True Benefits

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUE BENEFITS
Prov 3:1-2
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
NIV
I am not sure why I am reminded not to forget his teaching. Is it that easy for me or any believer to forget the teachings of God? Can be I so distracted by the ways of the world I would completely forget? I suppose if his teachings were merely in my mind and not hidden deep within my heart, it could be possible. If it were simply as I think so am I then I could forget and think about the world instead then I would he as the world. But not only should I remember his teachings, but also keep them in my heart, deep within my being. They should be a vital part of the very core of my life. These teachings, these commands are essential to the very fabric of who I am. I would be a lost soul, a useless being, without purpose or cause without them. I would simply be wandering through existence until death relieved me of the anguish and pain of life only to find a more fervent anguish and pain after death, at least for a season until the flames of the lake consumed me. That kind of living is not for me, I have chosen to remember his teachings and to hide his commands within my heart. I believe the purpose is not so I will have a prolonged life, although that surely is one of the results. The purpose I am sure is because I will be a use to my lord and enhance his Kingdom in some way, being glory and praise to him because of my remembering his teachings and keeping his commands in my heart. But still because I do this, he will also prolong my life, which I think is because I am useful to him here. He already has prolonged my life, I should have died ten years ago, but he gave me more years. He also has given me shaalowm, peace, prosperity and health. I am at rest with him, and his working in my life. I have a spiritual prosperity which goes so far above and beyond any material gain this world could provide. His provides for my welfare and my health, sustaining me through the course of my life. I surely believe this is all for the cause of the Kingdom. All that I am is for the Kingdom. My life, my wellbeing, my health all is so I can be a useful part of his Kingdom. What other purpose could there be. Does he bless me with all this so I can spend my life in self-indulgence? Yes, there are pleasures he gives me in the world, such as my wife, my children and grandchildren. Yes he blesses me with material goods for my comfort and enjoyment. But I still believe the true blessing of a prolonged life and prosperity is for the benefit of his Kingdom. These are the true benefits.

Stay the Course

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
STAY THE COURSE
Prov 2:20-22
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
NIV
This is the desire of my heart, to walk in the ways of good men and to keep to the paths of the righteous. Why would I ever want to do anything else? There can be nothing good, but only the destruction of my very being, my soul, my spirit, if I were to engage in anything else, and not walk in the ways of good men. I know the path of the righteous is a narrow path, not because there is no wiggle room on either side, but because there are so few on it. The path certainly is not righteous because of the goodness or righteousness of those who walk it. No, it is the righteous path because it is established that way by Jesus. I believe the path is quite large, even wide enough for many to travel it together, for God would love nothing else for all his creation to be on it. It is sad that is not the case, but at the same time I am glad I am on the path, that I walk in the ways of good men. Sure I am not perfect nor am I without failures or should I say sin. But God does not say it is the path of perfect men, but good men. This path surely leads to the land flowing with milk and honey, the paradise of God. This is the land I want to live in. This is the place where the upright, those who have traveled the life following after God, will dwell. Again the only reason I could possibly live in this land as being blameless is surely not because of me, but because of Jesus. He has declared me blameless, or rendered me innocent because of Jesus. I can walk this path, and live in this land because I have accepted the provision God made for me in Jesus. This is an incredible blessing. I still cannot understand why some people would refuse this great gift. Why anyone would want to be cut off from the land. Yet I think even worse would be to be torn from it, once having been granted entrance. Is that possible? It sounds as if once I had accepted Christ and have been walking in the ways of good men, and keeping on the path of the righteous, that at some point I decide to stop, and to no longer be faithful to those ways, and wander from the path, that I would also be torn from the land. Ah, God has not torn me from it, but it is I who tare me away. I would cut myself off from it; I would tare myself away from it by not being faithful to the ways of good men, and not keeping on the path. So I must stay the course.

Saved Me

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SAVED ME
Prov 2:16-19
16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
NIV
Is this truly all about a woman of the night? I think not, for the story line is actually speaking about a whole generation of adulteress people. A generation of people who were created by God for God but have turned they back on him and have engaged in an affair with idolatry. They have turned to worship the things of the world. The lure of fine things, gold, success, fame, and self-gratification have and the like have drawn them away from their first love. The dark lord uses such seductive words and ways to steal away souls from the partner of their youth. I cannot allow those words to have an influence on my being; I resist the sweet sounding lies of the world and her lord. I cannot understand how a person could forfeit eternal life, and all the glories and splendor which awaits in the everlasting presence of God, including eternal peace and joy, for the temporal pleasures of this seductive temptress, whose real identity is hidden to many, but I know him as the devil, Satan, the dark lord of the world. I but only have to read the end of the big book to know this statement is true about those who follow after this adulteress, this evil one. They will be thrown into the lake of sulfur and perish. How foolish to think the pleasures of the world are worth all that. How foolish to think one can indulge in passionate intercourse with the world and escape the end result, the truly deadly disease of which only one cure exists. The cure, of course, is repenting, turning away from this illicit affair and turn to Jesus. There can be no relationship, no going to the temple and engaging in prostitution when a person is the bride of Christ. That is the picture I see. I am the bride of Christ and I cannot be having an affair with the world. I cannot desire her, or the pleasures she offers me. My Lord has all I need. Although he does provide me with all the material goods I would need, and even some of the pleasures within the physical realm of this world, I am not in relationship with them, nor worship them. They are merely the blessings given to me by my Lord, who knows I need to have them in order to live in the lifestyle he has chosen for me, so I may serve him within the segment of society he has directed me to. They are but tools to serve me in my efforts to further the Kingdom of God. I shall not leave my Lord, to follow after the path of the dark lord and his disguise as the temptress of pleasure. Wisdom has shown me the truth. It has saved me.

