Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2014 Proverbs 4:14

14 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:14.     Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already Wednesday, the middle of the week! Wow! The days surely are passing rather quickly, and we are having some wonderful summer-like weather!
 
We’ll soon forget about the lengthy, cold winter and start complaining about the heat. Hn! I guess that’s just man’s nature – not happy unless he’s complaining about something.
 
Anyway, I have an interesting quote to share today… Oh chuh! They are always interesting! (smile) This one comes from the ex-baseball star, Dave Dravecky, a cancer survivor. In his book, ‘Comeback,’ he writes these memorable words. ‘Life is not fair, but let’s not confuse life with God.’
 
And isn’t that the awesome truth my people! Our God is good! He doesn’t create our problems, though He might allow them. He fixes them! And if we sincerely adhere to His directives, during both the good and bad times, we will turn out to be wonderful witnesses that life is not fair, but God is Good, in fact, extremely wonderful!
 
And that’s why Cousin Sol, in today’s Bit, solemnly warns us: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.’
 
Oh Friends and fellow believers, we can be given no better advice than that! For if we follow the paths of evil men, we’ll surely be damned, doomed, and eventually separated from Christ, from His wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life! And that’s not a very nice path to envision at all, at all.
 
And Cousin Sol was so assured of his reasoning, that he continues: ‘Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (robbed), unless they cause some to fall.
 
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (grows ever brighter) unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.4:15-19)
 
Words to live by my brethren! Words that hearken back to our quote: all those evil happenings are life, or a part of it, but our great and wonderful God is on a completely different level. He shows up in verse 18, as the shining light that ever brightens our day!
 
And all of God’s people declared in a loud and grateful voice: ‘Thank You Lord! We praise and bless Your Holy Name!’
 
Yes Friends, we have so much to thank God for, that even if we live till eternity, we won’t have enough time to do it. (smile) Now let’s check out some other scriptures that also warn us about following the evil path of sinful man.
 
And we’ll begin with an interesting verse from the longest chapter in the Good Book, Psalm 119. The psalmist in the section MEM, How I LOVE thy law, proudly declares: ‘I have refrained (restrained) my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.’ (Ps.119:101)
 
What a beautiful sentiment my people! Are we doing that too – refraining, restraining from evil so that we might keep the Lord’s Word? I surely hope so, because that is one of the things which keeps us strongly tuned in to our heavenly Father.
 
Meanwhile, Cousin Sol, right in the opening chapter of Proverbs, warns his offspring: ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not… My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain (keep) thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.’ (Prov.1:10,15-16)
 
Ah mih breddren, those are words which we should be constantly teaching our children. But unfortunately, too many of us are not doing so, and that’s why our children are so undisciplined, ungodly and tending more to the lusts and materialism of the world, than to the things of God, for which we’ll all eventually pay a hefty price if it continues.
 
Now here’s some info from the scholars: ‘1:10. Occasionally the expression my son occurs within a discourse. The wise son rejects the invitation of criminals who promise wealth without work (v.13). The verse stresses the individual’s responsibility to avoid the tempter’s snare. (cf. James 1:14-15).’
 
But you can’t know of the evil unless you’re first taught it, so it’s still our responsibility to teach our children the dreadful dangers of associating with evil and wicked people.
 
And we’ll close with words from that beautiful piece of writing, Psalm 1, titled, Blessed are the righteous. ‘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 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 mih people, mih people, it couldn’t be put any simpler or clearer than that! So today, let’s rise to the occasion nuh; let’s come up higher, let’s attend to the achievement of excellence, of wisdom, as Jesus desires of His followers!
 
Let’s leave the evil way behind, and wisely follow the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life. It’s the only path that it makes sense to follow in this evil and ungodly world. So let’s follow it nuh, with all sincerity and truth! Much LOVE!
 
