THE PURPOSE OF PROVERBS

Proverbs 1:1-4New Living Translation 

1 “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdomand discipline, to help them    

    understand the insights of the wise.

3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,

    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and 

    discernmentto the young.

            In Thursday’s post we established how & when Solomon was granted great wisdom to rule the people of Israel. That is my lead in to a look at the Book of Proverbs. The purpose of all the proverbial writings Solomon penned was to teach the people of Israel. He wasn’t attempting to teach God’s people just anything, he was teaching them about wisdom, discipline, understanding, insight, knowledge and discernment. These characteristics are important to the follower of Christ and therefore make Proverbs valuable reading.

            Our reading habits can reveal a lack of self-discipline. The things we choose to read often fill our mind with worthless drivel that will have no eternal value in the end. That isn’t to say you must read scripture 24/7, nor does it mean you must resist any and all non-church related activities. Frankly, according to Paul’s response to the believers in Corinth, we can do anything we want to do. However, not everything is beneficial or productive for our lives. _{(1 Corinthians 6:12 & 1 Corinthians 10:23)}  It’s God’s desire that we pay attention to what his word says and live by the standards he has set forth. 

            Proverbs says its’ purpose is to teach us, but we have to be willing to be taught. He will not force feed us information. Our focus must be on him and his way of living. Our wandering eye too often drifts off its target as it follows this and that diversion. The diversion itself isn’t the problem. If we allow the diversion to monopolize our thoughts, words and actions, then it has replaced God, just as the Jews sought to replace God with an earthly king. We must take the time to cultivate our relationship with the Lord. It takes years of discipline and spiritual food to strengthen that key relationship with our Heavenly Father. Proverbs is a wondering feeding ground to learn many lessons for life. We shall take a walk with the Proverbs, stopping and taking a deeper look at a verse or two along the way. Keep checking in each day to see what the Lord, thru Solomon, has to say to us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com; the Life Application Study Bible; www.biblestudy.org and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Proverb (def.)- A short meaningful and/or forceful saying that expresses a basic truth or practical guide. It can be a rule for morals or a principle for action. [American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language]

àProverbs 1:5-7“Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

NOTE:“Who wrote the book of Proverbs? The author who wrote the most for it is Solomon, who composed his sayings during his reign from 970 to 930 B.C. (Proverbs 1:1).

                  It is highly likely that Solomon penned chapters 1 to 29 of Proverbs. A man named Agur¹wrote chapter thirty. King Lemuel ²wrote chapter thirty-one. The author tells us right in the first chapter the nine sets of reasons why the book was written.

                  Solomon wrote Proverbs to offer instruction, wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 1:2). He also recorded the book to help others gain an understanding of judgment and equity (verse 3), to acquire simple prudence and to offer discretion and knowledge to the young (verse 4).

                  The king additionally states, in verses 5 and 6 of Proverbs 1, he recorded his words to increase the wisdom of somebody already wise, to offer advice on wise counsel, and to give understanding regarding the enigmas and riddles given by those who have attained wisdom. Although Proverbs was written with Solomon's descendants in mind, as well as the young men of Israel, it is a wise read for anyone!” – www.biblestudy.org

¹  Chapter 30:1 “Thesayings of Agur son of Jakehfrom Massa; or son of Jakeh, an oracle.

²No one really knows who King Lemuel was. Scholars note that Proverbs 31:1 & 4 are the only two places in scripture where his name is mentioned. Some say it could even be Solomon using a pseudonym (or fictitious name).

WORD OF THE DAY

King Solomon’s Request

2 Chronicles 1:7-13New Living Translation

“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him: ‘Ask. What should I give you?’” And Solomon said to God: “Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

            This is a remarkable story, especially in light of our society today and what is seen as important.  David’s son Solomon had been made king, succeeding his father who came before him. God came to Solomon and offered to give him anything that he desired from God’s vast creation. In other words, he was given carte blanche to choose anything his heart desired.  Solomon asked for nothing more then “wisdom & knowledge” to lead his people Israel.

