Proverbs 10:27 - A Long Life

Proverbs 10:27

The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. 

Message: A Long Life

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God. 

What the Lord is Saying: In first reading other translations of this verse there are not many variations though some instead of fear talk of obedience or respect to the Lord. 

I noticed a very similar idea with the following verse (possibly also by Solomon): 

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. / Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

It does seem like that ungodly ways in people do result in a shorter life, but perhaps we hear of the lifestyles of those in the public eye more often and the appearance that their life is shortened. It seems those that live long lives are those that have taken care of themselves and lived simpler lives. 

Ellicott's Commentary cites those who are "shortening their lives by excessive anxieties, or the pursuit of pleasure." Whereas, Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine." I also notice actions like stress often cause anxieties which can make problems with bowels and an upset stomach. Promiscuous lives result in the occurrence of diseases. It seems righteous living produces a peace in life perhaps that others do not experience. 

Prayer: Father, I pray I would be one that lives in a righteous manner, not only with the peace of Christ, but doing the right thing and making good choices. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

My Utmost for His Highest - May 25th - The Test of Self-Interest

Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” - Genesis 13:9

    As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascination and luxurious prospects will open up before you, and these things are yours by right; but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and leave God to choose for you. This is the discipline by means of which the natural is transformed in the spiritual by obedience to the voice of God.

    Whenever right is made the guidance in the life, it will blunt the spiritual insight. The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. It would seem the wisest thing in the world for Abraham to choose, it was his right , and the people around would consider him a fool for not choosing. Many of us do not go on spiritually because we prefer to choose what is the right instead of relying on God to choose for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eye on God. "Walk before Me. (Genesis 17:1)"

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition.

Titus 2:11 - Is Grace Cooperative

Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Message: Is Grace Cooperative?

Time: Paul is the author, written in AD 63. Paul went with Titus to the island of Crete and evangelized there before Paul left Titus there in a position of leadership. The book speaks of living right as guided by Truth.

What the Lord is Saying:

The issue: How free is the human will after the fall of Adam.

Humans beings are free to make choices. But our freedom is limited by our desires. Freedom is doing what we most want to do. Apart from God's grace, the only thing that we want to do is sin. In order to do what is truly good and pleasing to God, grace must change our hearts. It is only the regenerate person that understands the things of God.

I go back to an idea that I have been focusing on: the horizontal and the vertical. The horizontal is our life lived with one another and the life I live for myself. In this life there is freedom: each day there are choices to engage in good acts and bad acts as they relate to man's relationship to man. Much good has been done by men and women on this horizontal level. We should not ever diminish these acts. But there is the vertical - man's relationship with God. Without God's grace there is no vertical, only a horizontal. Grace brings the vertical into my life because sin removed the vertical. Without grace, I will only live on the horizontal. With grace, I can carry out the things of God. Thus, today's text states in Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Salvation is a God thing and it is needed to make me right vertically, right with God.

The debate that I have been looking at is - can man get to God on his own or must God intervene? And is this intervention completely by God or is man involved?

RC Sproul Message - Is Grace Cooperative - In this message RC Sproul begins his lecture by reciting a quote by Joseph Arminius in which he upholds the lost condition of man following Adam's sin or his sin and mentions that the only way man can be brought to salvation is through the act of grace into that person's life. He mentions that Arminius began as a pure Calvinist and Augustinian but then he got wrapped up in a debate with someone and in that process began to move further and further away from the reformed doctrine.

Early on he speaks of preventing grace and prevenient grace. "Pre" means before and "venient" - coming before so this is 'grace that comes before something." Grace comes before conversion. There are also those who look at internal grace and external grace. External grace is something that happens outside of ourselves, outside of our soul. Internal grace would be something that God does inside of us. For Arminius, grace is not limited to an external operation of the Holy Spirit, but also God's internal operation. However, he then goes to say that all persons have their own will and can refuse the call of the Holy Spirit. So even though it is internal (God doing something inside of us), it is not irresistible. He says the grace of regeneration is sufficient to convert. It is all a person needs to be liberated from spiritual bondage. The grace is enough. But it is not inherently efficient as it does not always affect conversion or regeneration. Thus, prevenient grace or grace that comes before man's choice to then choose whether or not he wants that grace.

