How Long Do You Want To Live?

April 13, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 9:10-12 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     How long do you want to live? Every person may answer that question just a little differently.

     The first thing most people will think of is, “I want to live forever.” However, what if you were living with a life threatening disease, causing you unbearable pain daily? What if you were confined to a bed for the rest of your days, and could never walk, or talk, or move? Would you still want to live forever?

     A little girl was once asked how long she might want to live. She said, “I want to grow real old.” When asked how old, she said, “Real old, at least 40 or 45.”

     Living life means different things to different people. What should matter most is not the length of life, but the life lived. Life is more than counting down a number of weeks in a year. Life is meant to be lived. When we gain the wisdom of who God is, and make Him first in our life, not only do we get to live forever, we also LIVE LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY forever. Our life takes on a new meaning. Telling people of how our Saviour works in our life brings us a new joy, as we live life in Him.

     What a waste of a life to live in anger and hate all the time. Always looking for something wrong. Always living to find a problem in life. Then at the end of life, what have you done? You’ve not only made life difficult for all the people around you, but you yourself have been miserable the entire time as well.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Our verses today say, “if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.” If you complain, you’ll bear the heart of a complainer. Live in joy and peace. Live for the joy of serving Jesus. Living right means really living! It’s not the days of our life which matters, it’s the life that we’ve lived in those days.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 13, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  2 Samuel 11 – 14      /     Proverbs 9:10-12

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Judges 8-9    /    Luke 12:1-34

Weekend Review

April 11 & 11, 2020

Proverbs 8:34-35

Blessed is the man that heareth me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoso findeth me findeth life,
and shall obtain favour
of the LORD. 

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 14 – Day 6

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

Proverbs 8-9

WEEK 14 – 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

April 13, 2020  2 Samuel 11 – 14               Proverbs 9:10 – 12
April 14, 2020  2 Samuel 15 – 18               Proverbs 9:13 – 18
April 15, 2020  2 Samuel 19 – 22               Proverbs 10:1 – 4
April 16, 2020  2 Samuel 23 – 1 Kings 1  Proverbs 10:5 – 9
April 17, 2020  1 Kings 2 – 4                       Proverbs 10:10 – 13
April 18, 2020  Proverbs 9 – 10               
April 19, 2020  No Passages Assigned    

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

April 13, 2020  Judges 8-9                 Luke 12:1-34
April 14, 2020  Judges 10-11             Luke 12:35-59
April 15, 2020  Judges 12-15             Luke 13:1-17
April 16, 2020  Judges 16-18             Luke 13:18-35
April 17, 2020  Judges 19-20             Luke 14
April 18, 2020  Judges 21-Ruth 2     Luke 15
April 19, 2020  No Passages Assigned

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

    APRIL 11, 2020     Judges 6-7    /     Luke 11:29-54
    APRIL 12, 2020     No Passages Assigned

How Are You Using Your Time?

April 10, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 9:6-9 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

We only get so many hours each day. Just a select few opportunities to use the minutes God has given to us. The Bible often says, we are to be good stewards with all God gives us. We usually relate the word steward to money. However, it’s also referring to our time, and talents.

Being a good steward of time is the topic of today’s verses. Rebuking a sinner of sin before they are saved is like beating your head against a brick wall. They don’t care, and are not convicted of their sinfulness, and therefore neither of you gets anything good out of it. They need salvation first.

If you will use your time to try to help someone who is teachable, you both come out ahead. A Christ-like Spirit is one that is teachable. Rebuke to a born again Christian is an opportunity for them to examine themselves, and to see where they stand with God. If the rebuke is correct, they see an area they need to correct, and become stronger in the Lord. If the rebuke is incorrect, they can come back, and lovingly discuss the circumstances around it with you. When this happens, you both walk away stronger in the Lord, and in better fellowship with one another. Either way, a wise person comes out ahead. They have gained wisdom in their walk with the Lord, or a better understanding of a fellow Christian. In this God wins.

Is it ever easy to point out perceived sin, or shortcomings in a friend’s life? NO! There’s a slogan, which says, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” The same should be true about believers. Christian friends, don’t let Christian friends live in harmful unrighteousness.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

In the New Testament, Jesus called it casting your pearls before swine. It’s not referring to withholding the gospel from anyone. Everyone needs to hear the gospel. However, it does mean use your time wisely. Not everyone is ready to listen.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 10, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  2 Samuel 5 – 10     /     Proverbs 9:6-9

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Judges 3-5    /     Luke 11:1-28

Who’s On The Invitations List? 

April 09, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 9:1-5 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     If you want to throw a party, what’s the first thing you need to do? Probably think about how many will be coming, so you can have enough food, and space for everyone. Therefore, you put together a guest list. Now you must decide who you want to invite. Maybe just your closest friends and relatives? Ok, maybe just some of your closet friends. Relatives can often make social gatherings interesting.

     Anyway, you try to figure on how many will come. How do you do that? Do you send an invitation to every breathing soul in the world, and then prepare for them all to come? That’s probably not a good idea for most gatherings. Nevertheless, that is exactly what has been done here in today’s text.

     Wisdom has sent out her maidens to invite people from as far away as possible. Can’t you just see them, up on a high perch yelling, “Anyone who wants to come to Wisdom’s banquet may come. This means everyone, even the simple.” Today we might use the terms, “Even the homeless, poor, and hurting. Even those who feel unworthy, sinful, and wicked. Those who feel they have no hope, you’re all invited to come.”

     Jesus has long been calling all the world to Himself. Who might choose not to be there? Often those who feel too prideful, and arrogant might choose not to be seen with the hurting of this world, and they would not come. By missing God’s best, because they think they’re too good to be seen with a lost, and hurting world, they become, the lost, and hurting world. 


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Jesus is still calling, but who are these maidens? They would be all of us who know Jesus. Let’s shout it from the housetops. “Come and dine the Master calleth come and dine.”

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 09, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  2 Samuel 1 – 4      /     Proverbs 9:1-5

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Judges 1-2    /    Luke 10:25-42

It’s A Matter Of Life And Death

April 08, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Everybody wants to be liked by at least somebody. We all would like to have people look favorably on what we do, and say. Some people will do almost anything to get people to like them, or at the very minimum, to notice them. They’ll attempt to buy their approval by giving gifts, or spending money on them. Others will try to force you into liking them. Maybe they have a place of power, and they try to hold that over you. Some folks try to become popular with the masses, believing that if the majority will like them, probably everyone will.

     The saddest thing is, they spend years trying to gain man’s approval, and spend little, or no time trying to win God’s favor. It’s true, that God does love everyone. We are all His creation. However, He does not look favorably on everything we do.

     The verses today tell us if we will find wisdom, true Godly wisdom, God looks favorably on us. Why? It’s because we have found the true meaning of life, and therefore life itself. Finding wisdom means we truly understand that God is the one we should listen to, and learn from. We have found that, if allowed, He will guide, and direct us. We have found that yielding our life to Him does not forfeit our life, but rather fortifies the life we live.

     The other side of that coin is death. To not seek God, and His wisdom is to seek after death. Not just physical death, but spiritual death as well. It’s a life filled with doubts, and fears. A life controlled by what others think of you. A life lived for the world. Then later when looking back at that life, you’ll find it was really not much of a life at all.


THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     In Matt. 16:26 it says, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  What indeed. There’s no profit in death.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 08, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Samuel 26 – 31      /     Proverbs 8:32-36

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Joshua 23 – 24     /     Luke 10:1-24