Who fights your battles?

June 30, 2008

2 Chronicles 20:15 KJV
(15) And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.


The Bible is littered with people who try to help God. From Eve trying to be like God so He would not have to tell her right from wrong, to the man killed when trying to stop the Ark of God from falling and many more. We cannot help God. We can only sit back and watch what he can do. But so often we try to fix things we thing He has messed up. Thankfully we have the story of one who did not try to help God. Jehoshaphat knew he could not fix the problem of the people who were coming to attack Judah so he tried a real unique approach. Till now, people had called other kings, tried to bargain with the invaders and some even prayed to other Gods. This man had a unique plan.

He called the people together and told God what the problem was. God already knew the problem I am sure. But when Jehoshaphat got out of the way by letting God know he needed help, God stepped in. And the prophets gave the quote that we all know.. 'the battle is not yours but God's'.

The battle is never ours. As long as we try to do it in our strength we will never succeed. Only when we give it to God will there be a resolution. In this story we are reading, it was a total destruction of the army. They all died, and it took 3 days to gather the spoils of the war.

So, who is fighting your battles?

Today

2 Chronicles 19:1-23:21
Tomorrow

Obadiah 1:1-21, Psalms 82:1-8, Psalms 83:1-18

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Can you deceive God?

June 29, 2008


2 Chronicles 18:29-34 CEV
(29) Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
(30) The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack only Ahab.
(31) So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But Jehoshaphat prayed, and the LORD made the Syrian soldiers stop.
(32) And when they realized he wasn't Ahab, they left him alone.
(33) However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab between two pieces of his armor. He shouted to his chariot driver, "I've been hit! Get me out of here!"
(34) The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He stayed there until evening, and by sundown he was dead.

Deception is not cool. Not in people's eyes and definitely not in God's eyes. You can attempt it like Ahab did in today's verses. He choose to disguise himself knowing that the enemy was out to get him. If he could make another king look like the target he could escape.

But it just so happened that a random arrow hit him and killed him. As my pastor says, God plays with loaded dice. You may think you can escape him for a while but it is not going to be that way forever.

Do not deceive.

Today

1 Kings 22:1-53
Tomorrow

2 Chronicles 19:1-23:21

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Who do you blame?

June 28, 2008

1 Kings 21:20 GNB
(20) When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "Have you caught up with me, my enemy?" "Yes, I have," Elijah answered. "You have devoted yourself completely to doing what is wrong in theLORD's sight.


It is so easy to blame our enemies when we think that evil is being done to us. But in reality, it is we who are to blame. As we move away from God, we move closer to problems. Ahab did this through his whole life. When Elijah tries to confront him, Ahab blames Elijah. Who he needs to blame is himself.

What about you?

Today

1 Kings 20:1-21:29
Tomorrow

1 Kings 22:1-53

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When God asks you a question...

June 27, 2008


1 Kings 19:13-18 ASV
(13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
(14) And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
(15) And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
(16) and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
(17) And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
(18) Yet will I leave me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.


In this excerpt, we see God asking Elijah, for the second time, Why are you here Elijah? I will let you in on a little secret if you do not know it already. If God asks you a questions, you can almost take it to the bank that He knows the answer already. I take that back, you can take it to the bank. It is an even money bet.

So, how does Elijah respond. He tells God all the good things that he has done for God and he is the only one left to serve God. Now Elijah knows that is a lie because in the chapter before this one he meets up with a man who tells him he has 100 prophets of God hidden in two caves. Nope, he is not telling God these things to let God know the situation (as if God did not know it already), Elijah is having one big huge pity party.

Now pity parties are not cool. I mean, a day should all you really need to have one if you are going to have one, but Elijah had this one going on for a couple of months. So what does God do in return? First he replaces Elijah with Elisha, and has Elijah anoint him to add insult to injury. Then he tells him, 'look, there are 7,000 of my people out there, get over it.'

Sometimes, when God asks you a question, it is to get you out of the rut you are in and move on to things for God and to stop focusing on yourself. So if God asks you a question, especially if He asks it twice, you might want to really think about how you answer Him.

Today

1 Kings 17:1-19:21
Tomorrow

1 Kings 20:1-21:29

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Who's in charge?

June 26, 2008

1 Kings (KJV)

21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.