Calvin however speaks that the calling of God is effectual. Here the Spirit effects what it intends and thus, it cannot be rejected. Thus, grace is internal and effectual. But for Arminius it is internal but can be rejected. Arminius says that if man does not submit to the grace, the fault lies with man. Pelagius would though deny this for Pelagius believes that God does not have to help a person be saved. But Arminius says that God does have to help, but man can reject. Arminius seeks to not make God accountable to people rejecting Him whereby with Calvin the onus is completely on God as to man being saved or not saved. While Arminius believes that the rejecting by man means that the fault rests on him, he also does not believe that the acceptance of man does not rest on man being virtuous. To believe this would mean that man has something to boast about and this would contradict what Paul says in Ephesians 2:9.

Arminius gave a famous example of a rich man coming to a beggar to offer him a gift. The beggar does nothing to earn the gift, and to receive it simply reaches out his had to accept the gift. But the beggar can also not reach out his hand and therefore be content in his position of being poor. Billy Graham even stated that God does 99% and man does 1% whereby reformers would say that for the drowning man, the person would drown and then God would pull him out of the water and resuscitate him to life.

After Arminius died in 1609, some of his disciples in the Synod of Dort were called upon to consider the five articles of Remonstrance. It was in response to these five articles that we received the five points of Calvinism.

[I was thinking of this question - most of the proof text I think about Calvinist thought, namely whether man is involved at all in salvation, comes from Paul's writings (and also Hebrews). Is it possible that Augustine and Calvin concluded their points on man having no place in saving man from Paul alone or is that line of thinking consistent throughout the Bible? Stated another way, is Jesus a Calvinist? Is God and the Old Testament writers Calvinist? This is a side-note question of mine. Some people have made the assertion that if we only follow the red letters or Jesus' words then we won't come to the conclusion of grace alone.]

RC Sproul Message - Born to Sin - In this message RC Sproul begins speaking about Jonathan Edwards and his book, Freedom of the Will, written in 1754. That book is very theological and philosophical and technical. It was written after Edwards had been removed from his church in Northampton and began a ministry to the Indians at Stockbridge (both in Massachusetts).

Edwards deals with the question - "What is the will anyway?" Philosophers often looked at the mind, the affections, and the will OR the mind, the heart, and the will. Edwards felt it was important to distinguish between the mind or thinking and the will or choosing. He says they are interrelated. In analyzing the will, the making of human decisions or choices, he looked first at the law of causality. Causality is every effect must have a cause. Thus, he analyzed human choices as effects with causes. The choices we make are made for a reason and the mind supplies the reason. Thus, the choices we make are what we deem to be good for us, though, Edwards use of the word good isn't necessarily morality, but rather good is what is pleasing to us. Thus, the good is what is most pleasing to me, at this moment, and to choose what I want. Thus, this is the role of desire in the making of choices. The mind deems a particular action to be good and pleasing to us. For example, when one is hungry, those hunger pains alert the mind and then the mind through choosing decides to eat, in order to meet the need of hunger, in order to please himself.

Edwards states that all choices are caused by something. They don't just happen. And what causes choices are inclinations. Thus, choices are motivated or driven by inclinations. Edwards understood that as humans we are complex. At times, we have very complex desires and motives within our lives. Paul reverberates this idea in Romans 7:19 - For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do. What Paul seems to be saying that in him are competing desires and competing inclinations. In Christ is the desire to always do those things that honor God, but in his flesh is desires contrary to the Spirit and sometimes I follow these desires. Edwards might say to Paul that at the time of your choice to sin, you have a stronger desire to not do what is pleasing to God than you have in yourself to please God. Thus, there is a conflict of inclinations. Thus, Edwards states that we always choose according to the strongest inclination at the moment.

This is not determinism which is being controlled by external forces that coerce us, such as our environment and place in which we live and grow up. Atheists believe in determinism, meaning we are a product of our environment. What Edwards is focused on instead is self-determination in which the choices we make are determined by us. What Edwards is getting at is our choices are determined by us and my desires and what my mind deems to be most good for me at the moment. There is a desire continuum we have. Some desires are strong while others are mild. Thus freedom is the power to choose according to your inclinations.

