August 2024

Listening To The Home Team
August 20, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 20:20-22
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Have you ever thought, “My parents just don’t get it!” You might assume I’m addressing teenagers, but the reality is, many of us adults have sometimes heard our parents say something and thought, “They’re out of touch.” However, when we decide to do things our way, we often discover they were wiser than we realized.

    Today’s verses delve deeper than just occasional rebellion. They address outright disobedience and even animosity towards parents.

    In the Old Testament, cursing one’s father could lead to severe consequences, including stoning. Some may think that, since such harsh punishments aren’t meted out today, they can behave as they wish without repercussions. Recall Adam and Eve’s story from the Bible? They believed they could act against God’s instructions without consequences. God had warned them they would surely die. And indeed, they faced both physical and spiritual death. When God establishes a rule, it’s in our best interest to heed it.

    I remember a piece of advice my parents gave me: “Work hard and stay out of trouble, and you’ll succeed in life.” I was puzzled by the notion of “staying out of trouble,” but the essence of hard work stuck with me. Many seek quick riches through casinos, the lottery, gambling, and other shortcuts. But when one person wins, many others lose. Today’s verses discuss an “inheritance gotten hastily,” which essentially means wealth acquired through dubious means or shortcuts. God doesn’t look favorably upon profiting from another’s misfortune. Gambling often fosters idleness, arrogance, and laziness. So, if you engage in gambling, consider how many lives might be negatively impacted by your disobedience to God. For me, gambling would mean disregarding the guidance of both my earthly and heavenly fathers.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    God has provided you with a team of life experts. If you have godly parents, it is advisable to seek their wisdom, if possible. Even unsaved parents have valuable insights based on life’s experiences. Honoring your parents is a mandate from God, and that alone should suffice as a reason to do so!

What did you learn from your HOME TEAM?

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: August 20, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Jeremiah 39 – Jeremiah 44
  Proverbs 20:20 – 22

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 80-85
  Rom. 13

Secrets Are To Be Secret
August 19, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 20:16-19
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Sometimes, it can be quite tempting to share someone’s secrets. It’s as if you can’t wait to reveal what you know. However, as a Christian, after you do share, you might question whether it was a wise choice. Did my sharing actually benefit anyone?

    Did sharing help the person I was talking about, or did it further tear them down, especially when they might already be going through a difficult time?

   Did it benefit the person I confided in, or did it simply start a gossip cycle? They might misinterpret what I said, leading to a distorted version of events that never occurred.

    Lastly, did it truly benefit me? Did it make me appear trustworthy in the eyes of the person I was sharing with? Will they feel comfortable confiding in me when they have their own problems, or will they see me as a busybody who can’t be trusted with their valuable information?

   A person who frequently engages in talebearing usually only scratches the surface of the truth, missing out on the deeper truths for which they could pray or provide counsel. Additionally, we should remember that the information we hear about others may not always be accurate; it could originate from a deceitful source with ill intentions. We must learn to keep the stories we hear about one another close to our hearts and not let them slip from our lips.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

   The good news is that if you feel like you can’t hold it in any longer and just have to tell someone, there is someone who can make a difference and is waiting for you to talk to Him: God. He already knows what really happened, understands the hearts of the people involved, and alone knows how to make a genuine difference. Take it to Him, and Him alone.

What do you do with a friends information?

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: August 19, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Jeremiah 34 – Jeremiah 38
  Proverbs 20:16 – 19

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 78-79
  Rom. 12

WEEKEND REVIEW
August 17 & 18, 2024

Proverbs 20:7

The just man
walketh in his
integrity:
his children are blessed
after him.

Work Week Devotions
Through The Book Of Proverbs

     What a joy it has been to be with you this past week. I pray these WORK WEEK DEVOTIONS have been a blessing to you as well. To receive them daily in your e-mail box go to LIHWMinistries Sign-Up Page – Living In His Word Ministries and sign up. Each day these devotions will be delivered directly in your e-mail box.

      As previously mentioned, with WORK WEEK DEVOTIONS, we will only be publishing Devotional Thoughts Monday – Friday.

     On Saturday we suggest you re-read the entire chapter we have been studying this 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.

