More Wisdom From Proverbs

Yesterday we looked at Proverbs 30:5-6. Today we’ll look at Proverbs 30:7-9, where the writer asks two things of God. The first is: ‘Keep falsehood and lies far from me.’ This could be read as keep me from telling lies to others. We often want to grade lies. It’s easy to slip into what we term ‘white lies,’ so as not to hurt another person’s feelings, or because we want to please them or make ourselves look good but God makes no distinction. Lies are lies. Proverbs 19:5 says ,’he who pours out lies will not go free.’ The idea … Continue reading →

Wisdom and Warnings from Proverbs

The book of Proverbs contains great wisdom. Here is one example. The passage is Proverbs 30:5-9. Over the next couple of days I intend to look at it verse by verse and see what truths can be gleaned from it. Proverbs 30:5 tells us ‘Every word of God is flawless.’ Sometimes people will challenge us, claiming the bible is full of contradictions and errors. This statement is invariably made by those who don’t know God’s words or are repeating what they have heard someone else say. The truth is every part of God’s Word will stand up to the closest … Continue reading →

Dangers of Complacency

Are you comfortable in your life? Have you reached a point where things seem to be going along well, where you think you’ve done enough and can afford to slack off a little? This passage in Isaiah 32 highlights the dangers of complacency. What a blessing righteous and just government is, verse 1. It brings peace and security verse 2. Ultimately, this will only come about when Jesus reigns. His kingdom will be one of perfect righteousness. Those who have been blind will see the truth clearly. Those who hear will actually listen, verse 3. They will discern the truth, … Continue reading →

More Lessons from Isaiah

Israel had rejected God’s plans and decided to follow their own way, Isaiah 28- 30:11. See Warnings in Isaiah blog. God here warns of the consequences of those actions Judgment comes to those who reject God’s Holy One and rely on other means to guide them in life, Isaiah 30:12. What are you relying on? What have you put your trust in? Is it wealth, contacts, education, possessions, family? All of these will crumble and fall, verses 13-14. Israel put her trust in allies and idols rather than God and God promised judgment as a result. Yet we see God’s … Continue reading →

Warnings from Isaiah

How much notice do you take of warnings? Every day we see warning signs telling us to slow down on the road, to take corners at a safe speed or warnings about the dangers of smoking or alcohol or overuse of painkillers. Too often people ignore the warnings and trouble results. Isaiah contains a number of warnings for God’s people. In verse 14, God through Isaiah, warns of the dangers of scoffing and treating God’s Words lightly. Jerusalem thought they were okay because they were God’s people. But that does not mean a license for them to do as they … Continue reading →

Psalms

While Dale is out (and maybe a little when she comes back) I thought I’d spend some time looking at the Psalms. One resource that I’ll be using is Living Beyond the Daily Grind by Chuck Swindoll if you’re interested in picking it up. A Little Background The Psalms are songs, most of which were written by David. David, as I’m sure you know, was “a man after God’s own heart.” A good look at his life and relationships gives a good indicator as to why he received such an honored distinction in the Bible. Let’s remember David was a … Continue reading →

Following A Psalm Pattern

For many people the Psalms are one of the favorite bible books because so many of them seem to capture so well our experiences and emotions. So, I’ve decided to leave the book of Mark for a time and look at some of the psalms. The first one I’ve chosen to look at is Psalm 103, a psalm written by David. David starts by praising God for who He is – for His holy name and for what He has done, verses 1-2. Do we come into the presence of our Holy God and praise Him for who He is … Continue reading →

Words And Actions That Don’t Match

What sort of example are you? Do you claim to worship and follow God, yet act in disobedience to God’s commands? When people look at you, do they see someone who professes one thing but does not act accordingly? This is what Jonah was like. He was a prophet of God. Yet when God told him to go to Nineveh with a message for the people, Jonah disobeyed and ran away from God’s command. This story is probably familiar to many of us from Sunday school. So often the emphasis seems to be on the fish or whale and yet … Continue reading →

Battling Our Giants

In 1 Samuel chapter 17 we can read the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was truly a giant believed to stand about 9 feet tall! He was said to be a man of war even from his youth. One look at him brought on enough fear that many from Israel turned away. The reward for taking on this mighty Philistine was said to be great riches and servitude by their people. There was a cute young shepherd boy named David. He came forward with great faith to defeat the giant. He is not believed to be older than fourteen … Continue reading →