Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – it tells you the truth. God’s truth, the only truth, and exposes false… anything different than what God says. I love that God’s Word has people who share exactly what we’re feeling sometimes. Psalms 39:1 – I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence. But when I was silent, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased, my heart grew hot within me and as I meditated the fire burned: Then I spoke with my tongue.” It’s interesting what He says next - not what you would think. Have you ever decided to do better? To keep your tongue from sin? Sometimes our attempts at righteousness are insufficient. Good intentions, but incomplete wisdom. You don’t keep your tongue from sinning by not saying anything. You keep your tongue from sinning, by saying the right thing… so often… that when something else comes out – its awkward, out of place. It just doesn’t fit with who you are becoming – more like Christ. So yes, keep a muzzle on your mouth, guard your tongue and you’ll guard your life. But know that you overcome sin, not by your intention, but by the power of the Holy Spirit in you - choosing that grace to say no to sin, choosing the way out that God always provides. And more important saying and doing what God just told you to do. What you say is what you get. So if you are speaking the Word of God, the promise of God, and the command of God, committing yourself to it, and trusting Him to bless it, your life will become very different than it was before. Praise God. He has good for you along the way – on the path He has chosen for you – the best path. Praying that PiVAT before dinner is that non-negotiable where you are constantly getting His plans for you for tomorrow, helping you finish strong what He told you today, and remembering the testimony of what He does when you obey! He will bless you every chance he gets – but the more you walk in His will for you – the more chances are created for His blessing to flow. What He longs to do in your life, He delights in your well-being. Praying that you will speak life and truth, and your commitment to walk in His ways. Praying that PRISM is changing your mind, and your words, and your results – it happens every time. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It tells you about real people. What they did, and what God did. Have you ever noticed in the life of Jesus on earth, He did mind-blowing miracles. But the ones who got them, were rarely the successful. They were the ones who recognized their need for Him – for a miracle from Him. They fully admitted they were powerless to do it on their own. Successful people – in their own mind – rarely get to the point where they need Him more than anything else. The ones who leave everything behind in search of Him were the ones who got the miracle. Like the woman with the issue of blood, who grabbed onto his cloak in the crowd. Like the Phoenician woman who didn’t care what He said, she just wanted Him to heal her child. The successful people, didn’t come to him, they critiqued him. The ones who did what they did and got what they got, had no need of Him. They didn’t value anything He had, other than notoriety. The only exception – was the Roman Centurion – a very successful guy. But He was humble and He worshipped the one true God. He knew how authority worked, and He knew Jesus had all authority on earth, over every disease. He understood authority, that’s why he asked Jesus to heal his servant, and said, “You don’t even have to come to my house, I am not worthy to have you enter, just say the word and He will be healed.” And Jesus was amazed. He said it was more faith than he had seen in Israel. I really like this next guy… Mark 10:46 – Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” This man had a need, he was powerless in himself to meet it, he needed a miracle. And he believed that this Jesus could give him what he asked. How many times was Jesus in Jericho? – maybe the first and last time. And he was not missing his chance. He didn’t care what he looked like, what he sounded like, he didn’t care what anybody thought of him, insults did not phase him, He was going after Jesus with everything he had. He was desperate. People who are curious don’t get the miracle, people who are desperate and who believe - do. Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you. (They had no idea what was about to happen, perhaps they thought Jesus was just going to ask him to be quiet, or give him some alms.) Throwing his cloak to the side, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Even Jesus response was unexpected. He didn’t call attention to the scene, wave his arms around – call upon the Name of the Father in Heaven, He just issued an authoritative command, and gave the reason that authority could flow – which brings ‘out of order things’ into order. Your faith has healed you. Blind Bartimaeus got to the place where his desperation merged with His faith – and he cried out to Jesus, Son of David, fully believing if Jesus would just hear him, He would heal him. He did. His faith was activated by what He called Jesus. He didn’t call him Jesus of Nazareth. He called Him Jesus, Son of David - The Christ, The Messiah. Offensive to the religious, but he called Jesus who He really was – whether he completely understood what He was saying or not. Praying that your faith will bring heaven to bear on what you’re desperate for that which God has put in your heart to ask and believe. That God would reveal who He is, and that you would seek Him and call on Him and believe Him like Bartimaeus - so your faith will bring His authority to flow through your life as a testimony of God’s great love and power. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. Some verses are DNA verses - that if you have ears to hear, and a heart to obey, it will change your life forever. It will shift the balance of power. Psalms 8:2 – From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Wow. God is talking about warfare here, and He’s telling you how to win. He’s giving you a weapon to overcome with. The first weapon is His Word. "It is written, It is written." (It’s why PRISM is so important) The second weapon is faith – it’s what gives you the victory! (I John 5:4). The third weapon is your testimony (and they overcame him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. That’s why your Daily Call is so important. And this verse talks about the fourth weapon. God ordained it for you since the time you were a baby. God ordained praise. It’s not a suggestion, it was purposely created as a weapon – to win battles. When the disciples were shooing away the children, Jesus said, “No, let them come – for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." God uses childlike faith – because it results in obedience. They have no alternate philosophies, or ulterior motives, they just hear and obey with childlike faith. This is the kind of Praise God has ordained for you – childlike praise. And why did He ordain it? Because of the enemy – this is warfare. The enemy comes first with a voice. The first battle ever – Eve heard a voice – a perverse voice – a false voice. A voice that made her question what God said, His love for her, and His desire to do her good. He lied, she bought it - hook line and sinker – and destruction followed. We are still suffering today because of it. When you are hearing voices, or listening to the wrong voice. God has ordained a weapon for you to silence it. He ordained it because of the enemy to silence the foe. Your praise silences the enemy’s voice – it shuts him up! It’s a weapon of war – it is what brings victory. The key to the kingdom is hear and obey. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice, another shepherd they will not follow." Your Praise – was a weapon God ordained for your victory. Some people are skilled with their weapon, others barely pick it up, it’s buried in a closet or in storage somewhere. Praying that you’ll sharpen your weapon today, it sharpens with use. Praying that you will use it like your victory depends on it. It does! Start with the RELATIONSHIP Topic – Praise the Names of God, or Praise The Jehovah Names of God. Use the weapon of praise – to silence the enemy. All he can do is talk, your words will either speak what he says, or what God says. Listen to him, and you will believe a lie – you’ll always be struggling with failure and defeat. But believe and speak what God says – and you will overcome. Praying that you will use your weapon of Praise today – so you silence the enemy, and exalt the LORD! He’s got victory for you today! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It tells you the truth, and it tells you the why. Has anyone ever told you, “Stop sinning.” Have you ever struggled with a sin in your life that has started to become a habit, and you just can’t shake it? Whether laziness, comparison, slander, lust, greed, complaining, a lack of contentment, Word-less, Praise-less, Prayer-less, prideful? Whatever it is – it started as a choice, then two and three, and now it’s become a habit. The devil is already lying to you. He says it’s who you are. That’s a lie. He’s a liar! You wish you could just stop sinning! But you can’t. Why? It’s your old nature. And if you live in that nature – you will naturally do what the natural man does - sin - . doing what is wrong, harmful, falling short, less than God’s best. That’s why God gave you a new nature. No will-power on earth is stronger than the sin nature, your natural man, that nature you died to when you were baptized, and raised into newness of life. Your will-power to not sin works great, until the next temptation. And the devil is the master at bringing them to you. Your feet and your mind are in the wrong place. The old nature is the old nature, but you can resurrect it, you can live by it. That’s why God said – "walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the sinful nature." That’s the only power that overcomes the sin that the old nature always produces. Galatians 5:17 - "For the sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the sinful nature wants. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, to keep you from doing the things that you want. The sinful nature will keep you from doing what the Spirit wants, and the Spirit will help you overcome what the sinful nature wants." The question is – what nature controls you? What nature do you walk in? What nature do you feed? Spirit or flesh? Don’t get depressed that you’re sinning, it’s what happens when your sinful nature is in control. Don’t get upset about gravity… Instead, submit yourself to the Holy Spirit. Learn to walk where He is leading you and your sinful nature won’t have an opportunity to take back the reigns - because you’re too busy investing your heart and mind, and your hands and feet, in what the Holy Spirit wants you to do. The old nature brings death, the new nature is life. Long ago I learned a great secret. The best weed prevention is thick grass. The weeds just don’t have any room to take root and grow. Some people constantly plant weeds, other people just don’t plant grass, the end result is the same. That’s why PiVAT and PRISM are so important. PiVAT – gets God’s plans for you. So you are so