Proverbs 16: 21-24
The wise in heart will be called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it. ...
The heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Words are so powerful! God's words created the Universe! And our words also, can either build up or tear down, can heal or destroy.
O my Father, please grant me Your wisdom and Your understanding, that I might see with Your eyes and perceive more of the Big Picture of Your great Plan of the Ages that You have laid out in Your written Word, instead of just my tiny little corner of my world.
Enlighten me to discern Your hand in all that is done, and to perceive Your purposes being accomplished in this World before my very eyes; that my words will bring praise and glory to You alone, and magnify Your glory in the sight of Mankind.
Teach my heart to ponder how to answer (Proverbs 15:28) and let Your sweetness flavor my speech to persuade others to seek and follow only You, my Lord.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 1, 2018
Sunday, September 30, 2018
A Gentle Answer
Proverbs 15: 1, 18
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger pacifies contention.
God never honors a lost temper. We are responsible to take control of our own emotions and passions, and not let our flesh take us away.
It's not easy to control a hot temper. Italians, Irish, Latinos, and many other ethnicities blame their tempers on their genes, to excuse their own failure to keep a reign on their tempers.
No matter where your grandparents or great grandparents came from, we each must pay attention to our own "buttons" to not react when they're pushed, but to slow down and consider how our response will be taken by the hearers. And to cool down our own heat rising.
This takes time to break a bad habit and replace it with a good habit. And it doesn't follow a straight line, either. But every time we mess up, we can pick ourselves back up and start again fresh.
God wants us to use His power, in His Holy Spirit, to change our thinking processes concerning any bad habit we have; to rely on His strength to break the chains of bad habits and walk more circumspectly to avoid the triggers that trip us up.
We are to face our enemy when he attacks, but we are to run from temptation.
We can stand our ground in Christ against Satan, but we can't win if we try to fight temptation, we must run from it. So we need also to discern between the two.
I know that I need to watch my words. I am still learning to apply what I know: to slow down and pause before I react, to consider how my response will affect the hearer before I answer. And I try to remember to pray in the midst of the foray, asking for God's wisdom. That's the only way I can achieve victory over my past failings, to stop repeating them.
O my Father, You know how weak we all are, in trying to learn and follow Your ways. They are not our ways that we naturally follow, so we need to understand how different Your ways are from ours. And even when we know, we don't always do it. We seem to not respond when we see the light until we also feel the heat.
It seems that we don't want to change until changing seems less painful than staying the same. We're stubborn that way. So sometimes You give us "tough love" to make the staying the same so painful we will be willing to change.
Then we will slow down, quiet our tone of voice, and consider our answer before speaking. Then, instead of stirring up strife we can promote peaceful relations with one another. We can soothe down our anger to be able to appreciate one another's beautiful differences.
Father, You love a variety, and You have made us in many colors, many personalities, many talents and abilities. I think You did us this way so that everything would get done.
Some of us are concerned for our environment, and others are more passionate for people. And even then, some are concerned for people's temporal needs, and others think more of their eternal destinies.
So we're all different, and we each have our purpose in the World, to make it a better place for others and those who will come after us. And to prepare for the coming of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger pacifies contention.
God never honors a lost temper. We are responsible to take control of our own emotions and passions, and not let our flesh take us away.
It's not easy to control a hot temper. Italians, Irish, Latinos, and many other ethnicities blame their tempers on their genes, to excuse their own failure to keep a reign on their tempers.
No matter where your grandparents or great grandparents came from, we each must pay attention to our own "buttons" to not react when they're pushed, but to slow down and consider how our response will be taken by the hearers. And to cool down our own heat rising.
This takes time to break a bad habit and replace it with a good habit. And it doesn't follow a straight line, either. But every time we mess up, we can pick ourselves back up and start again fresh.
God wants us to use His power, in His Holy Spirit, to change our thinking processes concerning any bad habit we have; to rely on His strength to break the chains of bad habits and walk more circumspectly to avoid the triggers that trip us up.
