Read Pr. 28:9-10
Sometimes it appears that the ungodly are getting away with their ungodly deeds, but they really aren't. Today's scripture says that the man who refuses to hear the Word will not be heard by God when he prays. That is pretty scary. I would hate to think that God refused to hear from me. The next verse is equally scary. The man who makes a brother stumble and sin will be the one to fall. He will reap what he has sown. Jesus said that it would be better for that man that a milestone be tied around his neck and he be cast into the sea. He went on to explain that trouble will come into your life but it will not go well for the man who brings it. But listen to the promise for those who walk in righteousness: they shall possess good things! God has great blessing for us to enjoy. He loves to shower us with them. His blessings are righteousness, peace, and joy. Something the world spends millions to get but can't. It can only be found in Jesus. Pr. 10:22 says that the blessin of the Lord, it makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
Lord, thank you that we can have peace and joy no matter what our financial or physical state is. Your blessings go way beyond the tangible and feed our soul.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wed.'s Devo - The Plans of the Lord Will Stand
Read Pr. 28:8
When we see the wicked prosper by oppressing people, we do not need to despair because this verse says that their money is going to one day end up in the hands of someone who will use it to help the poor. I just finished reading Esther which is a great picture of this. Evil Haman couldn't stand the Jews because Mortecai was a Jew and he refused to honor him. So he came up with a plot to annihilate all the Jews. His plan looked like it was going to work until God turned everything back on him. He ended up being hung on the gallows he had prepared for Mortecai, and the Jews were aided in fighting and killing their enemies. Instead of a day of mourning, it became a day of feasting and great joy. God turned the evil plan of the enemy around and got great victory. All the people prospered. That is what God wants to do for us. What the enemy has planned for evil, he has planned for good.
Lord, lift up our heads and show us the salvation of the Lord. You are our mighty defender and you are bigger than cancer, unemployment, evil leaders, and any plot the enemy can devise against us. Put the revenues of the wicked into the hands of the righteous to further your kingdom.
When we see the wicked prosper by oppressing people, we do not need to despair because this verse says that their money is going to one day end up in the hands of someone who will use it to help the poor. I just finished reading Esther which is a great picture of this. Evil Haman couldn't stand the Jews because Mortecai was a Jew and he refused to honor him. So he came up with a plot to annihilate all the Jews. His plan looked like it was going to work until God turned everything back on him. He ended up being hung on the gallows he had prepared for Mortecai, and the Jews were aided in fighting and killing their enemies. Instead of a day of mourning, it became a day of feasting and great joy. God turned the evil plan of the enemy around and got great victory. All the people prospered. That is what God wants to do for us. What the enemy has planned for evil, he has planned for good.
Lord, lift up our heads and show us the salvation of the Lord. You are our mighty defender and you are bigger than cancer, unemployment, evil leaders, and any plot the enemy can devise against us. Put the revenues of the wicked into the hands of the righteous to further your kingdom.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tues.'s Devo - Walk in the Word
Read Pr. 28:4-7
What type of people are attracted to you? Have you ever stopped and thought about that? I have, and I have come to the conclusion that you attract like-minded people or people who want to be like you. Evil people attract evil and righteous people attract righteousness. People who are evil are deceived and do not understand that one day they will be judged eternally, or they wouldn't do what they do. They honor wickedness. They believe they can hide behind their riches or their power and intimidation and they won't be made accountable but they are sorrowfully wrong. The humble man who seeks God has understanding; even if he is poor, he will still walk in purity and integrity because he understands judgment. He understands that it is not a race to see how much you can accumulate here on earth, it is really a race to see how much you can give away. Jesus gave it all on the cross for us to be an example to us about how we should live our lives. To walk in the Word that God has given us makes him very blessed. To walk with violent men shames God.
Lord, help us to walk out the Word just as you did every day you walked on this earth. Help us to keep eternity in mind.
