Ecclesiastes {12:8} Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all [is] vanity.
**
Vanity-
1. The quality or condition of being vain.
2. Excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceit. See synonyms at conceit.
3. Lack of usefulness, worth, or effect; worthlessness.
vain-
1. Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: a vain attempt.
2. Lacking substance or worth: vain talk.
3. Excessively proud of one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited.
4. Archaic. Foolish.
Vanity of vanities-
Uselessness of the useless?
Conceitedness of the conceited?
Worthlessness of the worthless?
Foolishness of the foolish?
All is vanity-
All is useless, conceited, worthless, foolish?
Even though all is foolishness, the preacher was wise. He taught knowledge, he listened and sought many proverbs putting them in order.
{12:9} And moreover, because the preacher was
wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave
good heed, and sought out, [and] set in order many
proverbs.
The preacher looked for acceptable words, good words of truth.
{12:10} The preacher sought to find out
acceptable words: and [that which was] written [was]
upright, [even] words of truth.
The words of the wise are tools of a master, given from one who cares for His flock.
{12:11} The words of the
wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of
assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.
By those tools, those words be admonished- you could write forever, study for ever, and grow weary of it all being consumed by everything.
{12:12}
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making
many books [there is] no end; and much study [is] a
weariness of the flesh.
What's the end of the entire matter? What is most important of all the words, all the studying?
{12:13} Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter...
Give reverence and respect to God and keep His commandments, this is the entire duty of man.
{12:13}Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the
whole [duty] of man.
Everything we do, EVERYTHING we do good or evil will be judged.
{12:14} For God shall bring every
work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be]
good, or whether [it be] evil.
**
Talk all you want, study all you want, write all you want, in the end what matters is our duty to God. The duty that Jesus gave us as an example of His life.
No, we can't all be apostles, or teachers, or prophets etc. We can't all be preachers. People are needed for a lot of things. There are shepherds for sheep, farmers for the crops, basic jobs that are timeless even if technology as advanced many of their jobs. All sorts of jobs are needed for people to survive- needed back in Jesus' day, needed in our day. We can't all shun labor and simply study, life doesn't work that way for most of us, not that it isn't the right thing for some people, just not all the people. We can't assume our walk with God isn't strong and good, just because we're not monks, or nuns, or missionaries, preachers, pastors, etc. Yes, Jesus called laborers from their work- tax collector, fishermen, and down the line physicians, tentmakers and such. He told people to follow Him and this was good. He was God with us and His time on earth needed to be seen and memorized by many to bear witness of Him and His life.
Jesus didn't come to do away with God's commandments. He came to show they could be kept, His life bore testament to the commandments and to the duty of man. Reverence to His Father, and the keeping of His Father's commandments, which are just and good and born of love.
In all we do, no matter what our walk in life, a hated job we drudge through day after day, a life of misery born of emotional strain, it doesn't matter what we do but while we do whatever task life has for us we have to Fear God and keep His commandments. Everything we do will be judged. EVERYTHING. You can't hide a single thought from God. Not a single action is hidden from Him. Our hearts, our lives are open to Him.
May God bless us all as we live day to day. May we all holdfast to our duty as human beings, the duty we have to give reverence to God and to keep His commandments, which are summed up in loving Him and loving our fellow man, which are selfless. In a world where we are taught to look out for number one, to look our just for ourselves as if what we desired and want matter more than anything else, help us God, help us to see past the trap of selfishness, of self-focus and to You and others as Your commands to us are.
Thy will God, Thy will, not our will... be done by the grace and mercy of Jesus.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Buy the truth and sell it not
Proverbs {23:23} 'Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.'
Buying something and selling it not, means what? It's something you want to keep. You value that something greatly and there isn't a price high enough that would make you want to sell it. Do you have anything in your possession like that? Anything you wouldn't sell no matter what? Something you'd cling to if you were to lose everything else?
Maybe you're thinking family heirlooms, or some precious irreplaceable photos, a ring from a loved one, a clay sculpture your child made with their tiny hands, is there anything you wouldn't sell if it were the choice between living and dying? Surely a loved one would understand if you had to sell that precious something in order to live. The memory of that sculpture will last forever, even after you sell it, as well as the memories of the photos. There really isn't much in life a person wouldn't sell if it came right down to the choice of staying alive and dying with that possession.
We are cautioned here to 'Buy the truth and sell it not.'
There are some things we are to buy and never sell and yet it isn't gold is it? There was no 'buy gold and sell it not', it's buy truth and sell it not. It's not some physical possession we can hold in our hands and hide under our beds.
Buy truth.
