God Can See Everything We Do

Proverbs 15:3 - The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

 

Solomon included this reminder of God’s supernatural ability to keep watch on all of us… everyone….believer or nonbeliever. His eyes can penetrate every home…every workplace.  He knows everything that is happening….everywhere on the Earth.

 

It has always been hard for me to wrap my mind around this truth of God. The world reached a population of over 7 billion people in 2010…according to the worldwide census.  God sees everyone of those 7 billion people….24 hours a day. I have a hard time watching 30 in a classroom for 50 minutes.

 

It gives me a reverence for God …to know that he can see everything I do.  I can either disrespect him with my bad choices….and know that I am disappointing him….or I can do the right thing…and feel the  warmth of his smile. 

 

It also gives me a great sense of comfort…knowing that he sees all the evil in the world too. He will only allow it to go so far….before his judgment is passed down and the world is cleansed of evil for good. 

 

Father…thank you for this reminder that your eyes are able to see everything I do. Forgive me for the times that I have forgotten the promise I made to keep your rules…and disappointed you. Help me to always remember that you are watching me…so I can feel your warm smile….and know that you are proud of me. Thank you for keeping a watch on the bad things that happen around me….and helping me to know that you are in control…even when I get worried about what is happening around me. Amen.

Control Your Anger....Learn To Forgive

Proverbs 14:29 -  He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.

 

Solomon tucked into this chapter a short verse that cuts to the heart of our need to control our temper.  Unbridled it burns out of control causing division….pushes us into hasty decisions….and causes bitterness that is hard to erase. It must be a very important truth…for he tucks this concept into more than one proverb.

 

It speaks to our need to ask God for patience in all situations. James 1:19 says….This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.  The mature Christian…the one who wants to refresh those around him with his wisdom….will be a great listener…speak only when he has thought carefully about what to say…and control his anger.

 

I admit that this is not always the easiest thing to do.  My temper burned out of control when my kids were young. I wish I had grasped this truth early enough in my Christian walk to model it a whole lot better for them. I am sure some of the whispers at ballparks were about the crazy lady who professed to be a Christian…but let her anger over calls be an embarrassment at times.

 

One of the keys to controlling our temper is found in mastering the concept of forgiveness.  Colossians 3:13 says…bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Forgiveness is a powerful tool of god once we have let him plant it in our heart.

 

Anger that is left unchecked causes us to want to take revenge. We become consumed with a need to ‘get someone back.’ But God has things under control…he has a plan for anything we see in the world that stirs anger in our heart. Romans 12:19 says….Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that anger is to be controlled. Forgive me for all those times that I have failed to bridle my anger…and let it slow down the growth of another Christian.  Help me to be a better listener…and bring my anger first to you….so you can help me see how and when to release it. Continue to teach me how to forgive…and let you handle the rest.  Amen.

Don't Misread The Signs

Proverbs 13:19-21 - A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

 

This chapter of proverbs speaks of our need to surround ourselves with all the Godly friends we can find.  God has a better chance of helping us to hear HIS plan for our lives…if we have HIS people speaking HIS wisdom into our mind and soul. He also reminds us that we need to be careful what we set our mind on….that everything we think we want or need is not a part of his plan.

 

It is very easy to misread the signs…and think what we want is what God wants.  But setting our heart on something we want too completely….causes us to lose our ability to assess its usefulness to God objectively.  A desire can bind your judgment…causing you to misread…or even manipulate the signs to get what we want.  We can even easily convince ourselves it is what God wants.

 

I admit that I needed this reminder.  Just this last week….I found myself in a most confusing situation.  I had thought….key word thought….deeply in my soul that it was time to retire.  The tiredness of my mind…the sweet thought of rest….gave me the inclination that God wanted me to move home and buy a house. I embraced the thought wholeheartedly…seeing every sign as a confirmation I had heard God correctly.

 

It is amazing to me how he used the friends around me…and even looking back…he tried to use some of my family to get me back on course from the start of MY rose colored plan.  It took him more than a week….of hard hits to my head…to convince me I had misread the signs….that I still needed to work….and not buy a house back home where I grew up.  I almost bought an overpriced home…that I would have had a hard time reselling for what I was willing to pay.  It would have been a bad financial decision…even though it would have let me live close to my mom and dad and sisters again.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to keep my eyes fixed on you…and not let a desire I have go one moment without checking with you how it fits into your plan.  Forgive me for manipulating the signs to be what I wanted….and thank you for helping me to correct the vision before it was too late.  Help me to open my eyes and ears to what you want and need me to do for you here…where you have already placed me. Amen.

Don't hate Correction....It Might Be From God

Proverbs 12:1 and 15-17 –  To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.  A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.  An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.

 

Solomon included these tidbits of truth about our need to seek wisdom….and never feel we know all we need to know.  Real learning involves a passion…deep in our heart…to know the right way…the most effective way…to do everything we need to do.  The wise person stays calm…even when they disagree…and listen to all that is said.  Then they mediate and study on it…pray about it…to seek the right way to go.

