Title: A High Wall or an Open Gate/ Topic: Wisdom

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 16; Proverbs 17; Proverbs 18; Romans 12

Scripture: Proverbs 17:19
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

Observation: The last phrase in this verse is intriguing. I see two possible interpretations for it, both containing a related component. The first would be someone who builds a high wall to protect valuables that he has. He wants to keep out thieves, but the wall is actually an advertisement to those who would steal that there is something worth protecting, and therefore, worth breaking in to obtain. The second interpretation is that this is speaking of a person who walls himself off from others. He doesn't allow anyone to really know him, his struggles, his joys, or anything else. He also doesn't allow anyone to give him input in his life. He refuses to be in an accountable relationship with anyone. This is clearly a path to personal and spiritual destruction. The commonality between both these meanings of the verse is that they both involve someone with a “hoarding” spirit; someone who wants to be totally self-sufficient and to share with no one else. It is the opposite of an open and generous personality.

Application: I need to be a person who always has an open gate as opposed to a high wall. A gate allows for closing off bad influences but letting in good ones. A gate gives a welcome to others. There is a always a way in.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the wisdom you give us in your Word. May I always embrace it, live by it, and encourage others to do so as well. Never let me build walls, even when letting others into my life has led to pain. Walling myself off may seem to give me protection but it only leads to destruction in the end.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Wisdom vs. Foolishness/ Topic: Price of Arrogance

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 13; Proverbs 14; Proverbs 15; Romans 11

Scripture: Proverbs 14:12; 15:10
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
10 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

Observation: These two verses from Proverbs capture a theme that is repeated throughout the book in many places. A wise person listens to correction. Even when it is uncomfortable, a rebuke is prized and heeded by those who have wisdom, and there is no age limit on listening to the advice and correction of others. A fool, on the other hand, follows what seems right to him. He trusts completely in his own logic and reasoning and holds it in higher esteem than the opinions of others; even his elders. Both verses make it clear that the outcome of that way of thinking (what the Bible calls foolishness) lies in destruction.

Application: Even though I am 53 years old, I still gain wisdom from listening to others (including my parents, who don't even know God). Many people add to my wisdom, especially those who have a close relationship with the Lord, even if they are younger than I. I have been spared much pain in life because I have been willing to listen to both rebukes and encouragements.

Prayer: Father, thank you for teaching me this lesson and for the blessing it has been in my life. May I always heed it and never be too proud to receive truthful correction from others, regardless of their age. And make me a fountain of wisdom for others, that they may be spared the pain of reaping the results of poor choices.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Guarding the Heart/ Topic: Discipline

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 4; Proverbs 5; Proverbs 6; Romans 8

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Observation: I love the Proverbs. They are so full of practical wisdom. This verse tells me that my primary responsibility is to guard my heart. The reason is that it is the fountainhead (source) of the decisions I make in my life. If I allow my heart to become devoted to the wrong things then I will have a very difficult time making godly choices, even though I may know in my mind that what I'm choosing goes against what is right according to God. This is why there are so many warnings in the Bible not to get intimate with a non-believer in a romantic relationship or to set our hearts on money and what it can provide. When we haven't guarded our heart properly, we will almost always choose what we have become devoted to over the principles taught in the Word. We will stay with a person who is wrong for us or we will let money master us instead of God.

Application: I MUST guard my heart! All of us fall short of the glory of God and commit sins. But if we don't guard our heart we are likely to stay perpetually in an area of sin instead of having momentary lapses into it. Repentance is called for in both situations, but it repentance comes much harder and is much more painful when we have remained in sin due to not guarding our hearts than if we have succumbed to a momentary temptation. Having our hearts totally devoted to God is the best protection against unrighteousness.

Prayer: Lord, I give you my heart and I do not want it back. I want to be totally devoted to you and to only let things in my heart that you approve of. May I be instantly repentant when I do sin. Thank you for being just and for forgiving me all of my trespasses when I confess them to you. Keep me holy as I take my responsibility to guard my heart.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Two Ways to Learn/ Topic: Gaining Wisdom

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 1; Proverbs 2; Proverbs 3; Romans 7

Scripture: Proverbs 1:29-33
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Observation: The verses here in Proverbs clearly show two paths we can follow; two ways of gaining wisdom. One is to listen to and obey what is taught to us in the Word of God. For those who choose this way, they will “live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm”. The other means of gaining wisdom comes by way of not listening to or obeying the Word of God. For those who choose this path, their wisdom will come from having to live with the consequences of their choices. They will “eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes”, and in the process may well destroy themselves. The verses prior to the ones listed here make it plain that if I choose not to listen to God's wisdom, he will eventually stop speaking to me and let me go my own way and suffer the consequences of my arrogance and rebellion.