Anything worth buying has value to us, right? Well, maybe not. Perhaps you've bought many a thing that loses it's value in your eyes even the moment you get it home. Perhaps you bought something and you were not quite sure you really wanted it but the desire is enough so that you buy it just in case you really want it later. A free choice to buy something makes it our decision if it's not something we absolutely need. When we buy things we desire we value them a little more than buying things we have to buy, don't we? A special something saved for and bought, longed for and finally attained, is treasured if the desire holds true and that special thing lives up to our expectations.
As far as possessions go, Jesus tells one man to sell all that he has and follow him. Worldly possessions aren't something we should cling to. However, buying truth isn't buying a worldly possession. Buying truth is a spiritual possession that is worth keeping forever, for all eternity. No wonder we are cautioned not to sell it. If we have a decorative jar of special value, a one of a kind jar and we sell it away, we no longer get the enjoyment from the jar it's someone elses to enjoy. If we sell the truth, giving it away so it's no longer ours we are lost forever.
We can share truth with others, that's recommended even, but we're not to sell it. We're to keep the truth forever and share it with all we meet, but never sell it to others, never give it away so that you know no longer possess it.
What else are we counseled to buy, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. These are the riches we need, the true riches that are more valuable than any earthly possession.
Truth
Wisdom
Instruction
Understanding
John {8:32} 'And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'
May God help us all to 'buy' truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding and never, ever sell them at any cost. Any price we would receive for those precious gifts is not high enough to make up for the loss that selling them would bring to us.
In Jesus' holy precious name, by His grace may we buy these things we need when eternity is our goal, when heaven and a new earth are the homes we long for, when the love of God is most important to us.
Amen.
Buying something and selling it not, means what? It's something you want to keep. You value that something greatly and there isn't a price high enough that would make you want to sell it. Do you have anything in your possession like that? Anything you wouldn't sell no matter what? Something you'd cling to if you were to lose everything else?
Maybe you're thinking family heirlooms, or some precious irreplaceable photos, a ring from a loved one, a clay sculpture your child made with their tiny hands, is there anything you wouldn't sell if it were the choice between living and dying? Surely a loved one would understand if you had to sell that precious something in order to live. The memory of that sculpture will last forever, even after you sell it, as well as the memories of the photos. There really isn't much in life a person wouldn't sell if it came right down to the choice of staying alive and dying with that possession.
We are cautioned here to 'Buy the truth and sell it not.'
There are some things we are to buy and never sell and yet it isn't gold is it? There was no 'buy gold and sell it not', it's buy truth and sell it not. It's not some physical possession we can hold in our hands and hide under our beds.
Buy truth.
Anything worth buying has value to us, right? Well, maybe not. Perhaps you've bought many a thing that loses it's value in your eyes even the moment you get it home. Perhaps you bought something and you were not quite sure you really wanted it but the desire is enough so that you buy it just in case you really want it later. A free choice to buy something makes it our decision if it's not something we absolutely need. When we buy things we desire we value them a little more than buying things we have to buy, don't we? A special something saved for and bought, longed for and finally attained, is treasured if the desire holds true and that special thing lives up to our expectations.
As far as possessions go, Jesus tells one man to sell all that he has and follow him. Worldly possessions aren't something we should cling to. However, buying truth isn't buying a worldly possession. Buying truth is a spiritual possession that is worth keeping forever, for all eternity. No wonder we are cautioned not to sell it. If we have a decorative jar of special value, a one of a kind jar and we sell it away, we no longer get the enjoyment from the jar it's someone elses to enjoy. If we sell the truth, giving it away so it's no longer ours we are lost forever.
We can share truth with others, that's recommended even, but we're not to sell it. We're to keep the truth forever and share it with all we meet, but never sell it to others, never give it away so that you know no longer possess it.
What else are we counseled to buy, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. These are the riches we need, the true riches that are more valuable than any earthly possession.
Truth
Wisdom
Instruction
Understanding
John {8:32} 'And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'
May God help us all to 'buy' truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding and never, ever sell them at any cost. Any price we would receive for those precious gifts is not high enough to make up for the loss that selling them would bring to us.
In Jesus' holy precious name, by His grace may we buy these things we need when eternity is our goal, when heaven and a new earth are the homes we long for, when the love of God is most important to us.
Amen.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
God- A Forethought Not An Afterthought
Proverbs
{16:1} The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
{16:2} All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
{16:3} Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
{16:4} The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
{16:5} Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
{16:6} By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
The Lord weighs the spirits.
The Lord knows our heart, He knows the spirit within us, He knows where our allegiance lies, and it's just that, our allegiance.
allegiance (e-lê´jens) noun
1. Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause.
Loyalty to God.
Obligation to God.
As our Creator and Redeemer we owe God our allegiance, our loyalty, our hearts, our lives. We need to make decision for our lives and live out that decision. It's not easy with sin pulling at us. It's like being the only white fish in a whole school of black fish, the only black bird in a flock of white birds. We stand out, and we are targets for all to see and in this case, for Satan to see. It's swimming against the tide, and it's seeming fighting a losing battle. I could go on and on with the metaphors but in truth and that's what it is all about, in truth being loyal to God isn't easy. It's easier here in the USA than it is in many countries where worshipping God is against the law, but it's hard here too because while we're allowed to worship, the world has so many enticements to do other things.