For example, the doctor may recommend and I may agree that I need to lose 30 pounds as losing pounds has a myriad of positive outcomes. But, my desire to lose those pounds varies from moment to moment. After eating a thanksgiving meal I have no desires to eat more and want to lose pounds, but when I am hungry and a chocolate sundae is presented before me, my desire for that sundae is greater than my desire to lose weight. Thus, the desire continuum. We have different degrees of desires, but without an inclination there wouldn't be a choice is what Edwards argues.

Yet, Edwards is arguing with pagan philosophers and even other theologians which might say that the will is not indifferent, but has a prior bent, disposition or inclination. To be really free it would have an equal means to go to the right or the left. Edwards says an indifferent choice is an irrational concept. If I choose one thing over another for no other reason whatsoever, like choosing which way to go at a fork in the road with no reason to choose either way, how would that have any moral significance. Intent is essential to a moral decision, to a voluntary act. To be a moral decision, there has to be a reason or intent. But he says the idea of an indifferent choice is a nonsensical concept.

What Edwards is most famous for is his distinction between our natural ability and our moral ability. This is similar to Augustinian's distinction between free will and liberty. Edwards says, "We have the natural ability to make choices." We have natural ability that is not coerced by outside forces. What we lack, according to Edwards, is the moral ability to choose the things of God. Because in the fall, we lost our disposition, our desire, our inclination for God. We don't choose God because we don't want him. We cannot choose what we do not want. We have no natural inclination for the things of God until the Holy Spirit creates that in our soul. Thus back to the vertical, Edwards is stating that we lack, on our own, the ability to see that God is what we need the most in our lives, and in turn meets us on the vertical, on our own. The only way our heart is inclined to the things of God is God coming to us and once God comes, we cannot resist Him. Thus, grace is not cooperative.

Summary: On the horizontal, man is capable of making choices, based upon his inclinations and desires. The problem is that apart from grace, we only desires the things of this world, the things that do not save us, that are not of salvation, that therefore are not of God. To do the things of God, God must intervene in our lives and this intervention is not resisting. If God calls us, we will respond.

Promise: Paul says that the grace of God has brought salvation to all people, thus God has saved all sorts of people. The gospel must be preached to all people.

Prayer: Father, your word is alive and true. I seek truth. Even as I spend time talking to people that are coming from a myriad of faiths, I want to make sure that the truth of who you are and how salvation happens or how I am made to be free from sin happens. Guide me into truth always. Thank you for saving me and making me whole and giving me new life. I live now in obedience to You and I do not want that to ever be muddy or unclear. You are my God and I am yours. You love me and in response I love You and others and want You to be in the life of all others I am near. Save. Save people. Keep on saving people. 

Ephesians 1:3-4a - The Grace of Predestination

Ephesians 1:3-4a
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world

Message: The Grace of Predestination

Time: At the end of his second missionary journey and 2 years into his third, Paul ministered at Ephesus. Many came to Christ during His time though Paul was not popular among the pagans. Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon, as he sent all three letters by the hand of Tychicus, accompanied by Onesimus. It was during this time that Paul sat in Rome undergoing his first Roman imprisonment, making Ephesians one of the four epistles commonly known as the Prison Epistles. The others are Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

What the Lord is Saying:

RC Sproul stated that the doctrine of predestination is difficult. It is complex and difficult to study and requires a lot of care in studying. But, it is still important to study. In my life, it has been difficult for me to understand. I go back to the study of it very often and at times, I never feel like I have it figured out. But rather, I approach it from the ground up over and over. I'm not sure I'm correct in thinking this, but the study of predestination to me is closely related to the understanding of human free will.

I take a moment here to look at the definition of predestination:

the divine foreordaining of all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others

I suppose the reason I see this link with predestination and human free will is there is at times a conflict within me as to whether the two can work together.

This particular lesson has the focus on salvation. As I have discussed in previous recent entries, there is at times the idea in history that each person is responsible for his salvation. In the Edenic covenant God bestowed his blessing completely on Adam and Eve. They were in the garden, with the tree of life and therefore in constant fellowship with God. They were given tasks to do and they did those task completely for there was no sin. In Genesis 1 and 2, in the garden of Eden, God provided man and woman everything needed to live. He commands them to be fruitful, to multiply. to fill the earth, to subdue it, to rule over the animals. They had a mission and God had a plan for them. There was no right and wrong, no good and evil. There was only a mission and they would be successful in this mission. Life was fluid.

