2018 Nov 30 Proverbs 30, Psalms, 1John 5
2018 Nov 30 Proverbs 30, Psalms, 1John 5
Hello to all! Let's go ahead and pick up with Proverbs 30:10-14, then consider Psalms and 1John 5:
"10 Do not slander a servant to his master, Or he may curse you and you will be found guilty. 11 There is a generation that curses its father And does not bless its mother. 12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes But has not been cleansed from its filth. 13 There is a generation whose eyes are so haughty And whose eyes look so arrogantly! 14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords And whose jaws are slaughtering knives; They devour the lowly ones of the earth And the poor from among mankind."
Prov 30:10 Slander, or degradation to another persons name or reputation, has been increasingly common in these days, but is condemned in God's word, as in this verse. Often the slander involves lies or half-truths that misrepresent the person, although it is still unkind to share truthful information with others if it serves to detract from the person's reputation.
Prov 30:11 When discussing the attitudes of people during "the last days," the Scriptures report that they would be "disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers" among several other things. (2Tim 3:1-5). May we honor and follow the Ten Commandments including the command to "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you."
Prov 30:12-14 Proverbs 12:15 says "The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but the wise one accepts advice." Also, Proverbs 3:7 counsels "Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad." Reflecting upon and appreciating God's love for us, we should highly regard Jehovah, fearing to displease Him or hurt Him in any way, largely by turning away from anything He instructs us against, trusting His guidance. "O you who love Jehovah, hate what is bad. He is guarding the lives of his loyal ones; He rescues them from the hand of the wicked." May we guard our tongues from speaking hurtful speech. Proverbs 12:18 says "Thoughtless speech is like the stabs of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is a healing." With empathy, may we consider the feelings of others and how our words will affect them before we speak.
Psalm 71 (Book 2, 30th psalm) verses 15,16 say: "My mouth will recount your righteousness, All day long your acts of salvation, Though they are too many for me to grasp. 16 I will come and tell about your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah; I will mention your righteousness, yours alone." May we seek God's intervention in our lives, turning to Him in prayer each day, and the times we're dealing with a difficult trial, with confidence in His assistance. Thus we may come to recognize His "acts of salvation" in our behalf, and we may 'tell about [His] mighty acts."
1John 5:2-4 highlights our love for God and others. It reads: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and carry out his commandments. 3 For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everyone who has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith." As we ponder God's love for us, evident in "every good gift and perfect present" from Him that we enjoy daily, we have good reason to love Him in return, by learning and keeping God's commandments, given out of love for us, and leading to genuine peace among those who would be true Christians. As we reject unclean practices by our faith in God and our love for Him, we begin to conquer the ungodly world, with its pressures and temptations to become disobedient. Relying upon God can give us the strength we need to overcome such things, for the joy set before us, the reward of eternal life, while we set an example for others to gain and maintain the hope that we have.
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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!