22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

Years ago, in an effort to explain submission and how it should work in a family, business, ministry, etc. a pastor told me, 'any thing with two heads is a freak!' How true that statement is. It is not possible for an animal or a person to have two heads. One will want to do one thing and the other will want to do something else. While humans could rationalize it out, one would become the dominant one. Any unit of organization is the same. If two people try to lead, one will be dominant and the other will follow. That does not mean that we should not take advantage of the strengths of those around us, and put them in place to help us, but in the end, one person has to make the decisions.

So it is with today's verse. The people of Israel have lost their king and they are split on who should lead them next. Rather than team together and use their strengths, one overcomes and subdues the other.

Things have not changed. It is still that way today.

How many heads do you have in your organization? Is the one that God called to lead the one that is the head?

Today

1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17:1-19
Tomorrow

1 Kings 17:1-19:21

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Does God use positive or negative reinforcement?

June 25, 2008

2 Chronicles 14:2-7 GW
(2) Asa did what the LORD his God considered good and right.
(3) He got rid of the altars of foreign gods, broke down the sacred stones, and cut down the poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah.
(4) He told the people of Judah to dedicate their lives to serving the LORD God of their ancestors and follow his teachings and commands.
(5) He got rid of the illegal places of worship and the altars for incense in all the cities of Judah. The kingdom was at peace during his reign.
(6) He built fortified cities in Judah because the land had peace. There was no war during those years because the LORD gave him a time of peace.
(7) So Asa told Judah, "Let's build these cities and make walls around them with towers and doors that can be barred. The country is still ours because we have dedicated our lives to serving the LORD our God. We have dedicated our lives to him, and he has surrounded us with peace." So they built the cities, and everything went well.


There are two ways of discipline or training a person. Yesterday, the devotional focused on the negative aspects of things. You do wrong, God punishes you. It is the same way that many of us raise our kids and there is nothing wrong with it. It is called negative attention.

God would, however, like to give us positive attention. How do I know? Well I am a father and that is what I would like for my kids. I am built in the image of God. But today's scriptures show us it also. Asa took over from his father as king and got rid of all the sinful things around him. And for his reward, God gave him peace on all sides. Asa was even able to build up areas that had been torn down.

How would you like God to train you? Positive or negative?


Today

1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13:1-16:14
Tomorrow

1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17:1-19

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Sin after sin

June 24, 2008


2 Chronicles 12:5-8 GW
(5) The prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, "This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I will abandon you. I will hand you over to Shishak."
(6) Then the commanders of Israel and the king humbled themselves. "The LORD is right!" they said.
(7) When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, he spoke his word to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them. In a little while I will give them an escape. I will not use Shishak to pour my anger on Jerusalem.
(8) But they will become his servants so that they can learn the difference between serving me and serving foreign kings."

Each time we sin, we can get forgiveness. It does come with a price. For a while, till you confess it to God, there will be a separation from God. Forgiveness removes that separation.

If we continue to live in that sin, even after forgiveness, then we continue to separate ourselves from God. This is what the people of Judah and Israel would do. They would sin, ask to be forgiven, and then go back to their sinful ways. God lightly nudged them that sin caused a problem as it can in our lives as well. Only after some time did God choose to punish them, when they had gone to far in their sins and would not try to correct them. Like them, our sins if not stopped can separate us from the love of God. It would be good to learn from the first confession and not go into that sin again.

Today

2 Chronicles 10:1-12:16
Tomorrow

1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13:1-16:14

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Teach your children well.....

June 23, 2008

1 Kings 12:16 Webster
(16) So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thy own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents.

Solomon had passed on and his son Rehoboam takes his place. What did he learn from his dad? Obviously nothing. His dad was too busy with seeking pleasure and seeking wisdom (see the book of Ecclesiastes), to have taughtRehoboam much. And it shows in what happened when he young lad took over as king. His dad had been mean to the people of the kingdom but when seeking advice from hiscouncilors, he listen to the young rebels rather than the older wiser men. He made their work harder and they rebelled. That is where we get today's verse. The people separate and form another kingdom. In the end it was prophecies by God's prophets, but still he had a chance to change it.

What do we teach our children? Will they seek the wisdom of the wise when they get older, or will they follow the young guns advice?


Today

1 Kings 12:1-14:31
Tomorrow

2 Chronicles 10:1-12:16

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Will it end in anger?

June 22, 2008


Proverbs 30:32-33 CEV
(32) If you are foolishly bragging or planning something evil, then stop it now!
(33) If you churn milk you get butter; if you pound on your nose, you get blood-- and if you stay angry, you get in trouble.

