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II Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Listen up! Pay attention!  This is important!   O.K.  —  What’s so-o-o-o-o-o important?  EVERYTHING – well everything in the Bible.

I was reading the book of John and came to the last verse, John 21:25. “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.”

After reading this verse, it hit me that there is so much more God could have written concerning not only Christ but also every other truth that is taught in the Bible. It occurred to me that if there are so many things left unwritten – those things which are written must REALLY be important.  God put in the Scriptures exactly what He wanted us to know – SO-o-o-o… I believe that He is saying – listen up, pay attention, if it’s in the Bible it is important. It’s all in there for a reason.  It is important information and instruction for living that God wants us to know.

When you read the Bible, think about the fact that what you are reading is from God Himself.

God is so gracious, He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. He has provided the Holy Spirit to teach us and open up truths as we read and study.  John 16:13a “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…”  Think about it – the Holy Spirit was there inspiring the writers of the Scriptures to write the things that God wanted us to know.  Now He is available to help us to understand and learn from what we are reading.

The Bible is a living book. We can receive something different and new every time we read it  – this is what makes Bible reading so exciting.

As you read the Scriptures, think about what God is teaching. Meditate on the meaning of what God is saying.  Concentrate on what you are reading.  There are great treasurers within its pages and great blessings to be found if we are looking for them!

(This is an excerpt from the book, “I Want to Be a Better Me for God,” Chapter 7)

Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.   Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” 

Wow, Amazing, Wonderful, Awesome – there is no one word that can take in the scope of the truth conveyed in these verses.

“When the time was right, God sent forth His Son from heaven. We who were dead in our trespasses and sins, were redeemed by God’s grace.  We were transported from being a servant into becoming a son and an heir of God through Christ.”

I often think we ignore or don’t focus on the wonderful truths that God reveals to us in His Word. We who were lost and without hope, have been changed forever by God’s love.  We did not deserve or earn this transformation.  Ephesians 2:8,9 says it best,  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

God’s mercy – God’s love – has reached down from Heaven to each one of us who have accepted Jesus as our Saviour. This is an overwhelming truth that seems too incredible for us to comprehend but God desires for us to accept this love.  We are definitely unworthy and undeserving — BUT God says that through the gift of His love we are now His sons and heirs.

Wow, Amazing, Wonderful, Awesome – appreciate what God has done for you and step out in the newness of life that God has offered to you. Don’t sit in the background of accomplishing very little.  God desires for you to live in a manner that will be a testimony of His love and He desires for your life to shine for Him!

Ephesians 5:15, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,”

Circumspectly means – cautiously with watchfulness, to be on guard. (1828 Dictionary)

As we walk through this life, God is telling us (actually, warning us) to be on the alert. He is saying that we need to pay attention and be cautious so that we will not fall into the snares of the devil.

God has given us clear instructions in His Word on how to live . He understands that we have a powerful foe that desires to trip us up in our Christian walk if we let our guard down.

Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

God has forewarned us. He has not left us clueless concerning the tactics of the devil.  Verses such as:  I John 4:4b,  “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”  James 4:7,  “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  These verses should definitely be an encouragement to us.

It’s all in the Scriptures – the directions are there, the warning are there, the promises for strength are there, but it really is up to us if we are to follow these directives . We need to choose to walk circumspectly.  I love the fact that although the choice is ours, God never expects us to walk through this life on our own.  Read the Word, meditate on the Word, follow the Word and the strength to meet the demands of life and avoid the traps of the devil will yours!

Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.” 

The fear of the LORD can mean a holy awe or reverence of God, but it can also mean to be apprehensive or afraid. On the one hand, the love and reverence of God causes us to incorporate godly traits into our lives.  On the other hand, we should be aware of God’s chastisement on our lives if we choose to go against Him.

The Christian life is not an ‘anything goes life’. God desires for us to turn away from the human characteristics that displease Him.  He desires us to follow the principle of,  “If God’s against it, so am I”.

This verse is quite specific – It says if we fear God we will:

• Hate evil
• Have no pride or arrogancy in our life
• Will not participate in the evil way
• Will not speak wrongly or with a froward mouth

Basically, those that love God will live holy and separated lives. I’ve often said, and will probably say it many more times, if we claim to be Christians and love God that our lives need to be different.  They need to SHOW that God is present in our lives.

I appreciate the statement made by attorney David Gibbs, “If you were in a court of law, would there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?”  Our lives need to be a living testimony before the world that we love God and He is real!

Psalm 109:26a, “Help me, O LORD my God;” 

This is a simple forthright prayer. It covers a vast amount of need.  Sometimes this is all we can say – “Help me.”  Our need can seem so great and our strength is so-so-so small.

We can often feel like Peter in Matthew 14:30, as he was sinking into the water. His simple cry was, “Lord, save me.”  There was no long dissertation explaining the problem and there were no directions given on how he was to be saved.  This was simply a sincere cry for help because he had a need.

(An interjection here. A while back I discovered that most of my Christian life I have been praying about a need and they suggesting to God how He ought to answer it.  Sometimes I was quite descriptive in my expectations.  When God did not answer according to my desires or timetable, I felt these prayers had gone unanswered.  Later, when I looked back, I saw that God had answered but it was done according to His will and plan.  I learned He didn’t need my help, He just desired for me to present the need and trust Him to answer in His way and time.)

Jesus was there to help Peter and He is here to help us, even in the times that all we can do is say, “Help me.”   All we need to do is ask.   Psalm 107:6,  “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.”  What wonderful promises are in the Word!