Sin, however, broke that original Edenic covenant as man's mission and God's promise of salvation was broken or veered off from the plan when sin was not known. Thus, Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, from the perfect fellowship with God. [Note: Covenants are established but often man does not fulfill his part of the covenant, resulting in another covenant and eventually a new or final covenant that would never be broken because man had no responsibility in it.] Outside of the garden, Adam and Eve would receive the curse of painful living. They would now toil and experience pain and loss. And the tree of life, which was in the garden, was now not with man and woman.

Both in the pre-sin world and the post-sin world man had tasks to do. But, in the post-sin world man was working outside of the garden, away from the tree of life, and thus curses resulted, like working by the sweat of a brow and toiling. And maybe it is because man broke this fellowship with God, this union, by sinning, that man thinks then he or she must then be the one to bridge fellowship with God. Yet God makes it clear that man is incapable of bridging that fellowship because the sin makes him incapable, makes him imperfect. Thus, Grace follows for God is our provider for peace with Him.

Again, the point here is fellowship with God. The point here is to be in union with God. Union was broken because of sin. Without sin, union was present as man was in the garden, with the tree of life. Man goes from being perfect to now being imperfect, but perfection is what is needed to be in fellowship with God. There is no idea of being "good enough" or "all that we can do."

Paul says in I Corinthians 15:22 -In Christ all shall me made alive. This is the pinnacle statement, I believe, of the identification of eternal life for all who are in Christ. In Christ all... In Jesus man now has complete fellowship with God.

So even as we try to believe that God's grace brings us to salvation - which is a point of theology, Many people today still think that certain works bridge the gap. For many Jewish people, it was circumcision or being a holder of the Law and today for many it is being in the right church, following the correct directions or rules, or being of the right religious system. The deception is these things yield our salvation. But, as a sinner man is incapable of being perfect, being righteous, And therefore incapable of choosing for himself salvation.

As I have discussed previously, man naturally thinks that he is involved in this process of being made alive and if this was so, wouldn't Paul saying the words God chose us in Him hint of controversy? Or can God choose someone and yet when that person come to faith be decided by that person. On the contrary, He is not involved and here in Ephesians 1:3-4 is Paul making it clear that God chooses us in Christ before creation (the foundation of the world). That is a loaded thought and immediately it makes us wonder about prayer, about sharing our faith and other things that the Bible prescribes us to do. We are to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Paul tells me in I Thessalonians to pray about everything. Jesus continually told us to ask of Him. Yet, saying God chooses us does not nullify other commandments of God.

Throughout scripture God's promises are given first, followed by obedience (e.g. Covenants, Giving of the law, Ephesians 2:8-10). Works are never intertwined with salvation in our New Testament. But, I think this is normal for us as humans to think this. We gravitate towards what we can do and moving past what we have done. We learn from our mistakes. We are constantly changing and improving. We become more wise. Most of us are trying to make today better than yesterday. This is normal and this is good, but the danger lies in us equating this mission with the conclusion that we then earn our salvation.

In addition, some have that God foresaw our natural obedience and therefore knew our choice would one day be for Him. This again focuses only on foreknowledge. And it focuses on our ability to make a good choice towards righteousness. But, this verse in Ephesians says God chose us in Him not God knew our choice would be in Him.

Good works can be present at any time, but obedience to God follows faith. In the eyes of God, our entire lives are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Eternal life comes about by faith or believing (John 3:16). Then once we are in Christ, good works follow (Ephesians 2:10).

God chooses those to be in Christ. It is His work. Yet, the idea of God choosing and man making choices in life are still compatible. Thus these ideas seem opposed to one another, on the surface, and so I turn to a video by RC Sproul on Free Will.

RC Sproul discusses Free Will:

1. Humanist View - The ability to make choices is spontaneous. There is no prejudice, prior disposition, or prior inclination toward making a choice. A choice comes comes about on its own. But, if there is no prior disposition toward making a choice, then we can conclude that there is no reason or motivation for the choice - and thus no moral significance.

