Knowing God - The Gush of the Holy Spirit

Titus 3:5-6

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

The Holy Spirit was shed upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.  This is a great truth indeed!  He didn’t just give us a little bit of the Holy Spirit but the word ‘shed’ here means ‘to gush out’.  He abundantly poured out the Holy Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.  If we are Christ’s and in Christ, we have been given this great dousing and because of that we are drenched with the Holy Spirit.  He poured His Spirit out on us when we put our faith in Christ.  He gave us the promise of His Holy Spirit and we are made new and given new life by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.  What a great explanation of our triune God and how He works!  Enjoy the drenching of His Spirit.  It doesn’t matter whether we feel it or not!  God’s Word declares that He has already done this for us.  Believe this truth.  Enjoy this truth.  Walk in this truth today drenched one!

Proverbs - Heart Surgery

Prov 15:10 -12

Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way:

and he that hateth reproof shall die.

Hell and destruction are before the LORD:

how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

Our hearts are open before the Lord and He is best heart surgeon we could want.  He can see where the clogs are and when certain valves may not be opening and closing as they should.  He knows whether we have an irregular heartbeat or if our hearts are not filtering the way that they should.  Correction and reproof are absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy heart.  This heart is the heart that the Lord wants us to have.  A heart that is not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, but is often cleaned out by the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.  This heart is one that loves to be examined and delights in discovering where it is not healthy in order that life changes can occur resulting in a life that functions at its optimum.  If we are bothered by correction we might be forsaking His way without even realizing it.  If we go in to the Wise, to have our hearts and ways searched we will love Him and function the way He intends us to. 

Knowing God - His Lovingkindness

Ps 26:3

For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes:

and I have walked in thy truth.

The psalmist is declaring the God’s lovingkindness is before his eyes.  This means that God’s goodness and mercy is right in front of us.  God wants us to see His lovingkindess.  He wants us to hear His lovingkindness in the morning and He is doing things continually that represent His goodness and mercy.  We need to believe that and open our eyes in such a way that we recognize His faithfulness more quickly than we recognize the betrayal of man.  His lovingkindness is before us and we would do well to not turn our eyes to the left nor to the right but look ahead as we walk in His truth knowing His lovingkindness is right in front of us!

Proverbs - Sacrifices that the Lord Hates

Proverbs 15:8-9

 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD:

but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD:

but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

There are things that are abominations to the Lord and things that bring Him delight.  We see here that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.  The Lord does not desire sacrifice; He desires obedience in the first place.  Sometimes when we find ourselves compromising or sinning we can be tempted to try to compensate by punishing ourselves in some sort of way or doing some sort of sacrificial penance to make up for it.  This is not what pleases the Lord.  We see, according to this verse, that the prayer of the upright is His delight.  He wants us to come to Him and confess our sins.  He wants us to confess and forsake these ways rather than come up with some sort of plan to have our good outweigh our bad.  This is a wicked way.  He wants us to follow hard after righteousness and when and if we fall, to pray and call upon Him for His forgiveness and enabling.  He delights in this sort of uprightness - the uprightness that acknowledges sin and walks before Him in His light, allowing Him to search and correct.  He loves the one who follows after righteousness and seeks to be instructed in His ways.  Let us not go about establishing our own ways of dealing with our wickedness.  Let us remember that the sacrifice of Jesus is the only sacrifice that appeases the heart of God on our behalf.  Let us come and speak to the Rock.  Let us receive the cleansing and refreshment that pours forth from the One who has been smitten on our behalf. Let us follow after our Righteousness and enjoy the fellowship and access He has paid such a high price to give us. 

Knowing God - He Overthrows

Ps 136:15

 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

God did a mighty deliverance for His people.  He not only overthrew the leader but all those that He was leading.  Our God is fighting for us and is thorough and victorious.  The armies of the enemy are much too much for us to stand up against but to our God it is but a decision to conquer and confuse.  It would behoove us to come to the Captain of the Lord’s army and remember this great overthrow when seeking Him for help and military backup.  Our God is love and it is His love that moves Him to defeat that which pursues us.  Don’t be intimidated by your pursuers, look to the Lord to fight for you.  Anticipate His thorough overthrow of your adversaries.

Proverbs - Lips of the Wise

Prov 15:7

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge:

but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Out of the abundance of our heart come our words.  In order to have the lips of the wise our hearts need to reject foolishness.  We have read much about the fool.  A fool is wise in his own eyes.  Our hearts must not be like this.  Our hearts need to be teachable and quiet, listening for our Lord’s judgment on matters.  A fool is a contentious.  Our hearts must not argue and fight for their own way but yielding and submissive to the leading of His Holy Spirit.  A fool tears down those who are around them.  Our hearts must consider and think on the things that are worthy of praise in others.  When our hearts are rooted in wisdom, our lips will give out knowledge.  When we give this knowledge we will equip and be esteemed as wise women.  We need to be women who open our mouths with wisdom and that begins with a heart that rejects foolish patterns. 

