ACCEPT DIVINE GUIDANCE

Prov. 29:18  When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy.  NLT

      God has clearly shown us how to live so that we don’t wander from Him and damage our souls.  He makes it clear how to live lives that please Him and produce godliness.  He shows us how to relate to others and the world we live in.  The Lord reveals himself to us in a wide variety of ways so that there is no excuse for not seeing or knowing Him. 

      When we ignore the Lord and choose to do our own thing, all kinds of ugly things begin to happen to us.  When we take control of our lives and stop following the Lord, we fall into sin.  We fall away from the Lord and lose our desire to do what is pleasing to Him.  The longer we reject the Lord’s guidance, the wilder we get.  Sin never satisfies and it urges us to do more things to try and be satisfied. 

       However, obeying the Lord brings us happiness.  There is a calmness that grips the soul.  There is peace and contentment for those who obey Him.  There is confidence that brings joy to those who follow the Lord. 

     We all have choices to make.  We can either choose to obey the Lord or we can choose to not accept His guidance and do our own thing.  Choose whichever path of life you want, but never forget, there is responsibility for the choices you make.  We will be held accountable to God for which path of life we choose.

DISCIPLINE AND REPRIMAND

Prov.29:15  To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.  NLT

       An undisciplined child is a very messed up child.  We see the repercussions of it everywhere.  Children who are not disciplined develop a sense of entitlement.  They expect to get their way and when they don’t, they rebel.  They lash out at people in authority and have very little respect for them.  They tend to find trouble and trouble finds them.  They struggle to fit into the mainstream of society and are more than likely to be liberal in their thinking.

       Whereas, a disciplined child learns to respect authority and are far more likely to be successful in their endeavors.  They are much more likely to live by the rules of society and in the workplace.  They tend to have higher standards to live by and are less likely to be “problem children.”

       It is true of children as a whole and it is true spiritually as well.  Children of God need discipline to help them be successful in their faith walk. 

       The goal of every believer ought to be to grow up to maturity in the faith.  In order to do that, we need to be taken to the woodshed a few times.  We need to be reprimanded when we get out of line.  We need God’s supervision at all times. 

       Just like a loving mother and father will discipline their children when it is needed, our Heavenly Father disciplines us when we need it. 

      Being disciplined is not usually a pleasant experience at the moment, but it does reap great rewards.

CRITICISM

Prov. 29:1  Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair.  NLT

     We don’t like to be criticized.  We don’t like it when someone points out to us our faults and failures.  We like to think of ourselves as too good to be criticized.  We want others to see us in our strengths and not our weaknesses.  We take pride in ourselves and take it as a personal attack when someone criticizes us. 

     What we need to remind ourselves of is that criticism is not all bad for us.  It is good to know what others see in us that is wrong.  Otherwise, how can we know what we need to fix?  We know we are far from being who we could or should be, so knowing what we need to work on is good for us. 

     Now granted, attitude is everything when criticisms are given.  If it is done in love with the intent of helping, then it should be welcomed with open arms.  We need help in order to grow into godliness.  We need to spur one another on in faith.  We need others to help us because sinful pride often keeps us from seeing ourselves as we should.  If it is not done in love and received in love, criticism will create harsh feelings and a resistance to change. 

       Criticism should be handled with humility and thankfulness.  Thank the Lord for those who love us enough to help us improve our lives before Him.  Accept graciously what others are saying and ask the Lord to help you to do better. 

      And when it becomes necessary for you to do the criticizing, do it in love and with much grace.  Ask the Lord to check your attitude to be sure you don’t do it with maliciousness.  Ask Him for proper words and the proper timing.  Let the Lord guide you so that in all you say you will edify the other person to the glory and honor of His name.

      Criticism is an essential part of healthy spiritual growth.  No one gets it right all the time.  We need to know how others perceive our walk with the Lord.  Not being open to criticism hardens the soul and prevents the Lord from helping us to become holy and acceptable in His sight.

