Knowing God - His Voice

Deut 34:4

 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

The Lord allowed Moses to see what was promised to Abraham’s descendents but did not allow him to go into it.   We learn from this verse that the Lord can allow us to see things to bless us but also restrict us from certain experiences.  Our God has the authority to limit what we experience and yet, we see Him being compassionate and letting Moses see the land and embrace the final chapter of the wilderness experience.  We must embrace the boundaries our God has set for us and focus on what He lets us see.  Let us be people who enjoy all He does show us and submit to the restrictions He has for us.  He is God and we are His people.  Wasn’t it just great that Moses was hearing from the Lord at all?  Shouldn’t we be so excited to hear from our God that it doesn’t really matter what He is saying?  Don’t you thing that just that fact that we are hearing Him should give us such great joy that any restrictions or limitations He gives us should be embraced and accepted? Don’t try to experience things He may have restrictions on rather, let us enjoy the time we have with Him and His voice.

Proverbs - Excuses, Excuses

Proverbs 22:13

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Slothfulness always gives us reasons why we shouldn’t work.  Most of us just wouldn’t obey a voice telling us to be lazy and just don’t do it.  We need to be persuaded by a rather grand excuse.  Here the man is concerned that there is a lion out there and if they go to work they risk injury.  Note that the excuse is not a might, but I SHALL be slain.  Slothfulness makes excuses that are defined by a stubbornness and negativity resulting in apathy and disobedience.  Ladies, when those dishes need to be done, we ought not to tell ourselves that a glass is in there and we WILL be cut by it if it breaks.  Ladies, if the bathroom needs to be cleaned, ignore the constant reasons why you shouldn’t do it and just go do it.  There is great reward in working hard.  It makes our homes so inviting, we burn calories and we have a strong sense of accomplishment.  As soon as those excuses come up in your mind, ignore them and be about your business as the keeper at home.  These lion excuses are just that, excuses that keep us ‘lion’ around and not getting things done.  

Knowing God - He Sees. He Hears. He Knows.

Ex 3:7

 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

We see great things about our God here.  He saw.  He heard. He knew.  The Lord saw the affliction they were facing.  He heard their cries.  He knew, or was familiar, with their sorrows.  Our God is intimately involved in His people’s lives.  He knows when we sit down and He knows when we rise up.  The Lord sees things in our lives we might not have even brought before Him in prayer.  He hears our cries and knows who or what is responsible for our pain or confusion.  He knows the sorrows we are experiencing.  Today, when you commune with the Lord, thank Him for seeing, hearing and knowing all you are going through.

Proverbs - All Cultures, All Lives, All Times

Proverbs 22:12

The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,

and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

When we know what is right and it is according to the Lord’s commandment, we can trust that the Lord has preserved that and it will work.  Sometimes we may find ourselves in a place where someone not following the Lord seems like their words are accurate and worthy to be followed.  This is a moment.  This is like the grass of the field.  It rises and it is green and beautiful, but as quickly as it grew, it begins to wither.  When we choose to trust God and His Word we will see the preservation of these truths and that they endure and last throughout our lives, in all cultures and at all times.  The Lord’s eyes preserve this knowledge.  He will be sure His knowledge is proven right.  The words of the sinner will eventually be overthrown.  As we hear His words and do them, we will be like the man who built his house on the rock.  When the winds come and when the waves come it will not fall.

Proverbs - Hearts and Lips

Proverbs 22:11

He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

Our heart and lips are directly linked.  It is so important that we cry out to the Lord and ask Him to create in us a clean heart.  It is so important that we ask Him to take the coals from His holiness and touch our lips so that the words of our mouth will bring Him honor.  If we are women who are seeking to have pure hearts and have gracious words, we will find favor with those who are in authority over us.  We will be the type of woman that a king would want to have as his friend.  We wouldn’t be quick to judge how he rules.  When he makes a mistake, we could extend the benefit of the doubt and speak mercy and encouragement as he seeks to remedy the situation.  Oh Lord le us love pureness of heart.  Oh Lord let our lips be gracious to those with whom we speak.  

