August 27 – Be Wary of Applause

“The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, and each is tested by the praise accorded him.” – Proverbs 27:21 (NASB)

Praise is enjoyable often sought after as a means to shape bolster our self-image and confirm that we have what we desire from others. It is a part of our natural man to desire acclimation and approval from others. Some seek it diligently and strategically and others take it as it comes and do not live for it. No matter, we each find it very difficult to perform before others without doing the self-evaluation on “how we did.” We want to be found worthwhile, capable and proficient to do our assigned tasks. We do not attain excellence every time and sometimes we flop miserably. With our proverb today is another with a similar lesson. Proverbs 27:19; “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.” Not only do we seek affirmation from our peers and the congregations but we seek it from ourselves. Our hearts reflect what we are. Looking for acceptance and even celebrity status is like spending too much time in front of a mirror fretting over our appearance. The looking glass will only return what we really are just as our heart reveal our true motivations. 

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August 21 – The Right Weigh

“Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.” – Proverbs 21: 2-3 (NASB)

GOALSETTING – This is something most people do or are encouraged to do as a step to success in any endeavor they undertake. Of course the goals we set are good goals, right goals and we plan for them to help us reach even more goals. This is what our verse is talking about. We each plan our lives, our careers, our families, our vacations with the hope that the outcome will be beneficial and make our lives rewarding. We each believe our plans are the right plans to have. But. But what? But the Lord God is the one who knows our hearts and our motivations. He sees all that is down the road of our life. So it is the judgment of God whether our goals and plans are right and good, isn’t it? What our verse says here is also found in Micah 6:3 and that is where we find out what is good from the Lord. Justice, kindness and humility is what God wants us to consider as we plan our ways and set our goals. This is how we glorify God which is our main goal. Right?

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August 19 – Threefold Eternal Fruit

“Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand. What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar. The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” – Proverbs 19:21-23 (NASB)

In the beginning God and man were as one.  But ever since the fall, man’s devices and God’s counsel are at opposition. There is no doubt which will triumph. “There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. My counsel shall stand, and so I will do all my will.” (Proverbs 21:30) The privilege of doing good is within the reach of all. For when the poor fails, the desire of a man is his kindness, as acceptable as the most expensive proof of love. Such a desire is far better in the sight of God, in the heart of one of his poor people, than a man with large opportunities and hollow professions, who proves himself to be a liar. The poor gives readily. The rich cannot afford for he denies that he has the ability though he promises, he does nothing. With the grace of the gospel, we cultivate awesome respect. Threefold fruit is the promise set before us—life, satisfaction, security. It leads to life—not the mere natural life, common to the unbeliever—but a heavenly—an eternal life, in the favor and enjoyment of God.

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August 7 – Guarded by Eye and Heart

“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” – Proverbs 7:1-3 (ESV)

It would be perhaps helpful to understand the phrase “apple of your eye” in its most basic form. This expression refers to the pupil of the eye which, because it is the source of sight, is carefully protected. Deuteronomy 32:10, a portion of the Song of Moses regarding God’s care of His people, “He guarded Him as the pupil of His eye.”  David writes Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” These are promises of how critically important it is that God watches over us. In today’s selected Prover, the son is to guard and protect his father’s teachings because they give him spiritual and moral sight. Binding them on our fingers and writing them on the tablet of our hearts is a a call to give the truth of divine wisdom a permanent place in our mind and in our conduct. That, we keep God’s Word always in sight, and always ready for the present moment. 

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August 6 – Carry With, Always, Everywhere

 “My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.” – Proverbs 6:20-22 (NASB)

There are a number of ways that God instructs us to live using these proverbs of Solomon. This is how we listen to His word and respond to what we learn. First, it is clear the importance God places on family and on the chain of responsibility that exists in an established family. God never intended young people to be independent of their parents. Instruction from every sector is valuable. But from parents it is authoritative—the ordinance of God. Therefore, we are not to consider it a matter of occasional regard. “Bind them continually on your heart,” is allowing them to rule our lives and guide the way we live. Plus “around your neck,” as an adorning making them a part of daily life so that others may know what we believe. The same was instructed in Proverbs. 3:3 and Job’s declaration in Job 31:36 regarding his integrity, “Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown.” Day and night, God’s wisdom is revealed to us in his word and should be more than momentary, it should be known by all who know us. 

