Deceptive Directions of Disobedience

Proverbs 16:20, 25  
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.    20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

There is our way, and then there is God's... One leads to good and to life, the other to death.  Why do people choose their own way, not counting the cost of the way that only seems right as they want to see it?  How far better to trust God and take His way, finding life and peace? 

Deceptive Hearts or Directed Steps?

Proverbs 16:4, 6, 9 
4 The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.  6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.  9 A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

God has chosen us and called us out who are His, but also has chosen those who are not in order to show His greatness and sovereignty.  We must then choose to do right and not evil to please Him, knowing Jesus atoned for our sin by taking our due death penalty - this is fear of God and loving thankfulness.  Above all, we are responsible for our choices which we must make, yet also knowing He guides and sets the path for us.  Walking by faith! 

Our Thoughts and Speech

Proverbs 16:1-3  
1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.  3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

Looking at these three verses, there is a need to plan what to do and say, but we who are His need to trust Him for the right words to speak.  Then our answer is from God and not of ourselves.  We think that we do good enough as we see it, but He tests our hearts and words.  Therefore we need to put all we do in God's hands, and our thoughts and so our words will follow. 

Listen to Godly Counsel

Proverbs 15:22, 32 
Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.  32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

We all learn from God, but He chooses to teach through others.  This is why we need to be teachable, finding Godly counsel (more than just one person) to find His way.  We need God to show us His word and what it means, and how to live by it; but counsel keeps us in check with the truth as we sharpen each other. 

Understanding by God’s Word

Proverbs 15:14
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

Acts 17:11  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

To avoid error and know what God truly says, we need to seek out what the Bible says, not just blindly believe what others teach us.  Trust Him and verify all others by His word and with the help of His Spirit, who is God within you.  This is wisdom.

2 Timothy 2:14-16  14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

2 Peter 3:16-18  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.  17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 

God’s Ways of Repentance and Pardon

Isaiah 55:6-9  
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God calls us and asks us to seek Him and call on Him who is nearby.  Turn from your ways and thoughts to His - and find compassion to forgive you.  He gave His Son in your place, something we would not think of nor fully grasp, and this action to redeem us who are at odds with Him does not make sense to us.  But it does to the One who loves us that much. 

Hearts, Hell, and Destruction

Proverbs 15:11
Hell and Destruction are before the Lord; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.

God sees Hell and the destruction of the rebellious (sinful) angels and people who are rightfully heading there...yet He also sees their hearts, for we are made in His image (unlike angels).  God loves us and offers us a way to be with Him and not to continue to destruction - that one and only way to be righteous enough to stand before Him is not found in religion or church organizations, but in Jesus Christ and in no other. 

True Witnesses Confident in Fear

Proverbs 14:25-27 
A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.  26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.  27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Do we who know God in Christ really fear Him?  If we do, then we can have confidence and life in Jesus Christ as we let others see how they too can be reconciled to God in Him, finding life in place of death that we all deserve by His standards of perfection.  This is why Jesus died as if He were each of us - to make a way to the Father of perfection in our sinless imperfection by taking our death penalty punishment for eternity.

Ways that Seem Right

Proverbs 14:2, 12, 15 
He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.   12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.  15 The simple believes every word,But the prudent considers well his steps.

Our goal must be to live right in God's eyes.  Not doing so shows we hate Him.  Our way and the way of society around us ("the world") says evil is good, but this only leads to death and separation forever from our Creator.  So we need to read the Bible, knowing these are God's own words that must be examined for truth to live by, and not blindly take others' word for what we should do or how to live. 

Cut to the Heart of Repentance

Acts 2:36-39 
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “ Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  38 Then Peter said to them, “ Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

This is what we must do with Jesus Christ when we hear that He died in our place for what we deserved and could never earn before God ourselves - turn from sin to Him (repent), believing, and be identified with His death and resurrection in baptism.  Then He makes us new, lives in us as His Spirit, all because He called us to Himself. 

Seek Wisdom in Godly Company

Proverbs 13:10, 14, 16, 20 
Pride only breeds quarrels, But with ones who take advice is wisdom.  14 The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, To turn from the snares of death.  16 Every prudent man acts from knowledge, But a fool exposes folly.  20 One who walks with wise men grows wise, But a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs has many related truths here:  Pride versus being willing to listen and learn (teachability).  Learning from wise teaching by seeking God's way of life.  Learning truth and then acting on it, not always pointing out errors, but knowing which battles to engage in.  Finding others seeking God and His wisdom (who aim to live by His word (Heb.13:7), not hanging out with foolish people who drag you down.  Selah. 

