Dig For Joy

May 13, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 12:9-12 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Before I was saved, I hung around a crowd who lacked real understanding in life. Life was devoted to the pursuit of what we thought was fun. We wanted nothing more than to always have fun, and party. It never seemed to matter if we were evicted from our homes, lost our cars, were put in the credit bureau for unpaid bills, or owed lots of people money. No matter who was hurt in the process, as long as we were having what we thought was fun, we thought we were happy.

     However, when I received Christ as my Saviour, things changed. Now I was not only concerned about others, but also about my testimony of who Christ was in me. I desired to be a good example to those around me. I found that I was not really having fun before, but rather, my lack of self-control was really masking my frustrations with life with the sins of the world.

     Satan had been giving me a false sense of joy. Alcohol and drugs had numbed me to reality. When the party was over, and everyone was gone, I always felt so alone and empty.

     Our text today said; “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.” Now as I live to be a good testimony of Christ in me, God also has brought so much joy and satisfaction to life. Real Joy, Real Life.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Some will treat Bible Study the same way. Not willing to dig into the Word, they can’t understand why they get little joy from its pages, while others around them find such happiness in the study of the Word. Do you remember your childhood, and the sandbox? Digging was half the fun of being in the sandbox. Get into God’s Word, begin to dig, and you will find the treasures buried there. It’s a little work, for a lifetime of joy. LET’S DIG!

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 13, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Chronicles 18 – 22     /     Proverbs 12:9-12

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  1 Kings 1-2      /     John 4:1-39

What Are You Thinking About?

May 12, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 12:5-8 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand. A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Sometimes people wonder, why it’s important to guard what we see, and hear. As a Pastor and friend, I have recommended that people listen to Godly music which will ministers to their heart, I get, “Oh preacher, it’s just music.” When I suggest reading, or watching something more wholesome than some novels, or some TV programs, I hear “But I really like them, I’ve been watching, or reading them for years.”

     Why is what we see and hear important? Well ask yourself, is what we watch on TV, or read in romance novels better or worse today than it was years ago? The obvious answer is worse. Why is that? It’s because we have learned to accept, or tolerate more and more garbage over the years of watching, and reading. Our minds have become conditioned, and contaminated by the world’s escalation of filth.

     Our verses today say the thoughts of a righteous man produce right words, and right actions, thus receiving right rewards. Part of that reward is that other people trust honest upright people. However, it also says the thoughts of the wicked produce poor advice, corrupt actions, and questionable lifestyles. They too eventually receive a just reward. Part of which is that nobody wants to be around someone who lies, or is always trying to hurt, or destroy someone else.

     What we feed our minds is as important as what we feed our bodies. Our thoughts and behaviors are being developed daily by what we feed mind.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     In the computer world, there’s a saying, “garbage in… garbage out.” Meaning, if you put the wrong information into the computer, you’ll get bad information out as well. Your results will reflect what’s put in. In speaking about the greatest computer the world has ever known, our mind, God said it this way in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: …” What are you thinking about?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 12, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Chronicles 14 – 17     /     Proverbs 12:5-8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Samuel 23-24   /   John 3

Fire, Fire

May 11, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 3:27-29 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     On TV, I saw a raging fire on the west coast of the US burning out of control. The firefighters were actually not trying to stop the blaze; they were concentrating on making sure it did not spread much farther. They realized it was out of control, and were busy trying to control the amount of damage it would do. To do so, they ignited a controlled fire around the blaze, large enough to burn everything in its path. Their hope was that when this raging inferno reached that point, it would no longer have anything to burn, and that the pre-burned area was too large for the flames to leap over. Fortunately, it worked. Yet, to control the fire, everything around it had to be destroyed.

     Often people who believe they are right, and will not listen to counsel, are just like that fire. No matter what the facts say, no matter what the evidence of God’s hand at work says, no matter what, they believe they’re right. It’s not until everything around them is destroyed that they begin to realize, in their unwillingness to learn, they destroyed themselves. There’s nothing left to consume. No one left to complain to, or listen to them and their ideas. People avoid the destructive fire of a stubborn heart.