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June 24 – With Truth Comes Acid

“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.”  Job 22:21-22 (ESV)

The story of Job in the Bible is not one many really know very well. We might know of Job’s trials, losses and why. We might even have a clue about three friends who fail to understand and so  missed the mark when trying to offer help. Instead of comfort counselors they were accusers.  But in all that is said to Job, there are many interesting and valuable bits of advice. Eliphaz, the third and at first silent friend, is at first courteous, but in chapter 22 his frustration rises. Again, the fate of the wicked is expressed in the simplistic idea that all suffering comes from sin. Eliphaz did not believe Job was innocent and so painted a picture of the life of blessing in store for Job if only he would return to God and repent of his sin (v. 23). Out of this bit of acidic advice from his “friend” there is a truth. In order to properly “agree with God, and be at peace,” we must know Him as He has revealed Himself. In order to know God, God must know us as His own. That is how we truly know peace from Him.

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February 5 – Diligent Heart Care

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” – Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)

We have in this passage a warning, advice, and blessing all part of the promise that is in our selected verse. The author King Solomon is teaching his son the importance of heart care. These verses and promises are good for all and a father or mother would do well to teach them to their daughters as well. Many verses from the book of Proverbs stand alone. That is not the case with today’s verse. Verse 23 is best understood in the context of verses 20-27. The words of wisdom are important enough to not let them out of our sight. In fact they should be hidden in our heart. They bring us life and health. Our heart needs guarding for out of it’s a wellspring of how we live. The word “heart” means more than mental or emotional capacity; it also incorporates one’s values. The “heart” may commonly refer to our mind as the center of thinking and reason, but also includes our emotions, our will, and our whole inner being. The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech (v. 24), sight (v. 25), and conduct (vv. 26, 27).

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November 28 – Wholehearted

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. - Psalm 9:1 (ESV)

In the crush of our overly-commercialized world, it does not take long for the spirit of Thanksgiving to fade. Our attention turns to other intentions and desires. We’ve  mentioned previously, every day is a good day to give our expressions of thanks to God. We can make every day a day of thanksgiving. When we take the time to consider what God has done for us and for all who need salvation, we have much to be thankful for. Today's verse is from Psalm 9 and reminds us that true thanks that is pleasing to the Lord comes from within ourselves. It comes from our heart and our whole heart should be involved. We can express thanksgiving with our lips. If we are not focused on God, we can really say the words without our hearts being involved. Today the verse reminds us that true thanks to the Lord requires all our heart. Let’s do so today as you gather with family or friends or if you are by yourself, you can still give thanks to the Lord with all your heart. He knows you and He is with you today so be thankful for that blessing and promise.

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August 15 – Storing Treasure

“Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” – Psalm 119:11 (NASB)

Today’s verse affirms the value of internalizing the Word to defend against encroaching sin. We might ask how do we internalize God’s word? The Authorized version renders the verse; “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” There is a blessing to absorbing the Word of God because it is the truth and given to us as a guide to God’s will. (Psalm 37:21) God’s Word teaches us and shows us the path He wants us to walk on and when we do, receive abundant blessings. Knowing what is God’s will from His Word keeps our feet steady and guards us from slipping when we might (Psalm 73:2). How do we hide God’s Word in our heart? Well, remember that in Scripture the word 'heart' was used for the mind. Memorizations of God’s Word is how we hide and treasure it. Don't we already know about treasures? Another version renders this as “stored up your word.” We store up what we treasure for future use. Perhaps this verse is a good one to commit to memory right now? It can only help us to do so.

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August 14 – Whole Hearted Commitment

“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” – Psalm 119:2-3 (ESV)

Psalm 119* is longest of the psalms and chapters in the Bible. Like Psalm 1 and 19 it exults God’s Word. We cannot be certain who the psalmist is since he is not identified. Each verse contains the author’s reverence and love for the Word of God (using eight different terms**), we take each of the statements as an affirmation of the promises God has given us regarding the effectiveness of His Word. We find again the use of the word “heart” which  refers to our intellect, volition, and emotion. When we say we are seeking God with “all my heart” what we are affirming is that we have a complete commitment to God and to His Word. We don’t use it occasionally or when our circumstances are desperate and we are driven to seek God’s will in His Word. We don’t use it conveniently or only when we think about it. Our promise is that as we keep our commitment to what God has instructed us in His Word, it will keep us from doing wrong. It will keep us on the path He has made straight before us.  

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*This is an acrostic psalm composed of 22 sections, each containing 8 lines. All 8 lines of the first section start with the first letter of the Hebrew (language). alphabet; thus the psalm continues until all 22 letters have been used in order.

