Knowing God - Worship Involves Serving

Matt 4:10

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus rebuked the devil and quoted this verse to him.  Jesus authoritatively states that’s the Lord our God is to be worshiped and served.  True worship produces service.  When we love something we have some sort of relationship with it.  If we love ice cream, we eat it, unless a lactose problem exists!  If we love exercising we go and do it.  If we love shopping, we go shopping.   These are trite things and the love we have towards these things is a completely different ‘love’ than the loving worship we are to have for the Lord our God.  Jesus declares to Satan that He will not meet Satan’s challenges or leadings because that would be worshiping Satan.  He declares that worship resulting in service is for the Lord our God only.   Lord, we worship You and desire our actions to reflect our worship and devotion to You and You alone!

Proverbs - Things the Lord Hates

Proverbs 6

These six things doth the LORD hate:

 yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

                        If we love someone we will avoid doing anything that bothers them. If we know they hate a certain type of food, we will not prepare that for their dinner.  Here we see a list of seven things that our Lord actually states that He hates.

                                                                                   

A proud look - this type of look can be seen through the eyes. In Isaiah 2 verse 11 we read, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day”.   Our haughtiness can often be seen by our facial expressions.  Some of us have had an opportunity to see ourselves on a video when the Holy Spirit was not controlling us.  What a shock!  We hate those same looks when we see them.  Let us humble our hearts and take special care to notice if we roll our eyes, look up out of frustration or take on a smirk that denotes we are not concerned only about the Lord being exalted.

           

A lying tongue - The Lord hates lies.  He is the truth.  These are all ‘relationship killers’.  They interrupt our fellowship with the Lord and with each other.  We need the Spirit of Truth to flow through us and point out any sort of lie, deceit, misrepresentation of facts or false viewpoints.  When we say something out of anger to our husbands or children that labels them inappropriately we are not speaking the truth and are, in fact, lying.  We need to be sensitive that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our heart are acceptable in the sight of God, our strength and our redeemer. 

Knowing God - People Speak Lies

Proverbs 6:12-15

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet,

 he teacheth with his fingers;

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually;

 he soweth discord.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;

suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

                        The Lord is warning us about people that really exist.  They are the ‘salespeople’ of this world and they are selling everything from self pity to daring adventures.  There are people who are lying and not speaking the clear truth.  They speak with an element of truth and yet something isn’t quite right.  These people plant seeds in the hearts of men and women that cause contention and division between people.  We must remove ourselves from these people and pray that the Lord will expose them, deal with them and cause them to walk uprightly.

                        We must make sure we avoid being any of these things.  We must make sure we are upright and dealing honestly.  We must be careful about devising plans that are not pleasing to the Lord.  We must not have ‘fantasies’ or ‘imaginations’ that are classified as evil to our God.

Knowing God - The Son Executes Judgment

John 5:26-27

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Jesus has the authority to execute judgment.  He decides what is sin and what is right.   He determines how He will deal with us and our lives.  We are not our own judge and our own opinion of ourselves is not what stands.  This is why we must come before Jesus, worshipping Him and seeking to know His stance on everything.  He is a righteous judge and all of His judgments are rooted in love and truth.  We should, like the psalmist in Psalm 119:30, say; “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Jesus is the One we must come to and have our matters judged.  Are we being stubborn?  Are we wrong?  Are we doing the right thing?  Is this worth my time?  Do I need to make restitution for something?  Jesus is the One who executes judgment, let’s trust His call and choose the way of truth.

Knowing God - I Change Not Therefore....

Mal 3:6

For I am the Lord, I change not;

therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Many of us know the first part of this verse but it is the second part that deserves attention as well.  Because the Lord changes not, his actions will not be determined by our choices.  The ‘sons of Jacob’ was Israel – His people.  God will deal with us as children and we will face discipline because He loves us but, He will not consume us.  His dealings are not impulsive or out of spontaneous anger.  Our God changes not and the mercy He has shown us from the beginning, endures forever.  We don’t have to fear that our God will change or that His personality will suddenly take on unexpected traits.  When we read about our God from Genesis through Revelation we grow in the knowledge of a God who changes not.  Every time we learn something about Him, we can take it to the bank!  He changes not and because of this, we do not need to have any sort of paralyzing fear of how He will deal with us.  Because He changes not, we will not be consumed!

