Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7, Psalm 47:1-9, Proverbs 22:16

Daily Verse: “One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.” Prov. 22:16

Extortion and bribery.

Taking advantage of the poor by extorting their position in life, oppressing them angers the Lord because of the immorality involved in the act. In the same way, trying to bribe a rich person will lead nowhere.

“Watching, “Mayberry Man,” a movie based on the infamous “Andy Griffith Show,” the main character exemplified a wealthy man with an attitude problem. An actor who starred in movies, no matter what the people did to impress him, it didn’t. When things come easy to someone, they don’t appreciate the bribe and don’t think about how much it costs the briber.  

On the other hand, the fictional character’s lack of respect for the townspeople, thinking them lower than him, in a way, oppressed them. Caring only for how he could exploit the people for his gain, the spoiled actor only thought of himself.

And guess who ended up the big loser, experiencing a humbling that led to a life change?

Everyone matters in God’s eyes. The Lord wants us to love people, not try to manipulate them.

Lord, forgive us for trying to manipulate people. Help us treat everyone with respect, knowing they matter to You.  Overflow our hearts with love and gives us opportunities to share it. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Psalm 46:1-11, Proverbs 22:15

Daily Verse: “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.” Prov. 22:15

Parental discipline.

Kids need discipline; born sinners; we all do. God never stops guiding and maturing us through situations that cause us to learn and grow; as our heavenly parent, He disciplines us. Earthly parents do the same for their kids.

One day, giving a tennis lesson to a mother and son, the child threw a fit, almost hitting me in the face with a ball hit in anger. Mom’s response shocked me, “What can I do to make you happy?” Seriously, your kid almost injured me because of his inability to take instruction and control his emotions, and instead of disciplining him, you want to make him happy?

If parents don’t teach right and wrong to their children, they won’t learn it. My mother would have pulled me off the court and, yes, smacked my butt and sat me on the bench until I learned the lesson. Mom taught me right and wrong, and she disciplined me.

In today’s world, disciplining children invites controversy. Not a parent, I pray for moms and dads who deal with this issue daily, asking God to guide and direct them, knowing they don’t have an easy task. May the Lord help you all.

Lord, I pray for parents worldwide doing their best to raise their children. Guide and direct them, help them navigate the controversial topic in today’s world, and develop strong followers of Jesus as they do. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 40:1-42:17,  2 Cor. 5:11-21, Psalm 45:1-17, Proverbs 22:14

Daily Verse: “The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit; a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.” Prov. 22:14

Divine judgment.

When people don’t follow God, they quickly fall for seductive words, which lead them into a pit. Placing faith in an imperfect human instead of the Divine Lord will take people places they never wanted to go. Whether an adulteress or some other folly, succumbing to the temptation deals out punishment for the sin. 

Cleaning out my father-in-law’s house after his death, we found non-lethal squirrel traps. Rectangular metal wire had spring-loaded doors with sensitive triggers that quickly trapped the varmints. Using his attic as their kingdom, he trapped and released them in a nearby park.

Succumbing to seductive words traps us into a pit we can’t escape alone. Like the squirrels, playing in areas we shouldn’t leads us into traps. But the love of our heavenly Father helps us find freedom when we turn to Him, repent of our sins, and follow a different path.

Don’t get caught in a trap because you veer off the straight and narrow. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus; He will lead you away from trouble.

Lord, forgive us for disobeying You. Please help us turn from our foolish ways, repent of our sins and find freedom in You.  Lead us in the direction we should go, away from evil and into the abundant life in Christ. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 37:1-39:30, 2 Cor. 4:13-5:10, Psalm 44:9-26, Proverbs 22:13

Daily Verse: “The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” Prov. 22:13

Excuses of Laziness.

Sluggards will come up with any excuse not to do something.   Ask someone to attend church with you to hear one of the most common excuses, “They’re all hypocrites.” A friend shared Jamey Ragle’s post that sums it up nicely:

People come to church because, in their deepest, darkest, most painful moments, they heard about a man named Jesus that could save their soul and transform their life, and they’d like to know him.

