Coming to the Still Waters

Today's verses are Proverbs 20:9-12, which read, v.9 - Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"? The obvious answer to the question is that no one can say this. Job 14:4 says, "Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!" Romans 3:10 and 23 says, "...as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one;' ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,..." 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." Your heart can be cleansed and you can be made pure but it is not of your own doing or under your effort. God is the heart cleanser and has provided the Purifier for our sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. So many verses come to mind but let's stay with Psalm 51:1, 2, 9, and 10, which read, "Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blo...

Today's verses are chapter 20:5-8, which read, v.5 - A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out. This is another word picture for us to ponder from Solomon.  In our hearts are plans, many plans.  Some will come to light but others will just swim around in the deep waters.  Some will be out of reach of easy grasp and float around with all those other plans.  The wise person, the man of understanding in this proverb, draws out the plan that needs to be put in place.  He draws it out with the tools given him by the God that he is in fear of or in awe of and follows after.  God will give the tools to scoop it out to the wise that have been spoken of all through this book and that plan will be in accordance to God's will to put in place. v.6 - Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man? This proverb is talking about a bragger.  This is a person who uses the pronoun...

Today's verses are Proverbs 20:1-4, which read, v.1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. Solomon is going to address the issue of those things that can cloud our senses and therefore our decisions on following after God.  Alcohol is one of those things when it is not controlled very closely.  Alcohol is not the only thing that can do this.  We can be intoxicated by many different things other than being intoxicated of God and His wisdom.  The point is that being intoxicated by something else changes us and we can go from it being unwise to actually physically and mentally hurting others.  To be intoxicated is to go astray with something and therefore if we go astray from the wisdom of God it is not wise.   v.2 - The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; he who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. What are other ways that we can go astray?  One that Solomon has brou...

Today is an in between chapters devotional as we have ended Proverbs 19 and will go unto Proverbs 20 on Monday. I like to share with you what I am learning or being challenged with and the latest is from a conference that I attended along with some others from the church called  "Scatter - Organic Outreach Conference."   It was held at the Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois and the main speakers were Kevin and Sherry Harney and Lon Allison. I always look for those stand out take aways and the ones for this conference dealt with being more intentional or responding to the Spirit's prompting to do something and to say something.  Since the conference I have had some opportunities that I convinced have been there before but I just didn't react to the open door that God had put before me.  The  "nudge"  from the Spirit seems to be stronger and I have taken the step to open my mouth but with what? Sometimes it is hard to get started with...

Today's verses are Proverbs 19:25-29, which read, v.25 - Strike the scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, but reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge. Three types of people are mentioned in this proverb.  The first is the scoffer who is someone who is not following after God and knows it and is suffering the consequences of not doing so.  He is being struck for the foolishness of his life.   The striking of the scoffer and the reprove of the one who has understanding gets the attention of the second type, the naive. The naive is someone who is at a formative stage to go the foolish route or the wise route.  They are taking in what they hear and see and need direction to respond.   The third is the one who has understanding as someone who is following after God.  Those who are wise also need to be reproved.  The effect on the naive will be either to be shrewd or gain knowledge.  If they are focused on the fo...

Today's verses are Proverbs 19:21-24, which read, v.21 - Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the LORD will stand. This proverb is very similar to 16.1 which reads,  "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD."   We have what man plans and then we have what the Lord answers and the counsel of the Lord that stands.  I see two different things happening here.  It doesn't mean that man does not plan but that his plans are not the final outcome.  When we realize that God's will is above and beyond our own, our response should be to submit to His and line up with what will stand.  The heart is given when speaking of man's plans.  The plans of man are sincere or at least sound sincere but even sincere plans can be wrong.  We need to look and go with God's answer and God's counsel over our own. v.22 - What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man th...

Today's verses are Proverbs 19:17-20, which read, v.17 - One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. Jesus told us that there would always be the poor among us.  It could be someone physically poor, emotionally poor or spiritually poor and the list could go on.  We see someone who is in need and offer them our resources.  It could be physical resources, our ears to listen or our presence to be with them during a time of need.  We are to act when we see the poor. The poor are put before us by the LORD and when we act upon it we receive something from Him.  It really makes me look at how I care for the poor.  Do I give them what is left over or something I have worn out?  If so then that is what I am giving to the Lord.  I wonder if what I get in return will be what is leftover from the Lord or something He doesn't have need of anymore.  We know that God doesn't work that way so we ...

Today's verses are Proverbs 19:13-16, which read, v.13 - A foolish son is destructive to his father, and the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. We want our children to have better than ourselves.  I have heard that said many times.  Do we want them to have better than ourselves morally and in regards to the faith?  Many times we will invest their hobbies and their education but we slack when it comes to their spiritual development.  What they need most we treat as something that is optional or we could make it up somehow.  Heaven forbid that we set them up to be foolish rather than give them the wisdom of God they need under our care.  It is an overwhelming responsibility given to us as parents but God has given us the ability to bring them up in the admonish of the Lord. I think we could take the dripping faucet wife both ways.  I am sure there are some dripping faucet husbands out there too.  Contentions are those who br...