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

Who Doesn’t Like Gifts?

May 07, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 11:26-28 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     When I was young, I could hardly wait for my birthday or Christmas to come around. I just knew there were going to be presents wrapped just for me. Everyone seemed so happy seeing that I was happy in receiving the gifts too.

     As I grew a little older I started to want to give presents to the people I liked. I didn’t always have a lot of money, but I always seemed to come up with something. After they had unwrapped the gift, my first question was, “Do you like it?” If they said yes, (which most people do,) I felt so good that my gift made them happy. However, at Christmas, I was still looking around for what everyone had brought for me as well.

     Now as a grandparent who God has blessed beyond what I deserve, I still look forward to Christmas and birthdays. However, now I’m not so concerned with what presents they may have brought for me. My greatest joy is watching the grandchildren as they tear into those packages. I see their eyes light up, a scream of joy over here, a, “look mommy what I got” over there. To me, it’s not about the presents I receive any longer. I get such a kick out of bringing joy to their life by giving. In return, I get their love all year long.

     You can’t wrap true love up in anything but the heart. God desired that we all should be able to experience that kind of unselfish joy, and happiness. This is why He teaches us about giving all year long. Then, as we give to others, not looking for anything in return, God gives to us His love through others, all year long.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     God’s economy makes much better sense than man’s does. In man’s economy, what you get you try to keep for yourself. In Gods economy, as you give to others what God has shared with you, you inherit the blessings of those around you as well. With God as the financier, how can we lose?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 07, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Chronicles 4 – 6    /     Proverbs 11:26-28

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Samuel 14-15   /    Luke 24:36-53

God Or Greed?

May 06, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 11:23-25 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

Greed encourages greed. It almost seems bewildering how often God shares with us how we should be willing to give, and give liberally.


In our verses today there are several comments pointed at the Christian, or the righteous such as; “the desire of the righteous is only good,” “there is that scattereth and yet increaseth,” “the liberal soul shall be made fat,” and “he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

We do know that within our self, we are not righteous, but that we are only made righteous. This took place when we put our faith in Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross. Now, because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, our once dark, angry, greedy heart, has been turned into a life full of the light of the word, and filled with the love of Christ.

This love, which is now in us, is why God says that we as believers should desire to give. Love in itself is giving. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Love is always about giving. God doesn’t need our money. He doesn’t need what we’ve collected in our banks and lives to take care of everything in the world. What God does desire is our heart. It’s from the heart man either loves and gives, or becomes greedy.

Today’s verses also say that the wicked can expect wrath, and, they hold on to, or withhold everything, and still end up with nothing. Often the reason lost people choose not to give is that they see the world as a greedy place. They see others who are not willing to give to help one another, so they hoard everything, but end up with nothing. When we die, we take nothing of this earth with us. However, love will last forever.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us the same principle again in Luke 6:38. It says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you…” Whom do you think we should believe, God or greed? I’ll choose God every time. How about you?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 06, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Chronicles 1 – 3     /     Proverbs 11:23-25

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Samuel 11 – 13   /     Luke 24:1-35