Proverbs 10:14 - Experienced help wanted

Proverbs 10:14

Wise men store up knowledge,

But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand

Message: Experienced help wanted

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: For the wise man, knowledge is stored up and retrieved for later use. Scripture memory is an example of this. We memorize scripture so that we can access it at times and repeat it to remind us of the promises of God. It can encourage myself and others as well. As I hire people, the thing we are looking for in people is experience and people that have knowledge that they have retained after working on different vehicles over a period of time. But this applies to many different disciplines. We pay a premium of people who can think at a high level and possess this type of knowledge. This is knowledge retained and helps a person to be wise. Knowledge is a treasure. This is what we look for in teachers, in any profession. People have this knowledge train others that do not have the knowledge. 

One of the problems I have right now with one of my employees is this person sits in their office and rarely gets out of the office to see what is going on outside of her world. She expects people to come to her. She is guarded over what she is willing to do. She restricts all that she wants to do. She is gaining knowledge my guess in some areas of her life - dieting, nutrition, exercise, raising kids -- but her work as our employee is quite limited. She does not apply herself well. And in the process she has little experience and knowledge in how to do things. Yet, she collects a large paycheck. The system protects her. I am in the process of providing her a letter of expectations in hopes that it will spur on to greater efforts. 

The contrasting idea in this verse is the "mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand." This is the person that does not gain through experience. The King James Version says it is near destruction. It is like a house getting ready to fall. This is a person that often doesn't think before speaking and simply let spews of their mouth whatever they are feeling at the time. People say things an then express some sort of apology following for what they said, hoping that the apology makes null and void what was said. People act impulsively and then regret for it often brings destruction on themselves as well as those near. 

Prayer: O God, you are rich in mercy and your ways are great. Help me to remember always the importance of being consistent in my life to continue to be motivated, diligent in all of my activities in life - to gain experience wherever I go and be a help to those in need. Guard my tongue from quick words and saying things improperly. Guard my heart. 

 

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

Proverbs 10:1 - The wise and foolish son

Proverbs 10:1 

The proverbs of Solomon, a wise son makes a father glad. But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. 

Message: The wise and foolish son

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: This is a a book that I have wanted to study for a long time, but specifically this section which begins here in verse 1 of Chapter 10 - "The proverbs of Solomon." This section spans from 10:1 to 22:16 and is 375 separate verses on various subjects. Each verse can in a way stand alone. People have said that with 31 chapters in Proverbs, one can read a chapter a day. Maybe that is a good practice and yet within those 31 chapters are so many different messages to ponder and every time I set out on the goal to read a chapter a day I get hung up with all of the different ideas in each chapter. So I wonder instead of studying each one, could I with 375 verses do one a day, taking over a year to complete? In looking at these 375 verses, what will follow is observations of moral virtues and their contrary vices.  

The first verse of these proverbs begin with the son. As I read the previous 9 chapters of Proverbs, the son seems to be the focal subject. Chapters 2-7 begin with the phrase, "My son..." and much of the subject matter is a warning of the son to not go astray and often the warning is to stay far away from one's neighbors wife (yet this son does not seem to be married). 

This first proverb expresses the most fundamental relationship and one that is present throughout history - a child's relationship to their father and mother. Note: while this book focuses on the name 'son' in its writings, I don't think the application is only to a son. The male gender is often used as the default term, especially in these ancient times. 

The virtue here is "a wise son makes a father glad" and the vice is attributed to the mother, "a foolish son is a grief to his mother." And yet just as a son also means a daughter, a father can also mean the mother. It is significant though that a father and mother are assumed to both to be a part of a child's life. While this verse is one subject - the actions of a child, contrasting two actions, it seems this verse is a culmination as well of all that this book is speaking about. In order to understand wisdom as well as foolishness a person needs to read the previous chapters. As such, this book, the Bible and its collections of writings are a group of writings that are written for us to make them all a part of our lives. Yes, we highlight and call attention to certain verses over others. But all are meant to be a part of our lives. And I think this verse therefore is a summary verse and understanding its meanings requires us to read on and think about what has already been stated. 

The other thing I see in this verse is our actions are meant to not simply be individualistic, but impacting others. We are relational beings. Yes, there is value in the individual but life is not simply about one person but rather a people. This verse shows the impact a child's actions has on their parents, producing gladness while foolishness produces grief. It is clear that gladness is our goal. It is what we are after. 

This idea of relational creatures and that we are not meant to do things alone and be alone and only please ourselves is a big one. A friend was telling me that so much of today's life is individualistic. People are so concerned of individual's feelings and rights. In the media, we have more and more contests that are focused on individual success rather than a team (e.g. Survivor, American Idol, The Voice, The Floor). Our phones are focused on our own self interest and self enjoyment. So much of life is now focused on individual attainment. But what is significant about this verse is the individual effects others (parents). I think our lives are meant to be relational, affecting others. 

In thinking of this word, wisdom, I read from commentaries that it encompasses a prudent person or one that shows care for the future. There is also an element of virtue. Virtue displays a life of high morals or choosing right over wrong consistently. And then wisdom is defined as a godly person. To be godly I think is to exemplify and be like the One that created us and made us and purposed us to live. As such, we pursue to follow God's commands and conform our thoughts and actions to the standard that God sets for us. As such these attributes are interchangeable. The desire for high morals is spoken of in the Bible. God wants a people that will be faithful to Him and glorify Him. 

Thus, this idea of a wise son makes a father glad shows that a child of God is also meant to make their heavenly father proud. I will never forget when Tyson, my oldest, was playing basketball in a church league (Upwards) in mid-school I believe and he struggled making baskets, but there was one day he went down the court, made a basket and immediately looked back at me in the stands. He wants to make me glad. There was another time with Tyson back at our house on Moon Street in which I got really mad at the kids and he went and quickly drew a picture of us at the Lobos football game we had attended. I was mad and angry over something the kids had done and he wanted to bring to mind a game we had gone to and the good time we had there. He wanted me to be glad. It took a while in my life before I felt that my dad was glad with me and still I struggle at times with it. 

The idea that a foolish son is a grief to his mother is because I think in this instance, the emotion of grief is actually more common to women. My wife is definitely quicker to tears. Grief is anguish or distress and there are occurrences of this in our lives because of the actions of our children. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for this verse and all that an be gleaned from it. Thank you for making us relational beings, in need of each other and that our behavior affects others. I thank you for my children who have made me glad many times and in so many ways.  

