THE LORD TESTS THE HEART

 

THE LORD TESTS THE HEART

Prov. 17:3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. NLT

If you want pure gold and silver they must survive the test of fire. Fire gets rid of all the impurities that may be found there. The end result of going through the fire is a product that is beautiful, pure and of great worth.

It is the same with the soul. In order for the soul to be something of beauty and be useful to God, it must first be tested and refined by God. The goal of God as He works in us is to make us pure. He never stops working on us because He knows that we will never be 100% pure this side of heaven. He created us with a will and He knows that we don’t always choose to cooperate with Him. We struggle and sometimes fight the process. We don’t like the process of going through the fire; it makes us uncomfortable and sometimes hurts a lot. We try to avoid the heat as much as possible. And the more we struggle against God, the more we find ourselves in need of God’s testing and refining.

Left alone we will never become pure in heart; we will avoid the refining fire. We will never be found to be pleasing and acceptable to God. We must let the Lord work in us. Knowing that He loves us and sees the beautiful person we can become, it is in our best interest to submit to Him and let Him have His way with us.

“Thank you, O Lord, for not giving up on us. We thank You for seeing in us something beautiful to reclaim. We thank You for your refining fire. We thank You that we are becoming pure in heart. Lord, we confess those times in which we struggle against you. We know we don’t always let You have your way with us and thus delay the process of our becoming pure. We ask You to forgive us. Lord, we must have your help in this. We ask You to strengthen our resolve to not sin against you. We ask that You do whatever you need to do in us to make us pure and keep us that way. Lord, test our hearts today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

TEACH TO UNDERSTAND

 

TEACH TO UNDERSTAND

Prov. 16:21 The wise are known for their understanding, and instruction is appreciated if it's well presented. NLT

There are good teachers and bad teachers. There are those who teach from what they know and those who teach what they don't know. A good teacher believes from the heart what he has learned and knows it to be true. The best teachers have lived and experienced the truthfulness of what they teach. Understanding comes from living, not books. Speaking from experience validates one's teachings.

When you speak truth because you live it, you gain respect and are trusted. It is important to know what gives a teacher credibility. The better you know your teacher, the more you can trust the worth of what is being said. Wisdom dictates that we be careful whom we allow to teach us.

It is good to sit at the feet of a good teacher who knows well how to teach. We learn best from those who teach well. For me, one of the things that I respond well to is one who teaches from the heart and not just a book. I trust more what is lived than I do what is taught. I want to know how truth works in life.

If you are a teacher of the Word, take your role as a teacher seriously. Those you teach are depending on you to help them learn how to apply Truth to their living. They need to know from your living and learning how to better walk in faith. Don't waste the opportunity God gives you to help others. Do your best to present Truth well. Don't be afraid to be transparent. Share how you have learned the lessons of faith you teach. Share your struggles, failures and victories. In other words, be real. It's okay to be vulnerable, because everyone is in real life.

If you are not a teacher, thank the Lord for your teachers, pray for them, and let them know that you appreciate them.

THE PATH OF THE UPRIGHT

 

THE PATH OF THE UPRIGHT

Prov. 16:17 The path of the upright leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe. NLT

Where is the path you are on leading you? Are you moving closer to God or Satan? The path of the upright is different than the path the world travels on. The upright are those who live by God’s standards; they are striving to be holy before both God and man. They are known by their kindness and goodness. They exemplify the character of Christ and are not caught up in the ways of the world.

The upright are constantly moving away from evil. They grow more and more like Christ the closer they get to Him. They are focused on what is before them and do not look back on the evil they are leaving behind them. They become more interested in godly things than they do earthly things. They grow more and more of a distaste for evil. They understand the affect evil has on them and strive to stay away from it. They know that the path they are on is a lonely and misunderstood path, but it does not bother them. They choose to do what is right, even if they are the only ones doing it.

Whoever is on the path of the upright is kept safe from harm. There are many potential harmful potholes along the way because Satan is always around dogging our steps. He wants to pull us off the path of righteousness or into the potholes and will do everything possible to make it happen. But, the Lord walks with the upright. There is nothing Satan can do to harm us with Jesus as our protector and traveling companion. Things may get rough, but the Lord is always there to hold us steady and if we do fall, to pick us up and help us get on our way again. No matter how hard he tries, Satan cannot keep the upright from getting home to glory. We can expect to get some bumps and bruises along the way and to get dirty, but the Lord will see us home.

The path of life you are on is leading you to either heaven or hell. Where is your path leading you?

LET THE LORD LEAD YOU

 

LET THE LORD LEAD

Prov. 16:9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. NLT

Sometimes we have a pretty good idea about what we are going to do. We make plans for the future, mapping out where we will be, what we will be doing, and when it will all take place. Plans are good and we need to make them so that there is order and purpose in our lives. However, as believers we also understand that our plans are not set in stone. The Lord is in charge, and when He wants to make changes in our plans, we must be flexible and willing to let Him. It is crucial that we include the Lord in our plans, whether it be for some time in the future or whether it be for our day.

There can be no peace or joy in living when we exclude the Lord from our living. Let the Lord determine your steps and you will never be led astray. When we lead the way, we often lose our way. Left to ourselves we stray off course and often take a whole lot longer to get where the Lord knows we need to be, and often we are battered and bruised when we get there, if we even manage to get there.

Do yourself a favor and let the Lord lead the way, let Him determine your steps. He knows the way. He knows all the obstacles in the way. He knows how to deal with those people and things that may hinder your progress. He knows the end from the beginning of your journey. He knows where you need to be and when. He knows how He needs to use you. He knows who needs you to be available to them. If we are submissive to Him, the Lord will put us in the right place at the right time. We will discover that our plans will line up with His plans and they will always be the right plans for us.