Knowing God - The Lord Inclines to Us

Ps 40:1

 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

                                                                 

The word ‘inclined’ here means; to stretch or bend down.  When we cry to the Lord we are lifting our voices towards the Lord.  We are being someone who stretches towards the Lord seeking Him to move in our lives.  Here, we see that the Lord stretches towards us.  Our God leans into us and our lives, hearing our cries and tenderly involving Himself in that which concerns us.  He wants us to hurl our cares upon Him, because He cares for us!  Our God loves us.  Our God knows the numbers of hairs on our heads.  The enemy so wants to classify our God as a distant God that involves Himself in some sort of impersonal way in the affairs of His people.  This is not so!  Our God inclines unto us, stretches towards us as a Father longs to hold his precious child.  Don’t believe the adversary’s constant smear on our God’s nature and reputation.  Our God inclines unto us and hears our cries!

Knowing God - He is the Bundle of Life

1 Sam 25:29

… but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God;…

Abigail is giving a prophetic word here to David.  What a neat word.  The Lord takes those He calls and loves and binds them in the bundle of life with Him.  This word was given after declaring the pursuit of Saul against David.  We may have things seeking after us but we have a God who binds us in the bundle of life WITH HIM!  He is the life.  We are in Him.  We are in life.  Here we see that the Lord, Himself, binds us in that bundle of life.  How wonderful!  Thank You Lord that You bind me in the bundle of life WITH you!

Proverbs - Scorner Be Gone!

Proverbs 22:10

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

A scorner creates so much contention.  They are always putting down, taking the other side and fighting for their own opinions.  Within our sinful nature we all have this scorner.  Sometimes this scorner fights with us.  He tells us that we cannot live for the Lord.  He tells us we will never change.  He challenges whether we have heard from the Lord and how we are ALWAYS doing this and NEVER doing that.  We would do well to cast this scorner out so that the inner strife and reproach will cease.  We should ignore this scorner and by the truth of God’s Word, speak the truth in the inner man drowning out the scorner and having the contention cease.  Sister, do not allow this scorner to take up permanent residence in your heart of hearts.  Cast him out! 

Knowing God - God Instructs

Jer 6:8

 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

The Lord is telling His people to be instructed or they will end up being desolate and having the Lord stop speaking to them.  Our God is telling us the same thing.  He can teach but we must be instructed.  Being instructed involves being teachable and open to taking in all our instructor is telling us.  God doesn’t just tell us what to do, He commands us to do what He is telling us.  The Lord will remove His instruction and allow us to see what it is like if we ignore His words and teachings.  Our God wants us to be good disciples, learning what He says and having His instruction become a part of our lives.  We don’t want our lives to be desolate lands.  We want our lives built strong and full of life.  The Lord tells us today to be instructed.

Proverbs - Giving and Blessings

Proverbs 22:9

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

A bountiful eye is one that looks to needs and wants to give and meet those needs.  Our ability to give begins with what we are looking at.  Are we sensitive to the needs or problems others are having?   Do we only see our own needs or, being a part of the body of Christ, do we see others and seek to be used by the Lord to be used to meet their needs?  If we are like this we are promised to be blessed.  This man gives HIS bread to the poor.  He doesn’t just go buy extra bread for the poor, but gives of his own bread.  As we ask the Lord to give us this day our daily bread, we might consider asking how we might give of some of that to another. 

Knowing God - The Establishes Our Reputation

1 Sam 25:28

 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found

in thee all thy days.

Abigail was talking to David and trying to turn him away from attacking her husband and all he owned.  David was insulted by Nabal and on his way to repay evil for evil.  Here, we see Abigail explaining to David that the Lord will make David a sure house.  She was reminding him that it is the Lord who fights the battles and that moving out in self preservation or pride is not what makes a king a king.   She declares that the Lord will establish David’s reputation and not the strength of his own arm.  The Lord knows who we are and we don’t need to defend ourselves.  The Lord will establish us as we seek to honor Him and make choices that reflect our faith in Him and His Word.  Later, the Lord deals with Nabal in a way that leaves David guiltless and without innocent blood on his hands.  The Lord will make our lives sure and established.  Let’s back out and watch the Lord trouble those who trouble us.  We must focus on forgiveness. 