Confident Endurance in Obedience

Hebrews 10:35-36   
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Reminder from God to not give up, to trust Him and take at His word based on His proven character.  There is great reward in holding firm and confidently walking on with Him in the midst of everything!

   Confidence or boldness:  παρρησια, an attitude of openness that stems from freedom and lack of fear; (1) in speech boldness, plainness, outspokenness (AC 2. 29); (2) in public work openness; παρρησια publicly (JN 7. 13); (3) in the presence of high- ranking persons courage, confidence, boldness (AC 4. 13); (4) in relation to God confidence, boldness, joyful sense of freedom (HE 10. 35) 

Anxiety’s Cure is God’s Word

Proverbs 12:25 
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

Why worry or be anxious?  Instead look at God's word, and tell it to others.  This makes hearts glad, hearing from God. 

Stupid or Wise?

Proverbs 12:1, 15, 17, 23  
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid... 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.  17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.   23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

How we must learn from God all He teaches us!  His way is right, and Godly counsel shows this.  So we must speak truth, but know when to speak and when it is prudent in God's eyes to keep quiet.  Speaking the truth in love, doing no harm to our neighbor is the second greatest commandment. 

Wise Witness of Grace and Mercy

Proverbs 11:30-31 
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.  31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

God demands righteousness and witness.  We need to live as Jesus to please the Father, and we have been called out in order to tell others what God has done for them in Christ.  If they do not hear, their end is Hell.  But God offers love and grace 

Wisdom of Restraint

Proverbs 10:19, 31-32  
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.    31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out.   32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

Wisdom means choosing words that matter, not speaking many that do not have understanding based on knowledge - God's wisdom from His word.  These verses in Proverbs show God looks at our unnameable tongue and tells us to guide it with wisdom.  This is our challenge and victory is found in walking with Christ, being transformed into ever increasing glory by His mercy and grace. 

Love in Understanding Conquers Hate

Proverbs 10:12-14 
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.  13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.   14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Love and understanding cover sin and lead to real wisdom.  Wise people also learn and speak of those things learned from God; foolish ones do not learn and want nothing to do with His love or wisdom.  This is seen throughout the Bible, especially explained in the New Testament. 

Integrity is Wisdom

Proverbs 10:8-9 
The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall.   9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.

According to these verses, if we are wise, it is because we listen and do what God says; those who just talk will not stand before God.   Also, those who have no integrity to do what is right even when nobody is looking will be revealed.  So we need to listen to God and live out what He says at all times to be wise and pleasing to God. 

Collect Wicked Things or Pursue Righteousness?

Proverbs 10:2-5 
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.   3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.   5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

People can keep collecting wicked things, those opposed to the goodness of God, but the end of that is death and starvation of body and soul - unlike life and provision promised to those who choose His ways.  Doing right also means realizing the harvest is here as Jesus said, and being about our Father's business in telling others the hope He offers freely. 

Wisdom Before God’s Face

Proverbs 9:12

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

Wisdom begins between each of us with God.  So is foolishness.  If we reject His wisdom and scoff at what He says, we will bear the consequences; likewise, no one can be wise for us - no "priest" or other person can assume our responsibility, so we must individually and wisely follow Christ. 

Fearful Wisdom in Knowing God

Proverbs 9:10-11   
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.   11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

The number one thing is to fear God - this is where real wisdom begins.  Add knowledge of God who is holy and commands us to be holy because He is, and understanding begins.  God honors wisdom and understanding with a life that is full, no matter how long it is. 

Find God’s Eternal Wisdom!

Proverbs 8:22-23, 30, 35-36   
“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.  23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.   30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,  35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

Where does wisdom come from, and why is it important?  God is wise before creation, as wisdom is in His nature.  By wisdom He created all things, and was His master craftsman in all He made and did.  So when we find His wisdom, we find true life - in His only solution, Jesus Christ.  But when we reject that wisdom and understanding, we hurt ourselves and only find death. 

Wisdom and Understanding

Proverbs 8:1, 6-8, 13, 20 
1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?    6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.   8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.   13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.   20 I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

Wisdom and understanding must include the best things, right and true, just and fair, righteous truth, not wicked or evil or prideful or arrogant.  This is how we need to be to please God who made each of us in His image.  How we all fail in this broken world with each of us sinfully apart from Christ!  So my goal is to be wise in speaking the excellent things, not those of the flesh, but of wisdom and understanding from God-Who-Lives-In-me.