It is when we get stubborn and insist on doing life our way that things get all messed up. The Good News is that even when we refuse to follow God’s plans for our lives, His plans always prevail. The Lord will never be stopped because of our lack of cooperation. He is sovereign over all of life and His will will be done, on earth and in heaven. He wants you to be a part of what He is doing, but He will not force you. Life is so much easier when we let Him have His way with us.

COMMIT YOUR WORK TO THE LORD

 

COMMIT YOUR WORK TO THE LORD

Prov. 16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed. NLT

Whatever work you do in life, commit it to the Lord. Do what you do for the Lord and not personal gain or glory. Consider your work to be an extension of your service to the Lord. Do what you do out of a heart of love for Him. Do your best in order to reflect your love for Christ. Let your work be a living testimony of the difference Christ makes in the way you think and act in the world. Let the Lord use you in your work to glorify himself.

If you do these things, your plans will succeed. The Lord will bless your efforts and honor you with all you need in life. He will fulfill His promise to give you the delights of your heart as you take delight in Him. If your heart is right in the Lord, it will be reflected in your work, and your work will be a reflection of your heart.

Too many people’s testimonies have been ruined because of their work ethic. Too many professing believers are willing to compromise their faith in the workplace for the sake of their jobs or careers. Too many believe Satan’s lie that the end justifies the means.

When we commit our work to the Lord, we are committing ourselves to doing our best for the Lord and to being at our best for Him. We are committing ourselves to being ambassadors for the Lord that others might see Christ at work in us. We should always strive to be different than the world in the way we approach our work. If we approach our work as a spiritual act of worship, the Lord will bless our work and we will be successes in His eyes. The Lord deserves nothing but our best. Either give Him your best, or don’t call yourself by His name wherever you may work.

THE LORD KNOWS THE REAL US

 

THE LORD KNOWS THE REAL US

Prov. 16:2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. NLT

It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are better than we really are. The longer we live by faith, the more likely we are to dismiss the thought that we have a sin problem. We tend to scoff at the idea that we need to identify and deal with sin in our lives. Confession is for the “bad” people and not us “good” guys. One of Satan’s most effective weapons is to keep us off our knees in humility and repentance.

God says we have a sin problem. He makes it very clear as we read His Word that all of us fall short of His holiness. No one can claim before God that he is holy like God is. In God’s eyes, all have sinned and are unable to keep away from it.

We can never be good enough to be holy enough to not let sin into our lives. The Lord exposes the sin in our hearts and calls us to repentance. He whose heart is right with God will agree with God about his sin and deal with it before God. He will, with God’s help, endeavor to get a handle on his sin problem and minimize his sinning. It is a lifetime cooperation with God and the task never ends on earth. We are a work in progress and God’s work in us to make us holy will not get done until we get to heaven.

I John 1:8-10 was written to believers. We need Jesus every moment of every day. He alone can make us righteous and holy before God.

MOTIVES MATTER TO GOD

 

MOTIVES MATTER TO GOD

Prov. 16:2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. NLT

You have heard the saying that actions speak louder than words. It is true, but I will take it one step further, "Motives speak louder than actions." We need to back up our words with our ways, but we also need to back up our ways with our whys. The Lord looks upon the heart to see the why behind what we say and do. The heart is where our character is found.

Jesus changes the heart. He gets rid of the selfishness and replaces it with His love. He gives us hearts that want to do what is right before God. He moves us to live with God in mind. The true test of whether or not we are getting it right is found in the motives of the heart.

We may not always get things right, but if the motive is right, it pleases the Lord. And, if we seemly get everything right and do if for all the wrong reasons, the Lord will not be pleased with us at all.

The only way we can be assured that our motives are right is for us to take seriously the role the Lord plays in our lives. We must stay deeply connected to Him so that He can influence the direction of our hearts. If our intent is to always do what is right before God, we will do it. He honors those who honor Him. When Jesus is Lord of our hearts, our hearts will always please God.

And, Jesus becomes our Lord when we purposely let Him. He will not take ownership of our hearts without our permission and cooperation. Are you letting Jesus have His way with you? Is He determining the course of your life? Are you cooperating with Him to keep your heart pure before Him? Are the motives of your heart to always do what is right before God and to please Him? Is it for His honor and glory that you live?

TREASURE WITH TURMOIL

 

TREASURE WITH TURMOIL

Prov. 15:16 It is better to have little with fear for the LORD than to have great treasure with turmoil. NLT

It is far better to live in humility and be respectful of God than it is to have great wealth. When we are right with God, there is a peace and contentment that cannot be found anywhere else. The soul that fears God honors Him. He is more focused on living to please God than he is anything else. The soul that fears God is sin conscious. He understands the seriousness of sinning against God. He knows that standing guard over his soul is a matter of heaven or hell.

No matter how much wealth a person may accumulate on earth, it never gives the soul rest. Wealth keeps the soul in turmoil. There is always the elusive dream of having enough. There is always the fear of losing what one has. There is the turmoil of trying to find satisfaction for the soul with the things wealth can provide. There is the turmoil of disillusionment when one realizes that wealth cannot deliver on its promises. There is the turmoil of dealing with those who want a portion of the wealth accumulated.

Building one’s life on the foundation of wealth, or anything else other than God, is utter futility and foolishness. The only thing that can satisfy the soul is Christ, for whom the soul was created. Only Christ can give the soul peace, love, joy, and an unfailing hope for the future. There is nothing wrong with wealth in and of itself, but when it becomes the sole goal and purpose for living, it is very bad. It is far better to have little and a proper fear of the Lord than to have all the wealth on earth.

Put all your hopes and dreams in Christ alone and you will never be disappointed or disillusioned. Only Jesus can satisfy the soul.

