Finding God

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
FINDING GOD
Prov 13:19
19 A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but fools detest turning from evil.
NIV
The truth which lies within this saying is surely the object of this longing which is sweet to the soul. Is there anything a person could desire which is sweet to the soul that is a part of this material realm? I think not. It would appear the only thing which could be sweet to the soul of man would be God himself. How sweet it is to have a longing for eternal life in the everlasting presents of God and have it fulfilled. How much better could it ever be than to have a personal relationship with God? How sweet it is be fulfilled with his working in my life. How sweet it is to see how he accomplishes his plan through me. How sweet it is to be blessed daily by his hand of provision. He has already told me a longing fulfilled is a tree of life and this longing is therefore one for God. Whenever a person longs for God, he is surely going to bless the socks right off them. Whenever a person longs for the life God has designed for them, they will be blessed with all sorts of goodness within, being satisfied deep within their soul. It is such a blessing, such peace, contentment, completeness, and fulfillment to know God has me in the palm of his hand and he will never let me go. Those who refuse to turn from evil will never be truly satisfied. They will never find peace and contentment, nor a satisfaction deep within their soul. They may long for many things, both material and emotional, but as long as they refuse to accept the life God has designed for them, they will find no fulfillment. It seems to me a shame people think their desires for life outside the realm of God is a better way, when in reality it is just the desire for evil. I do not see any middle ground, no fence riding, and no grey area here at all. A person is either on the side of God or on the side of evil. People have to pitch their tent in one camp or the other. God or evil is the only choice, even when choosing self, which is in the camp of evil. When a person refuses to turn from evil and choose God, than God says that person is a fool. Why would anyone choose evil or God? Are they that deceived by Satan they cannot see the truth? How many years do they have to live without experiencing sweetness in their soul before they recognize the truth? How can they continue to go unfulfilled within their soul? Life is too short to spend it all in denial of the truth. How blessed I am to have found the longing for my soul, to have found God.

Best Choice

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
BEST CHOICE
Prov 13:18
18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored.
NIV
It is most likely many poeple would see this as a reflection upon those who refuse to accept the teaching and discipline to learn a skill or profession which would provide for the necessities of life and thus receive honor from his fellow man for being a production member of society, but instead by refusing such become a beggar of sorts and be looked down upon. That would seem to be what is going on here on the first glance, but I am not sure we could stop there. Although it is true one needs to apply yourself to the task of learning which does require a certain amount of discipline in order to work successfully at any type employment. It is also true society holds those who are successful at their professions with a certain amount of honor while not thinking so honorably about those who live off the provisions of others. But what is the best for of discipline? Would it not be spiritual discipline which brings the greatest form of honor? Would it not be the correction which is provided by God’s word which provides honor before God? If a person ignores the discipline and correction God provides for life, that person would surely be spiritually bankrupt and have nothing but shame when standing before God on the last day. Therefore it is the most intelligent choice to heed, to accept, to apply the correction God declares. The wisest decision is not to ignore his discipline for life, but to apply myself to the task of learning how to live as a believer in Jesus Christ. If I ignore the teachings about faith, how am I to please God? If I ignore the correction regarding areas of my spiritual being which need change, how am I going to please God? If I simply live to fulfill and satisfy or gratify the cravings of my own desires, how am I going to please God? I need the discipline and correction of God in order to please him. In accepting these I will never be spiritually poor but rich with great reward and honor as I stand before my God. This is the best choice.

Envoys

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
ENVOYS
Prov 13:17
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
NIV
Absolutely under any circumstances a believer should never accept any type of advice from a person who is classified by God as wicked. I do not believe any message they have would ever contain any of the truth of God and would be for the purpose of benefiting his kingdom or for the spiritual wellness of the hearer. I am confident many of the messages brought by those who are considered wicked by God are worthy of this worlds way of living, and have some good, well meaning, thought provoking concepts, but they are for the world not for the kingdom of God. Any messenger which brings such types of advice will ultimately fall into a great deal of trouble, especially on the Day of Judgment. Why would I ever want to listen to much less accept any message from any messenger which is among the wicked? It is unconceivable any of their messages would bring healing to my soul. The only worthy messages are from those who know God and are bringing his word to life in my being. The Word of God is the only truth which will bring healing to a dying world. It was the only thing which brought healing to my sick soul. It is the only thing which can cure the disease of this world, sin. Anyone who brings a message who either ignores the truth of God or perverts the Word of God is wicked in the eyes of God and will find all sorts of trouble coming his way. But anyone who brings a message containing the absolute truth of God in the purest from will bring healing to those in need. This should be the goal of every believer. This is my goal, the reason I preach and teach, the reason I write and share my thoughts which are based on the Kingdom of God and his truth. I believe God has called every believer to this task, and I am sure he has called me to such endeavors. I know that if I were on my own all I would do and say would be without any worth at all, but I am not alone, for God has given my his Holy Spirit to guide me and inspire would I do and say. He has empowered me to fulfill his purpose for my life. I am but one of many trustworthy envoys.

Silence Can Be Golden

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SILENCE CAN BE GOLDEN
Prov 13:16
16 Every prudent man acts out of knowledge,
but a fool exposes his folly.
NIV
It would appear there is somewhat of a difference as to how one interacts with people. Either being prudent or foolish is the choice. What would be this difference? I think it would or should be clear enough to see that a foolish person has no clue as to what he should say, to whom he should say it and when it would be appropriate to say whatever he thinks, without regard to the relevancy of what the conversation is. One the other hand a person who is prudent holds his speak for the right moment and does know as to whom he should speak and what it is he should or should not say. One or two well said words should make a far better impact then a host of non-meaning jibber-jabber words. I think some people just like to hear the sound of their own voices. I also think it may be because they monopolize the conversation with meaningless nonsense because they think they have the superior intelligence. But the truth is unless a person is speaking about real truths of significance they speech is all folly. I know I have been drawn into conversations I should have refrained from being a part of. It is difficult to remain completely silent in the course of hearing such non-meaningful palaver, yet I think that would be the prudent course. It is good to be reminded of the right course of action when surrounded with others who would be classified by God as fools at expose their folly. Could it be that God considers all and any conversation which centers on human wisdom as folly? I think that would be a true statement. The only real value of words exists in the truth of God. But once again if I would remind myself it would be prudent when, where and with whom I should express these words of value. I should be cognizant of not casting pearls of his wisdom before those who God would say are fools. It would be prudent to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit before making any such proclamations. In many cases, silence can be golden.