Commit thy works unto the Lord.
We have to commit our works to God and he will help establish our thoughts. We fight our wicked thoughts, thoughts that turn us from God, thoughts that are filled with selfishness, thoughts that are prideful and thoughts that will take our mind off God. Having our thoughts established by God is a good thing. Committing ourselves to God and having our thoughts in Him is something beautiful.
By mercy and truth sin is purged.
By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
Mercy and truth.
Jesus, God's son took on humanity and brought with him mercy and truth.
Mercy and truth will do away with sin.
Jesus died to rid the world of sin once and for all.
Wanting all to be saved that can be, the mercy of Jesus reigns. The truth is Jesus, that He is the way, the truth, and the life. The truth is Jesus. There is no other truth we should be concerned about. Jesus' truth that He and He alone saves us, that His way is the only way.
Sin will be entirely purged by the time His plan is fully implemented. His plan to save humanity. To save sin-filled man by giving them an opportunity to have faith in Him, trust in Him to save to the uttermost.
The truth.
'By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.'
We have to give all our reverence to the Lord. We do.
If we truly believe in God, if He is real to us, then we will trust in Him and live as if He is real. It's too easy for us to live with Him as an afterthought and not a forethought. God needs to be first in our lives, in a real place, not second, third...or last.
May God help us, teach us all, instill in us the desire to do this so that we may be His people, filled with His truth, His love, ready and waiting for His return to take us with Him to heaven.
Amen.
{16:1} The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
{16:2} All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
{16:3} Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
{16:4} The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
{16:5} Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
{16:6} By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
The Lord weighs the spirits.
The Lord knows our heart, He knows the spirit within us, He knows where our allegiance lies, and it's just that, our allegiance.
allegiance (e-lê´jens) noun
1. Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause.
Loyalty to God.
Obligation to God.
As our Creator and Redeemer we owe God our allegiance, our loyalty, our hearts, our lives. We need to make decision for our lives and live out that decision. It's not easy with sin pulling at us. It's like being the only white fish in a whole school of black fish, the only black bird in a flock of white birds. We stand out, and we are targets for all to see and in this case, for Satan to see. It's swimming against the tide, and it's seeming fighting a losing battle. I could go on and on with the metaphors but in truth and that's what it is all about, in truth being loyal to God isn't easy. It's easier here in the USA than it is in many countries where worshipping God is against the law, but it's hard here too because while we're allowed to worship, the world has so many enticements to do other things.
Commit thy works unto the Lord.
We have to commit our works to God and he will help establish our thoughts. We fight our wicked thoughts, thoughts that turn us from God, thoughts that are filled with selfishness, thoughts that are prideful and thoughts that will take our mind off God. Having our thoughts established by God is a good thing. Committing ourselves to God and having our thoughts in Him is something beautiful.
By mercy and truth sin is purged.
By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
Mercy and truth.
Jesus, God's son took on humanity and brought with him mercy and truth.
Mercy and truth will do away with sin.
Jesus died to rid the world of sin once and for all.
Wanting all to be saved that can be, the mercy of Jesus reigns. The truth is Jesus, that He is the way, the truth, and the life. The truth is Jesus. There is no other truth we should be concerned about. Jesus' truth that He and He alone saves us, that His way is the only way.
Sin will be entirely purged by the time His plan is fully implemented. His plan to save humanity. To save sin-filled man by giving them an opportunity to have faith in Him, trust in Him to save to the uttermost.
The truth.
'By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.'
We have to give all our reverence to the Lord. We do.
If we truly believe in God, if He is real to us, then we will trust in Him and live as if He is real. It's too easy for us to live with Him as an afterthought and not a forethought. God needs to be first in our lives, in a real place, not second, third...or last.
May God help us, teach us all, instill in us the desire to do this so that we may be His people, filled with His truth, His love, ready and waiting for His return to take us with Him to heaven.
Amen.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Provoke to Love
Provoking someone isn't a good thing is it?
When we hear the term provoke we automatically associate it with an antagonistic action.
'Don't provoke me!'
'Don't provoke your sister!'
'Stop provoking your brother!'
'He provoked her, that's why she did what she did.'
'Because you were provoked we'll take that into consideration while discussing your situation.'
'The dog was provoked, that's why he bit her.'
Provocation.
provoke (pre-vok´) verb, transitive
provoked, provoking, provokes
1. To incite to anger or resentment.
2. To stir to action or feeling.
3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter.
4. To bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.
We tend to focus on the inciting to anger and resentment, inducing a negative action when we think of the word provoke.