Proverbs - Sluggard!

Proverbs 6:6-11

Don’t Be A Sluggard

 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

                         In the summer time I do not enjoy housework!  Hot water, vacuums, folding hot laundry out of the dryer, and cooking are just not appealing when the weather tells you to sit down and drink lemonade.  I always think it is strange that during the warmest summer months we have an ant problem.  It’s almost like the Lord knows I need to go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise.  He brings these ants to me in order to wake me up from my sluggish, summer ways and be about looking well to the ways of my household.  The precious seemingly insignificant creatures are here partly to teach us lazy humans a thing or two.  In the summer, ants look for water and they are militant about it.  One time I went into my laundry closet and there was an organized line of these tiny creatures going up the wall of my laundry closet, on to the shelf, up the iron and into the small opening where I put water in for steam pressing.  Talk about diligence!  They found water in the laundry closet!  They also reminded me that ironing was necessary in the heat of summer as well as the cozy times of winter!  Thank you Lord for these little lessons!

Knowing God - Our Father Gives Grace and Peace

Philem 3

Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father ......

God is our Father, if we have received Christ and become children of God.  We are told over and over again that our Father gives peace.  It is from having Him as our Father that we have the peace we need.  Take a moment and read how many times our God wrote this to understand the fact that He really wants us to know this:

1 Tim 1:2  Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father

2 Thess 1:2… Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

1 Thess 1:1Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,…

Col 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

Phil 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

Eph 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father,…

2 Cor 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father,…

1 Cor 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,…

Rom 1:7Grace to you and peace from God our Father…

It is from the favor, or grace, we have with God as our Father that we have the peace and lack of restlessness we might tend to move towards.  Enjoy God as your Father today knowing that, the favor and peace we so need comes from Him!

Proverbs - Debt

Chapter 6:1-5

 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend,

if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,

thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,

when thou art come into the hand of thy friend;

 go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter,

and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

                        If we have hastily agreed on a financial dealing, if we have entered into some sort of business dealing with a non-believer or committed our resources to that which we do not have the sure leading of God’s Spirit, we must do what we can to get out of it.

                        If you must lose the money, lose it.  If we can pay quickly and be released of such dealings, pay it.

                        We are not to be co-signers for another.  This places our relationships with others under great strain and the love of money can come and birth all sorts of evil.

                        If we find ourselves in great debt - don’t slumber while interest is accumulating.  Wake up!  Make a plan and stick to it!  We will then be as a bird delivered from a trap and fly again freely.

Knowing God - Authority Over All Flesh

John 17:2

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Jesus is talking, ‘praying’, to His Father here.  He has allowed this conversation to be recorded in writing for us.  He reveals to us that Jesus, Himself, has power over all flesh and that Jesus gives eternal life to as many as the Father has given him.  The word ‘power’ in this text means; delegated influence, magistrate and jurisdiction.  Jesus is the One who we must call upon in times of trouble. Jesus is the One we must preach to others.  Jesus is the One that we must put our faith in.  He has the authority to give eternal life.  As we pray for those who have yet to receive eternal life, we should pray to Jesus and ask Him to influence those we love resulting in their salvation.   Worship Jesus.  Love Jesus. He has authority over ALL flesh!

Proverbs - Help Him Be Ravished

Proverbs 5:14-23

Help Your Husband Be Ravished With Your Love  

 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;

let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,

and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,

and he pondereth all his goings.

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,

and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Marriage is so special.  The Lord wants a man and woman to experience a level of commitment that reflects His commitment to us - His bride.  He wants marriages to be full of refreshment, nourishment, safety and contentment.  We, as women, can look at these verses and see that we need to be available to our husbands at all times for his satisfaction.  We, as wives, should be described as loving and pleasant.  Have you made your husband the highest human priority as far as helping him and seeking to satisfy him?

