Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 February 2023 Proverbs 19:1.

10 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 19:1.       Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

How interesting it is to awaken to a house with no electricity on a damp and cloudy Friday morning! Just the encouragement you need to jump back into bed, because it means no internet and thus no messaging or no Bit. And I could genuinely say ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ and pull the covers back over my head. (smile) But good things don’t last forever, and some forty minutes later the electricity returned. Chuh! I was just getting warm and cozy with the duchess. 

And once the electricity came back, she was ready to be up and about and begin her day. No lounging in bed for her. So, I reluctantly got up too. And here I am contemplating what to write. Obviously, I asked the Lord to show me what He wants me to write on, but nothing has come to mind so far, so let’s open the Good Library and see where He leads me. Soon come. 

And it didn’t take long. He guided me to these awesome words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the awesome truth? It certainly is, and it’s highlighted ever so much by our current talkative society, who, with the help of social media talk a whole lot of baloney, on things they know nothing about. I don’t think we’ve ever had so many foolish people in our world like we do today, thanks to social media and the supposed encouragers who manipulate it for their own selfish and evil purposes. 

And sadly, many of us don’t even know the word ‘integrity’ much less it’s meaning. And what does it mean eh? Well, according to the Random House Dictionary, integrity is: ‘Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished.’ Now how many of us nowadays adhere to moral and ethical principles or are honest eh? Not too many, because those things are no longer the backbone, the foundation of our societal character. Rather things like fraud, dishonesty, deceit, immorality and evil doings now are the guiding principles of our ungodly society. 

And here are some character traits related to integrity, which hopefully will rub off on us and keep us walking along the straight and narrow path. Integrity is: ‘Gracious, Respectful., Honest. Integrity requires honesty. … Trustworthy. People with integrity follow through on their commitments. … Hardworking, Responsible. Those with integrity take accountability for their actions. … Helpful. When someone has integrity, they help those in need. … Patient.’ Yes friends, to have true integrity, we must possess most, if not all of those characteristics. 

Now, if you read through those traits again and compare them to our current society, you will find that we are a failed society under those terms of reckoning. And isn’t it interesting that later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol chooses to reiterate his words on integrity in a slightly different manner. This time he writes: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) 

Oh my people, that’s another glorious truth! Wealth doesn’t give us the privilege to behave perverse and foolish, without integrity. But that’s exactly how many a wealthy person and/or family behaves nowadays. As though their earthly wealth has given them the authority to behave like they own the world and can do whatever they want, as dishonestly, deceitfully and ungodly as they desire. But yuh know what? The verse just before that last one offers us an interesting picture as it says: ‘Evil men understand not judgement (justice): but they that seek the Lord understand all things.’ (Prov. 28:5) 

And that’s something we should sincerely contemplate, then try to make it true in our own lives. Sadly though, the Father of our faith, Abraham, suffered two occasions where serious integrity was totally lacking. Twice he lied and said that his wife Sarah was his sister, and since Sarah was beautiful both the Pharoah of Egypt and King Abimelech of Gerar took her for their wives. The Lord plagued Pharaoh’s house with great plagues because of it, and Pharaoh finally saw the light and returned Sarah to Abraham and then ran him out of town.  (Gen. 12:10-20) 

With Abimelech though, God warned him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and he was playing with fire if he touched her. (Gen. 20:1-4) Abimelech protested his innocence. ‘Said he (Abraham) not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thine heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, and all that are thine.’ (Gen. 20:5-7) And Abimelech obeyed the Lord’s command, but first seriously reproaching both Abraham and Sarah.’ (Gen. 20:9-18)  

Oh my fellow believers, you see the major problems we can cause others through lack of honesty and true integrity. Meanwhile in Psalm 7, Bruh David pleads with God to deal with him according to his integrity. ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ (Ps. 7:8) Now how many of us have the parts to ask God to do such a thing eh? Not too many. 

