Daily Huddle - Wed May 13, 2020 Motives

Love you all, praying for you!
 
On a couple day getaway with my wife – we stopped at Ollies and looked in the book section.  One stood out to me and I got it.  “The Big Book of Words You Should Know To Sound Smart – A Guide for Aspiring Intellectuals.”  Well, neither one of these things are of any interest to me, I’m not interested in sounding smart, and I’m definitely not an aspiring intellectual.  There is a great difference between wisdom and knowledge.  Many people are knowledgeable, but lack wisdom.  Perhaps 95% of the Academics today reject God.  Maybe that’s because God says knowledge puffeth up… and God said humility and the Fear of the LORD – are the beginning of wisdom.  So if you do not fear God, you lack wisdom, the most you can get is knowledge about certain things – that ironically God is the one who created.  Six thousand years of Human history and we are still trying to discover and understand what He put together in seven days - with the word of His mouth.  And those who haven't even scratched the surface - feel they know too much to believe in God.  That's what God says is the wisdom of the world, not the wisdom that of God.  They are different.  As different as His thoughts are from man’s thoughts - as high as the heavens are above the earth.  So why did I buy the book?  Well the fact that it was only $2.99 really helped, I don’t like spending money for unnecessary things, or spending money unnecessarily for things that are necessary  I asked God if that’s what I should do, and felt His peace.  Whether $299.00 or $2.99 - It's still His money.  The reason I bought it was because I want to develop my vocabulary for at least understanding, if not speaking.  Big words don’t help you – I would rather communicate well than use big words.  If people can’t understand how does it accomplish anything?  I think someone said - the most effective marketing is written at a sixth grade reading level.  I’d rather communicate well than speak well.  The introduction was interesting,  “People judge you by the words you use.”  That is perhaps true.  “This book can serve as your “translator” when speaking with these pseudointellectuals.”  “Yeah, I’m better than those kinds of people…” Oops, see how easy it is for that pride creep to sneak in?  “Your goal is to express, not to impress.”  I would agree with that, but I’m also reminded how my real goal is to understand what they are saying, their thoughts and what they are feeling – so I can speak the truth in love – and hopefully win them to the Salvation and Obedience of Christ.  The One who loves them, died for them, and has peace for them, and joy for them, and has the most incredible plans for their life! Not to mention all of eternity!  The Introduction cited a twenty year study of Earl Nightingale – “Without exception, those who had scored the highest on the vocabulary test given in college were in the top income group, while those who had scored the lowest were in the bottom income group.”  Well everyone wants to make money – so an understandably compelling argument for this book.  It was interesting – The Purpose of Daily Huddle – is not to critique - it’s to simply encourage you to obey whatever God tells you – so you can walk in the good He has for you.  PiVAT, His Plans for you, and they're so good!  PRISM – His Word and His Ways – which confirm and ensure His plans - 4C’s – His money directed at His choosing, Daily Call – His direct command for your victory, and a PiVAT Small Group –His instruction to provoke one another to love and good works.  Obeying His plans and His commands.  And God really challenged me about motives.  What really motivates me... Is it pride?  Is it to be better than others, is it to be smarter than others, or richer than others?  Jesus had none of those motives.  His sole focus in life – was doing the will of His Heavenly Father – that’s why millions receive Salvation through Him.  He could have been King.  He was incredibly popular – He was smarter than everyone – He could tell the wind and waves to be still, He could feed 20,000 with a Happy Meal - and since He could raise people from the dead how would you ever defeat His army?  These could be really helpful if he wanted to get ahead in life, or become President or King.  But He didn’t.  He didn’t come to get ahead in life – He came to give his life.  So how do you check your motives?  Avoiding vocabulary books won’t fix the problem, the motives of your heart would remain.  The only way for motives to be transformed -  is His Word – PRISM – those five things you can do every day in God’s Word – will transform your mind – so you think like He does.  Otherwise motives can trick you.  Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure – who can really understand how bad it is?  “I, the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”  Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means.  When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.  Much is said in this culture about success and how to reach it.  How you must act to be the G.O.A.T.  But what does God say?  Proverbs 16:2 – All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but motives are weighed by the LORD.  There is no way to reign in motives.  We just want to feel like we are better than others.  We admire those who succeed – and pattern our lives after them.  But God’s Ways are so different.  What is valued by man – is not valued by God.  And what is valued by God – is often of little value to man.  Humility and the Fear of the LORD – are the beginning of wisdom, they lead to wealth honor and life.  God gives wealth – beyond just money which can soon disappear.  Praying that you will pursue wisdom, not intellect, that you will pursue humility and obedience, not success.  That’s the seek first, that God promises – if you do it, He will do the rest.  He will add to you (give to you) all that you need.  Remember, you don’t work for money, or company, or boss, or fame, you work for the greatness of His Name.  You can trust Him – His riches like His love for you – endure forever.
 
Love you all,
dad