Proverbs 18:2 - Listening with a Discerning Ear

Proverbs 18:2

A fool does not delight in understanding; but only in revealing his mind. 

Message: Listening with a Discerning Ear

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: Am I a good or bad listener? The biblical position of a bad listener is a fool. 

Proverbs 18:2 

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (ESV)

Proverbs 18:13

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Proverbs 29:20

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

I notice in some people this is hard, but in others it is easy. I must admit, I sometimes have a hard time with people that take every conversation and spin it on themselves. I try to listen more than speak but in certain situations it is hard not to give my opinion. I try to make an effort to do this in conversations. In sharing the gospel it is a challenge I think at times to listen and not speak. I notice myself at times just preparing to speak rather than listening to the other person. 

James 1:19 says, "Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." Perhaps anger takes place with fast talking. Perhaps it is necessary to understand the person and their perspective before speaking. 

Again, as I think about myself, I know there are times when I am quite impatient. I am not sure if it is that I want to speak, but maybe I just don't want to listen. It feels like it is worse when I’m tired. Like today in Sunday School and fellowship afterwards I had no problem listening to people. Glad to have them speak and learn. Granted one person was talking long and I was nervous because of the other people present and wondering if they too were getting impatient. 

I would say I am a pretty good listener. 

Prayer: God - I Pray that I am a good listener. For me I think this also means being patient with people and agreeing to listen and not letting my mind wander. Lord, you know where I struggle. My impatience affects my listening at times. Help me with my pride. 

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

My Utmost for His Highest - November 18 - Winning into Freedom

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. — John 8:36

If there is any remnant of individual conceit left, it always says – “I can’t.” Personality never says – “I can’t,” but simply absorbs and absorbs. Personality always wants more and more. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God; and sin and our individuality are the things that keep us from getting at God. God delivers us from sin: we have to deliver our selves from individuality, i.e., to present our natural life to God and sacrifice it until it is transformed into a spiritual life by obedience.

God does not pay any attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His order runs right across the natural life, and we have to see that we aid and abet God, not stand against Him and say – “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us, we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring every thought and imagination into captivity; we have to do it. Do not say – “O Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individuality, and get emancipated out into personality.

“If the Son…shall make you free…” Do not substitute “Saviour” for “Son.” The Saviour sets us free from sin; this is the freedom of being set free by the Son. It is what Paul means in Gal. 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ,” his natural individuality has been broken and his personality united with his Lord, not merged but united; “ye shall be free indeed,” free in essence, free from the inside. We will insist on energy, instead of being energized into identification with Jesus.

Mom's Notes

• 2017 Noah and Ella Wedding

My Thoughts

• conceit - excessive pride in oneself
• God designs us to great things for God - our problem is ourselves
• Do not say, "God I am suffering from wandering thoughts, help me." No instead stop listening to your individuality

Mark 7:14-19 - The Source of Defilement

Mark 7:14-19
14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 [If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]
17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)

Message: The Source of Defilement

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 is confronting the Pharisees. While they are concerned Jesus is neglecting their traditions, Jesus is concerned with their heart and why they are doing what they are doing. Is it really motivated toward God and the things of faith or do we get sidetracked on doing things for God that we neglect the people God has placed in our lives? Do we get obsessed with ensuring that are right with God that we then neglect people?

After He called the crowd to Him again...Jesus shifts from only speaking to the Pharisees and resumes his talk to the crowd.  The people may have retreated a little as Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:" The words Jesus is about to speak are of utmost importance and apply to everyone present.

there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him - Here he seems to be saying that food or drink that may come into a man, these cannot defile a man. In a way, he is further emphasizing the words he said previously that eating food with unclean hands is not the serious issue here. Conversely, but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. Matthew Henry comments - "Our wicked thoughts and affections, words and actions, defile us, and these only." Paul speaks of this more clearly as well in Romans 2:29 saying, "But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." Proverbs 4:23 says, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." 

Jesus has been speaking to the scribes, but he turns his attention to all the people to emphasize these words, very clearly. He wants us all to understand these words that what comes from within, from the heart is what defines who we are. 

How often in life do we judge people harshly because of addictions they have fallen into, like taking in large amounts of alcohol or smoking substances. The drink or drug has possessed them, but these do not define the person. I too quickly judge people but I think Jesus is even saying here that what is strongest in people's lives is what comes out of them, not what they take in.  In these passages here in Mark 7, Jesus is offering a rather radical alternative to the obedience of keeping the laws of God and keeping the traditions of man and the obsession we get in our lives to being obedient to those things. He really wants us to look within and see that how we have trained our heart and it is our compassion toward others that mean the most in life. 