Proverbs - Emptiness

                                                        Proverbs 22:8

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

If we plant sin in our lives we shall reap vanity.  Vanity means emptiness.  Things can seem fun or satisfying at the moment but afterwards we feel empty and ripped off.  If we plant righteousness we will reap satisfaction.  Doing the right things causes us to have a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  We know that we have done that which the Lord, from heaven, would want done on earth.  When we sin we are never better off.  Sometimes at the moment it feels like we are going to have something really good.  This is usually so short lived and the emptiness that lingers on is much weightier than the pleasure we might receive while sinning.  Sure, sin is pleasurable for a season.   We wouldn’t choose sin if there wasn’t something we desired in it, but that is the original lie the devil gave back in the garden.  He had Eve notice the immediate pleasure of the moment and lied to her about the consequences.  Let us have the abundant life that the Lord has promised us.   Let us not yield our members as slaves of sin and end up empty.  Let us choose the way of escape and watch our lives begin to bring forth the satisfaction available to us in Christ. 

Knowing God - He Fills All Things

Eph 4:10

 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

                                                    

Jesus ascended after His resurrection to the Father and sat down showing that ALL the work needed for salvation was completed that He was sent to do.  He ascended FAR above all heavens.  The Lord Jesus Christ is to worshiped and His ascension was one thing that demonstrated what godliness is.  He didn’t just die.  He didn’t just rise, but after He rose from the dead He ascended back to His Father.   Although He is seated at His right hand, Christ can still fill all things.  This is a quality only given to God – the omnipresence of God.  This means that God can be everywhere at the same time.  If Jesus ascended and fills all things, we can conclude that He is, indeed, God, the Son.  We must honor Him and exalt Him.  Christ can fill us today.  He is far above ALL heavens and His presence has been promised to us.  His ascension demonstrates this fact.  He is with us always and He will never leave us or forsake us.  

Proverbs - Debt and Relationships

Proverbs 22:7

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The Lord is warning us here about borrowing.  When we borrow money we become servant to the lender.  We are under their conditions and we are not as free as we could be to follow the Lord’s leading.  When a believer owes money, that money is to be paid before any future purchases are made.  If we have the money to pay what we owe, we need to pay it back as soon as possible.  Sometimes debt can be appropriate.  If we borrow money for something that increases in value and is a necessity, such as a home, we are technically investing.  The amount of money we owe on something should be less than what that item is worth if we were to liquidate, sell it for cash, it.  When we borrow money for vacations, food or a things that decrease in value, we fell the weight of being servant to the lender.  We have that debt hanging over us far after the enjoyment of the item passes.  We are not free to enjoy things because we are paying for something that is already past.  Before we enter into any sort of loan we must consider the wisdom behind it and whether the Lord is using for provision or is it moving outside of His provision.  We want to serve one Master and one Master only. 

Knowing God - The Lord Wants to Use Us

1 Sam 25:26

 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

Abigail was used to prevent David from shedding blood.  This verse tells us that it was the Lord, Himself, that prevented David from such ruthless actions that might very well have affected his kingdom later when he held the throne or even when his sons held the throne.  Abigail did not take credit.  She gave the glory and credit to the Lord.  She saw the hand of God on matters and was quick to tell David that it was His God who did this.  Our God is longing to work through His people to save people from hasty reactions.  If you and I feel prompted to say something, consider the fact that it may really be the Lord wanting to use us in a situation.  It may be the Lord wanting to deliver someone from a hasty or damaging reaction.

Proverbs - Training Children

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

As moms we are called to train up a child in the way he should go.  We are given the instruction to train them.  Training often involves repeated disciplines.  Do you ever feel like you are repeating things over and over?  This means you are doing a good job training these little ones. Your children will have these disciplines, standards and truths woven into the foundation of their beings.  The way they should go will be clearly imprinted upon their character and when they are older they will recognize this path and find out that they should never depart from it.  Sure, they will depart from this path along the way, but the way, the path, will be there and eventually they will fear ever leaving it to follow any other path.  Don’t panic, dear sister, about whether they are jumping on and off of it.  Rather, focus on training them.  You are not responsible for their choices.  You are responsible for knowing the way they SHOULD go and training them in it.  Don’t be surprised at the way they ‘naturally’ go.  You must train them in the way they SHOULD go.  Don’t grow weary.   In due season you will reap if you don’t give up. 