Provoking also means stirring to action- or feeling, to give rise to; not necessarily bad things in and of themselves.
Read this...
Hebrews
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
Provoke unto love and to good works.
Provoke unto love.
Provoke to good works.
Another action word, yes? Provoke.
We provoke someone to anger by doing something to upset them, right? A brother can tease a sister, a sister tease a brother and they're provoking them to anger, teasing to get a response of anger. How often do we see someone provoking another to love? It's there, we just don't call it provoking. Helping another is provoking them to love isn't it? Being kind provokes others to kindness, or it can. Provoking to love.
How can *you* provoke someone to love?
How can you provoke someone to good works?
Hebrews
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
{10:25} Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching'
Exhorting one another.
We have to get together, we have to exhort one another-
exhort (îg-zôrt´) verb
exhorted, exhorting, exhorts verb, transitive
To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice, or appeal
We have to urge each other, admonish one another, appeal to each other.
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
We need to get together and exhort one another- we have to provoke one another unto love and to good works.
Do you see?
This provoking one another to love and to good works, getting together to do so is necessary.
We have to help each other.
When we get together we have to do it with the purpose of provoking love and good works.
May God help us to do this because it's so needed.
It's so easy to provoke to anger, and yet provoking to love is a whole other story.
I sit here and think - 'How can I provoke someone to love?' And I come up short. We're not provoking to 'be in love' or to 'love us romantically', but love in the way God intended. The loving of our fellow man, the loving others as we would be loved by them is the provoking we are to do. I can easily come up with ways to provoke to anger, and yet to provoke to love?
Provoking emotions.
Or is it more than provoking emotions?
Love isn't just an emotion in this way is it? We're not just provoking a 'good' feeling. Love goes beyond that starry-eyed, that prideful, that self-absorption type of love we get caught up in. It goes beyond the 'I love you because you're family', it's a way of life. When Jesus told us to love them that hate us, to love our enemies did he mean for us to get all gushy inside over them, or feel happy about them? God loves us and we know how exact His love can be. God loves us in all He does, in His admonitions, in His guidance, in His chastising, it's all love. We can punish and still love, love does mean not recognizing wrong. Turn the other cheek, do good to those who use you, these are actions-
Matthew {5:44} 'But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you'
Love, bless, do good, pray...
All actions- the looking beyond the feeling. We treat those we love with respect, we care for them and want what is best for them. We can bless someone without having overwhelming affectionate feelings for them. Loving our enemies doesn't mean liking what they do that makes them our enemies, the evil they do rightfully should sadden us. Sadden us more than anything because of the sin involve, the lack of love involve. Us choosing to do good to those who hate us, praying for those who use us despitefully, are choices we make. We're not going gush over them, and force *feelings* of love. We're going to treat them as we would be treated, treat them as God would treat them in love and forgiveness, and let God Himself mete out the punishment they deserve. We're not going to let any of those who are sinful towards us control our actions and work sin in us, or rather we shouldn't. When we choose to hate, to despise, to revile others in return for the way they treat us we are just as bad as they are in what they do to us. We try to justify it by saying they did it first but that's not something that can be justified. Sinning because we've been sinned upon. What a vicious cycle that would be, vicious and ultimately deadly.
Love is a choice, it doesn't have to be an emotion.
We choose loving ways, loving actions, loving deeds not out of feeling but out of a sense of right doing, of doing what is right, what is good; which is what God would have us do.
The ONLY way for us to find any sort of contentment on earth is in Christ, not others, not in our lives here and now. Love is a choice, a choice we make all the time in all our actions.
Provoking to love.
If we are loving we provoke others to love, right? They can choose to be unloving, but as long as we choose to love and be loving in our actions we call upon God to be loving through us and we can hope that the love we show through Christ is a love that will provoke others to the same, not to be like us, oh nooooo, but to be like God.
God help us all to let Him work in us, help us to provoke to love not to anger or hate, not to sin.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus.
Amen.
When we hear the term provoke we automatically associate it with an antagonistic action.
'Don't provoke me!'
'Don't provoke your sister!'
'Stop provoking your brother!'
'He provoked her, that's why she did what she did.'
'Because you were provoked we'll take that into consideration while discussing your situation.'
'The dog was provoked, that's why he bit her.'
Provocation.
provoke (pre-vok´) verb, transitive
provoked, provoking, provokes
1. To incite to anger or resentment.
2. To stir to action or feeling.
3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter.
4. To bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.
We tend to focus on the inciting to anger and resentment, inducing a negative action when we think of the word provoke.
Provoking also means stirring to action- or feeling, to give rise to; not necessarily bad things in and of themselves.
Read this...
Hebrews
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
Provoke unto love and to good works.
Provoke unto love.
Provoke to good works.
Another action word, yes? Provoke.
