July 2024

Happy, Happy, Happy.
July 19, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 17:20-22
He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief. He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    You know, it has long been a documented fact that happy, smiling people seem to be healthier and live longer. In fact, there was a study done one time that concluded people who smile live longer than people who do not smile.

    Stop reading this just for a minute and go look in the mirror. By the looks of things, it sadly appears that some of you might not make it through this day!

    I have long said Christians ought to be the happiest people in the world. We have so much more to look forward to.

• If something were to happen to me today, and my life were to end here on earth, God 
   says I have a home waiting for me in heaven.

• If I live through this day, God says He will never leave me nor forsake me.

• If I am hurting physically or spiritually, He is my Great Physician.

• If I am lonely or distraught, He is always ready to listen and, through the power of the
  Holy Spirit, whisper sweet peace to me.

    Why shouldn’t we be happy? Our text today says; “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:”.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” If you are feeling down, try this. Get out an old hymnbook, find the peppiest song you can, and start praising God. It may surprise you that in just a few minutes of following this practice, you will find joy once again. Try it!

So what song did you choose?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: July 19, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Song of Solomon 5 – Song of Solomon 8
  Proverbs 17:20 – 22

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Job 1-4
  Acts 18

A Friend In The Fight
July 18, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 17:16-19
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Which of these two scenarios do you think would be easier: to fight with someone you don’t like and devise a plan to outwit and beat them, or to overcome an intense passion within our own self? If we are all honest, we would have to say that fighting our own self-will is the hardest battle of all.

    To overcome my own selfish desires and live for Christ and His desires may, at times, seem difficult. Learning to forfeit our own will may often come through years of trial and error. It sometimes takes days, weeks, and even months of prayer, asking the Lord for strength and wisdom to give up and overcome these strongholds in our lives.

    Sometimes we find our best friendships are developed during such times. In a time of great trial, a friend may come alongside and share their struggles with you. Christ, who is our best friend, brought this person to you. He knew they had a piece of wisdom you needed at this time in your life.

    Old age does not always bring wisdom. Many kings and rulers, who were not righteous men, used their power and might to topple nations. Yet they never learned how to control their internal desires within themselves. Ultimately, their own selfish passions and cravings would often be what would destroy them, and many times hurt the lives of those around them.

    True wisdom is found in a long-lasting relationship with God. Like any other relationship, this takes time. It takes commitment to one another. It takes an understanding of the other’s desires. It takes love for one another. God knows you perfectly already. We just need to get to know God better. A long, slow walk with God in the midst of a trial brings contentment, which is simply incomprehensible to a lost world.     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     You can take your chances and make deals with man, or as our passage says, strike hands with the world if you want. However, the ends of all matters are in the hands of God. I will take my chances and place my life in God’s hands.

Where will you place your life today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: July 18, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Song of Solomon 1 – Song of Solomon 4
  Proverbs 17:16 – 19

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Esther 5-10
  Acts 17

Keeping A Lid On Life
July 17, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 17:13-15
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Have you ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube once it has been squeezed out? I guess it can be done, but it’s never easy. However, the question might be raised, “Why did you squeeze so much out that you feel you need to put any back?” It may have just been carelessness. Possibly, you left the lid off after its last use and then accidentally leaned on it and…Oops. Maybe you were about to squeeze a small amount out, and someone scared you. You lost control for a split second and…splat. Could it be you were in a hurry and didn’t realize how hard you squished the tube’s sides and… Plop…out it came.

 

    Life can often be like that sometimes. Carelessness will cause us to say or do something that causes just a little trouble at first, but if not properly dealt with (if we don’t put a lid on it), it may cause years of problems. It could be that people come into our life and distract us from the calling God has for us. We get out of God’s perfect will, and life seems to be one struggle after another. Then again, it may be that we pressed ourselves too hard and pushed ahead of God, and now the struggles of life seem to be piled on our plates all at once. Oh, how we would like to put things back in order. However, rewinding life’s “Oops” moments are often like putting toothpaste back in the tube.