My atheist friend yesterday sent me a video of an atheist talk show, broadcast from Austin Texas. The host is a former baptist. He grew up in a religious family, even stated he received Jesus into his heart multiple times, contemplated full-time ministry, but in a quest to understand the atheistic way he became one and suddenly got thrust into the limelight of having his own talk show to defend atheism. The video my friend sent had excerpts, one after another, of the way in which this guy had sort of dethroned Christians calling into his show. It was appealing to my friend as it has this sense of conquering or putting people into their place. Often these call-in shows are a little staged so that the person calling in is sort of shamed. Whether that is the intent or not, it happens. And it happens on the Christian side as well. I've seen them before and even laughed at them when a Christian puts a non-Christian in their place and corrects their thinking, sort of shaming them in submission. 

There were a couple of calls that were very damning to the people calling in, showing that this atheist host's knowledge of scripture was somehow greater than the Christian calling in. One I remembered was the way Christians can often seemingly pick and choose the laws of God, extolling those that other Christians support like saying no to abortion, gay marriage, while ignoring other dietary laws and stoning laws. And the heathen or the non-Christian sits on the outside and wonders how Christians can do this, how can they saw they believe the Bible is inerrant and then pick and choose. The Christians responding on the call got flustered and the Atheist host clearly had the upper hand and knew what to say, confirming that the defense that "oh, those laws just don't apply anymore" was the answer he expected and helped to confirm that even Christians don't follow the Bible as it is set up. But, even as I think about this and I think about this particular passage of scripture here from Mark 7 and Jesus helping people see that while laws do serve a purpose we must be careful that they don't alienate people. It is the heart of each person we are concerned about. In this scenario, to me, we Christians do at times get too focused on rules and the non-Christians get too focused on following rules, but what Jesus is pointing out here is what matters most is what is within a person.

It's possible that the Mosaic law's dietary laws were given to Israel because God wanted them to live in a way that was distinct and separate from the surrounding nations. And having a different diet served as a clear reminder of this. Leviticus 11 speaks clearly about these rules, but at the end of the chapter clarifies that the uncleanness is focused on a time period, a day or so, until evening. Thus, infractions and the penalties associated with them lasted for a time period, a day or less. Thus a person was not unclean forever. 

Granted, it is sad that Christians sometimes do more harm than good in being a witness. There is a hard balance in life. It is complicated. It isn't as cut and dry as everyone wants to make it to be. We are in this world of us against them, dueling political parties, dueling agenda's, sports teams competing, everywhere is this idea of opposite ways. Granted, good and evil is another way of expressing this. But in this debate culture in which we live in now, sometimes the heart of the matter gets lost. My atheist friend that I've been speaking with for years is so focused on exposing the fallacy of faith that he misses the message, preferring to think that morality is self-defined. And Jesus clearly wants to share a different way of thinking with people. It's tragic that people miss it. They are so focused on what is wrong and right that they miss the message.  Jesus, here in the gospel of Mark is showing his power and authority and while he does this he shares a message that is indeed radical: inside/out, from the heart, our motivations. Jesus is asking us to get off the to-do lists of our faith and get focused on the relationship we have, one with another.  

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. In a way, this is saying, listen up. What Jesus has said is so important here. [I'd like to see a study on all those passages that have that phrase attached to them.]

Jesus is finished. He has said what he wanted to say, but the disciples are confused and rightly so, for Jesus' message is indeed radical. When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. This is our response when we don't understand something, we are to ask God. How often do we run instead to Christian authors, other people, counselors, friends - there is nothing wrong with that, but why don't we first start with God. James 1:5 says, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6, "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." What Jesus says is intense, so when we don't understand, ask Him. 

Here is Jesus' response: And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” Here is the key understanding: the heart. Food from outside, dirty hands, wine, drink, drugs, food -- this is not what defiles us or makes us unclean or not pure. All of these things go into the stomach and then are eliminated (Granted, drugs can effect the mind as well). But the key here is the heart. 

Albert Barnes (1798-1870) states: "This agrees with all that has since been discovered of the process of digestion and of the support of life. The food taken into the stomach is by the gastric juice converted into a thick pulp called chyme. The nutritious part of this is conveyed into small vessels, and changed into a milky substance called "chyle." This is poured by the thoracic duct into the left subclavian vein and mingles with the blood, and conveys nutriment and support to all parts of the system. The useless parts of the food are thrown off."

