He Will Direct Your Path

 Proverb 3:5,6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We think we know and can figure it out. Common sense guides us many times to understand the path we should take. Common sense is what human beings would do given a reasonable sense of right and wrong. We make decisions based on experiences and through the things we have been taught and what we have learned through reading. God has gifted man with an ability to do extraordinary things and accomplish feats that would have seemed impossible at one time. But, in matters of the heart, we often cannot understand or ascertain the answers to many problems in life. We can reason within our minds all the variables and possible solutions, but we come up empty-handed. Some would advise you to follow your heart and do what your heart says. But the heart of man without God is flawed and can easily be deceived. A heart that will trust in God will lean on God’s word, search out the scriptures to find the right path to take. In matters that matter, it is vital that we trust in the Lord, and not let the wisdom of this world guide our path. Common sense is a reasonable guide, but it is not infallible. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”- James 1:5. In everything we do, ask the Holy Spirit to guide our path. He will never lead us astray, and will keep us on the path that is good and right.

The Eyes of the Lord

 Proverb 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

The omnipresence of God is one of His deity's attributes. He is everywhere, present in all situations, and sees not only what happens in the visual world, but sees what is in the heart of man. He sees the evil that is happening in the world today. The perversion of humanity, calling good evil and evil good. He saw evil in the days of Sodom and Gommorah and did not tolerate the sinfulness of that day. He sees the wokeness of our day and His eyes are heavy with sorrow. His heart breaks to see that many have become reprobates, turning away from the truth of His word to their own desires, fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Yes, God sees the heart, and His holiness will judge rightly. He is a God of grace and forgiveness. He will not turn away a heart that desires to turn toward that which is good and righteous. He beholds those who are seekers after righteousness and seek that which is good. There is nothing that is hidden from Him. “ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea.” (Psalm 139:8-9) He not only sees us, but he is there with us. The eyes of the Lord are never deceived or tricked, they are perfect and can see things that man cannot see. We can be assured that His eyes are on us.  The songwriter penned this so accurately.  “For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” For the eyes of the Lord are in every place.

A Strong Tower

Proverb 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

The attacks of the enemy often happen unexpectedly. Towers were built in ancient times for many reasons, but most often they were a place to stage off attacks by invaders. It was a place of refuge, a place of safety.  A strong tower is fortified and structured to withstand a siege, to stand strong when the enemy attacks with accusations, persecution, temptation, and the trials of life. Jesus, the Name of the Lord, is our strong tower, He is our place of safety. We run to Him when it appears that the problems of life become overwhelming. The tower is a place where the child of God can find refuge when there is nowhere else to turn. A place surrounded by God’s protection and love. A strong tower is fortified to withstand the storm of life that comes crashing off the shores of a troubled sea. The Name of the Lord (Jesus) desires to wrap us in His arms, protect us from harm, carry us to safety. Run to Him. He is all we need. 

Winning Souls

 Proverb 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

The soul of man is trapped and is held by Satan. From the fall of Adam and Eve, the soul of man has been made captive to sin and darkness. A child, as innocent as it may be, was born with the nature of sin in his heart. The battle to “win” back God’s creation has been fought from the beginning of time. It is the desire of God that souls be brought back into fellowship with Him. Winning souls is to convert others from their sinful ways and win them over to Christ. To win is to teach and persuade others of the claims of Christ in their heart.  Teaching them that the source of life is found in the tree of life. Righteousness and right living is to confess our sins, trust in the blood of Christ to cleanse our heart from sin, and live righteously before Him. As Christians, we are to be ambassadors for Christ, doing what we can to convert others to follow Christ. Our first responsibility to win others to Christ is to live a life that reflects the image of Christ. Our words and teaching are discarded when our lives are not consistent with the teaching. It is through the teaching of the word in harmony with our lives that others can be won to Christ. It is possible to win others to Christ without walking them through the "Roman road to salvation." Our life should be a living Bible, seen and read by all men, but there is power in the spoken word. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Roman 10:10. Let our fruit be that of righteousness and our lives win others to Christ.

A Merry Heart

 Proverbs 11:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

God created us with a body, mind, and spirit. But most important is that we have the breath of God in us,  God gave us a soul that will live on forever. Without going into a deep dive, suffice to say that our soul is a separate entity from what is visually observed through human observation. Jesus makes this distinction when He said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The condition of our soul should always be top priority. This is not to say that we should not care for the well being of our body, mind, and heart (emotions). We are the temple of God, earthen vessels that God desires to fill and use for His glory. In our humanity, we represent Christ in every aspect of our lives. How we treat our body, the thoughts we think, and how we express our emotions (spirit). Our attitude in life is a manifestation of our spirit. We do live in troubled days, and having a cheerful and merry heart is made difficult with the sadness that surrounds us. Having a merry heart comes with believing God is the source of our contentment, He alone can bring true joy to the heart.  With purpose, we rejoice in the Lord, we find that God is good, and can make the heart glad. “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”- Psalm 118:24

