Thurs.'s Devo - Training Ourselves for Battle

Read Pr. 25:28
Self-control is a fruit of the spirit. In the King James Version it is mentioned as "temperance" which means continence or strong and masterful in a thing. It also means that you are self controlled in appetite, etc. One of the ways God tried to develop this in the Jews were to set up times of fasting. They had several days a year where they were to fast and choose God over their own appetites. We have that opportunity everyday to choose God over our own appetites. I love to daydream. I have to consciously make myself stop doing that and live in the present not the unreal. This Proverbs says that if we can't rule our own spirits then we are like a city that is broken down without walls. Our will and the strength of it helps us fight the enemy. If we never practice ruling over our spirits by denying ourselves then we will not be ready for the battle. Our walls of defense will be broken down and we will fall into sin. But if we practice giving up what we naturally desire, like food, then we will be ready to fight off the devil when he brings a greater temptation.
Lord, help us to be intentional in what we do today. Help us to train ourselves and deny ourselves so that when the battle comes we will be strong.

Wed.'s Devo - Too Much Honey

Read Pr. 25:27
We have all been around people who toot their own horn. We have all tooted our own horn. This verse says that seeking your own glory is like eating too much honey. Honey is good in moderation but too much of it will make you sick. That is the way it is with our life. All our talents and gifts are given to us by God. We did nothing to get them but have a responsibility to use them for God's glory, not our own. We all have been given a destiny and the tools we need to fulfill it. Our destiny has two main goals: to love the Lord and to love others. Jesus came as a servant and used all his gifts and talents to help people. His stance was humility and submission to God. He never got a cent for healing anyone or for his famous sermon on the mount. He never let money or monetary gain get in the way of his mission. He lived a life of balance and sacrifice. Sounds impossible to live up to, but it is not, because the same spirit that was in Jesus is in us. Our enemy is the devil whose goal is the opposite. He tells us we are worth so much more than what we are getting. He makes the world and all its stuff look very good. He wants us to love ourselves more than we love God or anyone else. His way will only cause us pain and dissatisfaction. God's way will fulfill our soul and give us life.
Lord, set us on the path that leads to life. May we use all the talents and gifts you have given us for your glory and not seek our own glory.

Tues.'s Devo - No Fear!!!

Read Pr. 25: 26
God's people never need to fear the wicked. To show fear in their presence and cave to their pressure is evidence that we are not spiritually healthy. I read today in 1 Kings 22. The king of Israel, Ahab and the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat met together to fight the Syrians to recapture Ramoth in Gilead. They were planning to go to war and Ahab decided to ask his prophets whether they should go out or not. All of his prophets said to go and that they would win. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God in the country they could ask. Ahab said there was one but he didn't like him because this prophet never spoke anything good for him. Jehoshaphat still wanted to hear from him so they went and got Micaiah. He finally told them that Ahab would die if they went and God would not go with them into battle. This made Ahab so mad he had Micaiah taken to prison until he came back from the battle. Micaiah was taken out yelling, "if you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. Take heed, all you people." I was struck when I read it that Micaiah had no fear of the king or his consequences. That is how we should react when threatened by the enemy. The enemy comes in disquised forms. He comes through the bad news on TV, or fear of losing our jobs, or a sick child. We are not to fear, our God goes before us and nothing is impossible with Him!
Lord, You are the Captain of the Lord's Army and you are on our side fighting for us every day. Let us stand victorious!

Mon.'s Devo - Cold Water

Read Pr. 25:25
I blog about 2 weeks in advance in case my computer crashes or I go out of town, so I will still be able to offer my devotions. Yesterday, the earthquake and sunami hit Japan. I was at the gym when someone came up and told me what had happened. What a devastating blow to a nation of people that have few believers. What an opportunity for the gospel to be shared to bring hope and restoration to their hearts and their country. Today's verse has to do with hearing good news from a far country. It is like cold water to a thirsty soul. I would say that the souls of Japan have been made thirsty for answers. We could be the good news from the far away country. We could be the ones that bring them salvation and hope. We were thirsty and without hope and God sent Jesus "from a far country" to bring us salvation. Let's be that for those we work for or with and the ones of our family.
Lord, show us who is alien to God and his ways. May we bring them a cup of cold water from your Word.