Good Understanding Please

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
GOOD UNDERSTANDING PLEASE
Prov 13:15
15 Good understanding wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard.
NIV
How difficult life is without good understanding. How much must be endured if a person does not have the understanding of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. If fact their life will not endure at all, for in the end they will perish. I know, from my past, that my life was extremely hard with the awareness of death and the endlessness that followed. Without the understanding of the free gift of God, I was horribly afraid of what life would be at the end. I hardly really enjoyed the life I had. Oh sure I was about self-gratification, but I knew it would end someday and I would never ever know that I was ever alive. The way of the unfaithful is hard is just the beginning of a dreadful life. But, praise God, I know have a good understanding, which of course, is an understanding of the Good News of God. How much favor I have already won by gaining this understanding is uncountable. Yet the greatest of the favors is eternal life in the everlasting presence of God. Because I have gained this understanding I know have a personal relationship with God, one on one, being about to talk with him and listen to his great wisdom for my life. Anyone can have this good understanding and do the same thing; I am not the only one. God is available to anyone would desires to understand who he is and what his desire is for fellowship with his creation. Although I was once like many others who have a hard way in life, and who will have an even harder way in death, know I have a difficulty in understanding why they cannot see the simple truth to win the favor of God. I even have difficulty understanding how some believers still cannot grasp that being good is not good enough. I do not know why they must insist they have to be completely free of sin in order to win his favor, for it is not by works, but by faith. Who can live free of sin? If a believer actually thinks that is possible to live completely free of sin they have been deceived by Satan, and do not have a good understanding of what it means to be faithful, therefor would they be considered unfaithful? Do I dare consider this? Surely if they believe they can be completely free of sin, their way must be really hard, either knowing deep down that is impossible, or being deceived into believing they actually do not have any more sin in their life. I know I still have sin in my life, but I also have the favor of God, for I have gained the understanding of the Good News, and I have an advocate before the Father ever making intercession for me, Jesus died for my sin, all of it, past present and future sin. Sure I make every effort to no sin, but I fail, I am human, I am bound to fail occasionally, not that I intend to, or accept it, or make an excuse for it, I am simply honest about it. That is also a part of having a good understanding. I will always chose a good understanding over a hard way.

Drinking

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
DRINKING
Prov 13:14
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.
NIV
Is this not all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news, the plan of God for the salvation of his creation gone astray? What other teachings could possibly be a fountain of life? Surely before I was a believer my life was in the very grip of death. That was the end which surely awaited me at the conclusion of my hearts last beat. There was not an ounce of wise teaching within my being and I was doomed to perish. But someone shared that Good News with me. They exposed me to the wisest teaching any person could ever hear and I was turned from the snare of death and drank from the fountain of life. Why would anyone refuse to drink from this fountain? Why would people insist the fountain does not even exist? Are they so deceived by the evil one can cannot even understand the Good News? I knew something about God, but not his plan for my salvation. I knew about religion, but not about redemption. I thought God was all about rules and regulations which I wanted nothing to do with, but not about true freedom. I even hated the idea of God and professed I was not sure he even existed, that religion was man made. Yet God found a way to break through my hard shell, my self-defense mechanism. When I actually heard wise teaching my spirit was awakened to the possibility God actually existed and that he was concerned about me. Then when he revealed himself to me in a tangible physical manner, I had no more excuses and so I drank from the fountain of life. Why can’t others see the truth the way I did? Why are they so afraid of accepting the cup of cold water from the fountain? Is it because their life is so good without God? Don’t they know what awaits them after they heart has beat it last stroke? My actually heart might stop beating, yet I will be in the everlasting arms of my Lord and someday, somehow my heart alone with my body will be resurrected to once again live for all eternity enjoying, rejoicing, praising God! I drank, I am drinking.

Respecting God

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
RESPECTING GOD
Prov 13:13
13 He who scorns instruction will pay for it,
but he who respects a command is rewarded.
NIV
I suppose this has some very good life applications in regards to living according to the instructions of those who serve as leaders to the people, but of what real value does this serve. I think we need to see this in the truest sense of paying very close attention to the instructions of God. If a person scorns the instructions of God he will certainly pay for it dearly, in fact with his life. I have absolutely no idea how anyone could ever think that by not only ignoring the instructions of God but actually scorning or as the Hebrew also implies, disrespect or hold in contempt his instructions they would not pay for in the end. God is not to be disrespected. God is not to be ignored. God is not to be scorned. In order to receive the crown of life a person must respect his commands. In order to be rewarded with eternal life a person has to accept and obey the commands of God. If I respect a command then I will obey it. Even in the human realm I believe must people would agree if they respect the person in authority they would listen and accept that persons command. I also believe they would agree if they did not respect that person they would also not respect his authority and resent and even resist his commands. I believe this holds true with the person of God and his position of authority. It may not be the easiest type of lifestyle to live under the command of God, but it surely is the one with the greatest rewards. I believe living for self is by far the easiest form of life, scorning all types of authority. Surely those who scorn the authority of human laws pay the most severe human consequence of imprisonment or in if the offense is grievous enough their life. But those who scorn the moral authority established by God will all pay with their life. It is difficult at times, when temptations assault the human spirit to resist every moment of every day, and sin creeps in and failing God is the result, but if the desire and intent is to respect and obey his commands, I believe the result of repentance and forgiveness will prevail and thus the reward will be great. In God I trust. Him I respect.