 

    We may not always be able to redo those things in life; nevertheless, we can always learn from them. Sometimes if we’re careful, we can scoop up that spilled toothpaste and still use it. In the same way, we may have to live with the results of our actions in life, but God will forgive us from the penalty of sin if we only ask Him to. He will scoop up what’s left of our lives and use it for His glory if we let Him.

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Sin is a trap. It entices you toward itself and then lies, telling you there is no hope of escape now that you’re here. Sin is a problem in life, but God has a solution to sin’s grip on us. The solution is belief in Jesus Christ and living by His Word. It helps us keep a lid on life to avoid the oops, splats, and plops.

 

What may be a oops, splat, or plop in your life
that you need God to Clean up today ?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: July 17, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ecclesiastes 7 – Ecclesiastes 12
  Proverbs 17:13 – 15

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Esther 1-4
  Acts 16:25-40

 

Watch Out For The BEARS!
July 16, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 17:9-12
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Let’s use our imaginations for a moment. What do you imagine would happen to a man or woman who, by chance, runs into a mother bear who has just had her cubs taken from her? You’re right; it’s not going to be a petting zoo experience. That person would most likely be torn to bits by the powerful claws and teeth of this angry mother bear.

 

    Just as the idea of breaking free from the wrath of an angry mother bear seems impossible and foolish, so is the idea that a person who indulges in sinful ways will someday be able to break free. That’s why the writers of this Proverb called people who think this way fools. The playful little sins they once believed to be fun will continually entangle and trap them until they are destroyed by them.

 

    The sad part is that they never see their sins trapping them until it’s too late. Their joy will turn to sorrow, and their playfulness becomes a controlling slave master. They are no longer free to do what they want but must serve the sin that has engulfed their life.

 

    How can they ever be free? Only through the grace of God can a person be saved and freed from sin’s grip. God calls you to freedom, safety, and His Son Jesus. Can you hear His call in your heart, or are the bears growling outside your door?

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    If it feels like the world has enslaved you and you want to be free, cry out to a Holy God and ask for forgiveness. He is willing to forgive and cleanse you. If you desire to be free and saved, there is also good news. It means He is calling you now. Do not put it off until it’s too late.

 

When have the “bears of sin” seemed overwhelming to you?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: July 16, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ecclesiastes 1 – Ecclesiastes 6
  Proverbs 17:9 – 12

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Neh. 13
  Acts 16:1-24

 

Oh, To Be A Grandparent
July 15, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 17:5-8
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince. A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Just get around any grandparent, mention their grandchildren, and you will see a book full of pictures and hear an hour’s worth of tales about how wonderful and magnificent their grandchildren are. These children are portrayed as able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, diapers and all.

    I joke about it, but the Bible told us centuries ago that this is how it is supposed to be. “Children’s children are the crown of old men” (including also gracefully aging women). Grandparents will talk more about the accomplishments of a 5-year-old in kindergarten than about their own children, even if their child is a rocket scientist who went to the moon.

     Furthermore, it is a great blessing for parents who are fortunate enough to be able to introduce their children to their grandparents. Grandmas and grandpas have so many more exciting stories to tell, and often, more time to tell them.

     My wife, our children, and I are extremely fortunate in that we had godly men to look to as examples in our lives. My father and my wife’s father were both wonderful examples of God-fearing men (in addition to being the family jokesters on occasion) before they passed into glory. We also had a third Fatherly example to look to as well: God, our Heavenly Father.

     I count myself truly fortunate to have three Godly forefathers as examples to pass on to my children. Nevertheless, if I had only one, and if that one was God the Father, He would be enough. “The glory of children are their fathers.” I sure love all the fathers in my life.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Have you introduced your children to their forefathers? They have wonderful stories to tell, some of which are recorded in the pages of the Bible by our Heavenly Father. Other stories are recorded in the hearts of those of us who know and love Him.

How have you been blessed by your forefathers?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: July 15, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Psalms 141 – Psalms 150
  Proverbs 17:5 – 8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Neh. 11-12
  Acts 15:28-41