busy doing what He has planned for your good, (to fulfill your purpose today) that you just don’t have the time to do what your old nature desires. And you are no where near those places, where your old nature can engage in the sin it desires. You’re nowhere near the corner of the street where she lives… You’re walking on a totally different path. Years ago I was on a month-long bicycle trip with a group of sight-seers. And another young man and I – enjoyed the scenery, but we really wanted to be the first to climb the mountain after a steep climb day. Whenever he was getting tired, he would say, “I can always quit tomorrow.” That’s true, and powerful. I can always give up tomorrow, I can always sin tomorrow, But Not Today! Ask God to give you an undivided heart to Fear Him today. See the PRISM Topic – You Are Not Fearing God For Nothing. Nothing you do in life is worth more, than the fear of the LORD. He will bless you, your life will be fruit and abundance, even in the struggles. But if you get caught living in the old nature, all you get is darkness, you don’t even know what makes you stumble. Praying that PiVAT will have you busy doing what the Holy Spirit wants. Praying that your PRISM Time with God is your priority – that’s how your mind is changed. Think different and you will act different. Praying that your Daily Call – doesn’t become a chore, or fall by the wayside. Start a new 3-Day-Challenge with someone. God said it’s how you overcome, two by two, by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony. Remember, the old nature is only winning because you don’t resist it. If you don’t, it gets stronger, but if you do, the devil leaves in hopes of a more opportune time. You can always sin tomorrow – but not today. Ask God to help you, He will. He is the power to overcome. He’s got grace for you to say ‘no.’ He always has a way out, and a path forward – to leave that garbage behind. It’s so worth it! Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Don’t spend time on guilt trips, they don’t come from God, they come from the accuser. If you are guilty - repent and turn, and God will forgive you. But feeling guilty is a waste of energy and a useless distraction. Praying that your love for God – will have you so far down His obedience path to fulfill your purpose in life, and your purpose today - that you don’t really have time for the old nature. Everything you do, feeds the New! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It’s exactly the opposite of what you would think. It’s truth and life. It’s God’s Way verses man’s way – one of the most important truths to ever comprehend in life. It is the key to fulfilling your purpose. Every once in a while, the sports conversation turns to ‘Who’s the greatest of all time.’ Everyone seems to have an opinion. Wilt Chamberlain thought He was – one hundred points in a game is a strong argument. Kareem Abdul Jabbar still holds the record for most points scored. Most players – of the greatest basketball era (from Magic, Bird, Isaiah, Dominique, Dr. J) agreed that no one comes close to Michael Jordan – 6 finals, 6 rings, 6 finals MVPS. Some fans now – those under thirty years old – seem to think that Lebron James is the greatest of all time. Actually, it’s just a game, it probably doesn’t really matter, it’s merely a matter of opinion. But really, who was the G.O.A.T.? It’s funny how we humans want to be the greatest, or want to argue who was the greatest. You don’t get a trophy, there’s no money in it, no monetary compensation, it’s a matter of esteem... people’s need for recognition. So who’s great? And who’s the greatest? Thankfully the argument is now over. Most people may not realize it. But Jesus weighed in on the conversation… just to settle it forever. Here’s what happened. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem with his disciples Mark 10:33 – “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." Not long after (the very next verse) James and John came to him and asked – Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” "What do you want me to do for you?" “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left…” Instantly the other disciples were offended, and the first G.O.A.T. debate began. It takes a moment to gather your mind around. Jesus just told them He was going to be arrested, spit on, flogged, and killed, and the disciples are arguing about this? Are you kidding me? Could there be a greater ‘tone-deaf’ example in human history? Did you hear what Jesus just said? And that’s what you are thinking about? Jesus had to be shaking his head, “with friends like these… who needs enemies.” But He went ahead and settled the argument once and for all, for all of our benefit. Verse 42, Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be the G.O.A.T. must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus just settled the G.O.A.T. conversation by changing the criteria. It’s not those who score the most, it’s those who serve the most – not points, assists. (Maybe not Jordans, Jabbars, Malones, or Chamberlains, it’s Magic Johnsons, Jason Kidd’s, and John Stockton’s). Jesus said what makes you great is how you serve. In His kingdom the first will be last, and the last shall be first. So how are you doing today when it comes to greatness? The truly great, don’t worry about G.O.A.T. conversations, they just serve – so others can shine, so the love of Jesus can shine through them. Praying that you will ask God who He wants you to serve today, and what He wants you to do - to benefit them. It’s why PiVAT before dinner is so important, getting His plans instead of yours. Yours will serve you, His will