Hope Fulfilled

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
HOPE FULFILLED
Prov 13:12
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
NIV
I want to spend my time thinking about the tree of life, but I think I should see how the sick heart happens first. So many of these sayings of God demonstrate contrast between the righteous and the wicked and I am convinced this is one more of them. People who put their hope and trust in the things of this world will no doubt find disappointment. I hear so much talk from people who do not accept the message of the Gospel about going to heaven after death. It is like no one ever goes to hell, except the really bad people who commit grievous crimes. But I do not think they know what they hope for will not occur. Their hope for eternal life without God will be not only be deferred but denied. It does not have to be that way for them, but if they chose to continue to live for self while thinking that is alright and God allows everyone to enter in to his paradise upon death, they are doomed to having that hope deferred. Now because I and for that matter anyone who is willing, have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I long for the paradise of God. This longing for being in his paradise will not be deferred nor denied. I will stand in this paradise and in fact eat from that tree of life. It is one of my rewards spoken about in the letters to the churches for being an overcomer. I have overcome the desires of this world; I do not find comfort in the accumulation of things as I do in the fulfillment of knowing I will live forever in the paradise of God. In fact because I long for him and his kingdom, he has blessed me with many things here on the earth. How I use them is key to and associated to my longings and hope. If I use them simply for my own self gratifications I have truly missed the point. All I have is because of the hand of God. I believe I am obligated to tell that story, giving him all the glory and honor for my life and who I am and what I have. That is why in my writings I share all those personal stories about his blessings in my life. I give him the glory. I hope for his return, I hope for his Kingdom, I hope for the day I stand in his presence, I hope for his paradise and the rewards I will enjoy just being there. My hope will be fulfilled.

Little by Little

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
LITTLE BY LITTLE
Prov 13:11
11 Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
NIV
I am sure some believers would use this verse to support their investments in the world’s schemes as gathering money little by little and that God desires use to gather up as much as we can for our future. But this is not the truth; it is far from that truth. The Hebrew word speaks of money gained by vanity or literally by breath, which is to imply speculation, windfall, sudden stroke of fortune, not by honest labor. This is in contrast to a believer working day by day for his honest pay. I believe because of the sin of Adam and the result of man having to work his land, labor for his keep, si to speak, we all should be about the task of working. This, to me, means no such thing as retirement. That would include the gathering of money through investing hard earned money into the world, which under the influence of Satan. Why would I what to give my money to Satan so he could use it for the furtherance of his kingdom, even if he promised me a windfall return. I believe that is dishonest gain, dishonest money and it will prove the downfall of those who trust in it. I am convinced I should work for my daily needs under the day I step into eternity. Now maybe that may not be in the same manner as I am doing now. Perhaps God is directing my path in another course in order for me to provide for my family the needs of daily life. Whatever it is I should continue until the last day. I suppose if a person invested enough money in Satan’s work that Satan could make sure he gave enough back so as to keep his captives dependent on his schemes rather than on God. I simply cannot do that. My only hope is in God. I know that whenever I have had a need somehow God has worked it out and provided a way for me. I do not always deserve it, but because of his great love he still works in and for and through my life. I will continue to gather money little by little, in my daily calling God has established me in. I know he will always provide a way for me to accomplish his plan.

His Advice

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
HIS ADVICE
Prov 13:10
10 Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
NIV
Being stubborn is sometimes confused by people as having pride. I surely may be guilty of stubbornness but I am very sure I am not filled with pride. Now I truly believe my stubbornness is confined to my belief in the truth of God. Maybe some people thing I am stubborn about other things, and maybe I am about some things, but it is just my personal preferences as they have theirs and perhaps because of their stubbornness they do not want to give in to my preferences. At any rate pride is the issue and what could I possibly have pride in, surely not my own self. How could I have pride in my failures, my failing God? Now if this pride is considered the opposite of taking advice, I have to see it as it only applies to Godly advice. I surely am not willing under any circumstances to take the advice of a person who does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Why in the world would I seek out any type of advice from them? Now when it comes to a fellow believer, if they are handing out advice which matches up with the truth of God, I am all ears, but if they have been deceived by the ways of the world and are sharing advice which matches up with the ways of the world I have the largest earplugs anyone has ever seen. I am only willing to hear advice as to how I should live and behave based on the truth of God. All other advice is based on human opinion and I have no faith in any of that. Now maybe that is why I am considered stubborn, and in that case I am. The only true advice which has all the merit is confined to the Word of God, all other is human opinion. I seek out God’s advice; I listen to his voice and his alone. Does he speak to me from the mouth of another believer? I think there has been sometimes when that has happened. But again, I filter all advice through the Word of God. I think I have caused some quarrels through, but I think it is because of the truth of God, not because of my own opinion, which I believe is the root cause of many human quarrels. People have their opinion and they believe theirs is right and all others are wrong. I have even heard that my belief is just my opinion what the truth of God says and that they have a different opinion and I am being quarrelsome because I do not agree with their opinion. I am convinced there is only one truth, and I am also convinced God has revealed that truth openly for all to see the truth. So I take his advice and his alone.