Pray that your husband will always be ravished with your love.  The word ‘ravished’ can be translated ‘intoxicated’.  Does your love fill your husband and cause him to be anaesthetized against the cruel, destructive arrows of his adversary?  Something that can intoxicate someone has had time to ferment and change in chemical make up.  It started out as fruit but with time was able to have power over someone’s state of mind.  In your marriage, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit remaining and with time your love is influencing your husband in a way that helps him avoid the traps of the enemy - especially those lustful traps he faces on a daily basis?

            

Knowing God - NO Darkness At ALL

1 John 1:5

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is light.  He is not hiding things from you and me. There is not darkness at all in our God.  There are not secret temple rituals He wants us to be in.  There are no lost books with secrets only a few have discovered.  In Him, there is NO darkness AT ALL!  He doesn’t make it difficult for us to see Him and His ways.  He is plain and clear and to make it the most clear He sent His own Son in tangible flesh for us to know Him.  Our God is not toying with us with hidden messages that only the few can discern.  He isn’t shadowing that which He has clearly revealed.  He is light.  If something involves deceit and doing things in a way that is shrouded in secrecy, it most likely is not of God.  Oh, believer, enjoy His marvelous light today!  Know that your God, the Dayspring has shined on us in these days and enjoy taking steps on a well lit path He has made for you!

Proverbs - Don't Ponder Those Paths

Proverbs 5:3-13

 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,

 and her mouth is smoother than oil:

 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable,

that thou canst not know them.

  Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,

nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

                        A strange woman here is referring to someone you and I are not to be bonded with.  Our marriage relationship is with the Lamb of God and His Lordship in our lives.  When we listen to other voices that try to woo us into investing our time and obedience to them, we end up with a bitter end and our honor is given to others.

                        These ‘voices’ are smooth and sometimes we don’t even recognize we are being courted by some sin or worthless pursuit until we wake up and realize that we hated instruction and despised reproof.

                        We must rather listen to the Lord’s words and remove ourselves from these paths.  We must not ponder the paths that our Lord has not asked us to travel.  These paths are always so unsteady and the rules are always changing.  Let us love instruction and receive reproof.

Knowing God - Because of Our Words

Dan 10:12-13

“…..I have come because of your words.”

An angel of God came to Daniel under God’s directive.   This angel had to fight a demonic angel to get to him.  The angels are servants of the Lord.  Here we learn that the angel was sent because of Daniel’s words.  The Lord hears our words and our words will have an effect on the Lord’s directives.  So many times we have not because we have not asked.  Sometimes prayer seems like we are just speaking in a venting sort of way for our own clearing of our thoughts.  This is not all that is happening.   When Daniel prayed, the Lord sent an angel BECAUSE of Daniel’s words.  This shows that our words mean so much to the Lord.  Our words are heard and our words are used by the Lord to bring about His purposes.  Have you talked with Him today?  Have you grasped that every time you speak to Him, He listens?  This angel came because of Daniel’s words.  What sort of spiritual warfare is looking for your words to bring about such a warring angel’s involvement?  Don’t underestimate the impact of your words before our God!

Proverbs - Bow Down Thine Ear

Proverbs 5:1-2

                              My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my     understanding: That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

                        Wisdom demands attention.  If we go through life haphazardly making decisions we will end up with a life not steadfastly built on wisdom.  Are you attentive today and willing to stop something midstream if wisdom tells you to?

                        In order to understand life, relationships, finances etc., we must bow down our ear.  That means that we must listen with a humble state of mind.  Our ears should bow down and throw out our preconceived ideas allowing ourselves to receive instruction from our Maker.

                        If we want our lips to speak things that make sense, if we want our lips to speak things that our children can build their lives upon, we must have this sort of attentive humility in approaching our lives.