Wisdom Is At My Side

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
WISDOM IS AT MY SIDE
Prov 2:12-15
2 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
NIV
I wonder if this implies that some who used to walk the straight path are now walking in darks ways. That surely would require the wisdom of God to discern who and where they would be. I think it might be possible with the aid of the dark lord for these men to have established a false front, a façade in order to hide their evil doings as well as to deceive others into believing they are still following God in order to lure the immature believers away from the real truth. Perhaps the temptation of fame and fortune is more than they can overcome. Wisdom can save me from their evil snare, their plots to overthrow the truth of the Gospel with a perverted version. I think today as in the days of Solomon this wisdom is in the form of the Holy Spirit, who gives the power to discern between the real truth and the true believer and the false teachings of those who have been lured to the dark side. I cannot allow that kind of message to even take any kind of root within my being, I cannot even give one moment of consideration to them and they message, for that would be thinking it might have some merit. I know without question the dark lord knows the scripture and will use men to teach just enough of the real truth intermixed, intermingled with untruth in order to deceive the unsuspecting weak minded believer, those who seem to be tossed back and forth and blown here and there by that cunning and craftiness of those evil men. But wisdom will keep that from happening. Wisdom is by far the key to having a fine tuned heart for the truth of God. With wisdom at my side I can see their true form; I can look behind the façade and see the rotting frame, the crumbling foundation and broken bricks of their lives. How could I survive without this wisdom? I do not think I could. If I were standing alone I believe I would be without that power to see and I might well not only be deceived by their perverse words, but I might well be one of them. But that is not the case; I am not and will not be deceived, for wisdom is at my side and in my heart.

I Understand

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
I UNDERSTAND
Prov 2:9-11
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
NIV
If I turn, apply, cry and search and God gives me the wisdom, knowledge and understanding including the victory and his shield and guards my path, then I will understand what is right and just and fair, every good path. It is a partnership in a sense for I do not think God will give all of that unless I do my part, not that he is unwilling to give to me, or anyone for that matter, but unless I search for him and all he has, he will not force it on me against my will. So having done my part, wisdom has entered my heart. A bold statement to say, yet I have not said it, God has. So I will have wisdom concerning him, I am confident of, but surely not wisdom regarding the world. I am assured of God and his ways, I have seen him in action all too often in my life, directing my path, healing my body, providing my needs and so much more. The knowledge that he loves and cares for me surely pleasures my soul. I think so many people attempt to find pleasure in so many things of the world or actually pleasure in themselves, being filled with so much of themselves they cannot even think about seeking God. Although they might believe it is pleasure, it has escaped them. True pleasure comes from God. The pleasure of knowing him and his ways, the pleasure of seeing him working for me, in me and through me far exceeds any pleasure of this world. Yet I must say, that knowing him does allow me to enjoy so much of what he created for me in and on the earth. I think that is a distinction, the things of the world and all that is on the earth. He brings so much pleasure to my being as I enjoy his creation, seeing the wonders of his design, observing his creativity and the beauty of it all. This may well be a part of the way he brings pleasure to my soul. But also in the knowledge that I will not end here, but someday I will enter into the physical presence of my Lord, in another place he has prepared for me. So this discretion, this having a plan to follow after God, to look to him for all I am, all I have, and all I do and having the hope in him for life eternal along with the understanding God gives will protect and guard me against any attempt of the evil one to lure me into his trap. I understand!

Eternally

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
ETERNALLY
Prov 2:6-8
6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
NIV
I do not understand how anyone could refute the simple fact that the Lord gives wisdom. I think I am a shining example of such generosity. In and of myself have never much been known as being very wise, or smart for that matter. But for whatever reason God has decided to give me wisdom, at list in his ways. I am not even sure if I what any of the world’s wisdom, or wisdom in the ways of the world, I should say. No, I think I will just stick with wisdom from him about him and knowledge about who he is, how is interacts with his creation and how I am to live. I believe I have experienced so much victory already in my life, since I accepted Christ, I am not sure if I should expect anymore, yet I know more is to come. Is that prideful to say I have had so much victory because that would be assuming I am upright? I am not sure that upright means sinless, as much as it means to walk a straight path with God, not ever giving up on my relationship with me. I do know that I can walk blameless, or in the sense of the original word, rendered innocent because it is God who has rendered me blameless, not I. And as such, being rendered blameless by him I am protected by his shield. I can stand behind his shield, which will never fail, and be kept safe from those flaming arrows of the evil one. Again, I cannot understand why anyone would what to be alone in this world, without the protection of God’s shield. Is it because they love the darkness? Is it because they what nothing more than to please every desire of their heart, which is inclined to evil all the time? I think I am actually no different in the basic idea, but I made a choice to resist that and to follow God and accept being made new, to be born again. I am so thankful that he guards the course of my life and he protects the way I travel. How could I be where I am if he had not guarded the course of my life? How could I do what I do if he has not been protecting my way? I am convinced if God has not been guarding and protecting me and the way I live, I would have been dead a long time ago, and that death would have been without the grace of God. I would not only have experienced the first death but also the second. But that is not the case, for he has provided me with a way to escape the second death. He has given me wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the meaning of uprightness and being rendered blameless through the blood of Jesus Christ. He has provided his shield to me and he has been will continue to guard my life in him. How grateful can I be? Eternally! How faithful can I be? Eternally!

Search

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SEARCH
Prov 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
NIV
Here is where the true stuff of value is for storing up. So many people in the world think that gold and silver hold value and attempt to store as much of it up as possible for the future day, which may never arrive. But here is the real stuff. I cannot listen to the voices of men, and their plans for fame, fortune and security. I must keep my ear turned and tuned in to the voice of God, his wisdom and I must apply my heart to understanding. What good does it do to listen to wisdom if I do not apply it to my life? I think so many consider the search for the knowledge the for the sake of knowledge as the end all of life. But if not application of such knowledge or in this case wisdom occurs, perhaps then it is without worth. Wisdom in itself it of great value, but I must apply to my life if it is going to be of value to me. I see I also must call out for insight. I think that speaks so directly to the fact I have no insight within my own being. I would think as a creation of God he would have given me some, but maybe not the insight regarding him and who he is and his wisdom. So I must call out and cry aloud for this understanding. I must seek after it, with all due diligence, forsaking all worldly wisdom, which is nothing but foolishness to him. Do I search for it as if it is of great value? Do I hunt for it as if it were some hidden treasure which would provide me with unlimited wealth? I think I do. I think I am after this treasure with great effort. Maybe I have not always been. Maybe I have sought after it sort of half-heartedly, appearing to look for it, but also keeping a watch out for my own desires. I think this has to be my desire, to find this treasure, to search high and low, to make every effort to take hold of it. This journey of devotions is one of my steps in that direction. It is a discipline of searching for his wisdom, his understanding, his insight into life and the purpose of it. I believe I have found so much, and yet I still need more of that applying to my heart part. That may be the most difficult part of all. But as I continue to search, as I continue to call out and cry aloud, as I continue to look for it as hidden treasure I am confident I in my understanding of my fear, my reverence for the Lord and I am assured I will find the knowledge of God. Daily I search.

