11.2.10 Proverbs 2:21,21 –
Proverbs Post #11-
Today I was reading in chapter 2, and verses 21 & 22 “stuck out” today. It says:
2:21 For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 2:22 but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.
On this day we will vote for the human leadership of our country. God already knows the results and will use those elected to bring about His plan. I have been paying closer attention to this election process than those of the past several years. As I read chapter 2 in Proverbs today these verses caught my attention for a different reason than you might think.
Verse 21 begins “For the upright will reside in the land,” and I know what you are thinking, the elected official who has been upright will win the election because people will see their integrity! And, those wicked elected officials will be thrown out of office! (By the way, I am not referring to any specific political parties) I actually would caution you from those thoughts and consider these.
What if “upright” is not referring to elected officials but to you and me? I would suggest that no matter who the elected officials are, we have a choice to be upright and live with integrity. Does the controlling party affect the way you live your life? It shouldn’t!
I think these verses are saying that the individual example is much more important than what a government does or does not do. Does that mean we are not a part of the process? Absolutely not. We have to be involved in our community but I believe that if we were more involved in our local communities to effect others for Christ, our government would follow the people.
Is it possible that our government is a reflection of the church?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
11.1.10 Proverbs 1:20
Proverbs Post #10-
Today I was reading in chapter 1, vcialis 40mg drugs and verse 20 spoke to me today. It says:
1:20 Wisdom calls out in the street, sickness
she shouts loudly in the plazas;
I will admit in the beginning of reading Proverbs every day, for nearly 4 years now, I did not recognize lady wisdom immediately. Satan, the Great Deceiver, masks wisdom every day. I have noticed that worldly wisdom is almost contradictory to Biblical wisdom. Let me give you an example I found while writing my book. I am sure you have heard of paying yourself the first 10% of your paycheck. I know all of the explanations of why this is recommended. The most common is that you need to save for retirement and the “only” way you are going to save that money is by paying yourself first!
What does the Bible have to say about the first 10%? Proverbs 3:9 says “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first fruits of all your crops.” Who should we write our first check to each month?
The real question is, “Why does a person need to save the first 10%?” My 10 years experience in the financial consulting field showed me people are living way beyond their means and are very discontent! If they do not save the first 10% they will not save any money because they spend all of their earnings each month, and sometimes, more than they make each month.
Do you hear wisdom as she shouts loudly in the plazas?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.29.10 Proverbs 29:13 –
Proverbs Post #9-
Today I was reading in chapter 29, cheap and verse 13 spoke to me today. It says:
29:13 The poor person and the oppressor(creditor and debtor) have this in common:
the Lord gives light to the eyes of them both.
In other words, viagra buy we all have something in common. And what is that? In spite of our circumstances we receive our life from God. My wife cleans houses so our daughters can attend a Christian school. Today, see as she was cleaning she was introduced to visitors in the home. The visitors did not even acknowledge her!
As the second half of the verse says, God has given each of life and in His eyes He desires to have a personal relationship with Him. When was the last time you judged someone because the type of clothes they were wearing, the kind of car they were driving, where they worked or one of a hundred things that differentiate us from another? Money has a way of encouraging our perceptions also.
Do you place value on someone because of how they look?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.28.10 Proverbs 28:20 –
Proverbs Post #8-
Today I was reading in chapter 28, order and verse 20 grabbed my attention today. It says:
28:20 A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,
but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.
We have a tremendous focus on money these days. The economy is poor, giving is down, people are making changes to their budgets and many are struggling. It is wrong to desire to have money? “A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,” indicates that we will have at least what we need if not more. Does this mean we are faithful that we will be wealthy? Not necessarily. Blessings indicates a return on work and does not indicate amounts. In 1 Timothy 6:10 we are given a warning about desiring money. Verse 10 says, ” For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.”
The second half of verse 20, “but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished,” gives us another warning about gaining riches. In other words, be careful of “get rich quick” schemes. The two parts of this verse, faithfulness and “get rich quick”, are contrarian views.
Are you faithful or in a hurry?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.27.10 Proberbs 27:19 –
Proverbs Post #7-
Today I was reading in chapter 27, and verse 19 struck me today. It says:
27:19 As in water the face is reflected as a face,
so a person’s heart reflects the person.
Wow! This is a challenging verse. One of the challenges for us is whether or not we are putting forth effort for our own interests or God’s interests. I struggle on a daily basis with making sure everything I do is making a difference for the kingdom.