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

Mark 7:20-23 - Evil in Heart

Mark 7:20-23

20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Message: Evil in Heart

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: Jesus speaks to all the people, going beyond just the scribes, and declares clearly that when speaking of being clean, the key is what comes out of a person, not what is taken in. What is unneeded to the human body are thrown off and eliminated through waste. If the people want to know what defiles, it is what comes out of a person that matters most. Jesus is declaring this radical message over and over - the heart. We need to focus on the heart. 

Jesus is emphasizing that what comes into a man - be it drink or food, even eating with unclean hands is not what defiles a person, but rather that which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. There is a clear contrast here that he is emphasizing.The Pharisees and scribes questioned why the disciples were not maintaining the tradition of hand washing that was thought to render people clean. Ultimately, Christ explains that cleanliness is an interior matter. It is the state of one's heart that determines cleanliness for the heart is the origin of all uncleanness. Before any sinful deed can be committed, it is conceived in the heart. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts...All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. 

God and man see people differently. This, to me, further emphasizes the radical nature in which Jesus came. I Samuel 16:7 says, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” This verse reminds me of the way God has always been and therefore God sees in a way that man does not see. Naturally, we look at the outward and our prisons are set up because people have committed outward violations. The civil law is set up like this. But, God and Jesus go beyond the outward to the inner. This must be a difficult thing for society to comprehend for everywhere we are trained in the idea of the outward, but everyone God trains us on what is on the inside that matters most. 

Here sins are listed to clearly show their inner origins: fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. The first six in this list are acts that are seen outside of the flesh while the second six are attitudes behind the acts. 

First on the list is fornications. It is interesting for there is such a great power of sexual sin and sexual temptation that has been present in every culture of man. It was a problem 2,000 years ago and it is a problem today. The internet in the last 25 years has seen the proliferation of this sin. This is a sin that seeks to become more and more private.

Second is thefts. To be a thief is obviously abhorrent in society. But, for me, the acts of being a thief are changing. We most definitely grade this sin, in that taking a dollar versus $100 is seen a way different. With the advent of movies in the home came forth the issue of piracy. Even the internet and youtube made piracy of music more prevalent to the point that they had to figure out a way to make money on listening to music and now it has become the norm to listen in this manner. 

Third is murders. For me, personally, Roe v Wade in 1973 was the biggest change that occurred over the issue of murder for society accepted that murder of the fetus was warranted based upon a woman's choice. In the nineties, doctor assisted suicide started to appear as we looked at the other end of the spectrum, the elderly. Again, sin began to be disguised as warranted behavior. Society still today does not view either of these as murder. 

Fourth is adulteries. Adultery is not a new thing. It is a sexual sin practice that has been present for thousands of years. As a person that loves to watch old movies, adultery in the movies has always been present. There was a notion that if one was wealthy then they more easily could afford a mistress. The woman as an object of the man's desires crept more and more into people's thoughts and was then culminated with pornography being viewed as entertainment. 

Fifth is coveting. Coveting is a internal desire seen outwardly. Consumerism has made coveting a normal practice. The desire to have what your neighbor possesses is viewed as competition and moves us to be a strong business person. 

Sixth is wickedness. This is all kinds of wicked behavior. Thus, anything not covered previously is covered here. 

This is what we see and now Jesus focuses on what is on the inside. Deceit means lying, not telling the truth, deceptiveness, false witness. Lying can be pretending to be something we are not. Lying shows up in church all the time as people want to pretend to others that they are religious in order to get acceptance from society. 

Sensuality shows up in our behavior and speech. It is a dirty mind. Once again, society has made having a dirty mind being completely acceptable. Its amazing to think of the TV sitcoms and their attitudes and behaviors that made having a dirty mind comedic.  

Envy is to look with hate or to look with anger. 

Slander is to have abusive speech such as blasphemy. I went and saw a movie yesterday, one I should have avoided for the slander or abusive language that occurred in the movie, all under the disguise of laughter and entertainment was incredible and the most haunting thing was to witness children in the movie laughing at themes most likely they did not understand at all, but only laughed because their parents also laughed beside them. 

Pride is the feeling of being superior to others. And then foolishness, to be unthinking or senseless.

The issue that I'm seeing more and more is the normalizing of these sins in society. We don't think of these in a serious light because we have such a thirst for entertainment that we excuse these behaviors because they have made us laugh or enjoy life. 

Summary - Jesus, in a way, concludes the utter defilement of the heart by naming a list of these sins and repeats the idea that evil comes from within. While we stare at the outward, it is what is on the inside that matters most.  

Promise: Sin and holiness are fundamentally issues of the heart. Although holiness can be faked before men, God is never fooled. 

Prayer: Lord, I want to walk in holiness. I thank you for forgiving me of my sins and I'm embarrassed of how prevalent these sins continue to be in my life. I should know better. Thank you for the reminder and continue to clean me up, not only so that my witness is better but so that I can have peace with myself in life. 

Psalm 115:1-8 - Glory to the Name of the Lord

Psalm 115:1-8
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?”
3 But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6 They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7 They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.

Message: Glory to the Name of the Lord

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying:
I believe Chris Tomlin's second album Arriving opens with the song Not to Us. The chorus is:

Not to us, but to Your name be the glory

Wow. That is this verse from Psalm 115.

Overall, this Psalm is about idolatry and exposing it and contrasting it to the worship of the true God.

Appreciation - The Sanctity of God's Name
Our redemption is forever associated with the act of our Great God. Thus, it is His Name that we will forever glorify, not ours. And in this verse, that idea of not to us is repeated, like an exclamation point and further clarification: Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory. 

Appreciation - The Scoffers of God's Fame
There will always be scoffers of God. There will always be those that call into question his existence, authority, sovereignty. Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” God's name is cursed more than ever as society looks more and more unlike God and things of God. God remains patient. He understands people and He is kind, waiting for people to come to repentance. His timing is perfect. Those that don't believe in God thing they can somehow call on God to act. When he doesn't respond, they think they are proving that he doesn't exist. They are proving that He remains patient.

Appreciation - The Straightness of God's Aim
But God does as he wishes. He is not under my authority nor the authority of man. I must even remember this that He will act in a way that is best for him and for me. He sees all and knows all. But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

Appraisal - The Form of the Idol
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat. I suppose from the perspective of God it seems absurd to believe in something that has been crafted by man or is even an animal that is a creation of God. It makes as much sense talking to a garden gate or bench. Why do people elevate these creatures, these objects to the status of God. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is my perspective. And as I know there are other idols in our lives that we erect in place of our worship of God, that I'm sure don't make sense either to God.