The Bible, however, focuses not just on choices, but a predetermined reason for choices. In the Bible, it refers to our intention for the choice and the motivation from our heart. As an example, in the Bible, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Later, when there is restoration and Joseph speaks to his brothers he says to them that "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." Thus, what motivates often can be evil, but God's intent is for good. Here is this thought again I am seeing that man can only choose God is God is in Him.

The humanist view is that the will is neutral, thus there is an effect, but there is no cause to that effect. On the contrary, the Bible states that man's natural tendency is toward evil or away from the things of God - toward pleasing his/her own needs or desires.

2. Jonathon Edwards states that will is the mind choosing. Thus, the mind approves of our choices. The mind and the will work in conjunction; the mind is not independent of the will. Edwards states "Free moral agents always act according to the strongest inclination they have at the moment of choice." When we sin, our desire at that moment is greater than our desire to obey Christ.

Coercion is doing things that we really don't want to do. These are external forces that come into our lives and force us to do things that we don't want to do. Human desires fluctuate. In moments of coercion we can at times be presented with two options, but it is still our desires that help us to choose. Yet when Paul tells us that "I do what I don't want to do" this seems to conclude that Paul believes a person can choose against their desires. As a Christian I have a desire to please Christ, but that desire does not always play itself out when I am given choices in life.

3. RC Sproul says, "Every choice we make is free and every choice we make is determined." Determinism, on the contrary, says that we make choices based upon external forces.  Atheists hold to determinism and believe our choices are automatic based upon our traditions, upbringing, environments. But RC Sproul states that what determines our choices is me, thus this is self-determination. Thus, we always choose according to our desires.

Jonathan Edwards also speaks of moral ability and natural ability. I have the natural ability to think, speak, walk upright. I cannot fly or live underwater for lengths of time. Moral ability is the ability to be righteous as well as to be sinful. In his fallen state, man no longer has the ability in his moral state to be perfect because he is born in sin. He can still think and make choices. Augustine said that man has free will but man lost moral liberty in the fall. “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good,There is not even one.”
Overall, I think the difficulty of this text and this idea is this is contrary to the way in which we have been trained. It is rather self-defeating to realize that I have gained the greatest gift imaginable without doing anything to earn it. Ever since the curse from Adam and Eve's sin work has been a toil and that work that we do does merit results. Thus, in life, we are naturally conditioned to think that rewards follow good habits of work. But, God is saying in relation to salvation that rewards are not based upon the person receiving them, but rather the person giving them. This is hard because there is so little in our life that is based upon a gift rather than a work. Thus, this is why so many have a problem with substitution atonement.

Promise: God loves us. God knows us. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him. He provides the way and because of sin each of us is incapable of choosing God because there is none righteous.

Prayer: O Father, thank you for loving me with a love that is incomprehensible to me. Despite my failure -- past, present, and/or future -- you still love me and want me to be yours. It has everything to do with You and nothing to do with me. You take my fallen condition and make me acceptable Continue to help me to understand these doctrines. You are explaining more and more what it means.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with the April devotional being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.

Mark 8:22-26 - The Blind Man at Bethsaida

Mark 8:22-26 -
22 And they *came to Bethsaida. And they *brought a blind man to Jesus and *implored Him to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. 26 And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Message: The Blind Man at Bethsaida

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Preface: After feeding 4,000, the disciples still talk among themselves when they get in the boat and realize they have no food. Jesus simply wants them to look to Him. He is there provider. He continues to show them his hand of providence in all things, they still struggle with anxiety and worry.

Now they (Jesus and the disciples) are in Bethsaida. Jesus was in the district of Dalmanutha, near Magdallan, just west of the Sea of Galilee. Bethsaida is north. There is not much distance between the two places. The sea of Galilee is 8 miles wide. My guess is that it is about 8 miles between the cities, perhaps one could get there in 1 day.

As he arrives, a blind man is brought to Jesus and they implored Him to touch him. The blind man didn't come to Jesus on his own, but was brought to him. He brought him out of the village. It is thought that the healing occurred outside of the City because Jesus was concerned about the town's unbelief and he would refuse to perform miracles before those who continued to not believe or accept His teachings. Jesus is ready to answer questions of anyone that asks, and yet answering people's questions is not his mission. He is on the scene to change hearts and those people's hearts just want to question, not necessarily be changed.