Planning to do evil results in anger, plain and simple. The questions to you or from you. If you fail, obviously the anger will be from you. But success means that others will be mad at you.

Why would you do something that has to end in anger? It sounds like a stupid question but we do it all the time. From our husband or wife to the person next to you in the rush hour traffic.

Think about what you plan. Will it end in anger?



Today

Proverbs 30:1-31:31
Tomorrow

1 Kings 12:1-14:31

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Wisdom is over-rated

June 21, 2008

I Kings 11 (Message)

9 God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him
10 and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders.
11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is the way it is with you, that you have no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I’m going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else.

God never forces us to do anything. He gives us choices. If Solomon had followed God, then there would never have been any problems. But Solomon had clearly chose not to follow the rules of God even though he wrote about them quite clearly in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Why he thought that as King he was better than God I do not know. But when temptation came calling, even the wisest person in the world gave in to the sin. And when those woman introduced him to their gods, he went after it tooth and nail.

If he being so wise could fall, what makes us think that we can do any better? We need to live in a constant connection with God each day.

Today

1 Kings 10:1-11:43, 2 Chronicles 9:1-31
Tomorrow

Proverbs 30:1-31:31

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Flies

June 20, 2008

Ecclesiastes 10 (AMP)
1 DEAD FLIES cause the ointment of the perfumer to putrefy [and] send forth a vile odor; so does a little folly [in him who is valued for wisdom] outweigh wisdom and honor.


Do you have dead flies in your perfume? Most of you would look at a bottle and say no. But I am sure that many of us do. Our praise is to be a sweet smelling sacrifice to God. It is to be a perfume to Him. So I ask again, do you have flies in your perfume? Can God take pleasure in your prayer and praise? Or is there something in life that stinks.

We all justify sin in our lives. We may share gossip about someone in the name of praying for them. We may justify an affair because our spouse does not love us anymore. We may treat family members bad for long periods of time because they have treated us wrong. In the end, though we feel we are right in these and many other situations, we are wrong. And in doing so we add dead flies to our prayer and praise.

If you have a hard time worshiping sometimes, maybe you need to see if there are some flies around.


Today

Ecclesiastes 7:1-12:14
Tomorrow

1 Kings 10:1-11:43, 2 Chronicles 9:1-31

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The meaning of life is not 42

June 19,2008

Ecclesiastes can be a very depressing book to read sometimes. Many would like to skip over it. Why would we want to read how meaningless our life is. The teacher cannot seem to find pleasure in anything. He cannot find it in money, possessions, education, drinking, well you name it. But in the middle of it all, today's verse comes up. The meaning of our life is very plain.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (WEB)

18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

We can focus on all the negative things in life, many people will tell you that is what the book is all about. We can learn however the secret to having meaning in all those things. The secret is God.

Do you use what God has provided you to glorify God, or do you use it for things that cannot bring glory to God? How about the skills that you have? Do you use them for good, or to waste them away?

Look at your life and reflect on what you have and what you are doing with it.

Today

Ecclesiastes 1:1-6:12
Tomorrow

Ecclesiastes 7:1-12:14

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A fool and his anger....

June 18, 2008

Ever get in the middle of an argument with someone and said to yourself 'this is stupid?'

Proverbs 29:9 ESV
(9) If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

The best thing you can do is stop. The foolish person wants you to continue. They may want to push their point across, or make you feel small, but in the end, it is what the fool wants. Of course if you stay in the argument you become a fool also. It is just better to walk away, or if that is not possible, realize the person is a fool and do not let it bother you.

Today

Proverbs 27:1-29:27
Tomorrow

Ecclesiastes 1:1-6:12

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What makes a fire?

June 17, 2008

While I may not have learned a lot from high school science classes, I did learn one thing. It takes three things to make a fire. The first is fuel, the second is air and the last is heat. If you take any one of those three away, then the fire has to go out. So it is with other types of fires as well.


Proverbs 26:21 GNB
(21) Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.

You see, it takes at least two to have a fire of anger going. If one of the parties will not get angry, the fire has to eventually go out. It may sputter a while since one of the two will still be angry, but in the end, it will go out. You have effectively taken away the heat. You have also taken away the fuel. If only one stick is burning, the fire will go out.

The trick is in not responding when someone is angry and tries to bring you down to their anger.

