Read Pro. 16:4-6
It is hard for us to comprehend that God created Satan knowing that he would rebel and become his arch enemy. He also creates evil people to use for his purposes like Hitler, Mussolini, Hiro Hito, Nero, Caesar, and Judas. They fulfilled their God-given destiny. It doesn't seem fair to us who see things through our carnal eyes, but it makes perfect sense to God. He will raise up anyone he wants to bring his chosen to repentance. When we get this it makes it easier to see that God is in control of everything.
The next verse says that pride is an abomination to God. Pride says that "I don't need God; look at what I can do." God judges us individually so it doesn't matter how many people have joined together. We can't hide behind anyone or blame anyone else for our sins. We are not victims; we are chosen to the life God has given us. The way we depart from evil is by fearing God. If we want to be clean God is merciful and good and he will purge us of our sin.
Lord, teach us your ways that we might fear your name.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tues.'s Devo - Establish our Thoughts
Read Pro. 16:3
God wants to join us in everything we do. It reminds me of a young boy wanting to work right alongside of his father. We are the young boy and our father has things on his workbench he wants to help us build. All we have to do is show up. Our work is not really our work, it's God's so it just makes sense to let him show us how to do it. When we commit our works to God he teaches us the best way to do it. Then our plans will succeed. When I started planning my kitchen for my business I went to a place where they custom-made cabinets. The man was real excited to work on an old home and told me he could do what I wanted. He was suppose to meet me at the house that Tues. afternoon and measure it. He never showed up so I went to God and said, "You must have another plan." Then I put it aside and worked on other things. As I waited on God the plan started materializing. It will be finished this week and it is better than I had ever imagined it would be and is what I really wanted. God knew! He gave me the ideas and sent the right people to help me make my dream come true. He establishes our thoughts or makes our plans succeed. When God is for you, who can stand against you. We serve a mighty God.
Lord, we commit all our works to you, the people in our family, ourselves, our thoughts, and our dreams. You are the only one who can make them succeed.
God wants to join us in everything we do. It reminds me of a young boy wanting to work right alongside of his father. We are the young boy and our father has things on his workbench he wants to help us build. All we have to do is show up. Our work is not really our work, it's God's so it just makes sense to let him show us how to do it. When we commit our works to God he teaches us the best way to do it. Then our plans will succeed. When I started planning my kitchen for my business I went to a place where they custom-made cabinets. The man was real excited to work on an old home and told me he could do what I wanted. He was suppose to meet me at the house that Tues. afternoon and measure it. He never showed up so I went to God and said, "You must have another plan." Then I put it aside and worked on other things. As I waited on God the plan started materializing. It will be finished this week and it is better than I had ever imagined it would be and is what I really wanted. God knew! He gave me the ideas and sent the right people to help me make my dream come true. He establishes our thoughts or makes our plans succeed. When God is for you, who can stand against you. We serve a mighty God.
Lord, we commit all our works to you, the people in our family, ourselves, our thoughts, and our dreams. You are the only one who can make them succeed.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Mon.'s Devo - God's Ways
Read Pro. 16:2-3
I would love to see through God's eyes. He doesn't see us through our facades but he sees our naked spirits. Nothing is hid from him which is a little scary. Thank God for mercy and grace! He doesn't weigh our deeds but our spirit. If our spirit is pure then our deeds will be pure. It's the thing about the good tree producing good fruit and the bad tree producing bad fruit. But, if we roll all our cares and schedules on the Lord's desk, he will establish our thoughts so we will do the right thing. I love the verse in 1 Co. 10:23-24 that says, "I am allowed to do anything - but not everything is good for me. I am allowed to do anything - but not everything is beneficial. Don't be concerned for you own good but for the good others." Only God knows the best plan and the right path but he wants to share it with us. All we have to do is commit our works to him and let him gives us the ideas we are suppose to have. We forget that our decisions not only affect ourselves but all the other people that God has planned for us to influence. We are a part of HIS plan not visa-versa.