Fri.'s Devo - Love and Peace

Read Pr. 25: 24
We look at pictures of people in third world countries who seem so happy and content. They are an example of those living in the corner of the housetop. They have little personal space and few worldly possessions but have found peace and contentment in being satisfied with what they have. That is much better than living in a society that is full of stress and contention which is compared to the brawling woman. It is a paradox that we want people to have what we have in America. We should want what they have in Mexico. They have a strong sense of family and community. We have a strong sense of self and self. Jesus came from glory to be a pauper here on earth. God chose to have him born in a poor family in a small unimportant town. He was not even know about till he reached 30 and went out to preach to the people. He came to bring what people really want which is not "things" it is love and peace. We might not be able to give materially but we can all give love and peace to those we come in contact with. Only things of the spirit can truly minister life to someone.
Lord, let us be ministers of your life and peace to everyone we meet today.

Thurs.'s Devo - ???

Read Pr. 25: 23
This is one of those verses that I would like to know the context of. You wonder what was happening that made them make this statement. This is suppose to be wisdom but it is too high for me. I thought I understood that the north wind drives away the rain until I look up the meaning of north and wind. North means hidden, gloomy and unknown. Wind means breath, life, anger. Rain in scripture has to do with the timed blessings of God. So hidden anger drives away the blessing of God. The next part has me puzzled: In the same way anger drives away blessing, having an angry face drives away gossip and slander. I guess it is like your dad looking at you with that expression that makes you know not to say something you were considering saying.
Lord, I don't understand this verse totally but I pray that you will open our eyes to the wisdom of your word. I know that in Song of Solomon the man prays that the north wind will come and the south wind to blow upon his garden so that the spices will flow out. So you bring things our way that cause your aroma to flow out of us. They may look bad to us at the time and we might not understand them but they are for a far greater purpose than our comfort. We submit ourselves to your hand.

Wed's Devo - Feeding the Enemy

Read Pr. 25:21
I love how God takes us beyond our comfort zone and into the death-to-self-zone. If would be OK if he said to give bread to your friend or family but God says if your enemy is hungry to give him bread and if he is thirsty to give him something to drink. It is explained in the next verse why we should do this. It brings brokenness and forgiveness in us and conviction in him. I know that God's goal is that we won't be enemies anymore. God loves repentance and reconciliation. That is why God says he hates divorce. It is the evidence that one or both people chose not to forgive and be reconciled. God loves a broken and contrite heart. It is hard to hate someone that you are feeding and keeping alive. I saw a video about a Muslim man who came to the US with the intention of killing and destroying. He ended up in a car wreck where he was totally dependent and needy. His doctor took him into his home and loved him. When he finally got back to his own apartment he cried out to Allah and nothing happened. Then he cried out to God and God met him and saved him. He was changed because someone fed and took care of their enemy. Now he is their brother in the Lord.
Lord, may we feed and nourish our enemies through your love.

Tues.'s Devo- Our Response

Read Pr. 25:19-20
Discernment is so important to have. You need to know who to trust and who to run from. You don't trust someone who is not trustworthy. My mother had her house cleaned by a cleaning service who had hired a lady who had been to rehab for a drug problem. She was caught stealing my mother's prescriptions drugs after she had stolen over $30,000 worth of medicine. This woman should have never been hired in the first place and not allowed to clean the bathroom where the drugs were. And, my mother should have been told that this woman had a problem so she could have put up her medicine. There is a correct response to every situation and God has the answer. You don't steal from the poor or sing to the person who is sad. God said not to worry ahead of time what to say because the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say and how to respond. We need to be like Solomon and pray for wisdom in every situation. God will give it.
Lord, give my mother the wisdom to know what to do about her situation and help us all to respond your way and not react man's way.