Practice is a key element in that.

Today

Proverbs 25:1-26:28
Tomorrow

Proverbs 27:1-29:27

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With great power...

June 16, 2008

With great power comes great responsibility. At least that is what my childhood comic hero Spider man said in many issues. Biblically it is correct.

Solomon was given great power to rule his kingdom. But with it was a responsibility to make sure that the people followed God. If they did not, Solomon would be at fault for what happens as he was their king.

1 Kings 9:3-9 KJV
(3) And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
(4) And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
(5) Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
(6) But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
(7) Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
(8) And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
(9) And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.


We all know what happened. Solomon fell away and it started a long line of kings who would not follow God either.

What about us? Father's day has just passed and Mother's day was a month ago. What have we taught our children? Have we taught them what they need to know? Have we led them in a way to follow God? Are we following Him ourselves? With great power comes great responsibility.

Today

1 Kings 9:1-28, 2 Chronicles 8:1-18
Tomorrow

Proverbs 25:1-26:28

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Why Praise?

June 15, 2008

Do you have breath in your body? Well isn't that a stupid question. Of course you do, you are reading this aren't you. I mean dead people can not sit and and operate a computer can they?

Well if you have breath you should praise the Lord! Who says? Far be it from me to tell you what to do, I leave it to a higherauthority than me!

Psalms 150:6 ESV
(6) Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!


Well, I do not have anything to praise God about. Well are you alive and able to work a job to make money? Do you have food on your table? I could complain (and I often do) but in the end, God has given me good health so that I work multiple jobs and can provide for my family.

So unless you are dead, follow the Word, PRAISE THE LORD!

Today

Psalms 134:1-3, Psalms 146:1-10, Psalms 147:1-20, Psalms 148:1-14, Psalms 149:1-9, Psalms 150:1-6
Tomorrow

1 Kings 9:1-28, 2 Chronicles 8:1-18

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Give thanks

June 14, 2008

My kids could always tell when I read Psalm 136. If you do not know what I mean take a look at it. All the verses in it end the same way, 'His mercy (love) endureth forever.' But in that sing song set of verses we can easily lose focus on the real truth that it is teaching us.

Psalms 136:1 KJV
(1) O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Every line of that Psalm gives us something to be thankful about. Yet each day we go through the same thing over and over again. We look to other things to make us happy not seemingly having enough. Another job, a new TV a new car, all those will make me happy and then I could be thankful.

God does not work that way. Look to what He provides us and then we will truly learn 'his love endures forever.'

Today

2 Chronicles 6:1-7:22, Psalms 136:1-26
Tomorrow

Psalms 134:1-3, Psalms 146:1-10, Psalms 147:1-20, Psalms 148:1-14, Psalms 149:1-9, Psalms 150:1-6

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How bad do you want the presence of God

June 13, 2008

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 KJV
(13) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
(14) So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.


The Temple of God is dedicated. And they priased the Lord in one loud voice. And what happens? God fills the place.

Can you imagine what it would be like if we could get all the people in a church service to be of one mind and worship together. But we can barely even get our families to worship together anymore. Our families seem to be in conflict more than they are in worship. How can we expect God to show up in church when it seems He can not show up in our houses.

Get a vision for your family and stay with it.

Today

1 Kings 8:1-66, 2 Chronicles 5:1-14
Tomorrow

2 Chronicles 6:1-7:22, Psalms 136:1-26

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Does God want your gold?

June 12, 2008

2 Chronicles 4:19-22 GNB
(19) King Solomon also had gold furnishings made for the Temple: the altar and the tables for the bread offered to God;
(20) the lampstands and the lamps of fine gold that were to burn in front of the Most Holy Place, according to plan;
(21) the flower decorations, the lamps, and the tongs;
(22) the lamp snuffers, the bowls, the dishes for incense, and the pans used for carrying live coals. All these objects were made of pure gold. The outer doors of the Temple and the doors to the Most Holy Place were overlaid with gold.

Did you notice anything about the descriptions of everything that Solomon had made for the temple? They were all made of gold. Surely his father David had taught him that God does not need our gold or anything else because it is all His in the first place. So why?

Maybe because God wants us to give our best. And when you are the king and run the country, your best is often the best gold you can find.

God wants us to give our best. Solomon had gold to give, what do you have? Maybe it is not a physical item that you have to give. God can take non-physical things as well.