Appraisal - The Folly of the Idolator
Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. The worship of idols creates this hold on us as we almost habitually allow them to become a part of our lives and then we can't see it anymore as it takes hold of our minds. The only thing that can change this is a change of heart. It's sad to watch this happen. And yet I see it all too often in my boys, more specifically my youngest son and his attachment to a drug in his life.

Promise: This passage begins with a prayer - not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. I need to continue to give praise to the Lord and continue to pray giving glory to his name.

Prayer: Lord, help me to always remember that you are my God in the heavens and you do as you please. It is not to me, but to your name be the Glory. Help me to always realize that people will question you, but you are the unseen personal God. It is sad to see people worshiping idols that are fashioned in the more of a god. Remove this from people's lives, specifically from my families lives. Help us all to be surrendered to you and your ways.

Proverbs 9:13-18 - Meet Woman Folly

Proverbs 9:13-18

¹³ The woman of folly is boisterous,She is naive and knows nothing.
¹⁴ She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high places of the city,
¹⁵ Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:
¹⁶ “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet;
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Message: Meet Woman Folly

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: Throughout Proverbs wisdom is personified as a lady calling out to society to sit at her feet and listen to her righteous words. But, the Woman of Folly, as noted here in verse 13 is also mentioned and she presents an antagonist perspective.

This woman or this person or perspective is first of all loud. She is boisterous. And yet in the loudness she is naive and knows nothing. The loud voice is not necessarily the correct voice. The one who is loud is not necessarily the one who is right. She is simply loud. She shows a lack of experience and really knows nothing.

Second, she is lazy and simply looking for an opportunity to pounce on someone. She sits at the doorway of her house looking for someone that will be lured away. She is idle. She is focused on one thing and that is calling to those who pass by. More specifically, her audience is those who are making their paths straight. I can't help but go back to Proverbs 3;5-6 which says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. The one that is seeking to put their trust in the Lord, who has set themselves as a goal to not lean on their own understanding, but in all their ways acknowledge Him and therefore, He is making their paths straight. And this is the one that Woman Folly is calling to and sitting and waiting for. It is those that have the intent and desire to be men and women of God. 

But she is really focused on those who lack understanding (v. 4, 16). The problem with the Christian often is they have a little bit of knowledge, but if they do not plant themselves in the Word of God, yield to it and get trained by it, they are lazy or naive and lack understanding. Many a Christian has no idea what to do when someone comes to their door to question their faith or makes a remark. They are set in the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ, but that setting is a little watery. It is a setting where they can move about. The goal is for us to be firmly fixed in place. Otherwise, we are easily given into the world and its ways. 

One of the things that makes sin so attractive is the fact that it is often hidden or done in secret or off the beaten track. There is a conquest in doing it for we are people of adventure and there is something special about getting away with something and that something then giving us a fix of enjoyment. 

Proverbs 5:15 says to Drink water from your own cistern and fresh water from your own well. This is referring to intercourse or sex and the admonition to drink only from what is yours or has been given to you. And then here in 9:17 is the idea that Stolen waters are sweet. Adulterous intercourse is sweet. Human nature is corrupt and human nature is attracted to that which is unlawful. We struggle with being content and accepting the gift God has given us. Instead we want more. 

I have struggled with this. It is so easy in this day and age to get enticed away. If we give those sites or show our eyes, if we allow our senses to sit at their feet, we get lured away, and for a moment, a brief moment, there is a thrill and intensity. We have stolen a glance. We have garnered the forbidden fruit. We have turned to our God and said, "No sir, I'm in charge." We have denied the commandments and we feel superior in that moment. I have been there. I go there at times. It is wrong. I know it, but for whatever reason -- sickness, anger, feeling lonely, hungry, feeling tired and yet not sleeping -- in that moment of weakness I fall into bed with the woman of folly. I hate it. As Paul says, "I do what I don't want to do" but I do it anyway.  

In scripture, meat and wine are offered to the follower of God. Here the woman of folly offers bread and water. Both can meet a need, but meat and wine are more pleasurable and more powerful and longer lasting. This is what God is telling us. Seek My ways and listen to My commandments. Do what I tell you to do and you will receive more enjoyment. You think you have all that you need right now. You are in a habit, but know this, come to the Living Water and you will never thirst again. If I submit and surrender to him, then I am rich and full and complete.

This is a very powerful set of verses. In verse 18 is these words - But he does not know that the dead are there. The lure of the woman brings us in, to experience the pleasure and yet everyone in that place is basically dead. And even more her guests are in the depths of Sheol. Her guests, that is, the woman of folly, other companions, the others she has lured in, are empty. The danger is that we just jump from one pleasure to another pleasure. We are always in this state of needing to feed our senses and our desires, programmed now to think that this is the meaning of life. 

I think of Romans 1, when we give it an open door in our life, that is sin, when we stop honoring God and stop giving him thanks, then God says, "Go at it." He gives man over to it. And man is engulfed in it. This is the abhorrence of what is occurring everywhere. The Christian is as much a problem as those that clearly attack the Christian and try to silence him. 

Promise: Sin is seductive. 

My Prayer: O God, heal us. Bring us back to the joy of our salvation. Get me back on the straight and narrow path. Forgive me for thinking that I am God and I know better. You are everything and we need. Poor into the lives of my family and bring them to a true and complete knowledge of you.

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 - Pursuing Contentment

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

Message: Pursuing Contentment

Time: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

This message is entitled contentment, which for me, is a difficult concept. I am not sure what it means to be content. I think I know what it means from an economic stance. I need to be content with what God has provided me and not feel like I need more. In fact, it seems like in life, the more I have the worse off I am. Every time I get a raise, the money is gone before I know it, being spent on other commitments.

But, contentment in life, on a time standpoint, as far as what I spend my time on, is also difficult. In my present job I could easily stay at work all night, but I know that I need to leave the office and get home. At home, I wonder how much time each day should really be spent in relaxation, sitting in front of a screen watching something. That is where I struggle to this day, often not real satisfied with just sitting in front of a TV, so I can get through such and such TV show that my wife and I have decided we like. I think about reading a book instead during that time or even doing a Bible Study. I think about the early days of dating and courting and how much time was spent in the Word, and now, it happens individually, but not very often as a couple.

In my TableTalk, the write-up begins with this idea of seeking contentment or balance in our lives.

The Preacher here in verse 4 brings up an interesting point to begin by stating, "every labor and every skill which is done is rivalry between a man and his neighbor." To me, he may be using this to set up a point because I am not sure this is the focus of man, but rather there is the potential of man to think that his work is basically the result of envy and we work because we want something better than our neighbor. I think I work hard to work for the Lord and provide for my family. Sure, there are times when I think my providing isn't enough and that "isn't enough" thought often is there because I look out on the landscape at other people and what they have been able to provide for their families and immediately, I think what I am doing is not good enough (and yet more is not always what I think is needed, but rather the right balance).