serve others. He will tell you how to serve today – and if you do, you will really point to the only G.O.A.T. the Name above all Names, the One who laid down his life, so we could live - forever. Praying that you will serve well in how He leads you today… Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is truth and encouragement. Even warnings are encouragement. He loves you enough to give you a warning. If He didn’t love you, he wouldn’t bother. And I love passages that give you takeaways to hang your hat on. All of them do. Psalms 3:3 – But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. I just love God’s Word, it tells you who God is, and what He does – it’s His love letter to you, and it tells you what you should do – with people who did it before you! You’re not the first calf through this gate. If they did it, so can you. And if you walk in the Spirit of God – nothing is impossible. I love this… “But you – my situation isn’t as it appears… but God! You are a shield around me. He is your protector – He will protect and deliver you – He is the LORD – the Supreme Authority in heaven and earth – and He loves you! You bestow glory on me. That means He gives you success and the glory – the reward and recognition and esteem that goes with it. And He lifts up your head! He helps you see His power and possibility – not what things look like around you. He encourages you – when discouragement is trying to overtake you. He lifts up your head! Here’s your job – cry out to him, and He answers you. Lie down and sleep – He gives rest to those He loves – He sustains you, strengthens you, gives you counsel in the night season, and awakens you every morning. Your job – fear not, and you start by saying it. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Like Elisha prayed for his servant – “Open his eyes,” and his servant saw the legions of angels surrounding the army that surrounded them. A total mismatch. What seemed like certain death – through the eyes of the Spirit – is not even a contest. It’s a blowout. Verse 8 – from the LORD comes deliverance. He is your deliverer. He is a shield around you, He gives you success, He encourages you, He answers when you call, and delivers you, He gives you sleep, He sustains you, he delivers you from all your fears. That’s pretty good. That’s better than pretty good. He is the strength you need. He stands with you, goes before you, He comes alongside you, He’s your rear guard, He is your Shepherd, and best friend, your sustainer, and the One who fulfills the purpose He has for you. Praise God we get to ‘just obey’ because He’s got this. He has good for you – every test or trial is just a joy, another testimony about to happen. Praying that PRISM will be your goto – so He can show you what you need for today. That you will obey the very next thing he has assigned for you – and not worry about anything else. Just the first thing. His plans are always joy. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
At daybreak this morning, everything changed. The dawn of Resurrection Day – the day everything changed forever! The pivotal moment in History – when Jesus left His throne in heaven, and took the form of a baby in a manger. The culmination of that moment was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s why He came… for you! When the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, rose from the dead He brought Salvation and victory, healing and hope, He brought death to life. April means new beginnings. What an appropriate month for Easter. Everything is new. Nothing is as it was before. The chains are gone, we’re set free! All who put their faith in Jesus Christ – become clean before God. The sin that separated you from a Holy God – has been put under the blood of Jesus that He willingly shed for the removal of your sins! You no longer are a sinner, you are saved by His grace. Those who put their faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross in their place – these will live with God in heaven forever – for all of eternity. Jesus is the only way to God the Father in Heaven. Jesus said it, not someone else. This was the greatest transfer of power the world has ever seen. Jesus replaced your condemnation with His – so His innocence can become yours. This concept is foolishness to those who are perishing, doubtful to those who think they can earn their own salvation, needless to those who think sin doesn’t really matter to God, and offensive to those who hate God and those who believe and follow Him, who promote false gods or no god. But to those who believe, who obey the Word of the One True and Only God – the Creator of Heaven and earth - this truth is the power of God for Salvation, a completely new life, a fully paid ticket to eternity in Heaven with God. This is love in it’s ultimate form. The love of a Father that would give His own son… for you! The love of Jesus for His Father who obeyed even to death on a cross, and His love for you – to take your sin and your guilt upon himself – so you could go free. On Easter amid the dresses and hats, and bunnies, eggs, and chocolate. Sometimes we can forget what Jesus really suffered, so we could be set free. The power of His resurrection is far more power than you will ever need. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available for you to live in freedom in your life. This day changes everything! Praying that you will remember that today – is a new beginning. The power of God to live a life pleasing to Him – that brings His blessing! Today is a new beginning! Defeat has been swallowed up in victory. God’s good for you - started with what Jesus did. Now everything is possible. Praying that you will have a new beginning today. His death purchased new life for you and has given you all the power you need from a new beginning to the very end. Easter – the day of new beginnings. Happy Easter. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