Today
1 Kings 7:1-51, 2 Chronicles 4:1-22

Tomorrow

1 Kings 8:1-66, 2 Chronicles 5:1-14

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Family Time

June 11, 2008


Hey dads (or moms even) are you a workaholic. God does not think it to be a good idea you know.

1 Kings 5:13-14 KJV
(13) And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
(14) And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.

You see, Solomon knew that all work and no family was not a good idea.

Your family needs you, not just the money you bring in. Sure you may have to have extended times of work, but that should be the exception and not the rule.

Follow Solomon's example, plan some time off.

Today
1 Kings 5:1-6:38, 2 Chronicles 2:1-3:17

Tomorrow

1 Kings 7:1-51, 2 Chronicles 4:1-22

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The Lion does not sleep tonight

June 10, 2008

I am a volunteer at my church. I am in the Children's ministry running sound. (yes my church is so big it needs a sound person for the Children's church). But I not only run sound, I work with small groups, I lead children to Jesus, I help the teachers with their resources, I check children in, I ... well you get the idea. Why do I wear so many hats in this one location? Well the same problem exist in the the church (and the world) that was in Solomon's day.

Proverbs 22:13 MKJV
(13) The lazy one says, There is a lion outside; I shall be killed in the streets.

People make excuses. What were the chances of a lion being out in the streets? Very small. But it is an excuse for not doing something. You can choose to help out in some form in your Church or you can make an excuse. I am not saying there is not a time that you need to step back and get a refresh and not volunteer, but that should be the exception not the rule.

And that goes for life as well. For example, I could have stopped trying to learn about my chosen profession of computers years ago. I would have wound up with a skill set that was way below what it needed to be. My excuses would not matter if I did not have enough money to feed my family.

Always be learning, always be working.

Today
Proverbs 22:1-24:34

Tomorrow
1 Kings 5:1-6:38, 2 Chronicles 2:1-3:17

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Give and take

June 9, 2008

Are you a taker or a giver? Proverbs talks about both:

Proverbs 21:26 BBE
(26) All the day the sinner goes after his desire: but the upright man gives freely, keeping nothing back.

Going after and taking what you want, that is the motions of the sinner. He takes what he wants. But the person who want to be truly happy is one who gives.

This is not just money. Time is another commodity that can be taken or given as well.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today

Proverbs 19:1-21:31
Tomorrow

Proverbs 22:1-24:34

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Chance

June 8, 2008

Proverbs 16:33 NET
(33) The dice are thrown into the lap,
but their every decision is from the LORD.

There is no such thing as chance when it comes to the Lord.

My youngest two children love to play a game called Uno. I do not care for the game but will play it because I love them. It can seem chaotic and out of control at times because the flow seems to move the way the players want it to. A reverse can move the play in the opposite direction, draw 2 and skips can move players moves around them. But thought it seems like there is no control, there is because the way the cards are in the deck affects how we receive them and play them.

Likewise, we may think we have control of our lives, but like the game of Uno, the deck has already been laid out for us by God.

Never think you are the one that controls all. God is the one who is in control.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today

Proverbs 16:1-18:24
Tomorrow

Proverbs 19:1-21:31

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A good meal

June7, 2008

Proverbs 15:17 CEV
(17) A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred.

Hate is a strong emotion. Love is also. The problem is that we can claw and clutch at success and not realize that the relationships that we have with others has deteriorated.

Make sure that as you go for the gold that those around you are not hurt by the actions that you do. The results might be a good meal, but a bad life.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today

Proverbs 10:1-12:28
Tomorrow

Proverbs 16:1-18:24

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Correction

June 6, 2008

Proverbs 10:8 NET
(8) The wise person accepts instructions,
but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.

Verses like these bothered me for years. If a wise person is s wise, why does he have to listen to anyone else. As I grew older and lived many experiences, I learned why. I can make mistakes. I may want to help someone else not make the same ones. If they are wise, they will listen. It may be something that they did not experience yet. But a foolish person will say stuff about what I say, putting it or me (or both) down in the process.

Are you a wise man or a fool? Do you listen when people talk or are you preparing an answer so that you can look foolish?

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today

Proverbs 10 - 12
Tomorrow

Proverbs 10:1-12:28

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Wisdom

June 5, 2008


Proverbs 8:19 (New King James Version)
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.
Wisdom is talking here. She is telling us about her fruit. What is her fruit? It is wisdom itself. To have wisdom is a very good thing. It is what we all should strive to get. It makes sense to say that wisdom is better than gold bit what is the revenue that is being talked about here? It is what we get when we use the wisdom that we have. It is the income that we get when we do our best to take the learning that we have, the wisdom, and using it for God's best.

