Read Pro. 12:24
We are suppose to be the head and not the tail. So how does that happen? Today's verse says that if you want to rule you have to be diligent. The meaning in the Hebrew of the word diligent is "actively incisive; determined, eager, fine gold, pointed things, sharp, threshing instrument, wall." To me that means that we have to have a plan, God's plan, and go for it with all our hearts. It takes hard work and determination to do the will of God. I think of this house the Lord gave me. I work at the house from the time I leave my residence till around 5 in the afternoon. It is a lot of hard work but it is slowly transforming into my dream. Last week I felt like I was putting in long hours with little results but on Saturday, God sent the recruits and some friends came over and we got ceiling fans hung, walls painted, furniture painted and shelves torn down. It made the whole week turn into a success. We can either be diligent and rule or we can be slothful and be under a burden. The enemy will try to steal your dream by telling you you are too old, it will be too costly, or it will require too much energy. Don't sit on you couch and believe that lie. When God gives you a task he renews your youth, and provides the money and the strength it will take to complete your job. The result is so satisfying and exuberant. Wouldn't you rather rule than be under a burden?
Lord, help us to renew the dream you have placed inside us. Dispel our excuses and doubts and replace them with your vision and diligence.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Mon.'s Devo - Concealing knowledge
Read Pro. 12:23
"A prudent man conceals knowledge...." The word prudent means crafty and cunning. We are to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. So we are to be as smart as our enemy yet react as the Holy Spirit would. If we are cunning and wise then we will conceal knowledge. The word conceal means to fill up hollows and cover ourselves with secrecy. To me, that means that we are to keep our knowledge hidden until the right moment. The New Testament talks about throwing our pearls before swine. In other words: make your words few and pointed and they will hold the greater weight. Today's verse compares this to a fool whose heart proclaims foolishness. The meaning of proclaim is to accost a person you meet. We have all met these people who are full of words and their agenda. They are the perfect salesman or the perfect con man. They can't hold their spiel in so it bursts out on everyone in their radius. If we look at the life of Jesus, people were drawn to him and begged him to teach them. He was prudent. He held all the truth and yet waited till people extracted it from him. He didn't vomit all his knowledge out on everyone he met.
Lord, help us to conceal knowledge until you instruct us to speak. May our words be weighty and full of your wisdom.
"A prudent man conceals knowledge...." The word prudent means crafty and cunning. We are to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. So we are to be as smart as our enemy yet react as the Holy Spirit would. If we are cunning and wise then we will conceal knowledge. The word conceal means to fill up hollows and cover ourselves with secrecy. To me, that means that we are to keep our knowledge hidden until the right moment. The New Testament talks about throwing our pearls before swine. In other words: make your words few and pointed and they will hold the greater weight. Today's verse compares this to a fool whose heart proclaims foolishness. The meaning of proclaim is to accost a person you meet. We have all met these people who are full of words and their agenda. They are the perfect salesman or the perfect con man. They can't hold their spiel in so it bursts out on everyone in their radius. If we look at the life of Jesus, people were drawn to him and begged him to teach them. He was prudent. He held all the truth and yet waited till people extracted it from him. He didn't vomit all his knowledge out on everyone he met.
Lord, help us to conceal knowledge until you instruct us to speak. May our words be weighty and full of your wisdom.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Fri.'s Devo - The Fruit of our Lips
Read Pro. 12:17-22
These verses contrast the lips of the righteous to the lips of the unrighteous. Let's start with the unrighteous so we can end on a positive note. The unrighteous lie and you can never rely on what they say. Their words hurt and pierce your heart because they don't know how to bless. The good thing about their lies is that they only last for a moment and then they fall to the ground just like the sword they use to pierce your heart. God hates their words because they bring death. On the other hand the lips of the righteous are truth and bring healing even if they are words of rebuke. The words they say will last forever and come to pass because the righteous speak what God is speaking. Their council brings peace and joy to the listener. Nothing evil will happen to the righteous because they will be hidden under God's wings of protection. Those that can control their tongue are a delight to God. Now, which one do you want to be?
Lord, help us to speak your words and bring healing and life to those who listen. May we honor your Word above all other words.
