Proverbs 21:31

“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.”

It’s a sad world we live in.  So much is done in anger and violence.  People are afraid just to talk to people.  They lose faith in good, and they put their faith in gossip and hurtful comments.  They choose to fight the war themselves rather than waiting on the Lord.  The world is going to get worse.  Bad things are going to happen, but the Lord wants His children to rise above it, not become part of it.  We must put our trust in the Lord, and join with Paul in saying, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”  If we find our lives at an end, it is much better to feel comfort in the Lord rather than frustration and anger at the fact that we are being hurt.  We are Kingdom people, destined for eternity.  The troubles of this world have no part in us.  We are God’s and His alone.

PRAYER:  Protect me from this crazy world, Father.  I will not fight at the level of those who love evil.  I will remain committed to you and your love.  Help me to forgive those who would hurt me, and turn my anger aside.  Amen.

Proverbs 21:30

"There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord."

Lucifer, the most perfect of all of God's creation looked to place himself on the same level as God.  He wanted to be worshipped for his perfection, and he conspired against God.  He grew jealous of the Lord, and he began to work against Him.  He led one-third of the angels in revolt against the Lord, and he and his followers were cast from heaven.

The sin of pride is a dangerous one.  It makes us think we are better than we really are.  It leads us to judge others, and it makes us resentful of what we are not given.  We disregard God's commands, and we begin to think only of ourselves.  We close off all that is right and good and we make ourselves out to be our own god.  We worship ourselves in subtle ways. and we rebel against the Lord, by denying His will.  Sin finds its seed in selfishness, the sister of pride.  God knows what is going on inside our hearts and minds.  He can see right through us.  If we will put our trust in Him, and keep Him always our Lord, then He will guide us away from pride and into a respect for all His children.

PRAYER:  All secrets are open to you, O Lord.  You know our comings and goings, and no thought goes by you unnoticed.  Forgive my thoughts of pride and arrogance and lead me to a life of humble obedience and worship.  Amen.

Proverbs 21:2

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”

Timidly, the man walked up to the pearly gates and cleared his throat.  St. Peter peered at him from a high stool.  Without a word, he pointed the man through a huge door, and inside was a throne.  The man walked to the throne and said, “I’m ready for heaven, sir.”

“What makes you think so?” a voice asked.

“Well, sir, I gave to the poor, I went to church, I never cheated on my wife, I didn’t drink, and I prayed twice a day.”

“You mean, you got tax deductions, you wanted people to think highly of you, you were afraid you’d get caught, you were allergic to alcohol, and you said grace before meals, don’t you?”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t know the difference,” said the man.

Not only are our actions important, but our reasons for them are important too.  God sees us not as we appear to be, but as we really are.  He knows every motivation for every move we make.  We can’t kid God, and we shouldn’t try to.  We may think we are doing alright if we do the things God asks, but more importantly, we need to do what He asks for the right reasons.

PRAYER:  Eternal God, search the depths of my heart to see if I am doing all I can for the right reasons.  Lead me to new ways of serving you.  Help me to see what is lacking in my life, and support me as I try to change.  Amen.

Proverbs 21:17

"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."

It was his first real job.  He was making a good salary, and he could now afford to live in style.  He decorated his apartment, threw fantastic parties, and stayed out all night on the weekends seeking new and different thrills.  He moved into the fast lane, and spent money as fast as he could earn it.  He had never done so much before in his life.  He bought all the things he'd ever wanted, and many things he'd never dreamed of.  He traveled and bought expensive gifts for his friends.  Everything was as good as it could possibly be.  Until he was fired.

He had never believed his party could come to an end, but his lifestyle intruded on his work, and it led to his firing.  Now he had nothing.  No savings, no support, and no way to pay bills.  His dream come true had turned into a nightmare.  He felt sick.

When we live for fun and self-indulgence, we live for nothing lasting at all.  Our lives need meaning.  They need a foundation.  They need God.  If we devote ourselves to Him, then we don't have time for frivilous endeavors which cause us to be selfish and wasteful.  God will help us to live wisely and prudently.  He will help us to know what is right and what is wrong.  He will be faithful to do all of this, if we will only consent to put our trust in Him.

PRAYER:  I do want to put my faith in you, God.  I know that on my own I will give in to temptations which are selfish and foolish.  Protect me from myself, O Lord.  Guide me in the paths of what is right and good. Amen.

Hello!

This is a new site that I feel God has called me to do for awhile so I'm following His lead.  I hope this site can give you a short something to remind you to focus on God.  I think God can use this site to encourage you all and teach you something about Him.

Everyday, (hopefully!) I will post a short devotion on a verse from the book of Proverbs.  The devotions will be taken from the book "Wisdom From The Bible".

If you have anything to say about the entry for the day, feel free to comment about it.

Also, if you have any prayer requests, feel free to leave them as a comment and I ( and I'm sure others too) will pray for them.  Please let us know any updates/answers on your requests so that we can keep up to date with the situation.

Feel free to subscribe to this site and let your friends know about it!

I pray that this site brings encouragement to everyone who reads it and that it glorifies God!

In His Amazing Grace,

Courtney