DO NOT TRUST YOURSELF

Prov. 28:26  Trusting oneself is foolish, but those who walk in wisdom are safe.  NLT

     We are our own worst enemy.  We fail to see ourselves in a realistic or honest way.  We tend to see ourselves in a positive light, especially as we compare ourselves with others.  We try to convince ourselves that we are okay just the way we are.  We sugarcoat our deficiencies.  We seldom see ourselves as others see us.  Being around us others can see us in our weaknesses, but we usually don’t see them as others do.  We convince ourselves that when Scripture speaks of sinful behavior and thoughts that it always applies to others and not ourselves.  Let’s be honest, we struggle to be honest with ourselves about ourselves.  Trusting ourselves is foolish because we are so easily convinced that we have it all together and don’t need help.

      Those who know they are in need can be helped.  In fact, unless we see ourselves as in need, we can’t have a living relationship with Christ.  We do not need ourselves, we need Christ.  We need His companionship, instruction and corrections.  We need Him to humble us.  We need Him to keep us aware of our shortcomings and sins.  We need wisdom from God.  We need Him to keep us needy.

       Wisdom keeps us safe.  Wisdom is knowing what is true and living it.  It is understanding that when God reveals to us things about us that need changing that we listen to God and change.  It is reading the Scriptures with open hearts and looking for things that apply to us.  It is being more concerned about seeing ourselves honestly.  It is knowing we are in need before God.  It is being aware of our sinfulness and repenting of it.  It is knowing that we are far from being perfect.  It is knowing that often we don’t get it right and need correction.  It is being able to accept correction graciously. 

      Only those who have wisdom will be able to live rightly before God.  It is foolish to trust one’s self instead of God.  It is foolish for us to be so proud that we can’t be changed.  It is foolish to not listen to others.  It is foolish to ignore the instructions and chastisements of God.  Examine your heart before God today and be wise.  Surrender it all to Jesus and you will be wise.

BE FRANK

Prov. 28:23  In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery.  NLT

       Flattery makes us feel good, for a little while.  Everyone likes to have their ego stroked.  We all want to be noticed and appreciated.  We are geared to being liked.  Some will go out of their way to be liked.  Some will do drastic things in order to be liked.  Some will even impose evil things on others in order to make themselves feel important in the eyes of others.  Some people crave flattery so much that they are driven to portray a persona that they are not in order to be looked up.

      However, no matter how much flattery a person may receive, it doesn’t last.  No one always does things that are worthy of flattery.  No one is so good all the time that others can sing their praises.  In fact, feasting on flattery is damaging to the soul.  It makes us feel good, but it cannot make us good.  When all we hear is flattery, it goes to our heads.  We get the delusional idea that what we hear is who we are.  Away from the limelight, we know that we are not always what others seem to believe about us. 

       Frankness is far more beneficial to us than flattery.  When others will tell us the truth about us, we can help ourselves to change.  Frankness is needed.  Everyone needs to be surrounded by people who are not impressed by them and are willing to honestly tell them what others either don’t see or won’t tell. 

       Being frank with someone is good, but it should always be done with love.  The Lord wants us to help one another to grow and become instead of tearing each other down by the things we say or the way we say them.  Whenever you are inclined to be frank with someone, pray before you speak.  You should care enough to speak out when it is needed, but you should always do it with the desire to help and not hinder a person. 

      And, when someone is loving enough to be frank with us, we should accept the truth with grace and love.  We should never be so proud to think that we don’t need to be corrected and helped.  We should never think of ourselves in a flattery, but false, way.  We should accept what we hear with welcome hearts and ask the Lord to help us to do and be better children of God.

A TENDER CONSCIENCE

Prov. 28:14  Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.  NLT

      A tender conscience is good for the soul.  It is a good thing to be sensitive to sin.  We need to know when we mess up that it is not right or okay with God.  We need to know that we can’t sin and be right with God. 

      Stubbornness on the other hand is bad for the soul.  A stubborn soul is a defiant soul.  When a stubborn soul is confronted by God or others concerning sin, there is a resistance to the accusation.  Often the stubborn in heart will deny that they have even sinned.  They become set in their ways and refuse to learn new things or change their ways.  They get defensive instead of being humble and compliant.  They are prone to let pride rule their behavior. 