Lord, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I would love to see through God's eyes. He doesn't see us through our facades but he sees our naked spirits. Nothing is hid from him which is a little scary. Thank God for mercy and grace! He doesn't weigh our deeds but our spirit. If our spirit is pure then our deeds will be pure. It's the thing about the good tree producing good fruit and the bad tree producing bad fruit. But, if we roll all our cares and schedules on the Lord's desk, he will establish our thoughts so we will do the right thing. I love the verse in 1 Co. 10:23-24 that says, "I am allowed to do anything - but not everything is good for me. I am allowed to do anything - but not everything is beneficial. Don't be concerned for you own good but for the good others." Only God knows the best plan and the right path but he wants to share it with us. All we have to do is commit our works to him and let him gives us the ideas we are suppose to have. We forget that our decisions not only affect ourselves but all the other people that God has planned for us to influence. We are a part of HIS plan not visa-versa.
Lord, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Fri.'s Devo - The Answer
Read Pro. 16:1
It is God that prepares our heart for what he has destined our lives to be. The word "preparations" in the Hebrew means "mental disposition". God gives us our mental disposition. We can distort this by allowing evil into our lives or we can cause it to flourish if we eat the Word of God and meditate on God. He will give us what to say and how to answer. Our tongues are literally instruments that can be a fork of flame or a cove of water. We can cut into someones soul or we can bring a well of healing. Sometimes people need a cut and sometimes they need a well. My daughter-in-law had gone to her best friend and confronted her about her walk. The friend confronted immediately cut off the relationship and ended the friendship. Several years later my daughter-in-law received an e-mail from this friend asking her forgiveness and telling her that she had been the best friend she had ever had because she had cared enough to confront her with the truth. This is an example of a fork of flame. Other times we are to bring healing with an encouraging word. People desperately need some hope and encouragement. The key is knowing when to be the fork and when to be the cove.
Lord, prepare our hearts so that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water.
It is God that prepares our heart for what he has destined our lives to be. The word "preparations" in the Hebrew means "mental disposition". God gives us our mental disposition. We can distort this by allowing evil into our lives or we can cause it to flourish if we eat the Word of God and meditate on God. He will give us what to say and how to answer. Our tongues are literally instruments that can be a fork of flame or a cove of water. We can cut into someones soul or we can bring a well of healing. Sometimes people need a cut and sometimes they need a well. My daughter-in-law had gone to her best friend and confronted her about her walk. The friend confronted immediately cut off the relationship and ended the friendship. Several years later my daughter-in-law received an e-mail from this friend asking her forgiveness and telling her that she had been the best friend she had ever had because she had cared enough to confront her with the truth. This is an example of a fork of flame. Other times we are to bring healing with an encouraging word. People desperately need some hope and encouragement. The key is knowing when to be the fork and when to be the cove.
Lord, prepare our hearts so that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thurs.'s Devo - Put Your Antennas Up
Read Pro. 15:31-33
If you have children you know that you can hear without really "hearing". To hear in the Hebrew means to "hear intelligently with attention on obeying" If you can hear a reproof or a correction and change and do what is needed to correct the situation then you live among those who are intelligent and skillful. If you are defensive and can't hear instruction then you hate your own soul. God says that he only chastises and corrects those he loves so they can succeed in life. He wants to give us understanding but the only way he can teach us is if we are teachable. Being teachable is being humble. It is the definition of meekness. If you want wisdom and honor then you need to be able to take advise and correction and be humble. Then we will have the fear of the Lord. In Acts 9:31 it says that the early church walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. That is our prayer. Make us not only hearers of the word but doers also.
If you have children you know that you can hear without really "hearing". To hear in the Hebrew means to "hear intelligently with attention on obeying" If you can hear a reproof or a correction and change and do what is needed to correct the situation then you live among those who are intelligent and skillful. If you are defensive and can't hear instruction then you hate your own soul. God says that he only chastises and corrects those he loves so they can succeed in life. He wants to give us understanding but the only way he can teach us is if we are teachable. Being teachable is being humble. It is the definition of meekness. If you want wisdom and honor then you need to be able to take advise and correction and be humble. Then we will have the fear of the Lord. In Acts 9:31 it says that the early church walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. That is our prayer. Make us not only hearers of the word but doers also.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wed.'s Devo- Out of the Heart....
