Proverbs 24 - Too Much Sleep=Poverty

Hunting Island Lighthouse
 

Sayings 20 - 30 and more...


God provides us with many opportunities. He provides opportunities to do good or not to do good. He provides us with opportunities to work and to build up our houses, as well. He provides us with opportunities to build up our lives.

What will we do with these opportunities? 

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. "Provers 24:33-34.  

This poverty can be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.  Most often, I have seen that it can lead to poverty of all of the above. Poverty of any of these, due to sleeping too much, (that would be laziness) can eventually lead to the poverty of all.

There is another thing that I, quite often, hear that people desire and for whatever reason has been eluding them: that is to know what God's will is for them. The Psalms remind us that the word of God is the light which will help us on His way. "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." (Psalm 119:105) Read the Holy Scriptures and you will hear His merciful and graceful word, His will, for you. You will understand the wisdom that He desires for you to hear and live by. "Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." (Prov 20:14)

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise," (Eph 5:13-15)

Listen!  And... live life!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 85 - Love and Faithfulness

"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." (Psalm 85:10 NIV)

Verse 10 caught my eye this morning as I was in Shopko last night and noticed they have the Valentine's stuff out already. Love and faithfulness...  I have seem some wonderful examples of it in the people around me. I have also seen some marriages that have neither.  Oh, for sure, most of the partners in these marriages will tell you that they really love each other, especially when they are caught in an act of out right unfaithfulness.  But, the evidence of love is not there.  Faithfulness is not there. 

The evidence of love and faithfulness is seen when one spouse would do anything for the good of the other.  Faithlessness to a spouse is not only about not "being with" other people.  Whenever, we put our own selfish desires above the others to the point that we separate ourselves from them, we are being unfaithful.  If you have to go fishing with your buddies every weekend or out with the girls, bowling, every Saturday night, you are being unfaithful to your spouse. You can tell me and you can tell God all you want that the other spouse does not mind. But, I've witnessed it enough and I am telling you that one or both of you is probably lieing to yourself or the other. You have chosen activities and other people rather than being with your spouse, rather than sharing your life together. You are breaking your marriage vows. You have chosen to separate what God has joined together.

There is no better example of love and faithfulness than the union that God chooses for us in the Body of Christ.  That, my friend, is a marriage made in heaven. He loves us so much that His whole life on earth was given so that we might be united with Him forever in His Kingdom.      

 As a reminder of how we are to treat our spouses; how we are to be loving and faithful: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Eph 5:25-33)

"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." (Psalm 85:10)

God's Peace - Pr. J