And the Book of Job is chocked full of talk on integrity, for Job maintained before his friends and God that he had done no wrong to cause all his calamity to befall him. But I think the moment he shows the most awesome integrity is when his wife tells him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10) 

Ah friends, it’s not easy living the Christian life, especially in these last days, but live it we must. And with the help of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, we certainly can live it victoriously. We only have to abide by His leading and guidance. And the first thing He always recommends in our uncertainty is prayer. And there’s no better time for prayer than right now. So, let’s go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant asking for divine help in our sinful and ungodly world. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, our next move is to truly start living and behaving like the faithful believers we mentioned above, so that the Lord can look down on us with His divine favour! Much LOVE!

…a righteous heart walks in integrity…but the evil heart walks in ungodliness… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2015 Proverbs 24:1

06 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Ah Friends, once again the ever-turning wheel of life has turned, and it’s fallen on that beloved day we call Friday!

And the working people rose up with a great shout of joy. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and our woes of labour will soon be over for a couple of days! Thank God for Fridays yes!’

Yes my brethren, we have to thank our wonderful God for ALL things, both good and bad! As Job so wisely reminded his wife in the time of his tribulations. ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10)

Oh Friends, whatever happens to us, happens with God’s full knowledge. He might not send a particular storm our way, but He allows it to test our mettle, our faith and trust in Him. And life becomes much easier when we acknowledge that everything comes through Him.

That way, if something untoward happens, then we can see it as a kind of test, which He is allowing, but at the same time will help us through it. That’s the wonder of our eternal God! He gives and he takes away, but He never causes harm. But nonetheless, as Cousin Sol reminds us in Proverbs: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov.24:10)

Yes my people, adversity is the true test of our endurance, and our reaction to it shows the strength or weakness of our faith. Note that though Job was obviously upset in his time of adversity, he didn’t curse God and die, as his wife suggested. (Job 2:9) Instead, he stood strong during his time of trial, even to the point of declaring: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him…’ (Job 13:15)

That, my Friends, is the kind of unquenchable faith those of us who live by faith and not by sight, need to handle the trials of our earthly journey. And to help us in that respect, let’s chant our Friday Chant with the enthusiasm it deserves, knowing that the weekend is nigh, and we’ll have a short break from our labour.

As one harmonious voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’

Hopefully Friends, those words will resonate in our spirits this weekend, and cause us to use that free time wisely. (smile) And today we have a rather appropriate Bit for these extremely wicked and ungodly times. It comes from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.’

And that my people is gospel truth! But for those of you who wonder why cousin Sol made that statement, he answers it in the next verse. ‘For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble).’ (Prov.24:2)

Ah mih breddren, wickedness, evil, ungodliness and all sorts of negativity are currently running rampant through our world, but as followers of Jesus we need to disassociate ourselves from it as much as possible, otherwise we’ll become evil and ungodly too.

Now it’s really impossible to completely disassociate ourselves from everyone and everything that’s evil and ungodly since its tentacles are spread far and wide, high and low. However, when we do need to come into contact with that kind, we must ensure that it’s our godly and wholesome influence that’s ruling the day, not their ungodly and evil traits. We should always attempt to influence the evildoers, rather than let them influence us.

And there are indeed a whole lot of scriptures that advise us against hanging out with evildoers. Let’s look at a couple of them. And the first one comes rather appropriately from the first Psalm in the Psalter.

‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:1-6)

Oh my people, it’s laid out plain as day, there for us. We have no excuses now for being ungodly and evil.

Now the scholars have some explanations that we should hear. ‘Psalm 1.  The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man.

The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore, God causes him to prosper (v.3). On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord himself is described (v.6).

There is an ellipsis (omission from sentence of words needed to complete construction or sense) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6: For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous (and it will be blessed), but (He also knows) the way of the ungodly (and it) shall perish.

The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’

That says it all Friends! And since we certainly have plenty food for thought, let’s end here, then go and ponder it all. Let’s write the important things in our hearts, minds and souls, then put them into practice, into action in our lives, so that we’ll become stronger in faith and understanding. That’s heavenly wisdom, my people! Much LOVE!

…to not succumb to evil…we have to build our faith in God…to grow in righteousness…