Shining Brightly

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
SHINING BRIGHTLY
Prov 13:9
9 The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
NIV
If this is not a saying from God about the eternal result of a person’s choice, I don’t know what is. Because I have chosen to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I am in the ranks of the righteous. I surely cannot be one of the righteous because of my great ability to be righteous, but only because God declares me so. My light, my being, my essence of who I am will shine brightly for all eternity. I my will never end. The very fabric of who I am will always be as bright as I am now, in fact even brighter as I will be illuminated by the light shining from the throne of God within the new city of Jerusalem. I believe my light shine now because of the illumination of God in my life. I cannot believe anyone who does not know God has any illumination at all, for all they have is the wisdom of this world which is foolishness to my God. But in the sense of this saying I would have to say this light and lamp are the life forces or the spirits within each person and mine will shine bright forever as I am in the light of God. Those who reject Gods light will ultimately have their life force, their lamp snuffed out. They end will be to perish, to cease to have any lamp, any life at all within them. They will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur and their lamp will shine no more. I cannot agree with those who claim hell is eternal, or that snuffed out means not in the presence of God, for no one can ever hide from the presence of God, even those who are in hell now waiting final judgment. They just as the rich man who could talk to Lazarus who was in the bosom of Abraham across the chasm, those in hell can see those in heaven and those in heaven can see those in hell. God is ever present. But at the final day their lamps, their lives will be snuffed out, and mine will be glorified into an even brighter light. How much clearer can this delineation be between the righteous and the wicked? Praise God I will shine brightly. But I still believe I have the call to be a brightly shining light in the life I now am living.

No Threat

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
NO THREAT
Prov 13:8
8 A man's riches may ransom his life,
but a poor man hears no threat.
NIV
I once told my girls when they were young and open to the ideas from their dad, when they were pestering me to get a swing set, that the more possessions one has the more those possessions own some of your time and effort. This is the truth of this saying in a nutshell. I truly believe when a person has an abundance of things, or money he spends way too much time and energy trying to figure out how to either get more or guard what he has from being taken away from him. It seems to me the people I know who have much are very guarded about what they have. It appears to me they are almost afraid someone is going to take advantage of them. I do believe the more people have the more they trust in their haves and at the same time worry about not having what they do. I have served many of this world’s wealthy. I have been in their homes, seen how they live in opulence. I know what it is like to be treated as a servant. I have witnessed their fear of losing what they have, guarding their stuff. I cannot live like that. Sure I have stuff, maybe even a lot of stuff. But it is just stuff. I surely do not have an abundance of riches to ransom my life with. I do not have to worry about the stock market, or any other investment or retirement fund. I do not have to be concerned that what I have invested is going to lose any value at all because I have nothing invested in the world. God knows full well and has said that where my treasure is so is my heart. If I have anything which I consider of value here in this world it might well become my treasure. No one need steal from a poor man. No one need to deceive a poor man into thinking it is alright to give Satan his money. With much wealth great temptations will follow. With many possessions many temptations will also follow. Although by some I might be consider as having much, and by others I would be seen as having little, I am poor yet I am rich. God told one of the churches that although they were rich they were poor. It is all about my relationship with him. It matters not the amount of this worlds wealth I have as long as I have Christ as my Lord and Savior. I have no treats from this world. I have nothing to fear from any man, or any situation I found myself in. I have no need to be anxious or concerned about anything at all in the world because I know Christ and he knows me. I know I will hear the words, “Enter in my good and faithful servant” instead of, “Away from me, I never knew you”. I have no threat.

Be True

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
BE TRUE
Prov 13:7
7 One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
NIV
There are two ways in which I see this saying as it applies to life. If I am wanted to make something out of this word pretend it would be easy to simply say people put forth false fronts for the benefit of want their want others to think of them. If I were poor, well I should say of merger means, for I do not think I have ever been poor. I have been broke a few times, but I believe poor is a state of mind rather than of finance. Yet at the same time if I being of somewhat merger income, were to pretend that I made a lot of money and lived way beyond my means just to impress others I would be in sad shape. The fact that I have what I have is not a matter of my income, but a matter of the hand of God. I believe I testify enough that God has bestowed much of my possessions upon me. People may think I am rich, but I think I am clear enough about the provisions of God. I also think that there are those believers who do have a great deal of wealth and put on the false front of being poorer than they are to protect themselves from jealousy or from others looking for help from them. They may well have plenty, but desire to keep it all as well. Now, that is all well and good about the rich and poor, in the world’s financial aspects of life. But I also think that God is not so much concerned about the world’s view of things and wants his people to see his spiritual direction here. If I am rich and yet am not rich toward God I have nothing. The Hebrew word here is to make one self to be rich, to accumulate to grow and simply to be destitute. I am not seeing the pretend in the text, although I am certain the scholars have a better understanding of the original language then I do. Yet I see that if want I do have I am liberal with it to benefit the Kingdom of God and that deceases the amount I have to live well, I am still very rich for I have an eternal inheritance I will not have room enough to contain. But if on the other hand I have an abundance of wealth and store it up for my own life and am not rich toward God, in actually I have nothing at all. I would not gain any eternal inheritance. That could apply to money as well as to time and talent. All I am, all I have, all I will ever be and ever have is all due to the hand of God and all belongs to him anyway. I may not be really poor, and I know I am not really rich either, but I am want I am and it is all from him. No pretending about either is by far the way God wants it. It is not about me, but about him. Just be true.

My Guard

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
MY GUARD
Prov 13:6
6 Righteousness guards the man of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
NIV
It is a good thing to stay the course of life which has been declared by God as the right path. His words keep me in the way I should travel. It is this righteousness of thought and actions which dictates the decisions which I make. There seems to be this sense of my choosing how I should live based on the way God demands. But at the same time there seems to be a sense that the righteousness of God, Jesus Christ will guard me because of my commitment to his ways. In either case it is by far the only way I can see which makes any sense at all. Being an intelligent, thinking person with the reasoning power far above all other creatures God created, I have chosen the right path to live. I know the temptations of self-gratification, which I believe is at the root of all sin has a very powerful grip and can entangle even the best of persons. At one time, I not only refused to accept God’s ways, but I denied his existences completely. I know that path, and I know it is not the right one after having such and encounter with God I could no longer stay that course. Knowing what I know I can understand how people are deceived by wickedness, yet at the same time cannot understand how intelligent thinking people can allow themselves to live under such deception. I suppose as I remember because I denied the existence of God, I thought I was not subject to his law, but how wrong I was, and how glad I am he was able to break though the hard shell of sin which gripped my heart. I know if people would just open their minds they too would see such wonderful truth. But I fear the grip of wickedness is so strong many who are overcome with it, will find the results very unfulfilling, and in fact, totally unpleasant. As I try my best to live according to God’s way, which of course is accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I will find the result the most fulfilling and extremely pleasant. This result is not because I am able to live completely free of all sin, but because of my faith in the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf. He will guard me, he is guarding me, he is my guard.