What type of people are attracted to you? Have you ever stopped and thought about that? I have, and I have come to the conclusion that you attract like-minded people or people who want to be like you. Evil people attract evil and righteous people attract righteousness. People who are evil are deceived and do not understand that one day they will be judged eternally, or they wouldn't do what they do. They honor wickedness. They believe they can hide behind their riches or their power and intimidation and they won't be made accountable but they are sorrowfully wrong. The humble man who seeks God has understanding; even if he is poor, he will still walk in purity and integrity because he understands judgment. He understands that it is not a race to see how much you can accumulate here on earth, it is really a race to see how much you can give away. Jesus gave it all on the cross for us to be an example to us about how we should live our lives. To walk in the Word that God has given us makes him very blessed. To walk with violent men shames God.
Lord, help us to walk out the Word just as you did every day you walked on this earth. Help us to keep eternity in mind.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Mon.'s Devo- God's Will
Read Pr. 28:3
A poor man that oppresses the poor is a great example of the devil. Satan has no friends and doesn't even get along with his demons. There is no unity in his camp which is to our advantage. The devil has no compassion or mercy and takes no prisoners. He has one motive and that is to kill, steal, and destroy. Just like a sweeping rain leaves no food, that is the devil's plan. He will use any tactic he can to make us stumble and lose our influence and our confidence. His demons study us and find our weaknesses then they use them against us. God, on the other hand, sees our weaknesses and makes us strong there so we will not fall to the enemies strategies. John says that if we abide in the vine and he abides in us then we will produce much fruit. We are to prosper in hard times and fly above our situations. That is God's plan for us which is a whole lot better than the devil's.
Lord, help us to choose to soar with you instead of graveling in the rubble of our mistakes. We give you all our weaknesses so that you can be strong in us. We wage war against the enemy's strategies and we proclaim your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
A poor man that oppresses the poor is a great example of the devil. Satan has no friends and doesn't even get along with his demons. There is no unity in his camp which is to our advantage. The devil has no compassion or mercy and takes no prisoners. He has one motive and that is to kill, steal, and destroy. Just like a sweeping rain leaves no food, that is the devil's plan. He will use any tactic he can to make us stumble and lose our influence and our confidence. His demons study us and find our weaknesses then they use them against us. God, on the other hand, sees our weaknesses and makes us strong there so we will not fall to the enemies strategies. John says that if we abide in the vine and he abides in us then we will produce much fruit. We are to prosper in hard times and fly above our situations. That is God's plan for us which is a whole lot better than the devil's.
Lord, help us to choose to soar with you instead of graveling in the rubble of our mistakes. We give you all our weaknesses so that you can be strong in us. We wage war against the enemy's strategies and we proclaim your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Fri.'s Devo - Save Our Land
Read Pr. 28:2
Sin contaminates the land. When Adam and Eve were cursed, so was the land. When a country turns from God the land is affected. Lev. 26 gives a vivid description of what happens to the land. Basically it goes into desolation. Unrighteous leaders lead a nation into idolatry and sin. The Old Testament is full of unrighteous leaders who lead their nation into sin. Eventually, the people suffered war, famine, homelessness, and poverty. But, one man who turns his heart to seek the Lord and rises up to lead a nation can drastically change the environment. Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem and built the wall so that the people could once again return and start living there. David rose up in the midst of idolatry and sin and was a man after God's own heart. He fought the enemies brought on by Saul's unrighteous reign so that Solomon could enjoy years of peace and prosperity. It only takes one man to prolong the sentence of judgment on a nation. Hezekiah repented and prayed that God would not judge them and God prolonged his judgment till after his death.
Lord, we need you to be the Lord of our nation. Raise up Godly leaders to lead our nation back to you. Forgive us for the sin of our land.
Lord, thank you for endurance. Help us to be bold as lions and not run from adversity but to stand, or fight if we need to.
Sin contaminates the land. When Adam and Eve were cursed, so was the land. When a country turns from God the land is affected. Lev. 26 gives a vivid description of what happens to the land. Basically it goes into desolation. Unrighteous leaders lead a nation into idolatry and sin. The Old Testament is full of unrighteous leaders who lead their nation into sin. Eventually, the people suffered war, famine, homelessness, and poverty. But, one man who turns his heart to seek the Lord and rises up to lead a nation can drastically change the environment. Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem and built the wall so that the people could once again return and start living there. David rose up in the midst of idolatry and sin and was a man after God's own heart. He fought the enemies brought on by Saul's unrighteous reign so that Solomon could enjoy years of peace and prosperity. It only takes one man to prolong the sentence of judgment on a nation. Hezekiah repented and prayed that God would not judge them and God prolonged his judgment till after his death.
