Read Pro. 10:15-17
"the rich man's wealth is his strong city." I think that means that the person who is blessed in every way has a strong foundation to stand on. The blessings of God bring health, prosperity, fulfillment and more than enough. But, "the destruction of the poor is their poverty." means that the ones that haven't let God bless them because of unbelief or sin are destroyed by their lack of understanding. The life of the righteous brings life to those around it but the wicked reap the sin that they commit and persuade others to commit. Sin leads to lack, discontentment, and poverty. If you want to be in God's blessings all you have to do is obey his commands and his disciplines. It is easy to obey and love God when you are under the fountain of blessing, but what about when God reproves you or disciplines you. God has a reputation to uphold. He is holy and unchanging. We decide if we walk in his blessings or the curse. Lord, today we choose life and blessings.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tues.'s Devo - Armory of God
Read Pro. 10:8-14
I noticed that all these verses have something to say about our language or speech. A prating fool is someone who is full of vain talk. It is said of him that he will fall and his perverted ways will be known. He uses his mouth to plan violent acts because his hatred motivates him to have discord. What he doesn't know is that the plans he makes with his mouth come back on him. Conversely, the wise in heart and speech can receive God's laws and walk confidently in them. His speech breeds life to those who listen and his forgiving and redemptive heart covers the sins of others. Wisdom is in his conversation and the good that he plans comes back on him. The last verse sums it up: "Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." We should be hoarding and hiding wisdom in a secret place in our heart. I heard on the news today about a man who was robbed of his armory he had hidden in his house. All those weapons could not help him when the thief came to his house but the Word of God will stand forever as our protection and guide. Thieves cannot steal what we hide in our hearts. Lord , thank you for your Word that we have hidden in our hearts.
I noticed that all these verses have something to say about our language or speech. A prating fool is someone who is full of vain talk. It is said of him that he will fall and his perverted ways will be known. He uses his mouth to plan violent acts because his hatred motivates him to have discord. What he doesn't know is that the plans he makes with his mouth come back on him. Conversely, the wise in heart and speech can receive God's laws and walk confidently in them. His speech breeds life to those who listen and his forgiving and redemptive heart covers the sins of others. Wisdom is in his conversation and the good that he plans comes back on him. The last verse sums it up: "Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." We should be hoarding and hiding wisdom in a secret place in our heart. I heard on the news today about a man who was robbed of his armory he had hidden in his house. All those weapons could not help him when the thief came to his house but the Word of God will stand forever as our protection and guide. Thieves cannot steal what we hide in our hearts. Lord , thank you for your Word that we have hidden in our hearts.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Mon.'s Devo - Memories
Read Prov. 10:7
My son went to his wife's grandfather's funeral the other day. He came back so excited about the things that were told of Katy's grandfather. He had been the first DeCastro's to come to America from Cuba. He started a picture-framing business which became very successful and through his generosity he brought many of his relatives to the United States. He was a God-fearing man who was so well thought of that a man flew from Italy to come to the funeral to honor him. That is what it means by "the memory of the just is blessed". I remember my own dad's funeral and how proud I was of him when all his friends talked about his impact on them. Good kings in the Bible did "what was good in the sight of the Lord" and bad kings did "what was evil in the sight of the Lord". I want to be known as someone who pleased God and did what was right in his sight. The name of the wicked will rot which is how I think of people like Hitler and Jezebel and Nero. There is not one good thing that comes to mind about them. Their names are synonymous with evil and decay.
Lord, our heritage is in you. We want your name to be greater and greater with each generation. Use us to shine to ours.
My son went to his wife's grandfather's funeral the other day. He came back so excited about the things that were told of Katy's grandfather. He had been the first DeCastro's to come to America from Cuba. He started a picture-framing business which became very successful and through his generosity he brought many of his relatives to the United States. He was a God-fearing man who was so well thought of that a man flew from Italy to come to the funeral to honor him. That is what it means by "the memory of the just is blessed". I remember my own dad's funeral and how proud I was of him when all his friends talked about his impact on them. Good kings in the Bible did "what was good in the sight of the Lord" and bad kings did "what was evil in the sight of the Lord". I want to be known as someone who pleased God and did what was right in his sight. The name of the wicked will rot which is how I think of people like Hitler and Jezebel and Nero. There is not one good thing that comes to mind about them. Their names are synonymous with evil and decay.