Summary - 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. 

Promise: God is not primarily concerned about external matters; He is most concerned about our hearts. Yes, we need to be focused on doing the right things, but making sure we do them for the right reason - for the Glory of God.  

Prayer: O God, thank you for emphasizing to me the importance of this message, adding the words, if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. This is indeed a message that I need to hear and be reminded of. It is very clear. I need to focus on my heart and writing on it your Word so that out of my heart will come the things of your Holy Spirit. I want to emit you. Thank you for eliminating the waste in my life. Help me to not judge people because of what I see them drinking or taking in or eating but instead help me to focus on people and their motives and helping them see that from within is what matters most. Lord, I want to focus on what matters most. Remove the blindness present in so many. I so desire your people to exemplify you and live in a way that honors you. 

Mark 6:19b-20 - Herod's Discernment

Mark 6:19b-20
¹⁹ could not do so; ²⁰ for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.

Message: Herod's Discernment

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 arrives in Nazareth, about a 3 day journey from Capernaum. He has made it to his hometown and he speaks in the synagogue. Many of his people did not accept him; he continued to heal, but maybe not to the extent that he could because of their unbelief. The message still goes out. Jesus commissions his disciples with the message of repentance. Many hear of Jesus and his message, wondering where he came from and who He really is: prophet, priest, king. Included in this wondering is Herod Antipas, who killed John the Baptist. John called out the sins of Herod Antipas and his wife and they responded with violence against John the Baptist.

At first glance, this reminds me of the death of Jesus. Pontius Pilate, like Herod, I don't think was convinced that Jesus' death was justified, as Herod was towards John the Baptist. There was something special and different about these men. For Herod he used to enjoy listening to him. Herod knew that John was a holy and righteous man. Despite the depravity of man, man seems to still be intrigued by righteousness. 

Many people love good preaching, as long as that preaching stays away from their sin and confronting it. This is often the danger in preaching then, to not speak of sin, but to give the audience what they want, a feel good message, a message of self-improvement, rather than exposing sin. Herodias initially wanted to put him to death, and could not. Herod would not allow it because he received a benefit from John being alive. This is the message of this passage - the conflict that occurred with Herod regarding John. 

The word fear in verse 20, in the Greek, is a mixture of reverence and superstitious dread towards the prophet and man of God. Most likely there were frequent meetings that took place between the two.  He was not worthy of execution. Perhaps he did not understand him completely, but he was not worthy of death.

Summary - This is a message to remind me of the importance of staying true to the Gospel message. Herod Antipas was obviously conflicted in his feelings about John the Baptist, feeling obligated to please his wife and yet also having fascination for the message that John brought to him.

Promise: The truth of God's word will get through to people. We do not need to change the gospel to make people recognize its truth. We should be faithful to proclaim it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way your messages penetrate our lives. Help preachers and people stay true to the message of repentance and exposing sin in people. Help me Lord to be this type of speaker. Sin is real and it needs to be at the forefront of our speaking.

Mark 4:24-25 - More To Those Who Have

Mark 4:24-25
24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Message: More To Those Who Have

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:

I have noticed in the reading of Mark that the discipline or activity of 'hearing' is being mentioned often. In this chapter of the parable of the sower, each surface heard, but only one accepted. In order to accept, one must hear. In verse 24 is the admonition to take care what you listen to. It is important to be concerned about what we hear. The tongue is a sword as Paul and James and the Psalter mention often. It has a way of speaking that can be encouraging as well as encouraging so I need to be careful what I listen to. That can be hard. In my work place, this is tough as I am often privy in various settings to unwholesome talk or talk that is not edifying. As is mentioned by Jesus what is important is "ears to hear." I think this is his way of emphasizing that our ears are perked up and we are listening in order to make a response.

In regards to hearing the response obviously it was is of most importance. The good soil heard and accepted the seed and in return it multiplied the fruit. How often do I sit in church or listen to a message and walk away unchanged. Over the years, I think adding a prayer and promise to each of these writings is my way to conclude and in the prayer it is sometimes a call to action. I don't want to simply invest in education as I read God's Word, but I want to be in training constantly for application.

