Steer Clear of Revenge

This morning my study of the word “will” continues and I am lead to Proverbs 20 where I find a quick verse related to what I believe is revenge and the need to avoid.

“²²Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’;

wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”

— Proverbs 20:22 (ESV)

The thing is that there is also that when wrong is committed against one, their should be justice in kind. Isn’t this a bit of conflicting information found in God’s Word?

“²³But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, ²⁴eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” – Exodus 21:23-25

NO it is not. You see, the in kind justice is just that, justice. In the time of Exodus, the justice was delivered through the justice system of the time. Just as it is today in this world. Justice is delivered through out court systems and following the strict laws of man accordingly.

When I am looking at the verse from Proverbs, I see justice to be carried out by the judge, God. I have to look back at realities that I am not to judge and that I am to leave that up to the LORD to take care. Whether or not someone committed evil against me is not for me to retaliate. I am to give such things to the LORD and give Him glory and honor, knowing and understanding that He will deal with the evil.

Here is the rub that, when I look inward, really gets me through this process of giving things to the LORD for His justice to be delivered. Not only was I wronged by evil and the evil action done to me, but I got my feelings hurt and want an irrational response to get back at the evil. I want to have the evil repaid with evil that was done to me. I want revenge or to avenge. I am not in the mood to wait for the LORD to take action over the course of time, and maybe even after I am long gone. I felt pain and I want to witness the pain inflicted back.

But, I have to remember that the LORD has a plan and my timing is not in line with His. He had a reason to allow the evil to impact me. He has a plan to deal with the evil. He is the judge and will deliver the justice that is deserved and that is in line with His plan. I am to give it all to Him and allow Him to deliver the justice that is due. I have to remember that it is His wrath that I have been saved from and that sin (evil done to me) will feel the weight of His wrath in the end.

Yes, I know that the pain of the evil done will affect the way I think, but I am to steer clear of revenge and love. I am to display love and give the delivery of justice to the LORD and allow Him to do so in His way and in His time. He will deliver me from the pain and fill me with His glory to be shown to the world.

What is your approach when you experience evil done to you? Do you go to the seeking revenge? What if you opened your heart and allowed love out, turning things over to God so that He can deliver the justice according to His plan?

Wisdom, Get Her and Keep Her

“⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.”

— Proverbs 4:7-8 (ESV)

This morning I was reminded that wisdom is referred to as her, and for good reason. As men we are to love our wives as Christ loved the church. We are to get her and love her and devote to her fully and completely and solely. And when we do, we will grow together more and more devoted to one another. As the man or husband we are to leave our families to be with her as our family. Devotion to her in this manner is immense and as a husband of 28 years, I would have it no other way.

Before my devotion to her, I had to first get her. With wisdom, it is no different. I have to first get her and then I can devote to her. I have to seek her out and strive to know her and once I do, I will devote to her and grow. I will gain more of her each day with my devotion to her.

There is a saying, “Getting to number one is the easy part, staying there is where things get hard”. The same can be said for wisdom. I am concerned that we are currently in a world where information is so readily available, that we are mistaking it for knowledge and wisdom. I am not sure that we are seeking to really know things and are resting on the idea that we find the information we were looking for and then “forget” it as we move on to the next thing. This is the “getting to number one…” easy part and are only reaching the pinnacle and then falling back down.

I have to remember to place value in “staying” number one. I have to devote to wisdom and not just gain information. I have to dig in and care for what I learn. I have to commit to it. I have to cultivate it. I have to cherish it. Wisdom is her.

I see the parallel to Lori. I see that I have devoted to Lori. I dig in a care for Lori. I committed to Lori. I cultivated with Lori. I cherish Lori. These are the ways I keep Lori and not just get her. And the same goes for wisdom. All of these are the way to keep her and not just get her.

What are you doing to get wisdom? Are you only focused on getting her? What if you first get her and then devote to, care for, cultivate with, and cherish wisdom to keep her?

Worth in All

There is worth in all. Yes, all. As a follower of Christ, it is up to me to find the worth and bring that out.

I know, how can I say that there is worth in all when there is clearly evil in the world? I am not going to argue only explain what I mean, provide evidence in God’s Word to back it up.

“³I will not set before my eyes

anything that is worthless.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

it shall not cling to me.”