Lord, our heritage is in you. We want your name to be greater and greater with each generation. Use us to shine to ours.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sat.'s Devo - Under the Shelter of His Wings
This has been a whirlwind of a week. I have watched God work in miraculous ways to get that house for him to put his glory. After I got the house I went to the lawyer across the street asked him what I needed to do next. He told me to get the abstract. The abstract will tell me if I have to pay the $20,000 second mortgage or anything else. He didn't seem very encouraging because of the history of the past owners and I left his office scrambling for my Bible and its promises. I came home very discouraged till I picked up my daily bread and started reading the first place I came to in Psalms. I landed in the 50's and started reading them out loud. I read, sang, cried, and prayed the Word till I felt totally strengthen. How can you not be strengthened when you read promises like: "In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies." "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" God assured me that it is his house and he did not give me a house of debt but a blessing. When I talked to my mother she told me she heard the number $125,000 in her spirit. That is the same number Dave had come up with before the auction. The bank's representative at the auction said that it had a second mortgage of $20,000 . I got it for $121,060 which with the second mortgage would up my cost to $141,060 and I still have to pay to have the abstract and title confirmed which is another $685. I am believing that I won't have to pay the second mortgage and when it is all said and done I will only owe $125,000. That will take a miracle, but I serve a miracle-working God.
Thank you God that when you created us and charted out our path you made every provision to help us to walk on it. Lead us to the towering rock of safety, for you are your safe refuge, a fortress where our enemies cannot reach us. Let us live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings
Thank you God that when you created us and charted out our path you made every provision to help us to walk on it. Lead us to the towering rock of safety, for you are your safe refuge, a fortress where our enemies cannot reach us. Let us live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fri.'s Devo - Headed for Blessings
Read Pro. 10:6
In the Old Testament he priest blessed the people by putting his hand on their head and pronouncing God's blessing over them. God does that for his children. He places his hand upon our heads and pronounces our destiny. Our head is what holds our mind. As a man thinketh; so is he. God blesses us with his mind and his thoughts. But it says "violence covers the mouth of the wicked". The word 'violence' means 'to imagine wrongfully'. So the blessings of God fills your mind with faith where the wicked believe the lie. Their mind is filled with fear and intimidation which will keep them from accomplishing anything of any lasting value. The wicked may become rich in this world but he will be poor in spirit and never find peace or fulfillment. The just will find the favor of God and live in the joy and peace that only God can give. So when you feel the enemy telling you the lies he loves to tell remember that you have been given the mind of Christ and you can believe the truth. God is on you side and if God be for you then who can be against you! Thank you, Lord for your unfailing love.
In the Old Testament he priest blessed the people by putting his hand on their head and pronouncing God's blessing over them. God does that for his children. He places his hand upon our heads and pronounces our destiny. Our head is what holds our mind. As a man thinketh; so is he. God blesses us with his mind and his thoughts. But it says "violence covers the mouth of the wicked". The word 'violence' means 'to imagine wrongfully'. So the blessings of God fills your mind with faith where the wicked believe the lie. Their mind is filled with fear and intimidation which will keep them from accomplishing anything of any lasting value. The wicked may become rich in this world but he will be poor in spirit and never find peace or fulfillment. The just will find the favor of God and live in the joy and peace that only God can give. So when you feel the enemy telling you the lies he loves to tell remember that you have been given the mind of Christ and you can believe the truth. God is on you side and if God be for you then who can be against you! Thank you, Lord for your unfailing love.
Thurs.'s Devo - What Season are you in?
