August 20 – Staying Away From Strife

 “Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel.” – Proverbs 20:3 (NASB)

Today’s proverb verse is very apropos for our day, especially with easy access to social media and the anonymity it provides for users. Quarrels, arguments, and contentious exchanges happen frequently on every platform in the social media world. It becomes too easy to grasp at our supposed right to voice our opinion or to think it is our duty to “set others right” when they express what we do not agree with. Consider the wisdom from Proverbs 19:11 “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.”  Overlooking a disagreement is the better way of discretion and the better way to peaceful coexistence. To do so does not equate to agreement or approval but it does keep open the channels of communication. A world of sin must always be a world of strife, because governed by the wisdom that does not descend from above, for is produces “strife, confusion, and every evil work.”(James 3:14-16) It is in an evil world that we find a opportunity to display the grace of God, manifesting the fruits of “the wisdom that is from above”—meekness—gentleness. (James 3:17)

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August 4 – Acquire Wisdom, Receive Honor

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her.” – Proverbs 4:7-8 (NASB)

Our verse today is included by Solomon as a lesson he was taught by his father David. In the larger context of verses 3-9 we find an urgency in the lesson he is teaching. Of utmost importance, this lesson stresses the acquisition of wisdom. We hear much of the value and importance of getting and clinging to wisdom in these Proverbs and especially in the first nine chapters. After the importance of acquiring wisdom, we are instruction to acquire understanding. In the last chapter Proverbs 3:5-6 we have the lesson to trust in the Lord with all our being and to not lean on our own understanding. But here we are to lean on the understanding that comes with the wisdom of God. We are warned to not turn away from what we learn here and to not forsake wisdom for guarding the wisdom from God provides us with a guard and a watch over our ways of thinking and acting. The more highly one esteems wisdom, the more highly wisdom lifts that person. If we place the importance of God’s Wisdom that comes from His Word as a treasure in our heart we will receive honor from wisdom.

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November 25 – Being Close

“ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”  John 12:26 (NASB)

When Jesus spoke these words to the people living and following Him when He was here on earth, He was not thinking exclusively about His 12 disciples who had followed him for almost 3 years.  He was not thinking only of the crowds that physically followed Him when he came through their town or village.  He was talking about people who would follow Him spiritually after He died on the cross and rose from the grave.  He was talking about us today who claim to be following Him.  Jesus said that His followers would be where He would be.  Yes, if we are His followers we need to stay close to Him.  But we're here on earth and He is in heaven so how can we stay close to Him?  Of course, we know that He is near us as He promised to be.   We stay close to the Lord by keeping our thoughts on Him by listening to His words in the Bible and by praying and having a prayerful attitude at all times.  

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October 6 – Cost of Pride

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”  Daniel 4:37 (NASB)

Today we consider words of praise to Almighty God which were offered up and spoken not by a prophet or psalmist but by the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.  He had conquered the Nation of Judah and Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and the city wall.  He had taken captive most of the people and brought them to Babylon.  His story is in the Book of Daniel where in the fourth chapter, we read how God judged the proud king and humbled him by forcing him to live wild and alone for seven years.  These words of praise came from Nebuchadnezzar at the end of his punishment.  We believe the same about God that the king came to believe.  God's words are true and His ways are just.  God deserves praise and we are happy to exalt and honor the King of heaven.  Our promise is a warning too.  God is able to humble the proud.  Let's praise God and honor Him today as we recognize him as King of heaven.  

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October 5 – Calling for Help

“and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”  Psalm 50-:15 (NIV)

The Bible contains many messages delivered to God's people through the prophets He appointed.  The messages were given to the prophets who delivered them to the people and recorded them for the benefit of the people who lived at the time as well as for us today.  We find these messages also in books of the Prophets and even in the Book of Psalms.  We believe the messages from the psalmists are from God just as those messages that came through the mouth and pen of the prophets.  We receive such a word and promise from the psalmist Asaph* in Psalm 50.  Our God knows when we face problems and He knows we face days of trouble as we do His work.  He knows what causes our hearts to become concerned and He knows how to help us face the trouble.  He invites us to call upon Him at times like that.  God's promise is that He will bring us through the day of trouble.  He know too that if we recognize that He is helping us we will give Him the honor and praise that He deserves. 