Mon.'s Devo - Bearing False Witness

Read Pr. 25:18
I have always thought that to "bear false witness" meant that you were the one who spoke against someone wrongly but there is more to it than that. The word "bear" means to "eye or heed; pay attention; respond; testify". So we are guilty if we listen and pay attention to false news. There are magazines and newspapers who specialize in this and to buy their product and read their material is to "bear false witness". It goes on to give an illustration of what this offense is like. It is like a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. Mauls crush, swords cut, and sharp arrows pierce. This is what gossip does. It crushes the person's spirit, cuts deep into their soul and pierces their heart. I think it also does this to the one who is bearing the false witness, they just might not feel it at the time. The problem and the promise is that we reap what we sow so it will come back on the one who is guilty. We can bless or we can curse the decision is ours but the benefits are very different.
Lord, let us be a people that bless your people and your creation. Put a guard over our mouths that we might bring you glory.

Fri.'s Devo - Healthy Balances

Read Pr. 25:17
God is all about balance. The number one thing we need and he wants us to have is a relationship with him. He wants to be the one we go to whenever we need something. To be a "needy" person is to not trust in God. To always depend on people and to need people around you all the time is not spiritually healthy. Jesus spent time with people but he also went by himself to be with God. The only time he invited anyone to come with him was on the Mount of Transfiguration where he wanted to show them God's glory and teach them something and his last night on earth when he asked them to come and pray with him. If we are always with another person they will eventually get tired of us and end up running from us whenever they see us. This is not good. But fellowship is so important and we need each other.....just not to excess.
Lord show us healthy boundaries and how to maintain them. Let us come to you for all our needs because you are the only one who can supply them.

Thurs.'s Devo - Just the Right Amount of Honey

Read Ps. 25:16
Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Too much honey makes you sick. God wants us to be grounded and complete, not lacking in anything. We all have our "bents" in life and our gifts but we sould seek to be well-rounded. If our gift is evangelism we should not neglect teaching. If our gift is teaching we should not neglect worship. We move more easily in our gifts but we should be filled with all the gifts of God. The more rounded we become, the more gifts we will be given and the more people we will influence. Our church had D-now not too long ago. I do not consider myself to have the "gift of hospitality" but there was a need and I stepped up and offered my house. God gave me that gift for the week-end and all went remarkably well. This Christian life is not about getting but about giving and obeying God. God rewards obedience. The week-end I kept those 27, 8th graders I got the largest contract on a drapery order I have ever gotten. But the biggest blessing was being able to pour into the lives of those girls.
Lord, thank you for the opportunity of blessing you and your children. Give us the food convenient for us.

Wed.'s Devo - Long But Worth Reading

Read Pr. 25: 15
Intercession and witnessing go hand in hand. We can move mountains through our prayers and our consistent sharing our testimony with others. I just finished listening to an incredible story I want to share with you. At the end of a pastor's sermon a man in the back of his church asked if he could share something with the church. He had just moved from Sydney, Aust. and was back visiting his relatives. They went down on George St. and this little white-haired man stepped out of a store shoved a tract in his hand and asked him if he was saved and if he died tonight would he go to heaven or hell. It so disturbed him that he found a pastor and had him lead him to Christ. Everyone clapped and the pastor thought that was a great story but it didn't end there. The next week he traveled to Aveldade, Australia and was counseling with a woman. He wanted to establish where she was coming from so he asked her if when she got saved. She told him about a little man on George St. that gave her a tract and asked her if she was a Christian. The pastor went on to Mt Pleasant to speak at a convention and the senior elder asked him out to eat. He asked him how he got saved and he said he grew up in the church and became very successful in life. One day he was on a business trip to Sydney, Austrailia and he was on George St...... you know the rest. This pastor went on to the UK and told of the 3 testimonies and 4 elderly pastors came up to him and said that he was their link to salvation. Next he went to the Caribbean and told the story and found 3 missionaries who had all been saved by the testimony of the man on George St. On to Atlanta, Ge. he spoke to a group of the military. After his sermon the chaplain of the navy came and gave his testimony about the man on George St. He was now over 1,000 other military chaplains. His next stop was India where he spoke to a convention of over 5,000 Indian Christians. One of the pastors came and told of the time he was shopping in Sydney, Aust. and the little man gave him the tract. He was so disturbed he came back to India and asked his Hindu priest about Jesus. He told him he couldn't help him but maybe the missionary at the end of the road could. They led him to Christ. Finally, this pastor was ministering in Sydney, Aust. and he asked the pastor there if he had heard about the little man on George St. and he said, 'Yes, that is Mr. Genor.' He went to see Mr. Genor who was now very elderly. Over tea he told Mr. Genor all he knew as tears streamed down Mr. Genor's face. He said, My story goes like this: I had lived a very reprobate life but one day the warship I was on got in trouble and I panicked and sought out the Christian I had given hell and asked him to lead me to God. I got miraculously saved and promised God I would witness to at least 10 people a day and had as long as I could. When I retired I found a place on George Street and witnessed there. To my knowledge I had not affected one person. He died 2 weeks later to go to great eternal reward.
Lord, may our lives have that affect on people. May our simple testimony trouble people to salvation.