            Solomon’s request came from a Godly heart; one that burned after God. Solomon is the same person who after experiencing all life had to offer, turn about and said that everything in this life is a chasing after the wind; meaning it was unattainable. Only God was worth seeking after and serving with your whole heart.

            If you were faced with the same offer, what would your request of God be? Your request would undoubtedly be a clear reflection of what is in your heart. Financial wealth and material possessions in and of themselves are not at all harmful. It’s all about how you attain them and what you do with them after they had been attained that truly matters most. Seeking wisdom to lead others is a selflessrequest, because it enables you to bless and encourage others instead of yourself. Blessing yourself is an empty gesture that brings no lasting satisfaction. Ponder the significance of Solomon’s astounding request and then read the rest of 2 Chronicles to see the consequences of that request. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible & www.biblegateway.com.

2 Chronicles 1:7-13New Living Translation- “That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him: ‘Ask. What should I give you?’”⁸ And Solomon said to God: ‘You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place. ⁹ Lord God, let Your promise to my father David now come true. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?’¹¹ God said to Solomon, ‘Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.” ¹³ So Solomon went to Jerusalem fromthe high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.’”

Word of the Day

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'They will be done'              and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"

C.S. Lewis - Christian Apologist and Author

A Look at the Bible’s shortest Psalm

Psalm 117New Living Translation

“¹ Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. ²For his unfailing love for us is powerful, the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!”

            Allow me to introduce you to the shortest Psalm in the Bible. Two verses make up this anonymously written Psalm. This is in stark contrast to the longest Psalm, which is Psalm 119. That Psalm has a total of 176 verses. That is also anonymously written although some scholars suggest it was written by Ezra the priest. 

            This Psalm or sacred song proclaims that God’s love never fails. This makes it powerful. People have the sad tendency to place conditions on the love they extend to others. Whether spoken or not, it lessens it’s power. God loves us in spite of ourselves. He made us and loves us more than anyone else ever could. He obviously has an enormous capacity to love his creation regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. 

            Not only is God’s love everlasting, so is his faithfulness. 2 Timothy 2:13 speaks of God’s faithfulness when it says: “If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.”⁽¹⁾His love and faithfulness have nothing to do with our actions or reactions to anything in our life, it is in his character. A person’s character is their moral strength and integrity and it is no different with God.

            The character of God is unchanging. He never makes a wrong decision, nor does he ever regret his decisions. The only 2 examples of God’s regret that I am aware of are in Genesis 6 where God said he was sorry he made man on the earth. 1 Samuel 15:35 gives us another example as he said he regretted making Saul king over Israel. In both cases his regret was not that hemade a mistake, but because of man’s evil nature taking over. This allowed for great violence and evil, so much so, at least in Genesis’ case, it had become unsafe for righteous people to live. Isn’t it amazing how much we can glean from nothing more than a 2 verse Psalm? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/genesis-6/& www.biblegateway.com.

⁽¹⁾ The Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) of The Lockman Foundation.

A FINAL LOOK AT PSALM 42

Psalm 42:9-11 

New Living Translation

9 “O God my rock,” I cry,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

10 Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

            Taunts and ridicule can be very debilitating to any person, even a believer in Christ.  Depending on how strong their faith is, it can become quite crippling. Our mind is a battlefield and the enemy knows this all too well. If he can cause a believer to disengage from the Lord, even for a brief time, he has succeeded in making him or her less effective for the kingdom of God. 

            The Sons of Korah use very descriptive language to tell the reader how they are feeling in the face of the taunts they are experiencing. “Oppressed”is one word they use, “break my bones”is another way they put it. Oppression is a feeling of being weighed down in your mind and/or body by an individual or events. Broken bones are very painful, to say the least. We heal from both, but bear scars that could last a lifetime. To their credit, the Sons of Korah always come back to their one hope and that is God. 