            

Knowing God - The Lord Sends Us

Luke 10:1

 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

The Lord appointed people and sent them ahead to all the places He himself would come.   This is an interesting fact.  The Lord will send His disciples before Him into people’s lives that He is intending to touch and come to.  Oftentimes we may have some sort of encounter with someone and wonder what that was all about.  Perhaps the Lord is about to get involved in their lives very soon and is sending us to make straight the way of the Lord.  Whenever we end up connecting with an unbeliever it might be good to tell them that we are sure that the Lord is reaching out to them because that is why He has sent us into their lives.  He is willing that none should perish but all should come to eternal life.  Our relationships are not random but ordained by the One who has come to seek and save that which is lost.

Proverbs - Our Heart and Feet

Proverbs 4:23-27

                                                                                               

 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

                        Here we have a set of instructions involving our course.  They start with our heart and end with our feet. 

                                                                                                                          

                        The Lord knows that our paths begin with our heart.  What do you cherish and value within?  What are your meditations, goals and affections?  Do they line up with what the Lord’s heart is for you and the purpose of your life?  We are exhorted here to keep our heart with ALL diligence.  That means we are continually having our heart searched by our Maker. How do we keep our heart this way?  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God “ is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  We must listen to the Word of God with a vulnerability of being challenged, rebuked or corrected.  Also, we need to be quiet in our thoughts enough to hear the Holy Spirit point something out that is good or wrong in our hearts. The Lord tells us in Rom 8:26‑27, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: ...And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit..”  Do you have time to just go for a walk and talk things over with the Lord?  Have you turned off the radio in your car and brought things before Him and asked Him to search you?  Have you risen a little earlier than your household to meet with your Savior and have Him search you out?

                        Next, we see the tongue being dealt with.  The tongue has so much power.  We must ask the Lord to put a guard over our mouth and have purposed words that will build up not tear down.  Our mouths must not be allowed to ramble on with self-pity, self-exaltation, self-anything.  Our mouths should declare His praises and point others to Him.

                        Then we have the eyes related to our feet.  What are we watching or reading?  Where is our focus?  “Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (Ps 25:15) Who are looking to in order that our needs are met?  Look straight on.  Don’t look at what others are doing.  Don’t look behind you at the past.  Look straight on.  Look at the path you are taking.  Ponder the path.  Is it the road that the Lord has asked you to travel or is it your own trodden path?  Let your steps be ordered by the Lord today and ask Him to give you a sensitivity to your path and that your feet would be removed from evil.

Knowing God - He Will Magnify Us

Josh 3:7

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

The Lord tells Joshua that He will show His calling on his life through the crossing of the Jordan.  The Lord will confirm His calling on our lives as we lead and carry out those things He has asked us to do.  Sometimes people have a hard time accepting leadership.  We don’t need to defend ourselves or try to convince others that the Lord has called us.  We need to focus on walking in the calling He has for us.  In doing this, the Lord will magnify us in the sight of those that surround us.  It is not our place to commend ourselves.  The Lord will show that He is with us and we need to leave that to Him.  He is the One who calls us and it is His job to confirm our calling in others’ eyes.  Let’s get on with what He asks us to do and leave our reputation in His hands.

Proverbs - In the Midst of Thine Heart

Proverbs 4:20-22

 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

                        We need to attend to the Lord’s Words and bow down our own understanding to all He has to say.  We must guard them and not let them depart from our eyes.  This means that we should be reading the Word of God.  The scriptures teach us that we should, “... give attendance to reading...”. (1 Tim 4:13)  Sometimes we spend a lot of time letting others read to us but we should take some of our leisure time and feast on His Word, savor His truth and familiarize ourselves with His heart on matters.

                        His Words will even be health to our flesh.  In the book of Proverbs there are many practical commands about sleeping, work, eating etc..  Forgiveness releases us of stresses that bear hard on our heart and circulatory system.  Trust rather than anxiety will guard our respiratory system and blood pressure.  His Words are life to us and health to all our flesh.

