A Devotional Thought From Proverbs

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.     Proverbs 4:14

In this verse Solomon gives a basic, rock-bottom, foundational principle that will make anyone’s life better. Don’t go down the primrose path that the wicked follow, do not be like evil people. Anybody who stays away from where evil people go (and especially what they do) has a significantly higher possibility of leading a safe, less troubled, no jail time life than those who follow and do what the wicked  do.

This should be obvious to anyone who looks around and observes life. Some of the best rules for having a good life are simple and straightforward. Many years ago I read about a piece of graffiti that was well known at the time. It said “Evil spelled backwards is live.” Reverse your direction if you have entered into the way of the wicked. Stay away from evil pathways and live a good life. You will not have to regret it from a prison cell, an early grave, the divorce court, or from a vomit filled gutter after long nights of drinking and drugs, etc., etc., etc.

A Devotional Thought From Proverbs

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it, cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.     Proverbs 3:25, 26

Solomon is speaking in these instructions to his son, presumably Rehoboam, who when he became ruler split the kingdom because he did not have or use the wisdom Solomon is attempting to share with him in this book of the Bible.

When events happen suddenly that would put fear in your heart do not be afraid, do not let the fear control you. Don’t be afraid of the destruction enemies would seek to inflict on you. (Let me interject at this point in my paraphrase of Solomon’s words, that these things “fear and desolation” are not good things. We would think normally anyone would be cast down when they occur, but Solomon’s answer to them is uplifting.) Don’t be afraid because the Lord shall be your confidence. By faith you can throw all your cares on Him, and God will keep you from being overrun and taken. He is able to deliver you. If you depend upon this truth and have the confidence that it is true truth you can sleep at night, work in positive expectation of protection, and realize that in the end by God’s hand all will be well.

This idea can be applied to nations as well as individuals. If a nation wants to live fearlessly and be able to sleep in peace without fear of destruction it’s confidence in the Lord is paramount. A nation that is motivated by faith in, and, obedience to, the wisdom and instructions of the God of the Bible is more likely to be protected from the wolf packs of war and terror than those nations that do not give God’s word, the Bible, any credence.

The people, and nation, who have confidence in the LORD share the same principles, moral values, laws, sensitivities, work ethic, speech ethic, love of country, and stand together and stand guard for one another.

A nation like that is strong, and as long as they continue like that will remain strong. A country strong like that does not need to fear desolation from inside or without. Their confidence is in God. They follow His guidance, and live without fear.

Of course, when the people of a nation turns its back on that biblical wisdom and rejects the ways of God like other countries they never know what will happen next.

A Devotional Thought From The Psalms

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.     Psalm 138:7

David’s personal relationship to his God is his confidence for life. David is a king. He has riches, supplies, an army, and the loyal support of his people at his command, yet he knows that he could still fall into difficulty. His country could be attacked from outside, he could be betrayed by rebellion from the inside, personal trouble could fall upon him, illness or other forms of harm could come into his life. He is after all just a man, a politician in the midst of the issues of a nation, the leader of a family with all its attendant needs, and he cannot know what may transpire in the future. But despite the shadows that might hang over his pathway he goes forward in life confidently praising God (138:1), worshiping God (138:2), remembering God’s blessings (138:3), and according to this verse of Scripture (138:7) expecting God to continue to be his support in the midst of trouble if it comes, defending him against enemies if they come, lifting him up and saving him out of whatever mess he is in.

The confidence we have in God comes from relationship. When a person fully trusts God by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ into his/her life as Savior and Lord a personal relationship with God becomes ours, and like all before us who have known Him we can be confident as well. Paul expressed it this way, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me (Phillipians  4:19). God did it for David, He does it for us. Live with confidence and honor the Lord.

A Devotional Though From The Psalms

What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.     Psalm 89:48

The poet of this song touches here on something none of us like to really think about - our own death. Who is the person who can stop this tragedy? Who can say “Not me! I will not die,” and then keep his word. After putting this question, the psalmist adds the word Selah, probably a musical chord or interlude which is intended to tell the reader, or singer, or pray-er of this Psalm to stop and think about what was just said.