— Psalm 101:3 (ESV)

First, let’s take a look here at what David says. He says that he will not look upon thing that are worthless and that he hates the “work”. Notice that he is not speaking of the person, only the things. So as we consider the worthless, it is derived from the things, not the people. Man is precious. He is the greatest creation of God.

“²⁶Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” “³¹And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” – Genesis 1:26&31 (ESV)

Man was created by God, not just to be in existence, but to be the top of the chain, to “have dominion” over all else on the earth. And not only was man created, but he was created in the image of God and upon completion, God recognized him as “very good” not just good as with all else.

David saw that things may be worthless and that they can and should be put away as when identified. I see this as the looking on as there is value there. Worth is there somewhere as we look. At minimum, there is worth in the person from the perspective that man is precious in the eyes of the LORD and there is worth in the person.

I know what you are thinking, what about those who are evil, even just a couple verses down in Psalm, there is reference to destruction of slanderers and others. Well, to that I will say, there should always be the first response to save the person through the power of the LORD and His Word. And it is realized that they will not come around, then adverse action is taken. But, that does not mean there I not worth there. Doing away with the evil is not doing away with the person. We give it all we have and then, and only then, we move on to remove from our eyes and allow the LORD to deal with them in His way.

“¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” – Matthew 10:14-15 (ESV)

It is not up to me to judge. I am to look and work to find the worth in all. Know that there is worth in all. I should separate the man from the action and at look closely to find the worth as it is there. Remembering that the LORD created man as His pinnacle creation and therefore there is always worth to be found.

What is you view of worth in all? Are you lumping all things together and taking action as though they are all together? What if you were to look for the worth in all and recognized that it is there and that the LORD will take action otherwise?

Wait on and Trust in God Only

I am human and a man and therefor I believe it is my responsibility to make things better. I am in control of things and by my work I am the thing that gets me and us through things that happen to get in the way. Well, as I child of God, I have to remember that it is really He that does such and I have to wait on and trust in Him only.

“¹For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from him comes my salvation.

²He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

“⁸Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.”

— Psalm 62:1-2&8 (ESV)

God is my refuge and my redeemer. I have to remember these things. I have to do the work that He has for me, yes. But, it is just that, the work He has for me that he prepared ahead of time. The work He has for me is for my good.

“¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

I have to wait on God to give me the direction for that work and trust that it is enough for me. Yes, there will be things that distract me, like riches and things and places. God will provide that which I need and not those things of distraction. I have to stay focused on Him and the work and things He has for me and know that is enough.

“¹⁰Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

¹¹Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

¹²and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.”

— Psalm 62:10-12 (ESV)

When reading verse 12 above, it would appear that it is through works that we gain from God. But we have to look at where those works come from, Him. It is not the works that lead to our gain, it is because of our gain that we complete the works of the LORD. We have the works thanks to Him and those works are tailored specifically for each of us. And that is where the waiting and trusting come in. I have to wait on God to provide me the works He has for me and then trust in Him that these works will be enough for His glory to shine brightly for the world to see.

What is your view of waiting on and trusting in God? Are you anxious and looking to do things on your own? What if you were to wait on Him and trust that He will provide that which you are in need of to bring glory to Him?

Praise Him, He Protects You Always

That the LORD protects me is not something new or finally discovered. Yet, it is something that is often forgotten. I am aware that the LORD protects me from my enemies and the destruction that would come from them. I know that He is there with me always. But I do forget that always means always.

“⁴My soul is in the midst of lions;

I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.”

“⁶They set a net for my steps;

my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves.”

— Psalm 57:4&6 (ESV)

Above we see that whether sleeping or awake, the enemy is all around me. They are ready and waiting to devour me, yet regardless of the situation I am in at the time, the LORD is with me and He is protecting me. And this is where I have to remember to praise Him for His protection.

“5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!”

“9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.”

— Psalm 57:5&9 (ESV)

It is a simple thing that we are delivered and then give thanks for that delivery. The thing is we are being delivered always and for that I have to remember to sing praise to the LORD for that delivery. Whether I am asleep or awake, the evil one is after me and he is looking to destroy me. The LORD is my protector in all those times and will not allow anything to happen to me that is not in accordance with His plan. My delivery from the evil one is a constant. It is always occurring, even when I am unaware. I must give praise to the LORD for He is protecting me.

Where are you giving your praise? Are you praising only in those times when known dangers are there and you are delivered? What if you were to realize that the LORD is always delivering you whether the danger is known to you or not?