The phrase that Jesus uses is By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. In this country in which I live the access to God's word is so easy and so accessible. Thus, my sense is I have a greater accountability to its reading and application in my life because of how accessible it is versus a person living in a country that does not even have the Word of God written in their own language or maybe a Christian that is new to the faith. The longer I am a Christian, the more I will be measured on my faithfulness.

I think of this often. I think of the first 1000 years of the time after Christ (AD) and how many did not have access to the Bible as it was only read in church and thus application was somewhat basic and primitive, but as technology has increased people have greater responsibility for its use. Thus, it will be measured to you based upon your standard of measure. I think this is what the passage is referencing.

But I think it also speaks of how willing we are to submit to his Word. For whoever has, to him more shall be given. We acquire more by the way in which we listen. I've noticed that over the years my sinfulness is more apparent. Some think I am faithful but I can only often see how unholy I am before God. We often read a prayer in church on Sunday mornings as a confession. I appreciate that because it reminds me that I am a sinner. So, I have greater responsibility to God's word now and I should have understanding to those that receive it in a different manner. Many people are at different stages in their walk and I must remember to be sensitive to this.

But if we don't respond then He may not continue to bless us: and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. This is a sobering truth. When we are in a life behavior of not responding then how can we conversely expect the Lord to continue to lavish us with gifts.

Promise: From TableTalk: God blesses us with the light of the revelation of His kingdom not so that we can be indifferent to it but so that we will respond to it in faith. However, He will not offer the kingdom to us forever. If we do not trust and follow Him today, we may not get the chance to do so tomorrow. Our goal should be immediate trust and obedience, but as only God can grant that, so let us pray for His Spirit to give us that gift.

Prayer: Lord, I am responsible. You have shown me, for your truth and your message to me. You give me the strength each day to live and live to the best of Your ability. Lord, forgive me for often taking a different road, but I want to live for you always and hear you say, "Well done." Help me to be sensitive to those around me and be the man of God you have called me to be. You are great. Thank you for giving me Your Spirit to live in me and lead and equip me to be great as well.

Ephesians 1:13-14 - God's Gift of Perseverance

Ephesians 1:13-14
¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Message: God's Gift of Perseverance

Time: Paul wrote this letter while in prison, probably in Rome about 60AD. He wrote to the churches around Ephesus to display the scope of God's eternal plan for all humanity-for Jews and Gentiles alike.

What the Lord is Saying:

The first 3 chapters of Ephesians focus on what a person should believe. Paul here defines faith. He defines grace. In this first chapter, Paul reminds us of what we now have in Christ. He states he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (v.3): 

• He chose us
• He predestined us
• In Him we have redemption through His blood 
• He made known to us the mystery of His will 
• In Him also we have obtained an inheritance 
• In Him you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit 

It is this last point that I focus on today, from this reading. After listening, having believed, I am sealed in Him. The crux or the turning point of faith remains one thing: belief. The turning point of salvation remains here, believing in the gospel, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for the redemption of our lives. And once we believe, it brings in a litany of blessings. And the first step toward believing is listening. I think of a gal in my office who has begun going to church and is enamored by the music and the message. Lord, may she believe. 

The Spiritual blessings mentioned above all define our new condition in Christ, but the last one, being sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit means that my new new condition has been given a helper. It means that a torch has not simply been passed and I must now run this race on my own. Instead, God remains with me, in the work of the Holy Spirit, enabling me to will and work for his good pleasure. Works have been created for me for in advance. And to carry those works out I will need a helper to guide me into all truth. The natural world will continue to try to place its mark on me and my life, despite my new condition in Christ. I will continually be pulled into the marketplace, to believe what the culture is putting forth for my life. So I need and must have His Presence with me, guiding me, strengthening me, carrying me, instructing me. Thank You God for sending your son, for dying for me, redeeming me, and setting me apart for your will and service. And thank you for not leaving me alone to live and work, but for sending your Spirit to come alongside me and live in Me so that I can navigate each day. Help me to remember this Lord. You are not simply near. You are here, with me.   

Promise: He remains within us to move us effectually to persevere.

Psalm 95 - Listening Like Sheep

Psalm 95
¹ O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
³ For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
⁴ In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
⁵ The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
⁷ For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,
⁸ Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ “When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
¹⁰ “For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
¹¹ “Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Message: Listening like sheep

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Psalmist begins this shout to the Lord, this song by thanking the Lord for our salvation. Thank you God for saving me. Therefore, we come before the Lord with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to God with a song of praise. God is a great God and a great king. In these first 3 verses is a very simple praise to our God. We call upon his name. We come with thankful hearts. We don't come to the Lord with hearts that need. We come first with a heart of thanksgiving. Lord, I want a thankful heart.