…the world worships evil…which only earns destruction and eternal separation from God…not very good results by any standard whatsoever…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2013 Proverbs 1:10

15 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 1:10.     My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
 
Well a good Tuesday morning to all you beautiful people out there on Planet Earth! I’d first like to reassure us that the Lord God Jehovah is still in control of all things universal from His throne in the high heavens. And as always, He’s beginning this new day with new mercies and blessings for His BELOVED children. And all God’s children exclaimed a loud and grateful: “Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Yes Friends, our God is indeed great and worthy to be praised, so please let’s do it with this beautiful poem prayer from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. It’s simply titled: BEAUTY. ‘Thank you, Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people. I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life when Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Amen.’ Oh my people, whenever I come upon such interesting, energizing, encouraging words as those, I feel a sudden thrill, a compelling desire to share it with you. Why, you ask? Because it’s that kind of humble, but yet positive and confident prayer that we need in our prayer lives today. Remember Friends, prayer should be alive and bold. As the author of Hebrews advises: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16) Not in a sad, sorrowful, wishy-washy manner, though yet with humility and contrition. And I like the scholars’ comment on that verse. ‘Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest. The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’ Ah mih people, how with all that goodness, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness and compassion, could we not LOVE and revere Jesus and our heavenly Father eh? But enough of my ramblings, (smile) let’s get to our Bit, which today enshrines in it a very important warning and piece of advice from Cousin Sol. ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.’ Oh my brethren, that’s a scripture passage all mankind ought to have constantly held up right before their very eyes, so that we don’t get in as much trouble as we do, straying from the straight and narrow path that Jesus desires us to follow. And all that basically means is that when evildoers come around encouraging us to do wrong, we should refuse their entreaties. The scholar’s have this to say about it. ‘The wise son rejects the invitation of criminals who promise wealth without work (v.13). The verse stresses the individual’s responsibility to avoid the tempter’s snare. (cf. James 1:14,15). And since I had intended to share those verses from James with you anyway, I’ll share them now. ‘But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust (desires), and enticed. Then when lust (desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth (gives birth to) sin: and sin, when it is finished (full grown), bringeth forth death. Do not err (be deceived), my BELOVED brethren.’ (James 1:14-16) And that’s gospel truth people! ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) There again Friends, we have every right to LOVE our Holy Trinity, because instead of giving us what we truly deserve for our abominations, death, they give us life, that is life forever, through grace, with all our sins having been paid for by the most wonderful Son and Saviour ever, Jesus Christ. Oh mih people, the ole fella’s on a roll this morning! (smile) And would you believe that when I began, the only thing I had to write was the poem, BEAUTY. That just goes to show how truly marvellous, faithful and helpful is our God, when we sincerely try to walk His pathway and do His bidding. As Bruh David so rightly says in his prayer for self-understanding. ‘And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ (Ps.39:7) Yes, fellow believers, that’s the best, and should be the first place we to turn for help! And we’ll end with a wonderful example of not being enticed by sinners. We’re talking about Bruh Joseph with Potiphar’s wife. ‘And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes (longing eyes) upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth (knows) not what is with me in the house (what is in the house, except through me), and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand: There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (Gen.39:7-9) Good question Friends? And please note, that Bruh Joseph, though he was concerned about breaking Potiphar’s trust, he was more concerned about sinning against his God. Unfortunately though, all his good efforts were in vain, as we know how Potiphar’s wife set him up, crying rape. And though Potiphar might have been somewhat leery of the accusation, he had no choice but to jail Bruh Joseph, which was all a part of God’s overall plan. But that just goes to show Friends, that even when we follow the tried and true path, the evildoers can still sometimes thwart us. And whenever that happens, sad and unfair as it may be, we still need to stay strong and faithful – possibly even more then –  because our God has promised that whatever comes against us, if we stand strong and true like Bruh Joseph, He will bring us through the fire, sometimes unscathed, but always stronger and more like Jesus character wise. And that’s my sermon, no, sorry, my lesson for today. (smile) More on this tomorrow, provided God’s in favour. Until then, let’s be careful not to fall into any enticements of the enemy, and if by chance we do, let’s quickly repent and turn to the Lord for help. Much LOVE!…be sober…be vigilant…because your adversary…the devil…as a roaring lion…walketh about…seeking whom he may destroy… (1 Pet.5:8)