HUNGER FOR TRUTH

 

HUNGER FOR TRUTH

Prov. 15:14 A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash. NLT

It is not too hard to figure out who are the wise and who are the fools in the world. Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. The world is full of very knowledgeable people who are fools. The wise are those who have an insatiable appetite for truth. They desire to know what God says. They want to discover God’s ways so they can follow them. The wise are spiritually minded; they have a need to be influenced by God in all of their living. The wise understand the limitations of their knowledge and are able to trust God for what they don’t know. They are constantly exploring God’s Word to discover greater understanding and more practical ways to apply what they learn to life.

On the other hand, fools feed on trash. Trash is knowledge that is not based on God’s truth. It is the quest for understanding how life functions apart from God. It is knowledge without understanding how to get it to work out in daily living.

Trash is the things of life that prevent God from getting through to the soul. It is the glorification of sin. It is anything that goes contrary to the Word of God.

The world is full of foolish people and short in supply of wise people. For the most part, it is the fools who run the world. Most people do not know God, care about God, know how to find God, or they even have animosity towards God as known through the Scriptures. Man has become foolish in his thinking because God has been left out of the equation. We see all around us the end result of fools running the world. Let us strive to be a people after God’s own heart.

Let us strive to be different than the world of fools. Let us be as the wise who seek God through His Word. Let us diligently seek understanding of life as God intended for it to be. Let us seek after truth and how to live it.

GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART

 

GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART

Prov. 15:11 Even the depths of Death and Destruction are known by the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart! NLT

We don’t know what it is like to die. It’s a once in a lifetime experience for us. There are no do-overs. We will live on, but in a totally different way than what we have known. Death is a mystery to us. God tells us some things to expect, but until we live it, we will not know what it is like. What we do know is that God knows. He knows everything there is to know about death, all the glories of heaven and all the goriness of hell.

Every human being who has ever lived has been warned by God about death and destruction. He has ingrained in the human soul a sense of right and wrong. He holds each of us responsible for the knowledge we have been given. God purposely forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge because He knew that man would not be able to handle the knowledge of good and evil. He knew that because of man’s nature, once he knew what sin was like, he would gravitate towards sin and fall prey to it. God tried to spare them, and us, the horrors of such knowledge, but obviously they would not listen.

There are no secrets with God. He knows every thought of the mind. He knows every intent of the heart. He knows what moves us to say and what we do. The Lord knows it all. Do not be deceived by those who would deny it. Do not be deceived by the foolishness of thinking that you can hide your thoughts from Him. What controls your mind comes from your heart, and He holds you responsible for what He finds there.

Dear friend, you can fool people and you can even fool yourself, but you can’t fool God.

COSTLY ABANDONMENT

 

COSTLY ABANDONMENT

Prov. 15:10 Whoever abandons the right path will be severely punished; whoever hates correction will die. NLT

We must pay attention to this truth! There is severe punishment for those who abandon the right path. First of all, although it is not stated, it is God who punishes those who abandon Him. I don’t want to speculate on what that punishment may be, but I am certain that it won’t be pleasant to be subjected to severe punishment from God.

We also note that it is possible to abandon the right path. We can choose to do things that are displeasing to God. We can choose to not honor and serve Him. We can choose to not obey Him and let Him be the influencer of our lives. We are not spiritually stuck when we give the Lord our hearts.

No one who takes their faith seriously and is disciplined in it will abandon the Lord. Neglect is where it all starts. In order to stay true to the Lord, we must be students of the Word. We must be reading, studying and meditating on the Word. We must let it be our measuring stick, and strive to live consistently according to the Word. We must also be participators in prayer. We must pray regularly ourselves and not rely on others to pray for us. We must spend time alone with God in daily conversation. We must be driven by our faith and refuse to let it grow cold.

Anyone who hates correction will die. No one is beyond the need of correction. We need to know where we fall short of God’s standards of holiness, and be humble enough to change our ways. We need to hear from God and others how to better live for Christ. We need to confront each other in a loving way so we can become more like the Master, a people after His own heart. Anyone who cannot, or won’t be, corrected has no hope or help from God. He will not live a life that is right with God, and he will die in his sins.

“Lord, keep our souls humble and pliable. Help us to never let sin harden our hearts. Strip us of any pride that keeps us from not accepting correction when we need it. Give us open hearts that we may gladly accept Your corrections. Lord, we need your help if we are going to stay on the path that leads us to heaven. We need you, O Lord and we declare anew our allegiance to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

THE LORD IS WATCHING

 

THE LORD IS WATCHING

Prov. 15:3 The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. NLT

How does this truth make you feel? The Lord is watching everywhere; everywhere you go the Lord knows about it. He is aware of what you are doing at all times. He knows everything about you, inside and out. He knows when you do good and when you do evil. You do not get away with anything. How does that make you feel? Are you okay with it, or does it concern you?

You cannot hide from the watchful eye of the Lord. This is why we can’t let down our guard and assume anything. We must keep vigilant watch over our souls. The Lord will not accept our excuses for sinning. He cannot be fooled, and we cannot hide anything from Him.

We cannot understand how the Lord is able to single us out of all the masses of people in time and space and know what is going on with us. All we know is that He can. Such knowledge comforts, challenges, and concerns us. He has His eye on both the evil and good. He knows. He knows what no one else knows. In our innermost secret places, He knows whether or not evil or good has a hold of us.

The Lord is watching and sees the evil and good in the world. He is not surprised by the things that surprise us. He has all things under control and will make all things right when the time is right. No one is going to escape His judgment. Justice may not seem to be accomplished here on earth, but it is done in heaven. Do not let the evil of the world throw you. God is on the throne and Judgment Day is coming.

The Lord is watching you. Are you living a life that pleases Him? Do you put a smile or a frown on His face?

DO YOU FEAR THE LORD?

 

DO YOU FEAR THE LORD?

