Lessons From The Ants
March 5, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:4-8
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        BUGS, INSECTS!!! Even the words make some people’s skin crawl. Most often, we associate pests with them. When something goes wrong in our computer programs, it is called a “bug” in the program. If someone is bothering you, you might say, “Quit bugging me,” or “Stop being such a pest.”

      However, Solomon points out a valuable lesson that can be learned from observing the ANT. Ants evidently have no real leader. There’s no commando ant barking out orders, telling all the other ants what to do and where to go. Yet, all the ants fall into place and pull their weight. In fact, it has been said that an ant can carry many times its own weight when gathering things. Another interesting fact about ants is that they prepare in advance. They store up food and resources in preparation for winter and harsh weather.

      So, what are we to learn from these little industrious creatures? First, we learn that saving is not a sin. Some may tell you that the Bible never speaks of putting anything away for the future, and that you’re just to rely on God day by day for everything. However, this is not true. God gives us wisdom to see a future need, and we should be wise and save for it. God has still supplied for the need.

      Next, we see that we should not have to be told to do something in order for it to be done. Simply get busy and get it done. Additionally, teamwork sure does help.

    One great thing about the church I’m privileged to pastor is that they work as a team if there is a true need in our midst. Teamwork means getting it done together. We should not be sluggards or lazy. God provides the materials, but we must still use them to the best of our ability for His glory.

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

    Next time you observe ants, pay attention to how industrious they are. God has provided them with everything they need to thrive; all they must do is utilize it. He has done the same for us. Now, what will you do with it?

Can you see how God also gave us the ANT as reminders
of His provision for us in means and methods?

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 5, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
   Deuteronomy 1 – Deuteronomy 3
   Proverbs 6:4 – 8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 15
   Mark 9:30-50

Watch Out For The DEBT TRAP
March 4, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 6:1-3
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Credit was once something hard to obtain. You had to maintain a clean financial record and avoid any bad debts just to consider getting a credit card or a loan. However, today, almost anyone, anywhere, and at any time can acquire a credit card. Most stores now offer their own credit cards, and many have partnered with major credit card companies, allowing you to use their cards at other stores as well. Sounds great, right? WRONG!


      The problem is that many people today carry more credit card debt than they can ever hope to pay off in a reasonable amount of time. If creditors were to contact them, claiming they were going out of business and needed immediate repayment, most people wouldn’t have the funds to do so.


      Even worse, many people are only making the minimum payment each month. By doing so, they are barely, if at all, covering the interest, and will end up paying the credit card company indefinitely. Let’s imagine purchasing a television for five hundred dollars and making only the minimum payment on your credit card. By the time you have paid off that TV, several things will probably have happened. Your grandchildren will have graduated from college, the TV will have been replaced twice, and you will have paid several thousand dollars for your initial five-hundred-dollar purchase.


      Debt is a trap that society has tried to lure us into. Even worse, many have willingly jumped into this debt trap. Sadly, they find themselves swimming against the tide of interest for years to come. Don’t let the world control your financial future. Let God guide you..     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     You might be wondering, “How can I escape this debt trap?” First and foremost, STOP BUYING THINGS YOU DO NOT NEED! If you are burdened by substantial debt, you need to live within your financial means. Second, PRAY. Seek God’s guidance, wisdom, and self-control daily. Then, PAY. Start making additional payments on your debts, and one day they will be gone. It will take time, but the freedom is absolutely worth it.

 

Will you let God guide you out of debt?

 

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 4, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 33 – Numbers 36
    Proverbs 6:1 – 3

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 12-14
   Mark 9:1-29

 

WEEKEND REVIEW
March 2 & 3, 2024

Proverbs 5:21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the
LORD, and he pondereth all his goings

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 8 – Day 6:

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

Proverbs 5-6

WEEK 8 – 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

March 2
Numbers 9-11
Mark 8:22-38
March 3
No Passages Assigned

NEXT WEEKS UPCOMING SCHEUDLES:

