Your Inner Voice Said What?

March 25, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 7:24-27 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     How many times have you been told, or else you have heard someone else being told to follow their heart? On the surface, this may sound like good advice. To follow what your heart tells you to do. Follow your dreams. Listen to your inner voice. However, the Bible often warns us against doing such a thing. Jeremiah 17:9 says; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

     In our verses today, the wisdom of Solomon, given to his son, is not to let his heart be directed toward the seducing women. Why, because he says many STRONG men have been defeated by such sexual sin. Not wimps, weaklings, or the gullible, but strong men have been taken by this trap of deceptive pleasure. Solomon doesn’t say not to follow your heart. Instead, he asks his son to guide his heart, and not to be fooled by sin and its tempting lies.

     How might we guide our heart you may be asking? When looking back into Jeremiah where it warned about our hearts weakness, it also says in Jeremiah 17:5 “thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” What caused the curse? A heart departed from the LORD. How might we keep our heart? Jeremiah 17:7 says; “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Blessed is the person whose hope is in the LORD.

     So follow your heart. Chase your dreams. Listen to that inner voice. However, only do so if your dreams are to fulfill God’s will, your inner voice is that of the Holy Spirit, and your heart is founded in Jesus Christ our LORD and Saviour.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     The now famous phrase “What Would Jesus Do,” has kept many young people from making a bad choice. Why not let it help us all. When we are faced with any type of temptation, we should ask ourselves, “What Would Jesus Do?”

GOD TALKING TO ME:  March 25, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Judges 9 – 12      /     Proverbs 7:24-27

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Deuteronomy 25-27      /     Luke 3:23 – 4:13

Beware Of The Snare

March 24, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 7:21-23 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Just what is the definition of a TRAP, or SNARE? Looking at it from the perspective of an item, rather than a deed, there are many answers. A snare can be a net that is baited. When any prey goes for the bait, and has enough weight to trigger the trap, the net is either drawn up taking its prey with it, or dropped down completely covering and entangling its victim.

     Another form of trap is an open pit covered with a deceptive covering. When anything walks on this disguised covering, they fall into this pit and are either killed by spikes in the bottom of the pit, or entrapped until the maker of this trap returns.

     Today we also have devices that are more modern and clamp two metal jaws shut to hold its prey. Some traps, which are less harmful, are cage like. Once inside the cage, the door will drop and hold it victim at captive.

     When looking in the Encarta Encyclopedia it says, “a device designed to catch an animal and kill it, or prevent it from escaping, e.g. a concealed pit, or a mechanical device that springs shut.”

     Most often traps are designed for animals. However, we must be aware of the traps set for man. They may not include ropes, pits, or steel jaws, but they do the same thing. They cover the life of the victim, often holding it captive until death.

     In the verses today, the enticement of fair speech from a luring woman has lured the unsuspecting victim into such a trap. The author says; as an ox to slaughter, a bird to a snare, or a fool into stocks. Once trapped, the freedom and life once enjoyed, is lost forever. That is unless someone sets them free.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     The wages of sin is death. This is true for all sin, and for all people. We would get what we deserve, unless the mercy of God sets us free. God is not only merciful, but His Grace abounds for all who will believe. Will you allow God’s grace to set you free from sins trap?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  March 24, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Judges 5-8      /     Proverbs 7:21-23

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Deuteronomy 22-24     /   Luke 3:1-22

What About The Goodman?

March 23, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 7:18-20 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Ok, today I will pose a simple question. A question you could call your four year old in to ask, and they would get it right. So, here’s the question. What is the opposite of good? Your answers may vary a bit. Some will say evil. Some may use the word bad. While others might just get down to the basics, and simply say not good. No matter how you look at it, the opposite of good is normally not something with which we want our name to be associated.

     Looking at our verses for today, what does the temptress call the man of the house? Referring to her husband, she says the “goodman” of the house is gone. This man rightfully should be in her bed. The goodman appears to be an honest man, working to support his family. He’s an upright man with nothing to hide. Nor does he try to trick her, as he must trust her. Being respectful of his wife, he even lets her know when she might expect him home. She says, “at the day appointed.”

     If he were by definition the goodman, then what, by the same definition, would this make someone who falls for her temptation? You, or your four-year-old have already answered that question. It would make them the evil, bad, or simply, not good man. If you ask those who have fallen into the trap of sexual sin, they will tell you, this is exactly how they felt after committing this sin. Dirty, filthy, ashamed, and regretful are all words I’ve heard used to describe such a feeling. Simply put, a not so good person.

