DEVOTIONS

Where Does Your HOPE Lie?
May 1, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 11:5-8
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth. The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Have you ever asked someone if they are saved or if they believe they are going to heaven after death, only to hear, “Well, I hope so?”

    Almost everyone hopes to end up in the place we call heaven. There are probably as many different ideas about heaven as there are people. Everyone envisions heaven with its golden streets and pearly gates a little differently from the next person. However, when it comes to hell, most people imagine some form of pain and torment. If you were to ask where someone wishes to spend eternity, you would rarely hear, “I think I would rather go to hell than heaven.” I have never officiated at any funerals where someone walked up and said, “I sure hope they are in hell when I get there.”

     Heaven is the hope of almost everyone. However, there is only one sure way to get there, and that is to put your faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. It’s to accept what He did as the complete payment for your sins. Yet, many unsaved people are hoping that someday they will be saved before they die, but they’re not ready to make today that day.

     Hoping to make it somehow is not good enough. In today’s verses, it says, “When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.” All their hoping will be over, and hell will become an eternal reality.

    Hope of eternal life was not created for the lost. Hope is given freely to those who are justified in Christ. When life is over here on earth, our hope for eternity will have just begun.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    I am truly grateful that we don’t have to live a life of uncertainty when it comes to salvation. I know that Jesus genuinely died for my sins and forgave me when I accepted Him. He is my only HOPE.

What is your eternal hopes based upon?

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: May 1, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    2 Kings 6 – 2 Kings 9
   Proverbs 11:5 – 8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   1 Samuel 21-24
   Luke 20:27-47

Do Unto Others…
April 30, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 11:1-4
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

      Dishonest practices are something God cannot stand. If you think you hate it when someone takes your stuff, God hates it even more. Why would that be? It’s simple. God is all holy, just, and fair in every dealing with everyone. God is not different with different people. He treats everyone exactly the same. No matter your gender, race, or anything else man has used to divide us, God never sees anyone different from another.

      Therefore, there are no rich or poor before God. So, for anyone to take anything from another person by deceptive practice, it is a sin to God. He sees the thief on the street who grabs your things and runs off with them, the same as the businessperson who unjustly charges you more than you should be paying. He looks at the salesclerk who overcharges at the register, the same as the customer that gets too much change back and will not return it. In God’s eyes, it’s all the same. Being unjust is unacceptable to God.

      Why do people do so anyway? Believe it or not, it’s the pride thing. Businesspeople will often think, “I deserve to get more and more, no matter whom it hurts.” To make a fair profit on a product is fair. But gouging people just because you can is a sin. The person who receives too much change back feels, “I deserve this for all the times I’ve been cheated.” However, this is also pride. Probably the person from whom you received too much change is not the one who has ever cheated you, and you are taking their money unjustly.

      Pride in us causes us to sin. Godly wisdom says, “I will treat others as I desire to be treated.” This means I will be as honest as I can because we serve a God who is always just with us.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     This is a form of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Better yet, “Do unto others as God has done unto you.” He is a fair and just God. He has also been a very merciful and gracious God to us as well.

Do you live by Carma Theory, “what goes around comes around,”
or do you live by Christ’s Theology, “give and it shall be given unto 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: APRIL 30, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  2 Kings 2-5
  Proverbs 11:1-4

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  1 Samuel 18-20
  Luke 20:1-26

Grumble, Grumble, Grumble
April 29, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 10:30-32
The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        In my years of ministry, I have seen this happen time and again. If you let a person, who is spouting off nonsense, sowing discord, and spreading lies, do so long enough, eventually everyone will see through them, and be turned off by it. Sadly, these folks often do a lot of damage on the path to self-destruction. Most often, this damage is to the ones closest to them.

      For the most part, however, people hate to be around negative people. That is unless they themselves are also negative. If so, they will get together to grunt back and forth, all the junk they have been spreading. This group of friends can usually be found with a permanent frown on their face.