What a weekend to remember! Saturday was quite a day. It already seemed like forever ago that the One they gave their life to follow, the One they left everything for… the One they believed was the Messiah – who massive drew crowds, healed the sick, fed thousands, even raised the dead – was now gone? It happened so fast. Just last weekend we were entering Jerusalem with him on that colt, to the cheering masses, and not even a week later the cheers turned to jeers, and the evil men in power finally got what they had been planning since He arrived – they finally got rid of Him. It is almost too hard to believe – unimaginable. But it’s true. What seemed like yesterday, now seems a lifetime ago. He’s gone. We’re alone, we’re afraid to go outside, are they coming for us next? What do we do now? I can’t even believe this is happening… Can you imagine what the disciples must have felt on Saturday. They didn’t know what was about to happen tomorrow morning. He told them, several times - He tried to tell them, to encourage them, to let them know this is not a loss, this is the plan! His life wasn’t taken from Him, He willingly laid it down. So sin would be conquered forever, and all of human kind would no longer be condemned to death – but have eternal life through Christ. To overcome what bound them on earth, and to live forever with the Father in Heaven. But they weren’t thinking of that now. It’s Saturday. It was just noon yesterday when on the cross through the excruciating pain – he breathed his last breath and pitch darkness covered the land in the middle of the day. Now what? We know they weren’t praying and believing in hope – just waiting for Him to rise. Peter hadn’t set up his deer stand near the site of the tomb – so he could see the fireworks about to happen. They weren’t praising and praying in faith and hope believing… we know this because of their reaction the next morning. This was just Saturday, they forgot to hope. They forgot, that Sunday’s coming - He promised! Of all the things that His resurrection did – there are many things we don’t really think about. Not only did it change eternity forever, and who gets to live where… It gave us the opportunity to pray in hope and faith believing. So what did God promise? Do you believe that it applies to you? Or is it just Saturday for you. Have you forgotten hope? or are you active in hope? Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic – Hope, and How To Put Your Hope In God. Praying that your hope is always active. That your desired good, that’s a possibility of receiving – becomes faith in what He promised. When your hope is active, and your faith is stirred, you start to praise like He’s really gonna do it. You start keeping an eye on that tomb – you start looking for the angels, you start singing the song of salvation – because you know He is on the way. Your Deliverer is coming, your Savior is coming. Not one thing He promised has ever failed. He will surely do it. Praying that your Saturday won’t ever be dark, but full of hope – active hope. That you would remember that God made every Saturday – to be followed by Sunday morning. Sunday’s coming! It’s on the way. Praying that you will spend this Saturday in remembrance, but every Saturday in active hope. Praying that you will get good at putting your hope in God . It’s active – not passive, it’s powerful, it’s based on His promises which never fail. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It tells you the truth in a world that thinks there are many truths. It’s timely, it gives reminders, and structures, patterns. Patterns that lead to death and patterns that lead to life. It changes misperceptions, first about God and then about ourselves. I’m so thankful for PRISM – those five things you can do in God’s Word every day. Truly, it is life changing, because it’s mind changing. God’s Word is guaranteed success! It’s the only guaranteed success in life. His Word will change your mind and change your life. Psalms 35:27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. I’m amazed at how much God says in few words. The opposite of most people, who can talk a lot yet say little. This is an interesting passage about delight. Those who delight in the vindication of the righteous, but most importantly – what God delights in. We know that verse well, Psalms 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. When your greatest desire and delight is in Him, He changes your desires to what is best and best for you, and then He brings them to pass. But here is why he does that. Because He delights in the well-being of his servants. Those who fear Him, who delight themselves in Him. Who put Him first, who worship and follow Him, who do what He tells them to do, at the time He tells them to do it. Followers, not fans… His true servants – He delights in their well-being. He’s so glad when they do well, and is always trying to help them get there. Its funny how many have come to think that God doesn’t like us, or wants to punish us more than bless us. We get the mentality that God wants us to be poor and struggling and burdened. We can’t be doing too well, something bad is about to happen. Where did that thinking come from? Maybe an upbringing at home or church that instilled it, maybe guilt from sinful choices past, or maybe seeing the obvious error of those who think godliness is a means of