Philippians 1:9-11  And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

Value God’s Word by Heartfelt Obedience

Proverbs 7:1-3  
1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you.   2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.   3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Do I keep His words and really value each of them, seeing them as the best an most valuable thing?  He sees me as the apple of His eye, and so must I for all He says.  These must continue to be written on my heart of flesh given me when I was reborn...

Ezekiel 36:26-27  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

2 Corinthians 3:3  clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 

Learn and Live God’s Commands Given

Proverbs 6:20-23 
20 My son, keep your father's command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.   21 Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck.   22 When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.   23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

Though parents may or may not teach us God's word, we are still bound to put them in our heart and follow the commands, principles, and examples given us there.  Then we can sleep, knowing we are pleasing to God, and wake to face the day with Him.  He gives light so we can see where we are going, and corrects us in love when we fail Him in life.  As the Apostle said, "You have the words of life; where else can we go?" 

Hate What God Hates

Proverbs 6:16-19 
These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:    17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

Some things we must not do if we are to please God include pride, lying, murder (hate), evil intent (love does no harm to a neighbor), evil sinful actions, false witness (perjury), and a troublemaker (slanderer, gossip).  If God hates these, so should we.

Keep Your Heart Diligently

Proverbs 4:23-27  
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.   24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.   25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.   26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.   27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

As Jesus said, everything comes from inside, from the heart.  This is why it must be guarded at all times.  Part of this is focusing on becoming like Christ as we trust and obey, and part is in avoiding saying or doing evil.  So we need to consider how we live, the direction we live in, and keep to the narrow path in following Jesus Christ. 

Iniquity Always Seen by God

Proverbs 5:20-22 
For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?   21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.   22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.

God sees all we do in life and in the heart; this is why both men and women must guard their heart by God's word to follow the path that pleases Him and protects the person.  Those who go after one who is not their spouse are trapped in their sin, and hide nothing from Him.    Instead, those who are single must wait for marriage for intimacy, and the married must stay on the path with their spouse alone, "always being enraptured with her love (vs.19)." 

Make a Straight Path in Life

Proverbs 4:23-27 
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.   24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.   25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.   26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.   27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

How difficult to guard our hearts, lips, and eyes, yet so crucial as we consider how we walk.  The way straight ahead for our feet is the goal, pleasing The Lord and loving others.  Let us take our feet from evil and run the race, forgetting what is behind as we press to that goal as Paul said in Philippians. 

Choose Your Path in the Light

Proverbs 4:14-19 
Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil.   15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.   16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.    18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.   19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.

How to live right, to walk in light through the darkness surrounding us?  Start by not living as those in the dark.  Do not do what they do, or even go (travel the same path) where they go.  They live to make those seeking God's way fall - even losing sleep over not making you sin as they do.  They are so lost in darkness that they cannot see what they are tripping over.   But we who know Christ have opened eyes and see clearly in the light. 

Get Wisdom and Understanding from God

Proverbs 4:5, 7, 13  
Get wisdom! Get understanding!   Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.    7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.   13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.

To gain knowledge is the mere foundation; understanding in the heart and mind is then the start, with wisdom on using the understanding of the knowledge to live from the heart and guided by God's Spirit to please Him.  This is our purpose and goal Paul spoke of in the race to be conformed to the image of Christ - which image is that of God we were created in. 

Do Not Fear, Trust His Grace

Proverbs 3:25-26, 34 
Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; 26 For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught. . . Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

When tragedy happens around us in the news or even at our doorstep, we who are Christ's have the confidence that He can hold us up through it all, no matter the outcome.  Our times are in His hands.  He gives grace in the times we need it - but not to those who laugh at and reject Him as their God and Sovereign.

Having a heart of flesh for stone:  Yes, being born again, made a new creation, and being sealed and filled with His Spirit at that birth allows God to put a new mind - Christ's - and a new heart in us to be able to understand and obey with a willing heart! 

God’s Wise Creation

Proverbs 3:19-20 
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;  By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.

By God's skillful wisdom and infinite intelligence and perception He created the infinite heavens and wonderful earth we live on.  We are to seek wisdom, understanding, and knowledge from Him by the Bible and His presence living in us as well.  We are made in His image, and must rely on Him to become more as He is to be pleasing.

Honor the Lord with Our Best

Proverbs 3:9-10   
Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Do I really give God my best - always?  Do I give first to Him as I get more?   This is the only way to truly prosper, and the way most struggle with.  He honors those who honor Him .

1 Samuel 2:30   Therefore the Lord God of Israel says:‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. ’ But now the Lord says:‘ Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 

Born Again in Light of His Word

2 Corinthians 4:6   
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

- Acts 26:18   to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. ’

- John 3:7-8   Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘ You must be born again. ’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

- 1 Peter 1:23   having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

Just 33 years ago today I walked into light as my chains fell off into the darkness!  I was led through the years to the point of this slow but certain light, until I heard His words put together to reconcile my sinful state with my loving creator and Lord.  I agreed I offended God with my sin, turned from it to Him, believed Jesus died to pay my sin's due wages, and was reborn from above as God took up residence within me.  He has been there ever since, and will never leave.  This birthday is forever.

Lean on God-given Understanding

Proverbs 3:5-8  
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.   7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

Do we really trust God and seek to find answers from His word and Spirit's understanding?  When we do this, acknowledging Him as the source of all, them we find the way to walk.  When we obey and seek righteousness and truth, then we fear Him and find spiritual health.  Let us be wise in HIS eyes! 

Mercy and Truth Written on Our Hearts

Proverbs 3:1-4   
1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.   3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,  4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

We must not forget what God lays out for us to do, but value it so much as to fill our heart and so obey willingly and eagerly.  Living then guided by the truth with mercy (speaking the truth in love) in our heart will honor God and show the love for others in His image that He commands us.  He will so keep us in perfect peace with our mind stayed on Him. 

Stay the Course of Righteousness

Proverbs 2:20

So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness.

Why get knowledge that leads to wisdom?  So we can live right - according to God's standards, and not our own.  Anything less misses the mark in learning and living. 

Wisdom, Knowledge, Discretion, and Understanding

Proverbs 2:10-14 
When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

With godly knowledge and wisdom guiding your life you will be kept from evil people who only want you to follow them in saying and doing twisted and harmful things.  They want to pull you towards darkness, to laugh and seek to do what is evil - harmful to others and offensive to God.  But taking God's word to heart and living by it will preserve you.  It is good. 

Lean into Learning from God

Proverbs 2:2,3,6  
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,  6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Pay close attention to what God says in the Bible, seeking to understand and put it into practice - this is wisdom.  Ask for seeing what is right and wrong, what is best and eternal. God will answer with real wisdom, understanding that applies to life.  Only He can give true knowledge and understanding; our own is limited and misleading. 

Dwell Safely in Listening to God

Proverbs 1:29-33 
Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord,   30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.   31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.   32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Those who mock God and despise what Jesus told us by hating His word and not willing to obey Him will simply reap what they sow.  The wages of sin is death as they fill themselves with their desires instead of God's.  But those who choose to listen to God, living by the words in the Bible, will be safe and secure from evil, able to rest at night and during waking moments, because they trust Christ Jesus. 

Turn and Learn When Rebuked

Proverbs 1:22-23 
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.   23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

Many sneer at Jesus Christ, choosing ignorance over seeking knowledge of Him.  But those who see value in knowledge seek, find, and then turn from their ways that offend God.  These are the ones who are reborn, find God's very presence in them, His Spirit, and find understanding in the Bible's words that seemed out of reach before.  They find life so full and leave foolishness behind. 

Learn More and Be Wise in the Lord

Proverbs 1:5-7 
A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,   6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.   7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

To be wise, I must seek to learn by listening - both to God's word and to those who teach it. Then He can sharpen me to do deeper into things not so clear.  But all learning must be founded on the fear of The Lord - knowing that living what I learn must be to please Him, not for my own "bettering."  Only fools hate to learn and to grow wiser. 

God’s Word Living Through Us

Colossians 3:16-17 
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.    17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Does God's word live inside you, taking residence and filling your house with wisdom that enables you to teach and correct each other in love?  If so, then this leads to being able to live in ways that honor God the Father through the Son - in all we both say and do.  Thank Him in living for Him this way. 

Express Praise for God’s Work

Psalms 150:1-2   
1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!   2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Where do we tell God how great He is and thank Him for all He has done, does, and will do?  Here are some places - in church gatherings (sanctuary), for where He is in heaven, in all He does in power and wisdom, and in His greatness for who He is!     In other words, wherever we go we need to praise Him - He deserves it in all that He has made, which is everywhere and in everything. 