Reward Evil With Good

 Prov 25:21,22

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,  and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

It should be the goal of every Christian to befriend everyone that they meet. It is not our goal to make enemies, but it is inevitable that there will be people who will consider you their enemy. Their heart is darkened with sin and the carnal nature is an enemy of God. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Taking a stand against the sin of this present day is not a popular position. You will have enemies that will make you out to be evil and incentive. The action we take as Christian is critical to the work of the Kingdom of Christ. The teaching of Christ makes it clear that we are not to retaliate with animosity and hatred, yet we are not to compromise the teaching of God’s Word. The principle of “Turn the other cheek” is demonstrated in the words of Solomon. Return evil with good, do good to all men regardless how they may treat you. Let your life reflect Christ in such a way that their hearts are convicted with guilt of their deeds and believe God that they will come to know the truth and repent of their wicked ways. God rewards the faithful who not only are faithful to keep God’s word, but to demonstrate the love of God to a world who is blinded by the darkness of our day, and needs Jesus. Let us return evil with good.

Find Knowledge

 Proverbs 2:4,5
If you will seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;… Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God… Then you will understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity..

Wisdom is to be able to apply knowledge in making the right decisions. God’s Word is full of knowledge and instruction. It is applicable to our day and our culture. Society and cultures are often based on traditions and are influenced by trends and fashions that are made popular through the media and people of influence. Time and changing cultures do not change the truth of God’s Word of living right. The moral commandments of God are still truth and pierce through every age and geographical culture across the world. Lying, stealing, coveting, killing, sexual immorality, profanity, and making gods unto oneself are still sins, regardless of the accepted lifestyles in our day.

A Father’s Instructions

Proverbs 3:1-12
Our Father in heaven is the perfect example of what God’s wants fathers to be. He Through Christ is the head of the Church. His Word is the final authority. His love and mercy are everlasting. The father is the head of the home with the courage to follow God and raise his family in the fear of the Lord. May he do it with compassion and desire to see his family make it to the city of God.

Rule Book from God- the Law
• Principles for Living
• The final authority
• Love your wife, provoke not your children
Reality of the Word- thine heart
• We must live it
• More than just a good man
• Life centered around Christ
Remember His Word- forsake not
• Teach our children the Word
• They will not depart from it- Conscience will follow them
Reward for Obedience- shall find favor
• Honor is given to those who depend on God
• The fruits of your labor will not go in vain.
Rely on God for Understanding- Lean not
• Trust God for leadership
• Don’t allow “ego” to guide your decisions
• He has promise to show the path
Responsible Steward- with thy substance
• Provide for your household
• Provide for the work of the Kingdom
• Give to God your first fruits-tithe
• God honors a cheerful giver and will reward them
Rod of Correction despise not chastening
• Discipline- teach by corrections
• Not punishment or impunity, but for the purpose of learning a lesson.
• Mode of Correction- Individual temperament
• True love will not let them do whatever they want
• Always confirms with Love and Prayers

Honoring Mothers

Proverbs 31: 1—15, 20-31
The recognition of honoring mothers goes back to ancient Greece history. Much celebration at this time was given over to idol worshipping of the goddess. During the 1600’s, England set aside a special day called “Mothering Sunday” this special celebration was recognize in very much the same way it is done today. President Wilson in 1914 officially proclaimed a national holiday to honor all mothers.
What does it mean to give honor? We live in a day where honor of any kind is a scares attribute. When a nation ceases to honor God and country, it has lost the respect to properly give honor where honor is due. As Christians, we are commanded to honor our mothers. Not because they are the “perfect mother” but, because they are God’s chosen to bare the seed of His creation. A Christian mother is a special gift that we especially need to take time to give our love and appreciation. A mother that fears God is always striving to be the best she can to see that her children live for God. In my mind, that is a “virtuous women” As mothers, fathers, and children, we strive not for perfection in behavior, but for obedience to the perfect will of God.
Christian Mothers:
M- maternal nurturing love to her children
• Protection of her offspring
• It is not normal to disregard and abuse
O- others come first
• Sacrifices her own needs- rising early to prepare for the day
• Making sure her own children have their needs met
T- thoughtful and considerate to others
• Bearing the fruits of the Spirit
• Always thinking how this will effect others
• Find ways to ease the burden for others
H- home is empty when mom is gone
• Her home is filled with joy and warmth
• A house without a mother’s touch remains just a house
E- everyone is a priority
• She loves her child equally- no favorites
R- Remember all those special occasions
• Hallmark could not stay in business
S- Serves God, family, and the church
• Idleness is far from her
• She fears the Lord and her life is centered around God.
• Her desire to see her children serve God
• Always praying for God’s will to be done
• Her children rise up to honor her