We are to face our enemy when he attacks, but we are to run from temptation.
We can stand our ground in Christ against Satan, but we can't win if we try to fight temptation, we must run from it. So we need also to discern between the two.
I know that I need to watch my words. I am still learning to apply what I know: to slow down and pause before I react, to consider how my response will affect the hearer before I answer. And I try to remember to pray in the midst of the foray, asking for God's wisdom. That's the only way I can achieve victory over my past failings, to stop repeating them.
O my Father, You know how weak we all are, in trying to learn and follow Your ways. They are not our ways that we naturally follow, so we need to understand how different Your ways are from ours. And even when we know, we don't always do it. We seem to not respond when we see the light until we also feel the heat.
It seems that we don't want to change until changing seems less painful than staying the same. We're stubborn that way. So sometimes You give us "tough love" to make the staying the same so painful we will be willing to change.
Then we will slow down, quiet our tone of voice, and consider our answer before speaking. Then, instead of stirring up strife we can promote peaceful relations with one another. We can soothe down our anger to be able to appreciate one another's beautiful differences.
Father, You love a variety, and You have made us in many colors, many personalities, many talents and abilities. I think You did us this way so that everything would get done.
Some of us are concerned for our environment, and others are more passionate for people. And even then, some are concerned for people's temporal needs, and others think more of their eternal destinies.
So we're all different, and we each have our purpose in the World, to make it a better place for others and those who will come after us. And to prepare for the coming of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Unfathomable Are His Ways
Romans 11: 33, 36
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Our Lord God is El Shaddai, God Almighty. His wisdom and His knowledge have made this whole Universe and everything in it, including our own solar system, and our Earth.
And His wisdom and knowledge sustains His Creation, and guides His judgments according to His ways.
And God's wisdom and knowledge in guiding His judgments according to His ways will bring all things, all people, all Worlds, all Planets and Stars, all governments, all individual lives, to His determined goals--to the final culmination of all things; and God will receive all the glory, all the honor, in the beauty of His holiness, for all that has been accomplished, according to His Plan of the Ages, fulfilling all His Purposes for all Creation!
O my Father, You are truely the good, intelligent Agent Who thought up, designed, planned out, made and kept everything that exists. You alone are God, we are not.
Everything else that has ever been given any credit or glory is an idol. Only You, my Lord, deserves all the credit, all the honor, and all the glory for designing and planning out and carrying out Your Plan for it all, without a hitch.
Father, Your wisdom and Your knowledge are so far beyond any of our human wisdom and knowledge, every person falls extremely short of Your perfection; even the most highly intelligent genius cannot touch Your wisdom and knowledge.
And Your judgments cannot be second-guessed. Only You have all the knowledge necessary to see the whole picture, and no one else does or can.
So You, our Lord God Almighty, will enjoy all the honor and all the glory forever throughout all eternity for the things You have done. And You will bestow upon Your family, those who have been born spiritually to You, all Your riches in glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Our Lord God is El Shaddai, God Almighty. His wisdom and His knowledge have made this whole Universe and everything in it, including our own solar system, and our Earth.
And His wisdom and knowledge sustains His Creation, and guides His judgments according to His ways.
And God's wisdom and knowledge in guiding His judgments according to His ways will bring all things, all people, all Worlds, all Planets and Stars, all governments, all individual lives, to His determined goals--to the final culmination of all things; and God will receive all the glory, all the honor, in the beauty of His holiness, for all that has been accomplished, according to His Plan of the Ages, fulfilling all His Purposes for all Creation!
O my Father, You are truely the good, intelligent Agent Who thought up, designed, planned out, made and kept everything that exists. You alone are God, we are not.
Everything else that has ever been given any credit or glory is an idol. Only You, my Lord, deserves all the credit, all the honor, and all the glory for designing and planning out and carrying out Your Plan for it all, without a hitch.
Father, Your wisdom and Your knowledge are so far beyond any of our human wisdom and knowledge, every person falls extremely short of Your perfection; even the most highly intelligent genius cannot touch Your wisdom and knowledge.