After this statement he remarks that this is vanity and striving after wind. This makes sense, if our desire is simply to do better than our neighbor then this is a losing battle. We will never be satisfied and even if we think we are accomplishing it, what does it matter, but temporal enjoyment.

So, that is the laborer, but then the Preacher mentions the fool or the lazy man. The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. The fool does nothing but sit idly. This is the person that equally disturbs me. This is the person that seems content to live off the government or their parents or both. If given the opportunity this person is going to do whatever it takes to basically do thinks that feed his flesh. The flesh likes to be entertained and fed -- once again spent time doing things that are fleeting and will pass away. In the end, the laborer and the fool or lazy person have the same outcome in their lives. They both are living an empty life of seeking after things that don't really matter. The hard worker amasses toys, the lazy person amasses nothing, but both are seeking things that will result in little. 

Verse 6 provides the conclusion. What is it that we should desire in life? One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. It is better to possess what you can handle or what your one hand can hold versus living life wanting to fill up both hands or even folding his hands (verse 5). Rest is important in our lives and rest is often about trust. I should work hard six days and then the 7th rest and feel fine that I am resting because I do not have to be busy all the time.  

Promise: Pursue contentment, accepting what God has provided.

Proverbs 13:20 - Walking With The Wise

Proverbs 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Message: Walking with the wise

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I believe, staring in book 10, Proverbs is a book of one verse proverbs. These verse speaks to the company that wise men keep. It is to be people that are also wise. It is contrasted with fools hanging around fools. 

This reminds me especially of growing up because it is in those growing up years that there is walking alongside people. I have noticed in my life that those that I kept my company with, in different situations or circumstances, were often the ones I ended up being like. In middle school, it was a non-Christian who was living for things of the world and so the world is what I got. In high school, it was both. When I was around the Christians, it was about being a Christian and being Jesus-like, but with the non-Christian, it became skipping school and in pursuit of the pretty girl. And so this verse held true. 

There was a song by Petra that I listened to off of the Never Say Die album. It was called Chameleon. It was written by Bob Hartman.

You want the best of both worlds
You're not getting either
You seem content to ride the fence
When you know which side is greener

Some run hot, some run cold
Some run from their maker
Some run the risk of losing out
With lukewarm friends and fakers

Chameleon, you blend with your surroundings
Chameleon, no one knows where you come from
Chameleon, you change with every situation
Compromising dedication

You compromise each word you say so inoffensively
You only want to hide behind your anonymity
You struggle for acceptance and it takes you to extremes
The smile you hide your face behind is not all that it seems

Come out, come out
Come out from among them
Come out, come out
Come out and be free

There is no gray, no neutral ground
There's only black and white
And nothing in between the two
To turn a wrong into right

There is no time for your charade
You've got to make your stand
When salt has lost its savor
The world becomes so bland

I loved that song and it says it nicely. You become what you hang around. 
 
Promise: Yes, we must walk with the wise, but we also must listen to the wise and emulate their behavior.

 

Proverbs 19:13-14 - Foolish Sons and Prudent Wives

Proverbs 19:13-14 - ¹³ A foolish son is destruction to his father, and the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. ¹⁴ House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Message: Foolish Son and Prudent Wives

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.
 
What the Lord is Saying:

These two verses contrast the impact of a son and mother and their impact on the family and the father. "A foolish son is destruction to his father." The focus of Proverbs and the Wisdom literature is to be wise. I think of wisdom often of the ability to make the right choice. And so the fool is someone that despite all of the facts and despite the experience of others, chooses a different path, a foolish path. So, how can a foolish son be depended upon? That seems to be the contention here.  

Contentions in a wife are also given, which is constant arguing or disagreement. This marks as a drip in the family. Drips drive me crazy. There has been many times that drips have occurred in our sinks and they are quite a bother. It is nonstop.

Tabletalk from January 26 states:

A home should be a place of refuge for its residents, and when relationships are harmonious and things are going well, a home is exactly that. However, when a home is full of strife, its residents desire to flee from it far more than they hope to dwell in it. The book of Proverbs recognizes this reality, and many of its sayings capture both the joy and the sorrow that can be found in the home.

The home should be a refuge. I have always thought that. The world tends to beat us up and we should always have the family as people we can retreat to, to restore life. But, when it is full of strife and tension and you don't feel like you can speak your mind then it is no fun to be there. I have wanted a home of freedom, but sometimes I don't think I've made it that way in our home. So it take divine intervention to have a good wife. It's not the norm. 

In verse 14, it remarks that a prudent wife is not easy to come by like maybe wealth or a good house. From the Reformation Study Bible, "This proverb does not imply that the Lord is not ultimately in control of the inheritance of wealth. It emphasizes rather that the outcome of one’s choice of spouse is not so easy to predict or control. A happy marriage is indeed cause to thank God." 


Promise: The Lord and His providence is the reason people are wonderful to be around.

Proverbs 10:1 - Parellelism

Proverbs 10:1 - The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Message: Contrasting the wise and foolish son and the impact on father and mother (Parellelism)

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

According to Tabletalk on January 5, 2015: 

Hebrew poetry exhibits parallelism as its chief characteristic. We see parallelism when two or more lines of a Hebrew poem correspond closely with one another in order to make a point. There are three major types of parallelism in Hebrew poetry: synonymous parallelism, antithetic parallelism, and synthetic parallelism.

Synonymous parallelism is probably the easiest one for us to grasp. A synonymous parallel says the same thing in different ways in order to convey its teaching. Though it is not from one of the Wisdom Books, Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:13—“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”—exhibits synonymous parallelism. The prayer has us asking God for the same thing in two different ways, namely, that He would keep us from the full assault of the evil one. The parallel does not mean that the Lord is able to tempt us (see James 1:13).

Antithetic parallelism uses a contrast between two or more lines to teach us truth. Proverbs 10:1 is an example of antithetic parallelism; there, opposing behaviors of wise and foolish sons reveal to us the kind of children that please their parents.

Synthetic parallelism synthesizes two or more poetic lines. In such parallelism, successive lines build on and intensify the first line. Proverbs 6:16-19, wherein the list of things God hates expands over the course of the verses, illustrates synthetic parallelism.

Beginning in Chapter 10, there is now seldom any connection with 2 or more consecutive verses. Each verse somewhat stands alone. This is now a book of quotes going forward.  