Prov. 14:2 Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him. NLT

Do you fear the Lord? Do you? What proof is there that you really do fear Him? When you approach Him are you mindful of who He is? Do you respect the fact that God is in control of your eternal destiny? Do you respect the fact that God is holy and hates sin? Do you respect the fact that God can do whatever He desires to do whenever He desires to do it and nothing can stop Him? Is God more than the Lover of your soul to you?

If you are truly on the right path to heaven, you will fear the Lord. Yes, we must have a love relationship with Him and act like it, but we also must fear the Lord and act like it as well.

When we fear God, we do not take sin lightly. We understand that God hates sin and will not allow it in any form in His presence. We therefore are driven to strive to keep it out of our lives and when we fail, we confess it and ask Him for His forgiveness. We then resolve to try harder to not repeat our sin.

When we fear God, we are better motivated to reach out to others to try and help them not be objects of His wrath. When we fear God, we strive to live in a state of readiness at all times for the possibility of our death so that we won’t face Him with impure hearts. When we fear God, how we live is determined by His standards. We strive to be holy even as He is holy.

Do you fear the Lord? Do you understand and live like you will stand before Him one day and give an account for your life, and that He will determine your eternal home, in heaven or hell?

FOLLOW THE RIGHT PATH

 

FOLLOW THE RIGHT PATH

Prov. 14:2 Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him. NLT

One of the ways a person can know that he is right before God is whether or not he fear Hims. Fear is one of the things that characterized people before Calvary. The law of God taught His children to fear Him. It was very clear that if man did not obey God, there was an eternal price to pay. God’s children understood that you don’t mess with God. God is holy and will not condone or tolerate sinful living by His children.

At Calvary Jesus took upon himself the wrath of God. He did for us what the Law could not do; He provided a way for us to know God on a personal level. We now live in grace and therefore the edge of fear has gone away. But, is that really a good thing? I personally believe that we should still have a sense of fear for God. If there were a greater fear for God, there would be greater respect for Him shown. There would be more careful living; sin would matter more to us than it tends to today. We have lost the sense of need to strive to be holy since Jesus is our holiness. We become spiritually lazy and rest solely on the finished work of Christ at Calvary on our behalf.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We cannot make ourselves holy by what we do. We cannot save ourselves by what we do. We cannot be accepted by God as His own without our embracing the finished work of Christ on Calvary. We cannot do for ourselves what Christ has done for us. We are saved by faith in Christ alone; it is a gift of God. We just cannot use our new relationship with God as an excuse for not fearing Him.

Those who try to get to God another way than through Christ despise God. All other attempts to reach God are futile and causes man to express his frustrations over the emptiness and hopelessness of his life. Man tries to look good in his own eyes; he tries to do his best to do things his way. He hates God and His ways because it brings man up short. It is a slap in man’s face to be told he is not good enough, that he will not enter into heaven without Christ. Man wants to be in control and when he is told he cannot be in control and be right with God, it causes him to rebel and despise those who declare Jesus to be the way, truth and life.

Choose today the right path. Fear God and turn away from evil and you will make it to heaven when you die.

BATTLING PRIDE

 

BATTLING PRIDE

Prov. 13:10 Pride leads to arguments; those who take advice are wise. NLT

Pride is one of the biggest battles we all fight. It is so hard to get rid of and no one can do it perfectly. We have a need to be appreciated by others and it makes us feel good about ourselves when we are. But, when we begin to dwell on the words and deeds others shower on us, we tend to let it puff us up. We begin to see ourselves in a better light than we really are in. We begin to believe the lie that we are of greater value to others than we are. We begin to think of how good we are. We begin to look down on others because we have such high opinions of ourselves.

Pride tends to cause us to be defensive. We sense the need to stand up against anyone who thinks differently than we do. We take a stand against anyone who would dare question us or our self-perceived worth. Pride causes us to not have much tolerance with those who would oppose us.

Pride is not bad for us if it is well-balanced and causes us to feel well of ourselves within the context of God’s family. We need to have a positive self-image as children of God. When we understand that our worth comes from God, it becomes easier to handle pride.

Pride should never keep us from being able to take advice from others. Those who are wise understand that they do not have all the answers or always get things right. The wise know that they need help in order to live life right before God. The wise do not let pride keep them from growing and becoming better citizens of heaven through the guidance and advice of others. They are grounded in the Word and are willing to let the Word move them to change whenever it is needed. The wise do not let pride get out of hand. They live submissively before God and let Him be Lord of life.

THE LIFE OF THE GODLY

 

THE LIFE OF THE GODLY

Prov. 13:9 The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the sinner’s light is snuffed out. NLT

The life of the godly is full of light. We live in a dark world. No matter where you turn, there is darkness. The ways of the world are anti-God. There is nothing but an anti-holy mindset. The world is lost and has no clue how to find its way out of the darkness. On the other hand, the godly walk in the light of God. They know who they are and where they are going. They don’t have any confusion about what their life is all about. They understand life in ways that the world never can. They know the way to God while the world is forever trying to figure it out. The godly have it altogether while the world never does. The godly see life through the lens of God’s Word while the world can only see what is right in their own eyes.

The life of the godly is full of joy. There is just something about being right with God that causes one to be full of joy. The joy of the godly is not a giddy joy. It is the joy of knowing that the soul is right with God. It is the knowledge that if the Lord were to call us home today that we would be with Him tomorrow. It is knowing that God is real and all of His promises are true. It is the affirmation of soul that beyond this life there is eternal life with God in pure holiness. It is the knowledge that we are never alone in this life, that the Lord is always with us to help us, even in the worst of times.

It is not so for the sinner. Sin darkens the soul and mind of man. There is a darkness that envelopes the sinner that prevents the light from shining in. The sinner does not understand life from God’s perspective or how he fits into it. He has no hope for the future. He believes that the only life there is, is the here and now. He sees himself as the only hope he has, and strives to make himself happy anyway he can. He convinces himself that he is in control of his own destiny. He cannot comprehend life beyond death and if he does, he fashions an understanding of it that assures him that he will be alright in spite of the life he chooses to live. Sin darkens the soul and separates him from God who is light.

