Words of Interest

I enjoy reading both the Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs. Over the years, I’ve read them in several translations. No matter which one, as a writer, I’m always interested in words and their power.

Today, I’m sharing a few thoughts about two that caught my attention.

The first word was “promised.” The psalmist’s request was, “O LORD, give me the discerning mind you promised” (Psalm 119:169 NLT).

A person with discernment can judge clearly between two things. Biblically speaking, this would mean an ability to judge truth from error, good from evil, or the sacred from the profane.

When we’re reading God’s word and something seems to stand out or keep coming back to our mind, it’s like God is saying, “Consider my words now. Or, look what I’ve promised to do.”

Psalm 145:13 NLT says, “The LORD always keeps His promises.” I’m very thankful to serve a trustworthy God.

A word that puzzled me was “wandered.” Why would the writer of one hundred and seventy-six verses extolling the wonders and value of God’s word, say in the last verse, he wandered from it?  

To me, “to wander” means to aimlessly move around. But then I thought, we can easily wander from God’s word when we don’t take it seriously.

We may read it regularly, and even know it intellectually. But if that’s all we do, we miss the point. God put His will in writing, and if we want to please Him, we’ll do more than just read it. We’ll choose to live by it.

There is a redeeming factor in that last verse. In total, the verse says: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands” (V. 176 NLT).

The shepherd can hear the bleating of one lost sheep. If you’ve wandered and lost your way, call out to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, today.

God will never reject a repentant heart (Psalm 51:17).

Pixabay: Scrabble;EstateAgentNetworking.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

Hope and Perseverance

I enjoy being part of a non-denominational Bible study. Last week’s lesson included the challenge of waiting on God.

A lady in my group said, “God is not a short-order cook!” I liked that. I said, “We go to the restaurant, place our order, and wait for our food. Why do we think God should answer our prayers at the snap of a finger?”

The psalmist had mentioned hard times before, but this time he says he’s worn out waiting for God to rescue him (Psalm 119:81). Have you ever felt that way? I have, but I also have learned that God does answer prayer in His own good time, and it’s worth waiting for (Ecclesiastes 3:11).                                                       

The psalmist was a realist who chose to focus on God, not his circumstances. He said, “I’ve almost been wiped from the earth, but I haven’t forsaken your precepts (v. 87). How well do we know God’s word? How committed are we to waiting on the Lord to fulfill His promises?

Like the psalmist, we should refuse to give up or give in. He believed God loved him and could revive him (v. 88). Because he had faith in God and His word, he was willing to stake his life on it, though it required waiting. (Read: Psalm 119:81-88).

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. Because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

Under constant threats of death, Charlie Kirk persevered in his public testimony. His murder in broad daylight in front of thousands of witnesses was not the end. His death caused people worldwide to rally around his message of faith and freedom.

Charlie is an example of missionary C. T. Studd’s famous quote: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Now the challenge is ours. How are we responding to it?

Pixabay: Adult, Alone, Bible; Pexels.

 

A Good Life by Choice

Have you ever wondered which direction your life is to take? We constantly have choices between good and evil, and sometimes better or best.

The psalmist noted it this way: “Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart” (Psalm 119:34).  

Jesus taught about the narrow gate to life and the broad way to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). We all know that narrow things require us to slow down and pay more attention.

But narrow or broad, they have one thing in common - - - we must choose.

Our earthly choices count for eternity. One day, God’s books will be opened, and we will be judged by our actions. It’s not enough to give mental assent to God’s guidelines for right living. We must do them.  

Scripture gives us fair warning:

·         I will deal with them according to their conduct (Ezekiel 7:27)

·         We will give an account to Him who is to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5)

·         Books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15; John 3:16-18)

In all of Creation, God’s work was declared “good” (Genesis 1). We, as believers, were given new life in Christ Jesus to also do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We are to use whatever gift God has given us to serve one another, so that in all things Jesus Christ may be glorified (1 Peter 4:10-11). One of the gifts mentioned is speaking.

This past week, we lost a man who boldly proclaimed his faith. The testimony of his life will long be remembered. He not only knew God’s word, but he chose to live it.

Proverbs 10:7 says, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” Charlie Kirk knew the dangers in his public forum. When previously asked, “How would you like to be remembered?” He replied, “For courage and faith.”   

Because of his daily choices, he will be remembered exactly that way.  

Let’s remember: 1) Our choices matter, and 2) we have no guarantee of the number of our days.   

Pixabay: Choices; geralt.

  

The Weight of Waiting

In our modern times, not many of us are open to waiting. In those times, we can feel weighed down. That’s to say we feel burdened, pressed, or even depressed.

I’ve experienced times of waiting for answered prayers. One was during nine months of treatments for cancer, away from my husband due to insurance availability. Another was the day-by-day strength and wisdom needed to be a family caregiver.

I found a way to endure the weight of waiting.

It began with a daily reading of the Psalms. I had previously kind of passed them by as records of sorrow and crying out to God. This time I read them all, and found many uplifting psalms of praise and good reports.

While being treated for Stage Three Breast Cancer in 2007, Psalm 40 became a favorite. Like David, I poured out my heart to the LORD. His Presence was very real as He lifted me out of despair and gave me a song of praise (Psalm 40:1-3).  

I knew he heard my prayers, but I had to wait for His answers.  Years later, a neighbor said, “I’m sure you’re always waiting for the next shoe to drop.” I said, “No, not at all. God heard my prayers and gave me a good report, so by His grace I keep moving on.”

David knew about the pit of despair. But he also knew the way out was to trust in the LORD (v.2,4-5). Have you ever tried to walk in miry soil?  

