Author: Lynden McGriff

 

Today’s Reading: Habakkuk 1-3; 2 Corinthians 7 

The past couple of weeks have been very trying for myself and my family. My  family here in Illinois and my family in Texas.  There have been numerous trials and tribulations that we have endured these last couple weeks. Sometimes it feels as if we were in a vacuum and no one else understands what we were going through.  One of the best things that God has given us is the connection with others which allows us to become vulnerable with each other.

Just the other day while chatting with a friend, we were talking about the start of the new school year and homecoming and the need to connect with our kids.  As we spoke we understood that we are going through something very similar.  We are not alone, even if we feel like asking the question “ Are you there?”   We can all feel isolated. 

This is how Habakkuk felt.

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭

“The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!” before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.”

We are not alone.  We are not the first to got through this.  We don’t have to endure it by ourselves.   As soon as Habakkuk asks this question God answers.  

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you, and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees. Do among us what you did among them. Work among us as you worked among them. And as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy. * * *”

 

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain! (For congregational use, with a full orchestra.)”

Whether we receive the answer that we want or not, God gives us peace and joy in His plan and purpose for us.  

Let us remember that God is listening and has resolution and peace for those whom love him.  

Be blessed 

 

 

Today’s Reading : Isaiah 45-48; I Corinthians 13

 

What is the first thing that’s on your mind in the morning? What is the first thing that you do in the morning? Do you sit in your bed, just wondering about today? Do you open up your phone to see what has happened over the evening? Do you open up your Bible app and read the verse of the day?

The things that we put first in our mind, our heart, and in our spirit tells us what we hold most dear. I am guilty of searching for things to take my attention. I have woken up to play games on my phone. I have woken up to read stories on my phone. I woken up to see what has gone on Facebook and other social media the first thing in the morning and throughout the day. But those things take away from my energy.  There have been several times in my life that I’ve had to reset the button and refocus on God and his time in my life.

 

These two passages that we have today’s central theme is: What is In Your Heart. 

 

In Isaiah,  we see God showing us the awesome power that he has and gives us examples.  He is exhibiting to Israel the magnitude of his power compared to the other gods of the land. 

“For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭45‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭45‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We see God is at the center of all of our being.  He is is the one that created and creates constantly for us for his benefit.  He has placed us in the center of his heart since the beginning of time. One illustration is that of the Father he is to us.  From my experience as a father, you will constantly think of your children no matter how old they are or what they have done in their lives.  You will always hold them in your heart regardless of the circumstances and situation.  God holds us in his heart even more profoundly and passionately.  This love is unimaginable. 

 

This passage beautifully dovetails into I Corinthians 13.  This is one of the most cherished and loved chapters in the Bible regarding love.  Revisiting this chapter, I was reminded of several verses from my childhood. The first verse was a constant reminder that my grandmother would use throughout my entire life. The other verses have been used by me and others at different times of my life.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬, ‭8‬, ‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

These verses are small pieces to a major idea of God’s connection with us.  When read individually, these words have a big impact, but when read and digested as a whole it is monumental.  Paul is showing us truly how awesome God is.  Even after Paul has been in the presence of Christ and has been in true communion with the God the Spirit (the Holy Spirit), he fully cannot comprehend the full awesomeness of God which is Love. Try to reread this chapter and replace love with God and you can truly see the depth and beauty of the chapter and of life. 

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What is in your heart? What is the first thing that you think about in the morning? Is there a song that you can think of that gets you into the space of love? Is there a verse that you can gravitate to in the morning?   What if you started your day in this manner; how would your day, week, or month change with a renewing of your heart?   

Be blessed

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 23- 25; I Corinthians 3

I love this time of year with the beginning of school. The students are back at school and are ready to learn new and exciting ideas. The teachers are excited to pour their knowledge into the students. And the parents are excited to have some time themselves.

