August 25 – Kindness Instead

 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the Lord will reward you.” – Proverbs 25:21-22 (NASB)

Today the Proverb we look at may likely be one of the more familiar and frequently heard. The Apostle Paul quotes this in Romans 12:13 as part of his instruction for us to not seek revenge for wrongs. It is better Paul says to “leave room for the wrath of God.” What is our promise for today? It is the promise of the reward we receive by choosing a ‘better way,’ a way God has given to us on how we should be dealing with the conflicts others bring into our life. The heathen code of morals doe not contain this perfection of love. Ultimately every system concedes to selfishness which is found in the heart of every person. The common principle was to love those that love us. Enemies were expected and it was hatred and revenge that was understood by all while this principle of “heaping hot coals,” through an expression of love, resulting in an enemy’s softening was not understood. This principal was taught by Jesus as how to live ‘Kingdom life’ in Matthew 5:43-48.

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August 5 – Being Aware of Dangers

“My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge.”  -  Proverbs 5:1–2

Throughout the Book of Proverbs, readers are cautioned and exhorted to pay attention. Think of how difficult it is sometimes to EITHER keep our attention focused where we need it to be OR keep someone we are teaching to maintain attention. Attention results in benefits and so, we reap promises. Solomon gives significant effort to teach us regarding the dangers of our evil world. What is it that distracts and is so dangerous? It is laid out in this chapter. Solomon commands our attention from the very first verse. And, it is not only our attention (or the pretending to be attentive while our thoughts wander off in some cabbage patch) but the intentional effort to listen, receive, and understand what is taught. It is a daily battle we all face. What are the promises? We learn to profit from the ability to exercise discretion and gain knowledge. The extreme likelihood of temptation is our call to give attention. Otherwise, we’re likely deluded and see only the present gratification; expecting to taste, the honeycomb (v.3); Hearing  the smoothness of the tempter’s voice. But never is the beginning so sweet, as the end is bitter(v.4).

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June 2 – Seeking Earnestly

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;  My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” -  Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

Do you ever want something so much that you actually yearn for it?  David was in the dry desert spiritually and emotionally when he wrote these words. His whole body yearned for God much like a thirsty person craves water. He described the place as being dry and without water to drink. You and I may not be in that kind of a place physically but we might still share some of the thoughts that David had. Notice the words, “my soul thirsts for you.”  David's heart and soul longed for close fellowship with God and the reason for that is given in the first words of our verse. David could tell God “you are my God;” This he had learned by past experience and that's why he longed always for close fellowship with God. Can we say the same? If we have experienced this promise that the Lord is our God, we'll be always longing for constant fellowship with Him – it is a natural outcome for us to desire and seek the close presence of God and He has promised it to us today and forever. 

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April 26 – Thank Goodness & Heavens

“ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ” – Revelation 21:6 (ESV)

Thank goodness! This is a very frequently used expression which most of us do not stop and think about what it actually means. We are thanking a personality characteristic, the way one was treated in an exchange. Sometimes we are being grateful for a near missed unpleasant experience. We may have deserved but we were spared the consequences of our actions. Thank Goodness! True Goodness comes to us from God and Jesus was the demonstration of God’s goodness when he lived a sinless life and sacrificed himself to die in the place of all who deserve death as the wages of sin. That was our place, our debt, but Jesus took it upon himself to rescue us from that consequence. He did it out of Goodness. The Alpha and the Omega (first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.) did it for us. We were adopted as children of God and secured an inheritance in Heaven. So now Thank Heavens! For heaven belongs to those who, knowing their souls are parched by sin, have earnestly sought the satisfaction of salvation and eternal life, this lasting spiritual water of which Jesus promised in John 4:14, 7:37-38 and Isaiah 55:1-2.

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September 13 – Constantly Seeking

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

Today, maybe you can relate to the words of David in Psalm 63.  We sometimes find ourselves in a spiritually dry and thirsty place. All we want and all we yearn for is something to quench our thirst. But we are in a place where there is no water.  David was in the desert of Judah and was also physically thirsty and relates it to his spiritual thirst. He knew to whom to turn when he was in this state of mind. God had provided refreshment in the past and David knew that he would again. That is why he declares God as his God and earnestly wanted more of God in his life. His desire was like a strong thirst.  This is our promise too.  We can believe this if we will. We can know that God has promised to provide whatever we need when we call on Him. Ask our Father in the name of His Son, our Lord and Savior, and He will give it to us. We recall how we have seen and experienced God’s provision for us and how he loves us and takes pleasure in giving us what we need when we call. 

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August 5 – Satisfaction That Never Ends

“He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6 (NIV)

In the last book of our Bible and in the next to the last chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we find this promise.  If we remember the occasion when Jesus, when he was on the Earth teaching and healing, he encountered a woman at the well near Sychar in Samaria. Jesus promised the woman that if she and all those who listened to him that he would satisfy their spiritual thirst. The Apostle John included and recorded His words in John 7:37 “If a man is thirsty let Him come to me and drink.” Then, when he recorded The Revelation of Jesus Christ, John was given the words again in the next to the last chapter in the Bible.  Our Lord knows our needs so well and He wants us to always remember that He can satisfy our deepest desires. How He satisfies our needs is in a way that we will always have enough.  And there is no cost because He has paid the price for us.  What is your heart longing for today? Jesus is the one who can satisfy it today. 