These verses contrast the lips of the righteous to the lips of the unrighteous. Let's start with the unrighteous so we can end on a positive note. The unrighteous lie and you can never rely on what they say. Their words hurt and pierce your heart because they don't know how to bless. The good thing about their lies is that they only last for a moment and then they fall to the ground just like the sword they use to pierce your heart. God hates their words because they bring death. On the other hand the lips of the righteous are truth and bring healing even if they are words of rebuke. The words they say will last forever and come to pass because the righteous speak what God is speaking. Their council brings peace and joy to the listener. Nothing evil will happen to the righteous because they will be hidden under God's wings of protection. Those that can control their tongue are a delight to God. Now, which one do you want to be?
Lord, help us to speak your words and bring healing and life to those who listen. May we honor your Word above all other words.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thurs.'s Devo - The Angry Man
Read Pro. 12:16
Much is written in the Bible about the angry man. A fool will not be able to control his anger but a wise man will have self-control. The wise man will not only control his anger but he will cover the sin of others. We sometimes forget that we are not the judge; God is. Our job is to love and speak the truth in love. I'm not saying that we never discipline because the Bible gives us detailed instructions on discipline but not judging. We have been given discernment which helps us in forming our boundaries and in knowing what to pray about, but not in how to fix the problem. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. The only people that Jesus condemned were the scribes and pharasees, the teachers and leaders of the organized church at the time who were leading people astray. Jesus was able to get angry with them and still not sin. He was angry at the spirit of deception they were working from and their oppressive influence over the people. Jesus came to set us free from religion and oppression and lead us to God.
Lord, help us to have discernment and self-control. Teach us your ways.
Much is written in the Bible about the angry man. A fool will not be able to control his anger but a wise man will have self-control. The wise man will not only control his anger but he will cover the sin of others. We sometimes forget that we are not the judge; God is. Our job is to love and speak the truth in love. I'm not saying that we never discipline because the Bible gives us detailed instructions on discipline but not judging. We have been given discernment which helps us in forming our boundaries and in knowing what to pray about, but not in how to fix the problem. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. The only people that Jesus condemned were the scribes and pharasees, the teachers and leaders of the organized church at the time who were leading people astray. Jesus was able to get angry with them and still not sin. He was angry at the spirit of deception they were working from and their oppressive influence over the people. Jesus came to set us free from religion and oppression and lead us to God.
Lord, help us to have discernment and self-control. Teach us your ways.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wed.'s Devo - Godly Counsel
Read Pro. 12:15
I have been studying Joshua and his take over of the Promised Land. It is amazing how many times they repeat the same mistake. God will give them the exact strategy to win a great victory like at Jericho and then at the next town they get arrogant and try to do it without the Lord's guidance and they fall. At Ai, they realized they had forgotten to ask God so they repented and God showed them why they lost. They fixed the situation and won. At the next town they got themselves deceived by the men at Gibea and had to spare their lives instead of killing them like they should have. If they had just stopped and asked God about these men, he would have been more than willing to tell them the truth. It would have spared them the pain of disobeying God and not getting his best plan.
Good ideas are not always God's ideas. A fool goes by what he feels is right, but a wise man will ask God for his advise. God sees the future and knows just what we need to do even if we think we know best. God surrounds us with godly council, if we just ask him for it. Sometimes that counsel will come from our kids and sometimes an older mentor. We just need to be humble enough to receive it.
Lord, help us to seek you in everything we do. We cannot presume to do anything apart from you.
I have been studying Joshua and his take over of the Promised Land. It is amazing how many times they repeat the same mistake. God will give them the exact strategy to win a great victory like at Jericho and then at the next town they get arrogant and try to do it without the Lord's guidance and they fall. At Ai, they realized they had forgotten to ask God so they repented and God showed them why they lost. They fixed the situation and won. At the next town they got themselves deceived by the men at Gibea and had to spare their lives instead of killing them like they should have. If they had just stopped and asked God about these men, he would have been more than willing to tell them the truth. It would have spared them the pain of disobeying God and not getting his best plan.
Good ideas are not always God's ideas. A fool goes by what he feels is right, but a wise man will ask God for his advise. God sees the future and knows just what we need to do even if we think we know best. God surrounds us with godly council, if we just ask him for it. Sometimes that counsel will come from our kids and sometimes an older mentor. We just need to be humble enough to receive it.