SCHEDULE 1 – Bible In a Year – with Proverbs Study 

March 4
Numbers 33 – Numbers 36
Proverbs 6:1 – 3
March 5
Deuteronomy 1 – Deuteronomy 3
Proverbs 6:4 – 8
March 6
Deuteronomy 4 – Deuteronomy 6
Proverbs 6:9 – 11
 March 7
Deuteronomy 7 – Deuteronomy 10
Proverbs 6:12 – 15
March 8
Deuteronomy 11 – Deuteronomy 14
Proverbs 6:16 – 19
March 9
Proverbs 6
March 10
No Passages Assigned  

SCHEDULE 2 – Old & New Testament

March 4
Numbers 12-14
Mark 9:1-29
March 5
Numbers 15
Mark 9:30-50
March 6
Numbers 16-18
Mark 10:1-31
March 7
Numbers 19-20
Mark 10:32-52
March 8
Numbers 21-22
Mark 11
March 9
Numbers 23-25
Mark 12:1- 27
March 10
No Passages Assigned

The Controlling Nature Of Sin
March 1, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:21-23
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     In today’s world, we see the promises of today’s verses play out in both our political and religious communities. I heard a “so-called” pastor on TV trying to defend homosexuality as a choice given by God, while at the same time, government agencies were trying to deny it by condemning gay marriage. The freedom to engage in this behavior has persisted for so long that religious communities are divided on whether it’s a life choice or a sin.

     Pornography is one of society’s leading moneymakers, as destructive as a runaway train. Yet businesses make billions, and our government collects millions in taxes from the sales of its products. I fear that in the near future, today’s culture will embrace it and simply add a “sin tax” to it, much like they do with tobacco and alcohol. It seems to be the idea that if you cannot eliminate it, tax it?

      Gambling, once considered sinful, is now widely accepted, and promoted everywhere, with much of it owned and operated by the government.

      Sin, left alone long enough will bind you. The Bible says we will be trapped “with the cords of his sins.” Sadly, millions today are caught in this trap. No matter our viewpoint on these sins, we are bound by the views of the majority. Don’t be mistaken, the majority will ultimately choose sin. As it says in Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” No matter how hard we try to guide them toward what’s right and direct them to the Bible, they may die without receiving its instruction. Why? Because sin has become more important to them than obedience to God. Whether it’s sex, drugs, pornography, alcohol, or anything else, the world no longer controls their sins; their sins now control them.
     

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Dear friend, let us pray for our homes, our nation, and our world. Let’s guide a new generation towards Christ. Their understanding and relationship with God is our nation’s beacon of hope.

 

Will you BIND SIN, or will SIN BIND 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: MARCH 1, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
  Numbers 30 – Numbers 32
  Proverbs 5:21 – 23

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Numbers 7-8
  Mark 8:1-21

 

WAIT! It’s Worth It
February 29, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 5:17- 20
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        With so many broken homes today, we see the consequences of not waiting for true love before marriage. A multitude of children are born to parents who are neither married nor committed to each other. If we cannot commit to one another, how can we possibly believe we will be committed to raising a child together? This lack of forethought is not the child’s fault. These sweet, innocent miracles from God enter the world with their eyes wide open, expecting from the very first moment that someone here loves them, wants them, genuinely cares, and has considered their future. However, many children are born with little to no thought from the parents about the child’s needs or their future. Some children are regarded as problems rather than the blessings they truly are.

      Finding the right person in life is crucial. It’s not just about physical attraction; spiritual compatibility matters as well. You should be attracted to a person, but you also need to understand who they are. For instance, if they follow one set of religious practices and you another, there could be a problem. Moreover, if you change your beliefs for someone else, it raises questions about the strength of your convictions or whether there were valid reasons for changing. Later in life, when raising a child, you may wonder which belief system is the right one to teach your child. Finding a life partner requires time, prayer, and patience but is incredibly worthwhile. Your commitment to your children will be unified, and your decisions to support them will align. Find the person God has chosen for you, and you’ll have found the one to help you raise the miracles God has placed in your home.

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Children are indeed a blessing in our homes. They deserve a loving mother and father who will support them on this lifelong journey. It’s truly a blessing to witness them grow up and serve God.

Do you see God’s little miracles and a
bother, or a blessing?

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: FEBRUARY 29, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Numbers 26 – Numbers 29
   Proverbs 5:17 – 20  

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Numbers 5-6
   Mark 7