- Tuesday, 9/22/20 Note the promise in the second half: Proverbs 15:15, All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. If everyday of your life is a train wreck...it’s not
the railroad’s fault: it’s the one driving the train. Train wreck or feast...your choice. Psalm 6:2, Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. Not an excuse, but the psalmist offered a reason for needing mercy: he had a weak spirit and faulty body (i.e. he was inherently a sinner.) We need to remember that our underlings need mercy for the same reason. Don’t be an ogre as you execute your role of parent, teacher, or boss.
- Wednesday, 9/23/20 Very simply, how hard are you to correct? How difficult is it to get you to admit wrong? Proverbs 17:10, A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. Your answer may reveal an unpleasant and painful truth... Galatians 1:3-4a, Grace be to you (today) and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins (on the Cross), that he might deliver us (today) from this present evil world... Christ gave it all (literally), and then keeps on giving. Far too often, we give a (very) little, and then quit: “I’ve done my part!” Keep on keeping on.
- Thursday, 9/24/20 Psalm 10:1, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? Some say it’s not good to question God like this. I think, that if we’re saying this to Him, at least we’re facing Him. Stay close to Him even when (it seems as if) He’s not close to you. Psalm 10:4, The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. This is a pretty self-explanatory verse, but contrast it with v1, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? It’s the height of wickedness to childishly say, “Well, if You’re not gonna talk to me, I’ll not talk to You!!” We then cut off our only lifeline...
- Friday, 9/25/20 Proverbs 21:6, The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. In a thousand ways, we do this: we trade short-term negatives (doing without) and long-term positives (righteousness, peace) for short-term positives (having now) and long-term negatives (death of peace, holiness, contentment, etc.) Don’t. Proverbs 21:1, The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Yes, your boss might inherently be a jerk, but, if his/her heart is against you, God may very well be trying to point out something you need to change or build up: patience? forgiveness? toughness? love toward an adversary? Or, perish the thought, the boss (& God) might actually have a legitimate gripe about your actions or attitude.
- Saturday, 9/26/20 Psalm 11:1, In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? May we never be guilty of blatantly or subtly or inadvertently trying to turn a brother away from trusting the Lord to “something more practical.” Yes, act wisely, but trust Him. “...but the gift of God is eternal life.” We like THAT gift, but God gave us more when we got saved. Philippians 1:29, For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, BUT ALSO to suffer for his sake. Like it or not, we’ve been given this second one; accepting it will help us tolerate it better. (I know I need help and prayer in this area...)
- Sunday, 9/27/20 Philippians 3:1a, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Whatever else you do today, rejoice in the Lord. When all is said and done, rejoice in the Lord. When you can do nothing else, rejoice in the Lord. Mark 6:51-52, And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. With Christ, serving others, seeing miracles...while having a hard heart and blinded eyes. I’m guessing you and I, spiritually, are in a far more tenuous, and dangerous, spot than we realize.
- Monday, 9/28/20 Philippians 3:13b, ...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind. Forget YOUR failures. Forget YOUR successes. And as importantly, forget OTHERS’ failures, but remember their successes. 2 Kings 5:26, And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? God has a timetable, and many/most of our conflicts with Him occur when we try to change His prearranged schedule.
 |
----------------------------------------------------------------- Contact me at baptistcity@gmail.com for information on subscribing to the weekly email or daily text messages from Terry. |
|
|