I Choose God

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
I CHOOSE GOD
Prov 1:28-33

28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
NIV
This all is surely a setup for all the wisdom which is contained within all the sayings which are to follow these initial words. Yet even more than a setup, it is a warning of grave consequences if I do not pay close attention to what God has to say. This I cannot allow to happen within me. I need to give due diligence to what God has to say. I have decided a long time ago, to do just that, and I made no bones about it. I let everyone I come in contact with I listen to God. I take counsel from him and he alone, for his is the only true counsel. I still cannot understand why people listen to people. Why they would pay attention to what another flawed human being says is the way to live? It is true that the ways of God seem to fly in the face of human reason, or the common sense of human thinking. I think that is the point. If I listen to people, to their common sense solutions for the way to live, than I would be living opposed to God. His ways are not man’s ways and their ways are not his ways. I surely cannot connect with the complacency of fools and be destroyed as they are. I have to listen to the voice of God and listen to his voice alone. I know the old self within me screams for attention from time to time and I have to put in my earplugs. I do wonder about some of my fellow believers who say they were saved when they were just two years old, and sin is not a part of their lives. Is there an old self which lives in them? I know there is one in me and I must not listen to him either. I have to tune him out and tune all my receiving power to the voice of God. I need his wisdom as opposed to the wisdom of the world. I never want to find myself in the situation in which I call upon God and he will not answer, or look for him and cannot find him. I love his knowledge and I do choose to fear, to revere him above all else. I choose to accept his advice and I will not spurn his correction, his reproof in my life. I do not want to eat the fruit of my own ways, and be filled with the results of my own lifestyle. Instead I desire the fruit of the Spirit and to be filled with the results of them. I choose God.

Receiver

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
RECEIVER

Prov 1:22-27

22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you — 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
NIV
How in the world could I not accept his outstretched hand? This is a horrible end to those who are described here. I terrible was to have to live without the hand of God on them. I could not bear the thought it is. I cannot think of anything more wonderful, more fulfilling, than to have God pour out his heart to me and to make his thoughts known to me. Although I so consider myself simple in some respects, when it comes to God I am not foolish as this original word used here implies. My ways are not foolish because I believe God and believe his word is the very fundamental truth. I may be foolish in the ways of the world, which I will admit. But I am not in the ways of God. I do wonder if there are believers who fit into this description of rejecting him when he calls. Oh, not actually rejecting God, but his calling on their life, his desire for them to fulfill their part in the body of Christ. I wonder if that why it seems some believers experience so much disaster, so many calamities and have distress and trouble in their lives. Could this be speaking to those in the household of faith? I surely do not want anything to do with those kinds of situations in my life. I would much rather be experiencing the fellowship with God, and being in contact with his outstretched hand, allowing him to guide me through life, which includes an occasional rebuke when I get a little stubborn and start wanting my own way. Considering he is wisdom, I desire his advice, his counsel and his hand. I do not understand how anyone could reject that. Do people really think they have a greater wisdom than God, or a greater knowledge of anything than God? All the education of the world pales in comparison to God. The world can call me foolish if they wish, but I certainly do not want God calling me that. I want him to call me son, I want to be known as his child, his servant, his very own. Although I know something about God, I want to know more about him. I think I could spend all my days learning more and never learn everything about him. Yet at the same time, if he makes his thoughts known to me, than I know his thoughts, because it does not depend on how much or how long I learn but on how I listen. He pours out his heart, he makes known his thoughts, all I need do is be a receiver.

Tuned In

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TUNED IN

Prov 1:20-21
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
NIV
Is this the wisdom of God or the wisdom of the world which raises her voice in the public squares? Although I think most commentators might think this is the wisdom of God, I do not. I am sure this is the wisdom of man which screams so loudly in the public square. I am sure this is man’s pitiful wisdom which cries out at the head of a noisy street. It is trying with all its useless efforts to gain the attention of those who are trying to listen to that still small voice of God. In every part of society the wisdom of man makes her speech trying desperately to entice all who will listen, to entangle them in her web of madness. I cannot see the wisdom of God screaming so loudly everyone has to pay attention. No this is men’s alone. It holds no treads of entanglement for me. Its chains cannot get a grip on my mind. I see it for what it is, a futile attempt to appear as though answers to questions have been solved. It is a twisted view of reality and a failed attempt at true wisdom. True wisdom does call for her people. True wisdom does make a plea for people to come and drink from the sweet cup of goodness and mercy from God. True wisdom makes her appeal toward those who desire to hear from her. Yes, God does not withhold the divine wisdom from his creation, if they will turn from the screams of they own feeble attempts at wisdom and listen to his. This is the choice I have made. I will not ascribe to the wisdom of the world, the foolishness it. I will not be driven by this garbage into a live of frenzy, worry, anxieties, stress, and doom. I will enjoy the peace of God because I know where true wisdom is, within his word, within the realm of God, in his kingdom and in him alone. No matter how noisy, how loud the false wisdom of the world may get, I cannot hear it, for my ears are tuned to the voice of the Spirit. I am tuned in.

