-Tuesday, 12/4/18 Proverbs 29:1, He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. The warning is obvious, but something praiseworthy: He reproves us multiple times before escalating His disapproval. (We should do the same to our followers.)
Psalm 74 starts with an accusation that God had abandoned His people: “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?” It then goes on and on for 23 verses without any mention or hint of self-examination. There could be many reasons that you and I are going through problems, including sin on our part, or a need for growth in some area. However, a lack of God’s faithfulness to His promises or a lessening of His love for us are not one of the causes.
- Wednesday, 12/5/18 Ever
been broken by a problem? God breaks us so He give us grace, and then we’re to
leak grace wherever we go. 2 Corinthians 1:4, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. Isn’t it wonderful to be delivered
from a huge burden? How glorious!! Psalm
40:2-3a, He brought me up also out of
an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto
our God. Truly this is a psalm of praise, but this thought: He’ll put the
song into our mouth, but it’s our job to open the mouth and let it out!!! Tell
others, including the unsaved what He did. Tell of His goodness...so His
goodness can lead them to repentance. (They hear of His “badness” and how He
“has forsaken” people. Talk of His goodness.)
- Thursday, 12/6/18 John
6:68, Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. “Eternal
life” generally refers to the quality; “everlasting” to the length. Do you
have, today, eternal life? Do you have enough of a relationship with Him and
His Word to get it? Psalm
81:13-14, Oh that my people had hearkened
unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their
enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. God’s first recourse
towards His rebellious people is not the chastening rod, but the withholding of
positives. First of all: what a sweet, gracious God. Secondly, we shouldn’t
resort to punishment as our first step in dealing with subordinates.
- Friday, 12/7/18
Proverbs 29:8b, ...wise men turn
away wrath. (Meaning they don’t vocalize it.) Proverbs 29:22a, An angry man stirreth up strife. I know how I have been for
decades...what about you? I’m sure that I’ve prayed Psalm 51 over a thousand
times since my wife left me...I think it’s helped me to become a better man,
even though my sin cost me my wife. Proverbs
3:5a, 7a, Trust in the Lord with all
thine heart... Be not wise in thine own eyes... Our problem is not so much
that we don’t have a high enough estimation of God’s abilities, it’s that we
have much too high of an opinion of our own... We really don’t believe “without
me ye can do nothing.”
- Saturday, 12/8/18
Proverbs 6:30-31, Men do not
despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but if he
be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his
house. Even “justifiable” sin is still sin and has consequences. John 16:1, These things have I spoken unto you, that ye
should not be offended. The Bible word “offend” (in both the OT & NT)
generally means “to cause to fall.” It doesn’t mean “to get your feelings
hurt.” Do you have enough of a safety net surrounding you with your
relationship to the Bible, or are you literally “hanging by a thread”?
- Sunday, 12/9/18 John
14:15, If ye love me, keep my
commandments. It is totally impossible to love Christ without a deep
personal Bible life. He said love
towards Him is tied to the Book, not some gushy heart feeling. So, how’s your
Bible life? Ask for help/advice from someone. Ezekiel
33:31-32, And they come unto [Ezekiel] as
the people cometh, and they sit before [him] as my people, and they hear [his]
words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but
their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, [Ezekiel is] unto them as
a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an
instrument: for they hear [his] words, but they do them not. I wonder how
many Christians in our churches this verse describes. Do you go to church to
change or socialize? To repent and be cleaner or to “tip God”? Maybe we all
should give Him a Christmas present of a renewed heart’s focus this year.
- Monday, 12/10/18
(Warning: Painful post ahead) Psalm 119:4, Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
“Diligently” here means with vehemence, or great force. Think of a vehement
wind. Very eager, urgent. These are not words I’d use to describe me...Lord,
help me. Psalm
119:30, I have chosen the way of truth:
thy judgments have I laid before me. Many people (say) they’ve chosen the
“way” (lifestyle) of truth, but I think many fail to “lay His judgments” in
front of them for TODAY. His word is not a one day a week guide. Let It guide
you as you go to work or school or grocery shopping or driving or relating
today. There is no situation where It does not have guidance to impart. Far too
many born again believers have a VERY small God Who can be contained and
restricted to a few hours in a building on Sunday.
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