Beautified in Salvation

Psalms 149:4-9 
For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.   6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two- edged sword in their hand,  9 To execute on them the written judgment — This honor have all His saints.   Praise the Lord!

All who are drawn by God, who humble themselves under His mighty hand of certain judgment on their sin and find mercy in the cross of Jesus Christ - these He delights in and saves from their fallen state.  We then who are His see the need in this Psalm to praise God and wield the sword - in David's time to kill, now as the sword of His Word that shows the judgment to come; we only execute the serving of the death warrant, those who hear need to be reconciled to God in Christ. 

Glorify God!

Psalms 148:13

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.

Everything, living and created by God, should praise Him - showing and telling His greatness and worthiness.  Everything in nature does this, so why do we who are made in His image not do likewise at every opportunity and in all situation? 

Healing of Sovereign Grace

Psalms 147:3-5, 11   
He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.   4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.   5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.   11  The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.

What a God! He heals our broken souls, He knows more than all our glimpses into the universe could even begin to reveal.  He understands everything perfectly because He made it all by speaking it into existence.  And He wants us to bow down to Him, submitting in fear while trusting completely in His mercy to forgive and love us! 

Eyes Opened to Hope in Freedom

Psalms 146:5-8 
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God,  6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,  7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry.   The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.   8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous.

True joy is in knowing the God who calls us out, knowing the awe of all He made around us - giving credit to the Creator.  He is always true because He is truth.  He is just and merciful, yet hates continued disobedience and must deal with it.  He sets us free from the bondage of our rebellion of sin against all He wants for us - and opens our eyes to see it as He does.  He lifts up those seeking Him and trusting Him. 

Live in Shadow of Salvation’s Wings

Psalms 91:1, 14-16  
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.   15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.   16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

God delivers those who love Him in Spirit and in truth.  We can then stay close to Him, living in His protection.  We can cry out to Him as a very present help in trouble, knowing He honors those who honor Him.  This is what brings us to salvation from sin and its due wages, and leads us on with Him towards eternity with Him. 

Bless His Holy Name!

Psalms 145:21   
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

Do we show God in Christ to be the best there is to the world?  Everyone will eventually speak highly of Him - either in this life or the next.  Every knee will bow in submission and worship to admit He is Lord over all.  So we must do this now. 

Call on Him Who Delivers and Preserves

Psalms 145:18-20  
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.   19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.   20 The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

God is up close and personal with those who cry out to Him for rescue (salvation) from all things we face.  Yet He goes further to remind us to fear Him and not demand what we want.  If we truly so love Him, we will be guarded as with a hedge of thorns to keep the evil one at bay.  And though He is not willing that any die without Him, He still hates evil and will punish them by giving due wages of their actions they refuse to turn from... So turn from the evil we all are born with, and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ - only He is the way, truth, and life! 

Gracious and Righteous

Psalms 145:16-17   
16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.   17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.

How our Father loves us, to give so freely to us - such grace!  Yet He does all things good and right, unlike us, and this guides how and what He does for us.  It is always what is right by His standards, not what we desire wrongly. 

Praise and Glory to the Sovereign Lord

Psalms 145:10-13

All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You.  11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power,  12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.   13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Because eternity with God is now possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the one with absolute power and authority over life and death, we must let others know about all the great things He has done, from Eden to the cross, and to a new creation that begins in each of us! 

Greatness of the Lord and His Works

Psalms 145:2-5

2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.   3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.   4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.   5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,And on Your wondrous works.

Do we tell God each day how great beyond measure and how perfectly good He is?  Do we praise Him with lips and feet and hands?  We should be also telling our children and theirs of all He has done and will do, and think long, hard, and deeply about His character of majesty and all He has done as told to us in His word. 

God Chooses to Love His People

Psalms 144:3, 15

3 Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?  15 Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

God chooses to care for us, to even love us - when we deserve nothing of ourselves.  Yet we are made in His image and He shows mercy and undeserved love (grace)!  This is what makes us happy, knowing He cares for us and watches over us.  He is our God who is Lord of all. 

Trust and Following His Will

Psalms 143:8-10

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.  9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.  10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Each day we can turn to God in prayer, trusting Him as we look for direction, strength in opposition, and shelter from enemies.  We can ask for wisdom to be holy and righteous as He in all we do, becoming more as Jesus Christ, our example of God-among-us.  He is good, and lives now in His people as Spirit.  We can do all things through Him who lives in us! 