Choose

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
CHOOSE
Prov 1:11-19
11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; 12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse" — 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. 17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! 19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
NIV
This is the rest of what started yesterday about my choice to run with this crowd or with God. I cannot understand how people can treat each other as described here. I do wonder if this is not just a metaphor of the normal life of an unsaved people. Yet I cannot imagine people being that ruthless in their conduct. Although I suppose this could also describe the idea of partnering with the business world in the sense of throwing in my lot, or investing money in their venture of accumulating as much wealth as possible at the expense of others. It also could imply the their business if of such that it would be consider by God as a sinful endeavor and my throwing in my lot, or investing in their company would be a horrible mistake. The problem I have always had is how I possible could know just what type of business or subsidiary business they may be involved with. Any business which is owned and operated by people who are not saved, I would think would be in that category, seeking me to throw in with them to share a common purse. I know ultimately this would bring great doom upon me, as I would be in violation of the laws of God. I cannot partner with the unsaved world in any sense; I cannot be unequally yoked with them. Giving those kinds of people my money in hopes they would line my pockets with gold, while confessing to love and trust God would be ludicrous. Could this not fit right in with the love of money rather than God? I certainly cannot do both. I cannot trust in the world ways of doing business and God’s way of living at the same time. I think it is so easy to get distracted by the lure of these financial gains that even believers are enticed into this game. All I see is gloom and doom when I see how this affects the inner workings of any person. To me, this pursuit of material gain as described here can only mean seeking the Kingdom of God second or at least in a distracted manner. I refuse such type of invitation. I will not allow those individuals to have such influence on how I live my life, and what my goals and ambitions are. I will not be guided by the ebbs and flows of the market place. My life is in Christ, In God will I always trust for all things. I have been and will be content with whatever he provides for me and in the way he has directed me. I do not want my life taken away from me by those things. I want the life God gives. I choose God.

No Giving In

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
NO GIVING IN
Prov 1:10
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
NIV
This is only the beginning of a rather long dissertation of the method, or the ways of the world in which a person can become entangled which only leads to destruction. I do think this speaks directly to the fact I have the free will to allow the world to entice me, or the free will to resist that enticement, that temptation even when it is presented directly by Satan himself. Although it would seem when reading the rest of which follows the ways of sinners, or the way of the world might well provide such abundance of stuff, even if taken from others against their will. Ill-gotten gain seems such a harsh way of putting it. Yet the way of the world may well be all about that kind of gain. The whole purpose of advertising is to entice me out of what money I may have and make them richer and me poorer. The production of so much useless things provides only a distraction from the real purpose of life. If I am enticed into the desire for more and more things, hoarding until I have not the space for all of it, my attention to the reality of truth may well be distorted by the abundance of all those temporal things. I have the choice to throw in my will with the ways of the world, or I have the choice to throw in my will with the ways of God. I choose God. I choose to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. It is without question I surely have quite a bit of that worldly stuff too. But that is only because he has seen to it I have some creature comforts to make my life here as he desires it to be. But I was not enticed by them, nor do I hold them in great regard, for they are only temporal. Sure I enjoy them, I gain some pleasure from having them around me, but that is because God has deemed it so. I think it would be easy to be enticed by the ways of the world if I did not know better. But I just cannot understand how anyone who has the knowledge of God, and has experienced his salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit in their life could ever be enticed by the things and ways of the world. Yet I think maybe that this can and does happen and that is why this warning is in place. The distraction of material gain is a powerful one; it lures people with such subtleness it is almost invisible. The evil one even uses some of God’s word to allow believers to think this is God’s way, but it is a trap, and I will not be trapped. My senses are too kern as for the Holy Spirit is on guard and I have been dressed in the armor of my God. Both my mind and my body are protected from those flaming arrows in the form of enticements. No matter how there are disguised, they still serve the purpose of the evil one bent on my destruction. My will is mine to will, and I will not give in.

True Knowledge

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUE KNOWLEDGE
Prov 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
NIV
It certainly would be a wise and prudent thing to fear the Lord, but in the sense of being in fear of what he is capable of doing and in the sense of having a great deal of reverence toward him. I know some people say that he is a God of love and I should have nothing to fear from him because he loves me and I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. But the fact is, God who created the heaven and the earth and everything in them, and who is going to destroy them some day and make new ones, is just a little bigger and more powerful than I am and no matter what anyone says than should cause a little fear. Understanding that at moment of my life he could simply decide not to think about me, and I would just disappear. To consider that even though I have the certainly of eternal life because of Jesus, it is still up to God. He is the one who offered it and provided for it and he if so desired he could take it back, not that he would, but he could. Why would I not fear a God who has all the power? I think sometimes people get to familiar with God, in a sense calling him daddy instead of Father. I think some people see him as this gentle loving dad who wants nothing more than to give them everything they want and he is there simply to meet their every need. But the fact is, he is God, the almighty, all powerful, all knowing creator of the universe and of me. I have an incredible reverence toward him, and hold him high and lifted up as the supreme authority over all. To stand in his presence should bring some fear in every soul as whatever is lurking within the heart, he is keenly aware of. If it were not for his own choice of providing Jesus, his own son, to stand between himself and me, I would be dead on the spot. There are no foolish thoughts in my mind regarding my relationship with God and his strength and my weakness, his righteousness and my unrighteousness, his authority and my submission. I know I should fear him, in both senses, and when I came to that decision I knew I was beginning to have some true knowledge.

Understanding

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
UNDERSTANDING
Prov 1:5-6
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance —
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
NIV
It is always a good thing to be open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit especially when it comes to God and his word. Sometimes I wonder if I am not open, due to the rigid mindset I have regarding what I feel God has revealed to me already. Yet I do desire to add to my learning so I suppose I actually am not as closed mind as I think I am. I do seek to know more about God and how what he desires for me and from me. I certainly cannot say I am not in need of additional learning or of guidance, for I am surely in need of both. How could I live my life if I were not guided by his word? I could I live if I was stuck with the limited learning I have now? I am in constant need of adding to my knowledge and understanding of how God is and deals with me. I am in continual need of his guidance for my footsteps. I dare not even think of what I would be like, or what I would be doing, if it were not for him. If I was left on my own, I can only imagine the condition I would be in. But I am not alone, I have the Holy Spirit guiding me along my life, helping me to learn more, giving me insight into God and his ways. These proverbs I am taking a journey through will do both of those things. I will be able to learn more, I will be about to get additional guidance for my lifestyle of serving God and being useful within the Kingdom of God. I have to remain open to whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to me. If change is needed, I must not only be willing to change, but actually change. If correction is handed to me, I must accept it, repent and get on track. Sometimes I wonder if I can remember all that I learn, and if I can actually apply it all, all of the time. I think the struggle is still the old self, yelling for attention, demanding its own way, and trying to drown out what I have learned in order to apply it and thus do what is counter to that old self. Why the struggle? If I have considered myself dead to sin, why is that self still here? That is a mystery I may not yet understand. But I know my desire is to learn more, and to live in order to please him. I know my desire is to have God guide my life. I do not want to live as I did before, but I desire to live for him. So even with the screaming and yelling going on deep down inside someway, I need not pay attention, for I only want to hear that still small voice of God teaching and guiding my way. I want more understanding.