Wise is he who chooses to live a godly life where there is light and joy. Godliness is only found in a life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ.

LIVE A GODLY LIFE

 

LIVE A GODLY LIFE

Prov. 13:6 Godliness helps people all through life, while the evil are destroyed by their wickedness. NLT

It is good for a person to live a godly life. Godliness gives a person a whole different perspective on living. The godly understand life to be more than what is experienced at the moment. They understand that life has a purpose far beyond life lived on earth. They know that there is much more to enjoy about life than the temporary pleasures found on earth. They know what it is like to not be at odds with God. They are at peace with themselves. The godly know that God is not some vague reality unattached from human life. They experience life as God intended for man to experience it. They have a sure foundation upon which to stand. They are guided by the hand of God. and live by God’s holy standards.

On the other hand, an evil person lives in self-destruction. They are victims of their sinful choices. They are never at peace with either God or man. Mistrust plagues their living. They are driven by momentary pleasures. Their hope is built on whatever they are able to accomplish in this world. They are never satisfied, always needing a new fix to satisfy their needs. They have little real compassion for others, looking out for themselves at the expense of others. They are easily led away from the truth and often believe and live a lie. Evil people wreak havoc in the world and cause trouble wherever they go.

Godly people are humble and trainable. Evil people are stubborn and demand their own way. Godly people live by the Word of God while evil people live by the ways of the earth. God honors the life of the godly and rejects the ungodly. Yes, there are different degrees of wickedness, but in God’s eyes all who reject Him are among the wicked.

Everybody has a choice to make in life. They will either accept God’s offer of salvation and strive to live a godly life, or they will reject Christ and live a wicked life. No one can escape from having to choose. Godly living is all about daily choices. We must choose to live by God’s rules or to disobey Him and open the door for wickedness to enter in. Godliness takes constant vigilance over one’s soul. Wise is he who daily chooses to live life God’s way.

TRUTH TELLING

 

TRUTH TELLING

Prov. 13:5 Those who are godly hate lies, the wicked come to shame and disgrace. NLT

Do you hate lies? We don’t like it when others lie to us, but are we guilty of lying to others? As children of God, we should be speaking the truth always. God demands that we speak the truth. It may not always be convenient or easy, but we must speak the truth. If we know telling the truth will make a situation worse, it is far better for us to not say anything rather than lie about it.

Sometimes telling the truth is hurtful. If the hurt is because of sin, then it is good to tell the truth so that the offender can see the truth and repent. But, when it becomes necessary to reveal someone’s sin, it must be done in godly love. If you can’t do it in love, keep your mouth shut and let someone else who can do it in love do it.

Sometimes telling the truth hurts a person’s ego. If it’s a matter of taste, appearance, habits, etc., tack must be used if anything is said. If you must speak, choose your words carefully. Attacking a person’s character is never good. Words can easily offend another and we must avoid doing that if possible. We are to build one another up and not tear them down. Sometimes silence is indeed golden.

There are people all around us who are liars. They don’t either care about telling the truth or they aren’t able to discern the truth. They are children of darkness and they bring shame and disgrace on their own heads. The Lord will take care of them in due time. It is not our responsibility to judge or condemn them. It is far better for us to pray for them than it is to judge them. They wreak havoc in the public arena and they often make life miserable for those who are honest in their hearts. Only the Lord can change their hearts and ways. Ask Him to work on their hearts and shed light on their souls. They need the Lord and they need us to pray for them.

Godly people hate lies and do not participate in them.

CONTROL YOUR TONGUE

 

CONTROL YOUR TONGUE

Prov. 13:3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything. NLT

The tongue can be a very nasty member of the body. Every one of us have been victims and victimizers of others with the tongue. We say things that we often regret. We hurt those we love and care about with the words we speak. We say things that sometimes are simply not true because we don’t have our facts straight and sometimes we fail to take the time to consider how we will affect others by what we say. We speak often from our emotions instead of our heads. Sometimes we may even wish that we could cut our tongue out so we don’t hurt anyone anymore.

Scripture makes it clear that what we speak comes from the heart. Therefore, we must take a serious look at our hearts. We must regularly ask ourselves, “Is my heart right with God?” Do we take the time we need in God’s Word to have our souls exposed before God? You cannot spend time in the Word on a consistent basis without seeing yourself as falling short of God’s standards of holiness. God’s Word is clear; we all fall short of God’s glory. No one is so righteous that he does not sin. Biting and hurtful words come from a heart that is not right with God.

If you need to gain better control of your tongue, take your need for the Lord to have control of you more seriously. Self-control is one of the evidences that you are under the control of the Spirit of Christ. You will never perfectly control your tongue, but you can do better than you now do. The issue is, “Will you let the Lord have His way with you?”

Don’t ruin everything. Take the time to be holy in your heart so that your tongue won’t betray you.

GOOD FRIENDS, GODLY ADVICE

 

GOOD FRIENDS, GODLY ADVICE

Prov. 12:26 The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray. NLT

How do you determine whether or not someone is a true friend? Consider the kind of advice they give you. A good friend will not encourage you to do or say anything that will lead you away from God. Period. A good friend will not encourage you to feast your mind on unholy things. A good friend will support and encourage you in your journey of faith to God. A good friend is a godly friend.

It is so important that you choose your friends wisely. Be sure that you connect deeply only with those who will help you to be and do good. The ungodly will lead you astray. It is okay to have friends who are not godly people, but don’t let them into your inner circle of friends, friends that you rely on for the maturing of your faith.

We must never forget, the wicked do what comes naturally for them to do. They gravitate to that which is unholy. They seek satisfaction and pleasure in the things of the world. Their perspective is grounded on earth. They cannot see in the light because they live in the dark. Be very careful when the wicked seek to advise you on what you need to do.

