- Tuesday, 1/19/21 Psalm 142:2, I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. I find myself
oft talking to God about my troubles, but usually in a complaining, whining manner. He wants to listen, but let’s work on telling Him our troubles, but with more of a tone of faith. As with ‘most everything, God’s order of acquisition is different. The world starts with accumulating facts. God starts with knowing Him. Proverbs 14:6, A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. “Understanding” is define in Proverbs 9 as “the knowledge of the holy.” Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Focus on your relationship with Him, and the rest will pretty much fall into place.
- Wednesday, 1/20/21 Proverbs 14:1, Every wise woman buildeth her house. Ma’am, God says the wife is the “keeper at home.” Do you guard your home’s relationships and spirit? Do you model your actions after the Bible or the philosophy of your heart and the world? Is yours a Christian home or just a good one? Proverbs 15:2, The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. Not all knowledge is good; we all hear/know negative things about others: their faults, their sins, their weaknesses, their past. If we’re wise, we’ll use that knowledge rightly: and that sometimes means putting it away from others...like garbage we put in the alley so it doesn’t stink up the house. Do you put the garbage out back...or keep in your living room and car and share it’s “scent” with as many as you can??? (Things that make us go “Hmmmm...”) BTW, God says it’s a shame to even speak of the things the wicked do in secret...that would include negative truth about a fellow Christian.
- Thursday, 1/21/21 Psalm 145:17, The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Could God do what you’re asking Him to do and still be righteous and still maintain His holiness? Something to think about...when we’re tempted to get mad at Him for “ignoring us.” Psalm 1:1a, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly... We’ve changed the meaning away from what God said. He SAID to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly; we’ve taken it to say that we are not to walk with sinners at all. That is NOT what it said. We must associate with them to win them...isn’t that what the Lord did? So, the question comes: how can we get more sinners into our lives?
- Friday, 1/22/21 2 Samuel 11:2, And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David...walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw [Bathsheba] washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. God uses failures...cuz there are no other kinds of people available. Proverbs 16:27, An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A pointed question: do you ever let people forget/move past their mistakes...or, is it that every time they try to stand upright and do a little more for God that you feel it’s your duty to put them down again by reminding everyone...that they’ve SINNED IN THE PAST!!! (Gasp! OMW!! God can’t use someone who’s sinned!!!) Honestly, IS IT POSSIBLE that the one who fornicated; did prison time; has been divorced 3 times; HURT YOU...could God ever get any service out of them...or are you God's (self-appointed) deputy to keep their face in the mud...to “protect” the “good Christians” and the “reputation” of “OUR church”? We're all made of mud, and the church is His...He wants more sinners in it.
- Saturday, 1/23/21 Proverbs 17:24, Wisdom is before him that hath understanding. Understanding is defined as “knowledge of the holy.” So, if we get to know God, that’ll help us make sense out of our daily circumstances. We don’t need the spectacular as much as we need to have our eyes opened in the ordinary. Psalm 86:11, Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Our heart is pulled in a hundred different directions. We’re like a disco ball...shining everywhere. To the degree we focus (like a laser beam) we become, to that same degree, a good Christian. So...what’s distracting you, and how can you fix it?
- Sunday, 1/24/21 If all you can do is to stagger into church today, you’re in good company. That’s how David was in Psalm 5:7: But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy. Mercy is only needed when mistakes/sins have been made. Wrap up in It and get to the services. Deuteronomy 27:15, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. A reminder that God sees our secret places and our secret things...and we ALL have them. Let this thought provoke you...
- Monday, 1/25/21 Acts 4:18, And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. The world often criticizes us (usually justly) for not living like we believe. But if we live what we preach we get criticized anyway. So...live like you’re on the winning side, cuz you are. Acts 11:18, When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. These men are to be commended on several actions. 1They went to Peter and asked him directly about what he had done. 2They allowed him to speak and present his side. 3They considered his words, and, most importantly, 4they changed their minds. Oft-times we are too proud to admit that we’re wrong. I saw a t-shirt advertisement on the side of my browser that said, “I’m not arguing: I’m telling you why I’m right.” Honestly, do you admit error? Do you apologize for being wrong? Or do you defend to the hilt your position? At best, many will simply change without acknowledging that the one who pointed out their error was right.
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