Truth is Truth

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUTH IS TRUTH
Prov 13:5
5 The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.
NIV
Although there may be some truth in the fact that a believer should certainly tell the truth at all times and hate whenever that truth is either stretched or distorted. It may also be true that some people, if not all, who care not about God may well tell the truth for the most part but may also expand and distort that truth for personal gain of some sort. But I think this speaks of an aspect of truth or false of much greater significance. Being a believer in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I certainly dislike anything which defames his name, his person, and his truth. I am not quite sure I can say I hate it, but perhaps that is the right word. I cannot stand to hear unbelievers spew out false doctrines of human invention and imagination. I find it almost intolerable to sit silent when they vomit or I should say regurgitate the false ideas of preceding unbelievers. I know in my heart that, for the most part, they are simply trying to justify they lives. I think they believe if they deny the existence of God then they are not accountable to him for they actions. But in the end if a person is classified by God as wicked their lives will bring shame and disgrace upon them as they stand before the judgment sit of God. I have no fear of this shame and disgrace as I can stand before God declared innocent by him due to the actions of Jesus Christ in whom I trust. I have been classified, declared righteous by God and thus I am free of all shame and disgrace. I suppose hate the words and ideas of ungodly people because they do not acknowledge God, but I cannot say I hate the people. If I am to live as Jesus lived I must love all people no matter of their disdain for the truth of God. The truth is the truth and that is that.

Fully Satisfied

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
FULLY SATISFIED
Prov 13:4
4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
NIV
It would seem this might be seen as regarding material goods, but that could be the farthest thing from the truth. Within the context of the Hebrew it is the soul of both persons which gets nothing or is fully satisfied. Therefore, I can only see this sluggard as a person who does not exert any energy in pursuing a relationship with God but lives to please his own self in the ways of the world. He will receive not an ounce of eternal blessings from God. I cannot live like that. I have to live to please God, at least to the best of my ability. I certainly fall short of the mark, but it is my desire and I believe I am fairly diligent in my relationship with God. I am absolutely convinced my soul is fully satisfied. How could my soul be any less because God has blessed me far beyond I ever deserve. He has satisfied me both in the material and in the spiritual, especially in the spiritual. My soul is extremely satisfied in this life as well as in the one to come. I have total peace of mind and peace within my being about my life as God has always provided all I have needed in the this world and in the one to come. I lack nothing for I have eternal life. It really does not matter about this life as to how much or how little I have, although I have plenty. What matters the most is what I will have in the future life in the everlasting presence of my God. I would think if someone is lazy in his relationship with God, in the sense of not wanting one, may crave eternal life, thinking as if everyone gets to go to heaven by just being a good person. They may crave but they shall get nothing, without that personal relationship with God. He sure offers it to all who desire a relationship. He sure loves them and desires them to turn from their ways and come to him, but it is up to them and here I see the results in both cases. I am so thankful God got through to me, and I can say I am fully satisfied.

True Enjoyment

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUE ENJOYMENT
Prov 13:2
2 From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,
but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.
NIV
I believe it is only from the lips of God that I enjoy my good life. He has declared the only way for me to truly enjoy good things is to recognize they all good things come from him. I absolutely believe if a man tries to live without the words from the lips of God he will experience violence. When I read the Hebrew it speaks clearer to the contrast of the result of the righteous and the wicked in this sense. I being one of righteous will eat good, or experience good, which of course is eternal life. But those who are considered by God as unfaithful will experience violence. I want nothing to do with violence therefore I will not be counted as unfaithful or among those who act covertly. I need to be feed from the word of God, the truly good nourishment for my soul. I need to eat and digest his words so as to make them an integral part of my very being. Now it is also true that the manner and words that I use in my life and in the conversation with others has a great effect on my life as well. If I used hateful and harmful words towards other I might be considered as have a craving for violence. However, if I share from the very Word of God I not only will I enjoy good things but those who here my words will also. I cannot imagine life without the words of God. I cannot comprehend how people refuse to accept his words as the source of all good things. I will continue to eat from his words, and someday I will eat from the tree of life in the center of the paradise of God. Why would someone choose violence over good things? Maybe they just do not know any better, or maybe they simply enjoy their life and think God’s way is too confining and restrictive for their liking. But the simple fact is he words bring true freedom and they are confined and restricted by their own minds from enjoying all good things. I enjoy.

