February 2024

WAIT! It’s Worth It
February 29, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:17- 20
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        With so many broken homes today, we see the consequences of not waiting for true love before marriage. A multitude of children are born to parents who are neither married nor committed to each other. If we cannot commit to one another, how can we possibly believe we will be committed to raising a child together? This lack of forethought is not the child’s fault. These sweet, innocent miracles from God enter the world with their eyes wide open, expecting from the very first moment that someone here loves them, wants them, genuinely cares, and has considered their future. However, many children are born with little to no thought from the parents about the child’s needs or their future. Some children are regarded as problems rather than the blessings they truly are.

      Finding the right person in life is crucial. It’s not just about physical attraction; spiritual compatibility matters as well. You should be attracted to a person, but you also need to understand who they are. For instance, if they follow one set of religious practices and you another, there could be a problem. Moreover, if you change your beliefs for someone else, it raises questions about the strength of your convictions or whether there were valid reasons for changing. Later in life, when raising a child, you may wonder which belief system is the right one to teach your child. Finding a life partner requires time, prayer, and patience but is incredibly worthwhile. Your commitment to your children will be unified, and your decisions to support them will align. Find the person God has chosen for you, and you’ll have found the one to help you raise the miracles God has placed in your home.

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Children are indeed a blessing in our homes. They deserve a loving mother and father who will support them on this lifelong journey. It’s truly a blessing to witness them grow up and serve God.

Do you see God’s little miracles and a
bother, or a blessing?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 29, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 26 – Numbers 29
   Proverbs 5:17 – 20  

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 5-6
   Mark 7

God’s Designs Are Best
February 28, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:14-16
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        What is a cistern? It’s a place where water can be collected and controlled. What is a well? It’s a specific location from which water can be drawn. What about a fountain? Fountains spray water for everyone to see but keep it within themselves. And how about a river? A river directs water from one place to another while keeping it within its banks.

      At the time of writing this passage of scripture, water was very scarce and valuable. Solomon is using these word pictures to help us understand the value of an intimate relationship. In the previous verses, he had just finished warning us about sinful sexual relations. Someone might read this and wonder if a physical relationship is always sinful. Therefore, he takes the time to tell us that, in the right context, it definitely is not.

       In this passage, the wife is referred to as a cistern and a well. This highlights her great value, as she possesses the ability to bring immense joy to her husband like no one else can. Water serves as a metaphor for that passionate, loving relationship, emphasizing its immense worth in a marriage. Some believe that when today’s verses mention “water in the streets,” it’s referring to the children born from this intimate monogamous relationship and how they can bring honor to the community.

      Think about what happens when a fountain cracks and starts to leak, or when a river overflows its banks. These are serious problems that can lead to destruction and loss of lives. Similarly, untamed love can have devastating consequences.

      Love is precious and designed to be profoundly special and personal. Solomon wants his son to understand that marital relationships should not lack the joys of the passionate love that God created. However, this love should always remain within the boundaries of the marriage relationship.     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     An intimate relationship between a husband and wife is one of the closest bonds a couple can experience. God knew this when He designed it. Enjoying life together with our spouse was God’s desire and design. God’s designs are always the best.

How can we help to keep God’s design for marriage
in front of the world today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 28, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 22 – Numbers 25
   Proverbs 5:14 – 16

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 3-4
   Mark 6:30-56

What’s Really COOL?
February 27, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:10-13
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Do you remember the day you graduated from high school? I remember most of my classmates saying things like, “I’m free… I’m finally free,” and, “No more people telling me what to do!” However, reality sets in not too long after graduation is done. There might be no more school for some, but there will always be someone telling you what needs to be done.

      Yet, with graduation, there is a sense of becoming your own person, an independence that feels liberating. Sadly, some of my classmates had already made significant mistakes in their lives by the time they graduated. Some had impregnated their girlfriends and were now responsible for supporting a family or paying child support. Ironically, many of these were the individuals who thought they were the big shots on campus—the Mr. and Miss “I’m too cool for most of you.” You know the type. However, their obsession with maintaining a “cool” image led them to try to be something they shouldn’t have been. Instead of enjoying their teenage years, they were trying too hard to be adults. Consequently, they found themselves becoming parents before school was even over, and it appeared as if they had lost a lot of the “coolness” that was so important to them. People would say things like, “Man, you have messed up your life,” or “What a waste; they had so much potential.”

 

       That is exactly what today’s scripture says. If you play with sin, you lose honor, opportunities slip away, and often you end up paying court fees, child support, or doctor bills. Some develop serious health issues, and others even lose their lives. Looking back, they probably wonder why they did not just wait. The brief moment of indulging in sin was not worth it. Not so “cool” after all.

        

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

 

     Is it worth it? Is sin really worth the shame and ridicule? Is it worth the disappointment you’ll feel later? Is it worth dishonoring God? Is it worth your entire life? The best answer to all these questions is a resounding NO.

 

What will you do to remain “COOL” with God?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 27, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 18 – Numbers 21
   Proverbs 5:10 – 13

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 1-2
   Mark 6:1-29

 

Stay Clear Of The Scary House
February 26, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:6-9
Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Over the years, I have heard many people talk about a house in their neighborhood that seemed spooky. For some, it was an old, abandoned house, and the story goes that people lost their lives there, and the house was now filled with ghosts. For others, it was a house where an elderly couple lived. Somehow, they seemed angry and upset most of the time. (Could it possibly have been because of all the annoying neighborhood kids?) Nevertheless, stories started to circulate about how they were mean old people who would harm you if you went near the house. For whatever reason, there always seemed to be, in every neighborhood, a house kids did not want to go near. Although the stories about these places were most likely made up and highly exaggerated, the fear of these houses was very real. No one had to beg children to stay away from there; they just did not go there. The fear of what might happen was all it took to keep them away.

      Solomon once again urges his son not to turn away from his sayings. Unlike the stories of haunted houses and mean older people, these sayings are not made up. These are life’s tried and true words of wisdom. Solomon wanted his son and all who read these words to have that same kind of childlike fear when it came to the ways of sin. Stay away from it. Let the fear of what might happen keep you from it. Because, behind every door of sin, there lies disappointment, dishonor, disease, despair, and even doom. You’ll not go inside the place of sin if you never go near sin’s door.        

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Knock knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad you didn’t fall for sin’s tricks. Okay, so it’s a bad joke. However, it’s a joy to be right. Right with man, and right with God. RIGHT?

Was there a Scary Place you remember from Childhood?
Is Sin a Scary Place for you to be near today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 26, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 15 – Numbers 17
   Proverbs 5:6 – 9

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Leviticus 26-27
   Mark 5