Can we be trusted?

Pr. 6:13 describes a wicked man: “He winks with his eyes, he shuffles with his feet, he points with his fingers.”

In other words, he can not be trusted.

And then, in Psalm 7:8, we read the words of David, “The Lord shall judge the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and acccording to my integrity within me.”

What a striking contrast.  David actually invites the Lord to judge him according to his integrity.  As Christians, we already know God will judge us; however, David’s conscience is so clean that he invites God to do this.

Lord, You said that David was a man after Your own heart.  Like David, make us more like You.  Help us to be full of integrity, Father, and contrite when we’re not.  We love You, Lord, and long to honor You with our lives.  Help us to be the ones of which it can be said, “Yes.  They can be trusted.”  

Genuinely,

jamie

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Month of Prayer, Day 17

Lord, in Ps. 119:81-88, I see the author is being persecuted and crying out for You to execute judgment upon his enemies.  In Pr. 17, Solomon warns over and over about lying, gossip, spitefulness, quarreling, deceitfulness, and evil intentions.  He even says, in vs. 12, that it would be better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs, than to come upon a man in his folly.

It is clear that other people’s decisions, intentions, and actions can greatly affect our lives here on earth.  But You, O Lord, test the hearts. Judgment comes from You alone.  Solomon tells us that, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.”

Knowledge and understanding of You, O Lord, can keep our spirits calm here as we endure the circumstances that present themselves in our lives.  Our hope, Lord, is in You.  Indeed, we do hope in Your Word and long for eternity with You.

No matter what happens around us, Lord, we can continue to pursue our relationship with You.  We can continue to trust and hope in You.  We can keep Your testimony in our mouth as You revive us according to Your lovingkindness.

Thank You for being the One upon which we can call.  Thank You for being faithful to hear and to provide.  Thank You for being the Wise King who is just and honorable.  We can certainly trust in You.

I love you, My King.

jamie

Month of Prayer, Day 12

You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your Words.  I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your Word.

Let my truthful lips be established forever and do not let my tongue lie.  As my life and my hope are rooted in You, let it yield fruit that is pleasing to You and helpful to those around me.  Let not my root be moved.

Help me to be an excellent wife who is a crown to my husband, not causing him shame or preying upon him.  Let my thoughts be right and just, and based on Your Word.  Lord, Pr. 12:7 says, “The house of the righteous will stand.”  Thank You, Lord.  I am standing on Your promise in that verse.

Help my words to be good, bringing gladness to my husband’s heart and to the hearts of my children, as well.  Help my children to wisely receive my counsel as I teach and train them in Your ways, so that no grave trouble will overtake them.  Help my tongue to promote health in our relationships, and give us joy.

Lord, help us to choose our friends carefully so that we are not led away from You.  Help us to be diligent in all we do, honoring You.

Thank You for Your faithfulness and Your favor.  Thank You for Your mercies and for Your salvation.  You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created!

I love You, Lord, and I  trust in You.  I pray this in Jesus’ holy name.  Amen.

Everybody lies?

Proverbs 19 has 5 verses that directly relate to lying and it got me thinking.  On the TV show House, the lead character’s main line was, “Everybody lies.”  He said it so many times that it began to sound like fact.  It seemed like every one does, in fact, lie.  (Although we know that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, and the old rules don’t have to apply)

I’m so glad that it is impossible for our God to lie.  It’s important to note that whatever God speaks actually happens.  When He said, “Let there be light,” there was light.  When He called it Day, it became Day.

When God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures,” the waters abounded with an abundance of living creatures.  Whatever things God says are true, and they are proven all around us.

That means that when God said He does not forsake His inheritance, it is fact.  (Isaiah 94:14)  And those who believe in Him ARE His inheritance.  (Gal. 3:26)  It means that He actually loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (Jo. 3:16)

Did you skim over that last verse?  Jesus said those words.  Remember that they’re fact.  When Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus came forth.  (Jo. 11:43)

It also means that He will come again, just as He said He would.  (Rev. 21-22)  Until He returns, it means we can rely on this verse to guide us as we do His work here on earth:  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  (Jo. 12:12-13)

While we’re waiting, we can trust in His Word.  If He said it, it is true.  If He called a mountain ‘fire’, it would be fire.  If He called green ‘blue’, it would be blue.  Do we truly understand that He cannot lie?  Whatever He says is truth.  We can place our entire hope upon His Word.

