Daily Scripture Verse – Proverbs 25:6-7
August 31st, 2007Proverbs 25:6-7 - 6Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
I have always like the book of Proverbs. It’s the ‘Big Book of Common Sense’, or what many of us have come to know as common sense. Just good old practical advice. “Don’t hang out at your neighbors all day every day…or he might really start to not like you.” (Ch. 25:17) These specific verses talk about always staying in a humble state of mind. Jesus’ ministry spoke of this often. The beatitudes, washing of the disciples feet, “who will be at your right hand Jesus?”,…all of these showed instances where lowering yourself into a serving role would actually gain you more respect and honor.
Think about the times in your life when you’ve went out of your way to serve someone else. You’ll probably notice that you come away having gained the favor of another and having more self respect than you did prior.
Daily Scripture Verse – Psalm 140:12-13
August 23rd, 2007Psalm 140:11-12 - 12I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. 13Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.
Daily Scripture Verse – Psalm 9:1
August 21st, 2007Psalm 9:1 - 1I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
Praising with a whole heart is a near impossible task. My interpretation of it means that as individuals we must allow God to influence our every action. That is a stretch most days for me.
Prayer
Lord,
Allow me today to stay immersed in Your presence today. Let my thoughts always be guided by Your word. Help me to see that life is just a ‘thousand todays’ and without focus on today…tomorrow has no foundation to start on.
Amen.
Daily Scripture Verse – James 3:17-18
August 10th, 2007James 3:17-18 - 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
The context of this passage is talking of two kinds of wisdom: that of the world and that of God. Worldly wisdom, ‘street smarts’, or whatever you call it isn’t knowledge that was ever intended to exist. Think about this…why would you ever need to know how to fight if there was no violence? Why would you need to know how to crack a safe if there was no crime? I hope for the day when worldly wisdom will pass away.
Daily Scripture Verse – Hebrews 11:1
August 9th, 2007Hebrews 11:1 – 1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
This is an extremely powerful statement coming from the anonymous author of this book. Faith is simply knowing that your hopes will come true. The context here is of course faith in Christ and the salvation He has provided for us…but I like to think of it being applied to other areas. At one point in Jesus ministry He was walking through a crowd in which a woman with a bleeding infirmity was (Mark 5:25-34). She had faith that by just touching Jesus clothes, she would be healed. Here was Jesus response to her after she had touched Him.
Mark 5:34 - 34And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
The parable of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) ends in a similar fashion.
Luke 17:19 - 19And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
I’d like to challenge you today to go beyond hope… Find faith in something. Know that God has a calling for you and that He is listening to you. He created you. He know’s the desires He put in you. He promises to fulfill His purpose in your life if you let Him. His Glory is recognized and proclaimed when we fulfill His plan.