Seek wisdom, but more importantly, use it.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical orderToday
Proverbs 7:1-9:18Tomorrow
Job 10-13

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Guard

June 4, 2008

Proverbs 4:23 The Scriptures 1998+
(23) Watch over your heart with all diligence, For out of it are the sources of life.


What is your heart? Does it refer here to the organ that pumps blood in your body and keep you alive. While it is true that you should take care of your heart it is most likely not what Solomon is trying to tell us here.

In looking at the Hebrew meaning of the word I found: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything. In other word, it is what we are, what we think, our very existence.

It is important to keep this guarded well. It is too easy to get tempted by things that will be good for a season but are unhealthy for us in the long run. Giving in to these things, the scripture tells us, is to damage the source of our life. For example, if I drank, while the drink might make me feel good for a while, I will soon have to wake up to the consequences of my actions and what they do to those around us.

Guard your heart well.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Proverbs 4:1-6:35
Tomorrow

Proverbs 7:1-9:18

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Understanding

June 3, 2008

Much as people would like to think that computers are entirely logical, they are still made from people who are not. And like any thing else in this world, they become old and parts wear out. Over the years, when the repairs do not seem logical, I have relied on one thing to help me when repairing the computers.

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
(5) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
(6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.


As I have had problems that do not make sense, I have just acknowledged God and let it go. In most cases, the answer comes real quickly.

This can be applied to life as well. In dealing with people, ministering to others, or in just trying to understand life itself. Acknowledge God and He will give you the understanding.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Proverbs 1:1-3:35
Tomorrow

Proverbs 4:1-6:35

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Little Foxes

June 2, 2008

The Song of Solomon is a wonderful book that I could probably park in and write many a devotional in. So as we read it today for the historical reading of the Bible I had to find one nugget that had to stand out above others.

Song of Solomon 2:15 DRB
(15) Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished.

Song of Solomon has 4 parts to it. They meet and fall head over heals in love, they marry, the have a disagreement, they get it worked out. At this point the bride-to-be is speaking and she is warning her future husband that they need to catch the little foxes that will ruin their vineyard. Later on, when they have their disagreement (Chapter 5), we find out they did not succeed.

The bride was not talking about a natural vineyard here, but it is a good example of what husbands and wives face every day. Small foxes can not reach grapes on the vineyard, they are too high. They can however, reach the vine that supports them and after a while the grapes will fall because they have no nourishment going to them. At that point they become easy for the fox or any other animal to eat.

Satan knows the best way to attack a marriage is not at the top. Like the fox, he nibbles away at the underneath. Husbands get involved in work because that is what they are supposed to do. Then they focus on work so much they ignore their family. Then when they get home, or later in life when work has lost its reward they watch sports on TV, dreaming of what they could have been. Wives focus on their children to the exclusion of their husband because that is what a woman is to do. She might focus on television as well, dreaming of having the romance she might have had while watching shows that appeal to her romantic side.

One by one, the vine is being nibbled at. A once strong love for each other never becomes what could have been. Satan has weakened the family.

The vine can be put back together again through the love of Jesus. Both sides will have to want that to happen though.

If you are married, what is the status of your vine? If not, beware of the foxes when you find someone special.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Song of Solomon 1:1-8:14
Tomorrow

Proverbs 1:1-3:35

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Of two minds

June 1, 2008

Psalm 119:113 (Amplified Bible)

113 I hate the thoughts of undecided [in religion], double-minded people, but Your law do I love.

Who matters most to you.? Is it the people you meet every day, the ones that you work with? Or is it God?The other day, my daughter came home from school all upset. Her friend that she thought was a friend had tricked her once again. She had lured her into a friendship only to embarrass her in front of other girls. In my council to her I tried to emphasize that she had lots of other friends that have stood by her through all these attempts at friendship with the problem girl.
How often do we get like my daughter? We want the things of this world. We want friendships with those that are in this world and not saved. These give us status. But they make us double minded as well. We can not have what the world has and have the Christian life as well. We need to learn to make friends with the one who sticks closer to us that a brother.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Psalms 119:86-176
Tomorrow
Song of Solomon 1:1-8:14

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