Proverbs 1: 33
But he who listens to me [Wisdom] shall live securely, and be at ease from the dread of evil.
Wisdom is what we all need in order to take what knowledge we have and use it to the best effect. To know what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.
But true wisdom is based on our knowledge of God. Who He is, what He does and how wonderful He is.
O Father, I pray that You would open our ears to Your instruction. That You would open our hearts to Your love. Open our will to obey Your commandments.
Your words are choice food and thirst quenching drink for our famished souls.
You, Lord God, are our Source and Sustainer, our Life and Health, our Goal and our Prize. Keep our focus only and always on You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
God's Only-Ness
Judges 17: 6 (also 21:25)
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
This verse is repeated, so it appears twice in this book. It is the theme of the book.
God was to be the King over His chosen people Israel, but they just wouldn't stay true to Him. This book illustrates for us how we will go around the cycle of: being blessed of God; then taking Him for granted; then thinking we did it all ourselves; then being drawn to other gods, worldly ideas; then being conquered by the surrounding Nations (or our own addictions); then turning back to God, crying out for help; then God raises up a military leader to win back their freedom (or means to overcome our addictions) and we worship God again; then be blessed by Him again; and the cycle goes on.
We are so weak, and we justify to our own minds all our choices and decisions, no matter how poor or foolish or evil they be.
The people seem to have lost their sense of God's holiness, His only-ness. This chapter tells us about how Micah and his mother dedicated some silver coins to God, then proceeded to make idols out of it, as though God could be represented by a statue, or even that all the pagan dieties were versions of God. Not realizing that all the images that are honored and prayed to are backed by demons (KJV "devils," I Corinthians 10:19-20).
God designated the Levites to be scattered throughout all of Israel to teach the people God's Laws, His rules and regulations for living; but even they fell down in their duties. Micah hired a Levite to be his own personal priest, and he thought that God would be pleased with him (verse 13).
O my Father, You are holy! You are totally Other from all that You have created, everything that exists. You are Light, You are Love, You cannot be pictured by anything You have made.
You have showed us that we cannot justify ourselves, we must depend on You, only You, my Father. Only You are God. Only You deserve to be worshipped and prayed to. When we pray to any image or any other created thing, we are ascribing to them Your attributes, asking them to do what only You can do.
O Father, I pray for all those today who are bowing down to statues, lighting candles to them, or asking them for favors. Open their eyes, Father, to see that You only are God, and You love them more than they can imagine. Let them see how holy and good You are, draw them to Yourself with Your kindness, and receive all the credit, all the glory for what You are doing in the World to continue to carry out Your great Plan of the Ages.
O Father, be our King. Reign over us all. Teach us Your ways, that we may follow them and reap the benefits, Your blessings, now in this World and in the World to come in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
This verse is repeated, so it appears twice in this book. It is the theme of the book.
God was to be the King over His chosen people Israel, but they just wouldn't stay true to Him. This book illustrates for us how we will go around the cycle of: being blessed of God; then taking Him for granted; then thinking we did it all ourselves; then being drawn to other gods, worldly ideas; then being conquered by the surrounding Nations (or our own addictions); then turning back to God, crying out for help; then God raises up a military leader to win back their freedom (or means to overcome our addictions) and we worship God again; then be blessed by Him again; and the cycle goes on.
We are so weak, and we justify to our own minds all our choices and decisions, no matter how poor or foolish or evil they be.
The people seem to have lost their sense of God's holiness, His only-ness. This chapter tells us about how Micah and his mother dedicated some silver coins to God, then proceeded to make idols out of it, as though God could be represented by a statue, or even that all the pagan dieties were versions of God. Not realizing that all the images that are honored and prayed to are backed by demons (KJV "devils," I Corinthians 10:19-20).
God designated the Levites to be scattered throughout all of Israel to teach the people God's Laws, His rules and regulations for living; but even they fell down in their duties. Micah hired a Levite to be his own personal priest, and he thought that God would be pleased with him (verse 13).
O my Father, You are holy! You are totally Other from all that You have created, everything that exists. You are Light, You are Love, You cannot be pictured by anything You have made.
You have showed us that we cannot justify ourselves, we must depend on You, only You, my Father. Only You are God. Only You deserve to be worshipped and prayed to. When we pray to any image or any other created thing, we are ascribing to them Your attributes, asking them to do what only You can do.
O Father, I pray for all those today who are bowing down to statues, lighting candles to them, or asking them for favors. Open their eyes, Father, to see that You only are God, and You love them more than they can imagine. Let them see how holy and good You are, draw them to Yourself with Your kindness, and receive all the credit, all the glory for what You are doing in the World to continue to carry out Your great Plan of the Ages.