Knowing God - His Name Endures

Ps 135:13

Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

The Lord’s name endures forever.  He is our God when we are children and He is our God when we are teenagers and He is our God when we are adults and He is our God when we are aged.  His name endures forever and all that He is; is all that we need whatever age we are, whatever country we live in and whatever trial we may face.  Another version says that uses the word ‘fame’ instead of ‘memorial’.  Our God’s fame is constant and He is doesn’t have a moment of glory He is glorious!  It is good to know in times of change and ever varying notoriety that our Lord’s fame endures.  He is always the popular choice in ALL situations.

Proverbs - Treasure of the Wicked

Prov 15:6

In the house of the righteous is much treasure:

but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

When we are seeking to do what is right and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord our lives and homes are filled with treasures.  Treasures are things of value and not common.  When we are women who seek the Lord for the priorities of our days, we will find our days filled with precious and pleasant substance that eludes others who are coming up with emptiness a midst all of their self-centered pursuits.  We will have peace and consistency that we will value and draw from in our day to day existence.  We will discover beautiful things in our homes built upon His precepts.  There will be a strength and value that might even surprise us at times. This is not true if we choose to build our homes upon any sort of wicked scheme.  The Lord promises trouble in our home if we are women like that.  Choosing the right things to do in the sight of the Lord will help us avoid unnecessary trouble and bless us with a quality of life we could never imagine.

Knowing God - He Speaks to Everyone

Isa 24:2-3

 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 

The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

When the Lord speaks His word, it applies to everyone.  There are no exceptions.  If you are a pastor or church member, manager or laborer, homeowner or renter, business owner or welfare recipient, bank president or janitor, president or beggar, the Lord’s word applies to all.  The Lord is not impressed with the status others are impressed with.  The Lord does not neglect those whom society often overlooks.  ALL have sinned.  ALL have fallen short of the glory of God and ALL are under His scrutiny and command.  When judgment is given in a land or at the end, every person will be held to that judgment.  God is not a respecter of persons.  He is gracious to all and He commands all.  We ought not to put such weight on position or prestige.  We ought not to weigh a man’s value by his earnings or possessions.  We, like the Lord, need to be in a place where the word of God determines true righteousness and respect.

Proverbs - Parental Authority

Prov 15:5

A fool despiseth his father's instruction:

but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

The parental authority structure is designed by God for our good and for our children’s good.  Even if our earthly father does not follow the Lord, he still has experience that we can learn from.  In order for our children to respect and listen to us, we must model that same honor to our parents regardless of how old we are.  Our parents have been down the road and it would be wise for us to consider their counsel on matters.  Surely, we must bring this before the Lord and check it out against His Word but all that the Lord is saying here is to regard reproof.  This means take the instruction and correction seriously and see whether the Lord is speaking to us through our earthly parents.  To be the prudent wives that the Lord would have us to be requires being teachable and able to be corrected.  This attribute is so rare that truly our worth will be more valuable than rubies.  The next time we hear some input from our earthly parents, let us be open to instruction and reproof.  This example will instruct our children how to respond when they hear our instruction. 

Knowing God - Before Our Eyes

Ps 26:3

For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes:

and I have walked in thy truth.

The psalmist is declaring the God’s lovingkindness is before his eyes.  This means that God’s goodness and mercy is right in front of us.  God wants us to see His lovingkindess.  He wants us to hear His lovingkindness in the morning and He is doing things continually that represent His goodness and mercy.  We need to believe that and open our eyes in such a way that we recognize His faithfulness more quickly than we recognize the betrayal of man.  His lovingkindness is before us and we would do well to not turn our eyes to the left nor to the right but look ahead as we walk in His truth knowing His lovingkindness is right in front of us!

Proverbs - Words

Prov 15:4

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:

but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Again, the Lord is addressing our speech, our words.  If our mouths bring forth wholesome words we will produce a tree of life. There will be shade for our children to be covered by, fruit for our husbands to be nurtured by and blossoms that will bring forth the fragrance of His presence.  If we use cuss words, gossiping words, hateful words or deceptive words, we produce weeds and thorns that create an ugly environment where growth is stunted.  We need the Lord to train us with our tongues to speak words that are wholesome – words that can be treasured and produce safety for those around us.  If our words are perverse, twisted in some sort of way, the spirits of those affected will be broken and weakened. Lord, we give you our tongues.  We present this little member of our body and ask that it be used by You to be a tree of life.  Lord, show us by Your Holy Spirit when our words are perverse.  Help us be sensitive to Your conviction and train us up to be the covering and fruit-bearing women You desire us to be.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Knowing God - He Overthrows Our Enemies

Ps 136:15

 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

God did a mighty deliverance for His people.  He not only overthrew the leader but all those that He was leading.  Our God is fighting for us and is thorough and victorious.  The armies of the enemy are much too much for us to stand up against but to our God it is but a decision to conquer and confuse.  It would behoove us to come to the Captain of the Lord’s army and remember this great overthrow when seeking Him for help and military backup.  Our God is love and it is His love that moves Him to defeat that which pursues us.  Don’t be intimidated by your pursuers, look to the Lord to fight for you.  Anticipate His thorough overthrow of your adversaries.