As we transition  back to the learning environment we are once again reminded of intentional reading. During intentional reading,  we can gravitate to pieces of literature that we love: fiction, fantasy and nonfiction, etc.  In these stories, parables, fables, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes the main theme is to communicate the joys, lessons, and the precautions from one generation to the next. In the letter to the Corinthians,  I see a hidden story that most are familiar with: The story of “ The Three Little Pigs”.

I Corinthians 3 : 1- 3

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

 

As you can recall in the story of the three little pigs, there are three young adults who  are off to find their own niche and their own lifestyle. Each of the individual pigs decide to make a house with various materials: straw, wood, and bricks. Over the course of time the big bad wolf blows down the straw house and the wood house.  But he is unable to blow down the house made of brick. The main focus on these individuals is their choice of the building materials.   Sometimes we need easy stories to help us understand complex notions and ideas.  The “ Three Little Pigs’ illustrated the need to have a sound foundation and insight into the builder of our faith structure. 

I Corinthians 3: 10 – 17

 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

In the letter Paul is not only telling us to look at the materials, but we have to focus on our architect,  builder, and the  foundation in which we have our faith. When we have a great foundation in Christ, nothing can shake us during the most trying and difficult times. During these unfathomable times, we can depend on Christ to be a foundation to sustain us in everything. But we also have to remember that God is the builder of his temple and dwelling places (our bodies).   Sometimes we forget that God is building us daily.   He is creating in us a structure that is going to be the best reflection of him so others can see his marvelous works. 

We have to remember that the work that God is doing in us may not be seen in our lifetime.  We may be setting up others to continue to show God’s grace and God’s glory.

My family lives in a house that was built in 1927. Sometimes I wonder about the builders of my home. How much thought did they give into the building that they were building ? Did they know that the structure that they built would last for almost 100 years? Did they have the foresight to give their heart and their best effort in creating this structure? Can we allow God to use us in a way that future generations would be able to see God’s grace in their lives? How can we allow God to be the foundation and the builder of our faith that it will stand time?

Be blessed

Today’s Reading: II Kings 15-16, Matthew 21 

Kings, princes, rulers, emperors, and leaders all have one thing in common…they are human.  There were 23 kings of Israel and 19 kings of Judah.  The split of kingdoms occurred after Solomon.  The kingship of Christ is from the line of Judah.  Christ is the High King and final in the lineage of King David.  I believe one of the best lessons learned from this passage is that not all kings are perfect, but if we have a relationship with God we can have amazing things happen for them.

Here are three themes that I have gotten from this passage: 

Not all kings are saviors

In the beginning of the kingships for Israel which started with King Saul,  the people were looking for a central figure to help them in the human form.  They were not able to grasp the concept of God being available to help them out in spirit and needed someone tangible to make decisions for them. They were looking for a savior to keep them safe from other forces.  But because the kings were human, they were not able to fully save everyone from everything.  

Not all kings are merciful 

There are some kings that love their people and will put their life in the place of the people.  They are committed to the people for eternity.  There are some kings that will sacrifice their own children for their benefit as Ahaz did in

II Kings 16:2-3.  

 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering,[a] according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 

Not all kings have your best interest. 

Many times kings will pursue the best arrangements for their kingdom.  They will make the best decisions to make the kingdom prosperous.   Some kings will be selfish and attempt to do what is good for the king.  

Throughout our world and throughout history, we see that the kings and rulers are human.  Sometimes they can be altruistic and thinking for others, but many times we can see that the rulers think of themselves. It’s only when God is in the midst of their reign and they acknowledge it; then they can lead and be prosperous.  We are fortunate that we have a great king in Jesus, that is our savior, who is merciful, and has our interests center of his being. When we have a relationship with Christ, we are able to connect and be part of his kingdom. We do not have to be dismayed by the world, in regards to our king. Let us acknowledge, and be aware of the blessing that we have in Christ Jesus as our king. Let us not be dismayed by the world or its shortcomings because we have a relationship with God.