      A stubborn heart is heading for certain trouble.  God cannot do anything with someone who will not cooperate with Him.  Stubbornness prevents the soul from hearing God when He speaks.  Most of life’s lessons are learned from the mistakes we make, but the stubborn in heart do not learn much.  A stubborn soul is like hardened clay in the potter’s hand.  Even the most skilled potter cannot work with dried out hardened clay. 

        Undealt with sin hardens the soul and makes it stubborn.  The longer sin is allowed to dwell in the soul, the harder it becomes to get rid of it and the more damage it does.  Keep your soul tender before God and take sin seriously.  When it rears its ugly head, deal with it right away.  Don’t let pride keep you from keeping your soul tender before God.  Keep your soul out of trouble with God and stay on top of things and you will know the blessings of God today and forever.

FUTILE COVER UPS

Prov. 28:13 People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy.  NLT

        It has never worked and it never will.  Whenever we try to cover over our sins we make a mess of things and our lives.  We may be able to hide our sins from others, but we can never hide them from God.  Sin in our hearts keep us at odds with God.  There is guilt and shame that plague us.  There is no peace with God, no joy in our living.  If we get caught by others, then there is additional consequences to pay.  Trying to hide sin, is never a good idea.

       God is merciful to all who sincerely repent of their sins.  Notice that part of the key for us to receive mercy is to forsake our sins.  This means that we walk away from them.  We put them behind us and strive to not do them again.  We break the habit of our sins.  We allow the Lord to change our character so we don’t repeat them over and over again.  True repentance must include our forsaking sin.  The Lord changes our desire to sin and if no change is noted, then true repentance has not happened.  It is easy to confess our sins and seek forgiveness, but it is much harder to forsake them. 

       The Good News is that whenever we come clean and confess our sin and endeavor to forsake them we are forgiven by God.  If you are struggling with sin in your life, ask the Lord to change the desires of your heart so that you no longer want to sin.  You can try to cover up your sins, but it never has and never will work.  The soul is never at rest while sins are tried being covered up.  It is an exercise in futility.  Even if you can hide your sins from yourself and others, God sees them.  He will not ignore them no matter how much we may want Him to or convince ourselves He does.

       Examine your heart today.  Be honest about what you find there.  If you don’t see any sin there, ask the Lord to search your heart.  Confess your sins as they are exposed.  Ask the Lord to forgive you and determine in your heart to forsake them.  God will be merciful and forgive you and give you peace so your soul can then prosper in the wonders of His grace. 

      And, just a word of caution.  Don’t ever get the idea that you do not sin.  You do.  We are not God; we are not perfect.  Be quiet before God and let Him show you things that are not right, and He will. 

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

Prov. 28:9  The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised.  NLT

      People everywhere pray.  Most people believe in some kind of a god to whom they pray.  In every culture there are a multitude of people who pray.  God instilled in the human soul the need to believe in God and pray.  I can’t speak with authority on whether or not the prayers of people who have no understanding at all of Christ or God as He reveals himself to be in the Word are heard or answered by God.  I will let those far more knowledgeable than I am decide that.  I do know that God holds us accountable for what we do know and understand. 

      God knows the heart and those who are sincerely seeking to please Him.  He knows those who desire to do what is right before Him but lack the knowledge and understanding to live by the law.  He is just and merciful and will respond to their prayers according to their righteousness and faith.

       Our verse today addresses those who do have a knowledge and understanding of God’s laws and ignores them.  These are people who do not consider it important to take what God says seriously.  They have a head knowledge of the truth, but not a heart knowledge of it.  They show by their living that they don’t respect who God is.  They take for granted what God says and do not seek to live it. 

      God rejects the prayers of those who do not live by the Word of God.  He does not hear those who ignore Him.  It is serious business to know what God says and do nothing about it.  All the prayers in the world will not be heard by God where sin, and not Christ, rules.  God gives us His Word to make us holy and productive servants of Him.  He demands that we submit to His authority over us.  There is no mercy for those who ignore God’s Word.