There has been a remark here that this particular healing is unique because of the stages. One, Taking the blind man by the hand. Two, He brought him out of the village. Three, spitting on his eyes. Fourth, laying His hands on him. It isn't immediate, but progressive. In other instances, by now, the person would be completely restored and yet, here, the person is not. As after doing all of this the man's sight was not fixed: “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” He has been spit on by Jesus and Jesus has laid his hands on him. Previously, a woman touching the cloak of Jesus brought about immediate healing. So Jesus does not embody a transformation. So, it isn't that all you have to do is touch him and you are saved, but Jesus has something to do with the healing, in his time.

There is a moment when Jesus decides to heal and sometimes he doesn't decide. Sometimes I wish the Gospel had a story about someone coming to Jesus and him not healing the person. Because it happens in life. Not everyone is healed. Some people implore him but are still not healed. And this is a hard thing at times to reconcile in our lives. And people not getting what they want, often results in no belief. People expect everyone to be viewed equally. But, in this lesson, perhaps is the reminder that Jesus makes the decision.

It states again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. Why did this healing need two touches? It didn't, but it seems Jesus was communicating something more here, perhaps to this man, perhaps to us, perhaps even to the disciples.

Also, the faith of the blind man is never mentioned here. 

Summary: Jesus heals a blind man, outside of the City of Bethsaida, a place of unbelief, so he heals outside of those that would question him. He heals with progression, after placing his hand on the blind man two times. In the same way, we need to implore Jesus repeatedly.

Promise: God does not always do what we ask, when we ask; he has reasons. Healing can be a process. It can take time. It may not happen at all or in the manner we think it should.

Prayer: Lord, keep teaching me through these readings. As I read about the lessons you were teaching people at the time, you still can have a lesson for me today. I admit, at times, I do not understand the way you work, the suffering that people experience, the healing of some, but not of others. But, I am still a follower. My following isn't about you doing what I want, for you show me that I can trust You no matter what. 

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 - Joy and Judgment

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
⁹ Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. ¹⁰ So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Message:  Joy and Judgment

Time: The Book of Ecclesiastes does not directly identify its author. The conventional belief is that the author is indeed Solomon. The book was likely written towards the end of Solomon's reign, approximately 935 B.C. It is a book of perspective whereby the speaker reveals the depression that inevitably results from seeking happiness in worldly things. Most every form of worldly pleasure is explored by the Preacher, and none of it gives him a sense of meaning. He accepts that life is brief and ultimately worthless without God and advises the reader to focus on an eternal God instead of temporary pleasure.

What the Lord is Saying: I don't know what it is about these Spring months of the year, but I notice my time in the Word really seems to diminish as compared to the Fall and Winter months. I continue to walk through chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes. Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 11 spoke of serving and giving our all to serve. But we can't secure ourselves from zero failures. We must remember God is in control. We can trust God for outcomes. We are not all-knowing creatures, we come to God with humility anchored in the fact that He knows it all. And - rejoice in the years of life that I have and do not focus on the years of life after the grave. The days of darkness, as in the days of life, will be many. Both type of days are futile or unpredictable. In review:

1. Do my best
2. Life is unpredictable
3. God knows it all, not man. 
4. Rejoice in the years of life that I have

These are the themes I have seen thus far. Now as I look at verse 9 and 10, I see Joy and Judgment. 

First Glance
To the young man, as you age and grow - rejoice. Allow your heart to be pleasant, especially as you prepare to be a man. Follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes, yet know that God will judge you for your actions. 

Now, that is an odd sort of verse there. Be pleasant; follow the impulses of your heart. Follow the desires of your eyes. Yet, know God will judge you for your actions. Remove grief and anger, put away pain. Childhood and old age are fleeting (passing swiftly). 

Clarification
Solomon speaks to young man, as I have seen. Young men are the most impressionable people. Plus, they are hit with the greatest of temptations in life. I am dealing with that right now, as I watch my youngest son, Derek, in those years. He is 16. My oldest retreated more to his world, of computers, but I know still struggled with different demons. He has such a strong inclination toward things that are out there, different from mom and dad, and is thus, so against restraint and counsel. This is why these words are so important, because of the position the young man is in.

