365 Reflections

The sad thing about Proverbs is how often they are ignored. Proverbs 23:19–21 (ESV) Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. One of the warnings of scripture I find our current culture continually ignoring are those concerning drunkenness and overeating. Somehow the broad opinion in the country where I live (America) is that eating poorly or excessively is not all that bad, that we have slow metabolisms, an eating addiction or simply a disease. It's amazing how far we go to justify sins.  Notice the warning about gluttony. They wind up poor and disheveled. This is indeed what we see as people pay for higher health costs, more electricity, and higher overall costs of living to accommodate their destructive appetites. And the warning for the son of the Proverbs writer is - don't be around them. Get awa...

The legacy Hezekiah leaves behind for his children is one of riches, fame, healing, and deliverance from his enemies. But his heart was proud and he never gave God the honor He deserves toward the end of his life.  The result of Hezekiah's life is extrapolated in the testimony of his son, Manasseh. But first I remind you of Hezekiah's wealth and privilege provided him by the gracious hand of the Lord. His nation was under the threat of Assyria and the Lord sent his angel to destroy 185,000 troops in the night to secure him peace. He was intended to die by illness but his earnest prayer to God yielded a miraculous recovery. On top of these things, he increased in wealth substantially. At the visit of the Babylonian emissary it says this: 2 Kings 20:13 (ESV) Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house , the silver , the gold , the spices , the precious oil , his armory , all that was found in his storehouses. You could say Hezekiah lived the good life to the...

Deuteronomy 6:20–24 (ESV)   “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. Having given the people of God the Ten Commandments again, Moses unpacks the absolute necessity to make them an everyday part of their lives. They are to bind them on their hands and between their eyes. They are to teach them to their children. They are to p...

It's such a simple command. It's such a deep word. Exodus 20:12 (ESV) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. God includes the honor of Father and Mother in the top 10 commands of the Bible. There should be no doubt that God takes this institution seriously. The marriage of a man and woman and the procreation of children deserves honor from all people, but it starts in the home with the children.  Why does God command honor for parents? Because a parent's job reflects God's endeavor. He is our Father in heaven. Jesus described himself as a "Hen who longed to gather her chicks under her wings." (Matthew 23:37). God's parental role is exhibited throughout the Scriptures starting with Adam who is termed the "son of God" in Luke's genealogy. Why does God command that honor for parents start with the children? Because God knows that children will have the biggest ...

Psalm 128 is all about blessing. Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord , who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.        3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.        4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord .        5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel! The man who fears the Lord is blessed. There's no doubt about it. The Psalms are songs sung by the congregation. Weekly reminders of the blessing of doing life God's way. Notice the outward thrust of blessing from the man to his legacy. Those who fear the Lord are blessed with their own efforts and labor. Life will be good for them ...

How are we going to stand in the midst of a society increasingly at odds with the ways of our God? Ephesians 3:14 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Can you see Paul on his face in a roman prison calling out to God? What a picture of faith and what an example for us all. The scripture records a lot of prayers. But the most heartfelt prayers are those uttered when one is bowed before God. It is utter desperation and hopelessness apart from God's i...