       If you are having problems with God answering your prayers, you need to look carefully into His Word to see if you are missing something there very important for you to apply to your life.  You need to let the Spirit examine your heart and show you where you need to repent and change. 

      God hears and answers the prayers of those who are striving to live by His Word. 

WHERE THERE IS MORAL ROT

Prov. 28:2  Where there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.  But with wise and knowledgeable leaders, there is stability.  NLT

       Rotten to the core is how we can describe most countries today.  Everywhere you turn you see evil glorified.  You see people seemingly with no shame doing things in public that are immoral.  You see blatant disregard for godly living.  People are abused and used for personal pleasure and gain.  Where there are restrictions on public behavior, there is often a disregard for human life or accepted mistreatment of women and children.  No matter how it manifests itself, sin is everywhere. 

       Some try to legislate morality in an effort to keep peace and order in society.  It doesn’t work.  Moral laws cannot change the soul.  You cannot mask evil hearts with laws.  When those who are evil run government, bad things happen and eventually governments fall and chaos reigns.  Unstable people cannot produce a stable country.

       On the other hand, where there are wise and knowledgeable leaders there are stable governments.  Such people are grounded by the truth.  Wisdom comes from God.  He is the source of all lasting truth.  Only in God do we find that which works in life.  Only in God do we find a way to live that ensures us of eternal life.  Wisdom is the right application of knowledge.  It is taking the Word of God and applying it well to life.

       Knowledge doesn’t just happen.  It comes from honest and open-hearted searching for truth.  It is understanding that is gleaned from studying the Scriptures and from living by faith.  It is an ever-expanding discovery of how to live a life pleasing to God. 

      Wise and knowledgeable leaders govern well and keep a country stable.  They are people who respect life.  They treat people well.  They do what is good for the common good of the people.  They live respectable lives and they do not lord it over others. 

       Wise and knowledgeable people understand the dangers of power and do not let it go to their heads.

       Pray that the Lord would raise up wise and knowledgeable people to lead you.  Ask Him to intervene and move those over you to do what is right in His sight.  Ask Him to keep those who rule over you humble.  Pray for peace and stability. 

DEATH, DESTRUCTION, DESIRES

Prov. 27:20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.  NLT

       There are some things in life you can count on; death is one of them.  No one will escape death unless it’s those who are taken to heaven when the Lord returns.  Death is no respecter of people.  No matter what kind of life is lived, all will die.  You will die.  Knowing that death is going to happen, it ought to cause us to think about it and what God says about it.  No one is guaranteed another day, another moment.  You may not finish reading this devotional today.  Are you at peace with what is going to happen to you when you die?  Are you ready to face God and give an account for how and why you have lived like you do?

       Destruction is another certain reality.  Destruction is the natural by-product of sin.  Sin destroys.  It comes in various ways and times.  It is unavoidable, but we don’t have to be victims of it.  We can rise above the forces of destruction when we stay focused in Christ.  Things may not go well for us and we may suffer greatly, but in Christ we have victory over all things.  We can handle whatever we face when Jesus is Lord of life.

      Human desire is something else that never ends.  God created us with natural desires that must be dealt with constantly.  God gave us desires for the things that sustain us and keeps us going.  Our desires are never satisfied because our needs never go away.  It is true in every area of our lives.  We are a needy people.  The only time we will cease to have need is when we die.  Our greatest need is our need for the Lord.  If we know the Lord we know just how much we constantly need Him.  We need His constant presence and influence in our lives.  If we lose grip on Him we quickly fall into the cesspool of sin.  A life of soul destruction is just a sin away.  When we cave in and let sin into our souls, it soon grows and takes over.  We must be diligent guardians of our souls.  We need the Lord.

      Have you gotten lax about your soul?  Has sin crept in?  Today is the day of repentance for you.  You may not live long enough to have another chance to repent.  The Lord guarantees forgiveness for all who come to Him humbly, confess their sins, and seek His forgiveness.  Is your heart right with God today? 

