Month of Prayer, Day 10

Lord, how I do love Your Word.  Not only is it the weapon You have given us against the enemy, but it is life, and truth, and love.  Your Word is living and powerful.  It transforms and reforms.  It cleanses and guides.  It breathes life into our thirsty souls.

I love Pr. 10:3, that says You will not allow the righteous soul to famish.  Lord, Your Word is living water and food for our hungry souls.  Only You can fill the void within us.  That is why we can delight in Your Word and in Your commandments; because Your Word protects us, shapes us, and breathes truth into our inmost beings.

Lord, we can walk securely and at liberty when we follow Your precepts.  Your precepts and commands are what keep us safe.  In Proverbs 10, Solomon wrote of the peril, destruction, danger, and consequences of living a life outside of Your will.  But, oh my God, You made us Your righteousness through the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and You, Lord, will keep us safe when we follow You.

Lord, keep my feet from stumbling onto any path that is not laid out by You.  When I face a fork in the road, let Your law I have kept be my compass.  Let Your statutes I have meditated upon make my decisions easy and my choices clear.  Lord, Your Word gives me very clear guidance.  Help me to heed it.

Thank You that Your way is strength for the upright.  Thank You that the righteous will never be removed, and that our labor leads to life.  Thank You for the security, the love, and the salvation that You have given us.

Oh God, let me be wise enough to make You glad.  Let my life please You and be a sweet-smelling offering for You, as I walk in love and in Your wisdom.  You are the amazing God!

I love you,

jamie

Advertisement

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

Pr. 29:6:  “By transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices.”

Well, all I can see in my mind this morning are the Three Little Pigs dancing around with fiddle and flute rejoicing in song after the Big Bad Wolf burned his bottom in the fire.

When we choose to live in a sinful state, we set a trap for ourselves.  The Big Bad Wolf didn’t come after the pigs just 1 time.  He kept coming.  The pigs weren’t too smart the first 2 times, but on the 3rd time, they set a trap.

Perhaps the snare we set for ourselves is a broken relationship.  Perhaps people lose their trust in us.  Maybe it’s a loss of hope or self-control.  Sometimes sin can actually lead to jail, hospitalization, or death.

When we choose not to sin, but to trust that God will meet our needs, then we are able to sing and rejoice in God’s glory and provision.

The pigs danced around singing, “Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf?  Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?  Tra-la-la-la-laa.”  That’s a catchy little tune.

I have a catchy tune for the righteous to sing today (attached below):  “The Name of the Lord is Great!  The Name of the Lord is Great! The Name of the Lord is Great, and greatly to be praised!”

Sing and rejoice with me today!!

jamie

Is your foundation stable?

Pr. 10:25:  “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”

I remember years ago, as I rolled off a skating rink, my feet went forward out from under me and I fell straight down on my tailbone.  It looked much like this:

 

When I envision a whirlwind passing by, this image pops into my mind.  When we are living in sin, our foundation is as unstable as a pair of roller skates on an unexpected incline.  We are governed by our feelings, urges, and desires, which are ever-changing.  We are being led by a liar whose sole intent is to destroy us and steal from us.  He wants nothing more than to keep us from the inheritance that has already been provided for us.

Oh, but that everlasting foundation!!  There is nothing like it.  What are the lyrics to that song, “Just like a tree, planted by the water, I shall not be moved.”  When we are being led by the Almighty God, and Savior of this world, our roots go so deep that we cannot be moved.

Psalm 1 talks about those who do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but delight in the law of the Lord, and His law, meditating on it day and night.  Vs. 3 says, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Vs. 4-5:  “The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”

This is serious stuff.  We are either firmly rooted in the Lord, righteous and destined to stand in the judgment which will take us to everlasting life; or we are on unstable footing that will be knocked out from under us by the whirlwind that passes by and we will lose our rightful inheritance.

Jesus died so that we would have everlasting life.  He came as our Cornerstone.  He is the Rock on which we can build our lives.  If we build our lives on Him, neither the rains, the floods, nor the wind can make us fall.

The Lord does not desire that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and salvation.  Let’s ensure that our foundation is the stable, unshakable, immovable, unchangeable Lord.  No need to be swept away by the whirlwind that was meant for satan.

