Archive for the ‘Security’ Category


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

The more a person fears and respects God, the more he or she will hate evil. Love for God and love for sin cannot coexist. Harboring secrets sins means that you are tolerating evil within yourself. Make a clean break with sin and commit yourself completely to God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 05:18-20 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulterous? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?

God does not intend faithfulness in marriage to be boring, lifeless, pleasure less, and dull. Sex is gift God gives to married people for their mutual enjoyment. Real happiness comes when we decide to find pleasure in the relationship God has given or will give us and to commit ourselves to making it pleasurable for our spouse. The real danger is in doubting that God knows and cares for us. We then may resent his timing and carelessly pursue sexual pleasure without his blessing.

Many temptations entice husbands and wives when marriage becomes dull in order to find excitement and pleasures elsewhere. But God designed marriage and sanctified it, and only within this covenant relationship can we find real love and fulfillment. Don’t let God’s best for you be wasted on the illusion of greener pastures somewhere else. Instead, rejoice with your spouse as you give yourselves to God and to each other.


Under Gods Command

Joshua 24:15 -But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

The people had to decide whether they would obey the LORD, who had proven his trustworthiness, or obey the local gods, which were only man-made idols. It’s easy to slip into a quiet rebellion-going about life in your own way. But the time comes when you have to choose who or what will control you. The choice is yours. Will it be God, your own limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? Once you have chosen to be controlled by God’s Spirit, reaffirm you choice every day.

In taking a definite stand for the Lord, Joshua again displayed his spiritual leadership. Regardless of what others decided, Joshua had made a commitment to God, and he was willing to set the example of living by that decision. The way we live shows others the strength of our commitment to serving God


Under Gods Command
Proverbs 16:5 – The LORD detest all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Pride is the inner voice that whispers, “My way is best” It is resisting God’s leadership and believing that your are able to live without his help. Whenever you find yourself wanting to do it your way and looking down on other people, you are being pulled by pride. Only when you eliminate pride can God help you become all he meant you to be.

 


Under Gods Command

Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.

With God’s help, Israel won the battle against five Amorite armies. Such a triumph was part of God’s daily business as he worked with his people for victory. Joshua told his men never to be afraid because God would give them similar victories over all their enemies. God has often protected us and won victories for us. The same God who empowered Joshua and who has led us in the past will help us with our present and future needs. Reminding ourselves of his help in the past will give us hope for the struggles that lie ahead.


Under Gods Command

Joshua 9:19-20 – but all the leaders’ answered, “We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them .

Joshua and his advisers had made a mistake. But because they had given an oath to protect the Gibeonites, they would keep their word. The oath was not nullified by the Gibeonites trickery. God had commanded that oaths be kept and breaking an oath was serious. This encourages us not to take our promises lightly.


Under Gods Command

 Jeremiah 48:29 – We have heard of Moab’s pride-her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and arrogance and the haughtiness of her heart. 

 Moab was condemned for its pride.  God cannot tolerate pride because pride is taking personal credit for what God has done or looking down on others.  God does not condemn our taking satisfaction in what we do.  (Ecclesiastes 3:22), but he stand s against overestimates of our own importance.  Romans 12:3 teach us to have an honest estimate of ourselves.


Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 5:15-21 – Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.  Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?  Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers, May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.  A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated, my son, by an adulterous?  Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?  For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. 

 In contrast to much of what we read, see, and hear today, this passage urges couples to look to each other for life-long satisfaction and companionship. Many temptations entice husbands and wives when marriage becomes dull in order to find excitement and pleasures elsewhere.  But God designed marriage and sanctified it, and only within this covenant relationship can we find real love and fulfillment.  Don’t let God’s best for you be wasted on the illusion of greener pastures somewhere else.  Instead, rejoice with your spouse as you give yourselves to God and to each other.


Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 4:13-17  Hold on to instruction; do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.  Do not set foot on the path of the wicked, or walk in the way of evil men.  Avoid it, do not travel on it, turn from it and go on your way.  For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.  They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. 

 Even friends can make you fall.  It is difficult for people to accept the fact that friends and acquaintances might be luring them to do wrong.  Young people who want to be accepted would never want to confront or criticize a friend for wrong plans or actions.  Many other people can’t even see how their friend’s actions could lead to trouble.  While we should be accepting of others, we need a healthy skepticism about human behavior.  When you feel yourself being heavily influenced, proceed with caution.  Don’t let your friends cause you to fall into sin.


Under Gods Command

Jeremiah 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you,”  declares the LORD, “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy your.  I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

 God punished his people in order to bring them back to himself, and he punishes us to correct and purify us.  No one welcomes punishment, but we should all welcome its results: correction and purity.