REFLECTIONS OF THE HEART

Prov. 27:19 As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.  NLT

       No one can see what is in the heart, but we can get a fairly good idea by watching how a person lives. Our actions and words are determined by our relationship with God. The farther away from God we are, the more like the world we become. The closer we are to God, the more like Christ we become. The way we live reflects the condition of our souls.

      Actions and words when repeated regularly begin to become habits to us. The more we repeat them, the more ingrained they become in our souls. Our hearts determine the habits we form.

      What kind of habits have you formed in your life? Do your words and the things you say reflect the life of Christ in you? If they are questionable, then it is time to do a heart check-up. If your heart is right with the Lord, you will want to please him. You will want to avoid those things that you know displease him. You will not let unholy habits rule your life.

      If your heart is right with God, it will show in what you do and say.  Others will not be confused about who you are.  You will reflect the righteousness and holiness of Christ.

       If your heart is right with God, you will have a hunger and thirst for Him in your life.  You will be a consistent reader and studier of God’s Word.  You will consistently commune with Him in prayer.  You will serve Him consistently in your life. 

      The character of your heart is reflected in how you live your life.

WHAT'S IN YOUR HEART?

Prov. 27:19 As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.  NLT

       Here is a truth that we must always remember.  What is in the heart matters.  We may be able to put on a front and fool people, but who we really are is determined by the heart.  Now there are a few things that we must consider about the heart.

      The heart is the soul of man.  It is the spirit of man.  It is influenced and controlled by either Christ or Satan.  There are no other choices.  If the Lord is not leading the heart, Satan is.  No one can escape this truth and everyone chooses who will lead them.

       The heart is directly connected to the mind.  Whatever we allow to linger in our minds find their way into our hearts.  The more we think about unholy things, the more we are influenced by them and the more likely we are to act them out.  We become what we think about.  If we ignore feeding our minds with godly things, sinful things begin to take over. 

       We are naturally born sinners and the only way we can control our sinful nature is for us to keep our minds focused on godly things.  We must pursue God through His Word, the fellowship of His church and prayer.  The more time we spend on godly things, the less time Satan has to get a foothold in our hearts.  When we slack off in our pursuit of God, we give Satan the opening he is looking for.  He will take full advantage of his opportunity and begin the process of leading us astray.

       If you want to please the Lord and live a victorious life in Him, you must diligently guard your soul by protecting your mind.  You must say no to sinful influences and thinking.  It’s not easy to do and we all fail, but it is what we must strive to do.  Fight the good fight for your soul and you will win the war through Jesus Christ our Lord.

BE SHARP; BE SHARPENED

Prov. 27:17  As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.  NLT

       Friends are good to have.  Friends are people that come into our lives that we can lean on.  They support us.  They encourage us.  They help us when we need correction.  They defend us against those who would attack us.  They love us and try to help us be better people.  They do not drag us down or lead us into temptation.  Everybody needs friends in their lives.

       Friends are necessary for fellowship.  We need to be able to spend time with friends and feed off their lives.  We need to be able to relax with people who will accept us for who we are and not for who they think we should be.  We need people in our lives who make us feel good about being with them.

     We should be careful on our selection of friends.  We need to befriend those who have good character that we can trust and it takes time to discern those whom we can really trust.  Some people will appear to be our friends, but will disappoint us when things go wrong.  Some people will betray our trust in them.  Some will forsake us when it best serves themselves. 

      Just as you need genuine, dependable friends in your life, others you know need you to be a friend to them.  They need to know that you can be depended on to be a help and not a hindrance to their lives. 

      Are you good friend material?  Only a heart that stays connected to Christ can be counted on to be a true-blue friend.  Only Christ can help us to do what is right before God and right by others.  A person who is taking care of his soul will take care of others.  The Lord needs us to be the real deal.  There are people you know who need a godly person in their lives.  You will either sharpen or dull the life of others.  Stay spiritually sharp and you will sharpen others so that they in turn can sharpen others. 