Standing firm,

jamie

 

Feeding the hungry

Pr. 10:21:  “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”

This verse instantly makes me think about my Pastor.  Give or take a few services, he feeds thousands of God’s sheep in the pews 144 times each year.  Not only that, but he ensures that we are being fed during the other services, equips us with daily devotions, sends out blogs almost daily for extra nourishment; and for 40 extra days each year, at his urging, we gather as a church for very personal and intentional time with the Lord.

Certainly, our Pastor disburses to us the Bread of Life and the Living Water on a continual basis.  Anyone who is truly hungry or thirsty for eternal things, and encounters our Pastor, will find provisions awaiting them there.

How does our Pastor feed so many?  I think part of it can be summed up in a declaration he made several years ago.  He declared that Jesus is the true Pastor/Shepherd of our church and our earthly Pastor is merely the servant charged with carrying out God’s will in our midst.  He has submitted his life and his will to the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a result, the Bread of Life literally moves throughout our midst without hindrance.

He also diligently studies the Word of God.  His study of the Word is intensive and intentional, and his eyes are continually opened in new ways to “old” verses and passages.  He is open to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in not only his life, but in his studies.

He is also unafraid to ask listen to and ask questions of others around him with regard to scriptures.  He truly wants to know what others have gleaned from the scriptures and is constantly seeking more from God.

I read Luke 2:46 today which says, “Now so it was after three days they found Him [Jesus] in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”

This is a wonderful example that Jesus set for us.  Vs. 47 says, “And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”  When we get into the presence of God, when we diligently seek Him in the temple, when we ask questions of and listen to those who are laboriously in the Word, and when we seek answers in His Word, we find understanding and answers.

This Proverb says that fools die for lack of wisdom.  When it comes to learning more of God, we cannot afford to be headstrong, proud, hardened, or unteachable.  We must be willing to submit to Him in order for Him to reveal Himself more and more to us.  We must be willing to consider the teachings of those whose job it is to dig into the Word, find the answers, and guide us through that understanding.

Most importantly, though, we must know the Word and be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit, so that we may, in turn, begin to feed those around us.  People around us are hungry for the Bread of Life, and thirsty for Living Water.  Sometimes it is up to us to release those things to them.  We must feed some people ourselves, but we must have something to offer.  We can’t leave it all up to 1 Pastor.

Dig in so you can dish it out!

jamie

Don’t give in!

Pr. 12:5:  “The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

Last night, my daughter was instructed to clean her guinea pig’s cage.  When it was time for her to put new bedding in the cage bottom, her little brother went to “help.”  The bedding is in a closet on our back patio and through the screen door I could hear them both yelling, laughing, and just generally making a ruckus.  After the 1 minute warning period had passed, I went outside to check on the progress.

To my horror, I walked in to find bedding strewn about all over the floor of the closet and most of its contents.  Interestingly there was only about a handful of bedding actually in the cage bottom.  Either the bag of bedding had exploded or the cause of ruckus I had heard was now being revealed.  My daughter quickly let me know that it had been her little brother’s idea to toss the bedding about like confetti.

Leave it to God to use something like that to illustrate His word to me.  🙂  Can you infer from this situation, as I did, that the counsels of the wicked are indeed deceitful?  They may sound fun, exciting, intriguing, interesting, possibly ok, or even invigorating, but that is a deception.  While tossing pine shavings about may have seemed stimulating in a moment of madness, the consequences of such a choice are bigger than those kids could have imagined.

Because of the choice they made, they not only have to pick up each and every piece of pine; they also lost several privileges.  Perhaps it was my son’s idea, and he was truly the mastermind behind it all (I don’t doubt it), but my daughter is responsible for the choices she makes as well.  Had she simply done her job and left him to his own mess, she would not have to face the same consequences.  However, she chose not only to condone his actions, but to be deceived by and entrapped in his unwise counsel.  Sadly, she now has to face the same consequences as he.

This is what happens so often.  We get some bad advice.  We may know better, but we lose ourselves in a moment and become deceived by the allure of sin.  Consequently, we will then have to face the same end as the one who lured us in.  Be careful whose advice you’re taking.  If you are righteous, bought with the blood of Jesus, then you must take responsibility for your own actions and choose what you already know to be right.  Through the word of God and the Holy Spirit’s presence within us, we know what is right.  We must not let a moment of deception lead us astray.