 

Today’s Reading : Jonah; Matthew 11

Expectations.  In our everyday lives we have countless expectations and outcomes.  For instance,  when we wake up and the sun is shining through the window, we can expect that the day will be pleasant. But when we go outside the temperature is twenty degrees below what we expected or it could be thirty degrees above.  The expectation is not what reality actually holds. 

In today’s passages, we have to reset our expectations. Today’s passages are from the book of Jonah and Matthew chapter 11. The book of Jonah has been referenced to and recounted many times throughout history since the book was written. To recap, Jonah is given an assignment from God to go to Nineveh,  and tell the people that they have not done what God wanted them to do. Jonah does not want to go to Nineveh so he decides to run away. Upon running away, he finds himself on a ship, which comes into the middle of a storm. The storm stops when Jonah is thrown into the ocean. When Jonah is thrown into the ocean, he has been  swallowed by a big fish (a whale). After three days, he is brought back to land, and he goes to the city. He tells the people what they need to do to change. The people actually listen to the prophet and change your ways. Jonah is mad that the people listen to him. 

 

Jonah expected to run away from his assignment 

•  Jonah, like many of us, will be given a task on assignment that seems insurmountable or difficult. We first try to run away from our obligations. We think that it will be easier to run away from the situation.  The act of running away, we believe that we do not have to face the outcomes or the consequences of the actions. We want the easy way out. We want to get away from the fire because it’s too hot. We want to run away from the cold, because we don’t want to get frostbitten. We want to run away from the darkness,  because we are afraid of what may be in the abyss. 

Jonah expected to be killed in the ocean to get out of the assignment

• When we are presented with a challenge that we are not ready or prepared for, we attempt to take actions into our own hands. We try to create different things without asking God for clarification or reference. Sometimes we expect that the situation can’t get worse and we can ease our pain by going into a different direction.

Jonah expected the people to protest and kill him for delivering the message 

• In the last part of Jonah, we find that God has already prepared everything for Jonah to be successful. We find that the people of Nineveh were not going to kill him, but were ready for a change in which God had made ready for them. Jonah wanted the people in the world to be punished, killed, or annihilated because of their disregard for God‘s law and his statutes. This is a point in where the expectations have been changed:  God changed his heart when the people changed their hearts to him.  God changed from punishment to preservation of the people.  At this change, Jonah was upset that God is living and living Father and can change to save his children.  

In Matthew,  Christ is telling the people to reset their expectations of their thoughts and perceptions of John the Baptist and of himself.    The people and the persons that Jesus and John the Baptist, actually were, were contrary to the expectations.  People were wrapped up in the assumed appearance and perception of the anointed individuals.  But Christ tells them to allow God to speak to their hearts and open their minds and eyes to the truth that God has set for us.  

How can we reset our expectations to be aligned with God?  How can we open up our relationship with him to be adequately prepared for what assignments we are given? How can we allow God to manage our expectations of ourselves, others, and God? 

Be blessed 

Today’s Reading: I Kings 19-21; II Chronicles 17; Psalms 129; Matthew 1

One of the best things that I love about summer is the fresh fruit. Just recently I was shopping with my kids and we picked up some nectarines. The kids had many questions about the different fruits. They wanted to know the difference between the nectarine, the peach, and the apricot. As I’m explaining it to them, they are confused, because each of these fruits seem similar in their taste and texture, except for the size. This gives me an opportunity to see what the fruit is that we have for each other and how we manifest the fruit in our spirit. 

If we bite into a peach and we taste an orange or an apple, that is confusing to the senses.  When we see a pear tree, we know that the tree will produce pears. When we see an apple tree, we know that tree will produce apples. So each tree is distinct by the fruit that it bears.

In today’s passages, we are going through the history and lineage of Christ. In Matthew, we are given the genealogy of Christ for 42 generations. This genealogy goes back from Abraham to David to Christ.  Each of these entries actually shows us the different tapestries that created Christ. It gives us a true understanding that could be connected from generation to generation. This was very important and established the family tree and lineage of Christ. As we are looking at history, we can see in different citations and publications of Christ and is validated and verified to be truly human and truly divine.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,”

In the Old Testament, the descendants of David, Asa, and Jehoshaphat and their workings with God and the fellowship they gave. 

