Posts from 2022 (Page 22)

Liar, Liar Do not add to His words, Or He will reprove you, and you will be found a liar. Proverbs 30:6 Many modern translations of the Bible are over one thousand pages. Why in the world would we think of adding anything to it? But many of us do. All of us interpret the Scriptures through the grid of our culture and experience. We can’t help it; it just happens. But our goal is to understand these truths the…

Our Shield Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver]; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him. Proverbs 30:5 Though relatively few of us have experienced war, all of us are under attack from a wide range of enemies. Envy, lust, and greed attack our hearts and tell us that God isn’t enough to make us happy. Possessions, sex, and prestige, they insist, are more important than God’s purposes. Friends and family…

Refining Your Reputation The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud]. Proverbs 27:21 Our reputations occasionally may be unfairly tarnished when others spread gossip that’s not true, but over time, the judgement of public opinion rings fairly true. That can be good news or bad news depending on the opinion! When…

Keeping Focused Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation], But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day. Proverbs 23:17 Comparison consumes our gazes and steals our souls. When we look at what others have and what they have achieved, it’s easy for us to see how we stack up. If we’ve got more and done more than others, we feel great about ourselves,…

100X And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.” Matthew 13:23 Jesus told a story using four types of soil to illustrate different responses to God. (Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23) A farmer scatters seed. Some of it falls on the road…

Weigh Your Words But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.” Matthew 12:36-37 Our words have the power to heal or to destroy. Our choices in using them make a difference in people’s…

A Work In Progress I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]. Philippians 1:6 The moment we trust in Christ, some amazing transformations take place. All our sins are forgiven, we join God’s family, we receive eternal life, and God’s Spirit takes up residence inside us (to name just a few).…

An Invitation Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24 Psalm 139 begins with David’s pronouncement that nothing in our lives escapes God’s sight, and to be honest, the thought terrifies him! He wants to run away and hide, but he realizes there is nowhere he could go to get away…

Thinking About Me? How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:17-18 When a good friend says, “I’ve been thinking of you,” we realize how much that person cares for us. When God says it, we’re amazed we’re that important to Him. David tells us that God doesn’t have just a passing…

Fearfully And Wonderfully Made I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 Humility and confidence aren’t opposites. They are compatible traits of someone who realizes he or she has been “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God. Everything we are- all of our abilities, our intellects, our talents, our skills,and our capabilities- have been hardwired into our DNA by Almighty God…