And Your judgments cannot be second-guessed. Only You have all the knowledge necessary to see the whole picture, and no one else does or can.
So You, our Lord God Almighty, will enjoy all the honor and all the glory forever throughout all eternity for the things You have done. And You will bestow upon Your family, those who have been born spiritually to You, all Your riches in glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 28, 2018
How To Respond To Attacks
II Timothy 2: 24-26
And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the Truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
There are so many in this World today who are being held captive by the devil to do his will, especially in the realm of politics and political manuverings.
And even in our own families.
May God grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the Truth, and they can come to their senses and escape from that snare of the devil.
And may the Lord's bondservants not react to the attacks, but respond in kindness, teaching the right way to respond. And may they be patient under the fire, gently correcting those who are in opposition.
This is not easy. Only in the power and patience of our Lord can we patiently endure the attacks and respond with kindness. We cannot do it in our flesh.
O my Father, thank You that You are God and we are not! We are weak; You know we are only flesh. Please strengthen Your bondservants when they are attacked and falsely accused and slandered, whether by political opponents or by family members, or by anyone else on that continuum.
Teach Your bondservants how to be Christ to their accusers, and may Your kindness lead their accusers to repentance, to break out of the shackles of the enemy who has them captive and wants to destroy them.
Father, destroy the animosity with Your Love, granting them friendship with one another in place of the hatred and enmity. Only You can do that, Father. Only You are God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the Truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
There are so many in this World today who are being held captive by the devil to do his will, especially in the realm of politics and political manuverings.
And even in our own families.
May God grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the Truth, and they can come to their senses and escape from that snare of the devil.
And may the Lord's bondservants not react to the attacks, but respond in kindness, teaching the right way to respond. And may they be patient under the fire, gently correcting those who are in opposition.
This is not easy. Only in the power and patience of our Lord can we patiently endure the attacks and respond with kindness. We cannot do it in our flesh.
O my Father, thank You that You are God and we are not! We are weak; You know we are only flesh. Please strengthen Your bondservants when they are attacked and falsely accused and slandered, whether by political opponents or by family members, or by anyone else on that continuum.
Teach Your bondservants how to be Christ to their accusers, and may Your kindness lead their accusers to repentance, to break out of the shackles of the enemy who has them captive and wants to destroy them.
Father, destroy the animosity with Your Love, granting them friendship with one another in place of the hatred and enmity. Only You can do that, Father. Only You are God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 27, 2018
The Tongue Of The Wise
Proverbs 12: 18
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Words are so powerful! God's Words spoke the Universe into being. And our words can build up or tear down ourselves and others.
What we tell ourselves is the most important conversation we will have each day. Am I telling myself God's view of me, or the world's ideas? Am I living my life as God's dear child, or have I left myself vulnerable to the enemy's lies?
My words to others will reflect my acceptance or rejection of myself, and I know that my words in the past have been spoken rashly, resulting in harsh pronouncements, pushing away those I want to draw close.
Father, thank You for revealing this sin in my heart so I could confess and forsake it, and allow You to cleanse me of it. And I have been "careful to do" what You lead me to do, in considering my words before I speak them.
This process is taking me time to forsake utterly that rashness, and implementing the habit, the practice of using Your wisdom to consider how my words would affect the sensibilities of the hearers.
Please continue to lead me each day, Father, as I place my hand into Yours, and I know You will never let me go. Strengthen me to walk each step confidently and straight, not turning to the right hand or to the left, not wandering away or pulling back.
I need You, my dear Father! I am desperate for You, for Your strength and wisdom, for I have none in myself.
Let me see myself as You see me, Father; that I would also see others with Your eyes, seeing them with inestimable worth and preciousness. Then my words will encourage them to live their lives in a way that You would consider worthy to share in Your Kingdom and Glory (I Thessalonians 2:12).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Words are so powerful! God's Words spoke the Universe into being. And our words can build up or tear down ourselves and others.