O Father, be our King. Reign over us all. Teach us Your ways, that we may follow them and reap the benefits, Your blessings, now in this World and in the World to come in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 17, 2018
Promise Left Unfulfilled
Judges 15: 20
So [Samson] judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
I look at Samson's life and I see so such promise there that was left unfulfilled! Samson was highly gifted by God to do great exploits, but he never did seek God in his life to follow His ways, so he did not lead the Israelites in victory, overthrowing their enemy, thus gaining peace.
At the end if his twenty years Israel was still under the domination of the Philistines. Samson disregarded God's Laws (14:8-9, taking honey from a lion's carcass when the Law stipulated not to eat anything from an animal that was already dead), and he gave in to his own carnal desires; he only ever considered himself, not his Nation or God's plan to free Israel from the Philistine domination.
His lack of moral strength limited his vision to small, temporary, selfish ends, when he could have lifted up his eyes to see how his leadership could have inspired all Israel to follow him in total victory for the whole Nation!
What a difference moral integrity makes! Even with extremely great giftings and abilities, success is elusive and unattainable without the moral strength to rely on God.
O my Father, please strengthen me to use the gifts You have graciously given me to lift up Your Name and further Your Kingdom in this World, rather than benefit only me and mine. I know that You will always provide everything I need from day to day, and You are trustworthy to rely on when I don't see the way.
Enlarge my boundaries, Father, my vision of what can be accomplished. Help me to see beyond my own tiny world into the Grand Vision You have for the people of this Earth. Lead me, guide me, teach me Your ways to walk in Your paths hand-in-hand with You. Then, as I rely on You, You will work through me to accomplish Your works, which are far beyond my own.
And I will give You, my Father, all the credit, all the glory for the wonderful things You are accomplishing among us all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So [Samson] judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
I look at Samson's life and I see so such promise there that was left unfulfilled! Samson was highly gifted by God to do great exploits, but he never did seek God in his life to follow His ways, so he did not lead the Israelites in victory, overthrowing their enemy, thus gaining peace.
At the end if his twenty years Israel was still under the domination of the Philistines. Samson disregarded God's Laws (14:8-9, taking honey from a lion's carcass when the Law stipulated not to eat anything from an animal that was already dead), and he gave in to his own carnal desires; he only ever considered himself, not his Nation or God's plan to free Israel from the Philistine domination.
His lack of moral strength limited his vision to small, temporary, selfish ends, when he could have lifted up his eyes to see how his leadership could have inspired all Israel to follow him in total victory for the whole Nation!
What a difference moral integrity makes! Even with extremely great giftings and abilities, success is elusive and unattainable without the moral strength to rely on God.
O my Father, please strengthen me to use the gifts You have graciously given me to lift up Your Name and further Your Kingdom in this World, rather than benefit only me and mine. I know that You will always provide everything I need from day to day, and You are trustworthy to rely on when I don't see the way.
Enlarge my boundaries, Father, my vision of what can be accomplished. Help me to see beyond my own tiny world into the Grand Vision You have for the people of this Earth. Lead me, guide me, teach me Your ways to walk in Your paths hand-in-hand with You. Then, as I rely on You, You will work through me to accomplish Your works, which are far beyond my own.
And I will give You, my Father, all the credit, all the glory for the wonderful things You are accomplishing among us all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Compassion Or Calamity?
Proverbs 28: 13-14
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
How blessed is the man who fears [God] always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
It's so easy to make excuses for my faults. But that would be hardening my heart to God's cleansing.
O my Father, please help me to continually regard Your Lordship over me from hardening my heart to refuse to hear Your still, small voice behind me, saying, "this is the way, walk here."
Examine my heart, Father, and show me that sin that I have been excusing, that I am concealing from myself--reveal it that I may confess and forsake it, and live my life according to Your righteousness; that Your glory would shine out from this clay pot to the praise of Your glory.
May Your "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). fill me and shine forth from this " earthen vessel, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from [myself]" (II Corinthians 4:7); let it be read and seen of all that it is of You, Father, and not from me!
Keep me out of Your way, Father, in my relationships with my adult children and with others.
Here I am--send me--use me!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
How blessed is the man who fears [God] always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
It's so easy to make excuses for my faults. But that would be hardening my heart to God's cleansing.
O my Father, please help me to continually regard Your Lordship over me from hardening my heart to refuse to hear Your still, small voice behind me, saying, "this is the way, walk here."