Tues's Devo - Walk in your Gift

Read Pr. 25: 14
God hates dishonesty in business. To scam someone is giving them promises without fulfilling them. What about spiritually? What if you tell someone you have the gift of administration when you don't and then when you are put to the test you fail. Honesty is always the best policy. I have a project that I told someone I could do. When I started working on it I found out it was much more trouble than I thought at first and I couldn't do it alone. Now I have had to humble myself and tell my client not only that I can't do it but that I am going to have to ask someone who can to help me and it is taking so much longer than I had promised. I hate when I do stuff like this but this is a life lesson. I will loose my profit but deliver a product that is excellent. What I should have done is told her from the beginning that I didn't know if I could do it but would be willing to try if she was willing to let me. Then I would have had a way out. God is much more interested in how we end and He wants to help us in the in-between. Bottom line: there are some things that we need to pass on to the ones who have the gift. No one can do it all and that is why we are a body.
Lord, help us to bloom in the gift you have given us. Thank you for your patience as we try to figure this walk out.

Mon.'s Devo - Seasoned Words

Read Pr. 25:8-13
If we did what these verses teach then we could save many friendships. When we are offended by someone, instead of telling other people about it we should go straight to them. Telling other people only gets back to the one who offended us and they are threatened by our gossip. They become defensive so that when we do talk to them they already have their minds made up about the situation. How much better it would be if we kept the problem to ourselves and prayed about it. Then God could give us the right words and we could confront them and do it in a way that isn't damaging to them. Verses 11 and 12 say that when we say the right words it is like fragrant oil and even if it is a reproof if will be a blessing if it falls on obedient ears. Jesus never talked about the Pharisees but he sure confronted them to their faces. They might not have liked him but in the end some of them crossed over to become believers.
Lord, help us to speak the truth in love and not to gossip about people behind their backs.

Fri.'s Devo - Humbly Exalting

Read Pr. 25:6-7
Jesus said the same thing in Luke 14. He was invited to eat the Sabbath at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. When he saw how they chose the best places to sit he told them that this was wrong. He explained that you should take the lowest place and if the host sees you and wants to exalts you to the head table then let him. It would be much better than if you sat at the head table and someone more important than you came and the host had to ask you to sit somewhere else. He ended it with "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Then Jesus turned to the host and said, "when you have a dinner party, don't ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they invite you back and you be repaid. But instead, invite the poor, the maim, the lame, the blind who cannot repay you; for you will be repaid in the resurrection." I read today that when David came to the throne he looked for someone in Saul's family he could honor. He found that Jonathan had a son, Mephibosheth, that had been lame since childhood. He had him brought to him and gave him all of Saul's land and servants to take care of him but he told him that he would eat every meal at the king's table. David didn't care that Mephibosheth would never be able to serve him. He exalted him in honor of his dad and grand father.
Lord, remind us to be humble and to put the lowly before us. Help us to see the worth in all you created.

