A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

Proverbs 13

A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. v4

The dictionary defines a sluggard as "a habitually lazy person".  God does not want us to be lazy but instead to make the most of every opportunity we have.

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

 

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12

Part of this is to use all of the gifts and abilities we have - glorify God in all that we do.  See also this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an incredible God You are that You are so full of mercy, grace, compassion, and patience!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I am often lazy, neglecting my gifts or just being downright lazy.  Please forgive me!  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We do not want you to become lazy

Hebrews 6

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. 

 Wow...isn't it amazing how God talks directly to you, knowing exactly what is in your heart.  I often feel as if I am lazy about God, in many ways.  I read yesterday about how I am not supposed to become stagnant in my growth and today I read about how I am not supposed to get lazy....yet I often find myself  guilty on BOTH counts.  Holy cow...Lord help me!

My Prayer:  For as it says in Hebrews 4:12 and reinforced by Reggie McNeal today at church, God is new, alive and active.  Amen.  I have personally seen how God reveals himself in new and exciting ways in my own life and look forward to even more and exciting ways that He will reveal Himself to me in the future.  I KNOW that God is up to something and I thank Him for His great love, mercy and guidance.  Yet I am lazy so I pray desperately for energy to be the man God desires me to be.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 6

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. v12

Jesus our Lord and Savior gives all of us skills and abilities - gifts - that He wants us to use for His Glory.  At the same time we are not be lazy.

See also:
1 Timothy 4
1 Corinthians 12
Luke 12
Matthew 25

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your designs and Your works are amazing - how You designed all of Your children with skills and abilities that we can share and work together and how You designed the heavens and the earth and all of its inhabitants.  That I get to experience Your designs and works as well as salvation are amazing gifts - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such gifts.  I am lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me use my gifts for Your glory.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength, comfort, and freedom from pain.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 10

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. v5

We all have a job to do.  Our most important job is to tell others about Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).  We also all have spiritual gifts and talents and God expects us to use these gifts for our glory.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters[.] Colossians 3:23

We should not be lazy with our time, treasure or talents - see also the Parable of the Talents.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You provide and You provide abundantly - Thank You Jesus but I am not worth such blessings.  I worry too much and I am often lazy not using my gifts or working to glorify You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength. Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 6

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. v11-12

In v4-10, the author is warning us of a fate that awaits those who fall away.  John Piper addresses this very topic and I think he nails it here.  Piper, using the same analogy from Hebrews 6 (v8), warns us that a "persistently fruitless" faith that leads to a state of mind where we "are unwilling to put [our] faith into practice, and so [our] faculties are getting dull, right and wrong are becoming hazy...".

We must be obedient, have faith in action, and be "doers" of the Word.  

We must also persevere and have endurance as we run the race.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who will never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I need You badly as I run the race of faith.  You provide courage, endurance, etc. - thank You.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings - I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19)

Hebrews 6

Keeping mind my previous post, the questions today are include whether I am growing in God,  and am I being patient waiting for God to both bless me and to provide "rest" as he has guaranteed all of this in the same way he has to Abraham:

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”¹⁵ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.   

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatlyencouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Being patient, growing in God, and experiencing God's rest are all very interdependent and each reinforce each other.  However, I would say being patient is primary because this allows you to focus on growth because you see the end and you are not distracted by near term concerns - in other words you can more truly "fix your eyes" on Jesus.  In the same way, being patient - in how it allows you to focus on growth - allows you to experience God's rest because you are gaining a deeper understanding of Jesus and because the indwelling Spirit of Jesus is growing in you.


My Prayer: Lord, Your works are amazing as I have experienced with my own eyes significant life change and also I have seen Your glory in beautiful places you have created here on earth.  How awesome You are!  And You have created me for Your glory as well yet I disappoint.  I am lazy and I sin in many ways.  Lord I desperately need you and desperately seek Your forgiveness.  Please purify me and transform my heart and my life.  Help me have patience.  Help me fix my eyes on You.  Help me grow and not be lazy.  Help me glorify You.  I love you Lord Jesus.

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

Proverbs 18

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. v9

I've previously posted on being lazy, and this brings to mind how we are to live not for the selfish pleasures of today and for ourselves but for the glory of God and for the eternal.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

We should be examining our idle time to determine how we can rather be in action doing something for the glory of God.  Yes, we can rest and have fun in our lives but we should also challenge ourselves here. 

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

 

See also posts on eternal focus, etc. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You are so full of grace, compassion, mercy, patience, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am lazy and often focus on my selfish desires...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help focus on serving and glorifying You vs myself!  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and to have them love and accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

Ephesians 5

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. v28

I am challenged to treasure my wife Lisa as Paul encourages us to in this letter to the church in Ephesus. I am too often selfish or lazy.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me with a wife and family that loves me and supports me and brings me many other blessings - too numerous to even mention!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I sin...and am often lazy or selfish to love others as Jesus loves me.  Forgive me Jesus and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. v18

James also says this:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 

I am weak here...I know I should be in prayer more and more often.  Jesus please forgive me and help me stop being so lazy and selfish!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are always available for me...all I need is to come to You and You will listen and respond to ALL of my prayers.  You are also giving of Yourself and You made the ultimate sacrifice...on my behalf...even though You knew everything about me, including my sin.  Thank You Jesus but please forgive me...I am not worth such a God!  I am weak, selfish, lazy, etc.  Forgive me and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me pray often and all the time for myself and others.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of this cancer.  Help me serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. v1-3

John Piper offers - in my view - an extraordinary encouragement on these verses, particularly with respect to how we should not run aimlessly.