Colossians 3:1-3 deal directly with this struggle. “3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Are you reflecting your will or God’s will?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10.26.10 Proberbs 26:28 –
Proverbs Post #6-
Today I was reading in chapter 26, view and verse 28 struck me today. It says:
26:28 A lying tongue hates those crushed by it, cialis
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
I am following up on yesterdays post with the negative side of communication. As I mentioned we have to work hard to communicate well but lying, see flattering, gossip, etc are so easy for us! When I read “A lying tongue hates those crushed by it,” I came to a significant realization. I always thought, when I lie I am focused on myself but I think the truth is lying shows how much or maybe more accurately how little we value the people around us.
Before I move on, I will admit, I am guilty as charged. I have not told the truth in my life multiple times (This is the point where you are to admit you are guilty as well). So what does lying really do? It alters the correct perception others have of us. So where is the real harm? The damage as mentioned in the first half of this verse is not only to the person who lies but to those to which the lie is told! They believe something that is false which makes the truth hurt even more! This is especially significant in a family situation where our lives are so intertwined.
Will Rogers said, “It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.” How did you feel the last time a lie was told and you learned the truth?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10/25/2010 – Proverbs 25:11
Proverbs Post #5-
Today I was reading in chapter 25, no rx and verse 11 struck me today. It says:
25:11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
so is a word skillfully spoken.
I really enjoy listening to speakers who can communicate their thoughts in a way that I not only hear but truly understand their meaning. Few of us have this gift but still experience good and poor communication on a regular basis. We communicate most of the day with our family, co workers, friends or employees at our favorite establishments.
Have you ever heard that you can only control what you say and not how anyone hears or understands what you say? I have found my poor communication to be the single greatest cause of headache in my life. I cannot or do not ask for help. I give bad instructions. I am upset when I respond! The list can go on and on but the constant in every situation is my ability to communicate.
On the other hand I have several friends who are master communicators. Not only can they help you understand but a tremendously important part of the skillfully spoken word is listening. They have the ability to hear what you are saying, listen to your tone, watch your body language to help really hear your communication. After our conversation, I regularly have the thought, “They really get me.”
How well to you listen in order to speak skillfully?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10/22/10 – Proverby 22:3
Proverbs Post #4-
Today I was reading in chapter 22, buy and verse 3 struck me today. It says:
22:3 A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself,
but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it.
Would you like to be the shrewd person or the naive person? Ok, I probably did not have to ask. As a general rule, being naive is not a good trait for functioning well in our country. There are a large number of individuals who are searching for people to take advantage of.
As I began writing, my first thought was of being naive in our daily lives. But I think the implication goes further than our daily interaction with others in this world. When you read “A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself,” did you wonder why they would hide? 1 Peter 5 provides a possible answer to this question. It says “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.” Lions are a good reason to hide!
Be alert! Are you being attentive to your interaction with the world?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10/21/10 – Proverbs 21:26
Proverbs Post #3-
Today I was reading in chapter 21, since it is the 21th day of the month, and verse 26 struck me today. It says:
21:26 All day long he craves greedily,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
A friend and I talk regularly about tension in our lives. Our tension is not necessarily negative but the constant process of testing everything we do (our desires, motives, etc) versus God’s instruction in the Bible and where we see His leading in our lives.
This verse challenges me with one of those tensions with which I struggle. That tension is, how much that I have do I need and how much is simply due to my wants. In relation to verse 26, “Am I craving greedily or am I willing to give without holding back?” I am convinced that we each need ask and answer this for ourselves.
How do you make these types of decisions? I have learned a truth that I want to share but admit I struggle with everyday. The simple truth is: ask God to show me the correct decision. The difficult part is asking and have a willing heart to accept His answer because my desires get in the way on a regular basis! I am sure some of you may question my thoughts. You might ask, “You mean every decision I make?” I do not think God cares about simple daily life tasks such as, which clothes you wear today, but when you are making a decision that impacts the resources He has placed in your care; yes, I mean every decision.
Are you willing to take every financial decision to the Lord in prayer?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
10/20/10 – Proverbs 20:12
Proverbs Post #2-
I have been reading through the book of Proverbs for most of the last four years. I followed the path many have when reading this book, by reading the chapter that matches the day of the month. I am going to attempt to write daily, on a verse that speaks to me as I read. Today I was reading in chapter 20, since it is the 20th day of the month, and verse 21 struck me today. It says:
20:12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees –
the Lord has made them both.
As I read “the ear that hears and the eye that sees” I thought of my daughters ears and eyes. I wondered how my actions were effecting their eyes and ears. Am I being an example of Jesus or an example of the world to my precious girls?
The next line that says “the Lord has made them both” refers to God giving us these abilities but also, as the foot notes in the Net Bible state, “but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.” Reading the notes deepened my conviction in regards to my daughters since my desire is to be an example they can follow. I need to help them learn how to use their eyes and ears for God’s service.
What kind of example are you to your children or those who see you in the world?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
