Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
In an effort to justify the evil in our lives we tend to shift what is evil and rather just call it good. We want to sin so we hate the one that confirms what we already know in our hearts.
In the end, it doesn't matter what we think or desire. Sin is sin. And running around calling it natural or your choice will never change that. We will not be able to stand in front of God and argue: "But ... I wanted to do it!"
When You Lie Down ... Galatians 5-6 , Ephesians 1-2
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And do not deceive yourself. You can't mock God. If I live for myself, I should not be surprised when the full accounting of my sins are dumped back upon me.
For a time we may imagine that we can "get away with it". That God doesn't see or doesn't care. But, He does see and He does care.
Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young.
"You teeth are so beautiful! All white and none missing!"
I don't think that would work on my wife. But, there are complements that do. And I don't take the time to really thank her and complement her as I should. To verbally let her know how special she is to me. And to let her know that through my actions as well.
His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires.
A bit of advise for the ladies.
A man wants ... no ... needs to know that you find him manly. If he does well in something, let him know. If you like how he looks, let him know. We are rather simple that way.
I'm not exactly old yet nor wise. Though I do know that if all I strive for is from my own two hands ... it is worthless. My life can be taken from me by anyone who wishes it. All that I own can be taken as well. Family, children, money, possessions, everything WILL be lost in time. We may imagine that we could fight to keep it. But, it all will taken away from you.
In your life there is only one constant. God.
If He blesses you with a moment of happiness. Be happy in it. If you need to morn. Morn. Turn to God and deal with what is placed before you.
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
We may like to point out that today we can count the stars. We can measure the sands of the seas. We are so smart. And all the Bible stuff is just old stuff that came before man got really smart.
But, from the beginning of time until the end of everything, we will never know the way the spirit comes to the child within the mother. Never.
If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
There is to much of a good thing. Did you know drinking to much water will kill you? It takes a lot and you have to drink it in a short amount of time. But, it can kill you.
Moderation is an important virtue that God wants us to have. Know what is enough and only go there. If you have more ... give it to those with less. Then you don't have to worry about vomiting the honey back up.
Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Having wealth and ease is probably the smoothest way to Hell. For you imagine yourself as almost a god who is in charge of their life. How stupid ... and yet how common in our day and age.
It is good to pray so as to not get wealth. And if you aren't rich, be happy in that. Just work hard for the LORD.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Don't give because you "have to". Give because it is the right thing.
Having enough money set aside isn't the goal. Living for God is. Having extra money on the side can tempt you to imagine that you are in control of your life. To plan it all out with your own mind. To work it all out with your hands. If you have an abundance it isn't a sin. Be happy with what God have given you and share generously.
But watch for the idol called Money. For those with much begin to worship it for the control it falsely promises. And those with little worship it for the hope it falsely promises. So solve both problems with one act. If you have much ... help the one with little. Prove that God is the LORD and money is not.
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
That is one of the more practical statements. Did you know many of the people who win the lottery just end up bankrupt in a few years after then win? This is true no only for money, but for many things in our life. If you haven't worked for something ... you really don't understand it.
Imagine the difference between two men who both own large homes. One man takes out a loan and purchases the largest house he can afford. One man works hard and builds it with his own hands. Which one will be the better home owner in the years to come?
Work for what you have. If you have the money to get stuff or the time. Don't take the easy way, rather work hard for what God has given you.
Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
You don't get by with the little wrongs. They aren't little sins ... they are an abomination to the LORD.
We go back to the store when they make a one dollar mistake against us. Do you go back when it is in your favor? When you put in your pocket what isn't yours that sick feeling in your stomach is the LORD letting you know it is wrong.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means.
One sure way to not be tempted by money is to give it away.
Don't spend it on yourself. Not on things that will waste away. Not on clothes you don't need. Homes that are to large. Cars that are for show.
Give it away.
Buy up that which will never waste. Clothe the naked. Feed the hungry. Comfort the weary. Visit those in prison. Give what you have away.
And when you give it away you lose the burden of the temptation. For how can there be temptation when you give it no opportunity?
A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
"Know what I mean ... Huh Huh ... wink wink nudge nudge ... Huh Huh ... Know what I mean?" That may be a from a comedy skit, but we all know (or are) the worthless person described in Proverbs above. Another good example are the political comedians on TV.