Piper says:
- "So into the church has crept the disease of drifting and neglecting. People are growing careless, spiritually lazy, and negligent." 
- "They have begun to have a kind of lazy sense of security. A false notion that nothing really huge is at stake in their small group meetings or whether they meditate on the Bible or take time alone to pray or fight sin. They assume all will be well. Hebrews is written to teach them otherwise."
- "They made a profession of faith and went into a passive, coasting mode. This is utterly wrong."
- "Endure, persevere, run, fight, be alert, be strengthened, don’t drift, don’t neglect, don’t be sluggish, don’t take your eternal security for granted".
- "Don’t stroll, don’t meander, don’t wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line and with everything hanging on it."
- "Then along comes a text like this which says that passivity and coasting and drifting are mortally dangerous."

We must RUN...and FIX OUR EYES on Jesus - this requires focus!  Focus implies a plan.

Piper suggests we "plan [a] fall run with Jesus".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has provided MANY great witnesses, Your Word, The Holy Spirit, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, all of which give me coaching training, etc. - thank You Jesus!  I know You are always with me.  I am undeserving of such love.  I am harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Zechariah 12

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. v10

Jesus is the greatest gift of all...and God gave us His Son so that we may live, and that we may be forgiven.  And Jesus rose again so that we may have eternal life...beating sin and death.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Do I see Jesus as a gift...every day and every moment of my life?  Do I yearn for Him, reflective of my gratitude for the gift of Jesus?  Do I love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul.  I don't but I desire to and I desire that Jesus grow in my heart.  I desire to have His desires.  I seek to love as Jesus loves me.

My Prayer: Lord, You are Truth, Love...You are All.  You are worthy of my love and worship.  You certainly don't need me but You love me anyway. I am broken...I sin.  I am lazy and I don't live a life as You intend.  I am lazy...slothful.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Please grow in my heart and in my life.  Transform my heart and my life.  Take me I am Yours.

Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3

Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 2 Thessalonians 3:12

I continue my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 2-day 2, my focus is a review of 2 Thessalonians 3 assisted by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series volume for 1-2 Thessalonians to unpack the text. The commentary's divisions for this text are spread over two chapters of the commentary where the main idea for from the commentary for 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 is*: "[g]enuinely converted people will bear the fruit of transformed lives," and the divisions/sub-divisions that cover chapter 3 include*:

• They Are Secure in God’s Salvation (2:16-3:5)
• A guarded faith (3:2-3)
• A growing faith (3:1,4)

The main idea from the commentary* for 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18: "Christians have an obligation to hold one another accountable for how they pursue their work and how they relate to one another."  Key excerpts from the introduction of the commentary for this text include*: "[s]urprisingly, one of the greatest dangers to the Thessalonian church was not a blatant attack from people on the outside, but the carelessness and laziness of people on the inside....This is not the first encounter with these individuals. In fact, they appeared several times in Paul’s first letter (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14). Some suggest that these people represent those who have quit their jobs in anticipation of the coming of Christ. Others argue that they were poor members of the church who were taking advantage of the affluent members. Whoever these people were and whatever the reason for their irresponsibility, clearly their conduct and their attitude were adversely affecting the church.  Paul clearly sees the need to address this issue." Divisions from the commentary for this text:

1. Don’t Be Lazy (3:6b-10): We are referred to Colossians 3:23-24 where Paul writes how, regardless of what we do, "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"; Paul* provides two reasons why Christians should avoid laziness: (a) "Christianity was worthless unless it found its way into the fabric of life....If we take God’s Word seriously, then we will take it to work with us. That is, how we do our work will reflect on the One we claim to worship."  Paul* seeks to admonish "in the strongest words possible" those in the church who are idle. He writes how he has worked and how this should serve as an example.
   
2. Don’t Be a Burden (3:11-12): Paul* points out that idle "individuals [in the church] were becoming a burden to those who were seeking to quietly live out their faith. It’s one thing to be out of line, but it is an entirely different matter when you become a distraction to the entire church."
   
3. Don’t Be Weary (3:13): Paul* turns to those who were not being idle to encourage them to keep going in their good works in serving the Lord. Apparently these members of the church in Thessalonica were becoming discouraged "by the wayward members and so [were] tempted to lose heart or patience, [so] Paul challenges them to keep doing the right thing." 
   
4. Don’t Be Negligent (3:6, 14-15): Paul* describes that church discipline is critical and that "God expects His people to take an active role in maintaining the purity and guarding the integrity of His church."  Church leadership and the body must be on-guard for idleness and inaction and address it swiftly.    
   
