Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 20:1-22:24, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalm 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

Daily Verse: “So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.” Proverbs 2:20

Following Jesus helps keep your paths straight. Nudges from the Holy Spirit help redirect us when we need a course change.

While golfing, playing the first person closest to the hole gets the point, I felt a nudge. Losing at the time, when Ron’s ball landed an inch closer than mine, I had the opportunity to cheat. But the nudge from within made me say, “You’re closer,” giving Ron the point.

Staying in tune with God means acknowledging the nudges we feel. Often, we want to ignore the Spirit’s guidance, but we don’t grow until we learn the lesson. The sooner we submit to Jesus, the straighter our paths will become. But ignoring God will lead us on crooked paths.

Taking the right path will require more effort, but you won’t regret the work. A pure heart and clear conscience lead to a good night’s sleep after walking the path of righteousness.

Listen to the Spirit’s promptings, and let God keep you on the right path.

Lord, forgive us for ignoring Your promptings. Please help us stay on the right path today. Guide and directs us where You want us to go. Let us honor and serve You well today. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalm 8:1-9, Proverbs 2:6-15

Daily Verse: “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,” Proverbs 2:7

Consistently doing the right thing equals walking with integrity. Choosing to tell the truth, no matter the consequences will lead to a life of integrity. God blesses the effort and protects us when we do.

My friend’s son has permission to hunt on his neighbor’s property with one condition, don’t shoot any bucks. Imagine Joseph’s surprise when he hit a young buck with barely visible horns. Faced with an ethical dilemma, he walked with integrity.

Marching to his neighbor’s front door and told him what happened. “I understand if you no longer want me to hunt on your property.”

Joseph’s neighbor showed him grace. Appreciating his honesty, he understood the situation and forgave him.

Walking in integrity requires telling the truth to the best of your ability. When you do, God protects you and blesses your efforts.

Lord, thank You for your protection of our lives. Forgive us for faltering; help us to walk in integrity, day after day. Let Your shield protects us as we honor and serve You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 16:1-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalm 7:1-17, Proverbs 2:1-5

Daily Verse: “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you… then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1,5

Attaining God’s wisdom requires discipline and an ongoing pursuit of the Lord.  When we receive God’s teaching, we may use it immediately, but often we store it for future use.

With patience, we must trust we will use everything we learn at the appropriate time.  God wastes nothing.

As a tennis coach, I began playing the game during high school.  Stopping while in college, I started playing again in my 30s for exercise.  Not until my late 40s did I begin coaching after decades of playing and learning.

God does the same with us.  We study and learn His word, attaining wisdom, and in the proper time, we will use everything the Lord’s taught us.

But we must stay disciplined, continue learning, and store God’s wisdom.  Eventually, we will use what we know to build God’s kingdom and complete our divine task.

Lord, thank You for giving us Your Wisdom.  Forgive us for not seeking You more diligently.  Please help us learn the lessons you have for us today, storing them for future use.  Let us live in Your blessing and favor as we pursue You.  IJNIP.  Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalm 6:1-10, Proverbs 1:29-33

Daily Verse: “…therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and have their fill of their own devices.” Proverbs 1:31

Chapter one of Proverbs ends with a warning.  People who despise wisdom will eat the fruit they produce.  In other words, actions have consequences.

Everyone ignores wisdom at some point or another.  In the fall of 2022, I rented a booth at a crafter’s consignment store.  Rushing in without researching, I learned quickly that crafting requires more money and effort than I thought.  As a result, the expenses outweighed the profits.

Confessing to God my impulsive actions and commitment to learning from my mistakes resulted in a profitable outcome.

Seek wisdom at all costs.  Don’t suffer from foolish decisions.  Instead, learn from those who go before you.  Find trusted mentors who can guide you on your journey.

Live in God’s blessing as you earnestly pursue Him.

Lord, thank You for rescuing us from our foolishness.  Help us to seek wisdom before acting.  Let us produce good fruit as we stay connected to You.  IJNIP.  Amen

1 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 11:1-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalm 5:1-12, Proverbs 1:24-28

Daily Verse: “Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,” Proverbs 1:24

When we ignore the wisdom in God’s word, we will cause ourselves a heap of trouble.  After offering burnt offerings to the Lord, God’s responded to Solomon, asking the new king what he wanted.  Solomon answered:

“Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, 2 Chronicles 1:10

Solomon’s response pleased God because he didn’t ask for selfish things but wisdom.  A wise man, Solomon knew he didn’t have all the answers to life’s dilemmas, but God did.  Tapping into divine strength helped Solomon rule Israel well.

We have the same opportunity as Solomon.  Each day, we can submit our lives to God, asking for His wisdom and discernment to lead us.  With the Lord, we find life to the fullest.  Ignoring God’s teachings leads us to places we don’t want to go.

Don’t ignore God’s warnings; follow Him and seek His wisdom.

Lord, forgive us for ignoring You.  Give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your work in our lives.  As we seek Your wisdom, let it reign in our life.  With You, all things become possible.  IJNIP.  Amen

1 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 8:1-10:32, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalm 4:1-8, Proverbs 1:20-23

Daily Verse: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” Proverbs 1:22

Solomon addresses three types of people in today’s verse: naïve, defiant, and insensitive fools.  God forgive me; I’ve played all three roles at different times.  Within our human nature lies sinful ways, and they appear differently.

Following Jesus causes growth.  But we must pursue Him passionately to experience the rewards Christ offers.  Jesus pulls us from our simple ways and helps us mature, becoming more like Him daily.