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Who is Asaph the psalmist?

August 26 – Only From God

“Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.”   Leviticus 10:3 (NIV)

We often take advantage on this daily visit to remind ourselves that we have a wonderful God.  No matter which attribute of our Lord that we consider, we realize how wonderful He is.  He has great power, great knowledge, great love and great patience.  These are just a few of His wonderful attributes.  Today's verse reminds us of another attribute.  Here Moses is quoting a statement which God Himself had made and what He wants you and me to remember – He is HOLY.  This means "to separate or cut off." And in this context God is separate, or cut off, from everything that is sinful and evil – He cannot tolerate sin.  To say that God is holy means there is no trace of evil in his character.  God wants us to recognize His holiness and to respect and honor him for it.  He then is the one that brings holiness into our lives through the promised Holy Spirit.  Without God's Spirit, we have no chance at holiness.  Only God is Holy. 

Please share with your friends if you are encouraged by these daily words. 

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July 6 – Listening In

“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.”  Malachi 3:16 (NIV)

We believe that God hears us when we pray to Him. But is that the only time He hears us? Does he sometimes overhear what we are saying – especially about Him?  We know the answer when we recognize that God know everything because He is omniscient.  But it is more than that and the prophet Malachi addresses this question in our verse today.  Notice that our Lord listens in when we talk to each another.  Our verse tells us that He pays special attention when our conversations honors Him and shows Him the respect He is worthy of and deserves from us. And, He keeps record of what He hears.  Often, we forget that our God is so involved in our activities.  We can honor Him and show due respect to Him by our conversations with each other.  And, when we do, God will know and He will remember it forever. What a wonderful God we have who promises to remember the honor we give Him in our daily conversations with friends and family.  

May 13 – Mother's Honor

““Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”” Ephesians 6:2-3 (NIV)

This meditation is prepared for a special day, a day with a special name. We call it Mother's Day and we are glad that it is set aside for this special purpose – to honor our mothers and to show them our love. The writer of this letter to the Church at Ephesus was quoting from the Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus, chapter 20. In the teachings of Jesus, He referred several times to this same commandment. When we honor our Mothers we are obeying God's command. Mother's Day is not just a human creation, it acknowledges what God wants us to do in respect to our parents. God has honored mothers and today we want to do the same in a special way. We take notice that this is a special command by God because with it He gave a promise to those who follow the command. 

February 20 – Thanks for Answering

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.””Psalm 50:15  (NASB)

We want always to remember that our God does answer prayer. In the Bible verse we've chosen we are reminded what God expects from us when He answers our prayers. We sometimes hear people make the statement that prayer changes things. We would really be wiser to say that God changes things in answer to prayers. It is what God does that makes a difference in our situation when we pray about it.  This, of course, is what our Lord wants us to remember. We must give Him the credit for answering prayers. So, when we pray and then realize that God has changed things let be sure to honor Him when we think about it and when we talk about it. Even when the way God answers our prayers is not exactly what we expected or wanted.  He always knows what is best for us and He promises to rescue us when we call. 

June 19 – Praise, Glory, Honor

“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:7 (NIV)

Yesterday we read a Bible verse about Christian faith. We may not have a great faith but we can focus it on a great God. Today's verse brings us to think about how God values our faith.  It speaks of how our faith is tested and refined by the difficulties we face in life. God allows difficulties to refine our faith because He places a very great value on our faith. Our faith is worth more than gold according to our verse. So, my friend, when you face situations where you have to trust God, remember that God is watching how you trust Him and he wants to help you through the situations to grow in your faith. Our faith is of great value and God wants its results to be praise, glory and honor when He is revealed. Isn't the promise of God's glory revealed one of our primary purposes?

