the first time that I could remember!
Upon receiving these “encourage words?” I went home and got on my face before God and pleaded with Him to never let me forget what He has done for me! It became my decision to start a practice of reading the Bible, praying and memorizing scriptures (which I still do, 45 years later). My discovery is this the joy of the Lord continues to be my strength through a brain tumor removal (causing a loss of hearing and balance), a stroke (with 4 months in a rehab hospital not knowing who I was), kidney failure and a severe heart attack (requiring 6 stents). The Lord was very gracious to provide me with a very wonderful, caring wife, who has lovingly nursed me back to health and continues to do so. My children and grandchildren have been an awesome support system for me along with many fellow Christian brother’s and sister’s. So, my moto has become “NEVER FORGET, NEVER TURN AWAY!”
Never Forget, Never Turn Away…Bill Stockham