We provoke someone to anger by doing something to upset them, right? A brother can tease a sister, a sister tease a brother and they're provoking them to anger, teasing to get a response of anger. How often do we see someone provoking another to love? It's there, we just don't call it provoking. Helping another is provoking them to love isn't it? Being kind provokes others to kindness, or it can. Provoking to love.
How can *you* provoke someone to love?
How can you provoke someone to good works?
Hebrews
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
{10:25} Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching'
Exhorting one another.
We have to get together, we have to exhort one another-
exhort (îg-zôrt´) verb
exhorted, exhorting, exhorts verb, transitive
To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice, or appeal
We have to urge each other, admonish one another, appeal to each other.
{10:24} 'And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works'
We need to get together and exhort one another- we have to provoke one another unto love and to good works.
Do you see?
This provoking one another to love and to good works, getting together to do so is necessary.
We have to help each other.
When we get together we have to do it with the purpose of provoking love and good works.
May God help us to do this because it's so needed.
It's so easy to provoke to anger, and yet provoking to love is a whole other story.
I sit here and think - 'How can I provoke someone to love?' And I come up short. We're not provoking to 'be in love' or to 'love us romantically', but love in the way God intended. The loving of our fellow man, the loving others as we would be loved by them is the provoking we are to do. I can easily come up with ways to provoke to anger, and yet to provoke to love?
Provoking emotions.
Or is it more than provoking emotions?
Love isn't just an emotion in this way is it? We're not just provoking a 'good' feeling. Love goes beyond that starry-eyed, that prideful, that self-absorption type of love we get caught up in. It goes beyond the 'I love you because you're family', it's a way of life. When Jesus told us to love them that hate us, to love our enemies did he mean for us to get all gushy inside over them, or feel happy about them? God loves us and we know how exact His love can be. God loves us in all He does, in His admonitions, in His guidance, in His chastising, it's all love. We can punish and still love, love does mean not recognizing wrong. Turn the other cheek, do good to those who use you, these are actions-
Matthew {5:44} 'But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you'
Love, bless, do good, pray...
All actions- the looking beyond the feeling. We treat those we love with respect, we care for them and want what is best for them. We can bless someone without having overwhelming affectionate feelings for them. Loving our enemies doesn't mean liking what they do that makes them our enemies, the evil they do rightfully should sadden us. Sadden us more than anything because of the sin involve, the lack of love involve. Us choosing to do good to those who hate us, praying for those who use us despitefully, are choices we make. We're not going gush over them, and force *feelings* of love. We're going to treat them as we would be treated, treat them as God would treat them in love and forgiveness, and let God Himself mete out the punishment they deserve. We're not going to let any of those who are sinful towards us control our actions and work sin in us, or rather we shouldn't. When we choose to hate, to despise, to revile others in return for the way they treat us we are just as bad as they are in what they do to us. We try to justify it by saying they did it first but that's not something that can be justified. Sinning because we've been sinned upon. What a vicious cycle that would be, vicious and ultimately deadly.
Love is a choice, it doesn't have to be an emotion.
We choose loving ways, loving actions, loving deeds not out of feeling but out of a sense of right doing, of doing what is right, what is good; which is what God would have us do.
The ONLY way for us to find any sort of contentment on earth is in Christ, not others, not in our lives here and now. Love is a choice, a choice we make all the time in all our actions.
Provoking to love.
If we are loving we provoke others to love, right? They can choose to be unloving, but as long as we choose to love and be loving in our actions we call upon God to be loving through us and we can hope that the love we show through Christ is a love that will provoke others to the same, not to be like us, oh nooooo, but to be like God.
God help us all to let Him work in us, help us to provoke to love not to anger or hate, not to sin.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus.
Amen.
Friday, October 3, 2008
May God help us devise good
Proverbs {14:22} Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth [shall be] to them that devise good.
Mercy and truth.
Jesus came to earth as a human and with Him He brought mercy and truth personified. Our Savior's mercy saves us, the truth sets us free.
All through the Bible we hear of mercy and truth. God is love and love holds mercy and truth.
We might joke and say 'everything' good, but it's true. God is everything that is truly good.
'Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.'
Good- devising good.
Here we go once more, the 'action' of a Christian.
Devising good. We need to devise good, so many devise evil.
Devise-
'To form, plan, or arrange in the mind; design or contrive'
What did Jesus say- Matthew '{5:27} Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: {5:28} But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.'
Devising evil.