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December 4 – Managing Thirst

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?”  - Psalm 42:1-2  (NASB)

Most days we find promises from God's Word in one or two verses. When the books of the Bible were originally written there were no such things as chapters or verses. *Each book was written without any breaks from the beginning to the end. We are looking at a few passages in Psalm 42 to find what promises there are from God.  We have a promise of sorts in today's selection although it may be vague to a degree.  We all know how an animal behaves when it is thirsty.  Their tongues hang out of their mouth and their breathing changes.  If they smell water nearby they get pretty focused on finding it to satisfy their need for water.  The psalmist who wrote this song compared himself to a thirsty deer.  When a deer is thirsty it pants and begins to be focused on finding a water supply, a spring or pond or stream.  When our souls are thirsty for God and for His Word, our soul has a driving desire to find Him because we trust His promise that He will satisfy our thirst and we strongly desire interaction with our God. 

* How Chapters and Verses came to be part of the Bible. 

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November 10 – A True Confirmation

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;”  -  Matthew 3:16  (ESV)

We might say that we have a hidden promise in today's passage.  But, it is more a promise drawn from what God the Holy Spirit did and then God the Father proclaimed to all.  Jesus, was at the beginning of His ministry on earth and he came to where His cousin, on His mother's side, was doing his job of calling people to repentance and baptizing them. John, the Baptist was also preparing the people for the appearance of Jesus, the Son of God.  Jesus asks for and is baptized by John even though John believed he was not worthy to do so.  As Jesus steps out of the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit of God appears as a dove out of heaven and comes to rest upon Jesus. Those witnessing this heard a voice from heaven say “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We have from this, the promise that is repeated many times and places in the Bible, Jesus is the Son of God and God himself confirms it and we believe it by faith.  

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October 19 – Being Like a Tree

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)

After warning against depending on human efforts and abilities, God makes these promises through his prophet Jeremiah. Very similar to a promise given in Psalm 1:3.  The roots of a tree grow out to find where the moisture is.  If the tree is close to a stream its roods will grow out in that direction and they will not be disappointed. They will draw in the moisture.  This is us as we trust in the Lord and from Him we have this trust.  Our faith reaches out toward Him and we will not be disappointed. There will be results. As we trust in the Lord we will survive the difficult times of heat and drought without fear.  We will continue by God's grace to produce the fruit of faith and trust. There will be these blessings from the Lord 

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January 3 – Satisfied in a Scorched World

“And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11 

We find our promises today in the book by the prophet Isaiah.  These promises were given centuries ago to God's people and they are good for us today because we who believe and have received the gift of salvation are God's people also. God's word never changes.  This verse shows how God helps us as we live Christian lives in a world that has turned its back on God.  This world can be like a sun-scorched land but our Lord meets our needs as we rely on Him.  And in this sun-scorched land we can be amply watered and become like spring fed waters for others. This supply does not fail.  We can trust this because the Lord makes us different from the world around us.  Our desires are different and our hope is in God.  Our desires will be satisfied and our bones will be strengthened as we turn to Him. 

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Please share your blessings with others. 

June 2 – Seeking Earnestly

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (ESV)

David was in the dry desert when he wrote these words. He described the place as being dry and without water to drink. You and I may not be in that kind of a place physically but we might still share some of the thoughts that David had. I'm thinking of the words, “my soul thirsts for you.”  David's heart and soul longed for close fellowship with God and the reason for that is given in the first words of our verse. David could tell God “you are my God;” This he had learned by past experience and that's why he longed always for close fellowship with God. Can we say the same? If we have experienced this promise that the Lord is our God, we'll be always longing for constant fellowship with Him – it is a natural outcome for us to desire and seek the close presence of God and He has promised it to us today and forever. 

August 5 – Satisfaction That Never Ends

“He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6 (NIV)

When Jesus was here on earth He promised those who listened to him that he would satisfy their spiritual thirst. The Apostle John included and recorded His words in John 7:37 “If a man is thirsty let Him come to me and drink.” Then, when he wrote The Revelation of Jesus Christ, John recorded the words again in the next to the last chapter in the Bible.  Our Lord knows our needs so well and He wants us to always remember that He can satisfy our deepest desires. What is your heart longing for today? Jesus is the one who can satisfy it today. 

September 13

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”  Revelation 22:17 (NIV)

We find many invitations in the Bible. They tell of the many blessings which God offers to those who accept His invitation. This verse is an invitation that has been good since even before the day it was written. While still on the earth before his death and resurrection Jesus had offered "Let anyone who is thirsty, come to Me and drink." (John 7:37 (NIV))  There has always been the opportunity to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. That has always been the great desire of our Lord – to satisfy the thirsty soul. And He offers this satisfaction as a free gift. If your heart is longing for spiritual satisfaction today, just in faith accept it from your Lord and it is yours.