            Just because we are forgiven of all our sins, we willbecome discouraged at times. Our hearts will become sad. Believers in Christ are not immune to it.  We are not immune to depression or doubt or worry either. We are human and with that comes ever little nuance of our personality that makes us who we are. God made us the way we are and it is good. Therefore, while we will find ourselves in the doldrums from time to time, we don’t have to live there. Our hope has been, is and always will be Almighty God. He is our Savior and needs to also be our Lord. We must praise him for who he is, not necessarily for what he has done, even though he is to be praised for that as well. When you are down, look up and remember who God is and the second chance at a better life he has given you. Then rejoice, for his return is inevitable. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, www.biblegateway.com, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language.

WORD FOR THE DAY

Peak season at my job has rolled around once again. It's the time for 60 hour work weeks, with only Sundays off unless they deem it necessary to come in on a Sunday. There will be many days when I simply will not have the time to do a good job on a devotional, so I will post something like you see above. Always something encouraging or thought provoking to help you thru your day. Thank you for reading my devotionals. You all are a major blessing in my life. ... walk with the King today and be a blessing!

rlkeller

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

          We talk about God like we know him, but then act like we don’t know him at all. We pray for the faith to move forward, but then stand stock still not knowing which direction to go in.  We are truly saved and say we trust him above all else, but seem to rely on everything we know in our own mind instead. 

          Having said all that I just have one question for us all (me, first and foremost): have we sold God short based on our own inadequacies and insufficiencies so as to lessen his effectiveness in the world today? Have we allowed our fear of rejection to stop us from doing all we can for the Lord? Have we let delays in the answers we’ve prayed so diligently for caused us to doubt that an answer is coming at all? Do we allow this grimy, slug infested world to creep into our minds and hearts causing us to sit down and reason things out rather than put on our armor daily and march forth into the fray?

          If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions then join the club. I think a lot of us are just like I have portrayed us if we were being honest with ourselves. I KNOW I am. Thinking of all the times I feel as though I’ve let God down, I feel ashamed. Yet he loves me anyway. Nothing can cause him to withhold his grace or diminish his love for any of us. So if you feel bad about missed opportunities to minister in the name of the Lord, know that God has chosen to use us in spite of all the faults and idiosyncrasies we have. Knowing we aren’t perfect and feeling bad about those things we aren’t doing shows we care. But don’t stay mired in the muck of disappointment. Look up and reach out. God still wants to use you and he will use you based on the gifts he has given you. I’m good at writing and speaking publicly. That’s where God uses me the most. Other opportunities will present themselves as I mature in the Lord. How about you? What are you doing to grow your spirit man? Listen to the still small voice of the Spirit and go where he leads you. You have to be finely in tune spiritually to recognize his voice. Pay close attention and then begin to show the world Christ thru your life. rlkeller

A Look at Psalm 42 - BREAKING DEPRESSION

Psalm 42:4-8 

New Living Translation

My heart is breaking

as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

amid the sound of a great celebration!

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

Buteach day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

            One of the most common emotional illnesses is depression. It is also psychological, for it can prey on your mind as well as wreak havoc with your emotions. The Sons of Korah were apparently some distant from Jerusalem and all that was familiar to them. We all become overwhelmed at times when it seems our burden is too great for us to bear. The Sons of Korah are wrestling mightily with feelings of discouragement and being disheartened. Intertwined in their outpouring of grief, they openly acknowledge whom they place their hope in. These are men of God who are experiencing real emotions of pain and depression. Singing Psalms to the Lord is one way to disperse the negative feelings you are feeling. At times it is difficult to find what it takes to pull yourself up, so that is when you call on a faithful brother or sister to stand in the gap between your pain and God to praise him in your stead and become a vital liaison or link to the Lord.

            The Sons of Korah remember all the Lord has done for them in the past and in these recollections they find their spirits lifted. Love is a powerful force that can be called upon to turn things 180 degrees from where you now stand. God’s love is the most powerful because it is unconditional and never-ending.  