Mud, of course, is soil mixed with water. While we may be glad for the rain, at times it may bring unexpected challenges.

David did not allow himself to get bogged down by circumstances. Not only did he have a new song to sing, but it was a delight to do God’s will while enjoying God’s mercy, loving devotion, and faithfulness (v 3, 8, 11).

The weight of waiting is a fact of life. David prayed honestly, “Hurry to help me, LORD. Don’t delay” (v. 13, 17). Meanwhile, he waited; he didn’t give up!  

Pixabay:

 

 

Shut In On Purpose

Usually, “shut-in” makes us think of someone who’s ill or has limited mobility. But did you notice the title lacked a dash? Today, I’m talking about being shut in by choice.

During devotional time, hymns or choruses often come to mind. Today, it was a chorus led by my dad. He had a good voice and would often lead the congregation in a chorus before preaching. No music needed.

I learned “Shut in with God” as a chorus. I didn’t know it was a song with three verses until I did a web search today. I found no record of who wrote it or when, but I’m retired and my memory of this song goes back about fifty years.

Let’s look at it closely:

Shut in with God in a secret place,

There in the Spirit beholding His face,

Gaining new power to run in the race.

I long to be shut in with God.

It came to mind today when I shut off my cell phone so I could concentrate on prayer.

Corporate prayers have their place, but private prayer is not to be neglected. Jesus often went by himself to pray (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35, for example).

In *Matthew 6:6, Jesus taught that we, too, should have a time of private prayer. He said, “Go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your heavenly Father. He will see your secret private prayer and reward you openly.”

Prayer is a healthy spiritual choice. Jude says we are to keep ourselves in God’s love and build ourselves up in our holy faith by prayer. (Jude 20-21).

It’s great to go to the gym and make healthy food choices for our physical bodies. But we need to apply the same care to our spiritual lives. The truth is that we make time for things that are important to us.

Do you make it a point to be shut in on purpose? Yes? Great! You know what a blessing it is.

No? Why not? It’s an important spiritual decision. Plan to make a change today!

Pixabay: Window/Door; AILes.

*Based on this scripture, the Kendrick Brothers created a popular movie called “War Room.” If you haven’t seen it, check it out online. It’s well worth your time.

  

How to Kill Off Stupidity

When and where did you learn life principles? Or, did you? When I was growing up, I not only learned such things at home, but also in church and at school.

I hear people complain that our culture is short on moral principles today. But my question is, “Who is teaching them?”

Reading Proverbs is not THE answer. But I think it’s ONE small step in the right direction for ALL mankind.

I have met many people who read a chapter of Proverbs a day. Some have done it for a lifetime. It’s thirty-one chapters, imagine that!

When you tire of reading it in one translation, why not try reading it in another? *It’s not hard to do these days.

Are you familiar with 2 Peter 1:1-10? It says by faith we receive the righteousness of God through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are blessed with grace and peace, but there’s more!

Peter lays it out clearly in verses five through eight: Make every effort to add to your Faith.  As we mature in our Christian life, we should see growth in these areas: (1) Virtue, (2) Knowledge, (3) Self-control, (4) Perseverance, (5) Godliness, (6) Brotherly kindness, and (7) love.   

The Book of Proverbs has some things to teach us in the above areas. 1 Kings 4:29-34 says Solomon’s wisdom was known worldwide. Kings weren’t the only ones who sent envoys to listen to his wisdom.

The Queen of Sheba came to test him with hard questions, too. You can read all about it in 1 Kings 10:1-13.

The **Book of Proverbs is known as wisdom literature.

I believe we can kill off stupidity, but the best advice, even from the wisest man in the world, will do you no good just by reading.

The real value comes when you put it into action!

Pixabay: Puzzle, Sense, Non-Sense; geralt.

*I have the YouVersion Bible app on my phone, but there are others.

 **The majority of The Book of Proverbs is written by Solomon, but in later chapters, credit is given to two others.

  

I'm Not You

I’m not you, and you’re not me. Thank God we are not all alike. What a boring world that would be!

You would not want me to be your tailor! Neither would you want me to cut and style your hair, or bake your wedding cake! But if you’d like someone to read out loud to your kids, or teach them how to read, I’m your gal. I had teacher training.

God’s wisdom and creativity brought variety into this world. We enjoy it not only in the animal and plant kingdoms, but in humans as well.

We have different temperaments, gifts, abilities, mental capacities, and interests. Some of these are genetic, others develop from the families or even the countries into which we are born.

For example, France is known for its culinary schools, Australia for its sheep, and Argentina for its beef. So, we might see more chefs, sheep shearers, and ranchers in those places.

One person is no better than the other. Each of us has a place to fulfill, and we should appreciate and enjoy one another’s skills.

Don’t discount what you can do. A lady in one of our churches was known as “the cake lady.” She brought joy by remembering people’s birthdays with a cake. Another retired lady enjoyed taking to appointments those who could no longer drive. A woodworker created small crosses with JESUS beautifully carved in them.

In his wisdom, Solomon recognized a need for various skills. While requesting cedar and cypress logs from Lebanon to build the temple, he told King Hiram he would pay wages. Why? He said no one in Israel was as skilled in logging as the Sidonians. (I Kings 5:6).

Later, King Solomon built a fleet of ships. Once again, Hiram helped by sending seamen who knew the sea to help Solomon’s servants. (I Kings 9:26-27)

Have you thanked God for variety? Take a moment now to think of the interests, abilities, and skills you enjoy in your family and friends.

The old saying is, “Variety is the spice of life.” I, for one, say, "Thank God for that!"

 Pixabay: