- Tuesday, 12/13/22 Luke 19:7, And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. Regardless of the opinions of
men, God will take you...just come; extend an invite to Him. Allow Him to correct and redirect whatever He will. Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Even the necessary can be overdone; good and necessary things may bring unwanted consequences; working people are satisfied people.
- Wednesday, 12/14/22 Matthew 16:22-23a, Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this [suffering and death] shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. Remember that it may be God’s will for those whom you love dearly to have to go thru horrible circumstances, and His plan for you may be to be able to do nothing about it. Hebrews 12:2, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. To take the pain, keep your eyes on the prize. To value a prize (which you’ve not experienced before: salvation, purity before marriage, education, staying married for 30 years, faithfulness, years walking with God, rearing good kids), listen to those who have attained it.
- Thursday, 12/15/22 Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Be not dismayed: the worst that can happen to us today is that we don’t go to Heaven. Isaiah 41:6-7, They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. The middle class encouraged the upper class; every one spoke good words to every one; each assisted the other in their tasks. Those around you need you today, and you’ll need them tomorrow. Pay it forward: encourage everyone you see. Leave everyone in a happier state of mind each time you leave.
- Friday, 12/16/22 Psalm 145:7, They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. We’re to always be doing more and more. Here’s a higher goal for each of us: “ABUNDANTLY utter & sing of Him.” (“To gush forth continually; to emit like a foul odor.”) Luke 21:9, But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. “WHEN you hear...be not terrified.” How about: “do all you can not to hear”? There’s so much panic and gloom everywhere: we must, ON PURPOSE, avoid it. Maybe I’m foolish, but I partake of very little news. What can I do to stop the mass shootings or the wanton destruction of our country? I want to spread and hear good news: my God loves me; my wife loves me; I’ve got food and a warm house waiting for me at home. Be blissfully ignorant.
- Saturday, 12/17/22 Psalm 145:9, The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Our selfish hearts, our ungodly surroundings, and demonic influences constantly refute this statement. Who have you been listening to the most recently? Him, or others? Luke 21:34, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. Paraphrase: “Don’t allow yourselves to be distracted by the noise. You know God is working; watch for Him and His cues, and do what you’re supposed to do. Block out the noise and stay focused on the main thing: HIM.”
- Sunday, 12/18/22 Psalm 42:5, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Too often we tolerate our own moods. “That’s just how I am; life stinks right now.” NO!! YOU are in charge of YOU: fix you, or at least do your best to fix you. Figure you out: do you need sleep? food? to serve another? Three extra chapters of Bible? Figure and fix. Romans 3:30, Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. It’s an attribute of God that He is fair in the means to allow any and all to return to Him: faith. Oft-times we are not. We allow some to get back in our good graces by a simple apology; others, we demand that they “prove their sincerity” or “make it up to us.” That one who knows he hurt you and has apologized and tried to reconcile with you: have you wiped the offense off of your books? You were hurt FAR less than either you or I hurt Christ, and He substituted our tiny step of faith for our giant pile of sins.
- Monday, 12/19/22 Proverbs 15:4, A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. “Wholesome”: placid, yielding. Is our tongue more often characterized as insistive or yielding? Placid and peaceful, or agitated and angry? Does our tongue more often provide shade or slander? Food or folly? Comfort or criticism? Oxygen or ostracizing? Proverbs 15:23, A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! Notice: It doesn’t say that someone GIVES joy by his own reply; it says we HAVE joy by our reply. I wonder how often we shoot our own spirit in the foot by what we say to others. (And, of course, what we say affects another’s spirit also.) So do two people a favor today: reply sweetly and speak well in due season.