We Love To Win
October 8, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 24:17-19
 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Don’t you just love winning? This may seem like a rhetorical question, but it’s worth examining. The truth is, we all love winning. When our team wins, we yell, scream, and act simply crazy. When our child wins at sports or any competition, we are as proud as if we had won ourselves. Winning is wonderful. However, when someone wins, it usually means someone else has lost.

 

    Our passage in Proverbs today is not speaking about friendly competitions; rather, it is about the struggles of real life. Nevertheless, the competitive nature of our hearts often joins in life’s arena as well. It may be when a neighbor doesn’t do as well as we have that we almost feel as though we have somehow won something. It could be when someone hurts us, either intentionally or accidentally, and then we see them get hurt in a similar fashion. We somehow feel better and almost glad for their dilemmas. It’s that competitive, “I must win” nature.

 

    As much as God warns the lost to beware of oppressing the righteous, He also warns the righteous about wishing evil on their enemies. God hates it when we gloat. But why should we feel a need to gloat? To gloat means we feel we have won, but that’s not true. We won when we accepted Jesus as our Saviour. We have no need to continually win because we now live on the winning side. We need not wish that anyone else should fail to make us feel more like a winner. We are as much a winner today as we will ever be. We have the grand prize in our possession today. We have Jesus as our Lord, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and Heaven waiting as our home. What more do we need to win?

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    God saved us when we did not deserve salvation. No one truly deserves salvation, but all the lost are in need of salvation. God does not require us to be His judges on earth; He simply asks us to be His witnesses.

 

Is it possible then to win,
and our pride cause us to also lose?

 

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: October 8, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Matthew 26 – Matthew 28
  Proverbs 24:17 – 19

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Isa. 15-19
  Eph. 6

 

Bullies Never Really Win
October 7, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 24:13-16
 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Wouldn’t it be great if all the evil-hearted folks of the world would just read the Bible? It plainly warns them against trying to destroy the righteous people of God.

    We might often wish that the Bible said the wicked would fail at their attempts to hurt the righteous, but that is not what it says. In fact, it implies that in their attempts to destroy us, they will succeed in bringing problems into our lives.

    Can the wicked of this world hurt the righteous? They sure can, and often do. They can inflict physical pain if they take a notion to. However, often more scarring is the mental and emotional pain they will cause. They bring up our past and try to destroy us with it. They bring up our present failures and magnify them in the presence of others to try to tear us down.

    Does ridicule hurt? We would like to be as hard as stone and say, “no way.” However, truthfully, it does. The playground chant of, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is not really true. When it happens, the pain and anguish are real. Even so, we must also remember that the promise God makes to the righteous is just as real. God will strengthen us, and we will not stay down, nor should we feel defeated. The just man spoken of in today’s verses are those who have placed their life in Jesus Christ and are made righteous by His blood. We need to understand, we have an advocate with the Father. A representative, if you will, who stands to plead our cause. His name is Jesus. What better defense against the world could you have than the creator of all things? Those who attempt to destroy what is truly His have no defense. Ultimately their devices come back to get them.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    When trials come, and let’s not pretend they won’t, remember the verses found in Proverbs 24:13-16. There is a brighter tomorrow just around the bend. Jesus said He was not only the author but also the finisher of our faith.

When facing a trial,
will you trust God and His Word?

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: October 7, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Matthew 24 – Matthew 25
  Proverbs 24:13 – 16

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Isa. 11-14
  Eph. 5

Speak Up!
October 4, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 24:11-12
  If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Over time, the methods of execution for those convicted of crimes worthy of death have changed. Our verses today seem to point back to a time in history when, if a person was found guilty of such a crime, they were led to the executioner in front of the entire city. As they would walk down the street, a town crier would go before them, loudly proclaiming the accusations against this person. They would cry out, “if anyone has any evidence that would change this decree, speak up.” If they did, the prisoner and the witness would be led back to the tribunal to see if this would change the outcome of the convicted sentence. If not, the process would once again begin.

    The questions in today’s passages tend to talk more of an eternal judge. One who keeps the soul and ponders the heart. The reference could well be to the lost man who is being taken to the edge of eternity. On his journey, the cry is going out, “Is there any reason this man should not go off into hell’s flame? Is there any salvation for such a one?”

    Yes, there is salvation available. As a Christian, you have the evidence that can save this person. It is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the soul. Nevertheless, sadly, we stand by and watch as one by one, people march off into eternal torment. No one is saying a word, and no one is answering the cry. Now the question is asked. Does the one who ponders the hearts and keeps the soul not know you had evidence that would save the lost?

    It is still up to the convicted to accept the pardon for their sin. However, it is up to the child of God to proclaim such a life-saving truth. The question rings true today. “Shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    We are all called to go into the world and preach the gospel, The Good News. There is a pardon for the condemned. It was good enough to save you, and it is still good today. Share the good news. It’s time to SPEAK UP!

What life might you change 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: October 4, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Matthew 21 – Matthew 23
  Proverbs 24:11 – 12

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Isa. 5-7
  Eph. 3

Let’s Go Sailing
October 3, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 24:7-10
  Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Imagine for a moment that you have spent several months building a sailboat. You studied many books and drawings to ensure that you know how to build it. You have paid attention to every detail. The materials you have used were selected with great care. All the joints have been sealed and inspected repeatedly. The sail is the right size for the craft you have made. All the rigging is working and in good repair. You are finally done.

    So, what do you most want to do with this sailboat? Well, anyone who put that much time into building a sailboat would surely want to use it, right? It may look great sitting in the yard, but if it’s never tried in real water, you will not know if it will really sail. You will most likely put it in a calm lake at first. However, after a few times of floating close to shore, you begin to venture out further and further. The waves get bigger, and the water gets rougher, but this is where the boat shows its best abilities. All the time of study and work that went into building such a craft is tried and trusted in the turbulence around you.

    It is much the same with the Christians life. “Wisdom is too high for a fool.” Most people want nothing to do with preparing for life here or an eternal life to come. Studying the Bible to find out the details of preparing for such a life may seem like a waste of time, and the majority will scoff and scorn those who do. However, on the open sea of life, as the winds of adversity pick up and the waves of trials get rough, they are tossed to and fro, not knowing what to do. The true believer, however, has prepared, and in a day of adversity, they will not faint but rather trust in God and His Word.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Every good ship needs a compass to lead it into a safe harbor in times of a storm. Let God’s Word be your compass and guide. Then your final destination will be certain, even in the midst of a troubled and stormy sea.

When troubles come, and they will, are you prepared?

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: October 3, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Matthew 18 – Matthew 20
  Proverbs 24:7 – 10

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Isa. 1-4
  Eph. 2