Simple

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SIMPLE
Prov 1:4
4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young —
NIV
So am I young and simple? Neither I think thus how do I apply this to myself? Yet when I compare myself to God, if that is even possible to do, I am very young and extremely simply. Consider his wisdom and knowledge, his plans, I am nothing at all. I lack so much when it comes to knowing about him. I do not have the complexity of thought needed to have a full understanding of him. But this is why I study, to gain wisdom and knowledge about him. I think that is really one of the greater purposes of life. What use is life if it is simply to spend it on the satisfaction of self? If I am not seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness than what value is there? Then again when I consider the original meaning implied in the word simply, that is plain and honest with no by-ends in view, I am what I appear to be. No false fronts, not very complicated. Although our language as degraded that word simply into a negative connotation, I think from God’s view it is a positive attribute. But because of this trait, perhaps a little prudence or trickery in a good sense could be useful. To put a little control on the forthrightness might serve a greater purpose for the kingdom. Remember that show, “Kids say the darnest things” I think that may apply to me at times. I might just speak out way too soon before thinking through with reason and being a little more discrete in my response. But I also think the intellects of the world consider thought in itself as the end result. I think the more complex they can make a situation then greater thought is needed to, not so much resolve, but merely explore the idea, for the sake of exploration alone which makes the complexity necessary. The simple truth eludes those who are not “simple”. But I also do desire a greater knowledge of him, and thus I will continue to dig into his truths and attempt to understand with the help of the Holy Spirit all that God desires me to. I do not want to make it more complex than the simple truth he has declared. So I will take what he gives. These words, these proverbs, I will receive in order to gain knowledge and to have a plan for how through my understanding it might be a plus to the kingdom of God.

What I Desire

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
WHAT I DESIRE
Prov 1:3
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
NIV
The lack of discipline is by far one of my greater issues to deal with. My mind travels in so many different directions, and my actions generally follow my mind. This daily devotion time has been one thing I have been able to discipline myself to do. Reading and studying the Scripture surely has to be one of the best disciplines to work on. Spending time, not so much talking to God, but listening has proved to be a good discipline as well. But there are still so many areas, I need to work on. As far as being able to decide the right time and place, the right choice to either say or respond, act or not act, requires a large decree of prudence. I know I have said, “it wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture,” in jest at times, but that is truly the case in many situations and I have to be more aware of when that prudent situation is. Of course living a prudent life is a life of discipline in a certain sense. I have to ask myself if I am able to govern myself using reason. Do I just act, or do I reason through the situation and govern myself accordingly? With the mind God has given us, that may only take a millisecond or so to reason through and respond in a governed manner, than just from the instinct of self. If I am able to discipline myself and use the power of reason, being prudent, than I think I would also be doing what is right and just and fair. Who would ever say to themselves I am doing what is wrong, unjust and unfair? But I think if I am would be honest with myself I might find at times that is either my action or reaction. Instead of doing what is right I do the wrong, instead of being just, I am unjust, and rather than be fair, I am unfair. But that is not all the time, but just when that old self screams so loud it drowns out that still small voice of God. Keeping that voice quiet in order to hear God requires discipline and prudence. This is the goal here, the aim of the exercise. Being disciplined, living a prudent life, doing right, being just and fair is what I desire.

Attaining Wisdom

Well, Yesterday I was in Chicago and without internet, so nothing posted, but I have decided to go through Proverbs and here is the first of a whole lot:

If you are reading this, you are always welcome to post comments.



DEVOTION
PROVERBS
ATTAINING WISDOM
Prov 1:1-2
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
NIV
Is there anything more worthwhile than attaining wisdom and corrective instruction other than, of course, salvation? However, I really do not care much about attaining much wisdom in the worldly sense. What kind of wisdom does this world have to offer anyway? I think all of it, what there is of it, always leads away from the truth of God, and in fact away from God himself. So why would I want any of that wisdom? I suppose it might make me appear intelligent in the minds of mere men, but of what value is that? No, I desire the wisdom which comes from the Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth and everything in them. This has to be of greater value than anything this world could ever offer me. Do I care about the image I have before men? Sure, but that image is not one of being wise regarding the things of this world, but rather I desire to project an image of Christ. As far as the discipline or corrective instruction as I think it more clearly says in the Hebrew, I think I am open to here again, not from the world, but from God. Sure people of the world are ready to correct by behaviors and desire me to be more like them, think like them, and give up this foolish belief thing. But that is not the kind of corrective instruction I need. No, when I am running ahead of God, I need his discipline. When I am veering off course, I need his corrective instruction. When I am darn right disobedient I surely am in need of his discipline. I also desire to have the understanding of God’s insight rather than the supposed insight of some person, especially when it comes to the meaning of life, the purpose of life, and then result of life. The words contained in these proverbs certainly provide many of the answers and insights into how God desires his creation to live. I will seek them out, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will attain the wisdom God has provided for me and desires for me. I will also accept, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the corrective instruction God needs to impart into my being when it is needed. I am looking forward to this experience of attaining wisdom.

Home With Christ

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
HOME WITH CHRIST
Philem 22 - 25
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. NIV
What could be here for me? I do not think I could prepare a guest room for Paul, but perhaps I could prepare a room for Christ. This I already have done many years ago when I first invited him in. I do wonder though is it just a guest room or have I invited him to the whole house? I know I talk as most other believers I know about Jesus being the Lord of my life, but really have I given him complete freedom to have his way within my being? Do I hold out portions of my own self? In other words have I restricted Christ to the guest room only? I surely hope not, for that is not my intention, but I do have to consider the possibility when I exert my own way. Maybe he is free to move about the whole of me, but I simply do not pay attention to his presence at certain times. Now I know it is not really Jesus, but the Holy Spirit that dwells within my being, then again they are one. It really makes no difference as to the title, the facts still remain regarding the guest room, the whole house, his influence and my responsiveness to his presence. Are there times when I tell him, “Go to your room” and then do my own thing? The other concept I do see here is being a captive in Christ Jesus. Was Paul a real prisoner of Rome, or a prisoner in Christ Jesus? Was Epaphras actually in chains placed by Rome, or simply a captive in Christ Jesus? Were they in house arrest in the physical or in the spiritual? Surely both is the case, but should not I be in house arrest in Christ? Should I not be his captive, his prisoner? If so, then I am not at liberty to move about on my own. I do not have the freedom to do my own thing, but should always be under the guidance of keeper. What about my freedom in Christ? There I have all the freedom I could every need. I can move about within him all I want, being and doing as his influence dictates. But I should not have the freedom outside, yet he allows me to if I choose so. It is a thin door between the two and maybe I have one foot one on each side being able to sway either direction at a moment’s notice. It comes down to my desire to stay home with Christ.