There ARE grave consequences to sin and we must remember that our souls are far too important to put into the hands of those deceptions.  Keep doing what you know to be right.  Heaven awaits and we will rejoice for eternity!

Persevere,

jamie

What lights your path?

Pr. 13:9:  “The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

On my own, I’m pretty dysfunctional, at best.  I’m easily distracted and love to have fun.  That is why I need the guidance, wisdom, and leading of the Lord.  Its imperative that I have a plan.  Without a goal in mind, I am wandering aimlessly through this life with a path dimly lit.

If my goals center around worldly things such as monetary success, an HGTV-worthy house, the sexiest clothes, the most well-behaved children, or the most checks on my list, then my path is dimly lit, to be sure.  I am counting on things that lead to nothing and have no eternal value.  That is why I must draw my goals from the Word that promises to lead me to heaven.

I can sometimes become distracted by the dim things, but God’s ultimate goal for my life begins to speak louder and pull my focus back on His plan.  So my kids didn’t go to the trendiest camp this summer.  They do spend time intentional time with me daily in the Word and in prayer.  Maybe they are louder than necessary a little more often than they should be, but hearing my son pretending to preach or sing worship songs at the top of his voice warms my heart.

Maybe my laundry was only 1/2 done, but that’s because I took extra time to cuddle a little boy who just needed the undivided attention of his mommy, or to take my daughter to the park.  And yes, even though the towels are still in the dryer waiting to be folded, I sometimes still just plop down on the couch at the end of the day and do nothing but spend time with my husband.

My mornings belong to God, and even if the dryer still holds that laundry, it can wait.  After kissing my husband, the first priority of my day is to get into the Word.  While I like having a clean house and even well-behaved, well-rounded kids, those things are not my ultimate goal.  The Word of God is a lamp that guides my feet.  It lights my path.  It is where I find my plan.  In the Word, I find what is of most importance.  It is in those things that I find reason to rejoice.

Nothing would bring me more joy than ministering with husband years from now, while watching my children walk in the truth and teaching their own kids to do the same.  While it’s ultimately up to my children what they will do with God’s truth, my goal is to lead them on the path brightly lit by God’s presence and His wisdom.  With God’s help I will stay on task.

Blog to honor God.  √

jamie

 

 

Are you a murky spring?

Pr. 25:26:  “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.”

Unfortunately, as Christians we do feel a little more pressure on us at times to be perfect; which is something we can never do.  What gets us into heaven?  Believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  There is only one way and His name is Jesus Christ.  Our actions do not get us there.  Our bank account does not get us there.  Our choice of clothing does not get us there.  Our volunteer role at church will not get us into heaven.  We have to believe in Jesus.

Why then does it matter what we do?  It matters because if we believe in Jesus, then out of our hearts will flow rivers of living waters.  Those rivers are the Holy Spirit who will then dwell within us, directing us to do God’s will.  When we believe in and love Jesus we are changed.  We become a new creation and the things that used to satisfy no longer do.  We are cleansed and renewed when we are born again into Christ and we realize that our purpose is much higher than us.  The Holy Spirit guides us in all things and brings to our remembrance the things of God.  The Holy Spirit cautions us and rebukes us when we are going to make a decision that will create a gap between us and the Lord.  The Lord cannot look upon sin.  The Holy Spirit is keeping us ever mindful of the things of God so that our lives will smell like Jesus.

When we do not heed the Holy Spirit’s direction and urgings, and we choose to sin and allow ourselves to be deceived, then we become a murky spring.  No longer do rivers of living water flow from us.  The waters that come from us are then murky and filled with confusion.  When we falter before the wicked, we are losing an opportunity to give them the Living Water.  We miss the chance to introduce someone to a Savior when we waver in our purpose.   The living waters flowing from us become contaminated with sin and tainted with deceit.  Is that what we want to offer to the lost around us?

There are people around us that will be lost to hell if not for us.  We are not called to be perfect.  We will never be perfect.  We are only even worthy because of the blood of Jesus.  However, we were called to live a life led by the Holy Spirit.  He is ever faithful to guide us into all truth.  He will keep us from the wrong paths if we but listen.  He will guide our steps if we will allow Him to lead and guide us.