Nothing any of us can think, say or do can shatter the bonds of love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of us. The Sons of Korah, who knew scripture intimately, knew all too well how deep God’s love ran for them. 

            So what we see in these several verses is the self-assessment the writer chooses to shine a light on and also how he reasons things out by measuring his emotional circumstances against what he already knew of their God. This should be seen as a template for your use for when you become discouraged and downhearted and question why you are feeling that way, let it bring you to the place where God rises up in your heart all over again to lift your countenance and enable you to move forward from the place you find yourself. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible.

Taking a Look at the 42nd Psalm

THIRSTING AFTER GOD

Psalm 42:1-3 New Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm⁽¹⁾of the descendants of Korah.⁽²⁾

1 “As the deer longs for streams of water,

         so I long for you, O God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

         When can I go and stand before him?

3  Day and night I have only tears for food,

         while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

          “Where is this God of yours?”

            Today I am beginning a devotional study on the 42^ndPsalm. The word Psalm means a sacred song or hymn, often times sung in celebratory fashion. There are a total of 150 Psalms in the Old Testament. While David didn’t write all of them, he did compose 78 of them. Various different writers wrote the other 73. In the case of Psalm 42, it was the sons of Korah who wrote it. These young men were Temple musicians & their assistants. The purpose of this Psalm was to speak of their thirst for God in the face of trials and tribulations.

            The illustration of a deer longing or in some other translations, panting for streams of cool, clear, fresh water is marvelous. It presents a beautiful mental image of how we are to thirst after God. We are to desire God more than anything else in our life. We could go so far as to say that the world that we live in is parched and dried out. There is nothing of any lasting value found in it. The non-believing inhabitants of this world seek to quench their thirst but continually drink from temporal fountains that are here today and gone tomorrow. Only the water God provides can quench the thirst that man has. 

            The Sons of Korah wish to know when they can stand before the living God and speak with him. All the while enemies of the faith taunt and ridicule them asking where God is? This is no different than when the crowd of onlookers and the Roman soldiers taunted and ridiculed Jesus as he hung on the cross _{(Mark 15:16-21)}.

            Have you ever been ridiculed for your faith? Know that God is with you wherever you go. The ridicule is of him and not you, but it still hurts. We ache at the ignorance that is exhibited so often. It is at such a time that we must dig down deep inside and BE Christ to these people. What Jesus himself said of the crowd that mocked him is so very true, “Forgive them Father, for they don’t know (or realize) what they are doing.” So what we can take from these first few verses is that we are to thirst after God, for just as water sustains a deer, the living water of God shall sustain us as well. And finally, when our faith is mocked, do not lash out, but pray for them quietly that their eyes may be opened to the truth they have been unable to see. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, www.biblegateway.com, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Thoughts From a Random Mind

1 Samuel 8:5-7 New Living Translation

“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.”

            1 Samuel 8:1-22 tells the story of Samuel, his sons & the people of Israel wanting a King like the surrounding nations. This falls under the category of ‘be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it’.  

            Samuel was very old and his sons were not at all like him, in that they were greedy, accepting bribes & corrupting justice. The people saw this and instead of turning to God, asked Samuel for a King to rule over them just like the nations that surrounded them. This King, they reasoned, would rule over them and lead them into battle.  Samuel would not at all pleased with their request, considering it a major slap in the face. God recognized what was happening here and essentially said to Samuel give them what they want for they do not wish to have me rule over them any longer. 

            The point of my looking at this portion of scripture from the Old Testament is that there are things and circumstances that we all wish to have or take place. We don’t pray about it, we just want it to happen so badly they we assume God would surely honor our request. I mean, why wouldn’t he? Doesn’t the Bible say God gives us the desires of our hearts? It is at that precise moment that we lose sight of what God may want for us and replace it with our own selfish wants.  The fact of the matter is that we cannot know all that God knows about our life. He created us and therefore knows us more intimately than we could ever know.  This is why it is imperative to lay everything before the Lord and wait.  God’s best is far greater than our biggest wants, desires and dreams and that is what he has planned for us, nothing but the absolute best.