And after praising God, I thank him for what he has made, his creation. He has crafted the depths of the earth, all the way down below to the peak of the mountains. I thank God for my salvation and I thank Him for what he has made.

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. I come before him and kneed.

Be alert to the hearing of his voice and if it comes listen. Do not harden or look to your own way.

The people of Massah in the wilderness, states another way, was the fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 

We need to be guarded against neglecting the Lord and His way. We need to be careful to always know the Lord's ways.  

I don't sense anyone fears the Lord in this way. Many ignore the Lord, but many are not fearing him and his ways. They are expecting everything to be all right. The wrath of God though is evident against those that don't take any interest in following Him. 

Promise: Praise God. Praise his creation. Worship Him. Stay close to Him. Don't turn away.   

Proverbs 8:1-11 - Lady Wisdom

Proverbs 8:1-11
¹ Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice?
² On top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³ Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
⁴ “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
⁵ “O naive ones, understand prudence; and, O fools, understand wisdom.
⁶ “Listen, for I will speak noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things.
⁷ “For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverted in them.
⁹ “They are all straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ “Take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold.
¹¹ “For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.

Message: Lady Wisdom

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:

Proverbs 1-9 is primarily a teaching from a father to a son to stay clear of violence and adultery. But adultery doesn't just mean sexual infidelity but it refers also to trading God for other seemingly needed joys. It is taking matters into our own hands. We are to avoid evil and live righteously.

These verses in chapter 8 present Lady wisdom who will guide us into truth. Lady wisdom is bold and proclaims her message at the gates of the town (v.3). Give us understanding Lord.

There really isn't much to this passage. Its basically 11 verses of "Listen up!"

Promise: Wise counsel doesn't just happen, it must be communicated. Lord, help me to communicate wise counsel at home. 

Jesus Calling: December 4

My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways and thoughts higher than yours. Remember who I AM when you spent time with Me. Marvel at the wonder of being able to commune with the King of the universe -- any time, any place. Never take this amazing privilege for granted!
     Though I am vastly higher and greater than you, I am training you to think My thoughts. As you spend time in My Presence, My thoughts gradually form in your mind. My Spirit is the Director of this process. Sometimes He brings Bible verses to mind. Sometimes He enables you to hear Me "speak" directly to you. These communications strengthen you and prepare you for whatever is before you on your life-path. Take time to listen to My voice. Through your sacrifice of precious time, I bless you for more than you dare to ask. 

Isaiah 55:8-9
English Standard Version

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Colossians 4:2
English Standard Version
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
 
Psalm 116:17
English Standard Version
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and call on the name of the Lord.

My Prayer
Lord, you are higher than the highest, thus higher than my ways and higher than my thoughts. I thank you for your continual hand of providence. I remain your vessel, wanting to listen to You and Your spirit as you speak to me, through your word, through people, through prayer. Help me Jesus. Help me to be ever mindful of you.  

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Jesus Calling: October 31

Learn to listen to Me even while you are listening to other people. As they open their souls to your scrutiny, you are on holy ground. You need the help of My Spirit to respond appropriately. Ask Him to think through you, live through you, love through you. My own Being is alive within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit. If you respond to others' needs through your unaided thought processes, you offer them dry crumbs. When the Spirit empowers your listening and speaking. My stream of living water flow through you to other people. Be a channel of My Love, Joy, and Peace by listening to Me as you listen to others. 

Exodus 3:5
English Standard Version
Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

1 Corinthians 6:19
English Standard Version 
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own

John 7:38-39
<sup>English Standard Version 

38</sup> Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

My Prayer
Lord, I surrender to you this day. Help me to accept what you provide.  Help me to lean on you as I navigate through life, talk to people. Holy Spirit, be my guide into all truth. Speak to me and help my words be few rather than many. Take away the defensiveness I often have any time someone asks me a question. I pray that my behavior and responses would be a shining light to others and through my actions and words, You would be glorified. I want to be content with you getting the credit and not me. Take away my pride and boasting in my self. You Lord be glorified. 

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.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 - Measured Speech

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.

Message: Measured speech

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:

I have always enjoyed the Phillips Craig and Dean song, "Let My words be few." Fernando Ortega also has a song, "Let the Words of My Mouth" based upon Psalm 19:14 and Philippians 4:8. 