Psalm 92:1,2, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:  To shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night,” 

This really in an inspiring verse – it instructs us how to start the day and how to end the day. This simple step of following these two directives can set the tone for the entire day.

When you wake up, start the day with thanksgiving and praise. Acknowledge that God loves you and that He cares about you.   (I Peter 5:7).  As you walk through the day, focus on the fact that God is with you – wanting to direct, comfort, teach, and meet every need that you have.

Life is so unpredictable – unexpected things can show up at any time and throw us off kilter, but always remember that nothing takes God by surprise. He already has a plan and course of action for every scenario we face in life.  We can be surprised by the happenings of life – but God never is.  Keep your mind focused on Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

As you end the day, thank God for the loving kindness and faithfulness that He has shown you throughout the day.

Basically, you are waking up to a time of praise. You are walking through the day acknowledging God’s presence in your life.  And, you are going to bed thanking Him for His faithfulness.  ——    Now, that is a GOOD DAY indeed!

Proverbs 29:27, “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” 

This verse is a true picture of good versus evil.

Sin and wickedness cause the godly man to recoil. They turn from a person who engages in a sinful life style.  On the flip side, those who are wicked and sinful recoil at a just and righteous man.  There is no meeting ground between them.  They are  at odds with each other – each feeling distain for the other.

Only God can bridge the gap between the wicked and the righteous. This can only be done through what Christ did for us on the cross.  The righteous should never condescend to the level of the wicked, but the wicked can move up to the level of being righteous. Those who were enemies can become brothers through Christ.

Remember that we are all sinners – some of us are saved sinners and others are lost sinners. I’m sure you have heard the expression “There go I but by the grace of God” – meaning that all of us could be guilty of just about anything if God had not intervened.  Don’t get puffed up and feel that you are better than others.  Always remember that your righteousness comes from God and that this is offered to ‘anyone’ who will acknowledge their sin and accept the Lord as their Saviour.

We are to hate the wickedness and sin of those that do not love God, but we are to love the person and always be ready to present the TRUTH (Christ) to them. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to salvation! We need to pray that God will allow us to see through their sin and see a person that Jesus died for!

Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” 

This verse could easily read – some trust in money and possessions, or some trust in position and prestige, or possibly some trust in education. The counter truth is still the same – only trusting in God will bring the security and peace that people are searching for.  It is not that there is anything wrong with the above mentioned items;  it’s just that we are not to focus on these areas and leave God out of the picture.  This happens all too often in people’s lives.  It can happen to us if we are not careful.

The theme of the entire Bible is to trust God. It never says trust in your wealth, or your ingenuity, or in your position to get you through the challenges and problems of life.  The answer to every scenario is always the same – TRUST God.

God truly is worthy of our trust. You may say, DUH, – of course He is.  You know that, and I know that.  At lease with our minds we know, but so often our actions say something completely differently.  Actions really do speak louder than words.

Does your life exhibit that your are trusting in the Lord? This means:  You will not worry about the uncertainties or problems of life.  You will not fret about what you cannot control.  You will not need to understand why God is allowing certain things to happen.   You will believe that God is in control of everything in your lives no matter what it is.  Trust is ________.  You fill in the blanks with the areas that you need to work on in your life.

Remember – your security is not in those chariots or those horses – it’s in the LORD. Let’s demonstrate with our lives that we truly believe this!

Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.”

This verse tells us that God daily (every day) loadeth (means lots and lots) us with benefits (blessings).

How can we combat the problems of life, the hardships, and the disappointments?   The answer is quite simple – instead of focusing on the difficulties of life, focus on the blessings!  Don’t just focus on them – count them, name them one by one.  We often miss the blessings of God because we are not looking for them.  God tells us that He daily gives us loads of them.

God desires that we get our eyes off of our problems. Don’t narrow your vision so that you can only see the things that are going wrong in your life.  Purposefully expand your line of vision so you see the loads of blessings that God has provided every day.

God says His blessings are right in front of you – lots of them. We need to pay attention, we need to look for them.  We need to acknowledge our blessings.  We need to count them one by one.  We need to name them and thank God for them  –  EVERY DAY!

I don’t believe it is possible to have a gloomy, down spirit if we are acknowledging and focusing on the wonderful blessings that God is showering us with daily.  Be the kind of person that lights up the day for others because you are praising God and thanking Him!

Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”

You’ve probably heard the statement, “You are what you eat.” This is probably true concerning your physical body.  Our health does depend on eating properly.  But, WHO we are depends on what is in our heart.  What is in your heart depends on what you feed your mind.  If what goes into your mind and heart is God honoring – reading the Bible, meditating, prayer, doing good, seeking to please God, etc., then that is what your life will demonstrate – godly traits.  If what goes into your mind and heart is T.V. programs, selfish thoughts, computer addiction, ungodly things, etc. then that is what will show in your life.

So what does this mean? It means that we need to watch what we feed our mind because what goes into our mind determines what is in our heart and that will determine what we do and how we live.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

Keep thy heart. This is a command, God is saying you keep your heart.  This certainly sounds like our responsibility.  God is telling us that we have a part in this walk with Him.  I know that we would prefer God to do it all – with no effort or work on our part.  It would be nice to be zapped and then do everything right from then on, but God does not work that way.  We have a wise Father who knows if we don’t put some work and effort into our walk with Him, we will not grow and develop the character that we should.

God tells us that we have a responsibility here – but He does not expect us to do it alone. It’s like He is saying, “You (meaning us) take that first step and from there, I (God) will be with you to help you the rest of the way.”  I honestly think if we do not make this initial effort that we will never be on the path to serving God the way we should.

God says – keep your heart right and your life will be right – plain and simple!