Thurs.'s Devo Vessels of Honor

Read Pr. 25:4-5
If you take away the dross from silver it can be forged into a beautiful object. It's the same way with us. The more we are willing to let God purify us the more beautiful we become in God's hand. And the more pliable we are the more he can use us. If we want our testimony to be established forever then we need to put away the sin in our lives and live righteously. Whenever a new king would come to the throne he would purge the kingdom of servants and men who weren't loyal to him. If he was a godly king then he also had to purge the land of idols which is what we have to do periodically in our own lives. To purify silver you have to put it under fire to burn out the dross. The most purest metals are transparent which is what we are suppose to be - so invisible that only Jesus shines through. But that will never happen unless we allow God's fire to cleanse us.
Lord, put us through the fire of your cleansing and burn up the dross in our lives. We want to reflect you and be made into vessels of honor.

Wed.'s Devo Hidden Manna

Read Pr. 25:1-3
Verse 2 is one of my favorite scriptures: "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." God chooses to hide his secrets so that we can have the fun and adventure of searching them out. He also hides them from the devil so he can't thwart his plans. He sent an angel to warn Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt when he was just a baby. The devil had plans to kill him so God had to hide him. The Bible is full of hidden manna, God's treasure, and if we want to know them we can. Isa. 45:3 says, "I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel." In 1 Co. 2:7 Paul said that "we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." So God hides things and if we want to be kings, we can search them out and find them. I know I have asked God some questions that I thought were not suppose to be known and he has told me the answer. It blew me away, then I realized he loves to reveal his secrets to those who want to know. My dad was one of the wisest and smartest person's I ever knew and he loved it when I asked him questions about building or anything he knew about. He freely shared all his knowledge with me, but only when I asked. God is like that. He has a wealth of information he would love to share with whoever wanted to spend the time to hear. Rev. 2:17 says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear...To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna...
Lord, we want to eat your hidden manna which you planned before the foundation of the earth. Give us the questions to ask and lead us to the truth.

Tues.'s Devo - Being Fit

Read Pr. 24:27-34
Verse 27 says that we are to establish our outside jobs first before we tend to ourselves. That means that we should be faithful in what God has called us to do in the body before we try to build our own ministry or even our own house. How many young ministers could save themselves from making huge mistakes if they worked with a more seasoned minister and helped him build his ministry first. We get it backwards; we think that what we do here on earth is our last chance to do something for God. Jesus came and was a humble servant. He only had a ministry for 3 years. What was he doing the other 30 years of his life? He was being a servant, hidden in a carpenter's shop. But his greatest ministry happened when he died and went to heaven. I think the greatest thing we can do on earth is to serve the others here on earth. Our job will not stop when we get to heaven.
This verse is also good for those who want to minister to people. First meet their physical needs or their immediate need then you can minister to their hearts. The next few verses tell us how to "make ourselves fit". We don't gossip about our neighbor or tell lies. Don't retaliate when done wrong or judge a person according to their deeds; that is God's job. They will reap what they sow.
Lord, help us to know what is important to you and let that be important to us. Don't let us get tangled up in titles or levels of importance and influence. We are important to you and designed to do a certain assignment. Let us be diligent to do it.

Mon.'s Devo - Victory Belongs to the Lord

Read Pr. 24:23-26
Yesterday we read about not taking matters into our own hand when it comes to judgment and today we read about not favoring someone in judgment. The bottom line is: judgment belongs to the Lord. I read today where David was running from the hand of Saul. David and his men came up on Saul's camp at night and the men were asleep because God had caused them to fall into a deep sleep. David's armor bearer tried to get David to kill Saul saying, 'look the Lord has laid him in your hand to kill him'. David refused explaining that Saul was still the one God had annointed to be king and when God was ready to take Saul out, then God would have to do it. He would not be the one to take matters into his own hand. Instead David stole Saul's water bottle and his spear (the same one he had thrown at David years ago in the palace) and went to another hill and yelled to Saul. He told him what he had done and that he had spared his life. Saul repented and blessed David and left. David knew that it would just be a matter of time and Saul would be back trying to kill him, but he left that in God's hands. It wasn't too much later that Saul was killed in battle and David was made king....but it was in God's timing by God's hand. Isn't that what we want?
Lord, help us to wait on your salvation. You are our warrior who fights our battles and the victory belongs to you.