      I know some people, who, when I see them coming; they feel as if they have to say something negative about somebody before I walk off. If I try to cheer them up, they’ll get bored with me, and go find someone else to depress.

      Not only do they live in a constant search for dirt, but also, they often live with bad health. You know it has been proven that people who smile, live longer than people who don’t. Some of you haven’t smiled in so long, you may find it hard to even finish reading this devotional.

    “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom.” In other words, they contribute helpful things. They know the difference between what is beneficial, and what is destructive in another’s life. They share constructive comments that guide in growth, and not harm. Let’s live life with joy in our heart.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     “I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart.” Is that true? Then bring it up to your face and let everyone know.

How might you be a bright spot in someone elses day 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: APRIL 29, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  1 Kings 21 – 2 Kings 1
  Proverbs 10:30 – 32

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  1 Samuel 16-17
  Luke 19:28-48

WEEKEND REVIEW
April 27 & 28, 2024

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the
LORD,
it maketh rich, and he addeth
no sorrow with it.

 

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 16 – Day 6:

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

Proverbs 10-11

 

WEEK 16 – 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:

April 27
1 Samuel 14-15
Luke 19:1-27
April 28
No Passages Assigned

 

NEXT WEEKS UPCOMING SCHEUDLES:

SCHEDULE 1 – Bible In a Year – with Proverbs Study 

April 29
1 Kings 21 – 2 Kings 1
Proverbs 10:30 – 32
April 30
2 Kings 2 – 2 Kings 5
Proverbs 11:1 – 4
May 1
2 Kings 6 – 2 Kings 9
Proverbs 11:5 – 8
May 2
2 Kings 10 – 2 Kings 13
Proverbs 11:9 – 12
May 3
2 Kings 14 – 2 Kings 17
Proverbs 11:13 – 16
May 4
Proverbs 10 -11
May 5
No Passages Assigned

 

SCHEDULE 2 – Old & New Testament

April 29
1 Samuel 16-17
Luke 19:28-48
April 30
1 Samuel 18-20
Luke 20:1-26
May 1
1 Samuel 21-24
Luke 20:27-47
May 2
1 Samuel 25-27
Luke 21
May 3
1 Samuel 28-31
Luke 22:1-34
May 4
2 Samuel 1-3
Luke 22:35-71
May 5
No Passages Assigned

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
April 26, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 10:27-29
The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        “Liar, liar, pants on fire, nose as long as a telephone wire.” Back when I was in kindergarten, saying that phrase to another kid was really letting them have it. You might as well have cussed at them as to say something like that. Kids would sometimes go running to the teacher crying, “They called me a liarrrrrrrrrr.”

 

      We hated to be called liars back then. In fact, to this very day, I hate to be called a liar. If you really want to get my blood boiling quickly, just tell me I’m lying to you when I know I’m not. Now I know preachers are not supposed to get angry, but nobody likes to be called a liar, including preachers.

 

      The difference between now and back then is that now when you call me a liar, I will ask you to prove it. When you cannot, I know you are just a troublemaker, and I walk off content. In grade school, if you called me a liar, I would bloody your nose and walk off content. I think God is much happier with the way I deal with it today.

 

      However, what if you got to the end of your life and found you had been lying to yourself? Nothing that you believed was true, was true. Things you thought would happen did not. That’s how a lost person will feel one second after they die, if not just before they die. All their life they thought, “I will get into heaven somehow.” Or, “I will get saved someday.” The best lie Satan lets people tell themselves is, “I have plenty of time.”

 

    Whom do you beat up when you find out you are the liar, and also the one who was lied to?

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     “The hope of the righteous shall be gladness.” Someday, and even now, we can rejoice in the fact that our resurrected Saviour has prepared a place for us. This knowledge should strengthen our walk today as we live victoriously in Him.

 

What is it that yoou are building your hopes upon?

 

 

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: APRIL 26, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
   1 Kings 18-20
   Proverbs 10:27-29

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   1 Samuel 12-13
   Luke 18:31-43