Trust and Obey

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUST AND OBEY
Prov 13:1
A wise son heeds his father's instruction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
NIV
I think it is interesting the word mocker is the same as in Psalm one, which means to make mouths at and the direction of this mocking is towards God in the sense of giving God lip service. So I would surely see this as not heeding my earthly father, but heeding, paying very close attention to my heavenly Fathers instruction. He has made very sure I have a complete comprehensive compilation of all his instructions. If I am a wise man I will be very sure to not only read his instructions but take them to heart and live as I know I need to as instructed by him. I cannot give him lip service in the sense of saying I love him, but not live as though I do. I cannot tell him I trust him, but then live as though I trust myself. I cannot say I will follow him, but then live my live following after the things of this world. I must be attentive to his still small voice as he continues to guide me in the paths he needs me to travel. If I am traveling the wrong way, I must be open to his correction and change the course of my life. If I am engaged in behaviors which are influenced by some temptation or worldly principle, I must be open to his rebuke of such behaviors. This requires focus, not on my life, but one him. I must be willing to dismiss my desires for his. I have to spent time each day reflecting on how I am doing. I have to have his word imbedded deep within my heart and mind. This requires work, diligence, and fortitude to stay the course in the path he has laid out before me. My human nature presses me to stay back, to go slow, and to resist change and uncomfortable situations outside my comfort zone. But I am concerned if God is satisfied with the pace of my travels for his kingdom. I have to listen more carefully, and seek his counsel even further. But I know I am willing, not sure if I am ready, but I will continue to move to benefit his kingdom. If I am heading astray I am confident he will make the appropriate correction. I need only to trust and obey.

The Right Chose

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
THE RIGHT CHOSE
Prov 12:28
28 In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.
NIV
This pretty much sums it up nicely. There is no mention here regarding the way and the path of those who God considers as not having righteousness, which of course is Jesus Christ, for he is my righteousness. What path awaits those who have refused Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? I dare not imagine. Even for those that argue about the fate of those who have never heard about Jesus or even God, God has declared he can be known by what he has made, and therefore no man is without excuse. Yet for those, like me, who have decided to accept the provision God made, through Jesus Christ on the cross, for my salvation are on the path to immortality. I Have immortality, I shall live forever in the abundant presence of God. I will be able to walk and talk with Christ. I will be able to give God praise and honor in person. I am not sure how that will look, but I really do not care as long as I get to see it. What greater reward for the course of my life could there be? No matter how much or how little of this world’s wealth a person accumulates it matters not, in comparison to immortality. How sad how some put so much trust in their own endeavors and think their security is in the accumulation of material goods. The Pharaoh’s and Emperors through they could take their wealth with them into the next life, but how sadly mistaken they were. I do not understand how this all will exactly happen, but I will enter into immortality with a resurrected glorified body as Christ did. That is a fact. I will have life, but I am saddened some with have death. I surely would like to share this life with them, but I suspect, no I know, some have already chosen their destiny and it is not immortality. But as for me and my household I choose the Lord. I have made the right chose.

Dividends of Dilgence

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
DIVIDENDS OF DILGENCE
Prov 12:27
27 The lazy man does not roast his game,
but the diligent man prizes his possessions.
NIV
It would appear there is little gain in being lazy. There is also a little difference in other translations regarding the order of the second phrase. Some make the prize possession of a man diligence while here a diligent man prizes his possessions. The Hebrew order of words could be seen both ways, but I believe I have the correct impression from the original language which agrees with the latter. First it would appear a lazy man does not catch or snare his own game, but lives off the efforts of others. But is also makes perfect sense a man who does not put forth effort in his relationship with God would not care about what he has from the hand of God. But the man who is diligent in his relationship with God puts great value in that which he receives from the hand of God. The value of course is not in the actually owning of the possession, but in the fact he has a testimony of God’s provisions. What can a lazy man boast in his catch other than in him? It is of little value to him as he either did not work for it himself, or he does not recognize from whom he receives it. I have no doubt from whom I have received all I have and I have used those possessions as a testimony to his great provisions. I have never claimed all I have is from my great skill, talent or abilities, but that God has seen to it I have what I have. I certainly enjoy them to their fullest, but my joy is due to God having provided them for me. How much greater are these things coming from the hand of God then from my own efforts. I have testified over and over again about how God has given me all that I have. I have preached about it, written in my books about it, giving him all the glory for all if it. I believe I have been diligent about not taking any credit for what I have, and been diligent in giving him all the credit. I think the greatness in all my stuff is because God has seen to it I have it. I care about my things because I can tell people God has given them to me. Sure, I enjoy my home and all that is in it, my cars, and my toys. Why shouldn’t I, God does give them to me so I could enjoy them in the process of giving him all the glory for them. Maybe the reason I have all I have is because he knows I will give him all the credit. Maybe if I were lazy in my testifying of his provisions, I would not have them to testify about. But I am not lazy, I am diligent and thus I have a great prize, I have God in my life, I have eternal life, the greatest prize of them all, the greatest provision of them all. God has provided me with all the stuff of this world I need, but he has provided me with Jesus Christ for all I need for the eternal life to come.

Toward or Away

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TOWARD OR AWAY
Prov 12:26
26 A righteous man is cautious in friendship,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
NIV
There are two things going on here which bear great care. First I believe it demands my attention in how I interact with those who are my friends. Second it speaks to the issue as to picking those friends. If I am a righteous man I should be very weary as to who I associate with in the sense of friendship. I think many people use that term friend way too loosely calling anyone they know in some way a friend. To me and associate, a friend is one who is closer than a brother. A friend is a comrade, a confidant and a person of mutual respect. In choosing who I consider a friend I am extremely cautious. God has set a standard for friendship in Christ, who gave himself wholly for those he loved. If I am a friend I must both offer myself for my friend and offer them counsel based on the truth of God. I cannot withhold either me, that is my time and resources as well as counsel which would benefit them. In the same sense if they are my friend I would be able to expect the same of them towards me. All things consider being a righteous person; I should only choose other righteous people as a friend. Granted that sounds a little self-righteous, but I mean righteous as those who are in Christ, for he is our righteousness. Those people who have rejected Christ as Lord and Savior, who refuse to acknowledge their need for salvation are, by God, declared or considered in the way of the wicked. Why would I choose to follow their counsel? Why would I allow them to give me any guidance? All they could ever offer would lead me away from God and his ways rather than closer to him. Their counsel is based on human thought rather than on the thoughts of God. Yes, I could be a friend to them, but it would not be a friendship of mutual respect for I know they would not accept the counsel I would provide leading them toward God, as they have already rejected the prompting of the Holy Spirit and nothing I would offer could convince them. I do not reject contact with them nor do I keep silent in their presence hoping and praying that perhaps they may reconsider God’s way over their own. I believe true friendship for me is reserved for the household of faith and then only for a few of them. I am with those who are toward God not away from God.