Jesus is God's Righteousness

Isa 56:1

 Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Jesus – God’s Righteousness Revealed

The Lord’s righteousness is constant and established.  At this time, Jesus had not come to earth yet.  He was going to come and man was going to see God in the flesh.  God’s righteousness was going to be revealed.  In Christ, man saw righteousness in human form.   This righteousness was revealed and in the light of Jesus we all fall short of God’s perfection.  The Lord didn’t just send Jesus to reveal moral righteousness, He sent Jesus to bring salvation.  His perfection was not seen just for our example and imitation, His perfection qualified Christ to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  If Christ were not perfectly righteous, He would not have been the salvation that makes righteousness available to all who would believe on Him.  The righteousness that was revealed in Christ went way beyond Him pleasing the Father in all He did until His death, but His death and resurrection as well.  Praise Jesus today.  Worship Him for being God’s righteousness revealed.

Proverbs - Twists and Turns

Proverbs 22:5

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward:

he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

This word froward means ‘twisted’ or ‘not upright’.  If we make decisions based on a sort of twisted motivation, we are warned that there will be thorns and snares in our path.  Thorns poke us and make travel difficult and snares are traps that catch us and keep us from going on.  When we are women who are deceptive or motivated by some sort of hidden agendas, we will find our paths very annoying and at times we will find ourselves stuck.  We must keep or guard our souls so that we can be far from snares and thorns.  Our inner man must be guarded.  What are we feeding that inner man?  What are we meditating on? As we guard our souls we will find our way much smoother than when we are reckless and confused about our steps.  Let us take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, filter what comes in and guard what comes out.  This will keep these thorns and snares far from us. 

Knowing God - The Lord Sends People

1 Sam 25:32

 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

The Lord Sends People

Someone told Abigail about her husband’s ill response to David and David’s plans to come and bring harm to him.  Abigail came up with a plan and was used to bring about peace and diverted the bloodshed.  We see in this verse that it was the Lord that sent Abigail to meet with David.   Sometimes we get information and we wonder why someone told us something.  It may be, in fact, the Lord sending us to talk with someone or be used in some way to bring about a resolution.  The Lord sends people in a variety of ways.  In this instance, Abigail was sent by hearing about something through someone else.  We should be open to being led by the Lord through the information He might allow to get to us.  Abigail was sent by the Lord, He may send us as well.

Proverbs - Finances, Honor and Life

Proverbs 22:4

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

How do we establish good financial decisions?  How do we gain respect and honor in the eyes around us?  How do we have growth and new avenues of maturity?  The Lord tells us the two ingredients we need to produce these things in our lives.  He tells us we need to have humility and the fear of the Lord.

If we are humble, we will not make reckless decisions rooted in self confidence or personality tendencies.  We will seek counsel from the Lord and others around us.  This will help us make wise financial decisions, fill our lives with experiences others have had and give us new ideas we might never have thought of.

If we have the fear of the Lord, we will use His standards and values in financial dealings.  If we fear the Lord, we will do in secret the same things we would do in public allowing our reputation to stand under the meanest of scrutiny.  If we have the fear of the Lord we will experience life as He has designed avoiding the pitfalls of fleshly decisions that result in decay and corruption.  Lord, we humble ourselves before You and seek to hold Your evaluation of our finances, reputation and lives in the highest regard. 

Knowing God - The Lord's Demolition Intended for Rebuild

FYI – I read something that said yesterday’s verse was actually Jeremiah’s heart…still researching it….

Jer 4:27

 This is what the Lord says:

                                                                   

"The whole land will be ruined,

though I will not destroy it completely.

NIV

The Lord was going to deal with His people and it was going to look like total devastation.  The birds were going to flee, the walls torn down and the temple was going to be in ruins.  The Lord clearly states that the destruction was not intended to be the end of His people but that which would be used to bring them to a place of repentance.  Even though it looked like the end, in fact, it was a new beginning.  When we face destruction because of our own choices and we feel hopeless, we must remember that the Lord intends to use the demolition as an opportunity to rebuild.  He does wonderful makeovers and demolition is often necessary.