The man that just snorted cocaine off his kitchen table isn’t a bigger sinner than you, who told your boss a lie on Monday so you could leave work early.

There isn’t a person in this world too bad, too broken, too mean, or too damaged for Jesus to save.

Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Don’t let excuses stop you from experiencing Jesus. Just because you have one bad meal doesn’t mean you never eat again. Sinners who need saving fill church seats, not perfect people. Jesus came to save us from ourselves and give us new life.

Lord, forgive us for using excuses to stop us from knowing You better. Motivate us today to take the next step in our walk with Christ. Guide and direct us into a new life grounded in Jesus, for which You created us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 34:1-36:33, 2 Cor. 4:1-12, Psalm 44:1-8, Proverbs 22:10-12

Daily Verse: “Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.” Prov. 22:10

Source of strife.

Some people only want to cause trouble, and they do it by instigating quarrels and causing strife.  Hecklers only want to cause disruption and have no intentions of doing anything to solve the problem.

“If you can’t be part of the solution, don’t be part of the problem,” said a wise pastor during a church meeting.  One of the participants wanted to point out all the problems with the church but didn’t offer any solutions for solving the issues.

Every church has issues because imperfect people fill the seats.  Learning to deal with and overcome the problems that come with groups of people gathered to worship and serve Jesus requires seeking God and finding Biblical solutions, not mocking.

If someone would instead cause quarrels than look for solutions, expelling them from the meeting paves the way for serious discussion to solve the issue.  We can’t control other people’s actions, but we don’t have to tolerate them.

Removing hecklers ends quarreling.  Find peace by eliminating strife.

Lord, forgive us for pointing out problems instead of finding solutions.  Help us advance Your kingdom by seeking You and finding Godly ways to deal with life’s issues.  Let us become more like Jesus as we strive to mimic Him.  IJNIP.

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 31:1-33:33, 2 Cor. 3:1-18, Psalm 43:1-5, Proverbs 22:8-9

Daily Verse: “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” Prov. 22:9

Nature of generosity.

People who exemplify generosity, giving to those in need and helping others experience the highest degree of self-fulfillment for one reason, selflessness. Instead of letting their selfishness rule, they put others first, just like God wants us to do.

“The easiest way to offend the dollar is to give it away,” said the Financial Peace University teacher during one of our first lessons on money management. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I can give or keep, I think of his words. Breaking the bond of the mighty dollar happens when we give it away.

Just like when I give my husband the last bite of an appetizer. Sharing pre-dinner snacks at home, we set the plate between us, nibbling and talking. Inevitably, one bite remains, and my husband always does the same thing; he looks at it and looks away, leaving it for me. Exercising generosity, I say, “You can have it.” Giving it away brings more satisfaction than hoarding it.

Practice generosity and experience the satisfaction that comes from giving to another. Replace selfishness with selflessness.

Lord, forgive us for our selfish natures. Help us become more generous with the blessings You give us. Prompt us to share when we want to keep. Please assist us in breaking the bondages that keep us from living life to the fullest. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 28:1-30:31, 2 Cor. 2:12-17, Psalm 42:1-11, Proverbs 22:7

Daily Verse: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” Prov. 22:7

Dependent poverty.

“You know there’s a scripture about that in the Bible,” the First Officer said to me. A Christ-follower whose name I can’t remember; his words have never left me. Discussing my enormous credit card debt at the time, the pilot pointed me toward the Bible for the answer to overcoming it.

During Solomon’s time, Israelites sold themselves into slavery to pay off their debts. In today’s world, the modern debtor works to pay off their bills, slave to their lenders. The top reasons for bankruptcy in America come from credit problems, job loss, living beyond means, medical costs, divorce, and unexpected emergencies.

Biblical financial wisdom calls us to save for a rainy day to avoid the monetary pitfalls of this world. Yet, statistics show less than half of Americans have enough savings to cover unexpected expenses.