We must be careful of our own souls so that when others turn to us for advice that we are prepared to give them godly advice. If we are not grounded well in the Word and are not in close fellowship with the Lord, we can very easily lead others astray. Good advice comes from those who maintain a good relationship with God. The godly do not give good advice by accident. It takes consistently working hard on our salvation.

Don’t be a tool in Satan’s hand when advising others. Keep your soul in tip top shape so that what comes out of your mouth may be good and used of God to help lead others to Him.

BE AN ENCOURAGER

 

BE AN ENCOURAGER

Prov. 12:18 Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. NLT

A real test of your character is how well you speak of others. Do you tear down or build up? Do you destroy or bring healing? No one likes to hear words of destruction. We like to be spoken well of, to hear words of encouragement. Wise is the person who knows how to bring words of healing to the soul. One of the greatest gifts a person can have is the gift of encouragement. It is something everyone can do. It may take some work to develop it, but with effort it can be done.

If you are not an encourager, can you really say that you love God and others? Be honest. God always strives to lift up His children. He wants them to reach their potential in Him. Notice how many times He uses words and phrases to let us know that we are more than we think we are in Him. He calls us overcomers, a royal priesthood, His children, mighty conquerors, servants of God, etc. Over and over again God tells us how special we are to Him. He sees us for not only who we are, but for whom we can become in Him. Shouldn’t we be the same way towards one another?

Want to make a difference in the world? Be an encourager. Learn how to see the good in people and spur them on to greater goodness. Don’t take the easy and low road and add poison to someone’s soul. Lift them up and bring words of healing to them. Just one word of encouragement in time of need could forever change the course of someone’s life.

Sure people mess up and make a mess of their lives. The world is full of people who make fools of themselves by making bad choices in their lives. There are a multitude of people who make life miserable for those striving to live rightly before God. Instead of making matters worse by tearing them down, we should love them enough to try to bring healing to their souls by loving them through Christ. And if they are unresponsive to our love, it is best to remain silent and not tear them down with our cutting remarks. Instead, pray for them and let the Lord deal with them.

A GODLY PERSON

 

A GODLY PERSON

Prov. 11:30 The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise. NLT

You can easily tell who are godly. Those who are really right with God stand out from those who are just the pretenders and those who are ungodly. Godly people are alive. Their faith is actively at work in them and it shows. They ooze the life of the Spirit, producing life-giving fruit. Their demeanor is different than most. Godliness is seen in them both in public and in private. The character of Christ is evidenced in how they interact with others. Godly people are not into themselves; they are people orientated. They show a real concern for the souls of others.

Wise are those who reach out to others and strive to lead them to Calvary and God’s throne room. It is good for one’s soul to live to do God’s will, to go into the world in order to make disciples. It is good to help others find their way to saving faith. It is good for God’s children to strive to stunt the growth of hell’s population.

Wisdom characterizes the godly. Therefore, it behooves us to do all we can to be a godly people. It takes a lot of determination, perseverance, trust and effort on our part. We must keep doing the things that help us to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. We produce life-giving fruit in direct proportion to the effort we put into being a holy people.

Life-giving fruit is what pleases God. It is why we are saved by His grace. We are not saved just for ourselves. The Lord chooses us to live for Him. He chooses us to make a difference in the world, to bring to it redeeming grace. If you are a child of God, you will produce life-giving fruit for the glory of Christ.

BELITTLING OTHERS

 

BELITTLING OTHERS

Prov. 11:12 It is foolish to belittle a neighbor, a person with good sense remains silent. NLT

When we belittle someone, it is a reflection of our lack of godly love. You cannot belittle someone you truly love. Godly love builds up and never tears down. It seeks ways to help another to grow and never adds fuel to the fire of damaging another’s self-confidence about their self-worth. To belittle someone goes contrary to the nature of God and it is sin. It is foolish to belittle another person knowing how much against the character of God it really is.

If you really are tempted to belittle someone, it is far better to bite your tongue and not say anything at all. To belittle someone is to defame their character and so if you think it’s necessary to put someone down, ask the Lord to put a zipper on your lips. Better yet, ask Him to change your heart to a heart of love so that you won’t even be tempted.

If you have ever been on the receiving end of someone’s belittling, you know how it feels. No one likes to be made fun of or looked down on because of who they are or what they may have said or done. Belittling someone can change the course of their life. The ego is a fragile thing and when it is damaged, a person may never recover. No matter how justified you may think you are, don’t do it.

The godly thing for us to do is to lift others up in our prayers, to love them, and strive to build them up. When someone messes up, we should be there to help them, not judge them. We are to love others as we love ourselves. We are to strive to help others become well in Christ, not victims of their mistakes. We are to treat others as we want to be treated. We are to never look down on others, thinking we are better than they are.

In order to be the kind of person God demands us to be, we must diligently seek Him and let Him love others through us.

THE WICKED WILL DIE

 

THE WICKED WILL DIE

Prov. 11:7 When the wicked die, their hopes all perish, for they rely on their own feeble strength. NLT

Wicked people die just like everyone else does. In this life, they may seem to be getting away with whatever they want. They thrive on the righteous, often making life very treacherous and difficult for them. They take great pride in their achievements as if they were the ones who make it all happen. They are self-serving and live for the pleasures of the world. They live for the moment with no regard for the future. They scarcely give thought to the consequences of their actions and have little or no real compassion for human life. It is not pleasant to live amongst the wicked.

But, the wicked are not any different than anyone else. They too, will die. They too, will stand before God and give an account for their living. Justice will be meted out according to the deeds of their hearts and the works of their flesh. All their hopes die with them. Everything they lived for will do them no good. They will stand before God with nothing but their own righteousness and that will send them to hell.

