Proverbs 16:3 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 16, 2011 in Uncategorized
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 Under Gods Command:  Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

There are different ways to fail to commit whatever we do to the LORD.

• Some people commit their work only superficially. They say the project is being done for the LORD, but in reality they are doing it for themselves.
• Others give God temporary control of their interest, only to take control back the moment things stop going the way they expect.
• Still others commit a task fully to the LORD, but put forth no effort themselves, and then they wonder why they do not succeed.

We must maintain a delicate balance: trusting God as if everything depended on him, while working as if everything depended on us. Think of a specific effort in which you are involved right now. Have you committed it to the LORD?

Spiritual Training 15 March 2011

Posted: March 15, 2011 in Spiritual Training
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Under Gods Command

Lamentations 1:16 – “This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.”

Jeremiah’s sorrow expresses the sorrow of the nation. God is the comforter, but because of the people’s sins, he had to turn away from them and become their judge. When we suffer the consequences of sin, repentance from the sin that caused the problem is the first and most important way to find relief.

Proverbs 15:14 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 15, 2011 in Scripture Memory
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Under Gods Command
Proverbs 15:14 – The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

What we feed our minds is just as important as what we feed our bodies. The kinds of books we read, the people we talk with, the music we listen to, and the films we watch are all part of our mental diet. Be discerning because what you feed your mind influences your total health and well-being. Thus, a strong desire to discover knowledge is a mark of wisdom.

Spiritual Training 14 March 2011

Posted: March 14, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Lamentations 1:14 – My sins have been bound into a yoke, by his hands they were woven together. They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.

At first, sin seems to offer freedom. But the liberty to do anything we want gradually becomes a desire to do everything. Then we become captive to sin, bound by its “yoke.” Freedom from sin’s captivity comes only form God. He gives us freedom, not to do anything we want, but to what he knows is best for us. Strange as it may seem, true freedom comes in obeying God-following his guidance so that we can receive his best.

Proverbs 14:9 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 14, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 14:09 Fool mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

How rarely we find goodwill around us today. Angry drivers scowl at each other in the streets. People fight to be first in line. Disgruntled employers and employees both demand their rights. But the common bond of God’s people should be goodwill. Those with goodwill think the best of others and assume that others have good motives and intend to do what is right. When someone crosses you, and you feel your blood pressure rising, ask yourself, “How can I show goodwill to this person?”

Spiritual Training 11 March 2011

Posted: March 11, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Lamentations 1:9 – Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future.  Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her.  “Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed.”

 The warning was loud and clear: If Judah played with fire, its people would get burned.  Jerusalem foolishly took a chance and lost, refusing to believe that immoral living brings God’s punishment.  The ultimate consequence of sin is punishment (Romans 6:23).  We can choose to ignore God’s warnings, but as surely as judgment came upon Jerusalem, so will it come upon those who defy God.  Are you listening to God’s Word? Are you obeying it? Obedience is a sure sign of your love for God.

Proverbs 11:09 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 11, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 11:09 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.   

 The mouth can be used either as a weapon or a tool, hurting relationships or building them up.  Sadly, it is often easier to destroy than to build, and most people have received more destructive comments than those that build up.  Every person you meet today is either a demolition site or a construction opportunity. Your words will make a difference.  Will they be weapons for destruction or tool for construction?

Spiritual Training 10 March 2011

Posted: March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Jeremiah 52:34  Day by day the King of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.   

 In the world’s eyes Jeremiah looked totally unsuccessful.  He had no money, family, or friends.  He prophesied the destruction of the nation, the capital city, and the temple, but the political and religious leaders would not accept or follow his advice.  No group of people liked him or listened to him.  Yet as we look back, we see that he successfully completed the work God gave him to do.  Success must never be measured by popularity, fame, or fortune, for these are temporal measures.  King Zedekiah, for example, lost everything by pursuing selfish goals.  God measures our success with the yardsticks of obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness.  If you are faithfully doing the work God gives you, you are successful in his eyes.

Proverbs 10:18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 10:18  He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. 

 By hating another person you may become a liar or a fool.  If you try to conceal your hatred, you end up lying.  If you slander the other person and are proven wrong, you are a fool.  The only way out is to admit your hateful feelings to God.  Ask him to change your heart, to help you love instead of hate.

Spiritual Training 09 March 2011

Posted: March 9, 2011 in Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Jeremiah 51:17-19 Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.  His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.  They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.  He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance-the LORD Almighty is his name. 

 It is foolish to trust in man-made images rather than in God.  It is easy to think that the things we see and touch will bring us more security than God.  But things rust, rot, and decay.  God is eternal.  Why put your trust in something that will disappear within a few years?

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