2018 Dec 15 Thanks for Family, Proverbs 15, Psalms, Ephesians 5
2018 Dec 15 Thanks for Family, Proverbs 15, Psalms, Ephesians 5
Hello and welcome to all, wishing you a wonderful day! On this Saturday that falls between the 11th and 17th of December, some are celebrating something like a Thanks for Family Day, a holiday for gift-giving, acceptable winter and family or spiritual music, good food and fun spending time with family that is separate from the things God disapproves of with Christmas, primarily its many pagan roots. You may have not heard of the paganism associated with Christmas, or may not yet understand how God views it--why He doesn't approve. Spend a little time researching this over the next few weeks, so that next year you may be more willing to celebrate in a God-approved way. The universal church throughout the centuries would "christen" pagan practices, trying to make them seem approved by God. The reality is God disapproves of mixing true worship with false, as God says, for example in 2Corinthians6:14-18, in Paul's words:
"14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness?15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’”18 “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”
So God expects us to separate ourselves from false teachings and worship, loving the truth and being clean spiritually. May we encourage others to worship God in the way He approves, as we continue learning the truth about Him from His word, the Holy Scriptures.
Let's continue in Proverbs 15, verses 15-17:
"15 All the days of the afflicted one are bad, But the one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little in the fear of Jehovah Than great wealth along with anxiety. 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love Than a fattened bull where there is hatred."
Prov 15:15 The "afflicted one" takes a negative view on life, nothing seems to go right. One with a "cheerful heart," on the other hand, sees and appreciates the good things in life, is often thankful to God for such gifts, and therefore "has a continual feast."
Prov 15:16,17 Material wealth can bring much anxiety, or stress. True, we can pray to God for help to allay anxiety, relying on God for His peace (Phps 4:6,7). And it is possible to have money and serve God faithfully, with due caution to continue relying on God, to serve Him faithfully. But the proverb acknowledges the reduced anxiety possible with the spirit of having what we need materially without excess. If having excess brings contention and hatred into our family, how much better to get by with less, and maintain our love for one another! Let's find ways to safeguard the peace among those willing to serve God faithfully, especially in our family and among our friends. The Scriptures place a high value on safeguarding such peace among one another (Matt 5:23,24).
The next 8 verses of Psalm 119 each begin with the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet:
"113 I hate the halfhearted ones, But I love your law. 114 You are my shelter and my shield, For your word is my hope. 115 Stay away from me, you evil men, So that I may observe the commandments of my God. 116 Support me as you promised, So that I may keep living; Do not let my hope turn into disappointment. 117 Support me that I may be saved; Then I will always concentrate on your regulations. 118 You reject all those who stray from your regulations, For they are false and deceitful. 119 You discard all the wicked of the earth as if they were worthless dross. That is why I love your reminders. 120 The dread of you makes my body tremble; I am in fear of your judgments."
Should we obey God fully, or only the laws that we initially like? God's laws safeguard our spiritual qualities bringing inner joy, and our relationships with God and others, allowing true peace, love, and happiness. May we come to appreciate that God's thoughts are much higher than those of imperfect humans, and respect His thoughts and word accordingly. (Isai 55:8,9). Thus our hope in Him will not "turn into disappointment," but rather, will be realized in an endless life of true peace and happiness.
Ephesians 5 reminds us, in verse 5, that we should not allow emotions from music or wrong thinking from TV shows or movies, to affect our view of marriage or hinder true unselfish love in our hearts and obedience to the God who is love (1Joh 4:8). Verse 5 says: "For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no sexually immoral person or unclean person or greedy person, which means being an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of the Christ and of God." Committing sexual immorality with another person risks not only your eternal life in God's Kingdom with a loyal marriage partner, but the everlasting life of the other person as well. Is that showing true love??? May we lovingly uphold God's standards in life, treating others with respect, doing what contributes to their eternal happiness, God's way!
Find Life and See
Between Winchester, Virginia, and hopefully, Washington D.C., having confidence that our thankful trust in God will not fail to inspire us to the peace He has purposed via His Kingdom!