It is understood that the son has a father and a mother.  Why isn't it the reverse? A father often will talk about his son and how proud he is of him. If he is a fool, the father says nothing, but the mother grieves. The mother's heart sinks.

Keith Simon states: 

Several words in this verse contrast with other words. ‘Wise’ contrasts with ‘foolish’. ‘Father’ contrasts with ‘mother’. ‘Joy’ contrasts with ‘pain.’ It does not matter whether you are young or old. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman. It does matter whether you are wise or foolish. If you are wise, then you respect God. ‘Respect God! This is the first lesson in wisdom. Know God! This is intelligence.’ (Proverbs 9:10) Your wisdom will help other people. For example, this verse says that wisdom will bring joy to a father. If you are foolish, then you live for your own pleasure. If you do this, then you refuse God’s wisdom. Other people will suffer because you are a fool. For example, this verse says that a fool will cause pain to his mother.

According to Scofield, "A "fool" in Scripture is never a mentally deficient person, but rather one arrogant and self-sufficient; one who orders his life as if there were no God."

Promise: Be wise and people will talk; be a fool and people will grieve.

Jesus Calling: June 10

     Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. When you try to peer into the future and plan for every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment to moment. As you gaze anxiously into the distance, you don't even feel the strong grip of My hand holding yours. How foolish you are, My child!
     Remembrance of Me is a daily discipline. Never lose sight of My Presence with you. This will keep you resting in Me all day, every day. 

I Thessalonians 5:17
English Standard Version

Pray without ceasing.

Verse thoughts
I remember when I was volunteering for a local Christian radio station in the late 90's and went to pick up Mylon LeFevre at the airport for a concert he was doing in town. As I picked him up and we were walking down the concourse, I introduced myself, and as we walked he voiced, "Thank you God for sending Chris to pick me up."  It was simple, but it spoke to me about how I can pray without ceasing by having an attitude of prayer throughout my life. 

Psalm 62:5
English Standard Version

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.

My Prayer (2019)
Lord, I want You to be on my mind, in my thoughts throughout my day. You live inside of me but often I treat you like You are far away or that I have to get in some special position or wait for a special time to speak to You. But you remind me that you are with me all the time and so therefore, I can talk to you like I would with anyone else that is with me. I don't want to ever lose sight of Your Presence in my life.

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.

Romans 3:18 - No Fear of God

Romans 3:18 - “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 

Message: The picture of no fear of God.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Here in verse 18 is sort of an interesting, though apt, culmination of man's departure from God. It is somewhat similar to chapter 1. I am always reminded that as my turns from God, he stops giving thanks to God for His hand of providence in life. And here is the calling card of the sinner. We have seen that no one is righteous, the tongue is poison and our feet are swift to shed blood. 

But, more directly now before God, there is no fear of God. This statement really could be a summary statement of the problem with all men: no fear of God. This is a quote from Psalm 36:1, "Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes."

The stark reminder of this verse is man really doesn't care about God. Fearing God causes us to turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God means our sin is constrained so without it, sin is unleashed. It always amazes me the surprise it seems the Christian world has in the world's sins. They don't fear God. How can we expect them to follow through on God's commandments when they don't fear Him? 

Deuteronomy 4:10 -  Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.
-- with an absence of God's words in our life, there is going to be an absence of the fear of God. 

Why is the fear of God so important? I think it is a recognition that God is there. It is interesting that when I'm breaking the law of speeding, I fear the police catching me. In a dark room, sometimes I fear not having light. Sometimes I fear being found out for not being as smart as people think I am. I fear people often, not wanting to talk to them about God, because I don't want their rejection of me or their verdict upon me. I think of money too much because I fear being without it. I have fears that my children will not walk with the Lord. But, I wonder if I really fear God. What often motivates me to not sin is the consequences of sin. I hope that what begins my desire to avoid sin is the realization that God is there. He created me. He has a purpose for me. He is in control. In some ways, I think fear of God is respecting who God is. It is recognizing that He is there, always. It is knowing that He is Holy. It is believing in Him.

Promise: Without fear of God, there is no foundation. Man is in chaos.

Romans 2:17-21a - Teaching Oneself

Romans 2:17-21a - 17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?

Message: A person can have all the right ingredients in their life, in appearance, but are they complete? 

Time: Romans was probably written during Paul’s third missionary journey from Corinth to a Jewish/Gentile church in Rome (around 56-57 AD).

What the Lord is Saying:


Just as verses 14-16 expanded on verse 12, now verses 17-21 expand on verse 13. As a reminder, verse 13 stated, "for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God (the Jews), but the doers of the Law will be justified."

The reminder here is that it is still important to uphold the truths of teaching the Law and upholding the things of God, but teaching is not just for others benefits, it is also placing a mirror before us so that we can see ourselves. We are also shining a light back at us.

Yes we need to:

• rely upon the Law
• boast in God
• know His will
• approve the things that are essential
• be instructed out of the Law
• be a guide to the blind
• a light to those who are in darkness
• a corrector of the foolish
• a teacher of the immature
• knowing that the Law embodies all knowledge and truth

Yet, as we live to revel in these things, the greatest thing is to teach oneself. Yes, we want to serve others and know the truth, but most importantly, I need to realize that the standard is for me. The Law is for me. I boast in God so I don't boast in myself. I know His will so that I don't live life according to my will. I approve of those things that are only of God. My instruction comes out of the Law of God and His word. I am there for others, guiding those that can't see. I am to uphold the Word of God continually  in my life as there are so many living in darkness. I am to correct those that make foolish, unwise decisions. I am to teach those that can only handle milk. Again, I am to train myself by the Word of God for it embodies all that I need.

John MacArthur message - False Security
I read a message by John MacArthur on False Security which is what he had titled a sermon on verses 17-20. He states that every person places their security in something. Every person desires to believe that what they have decided to be true is true for them.

The first security here for the Jew was their heritage, "But if you bear the name Jew" in verse 17. For the Jew, just being called a Jew is often their security. For the non-Christian, growing up in a religious family is their security. But, God is clear that association to heritage isn't enough.

The second security is the Jews "rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law," verse 17 and 18. This security is knowledge. They had the Law of God, they were instructed out of it, they had discerning, and they knew the difference between good and evil. To be instructed out of the Law is to receive the Law orally. The Greek word is katecheo or oral repetitious teaching or catechism. They had great head knowledge, but very little life change.

[It is interesting because this is what I perceive in many of the people that I associate with in my life. They can explain the gospel. They can explain grace. They can explain the necessity of confessing our sins. And yet there is very little life change.]

