Month: March 2019

Read Proverbs Chapter 21.

.  “A wicked person puts on a bold face, but the upright one considers his way.” Proverbs 21: 29

The original Hebrew for considers in this verse means “to make firm, to establish, to prepare.”  I can’t help but think of the movie Field of Dreams. The infamous line from this particular movie  is: “If you build it, they will come.” It was referring to a baseball field that would eventually be filled with the greatest players to have ever played the game.

Wouldn’t you like to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game?

You can be, simply by considering your ways.

‘In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NIV) People are drawn to the light.  In a world of darkness, the light within you is powerful. If you let it shine, people will be drawn to you. They won’t even know why.

The term for bugs that are drawn to the light is photoaxis.  It is theorized that the reason bugs do this, such as moths, is because it messes with their internal navigation system.  Your light can have the same effect on others. It can mess with their internal navigation system.

God’s ways mess with our internal navigation system.

Forgiving instead of exacting revenging.  Telling the truth instead of lying. Helping instead of hurting.  All of these are rays of light we cast into the world when we consider our ways.  When we choose to follow God’s directions instead of our own, we let our light shine brightly.  When we do, we become a source for photoaxis to take place. We draw people to us instead of repel them away.  Like a moth to a flame, they will come. Instead of finding death, they will find life.

Let your light shine!  Become one of the greatest players to ever play the game

Read Proverbs Chapter 20.

“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord made them both.” Proverbs 20:12 CSB

Shama is the Hebrew word for hearing in this verse; its meaning is “to hear intelligently”.  Seeing, in its original form means, “to see that one can learn to know.” This is my favorite prayer, for anyone, including myself.  Learning the original meanings of these words makes it ever more so.

We can’t change other people.  It is one of the hardest truth’s to learn and accept.  It can be so clear to the observer the destructive path others are choosing to walk.  Nothing is more heartbreaking than not being able to do anything about their choices. But you can do this.  You can pray for them to have ears to hear and eyes to see. You can pray that they hear intelligently the truth that is being presented to them.  You can pray that they will see so that they can learn to know. I think it is one of the most effective prayers you can pray for someone headed in the wrong direction.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians 13:12 NIV: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  None of us can see the whole picture. We only see in part. Praying for people to have ears to hear and eyes to see is asking God to give them a little more insight.  It is asking Him to let them see the truth.

Ears to hear and eyes to see can right the ship.

A recent study revealed the Titanic could have been saved.  The officer on duty was warned of the iceberg in its path.   William Murdock waited 30 seconds before he changed the course of the ship.  If he had acted immediately 1496 lives may have been saved. One could argue that was his reaction time, and it was quick, no doubt.  But what if he had had ears to hear and eyes to see long before the warning he did receive. What if he had been able to see in whole, not just in part?  What difference would it have made in the story of this disaster? What if someone had been praying for him to have ears to hear and eyes to see?

Don’t give up.  Pray: Ears to hear, Eyes to see.  Watch how God steers the ship.

Read Proverbs Chapter 19.

“A person with intense anger bears the penalty; if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.” Proverbs 19:19

Anger, in its original form means “poison or rage”.  That is exactly what anger is, it’s poison. I know because it is something I have struggled with my entire life.  It is something I still struggle with today. Paul talks about the the “thorn in his flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV).  He prayed three times to have it removed. God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). Anger is my thorn in the flesh.

Anger, at its deepest root is a form of pride.  It’s because you aren’t getting what you think you deserve.  When I was a child, my Dad was in and out of the hospital my entire life.  Seeing the ambulance at our house was not an uncommon occurrence. He had frozen both of his feet the winter after I was born.  He was a coal miner. He had been working out in the cold. As a result, he had gangrene set in, which resulted in the immediate loss of his toes, and eventually his entire leg.  That started my anger issues.

When he died at 16, it only spurred on my anger.  I was angry because I didn’t have a regular dad. I was angry because all of my friends did. I felt like I deserved more than I what I had received.  I felt God had slighted me. Now, as an adult, I realize how blessed I was to even have a father. One who loved and adored me.