April 9 - Unstopable Praise

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:38-40 (NIV)

This is one of the special days which we celebrate as Christians who love the Lord – we call it Palm Sunday and we remember how people sang praises to Jesus as He approached and entered the city of Jerusalem. They laid palm branches and even their coats on the ground in front of Jesus and the donkey he was riding as a sign of great honor. It almost makes us feel like we wish that we could have been there. But we can express these same thoughts today in our hearts. Yes Jesus is our King and we want to praise Him. Jesus is worthy of all the praise and glory we can give. When the Pharisees suggested to Jesus that he rebuke those who sang, remember what Jesus replied, He told them that if the people were silence, the stones of the city would cry out with praise. There was no stopping the giving of praise on that day and should not be stopped in our hearts today.

April 1 – He Gives Special Honor

“He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15 (NIV)

In the portion of Psalm 91 where this verse is found we are listening to the voice of the Lord. The Lord promises to give special honor to his faithful followers. And what is it that a person can do to cause the Lord to honor him or her? Well this honor from God comes to those who call upon him in trouble.  He is speaking about how He will protect and care for the faithful believer who calls on God for help. “I will answer him,” says the Lord. When any of us calls upon God, He promises to respond, to help and to give special honor. This is the great desire of our God – to have His people think of Him and call on him when they need help. Remember, when you need help you know who you can call on, He will answer your call.

January 19

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him” Psalm 91:14-15 (NIV)

We like to be reminded that God loves us and that is an important part of our lives each day. It is also important that we return His love by loving Him with all our hearts. You perhaps noticed in our verse today how God responds to our love for Him. Yes, God does know when we love Him and He watches us when we need His help. He says that He will be with us in trouble – he will not leave us. He will rescue us, He will deliver us. And if we love Him He will answer our prayers every time. Is it not a wonderful comfort to know that God is that intimate with us that he knows what is in our hearts and what we need?

November 9

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” Psalm 50:14-15 (NIV)

In Old Testament days God’s people could show their gratitude to Him by bringing thank offerings. These offerings were not burned on the altar but eaten by the offeror and his family. This meal was to honor God for His goodness, and they experienced His closeness. This is what the palmist had in mind as he wrote this promise into the psalm we are looking at today. We honor God when we thank Him for delivering us from trouble.  The promise is clear. When we call upon the Lord to bring us through a dark hour He will be there to help. He will bring us through. So He does deserve to be honored, doesn’t He? Always honor Him by thanking Him. 

June 7

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.”  Psalm 89:15 (NIV)

We notice that a special blessing is promised to those who have learned a lesson which God is anxious to teach us. And what is the lesson we need to learn? We need to learn to acclaim God, to praise Him, to give Him the honor which He deserves. We are so apt to give ourselves the credit for things we do. When we do that we lose the blessing that God has promised. He is the One who is working in our lives. He gives us wisdom. He gives us abilities. He helps us live in the way that pleases Him. He even helps us to acclaim Him. Let us keep this promise in mind and look to God to help us give Him the honor He deserves.

May 18

“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”  1 Timothy 6:15-16 (NIV)

Our God has given us His Word to reveal to us who He is and how great He is. These verses are descriptions of His glory. This is the God we serve and we need to be reminded how glorious He is. Actually, the reality is beyond our ability to comprehend. As we read, no one has ever seen God. No one this side of eternity can hope to see Him. He lives in unapproachable light. But this is the God we serve. We are mortal. He is immortal. But we mortal can praise Him and bring glory to Him by what we do.

May 8

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” John 19:26-27 (NIV)

These words show us the love and concern Jesus had for His mother. Even while suffering great physical and spiritual agony He thought of her. He committed her to the loving care of His disciple John. Jesus was facing separation from His Father as he was bearing the sins of the world, suffering terribly, and yet He thought of His mother. He is still concerned about the mothers in this world and even now is praying for faithful mothers. Let’s honor our mothers as Jesus did.

March 8

“The Lord remembers us and will bless us…He will bless those who fear the Lord—small and great alike.”  Psalm 115:12a-13 (NIV)

Are you looking for a blessing from the Lord today? This is a promise of blessing for those who have the proper attitude toward Him. It’s for those who respect Him and revere Him. We know that when the Bible speaks of fearing God it does not mean to be afraid of Him the way we usually think of fear. We remember that He is a God of love and compassion. We must not be afraid of approaching Him, but it must always be with an attitude of respect. So let’s be respectful and reverent, giving Him the honor He deserves. Then we can expect His blessing.