Proverbs - Hide From Evil

Proverbs 22:3

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

In the book of Proverbs, the Lord tells us that a prudent wife is from the Lord.  Here we are instructed what a prudent wife would do.  We should anticipate evil and hide ourselves.  This is not a doomsday mentality but a good planner’s understanding of evil that could occur.  This means that we could see that getting ourselves into a financial commitment that could create undue pressure on our family is something we should hide ourselves from.  We mustn’t take that path.  If we see that we are tired and easily provoked, we should hide ourselves.  We should be cautious with our mouths and commitments.  If we see that a friendship might lure us towards evil, we should remove ourselves from that relationship.  If we are simple women we go on with life as if there are no consequences or spiritual opposition in our lives.  We must walk soberly and when we are shown potential for evil, make those choices that would protect us and help us avoid this evil.  We pray ‘deliver us from evil’ and ‘lead us not into temptation’.  This means that when the Lord reveals evil in the future based on choices, we must choose the path that hides us from it.  Let us not needlessly experience the evil He forewarns us about.  Choose this day steps away from any obvious evil and avoid unnecessary consequences.   Hide yourself in Him and in the direction He shows you to go.

Knowing God - His Heart Pains For Us

Jer 4:19

 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

The Lord’s Heart is Painful For Us

This is the Lord speaking here.   The Lord is saying that He knows that the armies are going to descend upon His people because they have not made the Lord their refuge.  He is revealing to us that He is pained in heart because of the consequences His people will be facing.  What a loving God!  It brings Him no pleasure to see us suffer the consequences of our rebellion.  He is pained in heart and deep within our God, He hurts for us.  Here we also see that He cannot hold His peace.  This means He has to say something to speak to His people before they face such times.  Our God wants to speak to us before, during and after times of chastening.  He will speak so that we are exercised by the chastening and that it will bring forth righteous fruit which makes for peace even in the midst of trouble.  Our God is so tender.  Our God is a good Father.  Let us remember to listen for His voice, trust in His love and be cooperative with any sort of discipline He might have to give us.

Proverbs - Status, sin, stain and salvation

Proverbs 22:2

The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

In our society there can be quite a difference in how a rich man is treated versus the poor.  This is not true in the Lord’s socioeconomic system.  There is no class and the intrinsic value of a person is not their bank accounts, education or clothing, but in the fact that they are worth the sinless blood of Jesus Christ.  When Christ died, He established the worth of every human being.  The worth of something is how much someone is willing to pay for it.  Ladies, we are worth the precious blood of the only begotten Son of God.  The movie stars, presidents and CEO’s of this world are of the same value.  The homeless, mentally ill and ignorant are too.  God so love the WORLD that He gave His only Son, that WHOSEVER (rich or poor) believes in Him would have eternal life.  Let us look upon those we see in the same light, interceding for them and knowing that His blood has been poured out for sinners of all status.

Knowing God - God Speaks to Our Fears

Josh 10:8

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

The Lord had told Joshua more than once to not fear.  The Lord spoke to Joshua’s fears as they arose.  Each battle and challenge seemed to have unique fears for Joshua and the Lord dealt with them each time.  Our Lord knows our frame.  He understands that we are but dust.  He looks at us like a father looks at his little children.  When we are afraid, He does not rebuke us, He rebukes our fears. He told Joshua one time that it was His presence that would calm his fears.  The next time the Lord told Joshua that he could take mighty men with him and this helped calm his fears.  This time the Lord spoke the outcome to calm his fears.  We must seek the Lord for our fears and be sensitive to how He may be addressing them.  Our God is our Father and He wants to deliver us out of all our fears.

Proverbs - Reputation is of High Value

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,

and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Our reputation is very important because we represent the Lord.  Financial temptations come along and try to lure us into compromise in order to gain a bit of money.  We must know that choosing a good name is more important than riches.  To have the favor of someone is better than having silver and gold.  How we are thought of in the light of our actual lifestyle is very important.  This is also called integrity in the scriptures.  When we get our bill at a restaurant we should look over it not just to make sure we aren’t charged for something we didn’t order, but perhaps there is an item not listed that we need to pay for.  Our name is worth more that the few dollars we would gain by not paying for that soda.  To have that cashier see that we walk in integrity is better than walking away a bit ahead financially.  We may see that cashier regularly and as she or he sees our integrity, the favor we have in their eyes may, in fact, result in a great platform from which to declare the gift of salvation God has set apart for them.  The love of money is a dangerous affection.  We must renounce it.  We are only to make friends with money not court it and have it as an intimate lover.  Let us consider our name and the reputation we have in the eyes of others as something to be chosen over great riches or silver and gold.