Right Direction

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
RIGHT DIRECTION
Philem 17-21
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back — not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
NIV
All my wrongs are charged to Christ would seem to be the underlining message God desires for me as well as all his people to see. Surely I could not be expected to accept the charge for the wrongs of others, which alone was for Christ. Now if this was merely a worldly wrong, of which I cannot even think of any, I suppose it is possible for one man to pay the debt of another. This owning part may have reference money or other material goods and so Paul would have been able to repay that kind of debt. That surely requires a great deal of self-sacrifice. I a very small scale, I think I have done this, in times past, when my material picture was more fluid. But to be that open at all times toward all those close to me would require a special motivation from the Holy Spirit within my being. On the other hand should I expect some special compensation from any of my fellow believer? Should I expect any of them to be willing to pay my debt either to society or God? I think not. But how does all this look in the social structure I live in today compared to those days of long ago? Life seems far more complex today than in those days. Society might well be scattered much farther apart in the spiritual realm today as well. I do not think there is the same sense of fellowship today as then. But still this concept stands eternal, exempt from time or place. But I must return to what I believe is the underlining message of this passage. All my sins are charged to Christ, if I own God anything Christ has paid it back in full. It is without question I owe his my very self. I am confident that Christ does not desire any benefit from me, although I am to serve him, I am to serve to Kingdom of God, and in doing so there has to be some benefit to the overall Kingdom. There too is the truth of welcoming back into the fellowship of believers anyone who might well have fallen into some sort of sin, which is considered bad. Not that all sin isn’t bad, but some may seem too offensive to forgive. I do not understand how any man cannot forgive another man, because all of us are not perfect, but I think that happens today. I cannot take part in unforgiveness. Scattered thoughts today, yet I think in the right direction.

True Koinania

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
TRUE KOINANIA
Philem 12-16
12 I am sending him — who is my very heart — back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
NIV
Spontaneous is much better then forced. Whatever I do for someone else should certainly be without being forced to do it, but rather doing it with my heart. That is the question at hand, what is from the heart? Do I serve someone out of a sense of obedience to God, or from my heart? Do I just think that because I am a believer, I should be helping someone or is it actually coming from my heart? I am not sure I can differentiate between these two but I think they are different. I think I should just what to do things for others, because I simply what do. I do not think that I should ask myself, what would Jesus do? If I have to ask then I am not really doing it from the heart, but from my sense of responsibility to be a good servant of Christ. I know there is a difference, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it. This helping should just be as natural as breathing I think. Maybe the core issue is how I consider my fellow believer. Do I see them as just people or as dear brothers and sisters in the Lord? Now at the same time should others become so dependent on my helping them they never what me to leave their service, always asking me to stay on and keep helping them? Do they see me as a bond servant, or as a dear brother in the Lord? There is a two way street here within this truth. All believers should be helping each other from the inner core of their heart, giving to each other whatever skills, talents, and gifts God has bestowed upon them. Every believer should be considering every other believer as a dear brother or sister in the Lord, desiring to serve them and for them to experience the best life in Christ. I think I should not ever enjoy seeing one of my dear fellow believers depart from my presence. I should want all of them to forever be with me, and they should consider me the same. Departure should always instill the desire for a return. Maybe all of this is the true koinania.

Usefulness

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
USEFULNESS
Philem 8-11
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul — an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus — 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
NIV
So what do I take from this? I suppose I could admit to myself that before I became a believer in Jesus Christ I was as useless as the next guy, but useless for what? The answer is simply, I was useless for the Kingdom of God, for I believe I was useful to the enemy of my soul. I spread lies about the existence of the Kingdom, about God and all he represents. I was useful to my own pleasures, serving myself in any way I chose. But I was certainly useless to the Kingdom of God. But since the Holy Spirit was able to break through the shell of self- preservation and reveal to me the truth about God and I responded with a resounding “Yes”, I am no longer useless. I would think I have become useful to both others and well as to the Kingdom of God. I elected to be part of the body of Christ and thus I needed to find which part I was. As each part is useful to all the others as well as in need of all the others, it was necessary for me to fit within the body. This I believe the Spirit has directed me in and I am now a useful member, serving God and his church. I don’t think that God ordered me to this place, but he did appeal to me through his divine love to be who I am, and do what I do. I am not sure I am as good as I should be at being who I am and doing what he desires me to do. I surely am not a great teacher, or preacher, or writer of words. I cannot gather my thoughts in an real organized fashion, I am a rambler of thoughts and ideas that are spawned from his Word. I wish I could be more organized, but I simply do not have the capacity within. I wonder why he has not gifted me with that ability. I do not think it is a learned skill, but rather a God given trait of which I do not have. So I am stuck with who I am, and must accept my limitations at being organized. I cannot use that as an excuse not to do what he has instructed me to do. I think that my usefulness is completely dependent on him. If I am to accomplish anything for the Kingdom, it has to be because of him. I merely need to allow him to do his work in me and through me. My usefulness is in his hands.