Let the words of my mouth

Be pleasing to You, pleasing to You

The meditation of my heart 

Be pleasing to you, pleasing to You 

Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer 

Whatever is true 

Whatever is pure 

Whatever is lovely 

Whatever is worthy 

Think on these things 

Think on these things 

Let the words of my mouth 

Be pleasing to You Pleasing to You

That is what I think of as I open up and read these words and think about my speech. With my staff last week, in our weekly meeting, we talked about kindness. It reminded me how ill my words are often. I even found myself speaking ill of my wife and had to apologize to her as my response was not at all kind. 

Entering His Courts

As we enter the House of God, may our words be few and our ears be wide open. Our focus needs to be more on listening than on speaking. I appreciate this so much about our church for the focus is supremely on worship and knowing God through Song and His message. But, it's not simply that, it's confessing sin and rejoicing in God's grace. Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

Isn't that interesting that fools do not know they are doing evil. They may even offer gifts 

Think before Speaking

Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. Do not hasten with your mouth, weigh your words, think much, speak little. 

For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. Dreams are generally about the business of the day, multiple words evidence a foolish heart. 

Promise: Be purposeful about what I say. 

Proverbs 1:8-9 - Heeding Godly Authorities

Proverbs 1:8-9 - ⁸ Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching,
⁹ for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Message: Heeding Godly Authorities: There is value in both father and mother

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: 

Hear, My son
The reader here is addressed with parental kindness and also authority. These words are to be heard, so they need to also be said. The father is to be present in the son's life. He is to speak and be giving instruction. The ambition or goal of the father is not simply to be a buddy or a pal, but to be an instructor and teacher. I was thinking today that my son's highest ideal is often pleasing himself or pleasing his children. My son has difficulty seeing too far in the future. I must watch out for him. I must give him information and guidance that he possibly doesn't see or he see's, but does not place much priority on it. 

Forsake not
Do not forsake or reject or neglect the teaching or the law of the mother. The father here instructs. The mother lays down the rules that are to be followed. The father gives instruction to those rules.  Children need to value their parents words, especially those that take the time to say something.  

Adornment
To the Israelite's mind no signs or badges of joy or glory were higher in worth than the garland round the head, the gold chain round the neck, worn by kings and the favorites of kings. Thus, the words of a father and the teaching of a mother, yield, when followed, the highest worth in the kingdom or time or place. 

In going through the 10 commandments with people, my friend often has noted with people the placement of the commandment, "Honor your father and mother" and where it sits in relation to the other commandments. It is the first commandment for those commandments that speak of relationships a person has with others. It precedes murder, lying, stealing, coveting, adultery. Before any of those commandments is the call to honor your father and mother. It is, as if, those words are heeded then the rest of the commandments are not needed.

Promise: Hear and do not reject your parents.

 

Jesus Calling: August 3

Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damage others as well as yourself. This ability to verbalize is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.
     Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray--"Help me, Holy Spirit"--before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline. Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence. In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

Proverbs 12:18
English Standard Version
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
   but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

James 1:19
English Standard Version  
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
 
Ephesians 4:29 
English Standard Version 
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

My Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my words, both spoken and unspoken. They can jab, sting, and smack those in my life, even people I love and keep close to me. Let my words be few, but when spoken they honor and glorify You. Help me, Holy Spirit. Lord, give me the power and strength each day to retrain myself to commit my Words to You each day. I want my words to be pleasing to people. Help me, Holy Spirit, for I am weak.

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.

Jesus Calling: June 20

     I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate, though not always in words. I fling glorious sunsets across the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces and voices of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence.
     You can find Me in each moment, when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. Ask My Spirit to sharpen your spiritual eyesight and hearing. I rejoice each time you discover My Presence. Practice looking and listening for Me during quiet intervals. Gradually you will find Me in more and more of your moments. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me above all else.

Psalm 8:1-4
English Standard Version

¹ O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 19:1-2
English Standard Version

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.

I Corinthians 6:19
English Standard Version

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own .

