June 7, 2012 … Do It God’s Way!

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Proverbs, Chapters 16-18 [NKJV] To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Passage: Proverbs 16: 3, 18 : [NKJV]… 3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. … 18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. ============
Highlight Passage #2: Proverbs 17: 3 :[NKJV] … The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.
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Highlight Passage #3: Proverbs 18: 13, 15 :[NKJV] … 13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. … 15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 

My Journal for Today: I’m on wisdom overload this morning as I’ve been led to go through three chapters of Proverbs each day for the last few days. Each day, I’ve prayed to God’s Spirit to embolden His thoughts, which have come through Solomon, for my enlightenment and edification; and He has, in the Spirit of James 1: 5-6 given me an abundance of what I’ve sought; and today is no different. So let me share a few my own proverbial highlights from today’s meditation.

First, Proverbs 16: 3 is like a pro-active way of living out Prov. 3: 5-6. You know the latter – I hope – … to trust ALL in the Lord, and He will direct our paths. But committing – COMPLETELY – what we do for the Lord, God’s way here will be for Him to give us the mind power to accomplish any/all we do for His glory. The question becomes – am I doing what I’m doing COMPLETELY for my God; or am I doing it for me? Good question, huh?

Next, from the same chapter, this time verse 18, is that old saying that many of us know; but few of us live – that “pride goes before a fall.” Sure, … most Christians want to do life God’s way; but what is the first thing that gets in the way of our living for God’s glory? Yeah, … our PRIDE, … but … maybe I’m the only one in which my lack of humility is the biggest stumbling block to my living the way God would have me live. I’ll have to leave it to you to deal with that tidbit of God’s wisdom; but personally, I’ve got a long way ahead of me in dealing with this proverbial truth. All I can say here, this morning, is, … “OUCH!”

And then, from Proverbs 17: 3 I’m reminded of the reality that life’s hot moments – when I seem to be boiling in circumstantial stress – are likely for my own good and for God’s ultimate glory. And, … the truth of Romans 8: 28 bubbles up to my mind right now … that ALL things work together for the good of anyone who is truly born-again.  And when we feel the heat of life, it’s probably just God boiling all the dross out of our soul so that we can be purified to reflect His light more clearly into the world, which is becoming such a murky, dark place.

And finally, the final two verses which popped out at me today, Prov. 18: 13, 15, are really related and are truths to which I really need to pay more attention. And the bottom line from these two verses screams to me that I need to get all the facts before I jump to act. And whoa,… how true that is!! Decisional patience is truly one of my chronic weaknesses. How often do I jump to decide or to act without getting all the info I should have. Well, … confession; … WAY TOO OFTEN!!! Patience is one of the fruit given to all Christians (see Gal. 5: 22, 23); but in my fruit basket of life, this is one fruit that needs more ripening and maturation. And this is one proverb which strikes me where I live; crying out for me to me to get more wisdom – filtered through God’s word – before, so often, I leap before getting all the fact.

Well, those were some jabs which God gave me to the gut this morning. I hope you read through all three chapters of the Proverbs this morning; and if the ones I highlighted here don’t touch you; God will most certainly use the wisdom in these proverbs to touch you with some gem of God’s truth or maybe the heat of his purifying pressure to help you become more of the Christian you need to be. That is my prayer for you today.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, for any who read through your word with me this day, help us all be purified by the heat of Your truth. Amen