But as an angry child I couldn’t see that.  I did bear the penalty. I let my anger stop me from enjoying life.  My jealousy towards others caused me to miss all of the blessings that were in front of me.  God has rescued me from my anger, and He does have to do it over and over again. His grace is sufficient for me, His power made perfect in my weakness.

Don’t let anger steal the joy from your life.  In the heat of the moment, walk away. Take time to cool down, seek God and let His grace be sufficient for you. It’s taken me a lifetime to learn this lesson This world is only temporary.  Whatever you’re angry at, it too shall pass. Just give it time. But be assured, God will rescue again and again from it. His power will be made perfect in your weakness.

Read Proverbs Chapter 18.

“Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”  Proverbs 18:12 CSB

Pride is a very destructive thing.  It is hard to identify in ourselves, easily identified in others.  I have found the closer I grow to God, the more I have to battle my pride.  Pride is sin, one that is destructive. One that we all struggle with in our lives.

“Little Mo” is a hero of mine.  Her name was Maureen Catherine Connolly Brinker.  She died just three months before I was born. She was the first female tennis player to win all four major tournaments in 1953, all before the age of 19. I read her biography when I was a child. She motivated me to teach myself tennis, a sport I still enjoy to this day. Her motto on the tennis court was, “You’re only as good as your next shot.”

That is what I remembered from reading Little Mo’s biography.  That one phrase has shaped my tennis game. I think of it every time I hit a good shot, it helps keep me humble on the tennis court.  What I learned when I researched her for this devotional is that a year after winning the big four she fell off a horse, injuring herself.  It ended her tennis career before it ever got started. She never played again. If she was prideful of her accomplishments, it didn’t last long.

Little Mo understood the downfall of a prideful heart.  She understood it on the tennis court, and she understood it on a deeper level when she could no longer play.  All that we have is from God. James tells us “every good and perfect gift is from above” (1:17 NIV). When we start to think it is us doing the work we are playing with pride.  We also know God gives and God takes away (Job 1:21). Just because we have something today doesn’t mean we will have it tomorrow. Pride can deceive us into thinking otherwise.

When you study the life of Jesus there is one thing you will find missing, pride.  Jesus did not let pride into his life. He stayed humble, He stayed hungry because He stayed focused on God and His mission.  When God humbles you, and He will, be thankful. I know it isn’t fun to be humbled, but it is better than being prideful, always.

Read Proverbs Chapter 17.

“Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.” Proverbs 17:9 CSB

I recently watched the movie “Green Book”, a powerful movie about friendship.  It’s about a gifted piano player and his chauffeur as they navigate the complicated waters of the early 1960’s.  Highly recommend it.

There is one point in the movie where the  piano player finds himself in a compromising situation with the police.  His chauffeur is called to rescue him. When the chauffeur arrives at the scene, he immediately sums up what has happened as he looks at his boss’s naked body, handcuffed to a shower head, beaten and bloody.  He doesn’t blink an eye at what he sees.

The first thing he does is ask to cover up his boss’s nakedness.  Then he proceeds to talk to the police, getting his friend out of this situation.  As they are walking to the car afterwards, he never says one word about what he saw.  He never passes judgement. He simply says, “I told you not to go anywhere without me.”  His boss replies this is one time he thought he wouldn’t want to come. I love what the chauffeur says back to him.  He simply replies, since he’s been a bouncer at a bar, he realizes life is complicated.

It’s a beautiful picture of this verse.  These two men become life long friends after their two month journey together.  They died within months of each other in 2013. The chauffeur’s act of love in concealing the offense promoted their friendship.  It could of easily gone the other way and separated it forever.

Concealing an offense is challenging.  When we are wronged or when we know someone’s deepest secrets, the hardest thing to do is not talk about it.  We want to scream it from the rooftops, letting everyone know. We want justice for what has been done to us. We want to tell the juicy gossip we have learned  None of that will promote love, none of it will strengthen friendships. It will only tear them apart.

Read Proverbs Chapter 16.

“A contrary person spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28

Contrary, in its original form means “a perversity or fraud”. That is what a person who spreads conflict is doing, they are perverting the story or completely lying about it. That will definitely cause conflict. Gossiping is just as harmful.