Examine my heart, Father, and show me that sin that I have been excusing, that I am concealing from myself--reveal it that I may confess and forsake it, and live my life according to Your righteousness; that Your glory would shine out from this clay pot to the praise of Your glory.
May Your "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). fill me and shine forth from this " earthen vessel, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from [myself]" (II Corinthians 4:7); let it be read and seen of all that it is of You, Father, and not from me!
Keep me out of Your way, Father, in my relationships with my adult children and with others.
Here I am--send me--use me!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 15, 2018
We Smell Of What We Eat
II Corinthians 2: 14-16
...God... manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of [Christ] in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
God has placed in us His children His fragrance of the knowledge of Christ!
Just as people of one culture will eat a lot of garlic, they will exude the aroma of garlic noticeable to those of another culture, because we tend to smell of what we eat.
So we, God's children, who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ by consuming His Word, that spiritual food that gives true life; we will also exude from our bodies, our lives, that sweet fragrance of life--sweet to those who are being saved, but more like a stench of death as perceived by those who are perishing.
O Father, who is adequate for these things? Am I still so dim of sight and dull of hearing? Dare I trust what I think I know? I must lean on You, Father; I must keep on delving into Your Word, devouring it, and depend only on You to lead me in the right path.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...God... manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of [Christ] in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
God has placed in us His children His fragrance of the knowledge of Christ!
Just as people of one culture will eat a lot of garlic, they will exude the aroma of garlic noticeable to those of another culture, because we tend to smell of what we eat.
So we, God's children, who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ by consuming His Word, that spiritual food that gives true life; we will also exude from our bodies, our lives, that sweet fragrance of life--sweet to those who are being saved, but more like a stench of death as perceived by those who are perishing.
O Father, who is adequate for these things? Am I still so dim of sight and dull of hearing? Dare I trust what I think I know? I must lean on You, Father; I must keep on delving into Your Word, devouring it, and depend only on You to lead me in the right path.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 14, 2018
Give Heed And Consider
Psalm 107: 43
Who is wise? Let him give heed to those things; and consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.
O my Father, You have always and ever rewarded those who seek Your face, and judged those who reject Your holiness and magnificance.
Father, I know that the end of all things may be upon us or very soon be upon us. I know that in Your faithfulness You are doing all things to bring this World into conformity for the World ruler to emerge, the Man of Sin as spoken of in II Thessalonians 2:3. So far, though, this man has not been revealed.
But the times are perilous for Your children, Father, all over the World. Thank You for Your faithfulness to Your children who are being persecuted and martyred even today. I have read numerous accounts of Your being with them in meaningful ways to each of those who are being tortured.
I know that You will do the same for all Your children, and that our witness will go out over all the Earth, Your Gospel will be preached to every creature, and the end of this Age will come, just as You have said.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Who is wise? Let him give heed to those things; and consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.
O my Father, You have always and ever rewarded those who seek Your face, and judged those who reject Your holiness and magnificance.
Father, I know that the end of all things may be upon us or very soon be upon us. I know that in Your faithfulness You are doing all things to bring this World into conformity for the World ruler to emerge, the Man of Sin as spoken of in II Thessalonians 2:3. So far, though, this man has not been revealed.
But the times are perilous for Your children, Father, all over the World. Thank You for Your faithfulness to Your children who are being persecuted and martyred even today. I have read numerous accounts of Your being with them in meaningful ways to each of those who are being tortured.
I know that You will do the same for all Your children, and that our witness will go out over all the Earth, Your Gospel will be preached to every creature, and the end of this Age will come, just as You have said.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Friend Of The King
Proverbs 22: 11
He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
O my Father, You are so pure and clean and holy and righteous, I desire to be of pure heart like You, I want my every motive to be clean of any corruption; then my speech, my every word will be gracious and edifying, not selfish or defensive or self-seeking, but powerful to the building up of the hearer to draw him or her to You, my Lord.
Teach me Your ways, that my end-all and be-all will be only Your glory, that Your fragrance emanating from me will draw others to You, that all Your lost sheep will be found, and that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
O my Father, You are so pure and clean and holy and righteous, I desire to be of pure heart like You, I want my every motive to be clean of any corruption; then my speech, my every word will be gracious and edifying, not selfish or defensive or self-seeking, but powerful to the building up of the hearer to draw him or her to You, my Lord.
Teach me Your ways, that my end-all and be-all will be only Your glory, that Your fragrance emanating from me will draw others to You, that all Your lost sheep will be found, and that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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