Who can stop his own death? You? Are you exercising to get your BMI down? Are you changing your diet and eating only dark green veggies? Are you sleeping eight hours every night? Are you thinking beautiful thoughts 24 hours a day? Are you resolving in your mind not to die? Will any of these things keep you from dying? That’s a rhetorical question.

It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment. Death can be defeated in you, but only by Jesus who met death and walked out of the grave alive. Do you want to beat death? Be in Christ by faith, and because he lives you too shall live.

A Devotional Thought From Psalms

These things hast thou done and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.     Psalm 50:21

In the verses (16-19) immediately before this text God is speaking to the wicked (people who claim to be religious, or righteous, or good, but do bad) and He lists some of their sins. They hate instruction, and show it plainly by casting the word of God behind their backs, out of their lives. They have OK’ed thieving in some ways, and ihave made their society a safe harbor for adultery and sexual sin. You can’t trust what they say because they have yielded their speech to saying evil, and deceitful things. They do not even have brotherly love for their own brothers.

Modern Western societies seem to have fallen into just such a pattern of life. Morality is a no-no. Sins from the minor to the major are tolerated and indulged because the wicked in our society want to be able to do them without any kind of spiritual restraint on their behavior, although the large majority of these wicked folk would say they are “spiritual” in one way or another. How could they think their so-called “spirituality” justifies their sinful lifestyle? Verse 21 answers that question.

You did this wickedness, and because I did not speak out against you and take action, says God, you thought that I was like you are. You thought the holy God was okay with sin. What a foolish idea! I will reprove thee. I will set things right. And, if you continue to forget me I will punish you. If that judgment was declared for God’s own chosen people in the Old Testament shouldn’t people today take it into consideration for their own lives? And their own lands?

A Devotional Thought From Psalms

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.     Psalm 34:3

Many years ago before we were married this verse became important to my wife and myself. It was sort of an unofficial statement of what we wanted our married lives to be. Both of us were, and are, committed to sincere and honest faith and trust in Jesus, and we wanted to do the two things mentioned here by David. We wanted to magnify the LORD and exalt His name.

We wanted to expand His role in our lives and make what others see of Him in us bigger and bigger, and we wanted to exalt, raise high His glory. We wanted our marriage to be an example of two people who love one another living together to God’s glory.

Let me tell you, that is the way to be married! Loving God first, and loving your spouse and family as God wants you to is the best way to live. It holds everything in place, and makes everything better. No doubt you’ve heard the humorous assessment of marriage attributed to the Amish: “Kissin’ wears out, cookin’ don’t.” Well, when the husband and wife magnify and exalt God’s name together nothing wears out. The romance, joy, happiness, love, interest, comfort, and overwhelming blessings of marriage just keep getting better and better.

Be faithful to God, be faithful to your spouse, be faithful to your family, then you’ll have the best of life no matter the circumstances of your life.

Father’s Day 2016

God is the Father we are all trying to emulate.

He is the Father we are all trying to show to our children.

He is the Father we ourselves love and want to be like.

So that brings us to a question about God’s fatherhood.

What kind of Father is God so we can model our behavior on His? (Not just human fathers, but all Christians)

1.     1. God is love – He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 Jn 4:8)

God’s life, God’s essence, God’s relationship with his creatures, with humankind, with his family the church, is all love.

               He gives sun, rain, food to the just and unjust – He is even handed, and loves even those not His children. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45

               You want to be like God? Live a life characterized by love.

2.    2. God is faithful – Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Th 5:24).

No matter who we are. No matter how many times we fail, or fall into sin, God does not give up on His children.

I will be there for you because you belong to me.

Be there for your children, family, and others.

3.     3, God responds to prayer and is generous

Do you remember Jesus’ parable?

⁷ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

⁸ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

⁹ Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

¹⁰ Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

¹¹ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Fatherof lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Little boys often say: I want to be like my dad. Christian fathers want to be like their heavenly Father. All Christians should want that.