Use your Safety Net

Proverbs 11:14 "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety."

 The Bible tells here in Proverbs 11 that without counsel, we will fall, but when we seek much counsel there is safety.  As we are faced with decisions that we have to make, one of the major decisions we are faced with is who do we go to seek advice.

Many people make the mistake of only going to people to whom they think will agree with the decision that they want to make.  Unfortunately, that is not what getting counsel is.  Counsel is not finding as many people who will agree with you.   Counsel, is not finding people who disagree with you either. 

When we seek counsel, it is vitally important that we seek godly counsel.  When ever we are faced with a decision we must ask ourselves and our counselors, "Am I violating scripture if I make this decision." The second question we must ask is, "If I make this decision, how will effect my walk with Christ."  Usually, when we consider the decision, we only look at them from our perspective.  We need the perspective of those godly people in our lives, and as we get it, we will find safety.

Are you Standing in God's Way?

Isaiah 59:1-2 "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that he will not hear."

I find great comfort in verse one of Isaiah 59, and great conviction in verse two.  The Lord is truly a gracious and merciful God.  He always has His hand ready to reach out and save us.  He always has a listening ear to hear us.  I am reminded of the great event in scripture where Jesus comes to His disciples walking on water.  Peter questioned if it was truly the Lord and asked if He was in fact the Lord, and if he too could walk on the water out to Him.  The Lord granted his request and Peter began walking on water.  After walking for a short while, Peter began to notice the waves crashing around him and he began to sink into the sea.  It was then, that Peter cried out saying, "Lord save me!" And Jesus stretched His hand out and walked Peter back to the boat.

What a wonderful picture we have of the Lord reaching out His hand to save.  Now the part that troubles me here in our passage this morning is verse 2 and that little bitty word - "BUT".  While the Lord's hand isn't shortened, and His ear is always listening there is still that, "but" in verse 2.  God wants to save us, He wants us to call unto Him.  BUT, there is something that is standing in the way of Him doing what He wants, and that something is not a something as much as it is a someone - it is US.  We stand in the way of God reaching out His hand. Even though God knows exactly where we are at, at all times, He still lets us hide ourselves from Him. The reason God will not hear us is because we are not calling unto Him.  We may be crying, but it isn't unto Him, it is out of our sinful self-centeredness.   If God is going to hear us, and reach out His hand to us, we must repent to Him and long for that fellowship and companionship to be restored to us.  It is our own bullheadedness and lack of repentance that causes the separation from God.  Verse 4 gives even more insight by saying, "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity."

God is standing there waiting with open arms, longing for us to cry out to Him.  Don't let your own foolish pride stand in way of you experiencing the wonderfulness of God's outstretched hand. As long as you hold on to the sin your life, whether it's lust, bitterness, anger, greed, gossipping, fornication, or pride, you will never know how good God truly is.  Let it go, stop trusting in your own vanity, and trust God.  Cry out to Him as Peter did saying, "Lord save me".

You Missed a Spot

Proverbs 16:2 "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits."

I am a sloppy painter.  I just don't have the paitence that it requires I suppose.  When I paint, there is usually just as much paint on my hands, arms, jeans, t-shirt, & shoes as there is on what ever it is being painted.  When it comes time to get cleaned up, it is inevitable, I am going to miss some paint that I got on me.  As I get dressed and go back out with others, it becomes apparent as my wife says to me, "You missed a spot."  That is when I begin looking with great disagreement not seeing what she can clearly see.  As usual, she ends up being right, and it's back to the shower for me to get the spots I missed.

It hit me this morning as I read this verse, I do the same thing in my Christian life that I do as a painter.  I rush through carelessly, making just as much of a mess as I do getting the job done, and end up leaving myself spotted and covered with sin in the process.  Then when it is time to "clean up", I may go and do my routine "cleaning" and leave some spots that I didn't notice. Here is the lesson that I learned, just because I think I am clean doesn't mean that I am.

We don't have to live your life walking around covered in the spots that we miss.  The Bible says, "the Lord weigheth the spirits".  It is not up to us to determine whether or not we are clean.  We need to allow the Lord to move and work in our hearts.  Ask Him, as David did in the 139th Psalm, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."   Let's not be fooled into thinking that we can do it on our own, and don't argue with God either.  We need to trust the Lord, let him point out our spots, and get cleaned up.

Have you missed a spot?  Is the Lord weighing your spirit right now?  Don't ignore Him, go ahead and get cleaned up and learn how refreshed you will feel.

At the Crossroads of Heaviness or Gladness

Proverbs 12:25  "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad."

Have you ever watched as people enter into a room.  More often than not, you can tell how someone is doing just by looking at the expression on their faces.  Are they worried? Are they bothered? Are they angry? Are they happy?  Are they depressed?  Are they having a good day? 

We have the ability to make a difference in the lives of people.  I love the verse here today out of Proverbs 12.  When man has a heavy heart, he stoops, or is down. But a good word can make a difference and lift them up out of their heaviness. 

As Christians, we ought to be on the lookout all the time to bring someone a good word.  In thinking about this topic, there is actually a two fold purpose of having a good word to say to others around us.  You see, if we are thinking about being an encouragement to someone then when we are they are blessed and lifted up.  Then the other side of that is this.  When we are thinking about being an encouragement, we are going to be more mindful of saying things that may offend or be hurtful to those around us.  The difference comes from thinking of others more than thinking about ourselves.

I'm sure there may be some today that are reading these words thinking to themselves, "That is so right, no one ever does that. I wish someone would say something kind and good to me."  Then they will go through their day looking for someone to fill that desire.  Now, don't miss the point here. We are not to be looking for someone to fill that desire for ourselves, we are to be seeking to do that for someone else.

Will you continue to let someone be in heaviness or  will you make an attempt to say something kind in an attempt to bring them down the road of gladness?
It's your crossroads, which way will you go?

Memorial Day - More than Special sales and a Day Off Work

Proverbs 10:7 "The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot."

Today is Memorial Day.  Originally known as Decoration Day, its observance began shortly after the Civil Way to remember the soldiers who gave their lives during the war.  Over time Memorial Day became a time to remember all American Soldiers who had given their lives for our country.  It is truly a special day for us to be grateful for the freedoms that have been extended to us as Americans.

Today, it seems to have become more about special deals at stores, days off, and cook outs at family reunions.  While there is nothing wrong with those things being done.  May we not forget the people who have given their lives for us to still be able to live in one of the greatest and freest countries in the world - the American Soldier.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.  What an overwhelming emotional experience.  As I walked through gates, I quickly became humbled at the thought that every body buried there had given their life for their country.  Hundreds of matching tomb stones, perfectly placed through out the rolling hills of the cemetery, was truly magnificent.  Today as I observe Memorial Day, I observe it with a different point of view than I have the previous 34.

God Bless America!