For the redeemed, Christ’s righteousness is our hope. We know that because He lives and stands before God as our righteousness, we too shall live in the presence of God, both now and forever. We understand that it is not by our strength that we stand. We draw from Christ everything we need to stay in Him and defeat Satan. In Him alone are we able to please God and be found to be acceptable to Him.

So, do not fret yourself because of the evil deeds of others. There may be nothing you can do about it while here on earth, but the Lord can and will. He has it under control and will even the score in His perfect time. It is not pleasant to be victimized by the wicked, but God rewards the faithful. Hang in there, it will be worth it all. The righteous will see Jesus in all His glory and the wicked will see Him in all His wrath.

RIGHT LIVING BEFORE GOD

 

RIGHT LIVING BEFORE GOD

Prov. 11:4 Riches won't help on the Day of Judgment, but right living is a safeguard against death. NLT

The only protection you have against the judgment of God is to live rightly before Him. You will not be able to offer God anything but the blood of Jesus to avoid His wrath. Justice will prevail. All sin will be punished once and for all. And, the only way you will be able to live rightly before God is by living in Christ. If Jesus is not in charge of your life, changing you, and imparting His righteousness in you, you don't have any chance at all of living a life that pleases God.

We cannot obey God or be like Him without Christ. The only hope we have is Christ. You cannot earn God's favor, only Christ can do that. The sooner we accept this truth, the better off we will be. Jesus alone satisfies God's justice. He did all that can be done in order for us to be right with God on the cross. We cannot earn God's acceptance. It is by faith alone, accepting Jesus as our Savior and trusting in His atoning work on the cross that saves us.

It is impossible to live rightly before God apart from a personal relationship with Christ. Only in Christ are we able to have confidence that when we die we will be accepted by God. Life in Christ is eternal life. The only assurance that we have that we will be accepted by God is to live moment-by-moment in Christ. Christ cannot protect you if you wander away from His protective care. It is imperative that we stay closely connected to the Lord, for we do not know when death will come upon us. And, the only way we are going to stay close to God is by maintaining a strong commitment to the disciplines of faith. No one can stay close to the heart of God while neglecting the disciplines of the faith—reading, studying, and applying God’s Word, prayer, witnessing, and serving the Lord.

MONEY WON'T CUT IT

 

MONEY WON’T CUT IT

Prov. 11:4 Riches won’t help on the Day of Judgment, but right living is a safeguard against death. NLT

Our world promotes wealth. Everything is measured by it. The only way the world has of being noticed is by the riches it possesses. If you don’t have wealth, you might as well forget it. You will be swallowed up in the masses and no one will even notice. Yet, all the money in the world will not get you one second in heaven. Like everything else on earth, all the wealth of earth is going to be burned up on the Day of Judgment. There will not be one penny left to be found anywhere on earth. Strive after it all you want, but the Lord does not care at all about what you do or do not accumulate on earth, but He does care about what you do with what you have and your attitude towards it.

Riches are a blessing from God and should always be used for His honor and glory. Hoarding riches is not good for the soul. If riches become your security blanket for the future, they become your god instead of God. If you are driven to accumulate “enough” before you loosen your hold on it, you will never have enough. All the riches on earth combined will never gain you favor with God or allow you to enter into heaven when you die.

Right living is our only safeguard against spiritual death. Living right with God is the only thing that will get us into heaven. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus. It is not sin to have wealth, but it is sin to let wealth take Christ’s rightful place in your heart and life.

BE HONEST

 

BE HONEST

Prov. 11:3 Good people are guided by their honesty, treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty. NLT

You have heard it said many times, “Honesty is the best policy.” Everything that we do depends on honesty. Without honesty, there is no trust. And if there is no trust, there is no peace amongst men. We depend on honesty to make accurate decisions. We cringe when we discover someone has not been honest with us. It causes us to develop bad feelings towards them and often leads to bad consequences.

We all know that dishonest people are everywhere. We have to really be on our guard and unfortunately, be suspicious of people we don’t know. We live in a world where people are willing to do or say anything for personal gain. We find it to be true in the world and sadly in the church as well.

Honesty comes from a heart of integrity. Honest people know right from wrong and choose to do what is right, regardless of personal gain or not. Being honest often involves personal sacrifices. It often tests the genuineness of one’s character. We are confronted daily with opportunities to be dishonest in our dealings with one another. It is one of the reasons why it is good for the soul to often examine it to see if it is right with God.

Satan is a master at tempting us to compromise our integrity for the sake of our convenience or gain. He relentlessly tries to get us to be less than honest in our dealings or conversations with others. He is good at causing us to lie to ourselves about our relationship with God. He wants us to buy into the lie that we don’t have to be as careful about our soul’s character as God says we should be.

Being honest involves being honest with God as well. We only hurt ourselves when we try to be dishonest before God. Realistically, it is impossible for us to hide anything from God. He knows all about whatever it is that we try to withhold from Him so we might as well be upfront about it in the first place.

Dishonesty leads the soul away from God and results in very treacherous consequences. In order to be and do good in the sight of God, we must constantly and diligently stand guard over our souls. We must stay deeply connected with the Lord and be in His Word constantly so that we will be able to be honest with ourselves about ourselves and our dealings with others. It may not be convenient or pleasant to be a person of integrity who is honest in all things, but the rewards are eternal. It is far better to be honest and please God than it is to be dishonest and please others or one’s self.

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

 

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

Prov. 10:29 The LORD protects the upright but destroys the wicked. NLT

We reap what we sow. The Lord protects the upright. The upright are those who live godly lives. They are those who put their confidence and trust in the Lord for their salvation and living. What does He protect them from?

The Lord protects us from ourselves. Left to ourselves we will self-destruct. We cannot make it to heaven on our own. The Lord protects us from spiritual starvation. Left to ourselves we will not feed our souls properly. We will feed on junk food and eat very sporadically. We will eat an unbalanced diet. Without the Lord’s help we will be spiritually starved or unbalanced.