Read Pro. 15:28-30
Whatever is in your heart will come out of your mouth. If you have softened your heart to receive Jesus then your words will reflect that. The heart of the righteous will ponder the deep things of God and speak of these things but the wicked will speak out of a wicked heart. The verse says it will pour out what is in the heart. God hates wickedness so he doesn't draw near to the wicked. But God delights in holiness and will hear to the prayers of the righteous. He makes his home with the heart of the righteous.
Our eyes are doorways into our heart so whatever we see naturally and spiritually will cause the heart to mourn or rejoice. In verse 30 the word "light" means "cheerfulness". Our eyes show emotion so they reveal our heart and if the light is cheery then it will make our heart rejoice. A good report gives us strength and lifts us up. How much more will the good news about Jesus lift up a person who has no hope.
Lord, guard the entrances of our heart and only allow your goodness to enter in.
Whatever is in your heart will come out of your mouth. If you have softened your heart to receive Jesus then your words will reflect that. The heart of the righteous will ponder the deep things of God and speak of these things but the wicked will speak out of a wicked heart. The verse says it will pour out what is in the heart. God hates wickedness so he doesn't draw near to the wicked. But God delights in holiness and will hear to the prayers of the righteous. He makes his home with the heart of the righteous.
Our eyes are doorways into our heart so whatever we see naturally and spiritually will cause the heart to mourn or rejoice. In verse 30 the word "light" means "cheerfulness". Our eyes show emotion so they reveal our heart and if the light is cheery then it will make our heart rejoice. A good report gives us strength and lifts us up. How much more will the good news about Jesus lift up a person who has no hope.
Lord, guard the entrances of our heart and only allow your goodness to enter in.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tues.'s Devo - Desire Vs. Greed
Read Pro. 15:27
The dictionary says that "greedy" means - "wanting or taking all that one can get, with no thought of others needs: desiring more than one needs or deserves." Having that kind of evil desire will affect your whole family, especially if you are the head of the house. I have seen very wealthy people who live by the code of greed and they may have everything they could ever want but they need what they will never be able to buy. Their offspring inherit a heap of trouble and are not prepared to handle it with wisdom unless they find Jesus. But the last part of the verse says that if you hate bribes you will live. You might not get what you think you need at the time, but you will gain something much more eternally.
I think that we sometimes forget that we are surrounded by a crowd of witnesses that watch our walk. They cheer us on when we turn from evil and pray for us when we fall. We can so easily fall into the sin of greed when we see someone else being used powerfully by God. We have all been given gifts from God and it is wrong when we compare our gifts to other's gifts. God gives gifts as he wills because he has a purpose in everything he does. If we will be faithful to use our gifts then we will be given more. We are to desire earnestly spiritual gifts but never to be greedy of them. The difference between "earnestly desiring" and "greed" is the desire of our heart: are we wanting this for our own personal gain or for the benefit of God's people?
Lord, examine our hearts and burn out any seed of greed in us. We want to earnestly desire you and all you have so that we might benefit your body.
The dictionary says that "greedy" means - "wanting or taking all that one can get, with no thought of others needs: desiring more than one needs or deserves." Having that kind of evil desire will affect your whole family, especially if you are the head of the house. I have seen very wealthy people who live by the code of greed and they may have everything they could ever want but they need what they will never be able to buy. Their offspring inherit a heap of trouble and are not prepared to handle it with wisdom unless they find Jesus. But the last part of the verse says that if you hate bribes you will live. You might not get what you think you need at the time, but you will gain something much more eternally.
I think that we sometimes forget that we are surrounded by a crowd of witnesses that watch our walk. They cheer us on when we turn from evil and pray for us when we fall. We can so easily fall into the sin of greed when we see someone else being used powerfully by God. We have all been given gifts from God and it is wrong when we compare our gifts to other's gifts. God gives gifts as he wills because he has a purpose in everything he does. If we will be faithful to use our gifts then we will be given more. We are to desire earnestly spiritual gifts but never to be greedy of them. The difference between "earnestly desiring" and "greed" is the desire of our heart: are we wanting this for our own personal gain or for the benefit of God's people?
Lord, examine our hearts and burn out any seed of greed in us. We want to earnestly desire you and all you have so that we might benefit your body.
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