DEVOTIONS

Oh No! I Broke It
March 15, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:32-35
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        My wife has a talent for picking out small figurines in stores, bringing them home, and making them look great in our house. We had only been married for a short while when she began to decorate. A knickknack here, a thing-a-mo-bob there, and the place started to feel like a real home.

    One day, as I was walking through the house, I accidentally knocked one of these little do-hickeys off the table. It fell to the floor and broke, and I immediately thought about how upset she would be. How was I going to fix this? I located some glue and began collecting the pieces to put it back together. I managed to reconstruct it almost completely, except for a few fragments of dust that I swept up and discarded.

      Not too many days later, she was doing something men typically don’t do very often—dusting. And sure enough, she noticed the difference. There were no children, animals, or anyone else to blame. I was caught. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t a precious heirloom passed down for generations; just a garage sale trinket I had broken.

      The point is, no matter how hard I tried or how careful I was, that little object would never be the same. It was cracked, and the tiny fragments of dust were gone. You could not tell unless you looked closely, but it was permanently damaged.

    The heart of a spouse is also very precious. Once broken, it will never be the same. We can try to mend it with love, and time may help us forgive, but the cracks will always remain. Only a miracle can fully restore it. Isn’t it wonderful that our God specializes in performing miracles?

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Needless to say, I am much more careful today in the house than when I lived alone. Of course, I have made mistakes, but I’ve never repeated that one again. A heart, once broken, is not easily mended. Only God can truly mend a broken heart.

Don’t we all need God to do miracles in our lives?

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: MARCH 15, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Deuteronomy 33 – Joshua 3
  Proverbs 6:32 – 35

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Numbers 34-36
  Mark 14:43-72

Some Things Get No “Do Over’s”
March 14, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:29-31
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    If I am a thief, and I decide to steal something from you, I can usually give it back or replace it. If I have told a lie, I can tell the truth and kind of make it right. Even if I were a murderer, I could give my life for the taking of another. For most things, there is a payment that can be made that will in some way, somewhat satisfy the penalty for that sin.

    However, in sexual sin, there is none. A man or woman who betrays the trust of a loving spouse can never completely get that thought out of their mind. We may forgive one another, and by the grace of God continue in our life, but adultery carries with it a penalty that can hardly be paid. It’s that feeling of guilt and betrayal that cannot be repaid.

    If a man or woman finds their spouse having an affair, it will cut to the very heart of their marital relationship. A relationship that is built on love, trust, and honesty. Without these, we really have no marriage. How can two be one if they do not love one another? How can two be one if they cannot trust and be honest with one another? It would be like the mind telling the hand, “really, it is ok, just stick yourself into the running fan.” When the hand does so, it would be cut and mangled. Why? Because the hand trusted the mind to be honest with it, to love it enough to tell it the truth. Once the body finds the mind to be dishonest with the hand, none of the body will trust it. It would then take a long time of faithful, loving instruction for the mind to gain back that trust.

    The same is true in a marriage. Once this area of trust is violated, it seems to destroy all areas of a marital relationship. Trust may be restored over time. Yet, memories last a lifetime.

      
THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Pray that God will keep you faithful in your marriage. If you’re not married, pray for the Lord to unite you with someone you can truly love for a lifetime.

 

What might God do to help you be faithful?

 

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: MARCH 14, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Deuteronomy 29 – 32
   Proverbs 6:29 – 31

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 32-33
   Mark 14:17-42

 

Play With Fire, You Will Get Burned
March 13, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:25-28
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Almost everyone has heard the phrase at one time or another, “if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.” Oh, how true that is.

      When I was a very little boy, I am told that I leaned over a hot flame somehow and burned a place on my stomach. I don’t really remember it happening. I know I’ve never done it again, so I must have learned a lesson not to do so. However, the memory was part of a very early childhood that I, like most, don’t remember. I might have been 2 or 3 years old at the time.

      So, what would cause my parents to bring this up and tell me about it? Could it be they wanted to be certain that, as I grew older, I would never be burnt again? Not exactly. Did they somehow get a kick out of telling me how careless I was at a young age? No! I was a child, not so much careless as I was just curious. So why did they feel a need to share the story with me? It was because, on my stomach, there is a one-inch square area that is lighter than the rest of my skin there. I had a scar and wanted to know where it came from, so they told me. As a young boy, I felt a bit self-conscious about it. Today it’s almost unnoticeable unless I point it out. Nevertheless, it’s still there.