Read: Pro. 10:5
To God timing is very important. He made seasons for certain purposes. There is a certain time to plow the land, sow the seed, water it, reap the results and enjoy the fruit. It is important that we are plowing when we should be plowing and sowing when we should be sowing. When God gives us a promise we are to plow the land with prayer. We pray out all the weeds of unbelief and evil and cleanse our own hearts of selfish ambition. Then we sow the land with God's Word. I ask God for scriptures that have to do with my particular situation. The other day I asked God to speak to me in my reading in Psalms about the house I am trying to get and 5 times in the Ps. it said that God would give me the land. God's Word is the strength and power we have to have to stand against the enemy that will try to cause you to abort the mission. It is the key to getting our promise. Then we water it with the words of our mouth - our testimony. We reap when God brings the promise to reality and we celebrate the fruit and give it back to God. It is a perpetual thing that happens in the life of Christians again and again. We gather in the summer because the summer is a harvest time. If we are asleep when our harvest comes then we will miss what God has for us. What a shame.
Lord, show us what season we are in in our lives and help us to be good gardeners.
To God timing is very important. He made seasons for certain purposes. There is a certain time to plow the land, sow the seed, water it, reap the results and enjoy the fruit. It is important that we are plowing when we should be plowing and sowing when we should be sowing. When God gives us a promise we are to plow the land with prayer. We pray out all the weeds of unbelief and evil and cleanse our own hearts of selfish ambition. Then we sow the land with God's Word. I ask God for scriptures that have to do with my particular situation. The other day I asked God to speak to me in my reading in Psalms about the house I am trying to get and 5 times in the Ps. it said that God would give me the land. God's Word is the strength and power we have to have to stand against the enemy that will try to cause you to abort the mission. It is the key to getting our promise. Then we water it with the words of our mouth - our testimony. We reap when God brings the promise to reality and we celebrate the fruit and give it back to God. It is a perpetual thing that happens in the life of Christians again and again. We gather in the summer because the summer is a harvest time. If we are asleep when our harvest comes then we will miss what God has for us. What a shame.
Lord, show us what season we are in in our lives and help us to be good gardeners.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wed.'s Devo - Our Motivation
Pro. 10:1-4
It is the old adage: you reap what you sow. If you are deceitful in your dealings you will be poor, but if you are a hard worker who is trustworthy then you will become rich. You can't expect to be paid if you don't put in the work and effort. How we do our work is a mirror to our heart. We are told to work like we were working for the Lord. I told my son yesterday that if you work for God then His payment will satisfy you. If you work for money you will always be disappointed. He was doing a lot of hours without pay and getting a little frustrated. I reminded him that God sees everything we do and nothing goes unnoticed or unpaid. God will reward what we do in secret. If we are just, God promises to bless us but if we are wicked then we will default to trickery. The way we do business is our reputation and we will be remembered by our honesty. The reputation of the ungodly will be a stench.
Lord, thank you for your blessings on your people. Thank you that you are a God of justice and mercy. Your unfailing kindness surrounds us with joy. Help us to not get weary in well-doing because we know that we will reap a reward if we don't faint.
It is the old adage: you reap what you sow. If you are deceitful in your dealings you will be poor, but if you are a hard worker who is trustworthy then you will become rich. You can't expect to be paid if you don't put in the work and effort. How we do our work is a mirror to our heart. We are told to work like we were working for the Lord. I told my son yesterday that if you work for God then His payment will satisfy you. If you work for money you will always be disappointed. He was doing a lot of hours without pay and getting a little frustrated. I reminded him that God sees everything we do and nothing goes unnoticed or unpaid. God will reward what we do in secret. If we are just, God promises to bless us but if we are wicked then we will default to trickery. The way we do business is our reputation and we will be remembered by our honesty. The reputation of the ungodly will be a stench.
Lord, thank you for your blessings on your people. Thank you that you are a God of justice and mercy. Your unfailing kindness surrounds us with joy. Help us to not get weary in well-doing because we know that we will reap a reward if we don't faint.
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