Down or Up

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
DOWN OR UP
Prov 12:25
25 An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
NIV
It would seem to me that a person’s situation in life as far as the abundance or lack of material goods would have little to no credence when it comes to having an anxious heart. I believe the root of all anxiety is the lack of peace with God. It does not matter what the situation in life brings my way, I need not be anxious about it for I do have peace with God. To be heavy of heart, to be weighted down by the burdens of life seems way too much for any human to carry by themselves and thus Jesus has told me, as well as everyone else, if I were burdened, weighted down and anxious that I should come to him and he would give me rest. This rest I have found, I have been giving his rest. People who either have not heard the good news, or have decided to refuse to accept the good news about Jesus simply cannot ever find the rest from anxiety. I think one of the greatest situations to be anxious about is death. I also believe no matter what a person says about not believing in God and his word, they have a certain fear or anxiety about what is happen at death. I do not believe that deep down within the very core of a person anyone actually believes death is the end of conscience awareness of self. God has said that he has created within every man the truth about him, but that some simply suppress it with their evil deeds or suppress it because of their evil deeds, or suppress it so as to be able to serve self, or evil deeds. Whatever the case, any person who is weighted down with a heavy heart can find rest. He can be cheered up, and the best to do that is the good news about Jesus Christ. They is nothing any human can say about anything human which could relieve a truly anxious heart. It is only the good news which can lift the spirit of any person from the depths of despair to an elated, rejoicing spirit. This is the position I am in. I rejoice in my Lord and Savior. I am no longer at war with God, but I am at peace with him and better yet he is no longer at war with me, but is at peace with me, not that God actually wages war on anyone, but if I am at war with him then I am subject to his wrath, rather than his peace. So I have been cheered up, and I make an effort to do the same for others. I try to cheer them up by the only way I know that truly works and that is the good news of Jesus Christ. So we all have a choice to be down or up, I chose up.

Ruling

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
RULING
Prov 12:24
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
NIV
It does not appear to be too difficult to understand that I need to work. I know that is it true about the fact of no free lunch. I believe I have always made an effort to be diligent about my responsibility to provide the best I could for my family. I suppose I should rephrase that in that I believe I have always worked where and done what the Lord has lead me to do and thus provided for my family as he provided for me to do so. But I see more here in a greater sense of spiritual matters. If I apply myself to laboring for God, If I am diligent in serving his kingdom I will be an active part of his ministry. Because I am diligent with my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I am a free man, in that sense I rule. If however I was lazy about my faith, lazy about finding out what pleases the Lord, lazy about knowing him, trusting him and committing my life to him, I would end up in the bonds of slave labor to the devil. God says that I will rule and reign with Christ during the one thousand year period described in the revelation to John. Satan on the other hand will enslave his followers and he will be the only ruler in his realm, well at least until he and his are cast into the lake of burning sulfur. This end I have no worries about as I have decided not to be enslaved but to be set free. My hands are diligent being about my Fathers business. I cannot be lazy about spreading his truth. Yes, it is true I must also work with my hands at the task God has provided for me here on this earth for the continued benefit of my family. Yes, I must diligent about my work, I must not sit back and expect provisions from others. I cannot expect anything but slavery as a result of dependence upon others for the needs of life. But there is no slavery associated with dependence on God for need of eternal life. I chose to work both in the realm of this world as well in the realm of the Kingdom of God and I am and will be a free man and someday I will rule and reign with Christ.

To Speak or Not to Speak

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TO SPEAK OR NOT TO SPEAK
Prov 12:23
23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
NIV
I am always amazed at the litany of accolades a person can expound on about themselves. I am not sure why people feel the need to tell everyone how smart or intelligent they think they are. Maybe it is because of a great lack of self-confidence. Maybe they have an inferiority complex and have to make up for that feeling by trying to prove how smart they are. I am not sure why people do that, but I know people who always have to tell me how smart they are. It seems in every conversation they work in the degree they have, or their training in that area, or whatever, and the point is to make them right and me wrong regarding the subject of the conversation. It would appear God considers them fools, for blurting out their folly. This I am sure, that all of man’s wisdom is but foolishness to God. It has been said of me that I am a man of few words. Now I am not sure that is entirely accurate for it seems to me I say a lot, at least in the written form, if not in the spoken form. Sure I joke around, chit chat, small talk, and such and on occasion get into some serious conversations, but for the most part those serious ones are usually about spiritual matters. It is true I am an extremely opinionated person and have little to no tolerance for the wisdom of men, or should I say the supposed wisdom of men. Of what real value does all the knowledge of men have unless it is about eternal matters? It is true that at times I have chosen not to cast my pearls before swine. Why should I bother to expound of the greatness of God with a person who has professed total refusal of his existence and sovereignty? Why should I ever bring up any spiritual matters with a person who refuses to accept the Word of God as the basis for all truth and that is it in fact God breathed and without error? No argument can be won with a fool, it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit can they ever come to the truth. If they refuse the Holy Spirit then surely any words I have to offer would fall on a fool’s ear. It is certain I am not claiming them to be fools but God is and I am just agreeing with him. I believe the only real knowledge which should not be kept silence on is his and not mine, although all of mine is because of him. I will not be silent about him, but I will be about me.