What we tell ourselves is the most important conversation we will have each day. Am I telling myself God's view of me, or the world's ideas? Am I living my life as God's dear child, or have I left myself vulnerable to the enemy's lies?
My words to others will reflect my acceptance or rejection of myself, and I know that my words in the past have been spoken rashly, resulting in harsh pronouncements, pushing away those I want to draw close.
Father, thank You for revealing this sin in my heart so I could confess and forsake it, and allow You to cleanse me of it. And I have been "careful to do" what You lead me to do, in considering my words before I speak them.
This process is taking me time to forsake utterly that rashness, and implementing the habit, the practice of using Your wisdom to consider how my words would affect the sensibilities of the hearers.
Please continue to lead me each day, Father, as I place my hand into Yours, and I know You will never let me go. Strengthen me to walk each step confidently and straight, not turning to the right hand or to the left, not wandering away or pulling back.
I need You, my dear Father! I am desperate for You, for Your strength and wisdom, for I have none in myself.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
"It's All About Love"
Matthew 22: 37-40
Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the Prophets are based on these two commandments."
It really is all about Love. God is Love, He loves us, He wants us to love Him back, and He wants us to love others as well as ourselves.
To love with genuine, true Love, not sentimentalism. Real Love is defined in First Corinthians chapter 13. Real Love desires the true best for the one loved, regardless of the cost to the one loving.
God gave us what was of ultimate cost to Himself--His only Son!
O my Father, teach me to love You the way You deserve to be loved. Teach me to love myself with an undefiled love based on the worth You have valued me at. Teach me to love others, seeing them with Your eyes, loving them with Your love, drawing them not to myself but to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the Prophets are based on these two commandments."
It really is all about Love. God is Love, He loves us, He wants us to love Him back, and He wants us to love others as well as ourselves.
To love with genuine, true Love, not sentimentalism. Real Love is defined in First Corinthians chapter 13. Real Love desires the true best for the one loved, regardless of the cost to the one loving.
God gave us what was of ultimate cost to Himself--His only Son!
O my Father, teach me to love You the way You deserve to be loved. Teach me to love myself with an undefiled love based on the worth You have valued me at. Teach me to love others, seeing them with Your eyes, loving them with Your love, drawing them not to myself but to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Our Lord God
... I am the Lord ...
Repeated continually in:
Leviticus 20: 7;
21: 8, 12, 15, 23;
22: 2, 3, 8, 9, 16.
O my Father, again I am impressed with the Truth that we become like that, that we worship, dwell on, think about, spend time with.
You constantly remind us that You are the God we are to worship, You are the One Who meets all our needs, You are the Lord God Who rescues us from our troubles and our enemies--not any of the gods of any of the lands we are familiar with. We are not to observe any of the ways of this World, this society, this culture in which we live.
We are to know, dwell on, study, and apply in our daily lives, moment-to-moment, only Your ways, Your laws, Your will for us; to accomplish Your purposes according to Your plans for each of us, and Your great Plan of the Ages for all of us.
What You have begun in me You will perform and perfect in That Day when Christ Jesus returns!
Continue to mold me and shape me, form in me the character of Christ my Lord; make me into the person You created me to be.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Repeated continually in:
Leviticus 20: 7;
21: 8, 12, 15, 23;
22: 2, 3, 8, 9, 16.
O my Father, again I am impressed with the Truth that we become like that, that we worship, dwell on, think about, spend time with.
You constantly remind us that You are the God we are to worship, You are the One Who meets all our needs, You are the Lord God Who rescues us from our troubles and our enemies--not any of the gods of any of the lands we are familiar with. We are not to observe any of the ways of this World, this society, this culture in which we live.
We are to know, dwell on, study, and apply in our daily lives, moment-to-moment, only Your ways, Your laws, Your will for us; to accomplish Your purposes according to Your plans for each of us, and Your great Plan of the Ages for all of us.
What You have begun in me You will perform and perfect in That Day when Christ Jesus returns!
Continue to mold me and shape me, form in me the character of Christ my Lord; make me into the person You created me to be.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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