- Tuesday, 11/17/20 Proverbs 12:1, Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. Instruction (positive) and reproof (negative) are
opposite sides of the same coin, and are, basically, the same. There’s no way to have one without the other, so use both as a teacher, and expect both as a learner. Have you ever said to the Lord, “Just show me that You’re listening; show me that You’re aware of me, or are working, or that You care...” I have...often. Matthew 16:4, A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. Ouch!! A sign is the antithesis of faith. Double ouch!!
- Wednesday, 11/18/20 Psalm 73:3, For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. If we can’t discipline our minds, we can discipline our eyes. If we can’t conquer a temptation, then we can at least avoid it. It’s like trying to lose weight with a gallon of ice cream in the freezer: don’t buy it. Psalm 73:14-15, For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. Even if we’re speaking truth, to complain about our circumstances is to lay a stumblingblock in others’ paths. (At the very least most people don’t want to hear us vent...) We need to talk of our blessings to others, and of our problems to God.
- Thursday, 11/19/20 Job 1:5b, Job...offered burnt offerings [for his kids]: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned... Thus did Job continually. Job allowed for, assumed, and pre-emptively tried to solve his kids’ flaws. Do we allow others no leeway, while (overly) excusing our own? Job 1:21b-22, ...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all [these calamities] Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Our lives may be totally changed in a moment; even if he would’ve had insurance, he still suffered well over a dozen deaths and the shock of losing his fortune. I submit to you that he didn’t sin (said 2x) after the troubles because he walked closely with God when there were no troubles. Failure will destroy many people; prosperity will destroy as many or more.
- Friday, 11/20/20 Psalm 75:1, Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. They declare: are we aware? And, if we are aware, do we give a proper amount of thanks? Psalm 78:36-37, Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. Others can only see our outer actions and hear our words, but the Lord knows the heart. Each of us need to examine the degree to which we’re phonies (and all of us to some degree). How close does our heart condition NOW match what we said yesterday?
- Saturday, 11/21/20 Psalm 75:10, All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. We comfort ourselves with the first half of the verse. Let’s excite ourselves with the second half. Both are guaranteed by the Lord. Psalm 78:19-21, Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel. Three times: “Can God?” Let Bible stories speak to you. You and I oftentimes do the same things. Learn from the stories about God’s character. In this case, I prayed for patience from Him, forgiveness for when I think it, and character to not do it again. I also felt bad for Him that He only has people like us...He puts up with so much grief from us after He’s done so much for us.
- Sunday, 11/22/20 Psalm 137:1, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. By character, we can think of and thank NOW, or by circumstances we can remember and mourn LATER. Choose you this day... Do you feel like your life is a rut? Are you stuck in a dead-end job; in a boring relationship; church seems like a meaningless charade? Not only do you not see light at the end of the tunnel, you’re in pitch blackness with spider webs sticking to your face? Basically do you feel you’re treading water in a nasty swamp? Psalm 78:32-33, For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. I’d say that what I described would be “days consumed in vanity...” Read the verse again, and ask God if it’s for you.
- Monday, 11/23/20 Psalm 78:38, But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. “MANY a time”!!! Maybe we should say “thank you” more than “some of the time...” Go love on Him. Ecclesiastes 1:14, I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Solomon, who wrote this was saved. If, as a believer, all you live for is “under the sun” yours will be a miserable, trying life. What’re you doing for eternity? How often do you think about Heaven? Are you investing in Heaven (sending money and souls ahead of you?) Are you spending more time, effort, and money on eternal things than you used to? Are you encouraging Heaven’s soldiers here and helping to heal those who’ve been wounded in the battle? More so than in past years?
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