Winner or Loser

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
WINNER OR LOSER
Prov 12:22
22 The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in men who are truthful.
NIV
I can think of several reasons for have lying lips which I think are all not so good. It would be fairly easy to lie simply to protect myself from some sort of harm or judgment from others. I think it also would be an easy thing to lie about my life in order to make myself something I am not, that is to project a better person or one of great accomplishments or exploits when in fact I have done neither. I think I could find a whole lists of good reasons or excuses to lie. But I think the greatest lie would be regarding my faith. If I were to profess being a Christian, but were not actually a follower of Christ, that would be a horrific lie of eternal consequences. All these other lies whether large or those little white lies have little overall eternal consequence. I am sure, if found out, people who lie find themselves without to many friends, or people who would trust them, but to lie about faith in God, brings horrible results. I try my best not to get catch up in telling anything but the truth about my life, but I am extremely confident I never profess anything about my relationship with God that is not true. I profess my faith as purely as possible with all the truth. I am not ashamed of my Lord in any way whatsoever. He is my Lord and my Savior and I trust him completely in all aspects of my life. Do I fail him? Yes! Do I get distracted by temptations? Yes! I will not ever lie about that. I will not stand and profess I do not sin anymore while in fact I do. That would be false, a lie, a deception to both myself and to others, but surely not to God, for he knows my heart and my failures. I believe it is truly better to be honest with myself and with my God then to anyone else, although being truthful in life is the right path as well. The truth will always win, and lies will always lose. I choose to winner rather than a loser.

Grace or Wrath

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
GRACE OR WRATH
Prov 12:21
21 No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
NIV
Even though I do not believe my intent was to escape any trouble or harm when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior it sure seems as though this is one benefit I will not turn down. As much as I profess my life is about benefitting the Kingdom of God, it would be that God desires to bestow some benefits on me anyway. Now I am confident that is because of his great love and grace he has for me, not that I am the only one. But I surely will accept this benefit of not having any harm befall me. He will keep me safe from harm. God is my protector, as well as my redeemer. I am sure he has bestowed his armor on me as part of this plan to protect me from any harm, especially from the evil one who is bent on my destruction. I would suppose that some people might not think I live a harm free life, but in all reality I think I actually do. I cannot say that about my days before I accepted Christ, but I can since say so since that incredible day when I said yes to God. He is both my rock and my shield. He is my defense against the dark forces of evil. Having God as at my side, I have nothing to fear from either man or the devil. Now those poor souls who have either never heard of God, or even worse have refused to acknowledge him as God and his Son as their Lord and Savior, have all sorts of concerns about harm and trouble coming their way. Oh sure, their life might appear on the surface to be all a bed of roses because they have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of self-gratification and the devil may have filled their life with much good things, but trouble is within. Trouble is at hand without question. He has deceived them into thinking they do not need God, and without God trouble is sure to find them. But not so with me, as having God with me, who can be against me? Nothing and no one is the answer to that question. I cannot count all the times I know I have been kept from harm befalling me. All I know is I am grateful to my Lord for his power and grace instead of his power and wrath.

Deceit or Joy

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
DECEIT OR JOY
Prov 12:20
20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace.
NIV
I think the first of this saying could be seen in two ways, the first being that those people who devise evil do so because they have a deceitful heart. But the Word of God declares through his prophet Jeremiah that the heart of man is deceitful and that there is no cure, who can understand it. So I am not so sure that those who plot evil are a result of a deceitful heart. But I do think that those who plot evil are being deceived in their heart. This is the second way to approach this first part. Men who live by the principles of this world, seeking all things for the benefit of self are being deceived by the evil one himself. Man was not created by God to be a self-centered, self-serving introspective being. Man was created to have fellowship with God. But Satan would have men think there is no God, and so plot away for personal gain and self-satisfaction, you only go around once so grab all the gusto you can. The Devil would deceive men into thinking there is no Heaven and no Hell and so all you have is this life and your own self to please. I know this is such an empty life for I have lived it those years before knowing God. It is a life of deception, of being deceived and not knowing the truth which set me free and brought me true peace. So now I promote peace, I promote Shalom, peace with God. Jesus was called Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace and thus his is the fullness of peace. As I live in Christ I have perfect peace, and I have a complete joy within my being. As I promote this Prince of Peace I also have a heart full of joy because I know I am living to benefit the Kingdom of God. Sure I still make mistakes, sure my humanity still rears its ugly head and I think about my own state of being, but those times are only moments and not the direction of my life. I have decided to follow Jesus and there is no turning back. I promote Jesus and I have the joy of the Lord.

Truth or Consequences

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
Prov 12:19
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
NIV
I am not sure about how this truth relates to the everyday life of people but I sure it the relationship between the man-made beliefs and the truth of God. I think this is saying that whatever man conceives of as being the right way to think has to be the thing that only lasts for a moment in comparison to forever. If I came up with some great system of belief as say believing that man evolved from apes that system would only last for a moment. It would not state the test of forever because if it does not include the system of creation of all things by God, it will vanish will all those who believe in it. It is only the words spoken by God that will last forever for his lips are the only ones that have actually spoken pure truth. So If speak the Word of God, if I declare the truth of God, I speak with truthful lips and my words will endure forever. But if I speak about the things of man, it apparently is a pack of lies and will last only as long as man can keep it going. A lie cannot last forever, especially if it is a lie about what to believe in if it is not God. The theory of evolution, the big bang theory, or any religion started by a man, like Buddhism, Islam, Hindi, Mormonism or the slew of others out there which are not based on or have added to the Word of God as the basis for their belief will all vanish like the earth itself will at the time God determines, but his words will last an eternity. I would think any intelligent thinking human being would surely choose that which would last forever over the other, but I know that is not the case. I even think that intelligence is a system of belief, but it is based on a lie itself for God has declared that the wisdom of man is but foolishness to him. It does not matter how smart or intelligent I am in regards to the thoughts and beliefs of mankind. What matters is that I believe God and I declare his truth. If I am going to see forever, if what I believe is going to endure forever, I must see and believe the true words of God. I think it is a matter of truth or consequences.