Just knowing is not our security. Our security is in doing. Verse 13 states that "it is not the hearers of the law that are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified."

[I'm thinking about this right now in the life of many of the people I know and in the life of my kids. One of the things I have noticed lately is the tension they live in, in the world of their church friends and non-church friends. And the way they dance between the two. I remember doing it. And I remember thinking it was no big deal. I felt like I could have both. I had the security of my faith and knew I needed that. But, I also enjoyed the time with the friends in my life. I even had non-Christian girlfriends that I dated, never thinking it was a big deal. And the reason I felt okay with being with the non-Christian is I focused on the relationship and the friendship and the comfort in that. And I think I believed that I could have both and be fine.]

The third security was their confidence in what they did. Verse 19 mentions "confidence." Verses 19 and 20 mention ways the Christian should live, but here, for the Jew, there security rested not in Christ, but in what they did. Paul mentions that "you yourself are a guide to the blind." Is there anything greater than taking someone who doesn't know and is blind to truth and showing them the right way? It is so easy to do this and then pay myself on the back for what I think I have done in giving them truth. But, what happens if what they are leading a person in is not correct?  And then they were "a light to those in darkness." This is very similar to being a guide to the blind. What is the big danger of a cult or starting a religion? It is being to take something and then convince someone else it is true. Verse 20, they saw themselves as "a corrector of the foolish." When someone can't make a right decision, they are corrected. And again great confidence comes about when a person corrects another. And also "a teacher of the immature." Education is taking a young mind that has little knowledge and giving them understanding. And finally, "having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and the truth." They had the sketch or drawing of what was right.

However, they lacked something, a changed life. Verse 21 turns a corner for Paul to ask the question, when you teach others, do you teach yourself? The true worshiper is one that has experienced a complete life change. This doesn't mean that everything in their life is lined up with God and doing His will, but the person has a desire for their life to be this way.

[This reminds me of people in my life. I have heard the story of the person who went to church, was a deacon, taught Sunday school, and then discovered at one point in their life that they weren't really a Christian. It is great to be a Sunday School teacher or go to church, but a life must be changed completely. I quickly think about the Mormon who has a knowledge and then seemingly has a changed life. And yet what I see is the concern that there changed life is out of duty rather than out of a relationship. I'm not saying completely with the Mormon because the family time that they have and focus on, I don't think is because they are trying to jump through a hoop necessarily and earn something. But, I also think of the person I was speaking to (Vero) and how he mentioned that he still loved mainstream music and things of the world. Yet, I see the same thing in me at times and in people I know.]

I must examine myself. I look at my life and I often expose things in my life that are not proper. I want to always be a teacher, but more importantly teach myself.
 
Promise: When Christ changes a life, he changes the entire life, inside and out. AND We must judge ourselves first before we go and judge others.

Romans 1:29-31 - A Litany of Wickedness

Romans 1:29-31 - 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;

Message:  On the heels of a people having no reason in their life to even acknowledge God, the result is not something good, but instead bad behavior.

Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey.

What the Lord is Saying:

Left to their own devices, this is the result,

being filled with all:

• unrighteousness
• wickedness
• greed
• evil

full of:

• envy
• murder
• strife
• deceit
• malice

they are:

• gossips
• slanderers
• haters of God
• insolent
• arrogant
• boastful
• inventors of evil
• disobedient to parents
• without understanding
• untrustworthy
• unloving
• unmerciful

I think the amazing things about these verses and the result of man from straying away from God is that man can't even see the above results, but thinks that everything is okay.

Unrighteousness - if faith in God through Jesus Christ makes us righteous, then anything that is not this is unrighteousness. I don't think I need to try to get more clever with that first sin. All of man's vain attempts to be good are in fact, unrighteousness. That is probably hard for anyone to accept for man wants to believe he is good. And I think it is interesting that what begins here in this list is the simple, overarching category of unrighteousness.  

Wickedness - And isn't it interesting that wickedness is then called out here. What is interesting about this list is that each one has been selected and is there to describe something different from everything else in the list. The other thing to realize in all of these sins is that they are often not mentioned in our lives as sins. Wickedness here is the deliberate act to destroy the goodness of man. We are often so cavalier in pushing out the goodness in any person.

Greed - The inordinate desire for something at any cost. Sometimes, there is greed for money, but I think it goes beyond that in that the greed is to have things. And often to have more things than another person. I think the big problem with greed is it is selfish and does not care about others. God provides and then I respond often by saying, "That isn't good enough." He provides for people differently. I think of this in marriage. God provides a wife, but man often wants more that the woman God has provided and instead of getting to know better what God has provided, the man looks outside the wife to get what he wants. Man is so quick to not trust God.

Evil - How could evil not already have been covered? Evil is the general meaning of being bad or badness. But, evil needs to be covered here because this simply describes a person that is only bad. What a horrible state this would be, that anyone could look at a person and state they are evil. An evil person takes pleasure in doing wrong.

Envy - this begins the second set of 5 sins. Envy is the displeasure we feel in seeing something that another person has and then begrudging them for this. We might say, "Why does that person have what they do? I deserve it more than that person does." Jealousy is desiring what another person has, envy in contrast is wants to deprive another person of what they have.

Murder - The result of envy is murder. Murder can be outward, but it can also be inward when it looks like anger (I John 3:15). To the Romans, murder was very familiar to them as they would often put to death slaves for the slightest offenses.

Strife - Strife is another sin of selfishness. It comes about through quarrelsome and rivalry, deceit, tricking and lying to get what you want. This word is mentioned 9 times in the NT. The gift of God is take as much pleasure in others as we do in ourselves.

Deceit - It is misleading someone for my own advantage. In advertising, this is "bait and switch" in which a person is lured in to something that looks too good to be true. This word is used 36 times in the OT and 9 times in the NT.

Malice -  This is the desire to harm another person. It is the opposite of biblical love which thinks of the best of others.

Gossips - I destroy another person's reputation by sharing a secret. The one being spoken against does not have the ability to defend oneself because they don't know what is being said. In the work environment, gossip is all to clear as employees speak of their supervisors in an ill way; in the church we gossip about the pastor, as a citizen, we gossip about our president. Anytime we can change a person's judgment upon another person just by whispering we have done great harm.

Slanderer - A slanderer acts in the same way as the gossip, but the accused often hears what the slanderer is saying.