Satan is the one who lies.  He is the father of lies and that proof is also all around us.  Anytime we begin to believe something contrary to the Word of God, we can remember that if God said it, it is true.  It is impossible for God to lie!  Now, that is encouraging.  🙂

Believing,

jamie

There is a better reward for honesty

Pr. 21:6:  “Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.”

The first thing that comes to mind for me with this verse is games.  Cheating to win a game may bring a moment of exhilaration, but certainly it is a delusion that is short-lived and distorted.  The lesson that must eventually be learned is that if you had to cheat to win, then you really didn’t “win” at all.

Some, however, never learn this.  Some get used to the feeling of winning, to the feeling of exhilaration that comes from manipulating their environment to get what they want.  I remember when I was a young kid, maybe 5 or 6, and I stole something from a store.  My mom eventually found out and she drove all the way back to the mall, made me hand my prize back to the cashier, and I had to tell them that I had stolen it.  I still remember the terrifying feeling of having to do that.

What if my mom had not done this?  Her plan wasn’t fool-proof, but she had to try if she was to teach me about integrity.  If I had been allowed to relish the feeling of getting something free, perhaps I would have tried it again the next time we went shopping.  Time after time, if I continued, my path may have led me to cheat and steal in other areas of my life.  Lying and stealing would have become second nature to me.

How does someone become a person who consistently lies to get what they want, steals from others, embezzles, or cheats people out of their own possessions or money?  Almost certainly it is not a decision they wake up one day and make.  It is more probable that the trajectory of their life has led them to that place. Little by little, understanding that lying or stealing can get them something they want or make them feel good, they begin to trust in that feeling and grow comfortable that consequences won’t come.

Still those feelings are a fleeting fantasy, and while they may not be purposefully choosing to seek death, the snares of death have taken hold of their lives.  The only way to be released from the snares is the truth.

Confessing our sins to our Savior (whatever they may be) and asking for forgiveness allows God to release His forgiveness and grace over our lives.  Honesty from that point forward will continue to point to the Savior and to eternal life.  The power and presence of God is a reality that brings better things.  There is a great, enduring reward for those who believe in the Lord.  Now THAT is a real Win!

Let’s be careful not to pursue fleeting fantasies of sin, but to endure for a great reward in heaven.  We will be ever so grateful that we did.

Sincerely,

jamie

Integrity in action

Pr. 6:16 starts a list of 7 things the Lord hates.  One of them is a lying tongue.  It seems to just be the norm that people lie, or at the very least make endless excuses for their actions.  Last night; however, I was refreshed when speaking to a college freshman who was telling me about his first “all-nighter” of the semester.

He wasn’t bragging, mind you, but just telling me about how he only got 15 minutes of sleep that night and that he probably won’t do things that way next time….meaning, he won’t procrastinate.

His assignment was a book review.  It was due Monday morning, and Sunday night he sat down to work on it.  His plan was not to read the book, but just get some bits and pieces and type his review from there.  However, his plan was spoiled when he stumbled upon the integrity statement on the assignment.  The statement basically said that by turning this assignment in I am saying that I read the book in full, etc., etc.

After exclaiming in a bit of frustration, he knew what he must do.  So, he stayed awake until 4:30 a.m. reading the book in full, and finished his assignment by 6:30.  He simply said, “I couldn’t lie.”

Honestly, I was amazed by the story of the character this young teenager.  If he had written his review well enough, no one would have ever known if he had truly read the book or not; however, he knew that reading the book was his only choice.

It reminded me of Joseph.  His own brothers sold him into slavery, he was thrown in jail for something he didn’t do, and he was forgotten by one who promised to speak well of him.  Although the Lord had given him visions of a life of greatness, over and over he found himself being stepped upon and despised.  He had every opportunity to become like the world and turn his back on integrity and on God.

However, deep down in his heart, Joseph loved the Lord.  He would not sin against his God.  Joseph’s love of God made him a man of character.  Even if no one was looking, Joseph’s fear of the Lord helped him made decisions that proved his integrity.  As a result, God used him for greatness, indeed.

I was encouraged by the choice of this young teenager who would not sin against God.  Truly, integrity and character are still alive in this world.  We still have a choice.  And, since God is the same God, He will still bless those who choose to honor Him.

Let’s imitate this young man of integrity.  When it comes to sin, for us who love the Lord, there is really only 1 choice.

Humbled,

jamie