            So when you feel like there is something you either must have or a situation that you must have take place, remember the Israelites from 1^stSamuel and seek to determine what God’s will is in the situation. God has no particular timetable when it comes to what we want or don’t want. He knows the best time for his will to manifest itself in your life. So put your desires aside and rely on God to know what you truly need in this life. If your desires line up with his desires for you, then you can be confident it will come to pass. You have never been, nor shall you ever be short changed and some day you may be glad you never received what you felt you had to have. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  rlkeller

Resource:www.biblegateway.com

SANCTIFIED, JUSTIFIED & FREE FROM SIN

Romans 8:1 New Living Translation 

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

            On the heels of Chapter 7 & the sin that Paul struggled with we find first, at the end of that chapter his assertion that Christ shalldeliver him from his “body of death”. Paul then makes this declaration at the beginning of the following chapter (shown above).  The word condemnation shows up in the New Testament 3 times, all in Romans (see footnotes). The word condemnation is the opposite of justification. To be condemned means you’ve received a guilty verdict and the penalty associated with that verdict. To be justified means your penalty has been paid in full and your standing with God is as if you had never committed those sins. “No sin a believer can commit—past, present, or future—can be held against him, since the penalty was paid by Christ and righteousness was imputed to the believer. And no sin will ever reverse this divine legal decision” ⁽¹⁾

            Once we become saved our sin nature doesn’t leave us. We struggle with it the rest of our lives. Having said that we know that by virtue of Christ’s victory over sin and death, we are no longer bound by sin, but free to live a godly life as led by the Spirit who resides within.  It is only with divine assistance that we can overcome our sinful tendencies for good. “The Spirit of God takes up residence in each believer and supplies the power we need to overcome the pull of the sin nature within us.” ⁽²⁾

            God’s plan for believers is that they be sanctified when Jesus returns. Sanctification is both instantaneous & progressive. Because of the blood Christ shed on our behalf we stand instantly sanctified, pure, holy & righteous in the sight of God. In reality, our sanctification takes our entire life. It is a daily walk with God. We don’t suddenly get jettisoned into a future life of holy perfection. There are trials and tests to come to hone your faith and build your trust in the Almighty.  Always remember, when facing a difficult situation or temptation, learn to shift your focus off the situation & onto the one who can change the trajectory of your life with one single word. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com, The MacArthur Study Bible & www.gotquestions.org/sin-nature.html.

⁽¹⁾ The MacArthur Study Bible.

^{(2) https://www.gotquestions.org/sin-nature.html}

Romans 5:16(NLT) “And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”

Romans 5:18(NLT) “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.”

Romans 6:11(NLT) “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

John 3:6“It is through Christ that we are born again. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” 

2 Corinthians 5:17“When we are born of Adam, we inherit his sin nature; but when we are born again in Christ, we inherit a new nature: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 

Ephesians 4:22-24(NLT) “…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

THE POWER OF GOD

Romans 7:21-25 New Living Translation

“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

            In these final words of Chapter 7, we see a few powerful words portrayed. We see the word ‘war’, the word ‘power’, the word ‘slave’, the word ‘miserable’& the word ‘dominated’. These words describe a life entangled with sin. Paul refers to it as a war with your mind. The power that sin has over you enslavesyou. Those enslaved to sinare quite miserable. Once entangled in sinyour life can become dominated by both sin & death.

            Now look at three other words that depict something quite different. The words are ‘free’, ‘answer’& ‘obey’. They sound a lot more positive than the ones listed in the first paragraph because they are. The answeragainst sin is Jesus. Jesus makes us free. If we obeyJesus we will get the victory over sin. This is why I have stressed immersing yourself in God’s word. Jesus used the Word of God to defeat the devil’s temptations in the wilderness. There is power in the blood, power in the name of Jesus & power in God’s word. Sin may be crouched out of sight waiting for its opportunity to grab us by the throat, but we can keep it at bay by making the right choices. The choice to soak up God’s word, the choice to adjust our focus & the choice to obey what we know in our hearts to be true.