Jeremiah 29:13
English Standard Version 

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

My Prayer (2019)
Good morning Lord. Thank you for a new day. How majestic is Your name in all the earth. Your creation testifies continually to who You are. The sky above declares the glory of God as it covers us here on this earth you have created. Then I see me, in the mirror, and realize I am a temple. Lord, I want to extol You as My God and proclaim You above all else, not simply when I walk into church in the company of believers, but as I walk out into this world. I need you in me Lord giving me the courage to proclaim You in the midst of this world that continually finds goodness in each person and doesn't dare take the time to consider the Fall and our sins that we still commit. I don't want to be like that Lord. Remind me Lord that the most important thing in my life is falling into Your presence and not simply making sure my life right now is free of challenges. Lord, you show me in Your word how You take care of the birds and feed them, providing them what they need. Lord, I'm not so sure I trust You with that. When push comes to shove Lord, too often it is I that wants to be in control. Help me to rediscover You today and see You Lord. To be satisfied with You. Lord, I am embarrassed as to how easy it is for trials or challenges to derail me. I'm like a kid on the floor having a temper tantrum before You Lord because I am not getting what I want. I want to reflect You Lord. Teach me to seek you with all of my heart. Too often my seeking You is all about bringing my laundry list before You so that You meet all of MY needs and wants. Forgive me Lord. Lord, let You be sufficient.

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.

Jesus Calling: April 22

     Listen to Me continually. I have much to communicate to you, so many people and situations in need of prayer. I am training you to set your mind on Me more and more, tuning out distractions through the help of My Spirit.
     Walk with Me in holy trust, responding to My initiatives rather than trying to make things fit your plans. I died to set you free, and that includes freedom from compulsive planning. When your mind spins with a multitude of thoughts, you cannot hear My voice. A mind preoccupied with planning pays homage to the idol of control. Turn from this idolatry back to Me. Listen to Me and live abundantly!

John 8:36
English Standard Version
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Proverbs 19:21
English Standard Version
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Verse Thoughts - It is apparent that man is constantly believing and thinking that he is in control of his outcomes and the matters of this world. Man wants to believe over and over that he can will God to change and that man's will and knowledge of events is the greatest. We want the easy path and we want worldly prosperity. We really want "my will be done." These are our plans. Although we may make many and varied plans, these plans will only come to fruition if they reflect our Creator's purpose: "it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." This is such a hard truth because we think that we are the reasons we are such successful people with no wants or needs. We have become so good at making money and doing things in such a way that we have so few wants or needs. Generally, what upsets us is illness or disease. We have walked through life getting what we want, but then something happens that is an unknown and it sends us to God to ask for help. And yet, God wants to show us that asking Him for help is where we need to be all the time.

John 10:27
English Standard Version
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

My Prayer (2016)
Lord, teach me to listen more. I get so busy doing and going and doing, that I don't take the time to be quiet. I don't give you a chance to speak to me. Help me slow down and listen. I wonder if you are wanting to do things in my life, but I am to busy to listen?

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 12:16-17 - Harmonious Living

Romans 12:16-17 - Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

Message: Do not be self-focused, but thing about others and what is best for them.

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

I continue to walk rather slowly through these marks of what it means to be a Christian. As is Paul's custom throughout this book, he repeats. There are similar ideas here in some of these phrases, and yet differences. 

Be of the same mind toward one another
This is an interesting phrase to me. I am to live in harmony with other people. If Paul is mentioning this here, like this, then my guess is this is not necessarily natural. It is tragic because, on the surface, it appears that many Christians do not live like this toward other people. Instead, I see a policeman mentality so much of the time with ministers of the gospel policing what is truth. It seems like Christians become the judge in society for what should be right and wrong. Is that our role? Are we to take on an offensive attitude? Yes, we are to defend our faith, but it seems that defense takes on the form of separation.

Could it be that we are not of the same mind because we are not bathing ourselves in the Word of God like he expects of Christians? And so being of the same mind is harder. 

I just think this is a hard principle. I feel like in this section of scripture Paul is writing characteristics of the Christian and what it means to be a Christian. He has gone through the Law and Grace and the theology of Grace, but now he gets to direct application. 

To be honest, I think this is a phrase that is easy to say, but hard to extrapolate the exact meaning. Yes, it is important for me to live in harmony with other people. There should be peace, kindness, unity in feeling, interests and objection. I mean, in some ways, Pamela and I had to leave Hoffmantown because we started to realize that we were having a really hard time with this idea. We were not of the same mind with the people in that church. It was like they were at one place and we were some place very different. I do not think that I was just trying to get my way. But, I did feel like because there was such a separation of thought that it was not doing any good for us to be there. It was doing more harm than good. 

