Daily Devotions in Proverbs

Just Who Is In Control?
July 2, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 16:8-11
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work.

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    There have long been several views regarding the extent of control that God exercises in the individual life of man. Some believe that man has complete free will, and God has little or no control over one’s life. Others hold the belief that man has no control over his life at all, with the belief that God foreordained in time past whether a person would go to heaven or hell. Then there are the rest of us who believe that the truth lies somewhere between both of those understandings.

 

    Believing the Bible must never contradict itself; we must also look at verse nine in this chapter to help reconcile the question at hand. It says, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Man clearly has within himself the ability to make decisions for life. To choose good or evil. If this were not so, we would have no need for the sharing of the gospel at all. Man would simply just do what God designed for him to do.

 

    However, to claim that God does not influence the lives of humans is equally absurd. If we surrender our lives and our ways to the Lord, He will guide us in ways that align with His will and ultimately benefit us. Nevertheless, God, who comprehends the beginning and the end, also foresees the consequences when sinful individuals reject Him. Being God, He can even use those consequences to fulfill the outcomes He has revealed in the pages of His Word.

 

    It has never been, and is not now, God’s desire for anyone to perish and go to hell. However, He has chosen to allow individuals to make that choice. To do otherwise would deprive humans of the capacity to love Him voluntarily. Without free will, we would be mere automatons. God desires for us to genuinely desire to love and obey Him, just as it was in Eden with Adam and Eve, and that fundamental aspect has not changed.

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Give control of your day to God and observe what He will do with it and with you. How do you surrender your day to God? You do it moment by moment. The first moment begins right now!

So ask yourself, Just Who Is In Control?

 

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 2, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Psalms 78 – Psalms 84
  Proverbs 16:8 – 11

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Chron. 24-27
  Acts 8

Tossing Out Passages
July 1, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 16:5-7
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    It appears that in today’s world, many people are opposed to the work of God’s followers. Popularity seems to dictate the current order. It’s not a matter of what is right or wrong; rather, it’s about fulfilling human desires. The democracy of humanity governs today’s moral standards. When a significant number of people assert something to be right with enough volume and persistence, it can lead others to believe it must be true.

    For instance, some Christians today find themselves perplexed by the assertion that homosexuality is an innate lifestyle. Prolonged debates, opposing voices, and well-funded claims have obscured the scriptural truth. Despite God’s consistent declaration throughout the Bible that this way of life is sinful, the belief that it is not has led to the need for legal measures and countless hours and resources spent in courtrooms to protect children in schools from homosexuality. Why? Because society has started to accept the falsehood propagated by humans.

    If this lifestyle is innate from birth, and God is the Creator of all, then He has supposedly created individuals to engage in actions He explicitly condemns. Yet, the Bible also states that He loves all people. There is an inherent contradiction here. The problem lies in humanity’s inclination to disregard parts of the truth. While God hates sin but loves humanity, the Bible is clear that this sinfulness cannot be attributed to God. People have united to promote this sinful lifestyle. God does not hate individuals; He hates sin, all sin.

    This example is just one illustration of how people, in churches, homes, and businesses around the world, select which truths from Scripture to follow while discarding the rest. The Bible warns that those who do so “shall not be unpunished.” Or should we also dismiss that part of the Bible from consideration?

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    We must once again realize that the entire Word of God is true, and not just the parts that fit our current life. Our goal should be to mold our life after the Bible and not to mold the Bible to fit our life.

Are there any parts of God’s Word
that we may have tossed aside?

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 1, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Psalms 71 – Psalms 77
  Proverbs 16:5 – 7

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Chron. 21-23
  Acts 7:30-60

WEEKEND REVIEW
June 29 & 30, 2024

Proverbs 15:33

The fear of the
LORD
is the instruction of wisdom;
and before honour
is humility.