But, I am a little vexed by these words. The preacher states be of good cheer, follow your heart, follow the desires of your eyes - but know this - God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

Again, backing up, looking at the context, I see words that encourage enjoyment in each day. Verse 8 - if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all. But he also says in verse 6 - Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening. Enjoy, but work hard. The reality is that days of darkness, for they will be many.

How does this all fit together? Rejoice in your days; work hard; do not be idle; there will be days of darkness, yet follow your heart realizing you will be judged.

Again, I think the subject matter is a little vexing and perhaps intended to be a little puzzling. The Preacher here continues to cover a lot of ground, a lot of thoughts. But he concludes his writing with these words in chapter 12, verse 13-14: The conclusion, when all has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Yes, we are to pursue life and consider all that it offers as it states in verse 9 - follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes; but, as we do, we must realize that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. Thus, I feel the conclusion in this is to be careful. If God will bring us into judgement for all these things, then I am to have sound judgment. 

My last son sleeps now in our house. He is 16 and as I think about this words I think about some of the things he is experimenting with in life. I think of things I experimented with in life as well. And I wonder, the experience is not the problem, but rather it is the indulgence in that experience that is often the problem. We can learn much from these experiences. My hope and desire with my children has not been to just put them in a box and restrict their enjoyment and choices to things, but it is to allow them to make choices, but then to see that with those choices there are consequences. I guess I just didn't realize it was my job always to show them consequences. I was hoping for natural ones. And yet, I must remember, God has given each person a conscience, the ability to understand good and evil. That conscience always has the ability to draw him back in.

Promise: I'm continually reminded of these words -- "Be Careful." I think that is a sentiment I find int the Book of Numbers and it applies here as well.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the truths of Your Word. Help me to be more anchored in those truths, in all seasons of the year. I pray that me and my family are always doing in our best in whatever activities we are involved in. Remind us that we can always trust you, even though life is unpredictable. You know it all. Help us to enjoy our days, rejoicing that each day is a gift from you. Lord, in the world we have many choices as to how to live our lives. I pray Lord that we all, me, my family, friends and others, choose you. What a wonderful world this would be, if this was so, for all. Yet, the reality and the truth is many choose alternate ways. For my children, help them in their choices, sometimes trying out new things, looking to see if life has enjoyment in these things and through it all, help them to conclude that you are the author of life. Help them to return to you. Help them to return to truth. It is easy for me to sit in judgment, but what concerns me the most is not trying things out, but it is indulging in those things, to the point that it hampers life. Lord, make us wise and wise followers of You.

Jesus Calling: November 6

Seek to please Me above all else. As you journey through today, there will be many choice-points along your way. Most of the day's decisions will be small ones you have to make quickly. You need some rule of thumb to help you make good choices. Many people's decisions are a combination of their habitual responses and their desire to please themselves or others. This is not My way for you. Strive to please Me in everything, not just in major decisions. This is possible only to the extent that you are living in close communion with Me. When My Presence is your deepest delight, you know almost instinctively what will please Me. A quick glance at Me is all you need to make the right choice. Delight yourself in Me more and more; seek My pleasure in all you do.

John 8:29
English Standard Version
And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.

Hebrews 11:5-6
English Standard Version 
⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Psalm 37:4
English Standard Version 
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

My Prayer (2019)
Holy Spirit, I want to be in tune to what you are speaking to me so that when you speak, I listen. When You tell me to do something, I do it. I don't want to be a product in life of my habitual responses that are often there to safeguard me from pain and suffering and in turn, disobedient to your commands. Whatever the situation in life - big or small - I want to be about giving glory to God. I want to delight myself in You more and more and delight myself in me less and less; I want to delight myself less in what the world values - comfort, peace, safety, like-mindedness, feelings, entertainment, ambition for things. I want to delight myself in You Lord. O God forgive me for not really striving to please you in everything. I look at your commandments and I pick and choose the ones that are most comfortable to me. Jesus, yes, you fulfilled your words of always doing the things that are pleasing to the Father, but I fail. Change me O God. Change me.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.