My First Officer’s words started me on the journey to apply Biblical principles to my finances, leading me out of my debt and freeing me from slavery to my lenders. God’s word shows us how to apply fiscal wisdom to our lives.

Lord, forgive us for ignoring Your financial instructions. Help us to follow the guidance You give us. As we face monetary decisions, help us become obedient to Your commands. Bless our efforts and lead us from the bondage of debt. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 23:1-27:23, 2 Cor. 1:12-2:11, Psalm 41:1-13, Proverbs 22:5-6

Daily Verse: “Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.” Prov. 22:5

Security through wisdom.

People underestimate the wisdom found in the Bible and its ability to help them avoid the thorns and snares of this world. Trusting in one’s knowledge will lead to a rugged journey of self-induced strife.

As someone who struggles against my natural tendency always to assume the worst-case scenario, following my thoughts leads me down a trail of thorns and snares. However, when I ask God to help me view people and scenarios from His perspective, I get a completely different view and avoid the traps of this world.

If we knew the struggles of our enemies, we would view them entirely differently. 

“A shoe is always just a shoe until someone steps into it.” Rob Strasser, Air, A Story of Greatness

Step into Jesus’ shoes and ask Him to light the way for You.  Gain Godly wisdom by pursuing the Savior and let Him guard you from the thorns and snares of this world.

Lord, forgive us for following our wisdom. Give us divine perspective in all we do. Help us to become more like Christ as we use His lens to view the world around us. Steer us from the thorns and snares; show us how You want us to go. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 20:1-22:30, 2 Cor. 1:1-11, Psalm 40:11-17, Proverbs 22:2-4

Daily Verse: “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Prov. 22:2

God’s equality.

No matter what a person’s status in life, whether wealthy or poor, we all have the same Maker. Judging others by their economic status leads to treating people poorly. As followers of Christ, we should treat everyone with respect, remembering God can quickly reduce the rich and raise the poor. Money comes and goes quickly.

“We’re all one paycheck away from homelessness,” a friend said years ago while walking to work in New York City, discussing the people living in the doorways, layers of clothing warming their bodies, worldly possessions sitting next to them in bags.

Losing everything happens quickly; one lousy investment, a house fire without insurance, or a tragic accident can bankrupt the wealthiest people. Just like one good investment, a new job, or an unexpected financial blessing can raise someone from poverty.

Either way, God created both and allows the circumstances in our lives for a reason. Treating everyone as equal in the Lord’s eyes matters more than how much money they possess. The things of this world will pass away, but the treasures of the Lord never will.

Lord, forgive us for putting too much emphasis on financial status and not enough recognition of Your creation. Help us love everyone we meet equally for You, knowing money doesn’t matter as much as people. Poor or rich, let us love them all well for You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 16:1-19:29, 1 Cor. 16:1-24, Psalm 40:1-10,Proverbs 22:1

Daily Verse: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” Prov. 22:1

Good reputation.

Earning and maintaining a good reputation takes effort and time to build but only a moment to destroy. Wise people recognize the value of living up to their word, exemplifying dependability, and taking responsibility for their actions.

Today’s verse reminds me of a young entrepreneur friend entering ninth grade this fall. A crafter like myself, she does one-day events throughout the summer. Her most recent craft show, scheduled on a day with a 115-degree heat index in the hot Virginia summer, tested her reputation.

“I can’t cancel, Mom; my reputation’s on the line. People won’t want me at their shows if I cancel.”  She told her mother, who asked her to cancel because of the intense heat.

In the end, the organizers canceled the show. Still, my young business friend recognized the need to live up to her commitment and thus develop a good reputation in the crafting community.

Work to earn a good reputation, live up to your commitments, and become well-respected.

Lord, thank You for showing us the value of a good reputation. Help us become well-respected people in our communities as we live up to our commitments, keep our word, and exemplify Christ in all we do. IJNIP. Amen