Lord, help us to seek you in everything we do. We cannot presume to do anything apart from you.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tues.'s Devo - Blessings
Read Pro. 12:11-14
According to the Bible, the best way to get rich is by hard work. If you follow a get-rich-quick scheme you might get immediate results but they usually don't pan out in the long run. We were meant to have to labor for what we get; it is the principle or reaping and sowing. The best investment you can make is giving into the kingdom of God. It is the only safe, sure-fire investment. Then your dividends will not be affected by the economy or lack of. Then you can cash in on Ps. 37:19 that says "they will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough". Verse 12 of today's scripture says that the righteous will yield fruit but the net of the wicked is evil. The wicked want to get their money by not having to work for it. They bring down curses on themselves by what they speak about. Their plans to make money at the expense of others condemns them but God will deliver us out of any trouble we get ourselves in. We will also be rewarded by what our mouth speaks so we can actually bless ourselves by what we say. So it boils down to this: if you work hard with the gifts God has given you and your conversation lines up with God's Word and not your circumstances then you will reap the fruit of God's blessing.
According to the Bible, the best way to get rich is by hard work. If you follow a get-rich-quick scheme you might get immediate results but they usually don't pan out in the long run. We were meant to have to labor for what we get; it is the principle or reaping and sowing. The best investment you can make is giving into the kingdom of God. It is the only safe, sure-fire investment. Then your dividends will not be affected by the economy or lack of. Then you can cash in on Ps. 37:19 that says "they will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough". Verse 12 of today's scripture says that the righteous will yield fruit but the net of the wicked is evil. The wicked want to get their money by not having to work for it. They bring down curses on themselves by what they speak about. Their plans to make money at the expense of others condemns them but God will deliver us out of any trouble we get ourselves in. We will also be rewarded by what our mouth speaks so we can actually bless ourselves by what we say. So it boils down to this: if you work hard with the gifts God has given you and your conversation lines up with God's Word and not your circumstances then you will reap the fruit of God's blessing.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mon.'s Devo - Regard for your Beast
Read Pro. 12:10
If a righteous man regards the life of his beast then we are a righteous nation. I have never seen such devotion to pets. They now have pet cemeteries, groomers, dog oncologists, the list goes on into the ridiculous. I don't want to start an argument so I won't elaborate but this scripture is comparing being civil to your animals as something that is trivial yet something only the righteous would do. The evil person can not be kind. Even his "tender mercies" are cruel. We should be known by our love and compassion especially for the lowly and oppressed. Their beasts were the animals that would carry their loads and work their fields. They would be the blue collars of today.
Last Monday God gave me an opportunity to do just that. I have had so much trash at the new house that I felt bad and wanted to do something to let my sanitation men how much I appreciated them so I bought some Gatoraids and was waiting for them to come. They passed right by the house really fast and only got the trash on the other side of the street so I didn't have an opportunity to give it to them. I had to leave and run an errand but on my way out, I looked down the next street I saw them so I turned around and went back to the house and got the Gatoraids. I took it to them and told them how much I appreciated them and was sorry I had so much trash. They were very thankful and I went away blessed. So if you don't have a "beast" maybe you have someone who has been serving you well for years and could use a word of thanks or maybe a bottle of Gatoraide!
Lord, help us to regard all your creatures, human or animal.
If a righteous man regards the life of his beast then we are a righteous nation. I have never seen such devotion to pets. They now have pet cemeteries, groomers, dog oncologists, the list goes on into the ridiculous. I don't want to start an argument so I won't elaborate but this scripture is comparing being civil to your animals as something that is trivial yet something only the righteous would do. The evil person can not be kind. Even his "tender mercies" are cruel. We should be known by our love and compassion especially for the lowly and oppressed. Their beasts were the animals that would carry their loads and work their fields. They would be the blue collars of today.
Last Monday God gave me an opportunity to do just that. I have had so much trash at the new house that I felt bad and wanted to do something to let my sanitation men how much I appreciated them so I bought some Gatoraids and was waiting for them to come. They passed right by the house really fast and only got the trash on the other side of the street so I didn't have an opportunity to give it to them. I had to leave and run an errand but on my way out, I looked down the next street I saw them so I turned around and went back to the house and got the Gatoraids. I took it to them and told them how much I appreciated them and was sorry I had so much trash. They were very thankful and I went away blessed. So if you don't have a "beast" maybe you have someone who has been serving you well for years and could use a word of thanks or maybe a bottle of Gatoraide!
Lord, help us to regard all your creatures, human or animal.
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