But how do you know if you’re doing either one of these things?

A few years ago I saw this on a church sign:
“Before you speak, ask yourself: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?

Words do affect people. What you say affects people. I’ll never forget when I moved to Virginia. I always consider myself an open person. I had flunked out of college in PA and it was my last chance to get my life on track. I moved in with my brother on a Thursday. He had lined up two jobs for me waiting tables, which I started the very next day. One in the morning, one in the evening. I set about the business of saving money for tuition so I could finish my degree. I thought everyone I worked with knew what I was doing. It wasn’t until months later I found out they thought I was pregnant and had moved here to have the baby.

I was astonished. Why in the world would they think that? I didn’t think anything I had done or said had given that impression. Yet that is what people believed of me at that time. It was incredibly hurtful. The only reason I found out was because it became obvious to them after months had gone by that it wasn’t true.

If people don’t know the truth, they make it up. Or they misinterpret what is being said to them. Or they just want to have the scoop on the latest piece of juicy gossip. But gossip is never good. There is never a good reason to spread rumors about people. It will always hurt someone. It will always cause strife. There are two additional filters I like to use when talking about someone else: Would I want this said about me? Am I able to say it to the person directly? If I can’t say it to them, I shouldn’t say it about them.

It’s difficult to always speak uplifting and encouraging words. Wouldn’t you rather be known as a person who builds people up instead of tears them down?

Ditch gossip, embrace kindness.

Read Proverbs Chapter 15.

“One who listens to life-giving rebukes will be home among the wise.”

The word “among” occurs 222 times in the Old Testament, meaning the center or inner part of anything.   When you listen to life-giving rebukes you put yourself in the center of wisdom. It’s important to notice it doesn’t say just “rebukes” it says “life-giving rebukes”.

Rebuke is another word for feedback.  Feedback, in this context, is any information you get about yourself.  Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly receiving feedback. You receive feedback from your boss on whether you are doing a good job or not.  You receive feedback from your spouse when their eyes light up when you walk in the room, or sometimes when they don’t. You receive feedback from your friends when they comment on your outfit.  Your body is constantly giving you feedback: your eyes are tired from looking at a computer screen, your ankle hurts because you twisted it, your body hurts from the work out you did yesterday.

All of these are forms of feedback.  What you have to decide is if it is life-giving or not?  Is it something that will help you do better or is it something that something that will ultimately cause you harm?

When I was single, I had a lot of feedback, from everyone. There wasn’t anyone I knew who didn’t have input into my dating life.  It took me awhile to figure it out, but I finally realized what feedback was best for me. It was from my married friends. Not just any of my married friends, it was the ones who had good marriages.  Marriages like I wanted one day for myself. I learned quickly to discard the rest and listen to the best. Their feedback was the most life-giving to me in that particular situation.

It is important to have feedback in your life.  Just make sure it’s life-giving and not life-taking.  Learn from the best, discard the rest.

Read Proverbs Chapter 14

“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12

There are times in life when the hardest thing to know is what the right thing to do is. What appears to be right ends in death.

Dirk Willem lived in the 16th century. He was an anabaptist. Peaceful citizens who didn’t believe in war. Their descendants would become today’s Mennonites and Amish. The authorities at the time believed in infant baptism. Dirk Willem and his fellow anabaptists did not, they believed baptism was reserved for adulthood. As a result of their beliefs, they were persecuted and imprisoned.

Dirk was imprisoned in the Netherlands as a result of his convictions. Understanding he would be put to death for his belief, he escaped over the prison wall using strips of cloth tied together. Unbeknownst to him, his path of escape was over a frozen pond. The guard who pursued him fell through the ice in the middle of the chase. Dirk lived his life by the scriptures. He believed what is says in Luke 6:27:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

When he saw the guard fall through the ice, he knew he had to help him. He turned back and rescued him. The guard would have let him go, but his commander was watching from the edge of the pond. He ordered him to take Dirk back into custody. On May 16, 1569 he was burned at the stake for his act of heroism.