Application: I get to choose how I will learn. I can choose the easy way or the hard way. If I choose to listen to God and obey, it isn't always easy in the beginning. I have to submit my will and my desires to his. While this may be harder at first, it is much easier than having to reap the disasters that will come to me if I insist on following my own path.

Prayer: Father, I choose the easier way! I want to submit to you, the Lover of my soul, rather than to “eat the fruit” of my own ways and schemes. Nudge me by the Spirit whenever I am stepping out from the protection of your wisdom. And prosper my life so that others may see the benefits of following you and want to come to you also.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Keeping It Real/ Topic: Faith

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 6; 2 Chronicles 7; Psalm 135; Romans 4

Scripture: Romans 4:17-21
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Observation: What a great example of real faith Abraham is to us. He believed God while still acknowledging the fact that God's promise to him was absolutely impossible from a human standpoint. He “faced the facts” of his situation, yet was fully persuaded that God had the power to override the facts and perform his promise through a miracle.

Application: I have heard many teachings from great Christian teachers of faith who say that we must ignore what reality looks like and just keep proclaiming what we want by faith until we receive it. But Abraham, the “father of faith” didn't do this. Oh, he certainly did cling to the promises of God and believe for miracles, but he did not deny the reality he lived with. We don't have to either. Acknowledging what is true in our situation is not demonstrating a lack of faith. No, we keep it real by facing our realities but then also believing that God isn't bound by our reality. He has all power to work beyond our reality to bring about the miraculous. So, I can face my reality and yet still pray and believe God will do a miracle that is utterly impossible without his power. I do not need to deny the facts in order to see God fulfill his promises to me.

Prayer: Father, sometimes seeing what my reality is can make it difficult to believe that it will ever change, yet I know you are not limited in any way by what is --- you are a God who calls things that are not as though they already were. May I do the same! In your Name, may I see your promises as already existing without having to deny what is. I want to have the faith of my father Abraham.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: An Undeserved Curse/ Topic: Bitterness

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 16; Psalm 32; Matthew 25

Scripture: 2 Samuel 16:5-8
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! 8 The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"

Observation: Shimei, a man from the clan of the former king Saul, comes out to curse and rail against David. He is full of bitterness and anger for offenses he believes David has committed against his relatives. Specifically, he accuses David of shedding the blood of the household of Saul. Nothing could be further from the truth. David honored Saul and protected his life even when Saul was trying to kill him! He also mourned when he heard that Saul and his sons had been killed in battle. How could Shimei have such a skewed perspective? When we hold bitterness in our hearts, take up the offenses of others and make them our own, or indulge in sin in any way, we open ourselves to deception. Satan is given a foothold in our lives when we do any of the above and he can cause us to believe a lie and cling to it as if it were the truth. Without repentance we can become unable to see the truth.

Application: The lessons for me from this passage are: 1) Don't be surprised when I am completely misunderstood and slandered by people who have taken up an offense against me with no cause. It has happened before and it will happen again. 2) I need to be like David and not worry about someone else who is “cursing” me. David had the attitude that the Lord would sort it all out in the end and I need to adopt that same attitude. I need not worry about defending myself, which I am very prone to do. 3) This should also teach me to not believe everything negative that I may hear about another person from a third party. In fact, I need to simply refuse to listen to negative reports about others. My assessment of another's character needs to be based on my own experiences with them.