If it rather is speaking of you ... Stop. You will be broken by your own actions.
If you are friends with them ... don't laugh along with them and enable their perverted heart. Try to correct them and be an example to lead them back to God.
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you. ... The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
Wit in the mouth of an evil man is very dangerous and painful. It is difficult to correct them because of their quick and bloody tongue. It will cut you and invite abuse upon your actions. If you reprove them they will hate you, and they will try to get even.
They are loud and make people laugh at their hate and evil. Wit if very seductive even when backed by nothing. The scoffer is an empty grave quickly running to fill it with their own hatred.
The only advise I can give you is to let them starve for attention. Understand that they may have a "golden tongue" ... but it speaks nothing.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
To take a modern paraphrase ... Don't put your trust in "Hope and Change". The leaders you place your faith to do good for you ... Will not.
No matter how powerful we think we are, we will breath our last and all that we want will pass away with us. Look only to the LORD. Only He thinks on what is best for us. Men think on what is best for them.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
While I was growing up my grandfather always reminded me to read all of Proverbs. To read it and place it in my heart. And there has never been a time in my life when it didn't speak to me. Guiding my thoughts and teaching me.
Only a fool will ignore God's wisdom. Of course the problem with a fool is that they will not care and will only scorn the truth anyway.
On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
When the income tax was first put in place they didn't have people set anything aside. They were just going to collect at end of the fiscal year. Come collection time it looked like basically everyone didn't have enough money put aside to play their taxes. And that meant everyone would be breaking the law.
So they were faced with an issue of what to do. They couldn't arrest everyone. So to get rid of income tax as a failure or change how it was collected. Seeing that we now have our jobs remove the tax from every paycheck you can guess what was decided.
If you plan to help others financially or with time take a little at a time. Set aside your time every day and every week. Taking it piece by piece the burden is lighter. You can't pick up a roof and place it over a house. But, you can move it one shingle at a time.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
If I drop a pop quiz on you today would you be ready?
Most students answer NO to that question. We rarely are ready for the exam when we know about it weeks before. Let alone the test put in your lap unexpectedly. And that is math. Not the test of God searching your heart and mind!
The only way to prepare for the pop quiz is to study every day. The only way to prepare for God is to "study" every day as well.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
The ribbons of concrete in our cities show us running around as aimless ants. We get up early and toil. We go to bed late and worry about the next day. We eat in worry and anger over our jobs. And sleep never comes at night without a drug to help.
Give it up. Give it all up to God.
If you live to get to work and home. Praise God for it.
If you have a meal to eat. Praise God for it.
If you have a coworker. Love them.
If you have a family. Love them as God does ... with sacrifice.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
I love giving smothering hugs to my kids. To wrap them up completely. For now my youngest son will only do that with Mom. And it is an wonderful thing to see when he is tired and resting in her loving arms.
To see a ball of energy like him quiet and still. That is the peace that God gives each of us. We just have to let it go and trust him. We will not climb higher by stressing out. So be at peace with what God has given you.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Maybe instead of W.W.J.D. wristbands we should have A.F.G. (All For God) wristbands. It isn't a question, we know what God wants us to do. So why not, knowing that God is seen through our actions, remind ourselves that we are to "Do ALL to the glory of God".
Not some of our day. Not just Sunday. Not just at meal time.
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
"Oh ... can't we stay home this Sunday? It was such a long week! And, I'd rather be watching football anyway."
One day of rest.
I would rather think that for the church family it is one day of focus. A focus on God. Not on the 'me stuff'. To focus purely on God for once in our week.
To give up the running and doing.
To just focus on loving God and loving each other.
I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
I ran cross country in college for one season. I thought it would kill me. I was a 400 meter sprint type of guy. Not a 5 mile type of guy.
But, it made me stronger.
When you train for a race you never just run that distance anyway. You want to train to race a mile? You do anything from half-mile sprints and 6 miles endurance runs. And you don't do it halfway. You train hard to improve.
The same can be said for taking control of your body spiritually.
To can't just go about this halfway. You train hard. You think hard on the Word. You train with others. You let the difficulties in life strengthen you. You refresh yourself with God's Word and prayer.