            Sin doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. A heart set right for God may stumble, but the fact that you care that you have sinned against God & his principles is evidence enough that the Spirit is alive & well & working within you. It’s when you sin & don’t care that you have to be concerned. Repel the enemy & allow the mighty warrior within to rise up in the armor of God and take charge. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible.

HOW TO WIN OVER SIN

Romans 7:18-20 New Living Translation

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

            Paul was conflicted by the sin that rose up to tempt him each day. He’s not the only one in scripture who was tempted. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days & 40 nights. Scripture doesn’t tell us the devil triedto tempt Jesus. It clearly says he was tempted by the devil for 40 days. While we only know what the Bible shares, it sounds like the devil’s temptations and testings’ were relentless. If that is true, how on earth could weever hope to withstand the sin that so easily entangles us? 

            We must shift our focus! I say that a lot because it is a winning formula to overcome any difficult situation we happen to be in. Paul knows the answer to the burning question of sin and how to overcome it. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”_{(Philippians 4:8 NLT)} If we occupy our mind with things such as these we will have a peaceful spirit and will have less of a chance to succumb to the temptation that stands outside your door. 

            To win in the battle against sinful temptations, you must diligently seek to live the word of God, seeking its guidance and relying on the Holy Spirit to direct your paths. Without Christ we will give up in the midst of the battle. We will sit down, scratching our head, wondering how Jesus had the spiritual endurance to withstand the devils prodding. Jesus placed HIS focus on “the joy that was set before him”_{(Hebrews 12:2)}. He knew what he must endure to be victorious in the war against sin. His joy was to die in our place. When we feel like giving in to sin, may the Holy Spirit show us what Christ went thru so we wouldn’t have to pay the price we could never afford to pay. What joy is set before you today? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible & The Max Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible.

1 John 3:4-6 (NLT)“Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.  And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.  Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.”

Psalm 119:133 (NLT)“Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.”

Genesis 4:7 (NLT)“You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

I DO THAT WHICH I DO NOT WANT TO DO

Romans 7:15-17 New Living Translation

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

            If you’ve ever found yourself doing something you actually disapprove of, you will understand how Paul is feeling when he writes the last portion of the 7^thchapter.  There are 3 lessons Paul has learned from his self-assessment. First, that knowledge of the rules is not the answer. He felt no remorse when he didn’t understand the Law, but once he understood it he knew in his heart that he was doomed to fail. Secondly, he found out that struggling in his own strength didn’t bring him success. He only found himself sinning in ways he wouldn’t even have thought of. Lastly, once he became a believer in Christ all sin was not stamped out and all temptation averted. Sure, he was forgiven of all sin just as if he had never committed them in the first place, but sin and temptation still existed in the world. Becoming born again transpires in a moment of time, when our faith is sparked; however, becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. God never said the journey would be easy, he just said it would be worthwhile.

            Knowing the difference between right and wrong is an admirable trait to have, but actively choosing that which is right at all times is the point of the discussion. Some struggle mightily with sin, at times revisiting sins they had committed in the past and already been forgiven for. God understands the difficulty involved in following him. That is why he gave us the Holy Spirit as a comforter and guide. While our faith will most assuredly be tested, it is only a means of building trust in our Lord. 

            There is nothing in this life that cannot be overcome if we adjust out focus off the chains that we’ve allowed to bind us and place it squarely on the chain breaker. Life can be hard, but we tend to make it a whole lot harder than it needs to be. We become captivated by the circumstances that surround us and begin to believe that we have no way out. But we are looking at it all wrong. It’s true, WE can’t do anything to work our way thru our circumstances, but God, who created all things, has complete control over those same created things and will not let us fail. We are his beloved children. He paid a tremendous price to save us from certain death. That makes us priceless! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible.

Sin: Who’s to blame?

Romans 7:14 New Living Translation 

 “So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.”

            Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. Paul sets his sights on the real issue at hand. It’s not the Law, it’s not God; it’s not anyone else but “me”. We have allowed the knowledge of what is wrong in God’s sight to tempt us into doing things we know better than to do.

            When scripture speaks of men being “in the flesh” it’s speaking of unregenerate men. Believers in Christ are no longer “in the flesh”, however, the flesh is in us and shall be until we receive our glorified bodies at the resurrection. This is why we say that our “old nature” has reared its’ ugly head when tempted to sin doing something we know in our hearts we ought not do.

            Someone who is a slave to something or someone is controlled by it. Once sin gets ahold of us, it can become a very ugly scene. We know better but allow ourselves to succumb to the pressure that comes along with temptation. We are painfully human, which is why it’s important for us to feed our spirit man daily. We don’t mature spiritually by osmosis. We must work at it.

            We may have been drawn in and controlled by sin before we met Christ, but we are no longer answerable to that or any other sin any more. We answer to God. He is in us and is with us wherever we go.⁽¹⁾What I’m saying is that no matter where you happen to go during the course of your day, God is with you in the person of the Holy Spirit, who resides within you. While we shouldn’t be prideful or arrogant about that fact, it should make us fearless and bold in the face of both opposition & temptation. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible & The Reformation Study Bible.

(1)Genesis 28:15 New International Version - “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

Romans 7:7-13 New Living Translation

“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.  But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.”

            Paul is taking this time to expand on the thought that the Law reveals our sin to us simply by our inability to abide by the commandments given us. He asks an interesting question: Is the Law of God sinful? Of course it isn’t. As I mentioned yesterday, it shines a light on those things we ought not do. Our natural man makes them all very enticing to us thru various justifications. When people pull out of scripture that which seems good and right and do not take scripture in its entirety, they end up deceiving themselves. They use that which is incomplete to make a more agreeable presentation for themselves.

                  Therefore, the Law is not sinful, but only shines a light on those things we ought not do. Prior to redemption we are nothing more than walking dead people, dead in our sins. The Law didn’t cause our death; our disobedience to God’s Law was what caused us to die. The Lord knew this would happen. He knew our propensity to go the wrong way, to do that which we know we shouldn’t do. Down thru the ages no one except Jesus Christ has ever been able to live a life void of all sin. We have a tough example to follow, but God’s grace saves us from our sinful tendencies and enables us, thru the Spirit, to imitate Christ’s life.

                  The world doesn’t grasp the concept of sin and how it is disobedience to a higher standard. They do what they please without thought of their eternal destination. They sugar coat serious issues and choose to believe that a God of love wouldn’t send them to hell. In their mind the only ones destined to go to hell are rapists and murderers … people who do radically uncivilized and immoral things to others. But this is their definition of non-acceptable behavior, not God’s. I believe there will be an awful lot of very surprised, perhaps even shocked individuals when Judgment Day comes. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: www.biblegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible.

DEATH OF THE OLD MAN

Romans 7:5-6 New Living Translation

5When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

            There was a time, prior to redemption, when we were controlled by our old nature. Desires contrary to God’s word were at work in us. The Law revealed sin to us and at the same time aroused evil desires regarding things we might never have thought of prior to them being pointed out to us. It was the Jewish people who felt that the knowledge of the truth would actually extinguish our passions, but that does not appear to be the case. Our passions became enflamed. Just like with children, the more you are told you cannot do something, the more you find yourself desiring to do it; a desire for forbidden things.

            Once saved, we are supposed to be dead to our old nature. The Spirit of God is the one that brings about our spiritual restoration over time. It’s not at all instantaneous. We are constantly under construction and it will definitely take a lifetime. As I’ve often said, just because we’ll not achieve perfection this side of heaven is no reason not to try. There is no guilt from being under God’s umbrella of grace. We are forgiven and shall remain so. 