Fri.'s Devo -Our Protector

Read Pr. 24:15-22
God is a strong protector of the righteous. He will defend us against the wicked as long as we don't want revenge. If our heart is toward revenge then God will come to their aid instead of ours. God is always on the side of the oppressed, whether they are his or not. It is God's nature to help the abused. On the other hand we are not to be afraid of evil people or envy their power. Their end is death, hell, and the grave. I read today in I Sam. 25 where David's men had protected Nabal's men in the wilderness. David's men were hungry and thirsty so David went to Nabal and asked him for some food for his men and passage through his land. Nabal was very wealthy and stingy. He refused to help David so David decided to kill Nabal and take his food. Abigail, Nabal's wife heard about what her husband had done and quickly made a huge lunch for all of David's men and took it to them and asked for his mercy. David gave it to her and that night Nabal died of an alcohol induced heart attack. When David found out about it he sent for Abigail for his wife. God spared David from seeking revenge which would have probably cost him some of the lives of his men and I doubt he would have ended up with Abigail. God's ways are always best for everyone.
Lord, stop us like you did David from seeking revenge. Help us to let you fight our battles for us.

Thurs.'s Devo - Knowledge to Wisdom

Read Pr. 24:13,14
God loves to give us word pictures to help us understand what he is trying to communicate. Honey is a sweet substance that is not always easy to get. It is protected by bees so you have to find a way to get the honey without being stung. The knowledge of wisdom is that way. Wisdom only comes by experience. Sometimes you have to fight some bees, but if you are patient and learn from your mistakes then you will obtain wisdom. Getting it is as sweet as finally getting to eat the honey after going through what is necessary to get it. Wisdom and knowledge go together. Knowledge can be obtained from books and can give you the tools to get wisdom. Both take time. It takes time to read a book, but more time to walk out what you have learned in a book. You don't truly understand your newly found knowledge until you experience it in your life. Then it can become wisdom. Have you ever noticed that you can go to a seminar or a great service and learn a great truth then it looks like the devil was waiting for you because everything goes wrong? Well, it's not really like that. You have been given a new nugget of truth and God wants that nugget to bear fruit so he will give you a circumstance where you will have to use what you have learned so it will not be more than just knowledge, but real wisdom.
Lord, help us to turn our knowledge into wisdom and learn from everything we experience in life.

Wed.'s Devo - Samuel or Saul?

Read Pr. 24:10-12
I was reading today in 1 Sam. 15 where the Lord told Saul through Samuel to go a kill the Amalekites and utterly destroy all they have. Saul led his men and fought against the Amalekites but they took captive their king, Agag and Saul let the people keep their cattle. When Samuel found out about this he was very upset. He gave Saul his famous, "to obey is better than sacrifice" speech then he took Agag and said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. Saul fainted in the day of adversity because he feared the people more than God, but Samuel was tenacious to do the Lord's will. God is looking for Samuels, not Sauls. We cannot use the excuse, We didn't know it was going on when we do. There are a lot of atrocities going on in our nation and we are responsible to do what God puts on our heart to do. We can not right every wrong but we can do what God puts in front of us to do.
Lord, show us what battle we should fight and give us strength not to faint but to fight.

Tues.'s Devo - Bad Boys Don't do Exploits

Read Pr. 24:1-9
Every teen-age girl needs to put the first verse to memory. "Don't be attracted to the bad boys nor desire to hang around them because their hearts live to destroy and they talk trouble." (That is my paraphrase.) A good relationship is build by godly wisdom and understanding of God's ways. Knowing God will fill your future with valuable and delightful experiences. Spending time with God and getting to know his strategies makes us increasingly strong. If we stand in unity with other Christians then we can fight the devil and be protected. Spiritual things are too deep for the "bad boys" and they will not have any experience in spiritual warfare. They are doomed an evil master and will be full of silliness and morally disgusting. "...But the people who do know their God will be strong, and do exploits." Dan. 11:32
Lord, make us increasingly stronger and stronger in your army that we might kick some devil booty.