     How can you keep from feeling this way? You be the Goodman, or Goodwoman to someone else faithfully.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

The grace of God is sufficient to cleanse, and forgive us from all sin. However, the memory of sins committed linger. It’s wonderful to know we are forgiven. It’s yet better not to need forgiveness. Will you be the good person before God?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  March 23, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Judges 1-4      /     Proverbs 7:18-20

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Deuteronomy 18-21     /   Luke 2:25-52

Weekend Review

March 21 & 22, 2020

Proverbs 7:4

Say unto wisdom,
Thou art my sister;
and call
understanding
thy kinswoman:

Work Week Devotions
Through the Book of Proverbs

      As you know by now, with WORK WEEK DEVOTIONS, we only publish our Devotional Thoughts on Monday – Friday. On Saturday we suggest you re-read the entire chapter we have been studying this past week, and if we will be going into the following chapter the next week, we encourage you to read that chapter as well.       

There are never Devotions on Sunday. 

Thank you for joining us as we
journey together
Through Proverbs in 2020.

WEEK 11 – Day 6

     On Saturday, we suggest you re-read the Proverb we have written from this past week and the week to come.

Proverbs 7-8

WEEK 11 – Day 7

     Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastor’s heart. Whatever Scripture he uses for today’s messages, were given to him by God for your specific needs.

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS

March 23, 2020        Judges 1  – 4       Proverbs 7:18 – 20
March 24, 2020        Judges 5  – 8       Proverbs 7:21 – 23
March 25, 2020        Judges 9  – 12     Proverbs 7:24 – 27
March 26, 2020        Judges 13 – 17    Proverbs 8:1 – 4
March 27, 2020        Judges 18 – 21    Proverbs 8:5 – 7
March 28, 2020        Proverbs 7 – 8                 
March 29, 2020        No Passages Assigned    

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

March 23, 2020        Deuteronomy 18-21      Luke 2:25-52
March 24, 2020        Deuteronomy 22-24      Luke 3:1-22
March 25, 2020        Deuteronomy 25-27      Luke 3:23-4:13
March 26, 2020        Deuteronomy 28           Luke 4:14-44
March 27, 2020        Deuteronomy 29-31      Luke 5:1-26
March 28, 2020        Deuteronomy 32–34     Luke 5:27-39
March 29, 2020        No Passages Assigned

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

  March 21, 2020     Deuteronomy 15 – 17     Luke 2:1-24
  March 22, 2020     No Passages Assigned

A Tempting Scent

March 20, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 7:15-17 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     “Can you smell it?” The smell of a hot apple pie fresh from the oven. The smell of a spring day just after a rain. Clothes that have just come in off the line with that crisp scent of a gentle breeze in them. So many things bring about the wonderful sense of joy by a simple aroma.

     We are often driven by simply the sense of smell. Perfume manufacturers know this, and spend thousands of dollars testing and mixing different oils and spices to come up with one fragrance that will sell to the masses. Not only does scent entice us, but it can also warn us of danger in the area. Natural Gas Companies put a horrible odor in the natural gas they pump into homes to warn people if there is a leak in the line. Skunks let off a terrible smell when they feel they’re threatened, and in danger. The smell of a skunk is often so bad it will make you sick when you come upon it.

     Smells, even bad smells, will sometimes tempt us. I use to be a three pack a day cigarette smoker. At this writing, I’ve not smoked for well over 30 years. Most often, the smell of tobacco on someone’s clothes smells bad to me. Nevertheless, on occasion, the smell from the smoke of a cigarette will trigger something in my memories. Why, because it brings back the thought of something I enjoyed for many years. I thank God I’ve never given into the temptation. The freedom from that addiction that I enjoy today, far outweighs anything the momentary pleasure a cigarette could ever bring me. Yet, the temptations are there nonetheless.

     So just how does Satan tempt us? The answer is simple. He will tempt us any way he can!

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

1 Peter 5:8 says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” I have found one of the best ways to guard against temptation, is to keep my focus on Jesus. What will you focus on today?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  March 20, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Joshua 21 – 24      /     Proverbs 7:15-17

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Deuteronomy 12 – 14     /   Luke 1:57-80