Like a potter with clay, each turn of the wheel makes us smoother and more polished, not truly reaching perfection until God calls us back home, but always held lovingly in His hands.

Give up your foolish ways, let go of the rebellion within and pursue Jesus wholeheartedly.  Experience the wonder of life with Christ as you submit to Him.  Releasing pride and embracing humility lead to a life lived fully.

Lord, forgive our prideful ways, which cause us not to grow.  Help us release our inner rebellions and submit our lives to You.  Let us overcome our inability to forgive ourselves and move forward in grace with You.  IJNIP Amen

1 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 5:1-7:24, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalm 3:1-8, Proverbs 1:10-19

Daily Verse: “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.” Proverbs 1:19

In the scriptures before today’s verse, Solomon talks about people laying traps for others but getting caught in their schemes.  In other words, people looking for trouble will find it, just not how they planned.

We think of our worst enemies as other people, but often we create the problems in our lives; no one else does.  Someone else can’t get you into debt. People don’t regulate the food you put in your mouth, nor the words that come from it.  And when someone decides to have an affair, that’s their mistake, no one else’s.

Often, we lay traps for others because they’ve hurt us.  But those plans will never succeed and only cause you more pain.  Place your faith in Jesus, seek His guidance and direction, and trust His judgment.

Become wiser by following Jesus.  Which means He makes the plans, not you.  God’s ways genuinely have your best interest at heart, even if you don’t understand.

Lord, forgive us for our scheming ways.  Open our eyes to Your will; help us submit to it.  Keep our hearts soft towards others, no matter the hurt.  Help us love as You love us.  IJNIP. Amen

1 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 3:1-4:26, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9

Daily Verse: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Proverbs 1:7

Fear, in its original Hebrew, means reverence.  When Solomon talks about “fear of the Lord,” he means acknowledging God’s power and sovereignty.  God rules all things; we control nothing, and the Lord controls everything.

Knowing the truth enables us to let go and let God.

Showing reverence to God means admitting we don’t know everything.  Convincing narratives doesn’t equal truth.  Unless present, we don’t know what other people think and speak.  We can’t possibly see the condition or motives of other people’s hearts.  Therefore, we can’t know everything.  But God does.

With God, we don’t need to know all the facts; we can trust in Him.

Foolish people think they know everything, their actions revealing their thoughts.  Wise people recognize their limited perspective and submit to God in awe of His sovereignty.  Tapping into the Lord’s divine knowledge helps us become wise.

Lord, let Your wisdom reign in us as we submit our lives to Your sovereignty.  Forgive us our foolish ways; help us always turn to You.  Let our fear of You lead us to Your divine knowledge.  IJNIP. Amen

1 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:25, Matthew 1:1-2:12, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 1:1-6

Daily Verse: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.” Proverbs 1:5-6 ESV

Understanding comes from the Lord.  To understand the wise sayings of Solomon, we must ask God for eyes to see and ears to hear.  Without divine assistance, we remain blind to the things of the Lord.

God guides us when we ask for His direction, opening and closing doors to maneuver us into His will.  The journey becomes more accessible when we go willingly, but the more we refuse to submit to God, the more complex the journey becomes.

Solving the riddles of life and understanding Proverbs happens when we acknowledge God as Lord, understanding His ways differ from ours.  When we submit our will to Him, God directs our paths and gives us the divine understanding we can find no other way.

Obtain divine guidance by focusing your eyes on Jesus.  Ask Him to illuminate your path, guiding you in all your ways.  God’s truth becomes evident with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Lord, open our eyes and ears to receive Your understanding.  Help us persevere when everything seems chaotic in our lives.  As we move through our day, please give us the grace we need to handle any situation.  IJNIP.  Amen

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Malachi 3:1-4:6 ESV, Revelation 22:1-21 ESV, Psalm 150:1-6 ESV, Proverbs 31:25-31 ESV

Daily Verse: “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation 22:17 ESV)

THELO (2309): “This word stresses to will, to wish, implying volition and purpose, frequently a determination, have I mind, intend, to be resolved or determine: usually rendered “to will.”[1]

To will.

Fitting the year ends, discussing desires, ours versus God’s.  We all have things we want in life, and we must choose what we will spend our time and energy achieving.  Do we chase after the things of this world, or do we drink the water of life God offers for free?

Every day, the battle of desires rages onward.  Spending time with God, filling ourselves with His word, and applying it to our lives happens with intention.  So does building our resume, adding to our bank account, and climbing the corporate ladder.  Whatever we feed grows.

Choose Jesus.

Each morning, choose Christ.  Put God first in your life, and all other things will come.  But if we chase after the temporary things of this world, we’ll miss out on the gift Jesus offers, everlasting peace, and eternal life.

My prayer for us remains the same, each day, we will draw closer to Jesus, giving Him full reign over our lives.  As we face the tribulations of this world, we will do so with a heart set on things of God.

May all our desires come in line with God’s.  As we begin a new year, may we forgive quickly, love passionately, and give glory to the Creator in all things.

As we lay our burdens at the foot of the Cross, may we find the peace that surpasses all understanding as we move boldly forward, trusting God’s plan for our lives and our loved ones.

Go forth and love God and others to the best of your ability.  Give your all for God, and watch in amazement as He moves mountains for you.  Place your trust in the living Lord, drink deeply of the life-giving water He offers, and live life to the fullest, one day at a time.

---

[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 114) Thomas Nelson