Bringing Rest

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
BRINGING REST
Philem 6-7
7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
NIV
Should not all of us have such love that we all refreshed the hearts of the rest of the saints? I think I should at least have this kind of love. But this refreshing gives me some thoughts, as the Greek word implies to give repose or rest. Perhaps Philimon gave, opening his home, and gave comfort to those poorer souls who were in need of a place to sleep at night. But if that is the case, how can believers today extend such hospitality? Maybe there is another kind of repose or rest. Maybe being able to set aside fears and anxieties over the situations of life in this world is a form of refreshing the saints. There is so much going on in the world if believers are not careful they can get all taken up in the worries and stresses of just getting each day. In this cultural the concerns about financial security can drive people into a frenzy over their future conditions. I think sometimes too many of the saints, the believers get so inward focused and have too many concerns about their own life, they get anxious and forget God will provide all their needs. Maybe through sharing God’s word I can have some effect on giving them repose, or rest in their spirits. I think this true rest; this true refreshing comes from a complete inner trust in God. To be able look to God for every aspect of life, knowing he will take care of each and every one surely has to bring a complete rest and refreshing within. But I cannot give that refreshing, it must come from him. So how can I refresh the saints? Can I bring great joy and encouragement to my Lord in the refreshing of the saints? I must come back to the word of God, for it is the only thing I know which can do such a thing. Yes, giving housing, food and clothing to those who are in need has some physical form of refreshing, but what does that do for the spirit? If this life is only physical, then I think it is meaningless. I believe true refreshing happens within the spirit and only the Word of God is capable of bringing that kind of refreshing. Philimon refreshed the hearts, the bowels, the inner being of those saints, and that is not the physical, but the spiritual part of man. So it is for me, I must continue on the course God has set me. I must share his word in order to bring rest to the others.

Be Active

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
BE ACTIVE
Philem 6-7
6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
NIV
To be active in sharing my faith is, of course, one of the greatest things I can do for anyone. Although because of my faith I have benefited far more than I could ever have imagined. I have been blessed beyond anything I could have hoped for. My life so far has been an incredible journey and I suspect it is not over yet. There is still more blessings to come. But that is all about me, and my life because of my faith and that is not the all of it. I must be active in sharing my faith. This requires much interaction with those who have not got the faith. I don’t think this is speaking t sharing my faith with others who already know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. I cannot just stick around within the confines of Christianity. I have to get out there where it is dirty and muddy among the unsaved. Neither can I just simply stand on the street corner with a bullhorn declaring “repent and be saved”. Nor can I just march around with a sign bearing John 3:16. No, I have to have personal contact, one on one, with people, develop a relationship and share my faith both in deeds and words. It is not a passion behavior, hoping someone will notice I am a believer; it is active, alive, and interactive with those who do not know Jesus. This is how I am to live, out in the grime of the world being an ambassador for Christ. And as I do this, I will continue to be blessed and much more. I will gain a greater understanding of all the good I have in Christ. I think if I just stick around all the other believers, I might lose sight of all the good things I have in Christ. Maybe there is nothing to compare it to, and if I am out in the filth of real life among those who are not a part of the body the Christ yet, I would see just how good I have it. Of course having been there at one time, I am fully aware of how horrible it is. I merely have to look back into my past to understand how wonderful my present is and how even greater my future will be. But that is no excuse for me to remain isolated amidst the church. I still have to be active in sharing my faith, I still have to get out and be among those who are in desperate need of salvation from their lifestyle which will lead to nothing but perishing. If I have any love, any compassion, any mercy at all within my being, I have to tell them about Jesus. I must be active.

Thank Him More

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
THANK HIM MORE
Philem 4-5
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
NIV
I think it is one to pray for another believer, and to have good thoughts about them from time to time when I am together with them, but it is entirely a different thing which is express here. I am not sure I can actually say that when I remember someone in my prayer time, that I thank God for them, or even when God brings someone to my mind for the purpose of seeking him on their behalf. That is not a good thing. I am aware of this verse, I have taught on this verse, I have written about this verse before in my communications with someone, in which I did remind him I was thanking God for him, but I do not think this is a normal part of my prayer life. I do think the reason for being thankful for fellow believers is at the heart of this issue. I may not be able to thank God for some of the actions of my fellow believers. I may not be able to thank God when I remember how they may have treated me, or how they nay behave from time to time. But I do think I should be able to thank God because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I do have to wonder about the love part for all the saints. How can I thank God for something I do not see? Am I just not looking, or seeing the love for all the saints, or is the church actually not engaged in that behavior? Maybe some of my fellow believers are and I am just unaware. Then I have to ask myself do I have love for all the saints, and if not, how can I expect others to so I can thank God for their faith and love? What does that love for all the saints look like? How is that expressed? I think first of all it has to be a heart issue. This love has to come from within, a driving overwhelming force rather than simply an act of obedience to God. Although being obedient is very commendable, and should be noted and I should be able to thank God for their obedience, I think this loving of all the saints cannot be out of obedience only. It has to be pure and without any agenda for the believer doing the loving except to benefit the Kingdom of God. If I say loving all the saints makes me feel good about myself, I think I have missed the mark, or even if I don’t say it but merely think it. But, I still have to thank God for those, when I remember them, and that is another issue all together. How often do I remember them, and especially in my prayers? I think all too often prayers include asking God for the needs of self and sometimes for the needs of others, but far too often it does not include thankfulness for others. It is good to be reminded of this issue of my heart. I will thank him more.

Fight Together

DEVOTION
PHILIMON
FIGHT TOGETHER
Philem 1-3
1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
NIV
Is there any question about being a soldier of Christ? God has provide me with all the armor I will ever need for the battle of my life, and for my life. But I believe there is a purpose for being referred to as a fellow soldier. An army functions as one living breathing organism, moving in one direction for the one purpose of defeating the enemy. It also moves in this singular direction at the command of its leader. I am a soldier of Christ along with my fellow believers and I think somehow this truth has escaped the hearts and minds of many. How often am I going in my own direction? How often are others bearing different than mine? I wonder just how much singular purpose exists within the army of Christ. I am sure God commands each and every one for his divine purpose and for the benefit of both his children and his Kingdom. Although I believe if I am following his commands for the benefit of the Kingdom I will benefit as well. I think much in the way in the heat of battle if the soldier obeys the commands of the leader, he will be far better off than running ahead into battle all alone. This is a fight to the finish, one or the other is going to perish and it is not going to be me. God has already ordained it, if I follow his commands, and serve his purpose I will be kept safe from harm and the victory will be mine. The enemy of my soul will be crushed, and defended for all eternity, cast into the lake of burning sulfur, to perish. But I think it would do me good to remember I am but a member of a unit within the army under the command of God. I am not a singular warrior, alone on the battle field of life. As I always teach, if many of us circle around with our shields of faith, no attack of the enemy will stand a chance. But alone he may well out flank me. But what does this army look like? How does this look in practical terms? How does this all work in the fractured society of today with people living so far apart, so remotely physically, emotionally, and spiritually? How do we all join together for the advancement of his agenda, when we are all doing our own thing? Is getting together once a week, listening in our own way, to some message being a true army? Is doing good deeds, helping one another in some way, being an army advancing toward the defeat of our enemy? I know we need to do, and be, to encourage, love, and serve one another, as an army does. But I think we may have forgotten to fight together.

