Morning Devotion on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 💙

 

Additional to that prayer, dear Lord, we come together in agreement and humbly ask that You bring peace to Israel and Gaza and that you will send your angels to minister to every human being in that entire region, in Jesus' Name, amen. 

Good morning (from the MST) dear Reader and welcome to this day above ground! It's not yet eight o'clock in the morning; the Lord gave me plenteous sleep last night and I sit in a room flooded with warm sunshine, gratefully breathing in and out and drinking wonderful, hot coffee. 
I didn't blog yesterday (and not again until today) because I deeply felt like I needed my sweet, beautiful friend to read the last entry I wrote in order to speak grace and love to her; I waited until it became apparent that she'd seen it. (YAY! 💗) Thank you for understanding that delay and welcome back. 

Now that I'm good and awake, awake enough to benefit from what I read, I searched out and found an article on what the Bible says about solitude. Apparently there are many verses that tell us (in one way or another) that Jesus Himself was always going off by Himself somewhere or other to be quiet and pray. Since He's the ultimate role model, that's what I seek to do myself every morning by sitting in peace and quiet (after some praise music, anyway) once I'm fully awake. 

Now, does this new habit make me better than anyone else on the planet? NO. Not even a little bit! All this new habit of mine does is make ME better than who I was yesterday, by the grace of God. 

Yesterday I read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", a famous sermon by Johnathon Edwards, from the 1700's. I found it very compelling though I can only imagine how powerful it must have been to hear it actually preached out loud. 

I don't know about you, dear Reader, but I'm at this place in my walk/life where I am constantly seeking out His correction; I am ever looking for ways in which I am weak or wrong so that I can then submit those things to the Lord for His (loving) correction. When I feel convicted, that to me is a gift from God, meaning that He hasn't yet given up on me, and that He loves me enough to show me where I'm either wrong or how I can come up higher/ do better in some way or other. I pray that you will come to feel this way too. It's a wonderful place of freedom where there truly IS NO condemnation, even in the face of our mistakes. Remember that we looked at Romans 8:1 last time. I say we revisit that today and meditate on it until it has become a solid foundation for our hearts and minds that other people and/or the circumstances in life cannot bring us down because we're too well rooted and grounded in the Truth of His love for us. 

So, to reiterate some serious Truth which applies to all here:

And here is today's Proverb from the Book of Wisdom:

(NKJV, high-lighted) - Proverbs 16:

1 The preparations[a] of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

But the Lord weighs the spirits.

3 Commit[b] your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established.

4 The Lord has made all for Himself,

Yes, even the wicked for the day of [c]doom.

5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

Though they join [d]forces, none will go unpunished.

6 In mercy and truth

Atonement is provided for iniquity;

And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,

He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 Better is a little with righteousness,

Than vast revenues without justice.

9 A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

10 Divination is on the lips of the king;

His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;

All the weights in the bag are His [e]work.

12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

For a throne is established by righteousness.

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

And they love him who speaks what is right.

14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,

But a wise man will appease it.

15 In the light of the king’s face is life,

And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before [f]a fall.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

Than to divide the [g]spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,

And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,

And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.

But the correction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,

And adds learning to his lips.

24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

26 The person who labors, labors for himself,

For his hungry mouth drives him on.

27 [h]An ungodly man digs up evil,

And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

28 A perverse man sows strife,

And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

29 A violent man entices his neighbor,

And leads him in a way that is not good.

30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;

He [i]purses his lips and brings about evil.

31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,

If it is found in the way of righteousness.

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,

But its every decision is from the Lord.

Footnotes

Proverbs 16:1 plans

Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll

Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil

Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand

Proverbs 16:11 concern

Proverbs 16:18 stumbling

Proverbs 16:19 plunder

Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial

Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses

May the Lord use this to bless you today, dear Reader, and meet you wherever you are, right at the very point of your need. Thank you and God bless you today in a new and special way, in Jesus' Name, amen.