 

The truly wise man or woman never insists on their own way…they are open to the instruction and guidance of God….and know in their heart when they are wrong…and they promptly admit it.  Like David response to Nathan in 2 Samuel 12….his heart immediately recognized his mistake when he was confronted.

 

Perhaps it is pride that makes us think we are always right…..or maybe it is fear of the consequences when we accept the truth.  But whatever the reason….we hold tightly to our opinions…too long sometimes.   God can’t do anything with us while we are trapped in our pride….he can only change and mold our character when we admit that he knows more than we do.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am still learning.  Forgive me for the many times that have insisted on my own way…without asking you what you thought first.  Help me to be more like David…with a heart that is open to the people you send to correct and teach me the truth.  Amen.

Words....Powerful Tools Of Love

Proverbs 11:9 –  Evil words destroy one's friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.

 

Carefully tucked into the collection of random wide sayings that Solomon compiled into this chapter was this verse….a powerful statement about the power of words. The wisdom he had been given from the Lord immediately recognized the truth of this statement.

 

Our words are powerful tools of encouragement…or a way to destroy the relationships meant to surround us with love.  There are many other times when Solomon will tuck a reminder of this into his book of Proverbs….over 20 verses to come will reiterate this truth.  And James 3:6 says…. “ And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

 

Instead of berating or belittling….judging or calling names…..we should be about encouraging one another with some of the great scriptures God planted throughout our Bible.  Perhaps the statement of hope in Isaiah 41:10… “ fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ….could turn someone’s bleak ….dismal attitude into a more hopeful one.

 

I admit…..I needed this reminder to use positive words to build up people…and try not to be sucked into satan’s easier way of spouting out the negative that comes to my mind first.  Teaching these days gives me plenty of opportunities to judge…blame….berate….or tear down with my words. I guess I had better think twice before I say anything in my classroom in the future…so I can ask God to guide my tongue…so he can use me to help change attitudes instead of make them worse.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that every word that comes out of my mouth has the potential to help you change the hearts of the world.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed my negative words to judge…blame….or even berate others.  Help me to bridle my tongue…so you can help me think about every word that I speak out loud….and make sure that it will build love into the people around me.  Amen.

All Things Work For Good

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

Been struggling all week with feelings of doubt over the move I had planned this summer. I was so ready to retire….move back home and start a new season of life.  I had prayed that God give me clear directions…and even expected at some point for the mail to deliver a letter with exact instructions…as if God worked that way all the time. 

 

It is no accident that I have been reading in Proverbs this week either.  Wisdom comes in ways we don’t always perceive sometimes.  Today it came in the form an e-mail….from the loan company handling my loan for the house I planned to live in at home.  The details are not in important…but it stated clearly that they could not proceed with the loan.

 

That is strike three for me…in the quest to buy a home…a clear message that I somehow misread the signs…even the three turtles I saw at the last one.  I have an uncanny peace about what should have been a very sad moment….another sign that God is still working in my life and it will all work out for good.

 

Father…thank you for the clear message today…and the peace that you have given my soul about the news that changes my plans for the next year.  Continue to guide my thoughts and show me the good that you have planned here in London….as I continue to teach…..and live in the humble rock house I rent. Amen.

24 Hours Of Opportunities

Proverbs 10:4-5 -  Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.  He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

 

Some of the Proverbs were not written by Solomon…but he valued the sayings of some of the people God had placed in his life….and collected …even compiled them to be read by others. Because they  seem random on the surface….we need to read carefully ….so we can glean the one or two verses that God can use to help us through the situation in life we find ourselves in at this season of our lives.

 

These two verses popped out at me last night.  It’s been one of those weeks….when I have let my mind work overtime….leaving some of the real work in my life undone.  I was very tired…eyes hard to keep open…but determined to read the whole chapter. My notes are scant….because it seemed I was reading random thoughts at first…but I somehow gleaned these two verses for the Life Application Commentary on the pages of my Dad’s Bible.

 

On top of my struggles to stay awake last night…I overslept this morning….literally turning the alarm off…and laying back down.  It was a miracle that God woke me back up at all.  He knew in my tired state of mind…I would need the words he had me note last night….not to be lazy….but call on him to give me the strength to keep going and try to be more diligent today.

 

 The words of the commentary said…..every day has 24 hours of opportunities.  Time is a gift that God gives us…and we should be very careful to use it wisely.  I thought of all those mornings that Jesus woke early to go pray…or left his disciples after a lengthy teaching session to spend time with his father….and was instantly convicted that I have not used the 24 hours of the last few days in the wisest way.

 

Father…thank you for waking me this morning…and thank you for helping me to write the important notes that would give me the strength to keep going this day.  Forgive me for the time I have not used so wisely…and help me to focus more intensely on you…so I can overhaul how I send my time each day. Amen.