            Forgiveness makes you free, but not free to now do that which the Law forbids. It makes you free from the penalties associated with the OT Law. This same Law that only produced hostility and condemnation is now dead to you and the salvation that has been offered and received now produces in you a new desire and ability to keep God’s statutes. Remember, we don’t earn our way into heaven by the good deeds we do, but rather we do good deeds because we feel compelled by the spirit to do them for the furtherance of God’s kingdom. Just as it was God’s good pleasure to forgive it shall be our good pleasure to please him by worshiping him thru physical service and verbal praise. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:  www.bibegateway.com, The Life Application Study Bible, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, NIV Study Bible & Notes, MacArthur Study Bible. 

NO LONGER BOUND BY THE LAW

Romans 7:4 New Living Translation

^{4 "}So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

            The point of Paul’s comparing marriage to the Law was to point out that once a spouse dies, he or she is no longer bound by a commitment to their husband or wife. Likewise, once you die to your sin by receiving God’s forgiveness based on Christ’s substitutionary death, the tenants of the Law no longer bind you. Looking at it from God’s perspective, “we were all made to die”.⁽¹⁾Additionally, we must die to live. Once saved we serve our God “not by obeying a set of rules, but out of renewed hearts & minds that overflow with love for him.”⁽²⁾

            Christ’s death ushered in the period of God’s grace. We were spliced onto the root of the olive branch and there we shall forever stay. Once united with Christ, the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence in us enables us to do good deeds in the name of Christ. Unbelievers must resort to their own self-determination. Their resources are limited; believers’ resources are endless in Christ.

            Because Christ took our place on the cross, he suffered the penalty of death that the Law demanded. It was meant for us, because as scripture teaches, no one is righteous on his or her own.⁽³⁾Once redeemed we find we have a transformed life with new attitudes and actions. Our whole way of looking at the world has changed since we came to Christ. No longer bound by the letter of the Law, we are free in the Spirit to follow Christ and live a life that is pleasing to God and an example to all men. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com, The MacArthur Study Bible & The Life Application Study Bible.

⁽¹⁾Taken from the MacArthur Study Bible.

⁽²⁾ Taken from the footnotes for verse 4 in the Life Application Study Bible.

^{(3) Romans 3:10 …“As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous--not even one.”}

A Look at Romans 7 – The Law & Sin

I felt compelled to write the next group of devotionals on a topic that I believe will be a benefit to most, if not all, of my readers. We all struggle with sin. None of us are perfect, however, we are perfect in God’s sight because of Christ’s blood, which removes all our sins. I hope you are benefited by this new devotional study. rkeller

-------------------

Romans 7:1-3 New Living Translation

“Now, dear brothers and sisters— you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? ² For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. ³ So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.”

         Theologians have differing opinions regarding the beginning 3 verses. Some say they are not speaking of marriage per se, but only using it as an illustration of the jurisdiction the Law covers. Divorce appears to be a sticky subject with no clear, agreed upon understanding shared except for the following: there appears to be no moral obligation of either party to remain married if one becomes converted to Christianity and the other stays an unbeliever. In that case the believer is permitted to marry again. In 1 Corinthians 7:8 _(NLT), Paul suggests those not married stay celibate as he has. It is suggested in the footnotes that those who aren’t married were the men and pointed to both those divorced and those never married. ⁽¹⁾

            Later on in this chapter Paul talks about not being under the control of the Law any longer. Just what Law is Paul talking about? Most times the Law is considered the first 5 books of the Bible also known at the Pentateuchor the Torah. It is referred to as the Law of Godor the Book of the Lawas shown in Nehemiah 8:3 New Living Translation (NLT) “(Ezra) faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.”

            During this devotional study we will go over the entirety of Chapter 7 from Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome. The study will culminate in Paul’s honest admission regarding his struggle with sin. For whatever reason, I felt compelled to dig into this portion of scripture for my next devotional topic. I’m looking forward to it. I trust you will all find it helpful. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources:www.biblegateway.com; MacArthur Bible Study; Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 

⁽¹⁾1 Corinthians 7:8 NLT – “So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am.”