Proverbs - Don't Try to Understand - Acknowledge!

Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?

To try to understand ourselves is a futile effort.  Our goings are of the Lord.  He designed us and He understands us.  He is the one who knows when we sit down and when we stand up.  He knows what in our pasts are really affecting our present.  As we go throughout our day, the safest way to live is to acknowledge Him in all our ways trusting Him to direct our paths.  He knows what each moment holds.  He knows the demonic realm.  He knows the desires of our hearts.  He knows our vulnerabilities.  He knows what will really bless us to the core.  Instead of trying to understand, seek His leading.  He wants us to find.  He wants to open the door and He wants to give to us.  Lord, thank You that my goings are of you and that you will help me live my moments in a way that You designed me to.

Knowing God - The Lord Loves the Unfaithful

Hos 3:1

 Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel,….”

The Lord Loves the Unfaithful

      

           “According to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel…” is quite the description given to Hosea in telling him how to love this woman.  Our God’s great love is a love that we must measure all our love against.  Time and time again, God’s people would leave Him and run after other gods and other sources of strength and yet, the Lord would pursue them with a jealous love.  Our God’s love is faithful even when we are faithless.  Our God’s

love is committed even when we are compromising. Our God’s love is steadfast even when we are distracted.  The love He has for us is rooted in who He is and not in whom we are. He is the loving Lord who pursues us with His love.  Let us learn this love, give this love and enjoy this love.  He is love.

Proverbs - What Are You Measuring With?

Proverbs 20:23

Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

What do we use to weigh matters?  Do we use our feelings for one situation and money for another?  Do we use our desires to weigh one thing and our comfort level in another?  Do we use what our parents might think on one decision and how we analyze something in another?  These are divers weights.  This is an abomination to the Lord.  We need one scale and one standard only.  God’s  evaluation!  Whether it is through His Word or the leading of the Spirit, we should be seeking His leading in all matters.  Living with so many different sorts of standards will leave us confused and controlled.  He wants us to have our lives reflect his Lordship and building ability.  He is the master craftsman and as he orders one measurement in one room of our lives He knows how it will connect to the next.  Lord unite our hearts to fear your name and please You!

Knowing God - He Will Help 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.

          Here, a fearful is being addressed.  The fearful are being told that they can be strong and not fear.  Why?  Because God will come.  God will come with two things and come and do something.  He will come with a vengeance.  He will come with recompense.  He will come and save you.  God will come with a passion to protect you and stand up for you.  God will come with those consequences and inevitable outcomes that He has written into His eternal law.  He will come and save you.  God will come into those situations that produce fear in our hearts.  We can be strong and not fear BEFORE this happens knowing He will come and do these things.  Our strength and lack of fear is to be rooted in the strong commitment of our God to us and not in seeing or experiencing the deliverance.  The promise, alone, will give us strength and awaken us to courage and stamina in our fearful circumstances.  He will come.  Be strong and fear not!

Proverbs - Wait on the Lord

Proverbs 20:22

Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

The Lord is telling us not to say this much less do this.  If we sense retaliation in our heart, restrict it from exiting the lips.  Rather, lift up your voice for mercy and ask God to intervene on your behalf.  He is able to judge righteously and His judgments will be more than fair for all parties involved.  We must wait on the Lord.  This requires waiting.  This is simply said but difficult to do.   Give the Lord time to work and see how He loves you.  Nothing is hidden from the Lord.  He will avenge you of your enemies and He does it with a perfect love towards them as well.  Our wounds can cause us to react in a way that does not accomplish God’s greater purposes.  Wait on the Lord.  Pray for the situation over and over.  Look for the Lord’s leading in the matter.  Look for Him to show you what you need to learn from the situation.  Don’t wait on them to change.  Wait on the Lord to work.  He is and will work.  He shall save you and He does a much better job than you or I could ever do.

Knowing God - He Gives an Inheritance

Jer 3:18

In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

The Lord is speaking about unity resulting from His people turning from their backsliding ways and acknowledging their sin before Him.  He goes on to explain that, not only will they have unity, but His people will inherit what He had given to their fathers.  God has an inheritance for us.  When we return to Him, to the One who has married us, we obtain the inheritance He has given to generations before us in Christ.  The abundant life we can experience is the life promised to generations before us and available to us as well.  The Lord has given certain blessings for all those who are in Christ and seeking to follow Him.  Return to Him and walk in the inheritance already set apart for you.  He has given this to all those who are His children.  He loves you and He is a good Father.  Come together with all those who call upon Him out of a pure heart.  The inheritance remains.  Return.

Proverbs - Haste Can Bring Waste

Proverbs 20:21

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning;

but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Being hasty is rarely a good thing, especially when it comes to possessions and money.  We must always consider the end of a matter.  When someone dies sometimes the worst of people can come out like vultures around the prey.  Let us be careful and remember that our treasures are in heaven and that we are setting our affection on the things above and not on the earth.  Let the relatives quibble sister.  You must maintain a pure heart and be content with such things as you have for He has said He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Open your mouth with wisdom when decisions are being made and do not allow the carnality to overtake you.  Relationships, people and eternity are at stake.  Let us not sell our true inheritance for something we cannot take with us.