Lord, we need you to be the Lord of our nation. Raise up Godly leaders to lead our nation back to you. Forgive us for the sin of our land.
Lord, thank you for endurance. Help us to be bold as lions and not run from adversity but to stand, or fight if we need to.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Thurs.'s Devo - Enduring to the End
Read Pr. 28:1
There is an old adage: "when the going gets tough then the tough get going". That is the meaning behind today's scripture. It is easy to quit when things get difficult and even think that God must not be in it because it is not going smooth. And, that could be right but maybe God is trying to teach us endurance or how to triumph in a bad situation. We will never learn maturity till we stick it out till the end. I think Peter said it well in 1 Pet. 2:19 "For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when your do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." The New Testament always takes it a step further. Peter was talking about submitting to your boss, not only if he is good but especially if he is cruel. Anyone can endure and be a good worker if the boss is nice and easy to work for, but God says he accepts you and is pleased when you are respectful and work hard for an evil boss. That is something that only God can do through us. What a testimony that will be to those around you. We are not to run when things get bad but be bold as a lion and stay and stand our ground. Our enemy is not man but the spirits of Satan.
There is an old adage: "when the going gets tough then the tough get going". That is the meaning behind today's scripture. It is easy to quit when things get difficult and even think that God must not be in it because it is not going smooth. And, that could be right but maybe God is trying to teach us endurance or how to triumph in a bad situation. We will never learn maturity till we stick it out till the end. I think Peter said it well in 1 Pet. 2:19 "For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when your do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." The New Testament always takes it a step further. Peter was talking about submitting to your boss, not only if he is good but especially if he is cruel. Anyone can endure and be a good worker if the boss is nice and easy to work for, but God says he accepts you and is pleased when you are respectful and work hard for an evil boss. That is something that only God can do through us. What a testimony that will be to those around you. We are not to run when things get bad but be bold as a lion and stay and stand our ground. Our enemy is not man but the spirits of Satan.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wed.'s Devo - Prosperity
Read Pr. 27:23-27
The rest of the chapter has to do with our finances. We are to know the state of our affairs and be wise in our spending and saving. We can't assume that we will always be prospering and that we are always going to be living in the blessings we are living in now. We CAN assume that God is faithful and will take care of us. Babylon and Rome were once great empires but they fell through mismanagement and sin. God has promised to give us our daily needs and what ever is above that is lagniappe. God loves us and would love to lavish us with blessings but we live in a world of sin and nations are judged by the sin of their land. Ezekiel was a righteous prophet who followed God in every way yet when his nation went into exile so did he. The greatest thing we can do for our financial security is to intercede and pray for our land and use our resources to further the kingdom. Then like the last 2 verses we will clothes, land, food and drink and enough to provide for our families. But, true prosperity is when your soul prospers.
Lord, your provisions are sufficient for us. You meet our physical and spiritual. You are the All-Sufficient One!
The rest of the chapter has to do with our finances. We are to know the state of our affairs and be wise in our spending and saving. We can't assume that we will always be prospering and that we are always going to be living in the blessings we are living in now. We CAN assume that God is faithful and will take care of us. Babylon and Rome were once great empires but they fell through mismanagement and sin. God has promised to give us our daily needs and what ever is above that is lagniappe. God loves us and would love to lavish us with blessings but we live in a world of sin and nations are judged by the sin of their land. Ezekiel was a righteous prophet who followed God in every way yet when his nation went into exile so did he. The greatest thing we can do for our financial security is to intercede and pray for our land and use our resources to further the kingdom. Then like the last 2 verses we will clothes, land, food and drink and enough to provide for our families. But, true prosperity is when your soul prospers.
Lord, your provisions are sufficient for us. You meet our physical and spiritual. You are the All-Sufficient One!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)