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,”

Over the past couple weeks, my family has experienced several individuals who have transitioned to eternity. One of the most difficult farewells was for Jillian‘s grandmother, Elda Rose Koch. As we were celebrating her death and departure, we were in awe by the amount of visitors.  Jillian’s grandmother passed away at the age of 93. Many times when individuals pass away at such a great age, there could be a few Individuals to celebrate life. But for Jillian‘s grandmother, there were over 200 visitors for her. This shows what type of fruit she had on her tree. This shows how she led her life for God and others.  

So the question is, what is the fruit that you are producing? When people interact with you, will they see the fruit that God has given you to give? And if we do have fruit that God has given us, let us share it gracefully and gratefully. Because if we do not share that fruit, then we could end up like the tree that Christ spoke to on his way into Jerusalem at his last Passover. The tree was beautiful and it was Majestic. But when it did not give forth fruit, it withered the next day. How can we live a life that will be pleasing and for the glory of God?

 

Be Blessed

Today’s Reading : I Kings 10-11; II Chronicles 9; I Timothy 6

I have forgotten to give my background in many stories. The many times that I am re-reading through the Bible,  I have had exposure to these stories several times over in my lifetime. My grandmother was a preacher’s wife. So many of these stories that I am reading in the Bible I have experienced through word, song, and text hundreds of times.  I forget that sometimes this may be the first time many of the readers have access to the stories. 

The passages that we have today actually complement each other so well. The stories in the passage that we recount today are the one with Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, in both Kings and the Chronicles, and Paul’s letter to Timothy.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Yesterday, after church, I was sitting with my children and recalling “The Big Idea”. It is really interesting how they are able to understand and receive understanding about the Bible and about the different miracles that are happening in the Bible. But one question I asked was “do you know who King Solomon and King David were?“ And to my surprise, they did not know. 

In Kings and the Chronicles, we are given a glimpse into the power and the magnitude of King Solomon and his wealth. We are also given a glimpse into how others can influence us or be detrimental to us. In the first part of both of these passages King Solomon is introduced to the Queen of Sheba. The Queen of Sheba is a well-known and very influential person in the historical biblical setting.  She is also very wise,  similar to that of king Solomon. In both of these accounts, she gives praise to God for the wisdom He has given to Solomon, and for the bounty and the abundance that Solomon has been given.  Then the Queen of Sheba returns to her home and kingdom. 

For many years that I have read this, I assumed that Solomon and Sheba were married, but they were just great friends, and held each other up to a higher standard. These are the people that we need to have in our lives. Ones who are there to acknowledge what we have done, but also to give us support to grow stronger in our faith and in our life.

In each of these passages in Kings and Chronicles, after the Queen of Sheba leaves, Solomon does not find contentment in what he has. 

“Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

To put this in perspective, a talent of gold was roughly 75lbs,  so approximately 4,950 lbs of gold per year, not including other gold that he received.  This is calculated at $112,988,904 per year.  Solomon reigned for  40 years, which would have been equivalent wealth minimum of $4,519,000,000.  This can easily be calculated to be more than any person before or after accounting for the conversion factors.    

But even with all of the wealth and wisdom of God, Solomon allows others to influence him and to change his heart. His relationship with God decreases as he gives his heart to other gods. How many times have we given our thoughts and energy to other gods(health, goods, status, fame, and time)? 

Being content is not about having things, but having a relationship with God who provides the things that we are in need and some of the desire of our hearts.  Contentment is about the relationship with God.  King David understood this… “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

God wants us to be content. God wants us to have the desires of the heart. But he also wants our relationship with him. Where we continually work on our relationship with him, we will find our contentment. There’s no amount of wealth of wisdom that can replace God’s connection and God‘s relationship with us. We have to renew our relationship with Him daily. It’s not a one and done. It’s a continual commitment even through the highs and lows that we connect with God. When we do that we are truly content.

