Knowing God - God Takes Inventory

Rom 4:8

 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

The word ‘impute’ means ‘to take inventory’.  The Lord is the One who searches our lives and hearts and weighs us.  He is the One who decides what is sin and what is not sin.  The Lord is able to look into lives and when He sees sin, He decides if that sin is on the books.  When we place our faith in Christ and what He did on that cross, we draw upon His resources to cover the debt we have incurred before the Lord.  When the Lord sees our sin, He can also see the other ‘column’.  The column that declares that debt ‘paid in full’.  Our sin is still just as ugly and just as deserving of judgment as any person’s sin, but in Christ, judgment and payment was given and made available to all who would believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved.  When dealing with our God, it would be wise for us, who are covered by Jesus’ obedience, to consider what a blessing it is to not have our sins imputed to us.  It would be great also to consider others who have not had this experience yet.  Lord, thank You that we are blessed indeed to be considered cleansed and forgiven!  

Proverbs - Poverty Should Evoke Compassion

Proverbs 29:7

The righteous considereth the cause of the poor:

 but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

It is quite easy to focus only on our needs.  As we develop more and more into the likeness of Christ, we should find ourselves concerned and investigative into the needs of the poor.  Whether it is their own fault or not, human need is meant to trigger in us compassion.  The Lord is full of compassion and rich in mercy.  He pities us in our affliction and sends His help.  He has chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith.  Lord, help us be sensitive to the needs of others and if they lack something that we can fill, show us.

Knowing God - Creator Whose Works Are Beyond Our Grasp

Eccl 11:5

 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

God makes all.  He is a Creator.  He is the Creator.  He created all we see and He has created all we cannot see.  He has made the microscopic particles that make up an individual cell.  He has made the mighty Mount Everest men long to conquer.  He has made black and white skunks and He has made tiny fleas.  He has made cotton plants that allow us to have clothing.  He has made chemical truths that allow us to have plastic and synthetic materials.  He has created hormones and veins.  He has made the sun.  He has made ALL of the stars.  He has made the toenail on your baby toe and every single hair follicle in your nostrils.  This is the God we serve.  Do you not believe that the God, who has these incredible creative abilities, does not know what He is doing in creating the things in your life?  Our high-mindedness often results in unnecessary doubts and fears.  When we realize that God made everything, we realize we don’t know the works of God.  

Proverbs - Snares and Sin

Proverbs 29:6

In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare:

 but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

We will always get snared by making evil choices.  It is not worth it!  Praise the Lord that He can get people untangled even if they make such choices.  We will sing and rejoice when we make the right choices.  Sometimes it is difficult at first to make the right decision but afterwards we can enjoy our lives without so many entanglements and snares.  Because we believe God is right and His ways are good, choosing them ends up rejoicing our hearts.  The way of sin results in so many things having to be worked through.  If you know someone who is entangled by their sin, take the time to let them know that Jesus Christ can forgive them and help them get untangled. 

Knowing God - HE performs all things for You!

Ps 57:2

 I will cry unto…God that performeth all things for me. 

God performs all things for us.  He is a God who cares about you. He wants us to cry out to Him and He wants to answer our prayers.  He is a kind and good God who will act on our behalf.  He loves us and is actively involved in the lives of His people – His individual people.  This is quite the concept.  If we really begin to grasp the personal involvement of God in our lives, we would walk so securely in His love.  God is acting on your behalf.  God is acting on my behalf.  We can thank the Lord for His involvement in our lives and enjoy the truth that He performs all things for us.  What a wonderful God we have! Have you sensed that God is involved and wants to be involved in all things in your life?  Approach your day today thanking and praising Him that He is a God who performs all things for you!

Proverbs - Flattery is Foolish

Proverbs 29:5

A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

Flattery in the scriptures is not referring to genuine encouragement or praise.  Flattery is referring to a slanted word for hidden agendas.  If we say things to people with a motivation for gain we spread a net for our feet.  We must consider our words and seek to genuinely build up someone rather than puff them up.  We could be trying to gain a friend or someone’s respect.  This is dangerous business.  When we do this it is like setting ourselves up to be tangled in our words and relationships.  Let us rather seek to have words that are aimed by the Lord to bring life to those we speak.  Let us have clear paths by seeking to speak words that are rooted in truth and are separate from any individual gain.

Knowing God - He is the Most High

Ps 57:2  I will cry unto God most high;…

God is the One who is most high.   There is no one higher.  He is higher than all other authority.  We need to cry out to the One who is the most high.  There are things that come down in our lives from those who are high and they affect our lives.  We need to cry out to God knowing that He is over all.  All things were made by Him and for Him.  He can see everything from being the most high.  He can move authority as He desires, because of being the most high.  He has access to all provisions because He is the most high.  He has all strength to give us, because He is the most high.  What do you need?  Cry out unto God, the Most High!