We need to pray to God to help us, to guide us, to forgive us and never leave us. We need to trust in Him whole-heartedly as a child trusts. God alone can enable us to be His, but we have to choose to let Him enable us. We have to focus on the good, dwell on the good, not *US* and our good works, make no mistake there. Pride is a sin. When we focus on the good, when we devise good, we are allowing God to live in us, work in us. If we find ourselves devising evil, if our thoughts are embroiled in thinking more bad than good, we need to shift our thought process or at least be willing to ask God to help us do that. It can be a problem for a lot of people- bad thoughts, very rarely do bad things take place without first having bad thoughts. I call them bad as if I've softened the real word and maybe I am. Evil. Very rarely do evil things take place without first having evil thoughts. The thought comes before the action. Jesus says just lusting is as bad as committing the act, so many might think that if they're guilty already they might as well do it. Is the 'act' worse than the 'thought'? It's the heart that matters. Evil thoughts need to be treated as sinful and we need to ask for forgiveness for those thoughts. We can't pat ourselves on the back and say- well at least I didn't do it. We have to realize the thought is evil as well and seek forgiveness for the thoughts.
It seems so hard sometimes, and 'too' hard at other times and that is what Satan wants. He wants us to say, this is just too confusing and too hard, I can't control my thoughts and everything, I just can't.
Well, that's true- we CAN'T. But we also can't give into Satan. We can't give up, we have to trust God and keep on trusting him. If there is a fight to be fought it's in keeping on trusting, keeping on with the faith, even when things seem the darkest. Giving up is automatic defeat when we give up to Satan. Giving up to Jesus, trusting in Jesus, is life, it's winning that race. We only win because Jesus won and we're trusting in His victory for us and not in ourselves.
If we love Jesus, we'll want to please Him. When you love someone you want to please them. Maybe you love only yourself- you want to please yourself, right?
We need to devise good.
May God help us devise good, by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Mercy and truth.
Jesus came to earth as a human and with Him He brought mercy and truth personified. Our Savior's mercy saves us, the truth sets us free.
All through the Bible we hear of mercy and truth. God is love and love holds mercy and truth.
We might joke and say 'everything' good, but it's true. God is everything that is truly good.
'Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.'
Good- devising good.
Here we go once more, the 'action' of a Christian.
Devising good. We need to devise good, so many devise evil.
Devise-
'To form, plan, or arrange in the mind; design or contrive'
What did Jesus say- Matthew '{5:27} Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: {5:28} But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.'
Devising evil.
We need to pray to God to help us, to guide us, to forgive us and never leave us. We need to trust in Him whole-heartedly as a child trusts. God alone can enable us to be His, but we have to choose to let Him enable us. We have to focus on the good, dwell on the good, not *US* and our good works, make no mistake there. Pride is a sin. When we focus on the good, when we devise good, we are allowing God to live in us, work in us. If we find ourselves devising evil, if our thoughts are embroiled in thinking more bad than good, we need to shift our thought process or at least be willing to ask God to help us do that. It can be a problem for a lot of people- bad thoughts, very rarely do bad things take place without first having bad thoughts. I call them bad as if I've softened the real word and maybe I am. Evil. Very rarely do evil things take place without first having evil thoughts. The thought comes before the action. Jesus says just lusting is as bad as committing the act, so many might think that if they're guilty already they might as well do it. Is the 'act' worse than the 'thought'? It's the heart that matters. Evil thoughts need to be treated as sinful and we need to ask for forgiveness for those thoughts. We can't pat ourselves on the back and say- well at least I didn't do it. We have to realize the thought is evil as well and seek forgiveness for the thoughts.
It seems so hard sometimes, and 'too' hard at other times and that is what Satan wants. He wants us to say, this is just too confusing and too hard, I can't control my thoughts and everything, I just can't.
Well, that's true- we CAN'T. But we also can't give into Satan. We can't give up, we have to trust God and keep on trusting him. If there is a fight to be fought it's in keeping on trusting, keeping on with the faith, even when things seem the darkest. Giving up is automatic defeat when we give up to Satan. Giving up to Jesus, trusting in Jesus, is life, it's winning that race. We only win because Jesus won and we're trusting in His victory for us and not in ourselves.
If we love Jesus, we'll want to please Him. When you love someone you want to please them. Maybe you love only yourself- you want to please yourself, right?
We need to devise good.
May God help us devise good, by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Loves instruction. Hates Reproof.
Proverbs
{12:1} Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.
Loves instruction.
Hates reproof.
Most of the time we do hate reproof. Why? We hate reproof because it points out our wrongs, our faults, our failures. In a world that praises success from the moment a child does something good to reprimanding them from the moment they do something wrong it's easy to see why we become that way isn't it? We associate reproof with being bad and being bad is worth punishing and punishing isn't sometihng meant to be fun and nice it's meant to be teaching us not to do bad. I think somewhere along the line we don't start out learning it's to teach us to be good, we learn shame of having faults. We learn shame and that feeling of shame isn't something we want so we come to hate reproof, wanting to be thought good and right all the time.
Okay, so maybe this isn't a 'we' thing, maybe this is a 'me' thing.