** Every verse includes a reference to one of these terms referring to Scripture. The terms occurring throughout the psalm are: 1) law, 2) testimonies, 3) precepts, 4) statutes, 5) commandments, 6) judgments, 7) word, and 8) ordinances. 

Other acrostic psalms are Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 145.

July 31 – Fighting the Blues With Faith

“My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:26 (ESV)

Can’t we all agree that we have a weakness when it comes to holding the line on what we know and believe faithfully? Literally the verb in this verse is simply “fail,” not “may fail.” Asaph was enraptured by God. His testimony is, “I have failed! I am despairing! I am dejected! I am overcome with depression!” Then he fires a broadside against all this despondency: “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” This is our promise for when the blues attack. Refuse to yield to their effects. Instead, battle our unbelief; respond with a strategic counterattack. It comes down to this if we trust the promises of God: when in ourselves we feel weak and unable to cope; when we are physically spent and have lost heart, that is the time to not yield to whatever the reason is for our despondency. We trust God and not ourselves. We have hope because God is our strength and our portion forever. These testimonies in the Bible are for our use to fight the unbelief of despondency. And, we fight with the blast of faith in God’s promises. 

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July 24 – When In Need: Restoration

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” – Psalm 51:10-11 (ESV)

David, King of Israel, made a serious error in judgment and broke God’s Law. His lust for Bathsheba led him into adultery and the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. David, about whom God testified to be “a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do,” (1 Samuel 13:6; Acts 13:22) failed to do so always. It does not have to be any acts of such serious consequence in order to reflect on our own lives and the times when we have failed in obedience to God’s commandments. David writes this Psalm after he is confronted by Nathan, God’s prophet who was sent for that purpose. David confesses his sin and begs forgiveness from God. This promise, we have from God, is found throughout the Scriptures – God is merciful and loving. God will forgive all who come to Him in repentance, confessing their sins. Just as 1 John 1:9 confirms for us, God is faithful and just. He promises to forgive and cleanse us from sin and its residue. David’s request was for a clean heart and a right spirit within himself. God promises that when we acknowledge our failings.

Read 2 Samuel 11-12 – For context

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July 21 – Only, Only, Only,

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” -  1 Samuel 12:24 (ESV)

Ever tested the word ‘only’ in a sentence to see how different positioning makes for different emphasis? Here is an example: “Only fear the Lord…” might read, “Fear only the Lord…” or, “Fear the only Lord…” or, “Fear the Lord only…” Each arrangements represents a true instruction and each has a slightly different emphasis of why we are to “Only fear the Lord…” The people of Israel had just crowned their first King, Saul, the son of Kish. He was handsome, taller than all others and must have had a wining personality. Samuel the prophet and judge cautioned the people to remain faithful to their true King, the Lord God. It was going to be easy for the people to begin to view their king and admire him too highly. Saul easily let it all go to his head and went astray, disobeying God. Let’s remember what Samuel said to the people for God has done great thing for us also. He provides for us salvation, gives us wisdom, comforts us, guides us, and blesses us abundantly. Plus much more – He is worthy of our awesome praise and worship. Great things in our past, present and future. 

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July 16 – Test. Refine. Purify.

“Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
    Test my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
    And I have walked in Your truth.” – Psalm 26:2-3 (NASB)

The love God promises to all who love Him is always before us. It is always for our benefit and never fails. We are the ones that fail in this love. David, who wrote this song seeks vindication that he has not failed. He calls on God to examine, try, and test his inner self – deeper emotion than what he might show to others. It is interesting that the phrase “test my mind and my heart” is translated from the Hebrew original “test my kidneys and my heart.” The use of kidneys is a figurative way to speak of the seat of emotion and affection; hence, it is involving character. It was seen as the most sensitive vital part of a person, thus, the “mind” as we today see the mind as the most vital part of a person along with the heart. These three invitations to divine scrutiny are essentially synonymous ways of testing, refining, and purifying. If we include the first verse, we can understand that David wanted confirmation of his faithfulness and trust in God. Can we claim that our integrity guides our way and our trust is steadfast? Let’s commit to that today. 

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May 20 – The Confession That is Real

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” – Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)

God saves us because He chose to do so. Our salvation happens when we believe that truth and confess with repentance to God. Our verse of promise says, “Confession is made unto salvation.” We are not saved by our mouth’s confession, but rather, our mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ which we received by a gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8).  This is not a simple acknowledgment that He is God and the Lord of the universe, since even demons acknowledge that to be true (James 2:19). This is the deep personal conviction, without reservation, that Jesus is our own master or sovereign.  Paul emphasizes the importance that this comes from our heart. The heart is not merely the seat of affection or emotion. As used in the Bible, our heart is the hub of the wheel of human existence and life – intellectual, emotional, and volitional. First of all there must be faith in our heart. Without such faith a confession with the mouth would be mockery. But even if there is faith in our heart, confession with our mouth is altogether natural when our faith is genuine.