5. Don’t Be Forgetful (3:16-18): In his benediction, Paul* offers a prayer that recognizes that the "Thessalonians were going to need divine enablement to live in the manner set forth in his letters."
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is always at work for me - and You give me gifts and talents to use for Your glory.  I am amazed at how You use gifts and talents for Your glory in the church.  Thank You for how You equip me in my role as father, husband and worker.  I am not deserving of Your blessings and love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series, Exalting Jesus in 1-2 Thessalonians, Mark Howell

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3

 ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

This is why I must fill myself with scripture - because I desire purity, peace, and wisdom that comes from God alone so that I can demonstrate fruits of the spirit.

My Prayer: Lord, Your words and scripture are pure, holy, and life giving - beyond any wisdom I can attain on earth.  I confess to you now that I often either live a live avoiding scripture or I seek wisdom that is earthly - more so than seeking scripture than is heavenly.  Thank You for providing Your scripture and of course Your Holy Spirit so that I can filled with both.  Please help me Jesus - forgive me for my selfish, lazy ways and for my desires to seek earthly matters first before Your word.  Purify me of these sins - transform both my heart and my life so that I can be more like You.

When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

Acts 16

When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. v7

I have previously posted here how God is unstoppable - if He really wants something to happen He would make it happen, regardless of what we do...similarly, if He really does NOT want something to happen He would be able stop something from happening.

God IS in control.

Jonah tried to stop God's plans but was thwarted...see here.

Isaiah noted how God is in control:

For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
    His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? Isaiah 14:27

 

That does not mean we must sit idly back...we may fall prey to Satan.  Jesus told His disciples:

"All this I have told you so that you will not fall away." John 16:1

 

Satan is real and we must be careful to not fall away.  We will fall away if we are not focused on Jesus...near Jesus...and working actively to honor and please Jesus.

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are indeed THE great God...the only God for me.  The Name Above All Names...King of Kings.  You chose me and I am indeed blessing by Your love...by Your sacrifice.  I am not worth such love and sacrifice.  I am lazy and not in action working for You.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from and overcome such sin...help me turn instead towards You.  Help me understand Your message for me today.  Help me apply and be obedient to Your message.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.

 

 

 

Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

Proverbs 20

Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. v4

God wants us to be in action...it's not just about listening but doing.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

The question becomes what do we do.
1. We love God with our all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22)
2. We love others as ourselves (Matthew 22)
3. As a consequence of #1 and #2, we deny ourselves and our desires and live for God (that is why we exist) for others - to serve and not to be served.

My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God that never ceases to love me and You bless me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such an awesome God.  I am often lazy - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and have them accept You as their Lord and Savior as their choice.  Help me serve You and my family Jesus.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

Luke 6

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” v9

The Pharisees continue to be obsessed with their own status and power and truly believe that what you do is more important the what is in your heart.  They believe that is unlawful to work on the Sabbath.  Yet Jesus cares more about the need of the man whose hand was shriveled.  In the same way, Jesus cares about our heart condition.  Jesus understands what Solomon wrote in Proverbs:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:3

My Prayer: Lord, You came to earth and lived a pure, holy, and blameless life...for me.  You then died and rose again for me.  You provide Your Word and Your Holy Spirit for me...to guide me and to be with me.  I am blessed with power based in love.  What an amazing gift You are - You are an active loving God who continues to bless me beyond what I deserve.  I am selfish and lazy among my many sins.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Proverbs 28

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. v26

I am confident of many things and often my confidence rests in myself and this leads to arrogance and hubris. Yet our confidence must rest in God alone for without Him we can do nothing:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, full of love, compassion, mercies, etc. for me.  I recognize this morning that apart from You I can do nothing.  You created me and You call me to live for You and others.  Yet I often don't.  Thank You for how You bless me beyond what I deserve but I need Your mercies. Please forgive me for falling short of Your desire for me - I am lazy, impatient, arrogant, and worried about the world.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Give myself and Lisa wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Help me lead and serve my family, You, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Proverbs 21

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. v2

In the midst of sin, we often find ways to rationalize our actions.  Yet God knows our hearts and there is no justification for sin.  God also knows that once hardened, our hearts become slaves to sin.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15

 

God helps us with our temptation and frees us from being slave to sin - see also this post.  This same freedom also enables us to better carry our God's will for our lives.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  You nailed my sin to the cross and give me life - life to the full!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am lazy and I neglect my relationship with You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Protect me from temptation and strengthen me.  Strengthen Lisa.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus - I pray that they choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

 

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. v2-3

God wants us to be more like Him, and this is a maturation process.  Just as physically new babies grow, when we are born again we are spiritually babies and we must grow, and God both desires this and expects this of us.  We are to be disciple makers.

See also post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, fully God and fully human...who willingly surrendered Your life for me...knowing everything about me, including my sin.  Thank You Jesus for such an amazing gift.  I am not worth such a gift.  I am selfish, lazy, and I worry too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Mark 1

Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. v20

 
The Gospel of Mark, see overview here, is an account of who Jesus is and what He did.  Here Jesus called the first disciples and I am reminded that for us to follow Jesus, we must be prepared to put Him first - above all other relationships in our lives, including spouses and children.

Priority of Jesus

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is always with me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am lazy, etc. among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.