Haters of God - The God Hater doesn't just hate God, but works to exclude God from their thinking. I do this at times when God gives me an opportunity for people to see I am a Christian, but I decide I don't want people to know I'm a Christian because I'm nervous about what people will then think of me. And yet this person also sees God as the one who will spoil his fun. People do reject God often because they assume things about Him that may not be true, so they push Him outside of their life. My challenge is not respond to haters of God with hate, but love. We have seen the 10 commandments removed, prayer removed from school, abortion uplifted, marriage redefined, intolerance toward Christians -- all of these are God-haters winning and yet our response is not to belittle these people, but to continue to love them.

Insolent - This is a person who sees himself as superior to other people and because of his position can be cruel and insulting to others. I might say I would never be that type of boss, but have I been that type of parent at times? Have I mistreated my kids and said things to them because I am their parent and therefore, I can say things to them that I would never say to other people I supervise? I can be cruel and insulting with them. In this respect, I am shaming them. But, that is my temptation. Here, for the person that has denied God, the insolent person puts himself above God and then acts like God in his life. This person can do whatever he wants to other people because he has no authoritative accountability.

Arrogant - The arrogant is the proud person that has a problem with everyone else, but never themselves. Others do wrong, but not me. I think there is a real danger among Christians to make themselves out to be arrogant amongst everyone else in society. People can act like the faith they have in God is because of something great in themselves as people. And so they come off in society as being greater than others. Religious people do it with the nice clothes they wear (like JW's that dress up when going door to door) or the special garments that papal people wear (to clearly set themselves apart from others). This is fine if our motive is genuine piety, but there is also such a danger of then thinking we are better than others. But, the hater of God is arrogant because God has become his servant and a made up deity and the person is then arrogant. And it is even clearer here how the haughty or proud person can't even see their sin. They are blind to it because they are blind to who God really is. This can be an inward sin because a person has the outward display, but inside has different agenda's. But, we clearly know from scripture that God hates the arrogant and proud.

Boastful - This words comes from a word meaning “wandering.” It referred to wandering merchants who would make extravagant claims for their products that could not be substantiated. This person brags about oneself, often in a way that can't be substantiated. There is a element of lying here because a person is lying about who they really are as they show themselves to be greater than they are. It is interesting that this is the word used in Ephesians 2:8-9 to explain the person who declares himself good before God rather than repenting by faith. We can't come before God boasting in ourselves because in essence we are trying to show God ourselves that isn't true. We are bragging that we are a good person and yet we aren't.

Inventors of evil - What a tragedy when sin comes mundane and a person needs to develop news way of sinning. This is the result of any addiction. Sin is never happy with just a one time occurrence. Pornography can lead to unmentionable things. Gambling, lying, stealing. I think the danger of sin is the quest people get to think of ways to achieve it. I guess I have a tendency to think of the sexual sins: rape, incest, sex trafficking, pornography of minors.

Disobedient to parents - At first, it is a little puzzling that this made this list. Is it unnatural then to disobey our parents? God sets up marriage and then family. A good family is God's intention for mankind. And so when a person is disobedient to a parent, that good purpose has dark results. The Greek word for disobedient conveys the idea of one that will not be persuaded by. I think one clear thing that must be looked at hear is the real purpose of the parent. The parent is to teach and train and mold and love and support and encourage. The child should be responsive to this. Going in the opposite direction is clearly the beginning of other disobedience. I do think that a child is not disobedient if the parents is acting in a way that is not according to God's directive for the parent. If a parent is leading a child into sin, then there is not disobedience when a child desires to go a different direction.

Without understanding - This because the final charge of the opposites. Up to this point the words have been affirmative descriptions of sins and now we turn to the opposites. Understanding is the goal, the problem is the person without understanding. God is clearly described in man and in creation (verse 19-21), but here the person has left that understanding. To think of a Christian and going to church, reading one's Bible, praying, fellowship with others, confession, evangelizing -- these are all disciplines of understanding. The person that is not a Christian is without understanding. And yet they are deceived and can't see it. And so the only true understanding that matters is knowing God.

Untrustworthy - A person here has broken a covenant. Life is about relationships and doing those relationships correctly. And yet we are so flippant in a charge to do things according to God's standards. I was at a wedding recently and it was so refreshing to see the message of permanence at the wedding. There was a message of making a covenant before God. There was a complete recognition that this was a union and they were making a commitment to honor that covenant. It is so easy to make promises. I even see this at work. It is so easy to tell someone that this is what I am going to do. It rolls off our tongue, but if I am going to be a man of my Word, I must follow through on those promises, even if that means a painful experience. I must be a man of His Word. Help me Lord to not be about excuses.

Unloving - Literally, this is without family love. Storge is used for family love or the love of a parent for a child or a child for a parent. I am called to this kind of love and to love this sort of way means my life is marked by something different. Man can clearly see God through creation, but man does not quickly love God, but the love of a father and mother and child is instinctive and inborn. So, what better picture here of the disintegration of man than the person that does not love father or mother or child.

Unmerciful - And finally, the unmerciful. It is only used here in the New Testament and it means someone that is without compassion for others. If there is one thing even the degenerate man gets is the need to be merciful to the needy. There are dark people everywhere that still recognize that compassion for the needy is necessary. I see this through the natural disasters that occur, the tsunami's and tornadoes and hurricanes and the desire for people to assist others in need. And so this list concludes with this very dark moment when man is without compassion. What is horrible is the all the sins that have been preceded this one or unfortunately so clearly seen in the world, but this one is rare and yet when it occurs, as it did with Hitler and other dictators, that person is long gone. The unmerciful person acts in an unconscionable manner. In some ways, there is nothing uglier. There is nothing more selfish.


Promise: Know God; Follow Him; Stay Close.

Romans 1:22-25 - Worshiping the Creature

Romans 1:22-25 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Message: Man continues to go down his own path, away from God, looking inward, basically worshiping himself. 


Time:  Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey.

What the Lord is Saying:

Where did we leave off in the previous verses? We left off with the reminder that the knowledge of God is written into every man. And just for being alive, man is witnessing all that God has made, and His power. And in spite of what man can see, man goes inward, rather than upward, to define life and its meaning. All of this begins with a simple act of not giving thanks to their creator for all that He has done.

[This reminds me again of the importance of giving thanks. Do I begin with an attitude of thanksgiving or do I instead beginning with wants and needs? How quickly do I acknowledge that the Lord is always on my side? David continually in the Psalms saw the nature of man, but also saw the Lord being on His side always. I even think about my own prayer time, that I have been better about doing, and yet that prayer time is about petition first rather than thanksgiving. In remembering the ACTS acronym of prayer I learned as a kid -- A is for Adoration, C is for Confession, T is for Thanksgiving, S is for Supplication. I too quickly run to S forgetting the great God, my Sin, and Giving Him thanks for what He has done thus far. Lord, help me return to the lessons of my youth and go to You first with a thankful heart.]