I know that from a personal standpoint the feeling that I get when someone points out I've done something wrong, something bad, messed up something important, forgot something I needed to remember, that I feel horrible.
Am I brutish? If I am, God help me. I know I need to learn to love instruction and God is helping me- despising not the 'chastening of the Lord'. It's a process of unlearning really because of the ingrain belief I've held for so long that chastening, the reproving is a bad thing. If we can learn that *learning* from our mistakes is a good thing, that no one is above making mistakes it's the aftermath we have to deal correctly with then maybe it'd be something less than brutish. I know I say 'we' but I mean 'me', because for all I know anyone reading this has a handle on this.
Read on... Proverbs is full of instruction-
{12:2} A good [man] obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
{12:3} A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
{12:4} A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.
{12:5} The thoughts of the righteous [are] right: [but] the counsels of the wicked [are] deceit.
{12:6} The words of the wicked [are] to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
{12:7} The wicked are overthrown, and [are] not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
{12:8} A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
{12:9} [He that is] despised, and hath a servant, [is] better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
{12:10} A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel.
{12:11} He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain [persons is] void of understanding.
{12:12} The wicked desireth the net of evil [men:] but the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit. ]
{12:13} The wicked is snared by the transgression of [his] lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
{12:14} A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
{12:15} The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise.
{12:16} A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent [man] covereth shame.
{12:17} [He that] speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
**
There is the truth.
Speaking the truth.
Not lying.
Speaking the truth is righteous.
Speaking lies isn't.
{12:18} There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is] health.
{12:19} The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.
**
That is so beautiful really.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever.
Lying tongues are but for a moment.
Forever.
The truth is forever.
Lies aren't.
In the grand scheme of eternity, the wicked will be gone and the righteous will live forever.
Truth.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
It's through Jesus we live forever.
Let's finish this chapter of Proverbs....
{12:20} Deceit [is] in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace [is] joy.
{12:21} There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
{12:22} Lying lips [are] abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly [are] his delight.
{12:23} A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
{12:24} The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
{12:25} Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
{12:26} The righteous [is] more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
{12:27} The slothful [man] roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man [is] precious.
{12:28} In the way of righteousness [is] life; and [in] the pathway [thereof there is] no death.
**
So much is said here, so much.
We need to take it to heart.
We need to take instruction.
Jesus loves us, and we need to love Him with all our heart.
May God help us all learn to love truth, to love instruction, to love Him by the grace of God our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
{12:1} Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.
Loves instruction.
Hates reproof.
Most of the time we do hate reproof. Why? We hate reproof because it points out our wrongs, our faults, our failures. In a world that praises success from the moment a child does something good to reprimanding them from the moment they do something wrong it's easy to see why we become that way isn't it? We associate reproof with being bad and being bad is worth punishing and punishing isn't sometihng meant to be fun and nice it's meant to be teaching us not to do bad. I think somewhere along the line we don't start out learning it's to teach us to be good, we learn shame of having faults. We learn shame and that feeling of shame isn't something we want so we come to hate reproof, wanting to be thought good and right all the time.
Okay, so maybe this isn't a 'we' thing, maybe this is a 'me' thing.
I know that from a personal standpoint the feeling that I get when someone points out I've done something wrong, something bad, messed up something important, forgot something I needed to remember, that I feel horrible.
Am I brutish? If I am, God help me. I know I need to learn to love instruction and God is helping me- despising not the 'chastening of the Lord'. It's a process of unlearning really because of the ingrain belief I've held for so long that chastening, the reproving is a bad thing. If we can learn that *learning* from our mistakes is a good thing, that no one is above making mistakes it's the aftermath we have to deal correctly with then maybe it'd be something less than brutish. I know I say 'we' but I mean 'me', because for all I know anyone reading this has a handle on this.
Read on... Proverbs is full of instruction-
{12:2} A good [man] obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
{12:3} A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
{12:4} A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.
{12:5} The thoughts of the righteous [are] right: [but] the counsels of the wicked [are] deceit.
{12:6} The words of the wicked [are] to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
{12:7} The wicked are overthrown, and [are] not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
{12:8} A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
{12:9} [He that is] despised, and hath a servant, [is] better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
{12:10} A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel.
{12:11} He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain [persons is] void of understanding.
{12:12} The wicked desireth the net of evil [men:] but the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit. ]
{12:13} The wicked is snared by the transgression of [his] lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
{12:14} A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
{12:15} The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise.
{12:16} A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent [man] covereth shame.
{12:17} [He that] speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
**
There is the truth.
Speaking the truth.
Not lying.
Speaking the truth is righteous.
Speaking lies isn't.
{12:18} There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is] health.
{12:19} The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.
**
That is so beautiful really.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever.
Lying tongues are but for a moment.
Forever.
The truth is forever.
Lies aren't.