The Lord protects us from the allurements of sin. Left to ourselves we will wander into the cesspool of sin. He puts a wall of protection around us to keep us from falling in. He puts up warning sins and tells us of the impending danger ahead. Sometimes He even shouts at us so we will hear before we take a plunge.

The Lord protects us from self-condemnation. Left to ourselves we will always find plenty of things to feel guilty about, regardless whether we should or not. We struggle to let go of that which the Lord has forgiven and forgotten about. He reassures us that Calvary covers it all, that in Christ we have been set free.

The Lord is our Protector. But, for those who don’t know the Lord or ignores Him as Lord, there is no protection. Without Him, there remains nothing but condemnation and judgment. They shall not live, but die. They shall live eternally in hell where all hope of relief and escape are destroyed. We will indeed reap what we sow.

A LASTING FOUNDATION

 

A LASTING FOUNDATION

Prov. 10:25 Disaster strikes like a cyclone, whirling the wicked away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. NLT

The wicked have no sure footing in life. They do not have the resources within them to cope with life’s disasters in a positive way. They tend to react and get bent out of shape instead of dealing with things confidently. They are easily thrown for a loop and their lives become unraveled.

Things are different for the godly. Disasters do come and turn the lives of the godly upside down, but they are not thrown for a loop. They understand that they have an Anchor that will hold them steady and strong during the midst of their storm. They know that they are not alone. They stand firm on the foundation of God’s Word and character. They understand that no matter how bad things are, they will survive and be the better person for it.

The godly face life’s disasters with grateful hearts. They are able to see the bigger picture and understand that the Lord is with them and will not let them down. They understand that momentary hardships are nothing compared to their salvation. They know that it is far better to have the Lord than the ease and comforts of life. They understand that the Lord never promised that it would be heaven on earth for them.

The foundation of the godly is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. He has overcome the world and all those who live in Him are also overcomers. The godly have a sure hope. They know that even if their disaster costs them their lives, heaven awaits them. The godly have no fear of what is to come. With eyes fixed on Jesus, they keep pressing on, not buckling underneath the circumstances of life. They know that whatever life throws at them, it will be worth it all when they see Jesus.

Is Jesus the anchor of your soul today? Is your hope built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness? Do you have a sure foundation upon which to withstand the storms of life? Jesus alone is the Solid Rock, a sure foundation upon which we can stand a midst the storms of life, both now and forever.

FOOLISH FUN

 

FOOLISH FUN

Prov. 10:23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool, while wise conduct is a pleasure to the wise. NLT

Have you ever watched a fool having fun? They are everywhere. Take a few minutes and just watch with a critical eye those who are playing in sin. We know that those who live in sin are heading straight to hell. Do the things the fool does make much sense to do knowing where it is getting them? How long does their sin give them the pleasure they are seeking? Is the fool ever satisfied with the momentary thrill they may get? Does sin ever make a person a better person? Who can ever say that sin has been good for their life, that it has given them a worthwhile purpose for living? Has doing wrong ever been worth dying for?

Everybody wants to have fun in life. It is our nature to do things that bring us a sense of pleasure. We feed on making our lives more enjoyable. We create many different ways to enjoy ourselves. There is nothing wrong with having fun in and of itself. It is good for the soul to break away from the normal routines of life once in a while and do something that brings us pleasure. But when fun leads us away from the Lord whom we profess to love, is it really fun after all? When we are plagued with guilt and shame, is that really good for us? When we participate in things that honor Satan rather than God, is that what we should be doing? Do we really think that God is pleased with us when we seek fun by doing those things which are wrong, those things which allow sin to enter into our hearts and minds?

On the other hand, when we seek pleasure by doing things that do not harm our souls with sin, it is good. There are many wonderful and creative ways to have fun without entering into the sin world. God has provided a wonderful world for us to enjoy and explore. There are many opportunities for fellowship with other believers that do not involve sin. There are many different ways we can build up our souls and have fun doing it. We can simply get away for a while alone with God in His creation and rest our souls in Him. We don’t have to indulge in sin in order to thrill our souls. When we delight ourselves in the Lord and the things that satisfy the soul, it is not here today and gone tomorrow.

Don’t be foolish. Do not seek pleasure in the things that destroy. Do not let sin take root in you. Do not glorify sin in your heart. Wise are those who seek pleasure in the things that God approves of.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

 

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

Prov. 10:19 Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow! NLT

Some people just like to talk, maybe you are one of them. Some of us have no problem whatsoever finding things to talk about. It amazes me how freely some people talk to one another. I am not one who can just talk on and on about a wide variety of subjects. I run out of things to talk about. I tend to be able to talk well about things that really interest me, but struggle to find things to talk about off the top of my head.

It’s okay to be able to talk. In fact, it is essential for good fellowship. A good conversationalist makes for good company. But like just about everything else, too much of good thing is not good anymore. Some people talk to the point where they no longer are being heard. There are many reasons why some people dominate a conversation and I won’t get into that. But, one thing that does happen is that often a person begins to talk others down. They begin to say negative things and sit in judgment of others. They tend to talk about things they really don’t know much about. They spew wrong information. They tend to make themselves look good in comparison to others or at their expense. Too much talking often leads a person into sin.

It is much better to exercise discretion and shut off the flow. Wise are those who know when to shut up. The Lord gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We learn a lot more by listening to others than we do by talking all the time.

The Lord tells us to wait before Him. We are to be still and know that the Lord is God. We tend to want to do all the talking when we go to the Lord instead of listening to what He has to say. We struggle to really know the will and mind of the Lord because we are too busy talking to hear His voice. The Lord has much to say to us and it is far more important and valuable than our thoughts. We need to rediscover the value of listening. When was the last time you were still long enough in the Lord’s presence to really know you heard His voice talking to you?