Devotions- 5/20/21 Proverbs 1:7-9 and Psalm 7:9

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. Proverbs 1:7-9 NKJV

Sometimes instruction is very tough on us even if we know that people have the right heart in mind.

Anyone who has ever had tough yet dedicated parents in their lives in lifting up their “child” over the years (as in “you”) might think about them.

It is good to have parents who have the best intentions. Who hope the person in their life who they want success in life not only has knowledge but shows fear towards doing bad or having committed wrong and thinks what their parents might do to punish them. They may also hope you have that applied knowledge as a part of your own life.

But notice I said “best intentions” because I mean parents who aren’t the reflection of deep and harsh abuse. I digress so let me go back to what I said earlier.

It is actually good to fear parents who punish when you have done wrong. Or fear if they know their parents will do something that is normal in punishment if they got straight D’s or F’s in school!

I wonder if fear is something us as people had to learn after the fall: The fall of men (and through man, women).

After Adam and Eve we had to experience and still do an awful thing called Sin. Adam was completely responsible, a person to run things in life but instead of that, he chose to eat the fruit. He has had such an awful impact on this world that Eve isn’t even accounted, it seems, to sin entering the world. (“Sin entered the world through one man…” a paraphrase and part of beginning of Romans 5:12). What a sad legacy to leave the people following everyone who wants to worship something, let alone people who might have to live in God’s sight that sin is now a part of. To live for something but because of a tainted body, a sin-filled body, is now a part of people who were and are created, unfortunately.

Now that we are accountable to sin where death is spiritually an absolute for the physical body we need to fear God in order to live for goodness.

What can we do? We must follow His instruction. Either to be saved, to learn to fear Him about right and wrong, and also to live life since one day we won’t get the chance to live on in this earth but will be accountable at the end to how we have all these years lived!

That is a great reason to live for God through Christ.

And we should not forsake our parents or parent figures with good intentions’ “rules” to live life.

We must in life show love towards all people, not just the ones we already care about. Just be careful about the wicked because they have not good hearts even if we might witness or share things that are good with them with a good heart.

Here’s a partial verse, note some is paraphrased. It says basically: “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; God (in His righteousness) tests the hearts and minds.” Psalms 7:9.

Let us live wholeheartedly for goodness and love in Christ. Or live for ones who are hurting and needy. Let’s live for the goodness that Is God!

Let us live to be “tested” so that we will be without blame as we live in Jesus through the Holy Spirit as new creations.

Amen!

Blog Entry- Dwelling 5/13/21

I am still not a fan of this newer version of WordPress, haha. Maybe I have to adjust. But come on, why can’t some things be the same?

Heading out to work it seemed like time was still yet choatic. I was trying to focus on doing what was needed. Doing what the Lord knows honors Him, not because anything I do of my own effort was great but because God is great! I should take every moment of my life and devote it and set it aside for Him and His glory.

I then knew I had to get to my devotions. I was only focusing on a memory verse from Psalms but instead I because I wanted to do that book for morning devos (hehe) I thought “God lead me to a verse.” It seemed as life in Him sought fit I saw Psalm 91 to read.

It spoke again and again of the dwelling of the “secret place” of the Most High.

Here’s a part I just noticed looking over it now:

“He who dwells… Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Part of 1st part then whole 2nd part of Psalms 91:1 NKJV

Is there a way here on earth we can see the Almighty as a place of refuge? A place to just rest and meditate on His promises…?

As I stepped outside I was waiting for the bus. It seemed like it wasn’t coming. Growing quickly impatient I started walking back and forth people honked at me like I was being a maniac I guess, haha!

After a while it seemed like the bus wasn’t ready to come yet. I thought I was in my sinful heart patient “enough.” So I prayed the bus would come soon. Then at the right “time.”

Oh man, did He answer that prayer. And in a way I could never expect!

The sky was peppered with clouds giving the sky a beautiful hue. Also the sun was not overbearing but beaming down its spring rays. If it kept up like this I was probably going to lightly burn if the sun kept doing its duty, haha….

I wasn’t used to the sun being this strong. Especially in the springtime because it was my favorite time of the year (fav season! Not too hot like the summer and not too cold like the winter).

But then I shifted my focus from myself to someone else. A person from my church with whom I know his struggles. The poor man seemed stuck in them; like if other people are growing he would ask them repeatedly for little “rays” of sunshine to help make his day! Didn’t he realize he had his own ray too…?

Just because he struggled in alcoholism doesn’t mean he was far way from the hopes and love of Jesus!

So I imagined singing him a song.

In His presence/ There is Comfort/ In His pre-sence/ There is peace/

I didn’t remember the rest of the song (haha!) but I at least hoped in prayer the Lord would touch His heart in the only way I knew how. By His Holy Spirit.

Then I realized that He does that with me too…

…and like a gentle shadow of a shelter dwelling there was a “shade” that covered the beaming sun…

then the bus came. Amen!

Father with a moved heart, I am amazed by Your love and mercy. I hope that so many will know that Your love to know through Christ doesn’t just “convert” people but it does amazing things that only people who have their eyes opened for God understand!

Oh Lord, Father in heaven, Your will be done to your people and also may they be impacted greatly by how amazing You are to the point that they will serve You out of gratitude and not out of grumbling, that they remember that God’s love is for everyone but can impact ones that they witness and minister to…. that God loves us so much that no one…. NO one… should perish.

By the loving blood of Christ who shed His blood for all sin, Amen.

Thank you for reading this. And I hope at the very least this moved you in a way only God can do…. 😀