Prayer: Father, I know how David must have felt listening to this man falsely accuse him. I have had that experience more often than I would like. Please help me to remember that I do not need to defend myself. Your Word says that an undeserved curse will not come to rest. I count on you to be my defender.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Keep Love Alive/ Topic: End Times

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 13; 2 Samuel 14; Matthew 24

Scripture: Matthew 24:10-14
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Observation: This prophecy of Jesus concerning the end times is very sobering. Many who have been adherents to the faith will turn away and betray others who were formerly friends. Why? Jesus explains that because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. In our day there is an increase of wickedness. As one example, the privacy provided by personal computers has allowed a huge proliferation of pornography, leading to an increase in sexual addictions of all varieties; self-indulgent behavior is not only tolerated, in many cases it is celebrated. Jesus is telling us that it is difficult for people to maintain their love for the Lord and their personal holiness when the society around them has become a moral cesspool.

Application: There is an insidious kind of wickedness that many do not even recognize as such. It is the mindset that we should evaluate everything in the light of how it affects us; how we “feel” about it. Instead of discerning whether something is wrong or right based on the Scriptures, we use our own feelings as the basis for making our choices. This is the biggest reason why wickedness is increasing. I must base my decisions on the Word of God and not on my own feelings. I must also maintain a devotional life with God and be a worshiper if I am to keep my love for the Lord alive and vibrant. Jesus warns that only those who stand firm (in their faith) to the end will be saved. He also makes it clear that this will take effort; it is not a given. It is my responsibility to make sure I don't indulge my sinful nature. Compromise with any wickedness is dangerous!

Prayer: Father, I want to keep my heart humble and repentant. Let me turn away from following the desires of my fleshly nature quickly and to embrace your loving boundaries. I know you only give boundaries that are for the purpose of keeping me whole and healthy both spiritually and emotionally. I want my love for you to keep growing, even as the world around me grows more wicked.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Pain of Selfishness/ Topic: Sin

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 11; 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-4
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.

Observation: This is a case study in how a person's self-centeredness and self-indulgence leads to great destructiveness and heartache for many people. First of all, David wasn't where he should have been. He should have been with his men fighting a war. Secondly, he indulges thoughts of lust when he sees a beautiful woman. He puts his own desires above his love for God, his family and one of his most loyal friends (Uriah the Hittite was one of David's 30 mighty men that had been faithfully protecting him during the entire time Saul was seeking to kill him). He made a number of choices that went against all of the moral convictions that he held. His self-indulgent behavior caused him to commit adultery with the wife of a good friend and then to murder him to cover up his sin. His family, his nation and he himself suffered horrible consequences as a result.

Application: It seems that when we want to have something, even when we know in our hearts it is the wrong thing, we can find reasons to justify our actions. But self-centered choices make outside of God's boundaries always lead to destruction, and the unfortunate thing is it is almost never only ourselves that we hurt. Other innocent parties, usually the ones we love the most, suffer greatly as well.

Prayer: Father, by the power of your Spirit, root out all selfishness from me. I want my thoughts, actions, and choices to all be based on the principles of your Word and the promptings of your Spirit to my heart. I never want to bring heartache to you or to others.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: “Praying Through”/ Topic: Perseverance

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalm 2; Matthew 20

Scripture: Matthew 20:29-34
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Observation: Here is an example of what older Christians refer to as “praying through”, meaning that we have to pray, and keep praying, until we get an answer from God. These blind men had heard that Jesus healed people, so when they heard that he was passing by, they cried out for him to attend to their needs. The crowd, however, were quite disturbed by their outbursts, and told them to shut up. At this point, the blind men had a choice: They could bow to peer pressure for the sake of being socially acceptable or they could persist in seeking help from Jesus. They chose the latter. In the face of opposition, they not only kept asking God for what they wanted, they got bolder in doing so, and they received what they asked for as a result.

Application: What a lesson in faith and perseverance. When I face obstacles in prayer and things aren't happening as I think they should, do I give up or do I get bolder and more persistent in asking God for victory? Do I grow my faith or do I let myself believe that God just doesn't care about my request? Too often, I have let the obstacles that Satan brings to cause me to back down instead of “crying out all the more” to God.

Prayer: Father, may I learn the lesson of the blind men and be persistent and fervent in my praying. I never want to give Satan a victory by backing down or believing his lies that I'm not important or spiritual enough for you to answer me when I call out to you. YOU PROVED HOW MUCH YOU CARE FOR ME ON THE CROSS! I want to be a spiritual warrior who prays through until victory is achieved. Help me to not grow weary of praying for things when I don't see immediate answers. You are faithful and I want to be faithful also. Thank you for loving and caring for me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.