      Solomon tells his son in today’s passage that sexual sin will always do to you the same as the fire did to me. Although the sinful act may be far behind you, it will scar you for life. Someday it might not be as noticeable or memorable as before, but it’s always there, burned into your memory. Just like that scar on my belly.

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

   So how do we keep this from happening? Well, it’s simple. If I had not leaned over the flame, I would not have the scar. If we stay clear from sexual sin, we will never have to carry any of the scars.

 

A scar a a place that has healed, but aren’t the memories real?

 

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: MARCH 13, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Deuteronomy 25 – 28
   Proverbs 6:25 – 28

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Numbers 30-31
  Mark 14:1-16

 

This Little Light Of Mine
March 12, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:23-24
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    When I was younger, it was cool for people to have oil lamps in their house just for decoration. They didn’t cost much, and they looked somewhat neat sitting on the shelf. So, I bought one, filled it with that red-colored oil, and set it aside.

    One day, I got the bright idea to light it and watch TV by lamplight. I knew nothing about oil lamps, as you will be able to tell. I thought if you wanted a little light, you have a little wick showing. If you want a lot of light, you just turn up the wick. This seemed to make sense to me. My theory even seemed to work when I first set fire to the wick. I turned the wick up, placed the glass globe over it, put it back on the shelf, and away she burned. I sat down to watch TV and didn’t notice that this burning wick began to turn the glass globe black, along with the ceiling above it.

    When I turned off the TV, the room was dark. The only light coming from the lamp was a faint glow from the opening in the top of the lamp pointing toward the ceiling. The ceiling by now was black, reflecting very little light. I couldn’t see anything from the sides through the glass globe. There was still a flame in there, but no light was getting out. I had not used it correctly.

    So it is with many people today. They have the Word of God in their house, but it sheds no light. The light comes when you apply the Word of God from your heart. Knowing in your head what God’s Word says but not following its guidance is like the flame in my old oil lamp. The flame and light are in the lamp, but it can’t benefit anyone. The only way for God’s Word to truly benefit you is to read it, believe it, understand it, and then live by it. That’s when it will guide your paths.

      

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Do you remember that little Sunday School song? “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” For God’s Word to shine out, it must get in first. Let’s hide God’s Word in our hearts so we can shine for Him.

 

Are you still singing that song in your head?
GOOD!

 

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: MARCH 12, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Deuteronomy 20 – 24
   Proverbs 6:23 – 24

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 28-29
   Mark 13

 

Ahhh! To Sleep And Rest
March 11, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:20-22
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Solomon, we know, was a God-fearing man. It’s believed that the mothers of these children were also women who would give Godly advice.

    Today, we have families where one parent is saved, and another is not. Some families have only a single parent in the home. There are also homes where neither the father nor mother has any spiritual beliefs. So how do we apply this passage in a home where the words spoken by one or both parents, who may not be saved, might not be Biblical guidance?

    We first must remember the Bible tells us to honour our parents, regardless of their spiritual position. We must do all we can to obey them without violating God’s Word. Nevertheless, we must also understand the wisdom spoken of here is Godly guidance. Only the leadership of Godly knowledge can make a true, everlasting difference in your life.

    In many cases, even unsaved parents will offer valuable advice, often without realizing its connection to the Bible. They might advise against stealing, lying, cheating, associating with the wrong crowd, and more. Unknowingly, they are echoing the principles found in God’s Word. This is because loving parents naturally desire their children to make righteous choices and achieve more in life than they themselves did. Even among most unsaved parents, there exists a desire for a better life for their children.

    Our verses also tell us that if we heed godly advice, we can enjoy a better night’s sleep. It’s logical; living right during the day leads to better sleep at night. There’s no guilt, no shame, no reason to lose sleep because we followed God’s way during the day, and we can trust that He will watch over us during the night.
 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Why are people afraid at night? One reason is because they can’t see what’s out there. However, God can, and with faith in Him, He promises to watch over His own. Sleep tight tonight!

Sometimes, we all have trouble falling asleep.
But could it be that we are not sleeping well because
we lack faith in God’s care for us?

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: MARCH 11, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
   Deuteronomy 15 – Deuteronomy 19
   Proverbs 6:20 – 22

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 26-27
   Mark 12:28-44