BE PREPARED

Prov. 27:12 A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.  NLT

       It is foolish to barrel full-steam ahead without any idea what may lie before you.  We don’t know the dangers that lie before us.  Satan is a crafty and formidable foe and he likes to lay traps for us.  He doesn’t want us to get very far in our spiritual walk and will do all he can to hinder us or stop us altogether.  What lies ahead for us could damage our souls severely.

       Wise is he who tries to anticipate what may lie ahead.  We obviously have no real idea what the future may hold for us, but we can take some precautionary steps today to better prepare us for whatever we may face.

      It is imperative for the safety of our souls that we keep our eyes focused on Christ today.  We must stay in close fellowship with Him.  We must learn all we can about how to live in Him.  We must consistently work to develop a healthy relationship with Him.  In order to be ready for the future, we must be in the Word of God on a consistent basis.  We must read it, think about it, and strive to apply it to life.  We must spend time in prayer consistently.  We must take the time in prayer to worship and develop the discipline of lingering there.  We must be actively serving the Lord, doing all we can to bring Him honor among men.  We must be witnesses for Him whenever we can. 

      When we live in Christ today, growing in grace and our knowledge of Him, we will be ready for whatever may lie before us in the future.  If we don’t take care of our souls, the consequences may be severe.  An unprepared soul may face the Lord unexpectantly and then it will be too late.  Don’t go into your future blind.  Be sure your heart is right with God.  Today may very well be your last day on earth.

STARVE IT TO DEATH

Prov. 26:20  Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.  NLT

       In order to keep a fire going, you have to keep feeding it. In order to keep an argument going, you have to keep feeding it. Quarrels are unavoidable. We have different opinions on a lot of things. We want our opinions to be heard and understood. We want to convince others that we are right and they are wrong. We dig in our heels and refuse to back down. When no one gives ground, quarrels break down relationships. We allow our disagreements to keep us from getting along with others. We find ways to justify our position the longer the quarrel goes. We develop “reasons” why we are right and others are wrong. We refuse to budge because we let it become an image issue. Whether we are right or wrong doesn’t matter. Pride makes us right in our own eyes.

     The only way we can keep from allowing relationships from being broken is to see the bigger picture. When we are at odds with each other, we cannot be right with God. When we let quarrels keep us from acting in a loving way towards another, we are stopping the flow of God’s love through us to another. We are keeping the good that could happen between us and others from happening. It is going against God’s will for us and it is sin.

      When we find ourselves arguing with others, we need to humble ourselves and back off. We need to understand that severed relationships are never good. We need to stop the arguing and strive to live peacefully with others. We need to apologize where it is needed and move on. You may never agree with the other person on their stand, but that is not the issue. You can agree to disagree agreeably. You can set aside your differences and let the Lord help you to love each other.

      If you are at odds with someone and it has broken your fellowship, don’t let your pride stand in the way of your reaching out and seeking reconciliation. Extend the hand of loving fellowship. Do the right thing before God and He will give you peace. Don’t add fuel to the fire, let it die out. You will be glad you did.

IT'S NO JOKE

Prov. 26:18-19 Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”  NLT

      Words matter.  Truth matters.  What you say affects others.  When lies are spoken about another, great harm is done.  False accusations can forever affect the way others are perceived.  False information can forever affect what a person does or says.  False accusations can forever affect relationships.  No matter how you look at it, lies are bad and should never be spoken.

       Lies when found out affect one’s reputation and reliability.  There is no such thing as an insignificant lie.  It affects the soul and when lies are spoken it sets off a progression of sin in the soul.  When truth is compromised, God is not pleased and judges the soul.  It is so easy to lie because it is convenient or self-serving to do so, but it is never appropriate or necessary.  Truth must always be spoken if one is going to have a heart right with God.

      If telling the truth would create problems, one must prayerfully consider whether or not it should be told.  Silence is the only acceptable option to not telling the truth.  It is better to not say anything than it is to lie about someone or something.  The truth sometimes hurt, but sometimes it is a good thing to hurt.  Telling the truth is necessary for needed change to take place. 