Productive for God

DEVOTION
TITUS
PRODUCTIVE FOR GOD
Titus 3:12-14
12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13 Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.
NIV
Is this productive life about the toil of working to earn an income in order to pay for my own housing, food and clothing? Or would this productive life be all about advancing the Kingdom of God? If I not providing form my daily necessities and thus completely dependent upon others for them, how would I be able to stand and declare God provides all I need. I think that declaration would be met with sneers and a response of, “No, others pay your way.” That is not to say I have never been the recipient of gifts from others, for surely I have, and I have always giving God the Glory for impressing upon them to bestow whatever upon me. I think this speaks to simply sitting around not working at all, not making any effort to provide for my daily needs, and live off others completely. I believe this productivity does speak to the benefit of the Kingdom rather than to employment. That is the whole of the reason I live, is to be of some benefit to God’s Kingdom. If not, then of what purpose is life, is it just to learn, grow, work, save, spend, then die? That seems rather futile and useless at best. If my only reason for living is, my own self, providing for me and mine, I have to ask what I am providing. If it is just material goods, things that will perish, of what value are those to me and mine? True, I need to make sure my family has a home, food, and clothing. Yes I need to make sure they are safe from harm, and have the things which are needed to live in the society in which we live. Although I have always worked, mostly with my hands, but sometimes with my head, I still think all I have has been provided for by my God. Where I have lived, and worked as always been at the direction of my God. Yet, I think the greatest provision I can give to my family is the truth of the Gospel and to make sure they are provided with what is eternal. To me, that is the ultimate form of productivity. If I have lived in this productive manner, both for my daily needs and for the Kingdom, then I have accomplished his purpose for my life. When I lay my head to rest for the final time and step off into eternity, I desire to have been known not as a man who dreamed of and pursued self- grandeur, but as a man after God’s own heart, a man who was productive for God.

Only Truth

DEVOTION
TITUS
ONLY TRUTH
Titus 3:9-11
9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
NIV
Not that I have to worry about the mosaic law or even engage in any conversation about it as it seems to be all wrapped up in Jesus. But at the same time it does seem to me there are such arguments about the laws of each denomination within the church. Controversies regarding who has the correct interpretation of scripture as well as all those added rules and regulations which are deemed important by someone and are considered as requirements for membership. I do think it is important to have discussions about what the Word of God declares and that there is only one truth. Mankind has been arguing about what that truth is to no end. I do not understand why? God gave his Spirit to lead us into all truth. Are some men simply declaring what they believe to be the truth on their own, without the leading of the Spirit? Maybe this is a divisive person, dividing up the body of Christ into individual little bands of believers who will follow and pay them for their great words of self-wisdom. Surely I would have nothing to do with that kind of person, as I see right through their falseness because of the Spirit. But what about those who seem to believe the truth yet get so ingrained with addition rules and regulations and argue about the importance of adherence to them is as important if not more so than the truth itself. Sure, many of those rules and regulations are based on the truth, but with a bias that I am not sure should be there. Is there not just one God, one Jesus, one Spirit and one truth? How can any bias matter when it comes to the truth? Does not all bias cause controversies, arguments and quarrels? I am sure all this Paul talking about the Jews and their insistence of being of the right genealogy and that all others were inferior. I think sometimes some believers have the opinion of their denominational doctrines. No, I have to believe the truth is the truth and there is only one truth. I have to believe the Spirit of God will lead me into all of that truth and only that truth. I have to believe this or I will have been living a lie since I began following after God. I cannot engage in that which is useless and unprofitable. I cannot follow after those things which divide and cause arguments. I must follow the truth, the whole truth, so help me God, only truth.

Devoted to Good

DEVOTION
TITUS
DEVOTED TO GOOD
Titus 3:7-8
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
NIV
This is the completion of a thought yet it stands well be itself and bears attention within my being for I have been justified by his grace. By his gracious act of kindness he has rendered me innocent of all charges which I am guilty of and deserve the serve out the penalty of death for. But no, I do not have to, for he has rendered me innocent because of the incredible act of love by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ under the direction of the almighty God the Father. Because I am rendered innocent, I do not need to fear the death penalty, but have the hope of eternal life plus becoming an heir to the fortune of God. All that he has, will someday be mine. All the glories of God will be available for me to enjoy. In fact, they already are, at least in a spiritual sense. I think it is out of this thankfulness for his act of love toward me that I am so overwhelmed with the desire to do things which will enhance, or benefit his kingdom. How else could I explain my actions? I know that within me I have the capacity to do that which is not good, yet I am to devote myself to doing that which is good. When I consider having been guilty, and still am for the most part, and that he has justified me, he has rendered me innocent; I cannot help but want to do that which is good. I have a difficult time understanding how I can do not so good at times. That old guilty self keeps fighting, but to what point, death? I sure Satan would like nothing more. But those actions are not excellent and they are not profitable for me or anyone else. So I must devote myself to the good, to the excellent, to the profitable. I am a free man, set free from the prison and chains of the past as well as all my fellow believers and having been freed from them I can fully move into my future with my Lord and Savior as his co-heir to the Kingdom of God. That is a very trustworthy saying. I am considered innocent by the one and only one who is qualified to judge me. So I step out, in step with my God, going where he directs me, doing what he desires me to do, although he has set me free, I am his bondservant, out of my gratitude for what he has done for me, in me and is doing through me. But, all this is not just for me; I must also stress this among the rest of the Body of Christ, so they too may devote themselves to doing that which is good.