Knowing God - The Lord Will Trouble Those Who Trouble Us

Josh 7:25

 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day.

We are not to repay evil for evil.  The Lord is the One who is in the place to recompense to man a reaping of what he sows.  Our God is not mocked.   If we roll a stone, that stone will roll back on us.  When someone brings us trouble as we are seeking to serve the Lord and be about His business, the Lord will deal with them.  He will trouble those who trouble us.  We have a Father in heaven that is not passively observing our plight.  He is involved and judges the earth.  If someone troubles you, refrain yourself from troubling them.  Leave this to the Lord.  The Lord will fight for you.

Proverbs - Trust and Preparation

Proverbs 21:31

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD

There is a great teaching here.  We discover that safety is from the Lord.  He is the one we must trust to keep us safe and our confidence must be ultimately in Him.  But there is another truth here.  The horse is PREPARED for battle.  Someone has to prepare the horse.  We must prepare things and do our part for each battle.  We must prepare the horse, but trust the Lord.  Sometimes we may place our trust in the horse and try to prepare the Lord for how we think He should work. This is backwards.  In each battle, we should be open to doing our part of the battle.  We might have to work some extra hours in a financial struggle.  We may have to spend time training our children through attitudes.  We might have to exercise to lose those pounds.  Although these preparations are appropriate we must remember that our confidence has to be in the Lord and not in what we have done.  Let us not be lazy, but let us not place our confidence in anyone or anything other than the Lord Himself.

Knowing God - He Will Explain Our Defeat

Josh 7:10-11

                                                    

 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned…..

There was a defeat for the armies of Israel and Joshua was crying out to the Lord.  Perhaps Joshua thought the Lord had let them down.  Joshua had received the promise that if he meditated on the Word of God he would have good success.  Why would this happen?  The Lord tells Joshua that it is because of Israel’s sin that they were defeated.  Sometimes there is defeat in our lives and we cry out to God because we think it is our fault or maybe we feel the Lord is letting us down.  The Lord answers Joshua and tells him to get off the ground and quit feeling sorry for himself.  The defeat was related to someone else’s sin.  A defeat that affects us may, in fact, be due to someone else’s sin.  Let us be cautious to jump to conclusions about the cause of defeat and be willing to go through hard times because of someone else’s sin.  Our God will speak to us and help us avoid the victim mentality and help us get up and seek Him for what to do next.

Proverbs - His Counsel is Sure

Proverbs 21:30

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

Sometimes we hear of researchers or councils coming up with findings that are directly opposed to what the Lord reveals in His Word.  We may even be a bit discouraged by this and some of the recommendations might even seem to work at first although the Lord might declare it won’t.  Usually this is due to the short term effect of man’s counsel.  You see, the word of the Lord endures forever.  His counsel is proven and tried and definitely to be trusted.  Man’s counsel is often based in the current trends or partial research done in these matters.  If we wait long enough, God will be proven right again.  After all, He IS God you know!  Don’t be discouraged if others seem to be doing fine disregarding and opposing what the Lord has said.  Stick with His counsel.  Nothing compares with it and nothing will outlast it.  

Knowing God - God Intimidates His Enemies

Josh 2:11

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

The inhabitants of Jericho found themselves in a place of awe and reverence after hearing about the Lord God.  They had heard that the Lord had dried up the Red Sea and that the Lord had fought for His people in the wilderness.  Because of what the Lord had done for His people, the enemies of His people were weak and discouraged.  Our God has done great things for us.  Because of His great works, our enemies find themselves confounded and lacking the confidence they often have in the presence of those who do not have the Lord as their God.  The enemy hears of these great works and our God’s awesome power resonates through the spiritual kingdom.  We might do well to praise Him today for the seas He has parted in our lives so that we might avoid unnecessary intimidation from our enemies.

Proverbs - Don't Harden Your Face

Proverbs 21:29

A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

Hardening our faces mean that we are stubborn.  A wicked mans makes his face look in a certain direction without reconsidering his steps.  He puts his foot to the gas and goes in a direction he wants to go in without noticing any warning signs or signals that might in fact be trying to redirect his way.  An upright person will direct his way.  Directing our way is to be always alert to our environment, dangers and opportunities along the way.  Directing implies a plan.  Hardening our face is to be arrogant and determined to go in a direction regardless of wisdom or warnings.  Directing our way implies flexibility and humility.  May the voice of the Lord direct our way and may we order our steps in line with His voice.

Knowing God - God Came in a Human Body

1 Tim 3:16

 “…God was manifest in the flesh,….”

What a tremendous truth!  Our God showed Himself to us in a human body!  He wanted us to see Him.  The disciples said that they handled Him.   They touched God!  Incredible!  Our God loved us so much that He manifested, revealed, Himself in a human body.  This verse clearly reveals that Jesus Christ is God.  We are to treat Him as such.  It doesn’t matter what any other group or theologian says, God was manifested in the flesh.  Jesus was God in the flesh and we are to worship, obey and preach Jesus to others.  Today, as you walk through your day, enjoy the fellowship you have with a God who wanted to fellowship with us enough that He became flesh and lived among us.  

Proverbs - Lies and Perishing

Proverbs 21:28

A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

Lies are an abomination to the Lord and when we give details slanted out of laziness or even with an agenda behind it, we will perish.  Our credibility and our ability to be used by the Lord in a situation will perish.  If we are good listeners, both to the facts and to the Holy Spirit, our words will be constant and consistent.  We won’t be changing our facts or retelling the story differently to the next person.  We won’t have to keep track of which story we told to which person.  Truth is a belt for us and love rejoices in the truth.  If we are to walk in love we must walk in truth.  Lord, give us the fear of You and the humility to be quiet when we don’t have details where we would like them.   Keep us from ‘filling in the blanks’ and help us be slower to speak.  Let our words be aligned with truth and help us to hear and speak constantly.

Knowing God - The Lord Publishes His Word

Ps 68:11

 The Lord gave the word:

great was the company of those that published it.

The Lord Publishes His Word

The Word of the Lord is powerful.  He speaks and the reverberation of His voice is absolutely predictable.  His voice is like the thunders and goes wherever He sends it.  His Word is alive and goes on and on touching lives and revealing God’s heart and presence.  Great was the company of those that published it.  When we expose ourselves to His Word, whether by pastoral teaching, personal reading or other means, we open ourselves up to a source of life that resonates through our lives and can’t help but manifest itself to this dying world around us.  Never underestimate the potential that God’s Word has when the Lord gives it.  Stand in awe.  Mix it with faith and know that you and I are part of that great company who publish it!

Proverbs - Wicked Sacrifices

Proverbs 21:27

The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination:

how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

The Lord is not impressed with our system of balance.  Religious acts or charitable deeds done to compensate for a life not submitted to the Lord are an abomination.  What we do in private, before the eyes of the Lord, is what blesses or repulses Him.  Many a wicked person has made large financial contributions even from revenues gain through wicked devices.  This is an abomination to the Lord.  He doesn't need our money.  He doesn't need our works.  He doesn't desire our rituals.  He is looking for people whose hearts are turned towards Him, seeking to please Him in their day to day dealings and meditations.  Our minds can think quite corruptly and come to conclusions we may think God should be impressed with.  This is not good and we are to be sensitive to the fact that our minds can think wickedly and wrongly.  

Knowing God - ALL Things Were Made for Him

Prov 16:4

 The Lord hath made all things for himself: ….

This is quite the truth.  The Lord has made ALL things for Himself.  He created colors, people, animals, abstract concepts, seasons, planets, air, and microscopic entities, all for Himself.  This means that if we want to make sense out of our existence we need to be in a place of instruction from Him.  He has purposes for everything and we are to be in a place where we look to Him for His leading in order to cooperate with His purposes for all we see and don’t see.  Did you know He wants to use your house, your clothes, your marriage and your trials for Himself?  Did you realize that all you see and experience is meant to be used by the Lord for His purposes?  This should help you embrace your life if you are under His Lordship knowing that He is in all you see and experience.