 

Today’s Reading Proverbs 29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4 

It happens almost every day while raising children, especially in the ages of 8 to 14, when you tell them something, they always have something in addition to tell you. Upon first observation this can be seen as a sign of defiance. But when you look at it in a different lens, it can be seen as trying to help them grow their patience. 

I have recently realized and found a new understanding of patience and observation returning to community pharmacy and management.  There are many times you are presented with certain situations that arise and individuals want you to have a quick or rapid response. When you react without thinking it can create an onslaught of frustration and chaos. But in Proverbs, it tells us to have patience, which is not given to everyone. Patience is something that has to be learned and to be cultivated in order to be a better person.

Throughout the 29th chapter of Proverbs, we are shown many different ways of having patience. How to not be quick to react. How to allow God to work for us because the end goal is not for us, but for his glory. How many times do we engage with one another due to lack of patience? How many times are we pushed to certain measures because of lack of patience?

Proverbs 29 2- 20

2 When good people run things, everyone is glad,
    but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.

4 A leader of good judgment gives stability;
    an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste.

7 The good-hearted understand what it’s like to be poor;
    the hardhearted haven’t the faintest idea.

8 A gang of cynics can upset a whole city;
    a group of sages can calm everyone down.

9 A sage trying to work things out with a fool
    gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.

    11 A fool lets it all hang out;
        a sage quietly mulls it over.

12 When a leader listens to malicious gossip,
    all the workers get infected with evil.

14 Leadership gains authority and respect
    when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.

15 Wise discipline imparts wisdom;
    spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.

17 Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did—
    they’ll turn out delightful to live with.

18 If people can’t see what God is doing,
    they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
    they are most blessed.

19 It takes more than talk to keep workers in line;
    mere words go in one ear and out the other.

20 Observe the people who always talk before they think—
    even simpletons are better off than they are.

In the 30th chapter of Proverbs, we are presented with observations. Observations of nature and observations of others. You can see that in observations, it takes patience to sit and observe certain areas in our life. What is God asking us to have patience and observe this week? What is God wanted us to see that he is preparing for us if we only wait for him?

Proverbs 30: 15-31

Four Insatiables

Three things are never satisfied,
    no, there are four that never say, “That’s enough, thank you!”—

        hell,
        a barren womb,
        a parched land,
        a forest fire.

Four Mysteries

18-19 

Three things amaze me,
    no, four things I’ll never understand—

        how an eagle flies so high in the sky,
        how a snake glides over a rock,
        how a ship navigates the ocean,
        why adolescents act the way they do.

Four Intolerables

21-23 

Three things are too much for even the earth to bear,
    yes, four things shake its foundations—

        when the janitor becomes the boss,
        when a fool gets rich,
      …
        when a “girlfriend” replaces a faithful wife.

Four Small Wonders

24-28 

There are four small creatures,
    wisest of the wise they are—

        ants—frail as they are,
            get plenty of food in for the winter;
        marmots—vulnerable as they are,
            manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
        locusts—leaderless insects,
            yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
        lizards—easy enough to catch,
            but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.

Four Dignitaries

29-31 

There are three solemn dignitaries,
    four that are impressive in their bearing—

        a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;
        a rooster, proud and strutting;
        a billy goat;
        a head of state in stately procession.

In each of the proverbs we find that if we allow God to use us in the time that He has allocated for us, we can grow beyond our situations and become the vessels in which he has planned.  If we decide to pursue things without his consideration we will have different results which may not be fruitful and blessed.  Have a blessed week. 

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 3-5, Romans 10 

The transition of a loved one to heaven can be hard.  The sorrow, the grief, and the pain sometimes can be unbearable. But the celebration of the life of that person and all that they have given you throughout your life is immeasurable. I’ve recently had to celebrate the life of a dear person in my life, my godmother.   The joy and the happiness and the contentment that everybody had for her is truly amazing.

