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The Direction We Need
August 30, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 21:18-20 
  The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    What really preserves or maintains any government? Are the policies put in place the key factor? While I believe that policies are important, and having good, honest people in office to implement the right laws is crucial, is that what truly guides a government? Some might argue that it’s the party in control. For many years in the U.S., one party seemed more attuned to Christian values than the other. However, in recent years, it appears that the allegiance of the Christian population has shifted to another party. It’s possible that it could change again. Therefore, it can’t solely be the party that makes all the difference.

    So, what does make the difference? Proverbs 20:28 says that the mercy of God preserves the king, and the truth of His Word is what will see us through. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life…” and He is.

    Sometimes, young rulers view their military might as their source of power. This perspective often leads them and those who follow them into trouble. Older individuals, on the other hand, tend to rely on life experiences and old friends for guidance. However, they, too, can fall prey to the wrong suggestions and ideas.

    We must remember God’s perfect will always come to pass. God’s Word says, “The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.” The entire world’s wickedness can never detour God’s plan for us.

    For the healing of a nation and the washing away of evil, we all need to turn back to God and His Word. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Oh, dear friend if there has ever been a time of such need, it is today.     

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     As you pray today, pray for God’s mercy upon our land and leadership. Also, pray that God’s truth will be deeply rooted within their hearts. A leader without Christ is susceptible to the influence of the devil. Leaders need your prayers, and your Lord.

What will you do for your Country today in prayer?

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 30, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ezekiel 21 – Ezekiel 24
  Proverbs 21:18 – 20

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 119:89-176
  1 Co. 6

BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AMAZON.COM

Just / Unjust
August 29, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 21:14-17
 A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    “It is joy to the just to do judgment.” In other words, the just enjoy justice. Now that statement sounds way too simple to be misunderstood right. Well, maybe we should look at the other side of that statement.

    If the just, or saved individuals, truly enjoyed justice, then one might logically assume that the unjust, or lost individuals, would enjoy unjust practices. However, it is evident that they don’t. If they genuinely relished unjust practices, they would never oppose those behaviors. Yet even the unjust desire to be treated justly.

    The unjust individuals in the world often end up disliking others who live in sin, just as they themselves do. In essence, they can’t stand people who are similar to them. As odd as it may sound, it’s true.

    The unjust in this world are searching for something better than what they have. They recognize that there’s something out there that will make them happy, so they continue to seek it in worldly pleasures but never find it. Then, if a person wanders in the world and never comes to understand the love of Christ, they will remain for all eternity, as our verses say with “the congregation of the dead.” They will never find true happiness here on this earth or in the eternal realm of the unsaved.

  
    What they need to know is that our loving God created them and sent His Son Jesus to die for them. If they will accept His payment for their sins and give themselves to Him, they can truly find happiness. At that very moment, they will no longer be a part of the unjust. They will have been made just by the sacrificial love and life of Jesus Christ. A remarkable thing happens to them at that point in their life: they begin to enjoy justice.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Sometimes our problem with unsaved folks is that we forget that at one point, we were just like them. We were not one bit better or worse than they are. We were just like them—unsaved. Then someone told us about Jesus. 

Will we be the ones to tell them?

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 29, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ezekiel 17 – Ezekiel 20
  Proverbs 21:14 – 17

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 119:1-88
  1 Co. 5

BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AMAZON.COM

The Outside And The Inside
August 28, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 21:11-13
 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

    Punishment should never be enjoyable for either party involved. I believe that there are times when children mistakenly believe that parents enjoy punishing them.

    I once read a story about a little girl who was standing up in her car seat next to her dad. The father said, “Sweetheart, please sit down.” The little girl replied, “I don’t want to sit down, Daddy.” The father, with a bit more firmness, said, “Honey, you have to sit down while I am driving; it is not safe for you to stand up.” The little girl, becoming more insistent, said, “But, Daddy, I can’t see out the window when I am sitting down. I don’t want to sit down.” The father, determined to have his little girl follow his instructions, said, “You sit down right now, and I won’t tell you again.” The little girl slid down into the seat and sat there for a while. The father eventually looked over and saw her smiling with her eyes closed. He asked, “What are you smiling about?” She replied, “I am sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside.”