In the grand scheme of eternity, the wicked will be gone and the righteous will live forever.
Truth.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
It's through Jesus we live forever.
Let's finish this chapter of Proverbs....
{12:20} Deceit [is] in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace [is] joy.
{12:21} There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
{12:22} Lying lips [are] abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly [are] his delight.
{12:23} A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
{12:24} The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
{12:25} Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
{12:26} The righteous [is] more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
{12:27} The slothful [man] roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man [is] precious.
{12:28} In the way of righteousness [is] life; and [in] the pathway [thereof there is] no death.
**
So much is said here, so much.
We need to take it to heart.
We need to take instruction.
Jesus loves us, and we need to love Him with all our heart.
May God help us all learn to love truth, to love instruction, to love Him by the grace of God our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs
{3:1} My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments
{3:2} For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
{3:3} Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart
{3:4} So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
**
We studied this yesterday a little bit. The next couple verses don't have the word 'truth' in them but I wanted to touch on them any way.
{3:5} Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
{3:6} In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
**
Lean not unto thine own understanding.
We can try as hard as we want to.
We can glimpse into the understanding as we seek to walk with God.
We can do all in our power to find clarity with all the answers, but we won't find them fully, ever.
The whys and hows of God are mysteries.
Scientists can rip apart the smallest part of a human being in an effort to find all the answers. We can read in the newspaper, or hear on the news that 'another great discovery' was made in the advance of mapping the human genome, we're one step closer to understanding, but you know what it's lies. No, not that the advances aren't being made because they are. What is a lie is that we're closer to understanding. Every discovery made only produces more and more questions. We want to understand, we think by explaining away things we master them, that we gain some control over them. Having to rely on anyone but ourselves goes against the grain of our pride. We *should* be able to have control. We *don't* want to rely on any one else to decide our fate. We do have that control in the power of our choice but beyond that we have to have faith in God.
We can't lean unto our own understanding.
When life turns upside-down and we cry out that we just don't understand why all that is happening is happening, we want understanding but God want us to trust in Him beyond our understanding.
'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.'
That covers so much of how to live in God.
Trusting with all our heart- as a child trusts, never suspecting their parent could hurt them in any way and even if they do, the child will time and again forgive a parent and love them, trusting them once more. Leaning not unto our own understanding. We can't understand the ways of God, they were by faith and truth beyond our comprehension. We have to have God in our lives in every way possible. There isn't one single part of our lives we shouldn't have God in, not a single one. In all our ways we have to acknowledge him.
Lean not unto thine own understanding.
Our cries of not understanding are in fact understandable, in just knowing we *can't* understand. Such a wonderful paradox, but so true and so relieving being able to trust in God and not our own limited understanding.
May God help us to acknowledge Him now and always and trust in him not ourselves or our own understanding.
Amen.
{3:1} My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments
{3:2} For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
{3:3} Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart
{3:4} So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
**
We studied this yesterday a little bit. The next couple verses don't have the word 'truth' in them but I wanted to touch on them any way.
{3:5} Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
{3:6} In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
**
Lean not unto thine own understanding.
We can try as hard as we want to.
We can glimpse into the understanding as we seek to walk with God.
We can do all in our power to find clarity with all the answers, but we won't find them fully, ever.
The whys and hows of God are mysteries.
Scientists can rip apart the smallest part of a human being in an effort to find all the answers. We can read in the newspaper, or hear on the news that 'another great discovery' was made in the advance of mapping the human genome, we're one step closer to understanding, but you know what it's lies. No, not that the advances aren't being made because they are. What is a lie is that we're closer to understanding. Every discovery made only produces more and more questions. We want to understand, we think by explaining away things we master them, that we gain some control over them. Having to rely on anyone but ourselves goes against the grain of our pride. We *should* be able to have control. We *don't* want to rely on any one else to decide our fate. We do have that control in the power of our choice but beyond that we have to have faith in God.
We can't lean unto our own understanding.
When life turns upside-down and we cry out that we just don't understand why all that is happening is happening, we want understanding but God want us to trust in Him beyond our understanding.
'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.'
That covers so much of how to live in God.
Trusting with all our heart- as a child trusts, never suspecting their parent could hurt them in any way and even if they do, the child will time and again forgive a parent and love them, trusting them once more. Leaning not unto our own understanding. We can't understand the ways of God, they were by faith and truth beyond our comprehension. We have to have God in our lives in every way possible. There isn't one single part of our lives we shouldn't have God in, not a single one. In all our ways we have to acknowledge him.
Lean not unto thine own understanding.
Our cries of not understanding are in fact understandable, in just knowing we *can't* understand. Such a wonderful paradox, but so true and so relieving being able to trust in God and not our own limited understanding.
May God help us to acknowledge Him now and always and trust in him not ourselves or our own understanding.
Amen.
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