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January 28 – All Times All Times All

“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”  2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NASB)

When we look at the first verse in our passage, Paul teaches that God is love and, He loves a cheerful giver. What an important bit to remember when planning gifts for Christian work. Then, the next verse Paul teaches that God is all-powerful. That is, God expresses his love to his people through his power. And why? In order to help us go even further in faith in giving. Let’s now, look at how Paul expresses this. The concept 'all' appears five times: all grace, all sufficiency, all things, all times, every good work. Paul describes the infinite goodness and greatness of God. God has power “to make all grace abound toward you.” He involves Himself in details of our lives, even in our decisions to give for a certain cause. In the service of the Lord grace brings more grace to the table. The believer’s grace in joyful giving can hardly be compared with God’s abounding grace to the believer for God showers his love on the joyful donor, who is unable to match God’s grace. He grants the gift of salvation, spiritual gifts, the fruit of the Spirit, and material needs as blessings.

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December 25 – Christmas Day

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 (NIV)

Jesus taught us to store up treasures in heaven. Today we read how Mary, the mother of Jesus, reacted after hearing the words and testimony of the shepherds the night Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph were interrupted by them in the middle of the night, just a short time after Mary gave birth to the Son of God. We have been hearing and talking about the events of the Christmas story and now today is the day we focus on celebrating the birth of Jesus our Savior. The shepherds had some marvelous things to report of what they had seen and what the angel had told them. When Mary heard all this she received and believed it and she made the news her very own. It became part of her life story. It became very precious to her like a rich treasure. We are told that Mary gave much thought to what she had heard for it was very meaningful. How about us? Let's give much thought to the promise of a savior whose birth we celebrate today and let's also treasure it in our hearts as we ponder on what it means for us. 

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December 8 – Making Heaven Our Treasure Trove

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 (ESV)

We do not have to dig very far in our verse to see our promise is today. Where do we find our heart anchored?  It’s where the things we treasure most are. If the things that have the greatest value to us are here on earth, that is where our heart is.  If we treasure the things in heaven, our heart is there. For several reason in previous verses (Matthew 6:19-20) we are told to not store treasure on this earth.  Earthly treasures lose value, if the start out with any in the first place. The clothing we treasure will be deteriorate and become rags because all things are subject to decay. Material trinkets will rust away even when kept carefully. Thieves will steal your valuables treasures. None of these things will happen to the truths which we find in the Word of God and treasure at great value. What does this mean to us? We may favor certain things in our life but nothing should become so much a treasure that it draws us away from the treasure God has given to us in His Word. Let’s use Heaven for our treasure trove.

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December 7 – Cure for Weariness

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3 (NASB)

We hear many remarking how difficult this year has been and nearly everyone has been affected by the chaos in our world. They’re hoping next year will be better and are eager for this year to be over. How can we know if it will be any better? We can know that Jesus experienced much worse in His life for our sake. These words were written to encourage us when we are tempted to give up when the going gets really tough. The verse just before this one encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ our Savior which will help us to avoid giving up. Some may be tempted to think that it is not worth all the trouble involved in following close to the Lord. Then we should remember that Jesus came to earth to do his Father's will and He encountered a lot of suffering. The leaders of the people hated Him and were hostile to Jesus and eventually killed him. But He endured it all, shame and death on the cross, and now He is in heaven's glory and we'll be there someday too. Let's fix our eyes on Him today.

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December 6 – Carried Close

“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:11 (NASB)

We might be familiar with the well-known painting by Warner Sallman of our Lord as a shepherd caring for his sheep? It is an image often used to show God's relationship with His followers.  It brings joy and comfort to know that He considers us a part of those who depend on His care every day. As we read this verse today these words are especially impressed on our hearts: “carries them in His bosom” – meaning He carries them close to his heart.  These special words remind us of God's promise and His great love for us. Jesus once told those following Him that His sheep know his voice, and He knows know them, and they follow Him. Jesus wants us to feel this and He wants us to respond to His love. Then let us remember that to be held close to the heart of the shepherd made it possible for a lamb to feel the heartbeat of the shepherd. So it is for us. When our Lord carries us close to his heart, we can sense His love for others and for ourselves. 

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