gain… we settle into that life-limit mentality that things are just always going to be hard. But that's not what God’s Word says. Yes “In this world you will have trouble but be of good courage and good cheer – I have overcome the world.” Even though struggles will come – the struggle is minor compared to the joy. God delights in your well-being. That means He is delighted to see you do well. When you humble yourself and obey, when you learn to walk in His ways, when you are thankful and joyful, the results of wisdom start taking effect in your life. This is not pleasure seeking – it’s well-being. God delights in it for you! When you learn to walk in God’s way, not man’s way – His blessings become your lifestyle – not the exception. When you mature in your thoughts (by His Word) and your words (By His Word) and your obedience (by His Word) – you start doing well, no matter what situation you face. Those self-inflicted crises don’t happen as much, and you learn to walk in the fear of the LORD, in His wisdom – and His blessing. Your life becomes established in His ways. You do well, and He is delighted. A storm may eventually come, but you are not focused on it or worried about it. You are focused on something else. And God tells you what your focus should be – the next verse. My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. It’s talking about God delighting in your well-being, but your tongue isn’t speaking of your well-being – or what you want next. Your tongue - is talking all day long about His righteousness and His praises. That’s how you can tell someone who is doing well, or about to do well. It’s what people who do well – do. Those who God delights in their well-being are always talking about His righteousness and His praises – not about how they are doing, or what bad might happen. So what are you talking about? What is your tongue telling about all day long. Praying that you will do what God tells you – so you do well, so God can be delighted in how you are doing. Praying that you will always tell of His righteousness and His praises - who He is, and what He does – all day long. Praying that you will delight God, by doing well. Well-doing becomes well-being. And God delights in it. His Word gives you the instructions step by step. Praying that you delight yourself in His Word – so you delight yourself in Him, so you do well, so He can be delighted in how well you are doing! He loves you – He loves to see it! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – it was written on purpose by God… for a purpose. And He even tells us what that is. God doesn’t keep secrets to frustrate us – He willingly shares for anyone who has ears to hear. Proverbs 1:1 - The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. I love that Proverbs starts out with a bang. It lays it all out on the table. Who wrote it (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) and what it is was written for. For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life… The three reasons right there. So that you do what is right not wrong, just not unjust, and fair – equitable for both parties, not just you. Proverbs was written on purpose – for a purpose. To attain wisdom – the right use of knowledge, and discipline – doing what God said, when God said to do it. Next it was written so you understand what God says is wisdom. The world doesn’t recognize God’s wisdom, they call other things wisdom – not what God says. That’s why proverbs was written – so you will know. And third, to acquire a disciplined and prudent life – so your life is practically wise – prudent. A demonstration of what life looks like – that is built on God’s wisdom. An example of it – and all the benefits that God’s wisdom brings. So people will see the benefit and blessing of the understanding and obedience of God. Wisdom is subject to God’s principle of more. The more you have the more you get, the less you have the more you lose. To him who has, more will be given, to him who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Wisdom comes only to those to whom it is a priority. That’s why God says, “Above all else, get wisdom.” Praying that wisdom will be highly valuable to you, that you will humble yourself to take on the yoke of discipline. It sucks to those who prefer the things and ideas of the world, but to those who value the wisdom, success, and blessing that only God can give – it’s a light burden, and an easy yoke. So well worth the effort. The blessing of wisdom is exponential – once you decide to humble yourself to get it no matter what – obedience builds momentum, and the separation of a life of wisdom, verses a life that lacks it – is a night and day difference. The fool may never be wise, but the wise would never want to go back to being a fool. God’s wisdom – has reward! It separates the men from the boys, the lost from the blessed, it’s reward comes in this life, and lasts forever in the next. Praying that wisdom is most valuable to you, because you value what God says. Praying that your gratitude and love for God, makes pursuing wisdom easy for you. He brings joy with it! It establishes your life in His ways! Praying that PRISM is your priority – so wisdom can take root in you. Praying that getting God’s plans for you every day is your commitment – so you don’t just hear about wisdom, but you walk in it daily. So the foundation of your life – is built on solid rock. Love you all, dad |
AuthorKelly Kamentz - Jesus follower, husband, father, and friend, helping others surrender time, thoughts, money, and testimony, to fulfill their purpose! Archives
April 2024
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