In verse 22, on the heels of darkened heart, man now proclaims his wisdom. I think of the atheist. After pushing away God, the atheist states that they have all the answers. Despite the evidence of creation, the evidence of God's power through weather and events of nature, man does not look upward but thinks answers are found in man. Psalms 14:1 states that "the fool says in his heart there is no God." And verse 22 here repeats this stating that man replacing God with his own thoughts has become a fool.

Again, the God of the universe has made himself known to man. His glory is seen. And in verse 23, man exchanges the gift of God for an idol. [This makes the conversations between followers of God and non-followers painful and a chore because in Romans 1 there is clear progression and clear statement of the workings of man pushing away God and exchanging God for something, that to the follower, is something God created. The Atheist is really his own god. The Atheist wants to be the one that defines life through his own self-discovery. The Atheist has set himself up as god to make the decision of life and death.]

Verse 23 mentions man, birds, four-footed animals, crawling creatures, such as a snake. I think the main point is that God has been exchanged for many different types of gods in many different forms, all springing up from what God has previously made. It all stems from what our eyes can clearly see.

The next verse is a stunning verse. I could see it being a verse that people may get upset over. Verse 24 states that because of man's desire to leave his creator, forsake the creation, define life on his own terms, that God allows--progression of their turning away--to further multiply, to the natural out-working of all that they have done. I wonder if it is like when raising a child or managing an employee. You can step in and correct the problem before the end, or you can let the matter run its course, with the hope that the person would see the error of their ways.

And the reason God gives them over is because in verse 25 man has exchanged that which is true for that which is false, though they think the falsehood is true. That's the funny thing about deception and lies, the hearer thinks it is true. 

So, that is my assessment of the verses right there, without looking at any commentaries. Rich verses. 

TableTalk mentions that, in verse 25, the act of exchanging the truth of God for a lie is true for religions such as Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, Unitarian, and even parts of Catholicism. This happens when God (or Allah) is defined by what man wants the God to be like. God becomes a creation of vain imagination no less than the other gods of the day that are worshiped.

TableTalk also mentions that this passage is primarily to the Gentiles because they still had idolatry in their lives where the Jews had given up idols.

A sermon I found my Ray Pritchard states that in verse 22, people truly believe that by rejected God they have found truth. There is a clear progression in these verses. Neglect (not giving thanks) leads to speculation (exchanging God) while leads to moral blindness (hearts of impurity) which now climaxes with a total loss of God (worship creation). When a person turns away from God, they always turn to something else. One issue that the atheist just can't see is the atheist is worshiping and is setting up a god, but it is defined in non-faith or non-god terms so they view it instead as a fact of life rather than a belief. Faith can't be duplicated, but they believe science can.

Promise:  From TableTalk, when human beings impenitently refuse to love the one true God, God will confirm them in their sin. The Lord gives people what they want.

Romans 1:19-21 - The Primal Sin of Humanity

Romans 1:19-21 - 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Message: The Primal Sin of Humanity - not giving thanks to the God that made creation and man.

Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey.

What the Lord is Saying:

The words here are a continuation of verse 18 which mentioned how the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against ungodliness, unrighteousness and those who suppress the truth of God in their life. And verse 19, as is Paul's custom in writing, further clarifies what he has said previously. The subject is people who suppress the truth of God in their life. Paul makes it clear they are suppressing something that God has made clear within man.

These words are so key because as I talk to people about the truth of God, it isn't a foreign subject matter. I am simply awakening subjects that are already in them. On the contrary, I often think that I must try hard to show people Christ and yet these verses speak to the fact that God is self-evident in our world.

The entire reason that I think the Way of the Master witnessing technique is so true and correct is it appeals to the conscience of man. It confirms verse 19 in that people have a conscience and they have a knowledge of right and wrong. But, the problem is often that though they  know right and wrong they have suppressed God's real power and so they don't think their sin is that serious. Yes God forgives sin, but if a person just holds onto the act of forgiveness, and doesn't examine the sin in their life continually then the request for forgiveness is just a mantra in the person's life with no real meaning. [Also, over time people often think life is just a continual progression of improvement. And because we see improvement in our lives and the way we live them, we start to think that self-improvement equals God's acceptance and so our good deeds or works brings about God's acceptance.] 

I've always loved verse 20 because when I am outside and looking at the mountains and the tree's and hiking and seeing animals and how they are made, I am reminded of God and the clarity of His creation.

This explains the integrity of my God. He has integrity in that He clearly has made Himself known to all people. A beautiful sunset, the birth of a child, a banana or piece of fruit, a beautiful sunrise, the green green grass, the mountain -- if anyone looks at these things and then says, "there is no God" then they are denying God for these things testify of God being there. 

In verse 21, people knew God. He is evident through the creation. But, they didn't honor Him as God or give thanks for what He had provided, but instead they sought ways to show that it couldn't be God that authored all of creation and in so doing, there foolish heart was darkened. The notion of training comes up here. People train themselves over time to ignore God and figure out answers that are not God. And so their heart becomes darkened. 

Per Wayne Barber, the word futile means empty or unable in their speculations, in their reasoning. They are unable to think straight. Verse 21 is so clear that it didn't have to be this way, but they became futile. The atheists message right now is that it, God and His Gospel, simply couldn't be right. God, and who He is, over time, is being pushed out. The name of God is more and more not revered, but instead is just a way to express amazement or bewilderment in a person (i.e. OMG). God has been pushed out of our schools to the point that the mere mention of Him is deemed improper. God has been pushed out of people's lives for years. In my lifetime I can see how this has occurred, but it has been occurring for a long time.

John 8:44 states that the devil is a liar and the father of lies. It is the devil's goal to preach lies. Even those who claim faith have distorted God. Outside, there is a rise in changing God with the Jehovah Witnesses and Latter Day Saints. Within the church, there is a proclamation of easy belief.

At the most rudimentary level, sin is being recast. It is being redefined. The church is rightfully seeing the promulgation of homosexuality, but before that, the marriage union was being defiled as divorce was more and more prominent and adultery justified. The church often works so hard to tell the world they are corrupt, while ignoring those within the church that are walking in the doors. People are showing up in church needing the truth of God and yet are simply seeing an "us" against "them" mentality. It is sports of a different kind. We need to protect the Body of Christ from the lies of the devil. We are so lofty in our explanations of scripture that we are missing the most basic tenets of it. 

Promise: The knowledge of God and His creation is born into man. Man this pushes God out through life, but God will always reign.