Let’s trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding.  There is one who knows all things, including the deep things of God.  We are blessed and privileged to have an ever-present guide on our walk.  Let’s allow Him to do the exact thing for which He was sent.  🙂  How amazing that God truly gave us everything we could ever need!  Thank you, Lord.  Truly no praise is high enough to express how great you are!  Now let’s let those living waters refresh and renew the lost around us!

Counting on Him,

jamie

 

What a team!

Pr. 31:10-31 describes a virtuous wife.  I think its safe to say it describes a virtuous woman.  (whether married or not)

Now check out Ps. 112, which describes a righteous man.

Both of these passages describe the righteous person, the virtuous person, the blessed person.  What is the common foundation of those people?  They fear the Lord.

“A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”  Ps. 31:30

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.”  Ps. 112:1

When we live a God-honoring life, fearing Him, it will show in our decisions and our actions.  We will be blessed and honored by the Lord now or in time to come.  Do not doubt the power that comes through surrendering your life fully to Him.  Let your heart be steadfast, trusting in Him, and let your own works praise you.

What God has promised, He is able to perform.  Ro. 4:21.  Imagine if the things said in these verses could be used to describe you at the end of your life.  They can.  You and God make a winning team!

The blog address of my righteous man.   http://manintheword.blogspot.com/

Rejoicing!

jamie

I have included those verses below for those who don’t have their Bible handy.  🙂

Ps. 112

Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. ² His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. ³ Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. ⁵ A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. ⁶ Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. ⁷ He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. ⁸ His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. ⁹ He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor. ¹⁰ The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Proverbs 31:10-31

¹⁰ Who^[a] can find a virtuous^[b] wife? For her worth is far above rubies. ¹¹ The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. ¹² She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. ¹³ She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands. ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. ¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard. ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. ¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. ²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. ²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. ²² She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. ²³ Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. ²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. ²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. ²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. ²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ²⁹ “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. ³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands, aAnd let her own works praise her in the gates.

Tender mercies

Pr. 12:10 stood out to me today, for the very first time.  “A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

I became addicted to reruns of the show Hoarders for a bit.  There were several shows about people who call themselves ‘animal-lovers.’  There was a man with over 30 cats that he “couldn’t live without.”  The cats were his world, and his only friends.  He loved them more than himself.

The sad truth was that animal rescue found 8 dead cats in his house, and had to euthanize about 5 of the 32 live cats he had.  The rest of the live cats were in serious crisis regarding their health and required a lot of care and medication to be brought to good health.  Many were dehydrated and malnourished.  Many were blind or had serious eye infections.

This man’s “tender mercies” were actually very cruel.  He truly thought he was regarding their lives, showing them the love they needed, and was giving them all that they required for a healthy life.  He truly believed that by giving them the run of his home, they were in better care than if they were anywhere else.  He sat out food and water daily and his entire house could be used as a litter box.  All that freedom would surely lead to a fulfilling and healthy life for them.

What a righteous man knows is that to truly regard the life of your animal, you must get them vaccinated, bathe them, check them for parasites, fleas, and disease.  You must ensure that your animal eats daily and drinks the water they need.  You must ensure that your animal has a clean and healthy environment in which to live.  That is how you truly care for an animal.

Vaccinations hurt.  Boundaries can seem unreasonable during certain seasons of emotion.  Clean water requires the effort of cleaning the bowl and getting the new water.  Bug checks are intentional moments where you examine the entire surface of the animal.  Eye exams require a doctor’s expertise.  All these things require intentionality and they are not all fun, but they are necessary for health.

The same goes for us.  Rebukes hurt.  Boundaries can seem boring, unfair, or unreasonable at times, depending on where our eyes are focused.  Drinking from Living Water requires the effort of cleansing ourselves of impurities and getting into the Word and prayer.  Sin checks are intentional moments where we allow God to examine us, test us, and try us, so that He may help us get rid of any impurity that is trying to infect us and keep us from Him.  Eye exams keep us looking to God to prevent the blindness of sin to take over, or the lies of satan and this world from blurring God’s truth.

Things that require effort in our walk with The Lord aren’t cruel at all; they actually give us a fulfilling life until we go home to heaven.  We can live a life free of blindness, dehydration, and malnutrition if we keep our eyes on the things above, drink from The Living Water, and eat of The Bread of Life.  God has called us to live a life of abundance and freedom in Him.  He truly regards the lives of his children.

Thankful for a righteous caretaker,

jamie