Knowing God - He is Near

Deut 4:7

 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

The nation of Israel is declaring how God is so near to them and how He is in all things that they call upon him for.  Those of us who are Gentiles have been made His nation as well through Christ.  He is so near to us and He is in all things that we call upon him for.  What a great comfort to know that our God is in the very things that we call upon Him for.  He is in that situation that brings great pain to your heart.  He is in that health issue that has entered into your life demanding attention and inhibiting the life you desire to live.  He is in that inner struggle that you believe no one else sees.  He is in that confusion that you can’t seem to make sense of.  He is there before we call upon Him.  What a great and faithful friend we have in Him.  He is so near to us.  He is in the things that we call upon Him for.  We will not believe that He is far.  We will believe that He is near.

Proverbs - Well-Lighted Paths

Proverbs 4:18-19

But the path of the just is as the shining light,

that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

 The way of the wicked is as darkness:

they know not at what they stumble.

                        We should be seeing things more clearly every year as we follow Jesus, the light of the world.  Oftentimes we are sinned against by an unbeliever or look at a non-Christian’s life and wonder, “How could they possibly think that they made a right decision? Don’t they see what they have done to me or what they are doing to their lives?”  My friend, they don’t.  They are stumbling at things they can’t even recognize.  Oh that the Lord would open the eyes of their understanding and help us to have mercy on them in their darkness.

Knowing God - He Saves the Fearful

Isa 35:4

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

The Lord loves those who have a fearful heart and wants them to know that He will come with a vengeance and save them.  The comfort we need when we are afraid is linked with a promise of the Lord’s promise to come to our rescue and help us.  The Lord is not ignoring us.  The Lord is not too busy.  The Lord is the only wise God and He knows the timing and perfect way to intervene on our behalf.  Our hearts will stop fearing when we realize that help is on its way.   When there is an emergency and we call 911, the fact that help has been dispatched gives us a bit of peace in the midst of a usually very troublesome situation.  The Lord is more reliable than our emergency response system.  We may not hear the sirens but we have heard His promise.  He will come and save us!

Proverbs - The Path of the Wicked

Proverbs 4:13-17

 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

 Enter not into the path of the wicked,

 and go not in the way of evil men.

 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief;

and their sleep is taken away,

unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

                                             Stay Away from the Path of the Wicked         

                        We can tend to let go of basic instructions so we must ask the Lord to weave His truth into the fabric of our lives.

           

                        We should also be careful about getting involved with those who are not seeking the Lord.  The best thing we could do is to avoid any unnecessary dealings with conversations and activities that are contrary to our God.  We all deal with those who are not serving Jesus and their paths inevitably will cross ours.  We can then invite them to switch paths and join us, but we are not to enter their paths hoping we can backtrack and lead them to our own.  We must not be so self-confident as to think we can handle such slippery places.

Knowing God - He is Slow to Anger

Ps 103:8

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

God is full of mercy.  The Lord is gracious.  The Lord is slow to anger.  The Lord has plenty of mercy.  Our God is not quickly angered or holding things against us.  He is a God who so desired our forgiveness and cleansing that He gave His only Son to die for us.  His sacrifice shows that He truly is a God who is so willing to forgive that He would give Himself for us to have this mercy.  Our adversary is out to paint our God in a harsh and unreasonable light.  Because our God is so full of mercy we need to come to Him with any and all of our struggles.  We need not fear approaching Him with our sin or requesting His help in overcoming something.  The Lord is full of mercy and loves it when we come to Him for help, cleansing and forgiveness.  This blesses His heart.  He is very slow to anger and has plenty of mercy for us.  What a safe place to be – in His presence!

Proverbs - Follow the Leader

Proverbs 4:10-12

 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;

 and the years of thy life shall be many.

 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;

I have led thee in right paths.

 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;

and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

                        We need to hear and receive what the Lord would tell us.  A good prayer to pray before we enter into the Word is that we would receive His Word as part of our being - that we would be receptive to all the Lord has to say.

                        The Lord has the right paths and they are designed to support us and get us where he wants to take us.  He leads us in these paths.  He is right in front of us.  More than focusing on the path, we should focus on the Leader.