    The word “brutish” in today’s verse means eaten up, or self-destructive. Just as the fire was destroyed by fire, so will people who are unwilling to receive instruction, destroy themselves by destroying relationships all around themselves.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     You might be asking, if I realize that’s me, and I’m in the middle of it, how do I change? Reach out to the mighty hand of God to pull you free. Ask Him to open your heart to the truth. Don’t try to get God to get on board with what you’re doing. Find out what God’s doing, and get on board with Him.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 11, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Chronicles 10 – 13     /     Proverbs 12:1-4

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Samuel 21-22   /   John 2

Weekend Review

May 9 & 10, 2020

Proverbs 11:18

The wicked worketh a
deceitful work:
but to him that soweth righteousness 
shall be a sure reward. 

Work Week Devotions
Through the Book of Proverbs

      As you know by now, with WORK WEEK DEVOTIONS, we only publish our Devotional Thoughts on Monday – Friday. On Saturday we suggest you re-read the entire chapter we have been studying this past week, and if we will be going into the following chapter the next week, we encourage you to read that chapter as well.       

There are never Devotions on Sunday. 

Thank you for joining us as we
journey together
Through Proverbs in 2020.

WEEK 18 – Day 6

     On Saturday, we suggest you re-read the Proverb we have written from this past week and the week to come.

Proverbs 11-12

WEEK 18 – Day 7

     Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastor’s heart. Whatever Scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS

May 11, 2020   1 Chronicles 10 – 13         Proverbs 12:1 – 4
May 12, 2020   1 Chronicles 14 – 17         Proverbs 12:5 – 8
May 13, 2020   1 Chronicles 18 – 22         Proverbs 12:9 – 12
May 14, 2020   1 Chronicles 23 – 26         Proverbs 12:13 – 16
May 15, 2020   1 Chronicles 27 – 29         Proverbs 12:17 – 20
May 16, 2020   Proverbs 11 – 12                     
May 17, 2020   No Passages Assigned    

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

May 11, 2020   2 Samuel 21-22       John 2
May 12, 2020   2 Samuel 23-24       John 3
May 13, 2020   1 Kings 1-2               John 4:1-39
May 14, 2020   1 Kings 3-5               John 4:40-54
May 15, 2020   1 Kings 6-7               John 5:1-27
May 16, 2020   1 Kings 8                  John 5:28-47
May 17, 2020   No Passages Assigned

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

MAY 09, 2020     2 Samuel 19-20  /     John 1:35-51
MAY 10, 2020     No Passages Assigned

What Are You Creating?

May 08, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 11:29-31 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     The Frankenstein Monster was a scary looking creation. However, as the story goes, he was not really a Monster at all. He was the creation of a mad scientist whose name was Dr. Frankenstein. The Doctor was conducting experiments on how to create, and sustain life. The creature he constructed was a combination of many different parts he had put together.

     Who can forget the moment in the film when the switch is thrown, the creation begins to move, and he says, “He’s Alive, He’s Alive.” The creation then took on the name of the creator, as the people all begin to call him Frankenstein.

     That’s a fictional story. However, did you know that you are also creating people’s lives every day? In our verses today, it says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” What you do, and how you live your life as a Christian, is part of the fruit others see. It’s what will cause others to either want, or reject what you have in Christ. Your kindness, and love will be to them a tree of life. Your testimony for the Lord will bear fruit in the lives of those around you. When people see the joy of your salvation, and realize Jesus died for them as well; they may accept Him, and have a new life in Christ, just as you do.

     Now I would be careful with this next idea, you might scare a person to death. Nevertheless, when they accept Christ, you could do as the Dr. did in the Frankenstein movie. You could yell, “He’s Alive, He’s Alive.” What a joy to know you can have a part in giving real life, eternal life, to someone else.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Today as we go our way it might be interesting to think, I am becoming part of someone else’s life right now. What I say, where I go, how I look, all matters in the life of another. Therefore, to be my best, I want to model Christ. Just as the creation of Dr. Frankenstein did, we too have taken on the name of our creator. Christian. This means to be “Christ like.”

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 08, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Chronicles 7 – 9     /     Proverbs 11:29-31

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Samuel 16-18   /     John 1:1-34