      Telling lies is no joking matter.  It deeply affects one’s standing with God and with others.  Lies cause great harm for all involved.  Speak the truth always.  Only a heart connection with Christ can keep one from telling lies.  Keeping the soul in tune with the Lord moves the soul to always want to speak the truth.  No matter how uncomfortable it may make you feel, always speak the truth in love.  It is God’s way.

LIVING TO BE NOTICED

Prov. 25:27 Just as it is not good to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors they deserve.  NLT

     We do it don’t we?  We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to.  We get caught up in the thinking of the world and believe that we deserve attention and the accolades of others.  We see ourselves as inherently good and deserving of notice.  Some go out of their way to be noticed.  Being noticed by others becomes their way of life.  It is what defines them as a person. 

       It is not a good thing when we begin to focus our thoughts on ourselves.  It always leads us into areas of pride over our self-worth or it destroys our self-worth because we believe the lie that we are not worth anything because we are not being noticed by anyone.

      A much better way to deal with life is to see ourselves positioned in Christ.  When we find our worth rooted in a relationship with God, we don’t need the recognition of man. 

       For the child of God, we live for God’s approval.  Just to know that God is pleased with us and is waiting for us to go to heaven to be with Him is enough to make life worth the living.  It is far better to be approved of by God than it is by man. 

      The honors received by man are so shallow and fleeting.  You may be on the top of the world today and in the gutter tomorrow.  The world admires those who rise to the top and stays there.  The moment someone stumbles and falls they are judged, discarded and forgotten.  Success is everything to the world.  It is what gives life meaning to most.  Comparing one’s self to others is what the world does.  The better one seems to be compared to others, the more self-worth one seems to have. 

       Keep your focus on pleasing God and you will not have to depend on man’s approval for meaning in life.  You will discover how shallow and meaningless life is as it is lived by the world. Success will be measured by how you walk in Christ instead of how you walk in the world. 

       You will only find soul satisfaction and peace when you live your life in fellowship with Christ Jesus our Lord.

DO NOT COMPROMISE

Prov. 25:26 If the godly compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.  NLT

      A fountain that is muddy is not pleasing to the eye.  It is something that no one wants to be around.  It serves no real purpose and is turned off until the problem is fixed.  A muddy spring is not good for anything.  The soul is the same way.  It has no real purpose or function if it is all muddied up with sin.  The only way the soul can be refreshing and produce godly fruit is for it to be purified from the sin that muddies it.  The only way anyone will be attracted to it is if it is pure.

      If the pure in heart compromise their purity with the wicked, they muddy up the water of their soul.  There are many different ways one can compromise their purity.  Instead of taking a firm and strong stand against sin, some take the easy road and cave in to it.  Instead of believing what God says is, some believe what man says is and fall into sin.  Instead of speaking out against sin, some sit idly by and let sin have its way.  Instead of sacrificing personal pleasure or gain for the sake of purity, some lower their standards so they can have what they want. 

        And yes, it is possible for godly people to compromise their godliness with sin.  Sadly, it goes on all the time.  Most of the time it happens when we lose sight of the importance of holiness in our lives.  We believe the lies of Satan that it’s not that big of a deal.  We question our own need to be holy.  We believe that God will overlook it if we are not as holy as we should be.  We deny the fact that holiness means we take a stand against sin and strive to keep it out of our hearts.

       Let me ask you this.  How much have you compromised your godliness?  Are you as holy as you know you should be?  Are you as concerned about it as you know you should be?  Do you really think the Lord is pleased with how well you take a stand for that which is right in His sight?  If you are uncomfortable with thinking about these things, you need to have a talk with the Lord about it right now.

        God never compromises His Word or the truth, and neither should we.  If we do, it is sin and we will answer to God for it.

TO TELL THE TRUTH

Prov. 25:18  Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.  NLT

       There are a lot of ways one can physically hurt others.  It is painful to watch what some people do to others.  It should outrage us at the way others are treated.  Perhaps you have been on the receiving end of being mistreated by others either physically or emotionally.  Sadly, it is not uncommon.  People who are lost have no problem taking their lostness out on others.  There is no way to stop the madness apart from Christ.  No imprisonment can keep evil people from being evil.  It is the nature of the soul without Christ to be self-serving and cruel to those who they don’t want in their lives.