Proverbs - Slothfulness and Deisres

Proverbs 21:25-26

The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

When we are being slothful we are not working as we should. This leaves time to consider in our minds what we wish we had or how we wish things should go.  The scriptures are clear that a godly woman should work willingly with her hands.  When we are slothful our minds are much more vulnerable to the flesh’s suggestions and the old man’s covetous ways.  When we work hard there is a sense of satisfaction with what we have.  We may look at our kitchen and instead of imagining what it would look like remodeled, we will find that is shiny and smells so clean.  When we wash our cars and clean them out, they feel fresh and we are grateful for them.  When our clothes are hung neatly and pressed, a new outfit seems to be waiting for us at all times in our closet.  If you or I find ourselves coveting, let us examine whether, in fact, we have been slothful lately.

Another part of this instruction deals with giving to others.  When we work hard and find ourselves content, we may find ourselves more open to others’ needs and desires.  We may even discover things in our closet or kitchen we don’t want to maintain anymore and can bless someone else with these things.  When we get our eyes off of our own desires, put our hands to work and remain open to those who have less than we have, we will be in a great place!

The Lord Ignored the Devil's "If's"

Luke 4:4

 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

                                                         

The Lord spoke to the devil’s challenge of his identity.  The devil told Him that if He was the Son of God He should do what the devil told him to do in order to prove it.  The Lord showed us a great truth.  He never let the devil define conditions that He would obey.  The Lord’s Word is the only word that any of us are to submit to in absolute obedience.  It is His “if” statements that should lead us.  If we are risen with Christ we should seek those things which are above.  If we live in the Spirit, we should walk in the Spirit.  If any of us lacks wisdom, let us ask for it.  If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.  It is every Word of God that should illicit response.  The challenges of our adversary are rooted in the destroyer’s intent.  We can escape these things IF we follow the Lord’s example and ignore the devil’s challenges and take heed to God’s commands.              

Proverbs - Are You a Scorner?

Proverbs 21:24

Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

As moms, we can end up having proud wrath, not just wrath, but proud wrath.  This kind of wrath produces scorn and disdain.  We must not cooperate with such attitudes.  We will end up saying things to our husbands or children that are scornful. A scornful woman is looking down at someone and frustrated due to her being inconvenienced or bothered.  We read in Proverbs 22 verse 19 that if we “Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.”  We need to cast the scorner out of our hearts or physically remove ourselves from the situation. It is probably best to walk out of the room or move away from the situation if we are becoming scornful women.  Proud wrath leaves us having to say we are sorry.   Next time we find ourselves angry because of how something affects us, let us just realize that our name at that time is ‘Proud and Haughty Scorner’.  Let us cast this old man off and approach the situation seeking to have the Lord’s purposes in mind much more than our own kingdoms.

Knowing God - God Blesses Obedience

Gen 22:18

 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Abram was being told that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his descendents.  It wasn’t some sort of mystical, genetic blessing but a blessing based upon obedience.  The Lord was going to bless all the nations because of one man’s obedience.  We should never underestimate the power and influence of obedience.  It is the Lord’s voice we are to obey and He has shown Himself to bless obedience.  We often want blessings but don’t focus on obedience.  The Lord is blessed by and blesses obedience.  It is something we can give Him.  Let’s give Him obedience today and trust that He knows who and how to bless.

Proverbs - Guarding Our Mouths

Proverbs 21:23

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

This verse tells us that we can keep or guard our mouths.  We must consider our mouths like a large dam that needs to be guarded at all times.  In the United States, dams are guarded due to possible terrorist activity that could occur.  There are also regularly scheduled check ups to determine the safety and conditions of the structure.  There are also personnel who carefully determine how much water to let out in order to produce energy or supply water to those who need it.  We must handle our mouths the same way.  At anytime the floods of wrong words could come out and cause destruction and death.  Our adversary, the devil, like the terrorist, will try to sabotage our words and tempt us to let loose with our lips.  If we are not before the Lord on a regular basis having Him inspect the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart, we could compromise the integrity of our self control and release words or be unable to release words in the way the water of our words is meant to accomplish.  If we want to avoid some unnecessary troubles in our lives, we must guard our mouths.  Maintain a soberness about the power of death and life in the tongue and watch your life avoid much trouble.