“I AM With You” to Hear and Fear

Haggai 1:12-14  
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord 's messenger, spoke the Lord' s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and  they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,

These obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, feared the presence of the Lord, received assurance from His word that, “I am with you, says the Lord."   Then they came and worked on the house of the Lord.   The pattern - hear and fear God, find encouragement and strength of assurance from the Bible, then do all God has called you to do for Him.  So must we make disciples and grow them in The Lord as our labor of love for Him and them. 

Cry Out When Overwhelmed

Psalms 142:1-5   
1 I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.   2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.   3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.    5 I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

God is always listening to His people, even those who once were not His.  So I can pour out my troubles and weakness when I am overwhelmed before the throne in time of need.  He knows me and each step I take before I do, so I have hope of answers and a safe place to rest both now and forever in Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God! 

Difficult and Revealed Things of God

2 Peter 3:16-18

as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.   17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Some change God's word to fit what they want to believe instead of trying to understand what God said, while others look to twist it on purpose to justify their evil.  We who know the truth need to remain aware, stay the course of truth, avoiding false teachers such as Joel Osteen, and grow instead - in His grace and knowledge.   Study to show yourself approved to God, not men.  Fight the good fight and run the race to His goal, knowing some things are difficult (Deu.29:29) and we are to follow what is revealed. 

Diligent Perseverance toward Holiness

2 Peter 3:14-15   
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

Do we look forward to the world as we know it coming to and end before a new beginning? If so, we need to live right, at peace with God.  It is because He patiently waits to allow others to be made right with God in Christ that this goes on longer than we might think or like, but it is His love driving the wait to give as many as possible the unearned chance. 

Be Ready for the Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:10-13   
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

All we see will be burned up and melted away.  All our legacies will be gone - except those which honor God, pleasing Him and loving others.  This certain end should remind us then to look forward to the end of corrupt things and the start right now of good and holy ones.  The future holds good and right things, so we need to run to that goal and not fleeting ones which are burned up in the end when seen for what they are, wood and hay and stubble. 

Scoffers Have No Eternal Perspective

2 Peter 3:3-4,9  
knowing this first:that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “ Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”   9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Our timing is not God's, and ignoring what He will do in the end will not change it - only allowing scoffers to taunt God's promises and our witness to them.  What these do not see is that God still loves them enough to keep calling till the end of this world so they should also turn from the disobedience of their sin and towards Christ in faith who died in their place to reconcile them to Himself. 

God’s Guidance in Speech and Vision

Psalms 141:3-4, 8, 10 
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.   4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.   8 But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.   10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely.

Praying, I seek to have God guide my words; in my heart, leaning away from sin and indulgence.  Eyes I put on my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, trusting in all He has done in my place to put me under the shadow of the Almighty.  So I know those opposed to Him will reap what they sow, while I gain unearned mercy and grace to help in times of need! 

He Hears His People’s Prayers

Psalms 140:6  
I said to the Lord:“You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.      

Psalms 140:12-13   I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor.  13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

God hears my prayer; He protects those who are attacked and seeks justice.  So I thank Him in all things, knowing He will do all this now and forever.  So I will live near Him also now and into eternity in Christ. 

Love your Enemies, Hate God’s Enemies

Psalms 139:21-22
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?  And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?   22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

Whose enemies, ours or God's, and why?  Love your enemies, not God's.

Matthew 5:44-45   But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

God’s Predestined Personal Knowing

Psalms 139:16  
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How amazing is God's absolute knowledge beyond time!  He knew me and all I will do my entire life because He made me.   In the end all I do will be seen in the book of all my actions and thoughts...yet God gave me a will to choose also, not a schedule to follow as an actor of a play as Shakespeare would say.  The truths of foreknowledge and free will demonstrate God's sovereign rule and control. 

Be Witnesses of God’s Work in Christ

Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We are to show the world Jesus Christ and all He did for us, rescuing from our sin, reconciling us to Himself.  Then baptizing to help realize the cleansing and new life given.  And so we do not abandon them, but teach them all things that the Bible spells out in commands, principles, and examples of how to live, hope, and love.  He is with us and in us to give us the authority and power, the ability, to do all this. 

Unending Mercy Will Not Let Us Go

Psalms 138:8

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands.

God promises to finish the work He began in us, and by His mercy He forgives us when we do not do as He says.

    Philippians 1:6. -  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

    Hebrews 13:20-21

20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.