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 25 – Day 6:

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

Proverbs 15-16

WEEK 25 – 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:

June 29, 2024
2 Chron. 18-20
Acts 7:1-29

June 30, 2024
No Passages Assigned

NEXT WEEKS UPCOMING SCHEUDLES:

SCHEDULE 1 – Bible In a Year – with Proverbs Study 

July 1, 2024
Psalms 71 – Psalms 77
Proverbs 16:5 – 7
July 2, 2024
Psalms 78 – Psalms 84
Proverbs 16:8 – 11
July 3, 2024
Psalms 85 – Psalms 91
Proverbs 16:12 – 14
July 4, 2024
Psalms 92 – Psalms 102
Proverbs 16:15 – 18
July 5, 2024
Psalms 103 – Psalms 106
Proverbs 16:19 – 21
July 6, 2024
Proverbs 15 – 16
July 7, 2024
No Passages Assigned

 

SCHEDULE 2 – Old & New Testament

July 1, 2024
2 Chron. 21-23
Acts 7:30-60
July 2, 2024
2 Chron. 24-27
Acts 8
July 3, 2024
2 Chron. 28-30
Acts 9:1-19
July 4, 2024
2 Chron. 31-33
Acts 9:20-43
July 5, 2024
2 Chron. 34-36
Acts 10:1-22
July 6, 2024
Ezra 1-3
Acts 10:23-48
July 7, 2024
No Passages Assigned

What’s On Your Mind?
June 28, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 16:1-4
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    I have read several books over the years. Some were better than others. For example, for a counseling class, I had to read a textbook. Reading that book felt like work. Then there are the books that draw me in, as if the story had been written just for me. It’s as if the author knew how to captivate my every thought and wrote the book specifically for me. Even during the day when I wasn’t reading it, I found myself thinking about it. When I was around others, my conversations would often somehow mention the book and the author. These are by far my favorite books to read.

    I believe this idea of losing ourselves in something is what the author of our verses today had in mind. If we commit ourselves to the Lord, I mean completely fall in love with Him, then everything we do and say becomes praise and worship of who He is. Moreover, all our thoughts will automatically be established in Him. When Jesus becomes the center of our life, everything we say and do causes us to think of Him. We can actually get lost in Jesus, just as we do in the pages of a really good book.

    John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is the word into which we need to let our minds escape each day. He was the first word in all History and should have the last word in our lives.     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     As you engage in your Bible readings today, approach them with the same desire that the psalmist had in his heart when he penned Psalm 119:18, which says: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Then, walk in the revelation of His person all day. Get lost in Jesus today.

What have you read that will be in
your thoughts of God throughout 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: June 28, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Psalms 65 – Psalms 70
  Proverbs 16:1 – 4

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Chron. 14-17
  Acts 6

Please Slap My Other Hand
June 27, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 15:31-33
The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    How many times have you watched as a child received a spanking and heard that child laugh and beg, “One more, please just give me one more?” How about a youth who had their hand slapped, saying, “Please, slap the other one too, that hand has been just as bad, but you never caught it.” More than likely, that probably never happened, and with good reason. No one likes to be disciplined.

    It never gets better as we get older. Rarely would you hear someone say, “Oh, by the way, officer, I ran two other lights and parked in a handicap zone illegally. Could you write me up for those as well? I just need my insurance payment a little higher than it is right now.” No one at any age likes to be disciplined.

    At a quick glance, you might think the verses today are saying we should somehow enjoy being punished. However, if you read them again, you will see it is not the punishment we should delight in receiving. If we are receiving discipline, it’s because we did not listen or obey what we were told to do to begin with. It says if we will hear the reproof of life, we gain understanding. When people will humble themselves enough to believe they can still learn something at any age, God counts them among the wise. That is what we should rejoice in. To the ones who refuse to listen, well, I pray you get the idea.

    Before honor comes humility. Before God can lift you up before others, He needs to know you will be humble enough to learn continually. Even learning from those whom He calls you to lead. Many a leader began by being so humble and grateful for the position God gave them, but then let pride cause them to forget the reason they were there in the first place.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    We need to listen daily for the voice of the Lord. We know we can always hear Him speak through the pages of His Word. However, He may also speak at times through those He has placed around you. Listen for that still small voice, and appreciate the fact that God is still communicating with you today.

Will you be humble enough to learn from God 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: June 27, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Psalms 54 – Psalms 64
  Proverbs 15:31 – 33

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  2 Chron. 10-13
  Acts 5:29-42