This is a testament to her legacy.  She was kind, loving, and always giving.  The words and the actions that she bestowed upon me throughout my life will always be remembered. I can still hear her voice giving me advice and giving me love.

In today’s readings, Solomon and Paul are giving words of wisdom to the next generation. They are given their legacy. The words that they’re giving are from their own experiences and from their own mentor’s words to them.

Proverbs 3:1-6

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 4:1-4

“Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.”

Proverbs 5:1-2

“My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.”

Romans 10:14 

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

In the passages from Solomon, at the beginning of each chapter, he is instructing his sons and his descendants, how to live a good life. He has shown them how to live a good life, but he’s also giving them instructions on how to live the life after he has transitioned to heaven and has given them the wisdom. Many times we are given words and insights into what we supposed to do, but sometimes we need the instructions to be written out.

In Romans, Paul is asking the question of the people of Israel and the Christians if they have understood what they have been given to by word of mouth and written word.  He is also asking them if they are working with the gifts that they have been given.

Many times in our lives we are given instruction, both verbally and written. It is in the nature in which we use the instructions and wisdom that will produce good fruit.   I have been granted many mentors throughout my life that have imparted wisdom to me.  I have received many words of wisdom from my mother, my father, my uncles, and my aunts. I have listened to their words, but sometimes I have done my own things. But the things that I’ve done have not been without understanding their wisdom. Sometimes we do things that are aligned with wisdom, and sometimes we do things that are counter to the wisdom. But in the end, we will all receive wisdom.  Then it’s our responsibility to relay this wisdom onto the next generation.

Legacy is not all about the words that you use, but the actions that match the words that have been given to you throughout your life. Legacy is also the reflection of your total person and how it will be manifested in others.  Legacy is a shadow of all of our attributes that we have together.

So what is the legacy that we are giving to the next generation? What is the direction or legacy that we are being examples of?  If we give instruction with God’s grace and God‘s wisdom and gods mercy, then the legacy that we will give will be for God‘s glory.

Be blessed

Today’s Reading : 2 Samuel 13-14; Acts 28 

Throughout our lives, we go through cycles. Sometimes we find ourselves doing routines with ourselves or our friends at the same cadence.  It sometimes can become predictable. One of the  cycles that I find myself in is the “day off cycle”.  Since working in pharmacy, I’ve always had one particular day off during the week.  This day has been on Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, and Monday. Each of these days was set aside, so that I could have a specific day off during the week to accommodate me working on the weekends. Now as this day comes up, it’s a day of reflection, refreshment, restoration. Many times in our life the cycle helps us to get a sense of routine or safety. Sometimes cycles happen for us that are good. Sometimes cycles can be placed upon us from generational things that we have to overcome. In today’s reading, we can see that David is going through several cycles that affect his entire life. 

David’s life had many cycles. To fully understand today’s passage you have to review some of the previous chapters. In the previous chapters, it is where David takes Bathsheba for his wife and kills her husband. This continued a cycle of killing and fleeing that David had for most of his life as we saw with King Saul and with his son Absalom. 

In the cycles, David shows us a wrestling between his human nature and the spirit of God. In the cycles we could see how we will fall, but if we have the Spirit of God with us, then we could be renewed. Even when we are renewed, sometimes we have to undergo the pain of our actions.  One of the most inspiring, yet hard realizations is when David’s first born child of Sheba passes away.

2 Samuel 12: 19-22

19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” 20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

In this passage, we can see an example of how to be like David, in the respect of how to give God everything that we have. In the midst of our sorrows, God is working in us. In the midst of grief, God is working with us. And despite all of the circumstances that may transpire against us, we have to understand that God will provide peace and comfort to us in our darkest times.

Sometimes we go through cycles for our benefit, or for the benefit of others. No matter what our cycles that we are going through we must continue to ask God for his guidance to show us how his glory will be revealed. Some of our cycles will be happy. Some of our cycles will be sad. But in all of our cycles, we understand that God is with us.

Be blessed.