What seemed right to him led to his death in the most literal sense of the word. Fortunately, we have the freedom to believe as we choose today. Still though, our choices can lead to death. How do we know if what we choose is right? Prayer and supplication is the best answer. Trusting God, and His word is always a right choice. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, all things work to the good for those who believe and trust in Him (Romans 8:28).

We will never know if Dirk regretted saving the life of the guard. What we do know is he loved his enemy and as a result met Jesus sooner than he had anticipated. Where Jesus is, there is life in abundance.

Read Proverbs Chapter 13.

“The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the who who opens his lips invites his own ruin.” Proverbs 13:3

In my family, I am known as “Mouth of the South”.  I have been accused of not being able to keep a secret.  I am sure there is truth in this statement. I like to get things out in the open. As we learned yesterday, I learned at a young age nothing stays hidden long, so why waste time trying to hide it?  But not everything needs to be said, not everything needs to be talked about.

I love what “guard” means in its original form: maintaining things entrusted to them, especially keeping the truths of God in both actions and mind. This is the filter God wants us to use.  Is what we’re saying and doing in line with God’s truth? These are the questions we should ask before we speak. And if you don’t, you invite ruin into your life.

I gained the reputation of “Mouth of the South” because I loved to tell on my brothers.  If they did something wrong, I couldn’t wait to spread the word. Until I realized the ruin it was bringing into my life, it ruined my relationship with my brothers. Would you want to be around someone who told all of your faults? After all, we all have them. I don’t want to be around someone who is going to tell mine, and they are plenty.  I love my brothers, so much. They are amazing men, all of them. Why would I want anyone to think less of them? My words and actions affected how others thought of them.

Gratefully, we grow up.  God doesn’t let us stay where we are.  What really changed my life was Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians when he told them to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11).  As I studied this verse and began to apply it to my life, all of my relationships began to improve. It has become an easy filter to use. I simply ask myself, does this build up or tear down?  If it builds up, I say it. If it tears down, I don’t. I’d love to say I’ve mastered this, but that would be a lie. I can say, I’ve come a long way from where I used to be in the department of keeping my mouth shut.

Are you ruining a relationship with your life because you’re tearing down instead of building up?  Especially with those closest to us, they are the ones who usually reap the benefits of our words, whether positive or negative.  Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church, says it like this, “I want to be respected most by those who know me best.” That is a hard goal to achieve if your mouth is causing ruin.  But if if you determine to build up instead of tear down, you’ll find those who know you best respect you most.

Read Proverbs Chapter 12.

“Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.” Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety, in the original, means “apprehension because of approaching trouble.”  The primitive root of the word “down” in this verse is “to depress”. Anxiety depresses.  Worrying about things to come depresses, but a good word cheers it up. That’s all it takes, is a good word.  Let’s break it down a bit.

Apprehension because of approaching trouble.  Why is it we spend so much time worrying about the future?  Because that’s what you’re doing when you’re anxious. And we all do it.  Everyone one of us. What we are anxious about may be different, but if we’re completely honest, we’re all anxious about something.

I’m anxious about people critiquing my writing.  I’m anxious about my health, about my husband’s health.  I’m anxious about retirement. I’m anxious about growing older.  All things that if I let my mind dwell on too long will depress me.  All things that will rob my joy. I also realize it’s a blessing that these are the things I’m anxious about.  I realize there are a lot of people who have a lot more serious things to be anxious about. I am not making light of anxiety, not by a long shot.

Anxiety robs us of our joy, but a good word cheers it up.

If we agree that everyone has some type of anxiety, can we agree that everyone needs a good word?  Everyone you meet needs encouragement, no matter who they are. You may not be able to see their anxiety.  Their life may not reflect anxiety in anyway, but it is there. It is part of the human condition. We actually weren’t meant to live without it.  It is what causes us to search for God, for the One who has the answer to it. Anxiety is what will make us get on our knees and seek God for answers.  And in this case, His answer is a good word. A good word will cheer up anxiety.

As we learned yesterday, you get what you give.  So if you need a good word today, if you’re struggling with anxiety, then give a good word.  God promises, you’ll get one back.