        As painful as physical pain may be, wounding the heart is just as bad.  Concocting lies about another can destroy the heart.  It can cause someone to actually believe the lies being told.  It can cause someone to foolishly seek revenge against the one spreading lies.  It can ruin the reputation of others.  It can create a mistrust in others towards the one being lied about.  It can cause the one being lied about to no longer trust others.  It can break one’s spirit and cause him to not even try any longer.  It hurts deep within the soul to be on the receiving end of someone’s lies.

      God commands us to always speak truthfully in love.  Telling lies about anyone is never acceptable to God.  It never accomplishes anything but destruction.  When we talk about others we must always watch what we say.  If we must say anything about another’s character, we must always know that what we say is absolute truth and not hearsay or just our opinion.  If we have something negative to say, we should first go to the person and lovingly address the issue.

      Telling lies is a spiritual issue.  It indicates that the heart is not right with God.  Only the truth must flow from the lips of the redeemed.  Godly people never slander others.  They are truth-bearers.  And when the truth is shared, it’s only done in love so that restoration can take place.

ENVYING THE WICKED

Prov. 24:19-20 Do not fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked. For the evil have no future; their light will be snuffed out.  NLT

      The world promotes evil.  For the most part, evil people run the world.  They rise to the top of most fields.  They are portrayed as people to be looked up to and admired for what they do.  We glamorize them and overlook their personal failures.  We separate their public lives from their private lives.  For the most part we don’t care what they do in private as long as we like what we see in their public persona.

       If we are not careful, we envy their successes in life.  We long to be able to walk in their shoes.  We dream about what it might be like to be in the limelight.  We fail to remember that what we see is delusional.  Things aren’t as they seem to be.  Earth’s successes mean nothing when it comes to eternity.  There is no future for evildoers.  They have no hope of escaping hell.  When their lives have run their course, they are soon forgotten.  They are buried and remembered by only those closest to them.

        But, the lives of the righteous live on.  When the righteous die they are ushered into the presence of the Lord.  Their lives are lived on in the lives of those they touch on earth.  They impact the world for generations to come as the seed they sow keep reproducing new seed. 

      Do not fret because of evildoers.  Live life in Christ and trust in His Word.  Only in Christ will you find help and hope.  Only in Him do you find what the wicked are looking for.  Only in Him is there peace and contentment.  The more you invest your life in Christ, the happier you will be in life.  Surround yourself with godly people.  Be thankful for what Christ has done for us and what He is doing in you.  Do not long for the successes of the wicked.  Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation and your life will be blessed.

GOD KNOWS YOU KNEW!

Prov. 24:12  Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it.  For God knows all hearts, and he sees you.  He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew!  And he will judge all people according to what they have done.  NLT

       Ignorance is no excuse.  We cannot claim we are not responsible for obeying God because we may not know all there is to know.  God holds us responsible for how we live by what we know.  He knows the heart and why we do what we do.  No one escapes His notice.

       There is nothing in your heart that God does not know about.  Nothing.  You may not be open and honest with others about you, but you cannot hide from God.  He knows not only what is in you, He knows how and why it got there.  If there is something there for Him to see, it is because you have not confessed it and repented of it.  He has not forgiven you and will hold you accountable for it.

      You cannot fool God.  He knows what you know.  He knows when you disobey His revealed truth to you.  He will not let you get away with it.  He judges us for what we have done. 

      How about it?  Do you have unconfessed sin in your heart?  He knows about it.  It is not okay with God and He will hold you responsible for your sins.  You have two choices to make.  You can confess your sins to Him today, or you can let God deal with you on Judgment Day. Would you rather let Him deal with you now while you can still live in Him, or do you want to wait until you no longer have a chance to repent? 

      You cannot take a neutral stand.  By not repenting of your sins today, you are rejecting the Lord.  And, all who reject the Lord face an eternity in hell if they don’t repent.  Are you prepared to face the possibility that you could die today with unconfessed sin in your heart?