    Punishing wrongdoers, especially when they are adults, should neither be enjoyable nor effortless. The Bible teaches that the punishment of the scornful benefits not only the scornful individuals themselves but also imparts valuable lessons to the willing learners and the wise, showing them how to address issues and what behaviors to avoid.

    Who is the scorner? They are individuals who refuse to “sit down” on the inside. They are scoffers who neither listen nor learn. They insist on having their own way, even at the expense of following God’s path.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     We should never find administering discipline enjoyable. However, we should find peace in it. Peace comes from knowing that if done correctly, God is honored. We should also continue to pray for and reach out to those who are being disciplined. It’s important for us to be obedient to God’s Word both outwardly and inwardly.

Are you “Standing Up On The Inside” today,
or obeying God completely?

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 28, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ezekiel 12 – Ezekiel 16
  Proverbs 21:11 – 13

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 114-118
  1 Co. 4

BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AMAZON.COM

Up On The Housetop…
August 27, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 21:7-10
 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment. The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right. It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     We have all read Prov. 21:9 and laughed. “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.” However, what does it mean?
 

     We must remember that houses in those days had flat roofs. Often in the summer, people would sleep up there in the evening to escape the heat of the home. The roof was also exposed to all the elements: wind, rain, heat, etc.

     This rooftop was also a place where people would go to find solitude. Unlike our homes today with many rooms, these homes were mostly open. There was likely one wide-open common room where everyone lived. The kitchen, dining room, living room, and sometimes, with just the pull of a curtain, the private bedroom, were all part of one large space.

     So, what is this verse saying? It is simply saying that it’s better to face the elements on the roof than to live with a screaming, controlling, and overbearing spouse.

     Living that way is degrading and unpleasant, to say the least. It is a disaster waiting to happen for any family. And what about the neighbors who hear all that? (Oh yes, they do hear it.) Do you imagine for a moment that they are thinking, “I wish we were Christians like them?” God brought us together as husband and wife to complement one another, not to control, complain, and be critical of each other.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     When you get together with your spouse today, what are you expecting? Better yet, what do you think they’re expecting? We usually receive in return what we consistently give. God said we are to be one flesh, joined together by Him. If we are truly one in God’s eyes, let’s treat that ONE with love and respect.

If our relationships on earth represents the Christian relationship with Christ, does anyone want that relationship in their life?

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 27, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ezekiel 7 – Ezekiel 11
  Proverbs 21:7 – 10

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 109-113
  1 Co. 3

BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AMAZON.COM

I Love A Good Plan
August 26, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 21:4-6
 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     Most leadership programs I’ve come across include the phrase, “Plan your work, and work your plan.” Sadly, in life, some folks never plan for anything. However, proper planning leads to a more pleasant life.

     There is something rewarding about making a plan, sticking to it, and seeing it through to the end. It’s fine to have dreams, but sharing those dreams with others without a plan to accomplish them is merely wishful thinking. We need to have a well-thought-out plan in place to achieve most things in life, and creating such a plan requires careful consideration.

● First and foremost, one must plan to pray about it. A plan without God’s guidance is not a well-conceived plan. Only God knows the beginning from the end of all things, so seeking His wisdom in every matter is wise.

● Next, you must consider the cost as the Bible advises us to count the cost before beginning any project.

● After you’ve prayed and planned, it’s always wise to seek input from others. If you know that God is leading you, don’t let negative individuals discourage you. Instead, find people who can provide wise recommendations.

● Lastly, plan to take action. Do not just dream, pray, plan, discuss, and then do nothing. If God has laid a project on your heart or a life plan in your mind, get busy following God’s plan, but always start with a well-structured plan. “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.”

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     What is your plan for life? Some say it’s challenging to figure out. Alright, what is your plan for this year? Still too long? Do you have a plan for this month? This week? Do you at least have an idea of what’s happening today? Remember, “the diligent tend only to plenteousness.” Be diligent. MAKE A PLAN!

At least tell me your planning to
pray and read God’s Word, right?

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 26, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Ezekiel 1 – Ezekiel 6
  Proverbs 21:4 – 6

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Psa. 106-108
  1 Co. 2