In marriage, I see that Pamela and I are of the same mind. Do we agree on everything? No. Do we do things the same way? No. But, we believe in the marriage and our children. We are focused on making it all work. We have the same objective and so we can work through all the situations. We are not giving up even though at times we feel like giving up. I think the Spirit is alive in our marriage. I think the unity we share in Christ allows the Spirit of God to work through both of us and cements us together. Being of the same mind is possible, but it is definitely only possible when God's Spirit is at the helm and is allowed to work. 

Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly

I am not to be arrogant in actions, but even in my mind. I am not to conduct myself in such a way as to make myself out to be more important than others. The Christian should not put forth the idea that because they are saved, because God has rescued them and made them holy, that they are somehow better than others. 

I think this is a real danger of a believer. I think because of their understanding they make themselves out to be superior to other people. But that misses a right understanding of the gospel because we are not in the faith we are because of our righteousness, but God has grafted us in, and so we are to give Him all the glory. 

And the complement of this thought is I am to associate with the lowly. Boy, this is hard when you are not accustomed to this. That I should go out of my way to associate with the lowly and who would be the lowly? If it is the homeless guy on the corner, asking for money ("Will work for food") then how do I associate with him? Do I take him out to eat? Could I spend more time with the lowly and bring them into my home? 

Do not be wise in your own estimation

I should not put myself up on a pedestal. I am not to uphold myself as being the wise one. In this statement is an attitude of boasting in myself. Proverbs 3:7 states something similar: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil." A part of this is don't think that you know what other people are going through when you haven't gone through what they are going through. Don't assume that you know another person's perspective. 

I think I make assumptions about people's faith sometimes because of the label I place on them. I am learning to not do this. Every person has a different story. Each person has a different testimony of how they came to Christ and so each person will also have a different story as to how they have not come to Christ.

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone

I am never to pay back evil for evil. To me, this is a statement that separates Christians from other major religions. I see this statement, but I admit, it is a hard one to follow, even in my own household. When I have been wronged or even when evil has been committed against me; when I have been shunned at work; when I am made to look like a fool; when I am not respected; when my authority is questioned; my natural inclination is to do something or say something toward that other person that discredits them. Again, Paul doesn't give commands that are natural to follow. He recognizes here that it is somewhat normal to pay back evil for evil. 

How often have I heard the phrase, "I am going to get even with you?" As I watch movies and TV shows it is most often the reason behind the show. In crime shows, it is not just that a person will be caught for a crime they committed, but someone how something will happen to them that will try to equal the evil that they did.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:39, "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." 

Matthew 5:44, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

So, what is my response to evil? It is to continue doing good. I think the mark of a Christian is his response to circumstances. My faith is not to waiver. I am to stand trusting in God no matter what. Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Good is to rein in my life. As trials come, as hard times appear, as things occur that I don't understand, and when things well up inside of me, my response is simple, I am to remain doing the things that I do on any other day. I am to rise and surrender myself to the Lord and accept what He provides. I need to re-train myself in this way. I am too quickly trained to react and respond based upon what the world is training me. 

Respect what is right in the sight of all men

The word respect is an interesting one. I think there is an idea in this word that means to "stop." I think there is this idea that before you respond or react in a way that is natural to you, I am to think before. I am to observe in advance. I am to notice beforehand or plan before. Again, I see a big failure in my life in this over and over. The moment I feel attacked I immediately respond. I don't think. And yet this is what I need to do. I need to stop and think about how to respond and then do it in a way, that if I were to line up a string of people from all walks of life and ask them all what they would do, there would be a right way of doing things and the majority would respond to that situation in that way. I am to do what is right in the sight of all men.

Promise: I must live my life God's way. I am not live in a way that is natural to me.

Jesus Calling: March 15

    Listen to the love song that I am continually singing to you. I take great delight in you...I rejoice over you with singing. The voices of the world are a cacophony of chaos, pulling you this way and that. Don't listen to those voices; challenge them with My Word. Learn to take mini-breaks from the world, finding a place to be still in My Presence and listen to My voice.

    There is immense hidden treasure to be found through listening to Me. Though I pour out blessings upon you always, some of My richest blessings have to be actively sought. I love to reveal Myself to you, and your seeking heart opens you up to receive more of My disclosure. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Zephaniah 3:17

English Standard Version

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Matthew 7:7

English Standard Version

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

My Prayer
Lord, you delight in me. You saved me. You rejoice over me. You love me and exalt over me with loud singing. You want me. What a comfort you are to me. Lord, help me to know continually the difference between Your voice and the voices that I hear elsewhere. Thank You for living inside of me. Help me to listen more to You and talk less.

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