Proverbs - He Sees the Good

Proverbs 15:3

 The eyes of the LORD are in every place,

beholding the evil and the good.

It is so good to know that the eyes of the Lord are in every place.  Sometimes when we teach our children about the Lord seeing everything we focus on the Lord beholding the bad things they might do.  We must be careful to teach them that the Lord beholds the good as well.  When they do the right things when no one is looking, the Lord is beholding, taking notice, of what they are doing.  It is important for all of us to understand that what we do in secret will be rewarded in the open.  If you feel alone or unnoticed, cling to this promise.  If you feel victimized by an act no one took note of, consider this promise.  You are seen and He has seen all that has gone on in your lives – the evil AND the GOOD.

Knowing God - He is the God of All Generations

Ps 135:13

Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

The Lord’s name endures forever.  He is our God when we are children and He is our God when we are teenagers and He is our God when we are adults and He is our God when we are aged.  His name endures forever and all that He is; is all that we need whatever age we are, whatever country we live in and whatever trial we may face.  Another version uses the word ‘fame’ instead of ‘memorial’.  Our God’s fame is constant and He doesn’t have a moment of glory, He IS glorious!  It is good to know in times of change and ever varying notoriety that our Lord’s fame endures.  He is always the popular choice in ALL situations.

Proverbs - How To Calm an Angry Person

Proverbs 15:1-2

           

 A soft answer turneth away wrath:

but grievous words stir up anger.

The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright:

but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Our verbal responses will directly influence the course of a conversation.  Here we are told that if we have a soft answer in the midst of anger we can actually turn away wrath.  This type of soft answer is soft in tone and content.  It is not using push-button words or tones that would incite or fuel the volatile climate we might find ourselves in.  When our husbands, friends or children come at us with wrath, we must ask the Lord for His grace to respond softly.  Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to wrath.  Listen to what the wrath might be speaking.  Is the child sick?  Is your husband tired?  Is your friend under some sort of financial pressure?  Seek to have a soft answer.  If you feed back with grievous and harsh words it only gets worse and the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

To be the wise women that the Lord wants us to be we must understand the impact of our words and tone.  Mouths of fools pour out foolishness.  When our tongues pour out words rooted in pride, anger or self-righteousness we are being foolish women.  When we tell other people everything we know we are not using knowledge aright.  The Lord would have us be women who take what we know and carefully use it for His glory and to display His wisdom.  The words of a foolish woman are grievous and pour out with little or no restraint.  The tongue of the wise woman is soft in tone and content.  The tongue of a wise woman uses knowledge correctly and is under the control of the Holy Spirit.  Lord, help us be women whose mouths are under Your control and are tools used by You to direct our days and conversations in the way everlasting.

Knowing God - KNOW He is God

Ps 135:5

For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

Our God is great and our Lord is above ALL gods.  The neat things about this particular declaration is that the psalmist doesn’t just state that the Lord is great and above all gods, but that he KNOWS that the Lord is great and that the Lord is above all gods.  Our Lord loves to reveal Himself to us so that we have this kind of confidence in Him.  When we know who He is we trust Him and proclaim Him with a surety that is appropriate for the one true God!  He desires us to be able to echo this statement and we bring Him praise by saying such a truth with a knowledge based on experience and revelation.  If you do not know this, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you as such so that you may boldly proclaim such a great truth about your Lord!

Proverbs - Wisdom and Favor

Proverbs 14:35

 The king's favour is toward a wise servant:

but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

Wisdom will help us find favor in authority’s eyes.  When we handle life with wisdom we make those over us look good and we help them avoid having to clean up foolish messes we might make.  Whether it is our husbands, a principal, a manager, landlord or ministry leader we will find favor in their eyes if we are wise women.  We will make good use of our time, be punctual, take care of our property, and follow through on any directives. If we want to have a good relationship with anyone who is in authority over us, be sure to ask the Lord for wisdom and walk in it.  Consider your children.  When they walk in wisdom don’t you just want to give them more freedom and privileges?  When they are foolish or rebellious, don’t you find yourself upset and having to implement consequences?  Let us remind our children of the joy they bring us when they walk in wisdom and let us do the same to bless those who oversee us.