As we Journey through Proverbs, if you have any questions
Please send them to LIHWDEV@LIHWMinistries.org

Also, you would be huge help and blessing if you 
might write a review on these devotions on
Review Work Week Devotions (amazon.com)
or 
Review Work Week Devotions Journal (amazon.com)

WEEK 32 – Day 6:

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

Proverbs 19-20

WEEK 32 – 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
OLD & NEW TESTAMENT TODAY AND TOMORROW:

August 17, 2024
Psa. 73-77
Rom. 11

August 18, 2024
No Passages Assigned

NEXT WEEKS UPCOMING SCHEUDLES:

SCHEDULE 1 – Bible In a Year – with Proverbs Study 

August 19, 2024
Jeremiah 34 – Jeremiah 38
Proverbs 20:16 – 19
August 20, 2024
Jeremiah 39 – Jeremiah 44
Proverbs 20:20 – 22
August 21, 2024
Jeremiah 45 – Jeremiah 49
Proverbs 20:23 – 26
August 22, 2024
Jeremiah 50 – Jeremiah 52
Proverbs 20:27 – 30
August 23, 2024
Lamentations 1 – Lamentations 5
Proverbs 21:1 – 3
August 24, 2024
Proverbs 20 – 21
August 25, 2024
No Passages Assigned
 

SCHEDULE 2 – Old & New Testament

August 19, 2024
Psa. 78-79
Rom. 12
August 20, 2024
Psa. 80-85
Rom. 13
August 21, 2024
Psa. 86-89
Rom. 14
August 22, 2024
Psa. 90-96
Rom. 15
August 23, 2024
Psa. 97-102
Rom. 16
August 24, 2024
Psa. 103-105
1 Co. 1
August 25, 2024
No Passages Assigned

Deadbeats And Deceivers
August 16, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 20:13-15
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Love not sleep, and love not deceit. There are two groups of people spoken of in Prov. 20:13-15, both of whom we should avoid. Yet the deadbeat and devious person are not the same.

    The Deadbeat is just looking for another place to flop. They are lazy, and all they care about is having no responsibilities. Give them a little time, and they will do nothing constructive with it.

    A devious person is really just the opposite. They would much rather cause some sort of trouble than sleep. My dad used to say this kind of person would rather cause trouble than eat, and it is true. You may know someone like this. It seems if there is trouble around, you will always find them there or heading there. They know the latest gossip and usually make up what they don’t know. They are the last person in the world to whom you should tell a secret. They are the person who always seem to try to fool people. The one who, when you catch them in a lie, just laughs and says something like, “Oh, I was just kidding.”

    While the deadbeat is never busy with anything and someone to avoid, the devious person is always busy with the wrong things and should also be avoided.

    There is a third group of people alluded to here as well. They are those people who understand that the wisdom and knowledge obtained from God are more valuable than anything this world can offer. We need to be like them. We should be up and busy, allowing God to pour wisdom into our lives, all the while encouraging the deadbeats and devious folks to come and get to know Christ.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    It may look like fun on the other side of what’s right. You might see a happy-go-lucky person who appears to be having all the fun. However, the end result is always destruction. They end up destroying themselves, and often many who follow them. Ultimately, they find themselves alone and lonely. Choose what’s right; choose Christ.

What will you do with this wonderful day
God has granted 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: August 16, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Jeremiah 31 – Jeremiah 33
  Proverbs 20:13 – 15

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 69-72
  Rom. 10

Run And Hide, Here They Come
August 15, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 20:9-12
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Now, let’s be honest. There are people whom, when you see them coming, you try to avoid. It could be for various reasons, such as owing them money or dealing with bad breath, among other things.

    I am aware of one particular group of people I often try to steer clear of. They are the ones who firmly believe they are the center of the universe, and, no, that’s not a typo. These individuals are those who, every time you encounter them, are excessively self-absorbed. It’s always, “I did this, I did that, I bought this, or I’m the best at that.” It is an incessant chorus of “I, I, I.” Occasionally, they will toss in God’s name to add a veneer of spirituality.

    In life, people couldn’t care less about what you say about yourself if your words don’t align with your actions. Your words and your life need to be in harmony; otherwise, your words become meaningless. If you’re genuinely doing things for the Lord, then “I” should fade into the background, and everything should revolve around Him.

    Our verses today emphasize that even a child is known by their actions. People are known for something, either for what they do or for what they claim to do. God created both the “hearing ear and the seeing eye,” and both are equally important, both should bring glory to Him. However, I haven’t come across any scripture stating that God created any of us to be the “BOASTING I.”

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    All that being said, it is not wrong, from time to time, to share with others the blessings in our lives. The achievements of our children, our family, and our friends are often some of the things we should desire to share with others. However, it is wise to leave the bragging about ourselves to others. God, who created us, gave us two ears and one mouth. What we all need to remember is to listen twice as much as we speak.

Do people run when they see you coming?

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: August 15, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Jeremiah 26 – Jeremiah 30
  Proverbs 20:9 – 12

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 65-68
  Rom. 9