2018 Sep 16 Sept 16, Proverbs 16, Galatians
2018 Sep 16 Sept 16, Proverbs 16, Galatians
Hello! In keeping with our routine,
let's begin with examining Proverbs 16:1-3:
A man prepares the thoughts of his heart, But the answer he gives is from Jehovah. 2 All of a man’s ways seem right to him, But Jehovah examines the motives. 3 Commit to Jehovah whatever you do, And your plans will succeed.
Prov 16:1: How do we give an answer to someone who questions our faith or needs to hear the hope we have that they may have hope themselves? We should ponder such things, as we seek to find the right words that will touch the hearts of others. When we do so, we can look to Jehovah to help us say the right thing when it's needed.
Prov 16:2: Men may believe they have it all figured out, but what is the motive behind each individual? The motive we should have is seeking the glory and honor of God, pleasing Him as a true Christian representative of Jehovah. Like Jesus, we should not be seeking our own glory, but God's. John 7:18 says "Whoever speaks of his own originality is seeking his own glory; but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him, this one is true and there is no unrighteousness in him." Thus Jesus, our exemplar, sought his Father's glory, and proved true to Him, with good motive.
Prov 16:3: As we plan our lives with Jehovah's help in prayer, we can look to Him for success in our activities. Jehovah cares about our ideas and plans and wants to bless our efforts as we keep seeking first His Kingdom and righteousness (Matt 6:33).
In the 16th Psalm of Book 2, Psalm 57, David hides in a cave from King Saul. He prays that God show him favor, "For I take refuge in you, and in the shadow of your wings I take refuge until the troubles pass." David expresses his confidence in God's assistance, saying " He will send help from heaven and save me. He will frustrate the one snapping at me." May we likewise place our confidence in God, looking to His word, and turning to Him in prayer to faithfully seek His guidance and direction, looking to Him for help, protection, and salvation as we do so. Thus we manifest true faith in God.
Let's conclude with a scripture from Galatians 6. Actually James highlights why we should be careful not to be so competitive in our dealings with others, although it is a common spirit in this world. Many are jealous of others, and become contentious in wanting to outdo, or outshine, others. Here's the problem, in the words of James 3:16: "For wherever there are jealousy and contentiousness, there will also be disorder and every vile thing." Is that what we want? Disorder, and every vile or evil thing? This does not bring genuine joy or happiness to our life. Rather, the counsel of Galatians 6:4 comes to our aid here. We read: "But let each one examine his own actions, and then he will have cause for rejoicing in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person." We're to be seeking to improve day by day, in our life or our business or our hobby, but not comparing our work to others. Rather, try to become better than you were last week, or last month, or last year at this same time, examining your own activity, comparing your previous records to what you're doing now. I like also how the Amplified Version puts this verse: "But let each person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor."
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