Teach so They Return

I am reading in Psalms again this morning, chapter 51. As I look at my bible, I have been in this chapter a lot over the years. It is no wonder why, the title of the Psalm is “Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God”. Although this morning it is not about me as I have been reminded.

Yes, I look to the LORD for guidance in my life that I might live a life pleasing to Him. I take action to do the work that He has assigned for me. Not for my glory but His.

“¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

And those works are to lead to others growth and learning and lead them to or back to the LORD. Those works are just that, works, not just actions. Righteous actions are important, but those actions are between the LORD and me and do little for the advancement of the gospel in their own right.

“¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.”

— Psalm 51:16 (ESV)

The action of sacrifice or burning offerings to the LORD are for me and for others to see in me. I am to demonstrate proper action with the LORD and my faith. But I am also to do the work of Christ and that work is to spread the gospel to those I interact.

“¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.”

— Psalm 51:13 (ESV)

I have to teach as Jesus did. I have to guide others in the Word of the LORD. When I do, those will have the opportunity to come to and/or return to the LORD. They need to be led back to the LORD who they have wandered away from They need to see in me that it is okay to be with and about Him. It is acceptable to worship the LORD. It is where they belong and that the LORD wants them there for His glory. The LORD wants to be there for them. The LORD wants to the relationship with them. The LORD is grateful for their return to Him.

I forget on the regular that my role is to teach. Whether in my role at my worldly job, or in the work I perform for the LORD. I am to teach. I am to give to others that which will benefit them. I also have to remember that I cannot make them accept that which I bring to them. My role is to teach them and then encourage them to accept and use that which they have learned. With the LORD that is no different. I am to teach so that the Word of the LORD reaches. I am to encourage the exploration and continued learning of the Word of the LORD. I am to lead them to the LORD and turn them over to Him to work on their heart. I am to teach them so they have the opportunity to come to Him.

What is your role with the LORD? Are you the constant recipient and are you just taking on actions for yourself? What if you leaned into the work you are called to do and teach so that the sinners will return to the LORD?

All that Wealth Will NOT Remain

We have been conditioned by society to build wealth so that we can have an easier time of things in this world. We have been told and shown that the life of great things will make us happy and that we are making things better for ourselves. Well, it does not remain.

“¹²Man in his pomp will not remain;

he is like the beasts that perish.”

— Psalm 49:12 (ESV)

You see, all that is gathered in this world is only for this world. We cannot/do not get to take it with us to the next. It is something that is useful in this world alone and only those who do not have will see and want what they have. Yet they are blinded by their “riches” and do not see the fault in it all.

Now, I am not saying that wealth is always getting in the way of righteousness and cannot be used for God’s good work. Just the opposite. God provides for His people to do the work He has for them. Using wealth to do His work is certainly in the cards for some. I am not one of them, but I do know that the LORD has and will continue to use those with wealth for the advancement of the gospel, and that is not always in the form of provided monetary gifts to others.

Think of those who provide financial backing for those who are spreading the gospel. Those spreading are not building homes and schools and churches, they were given the opportunity to preach and teach through the generosity of another. We tend to see things in this world from a tangible perspective and miss opportunities to simply provide the way for someone. Like those who provide scholarships for youths to attend Christian summer camp. Monetary wealth can and should be used for His good works.

When kept with the self, the riches of this world are of no use. Yes, they may provide some momentary relief from a difficult situation or in some cases provide a lavish lifestyle. But, it will not remain with you once you leave this world and does not improve your station in the next. Where real wealth is found and is beneficial in your life is in the use of that financial wealth to support others in their ability to have their spiritual needs met.

What is your thoughts on financial well being? Are you one to seek it out for your own lavish lifestyle? What if you realized it cannot be taken with you and instead you use it for the advancement of the gospel?

His Law in Your Heart

It seems as though there are new “laws” and rules popping up all the time. Whether it is related to online use or what is unacceptable in the driving through an area. But notice the way we look at laws, we tend to see them as restrictive and speaking as to what not to do. We may even dread the idea of having another law to keep up with and adhere. But let’s look here at what David says about the Law of the LORD.

“⁸I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

— Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

“²but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.”

— Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

I see that David is loving the Law of the LORD. He does not see any restriction and actually welcomes and cherishes the Law of the LORD by keeping it “within my heart” and meditating “day and night” on it. There is no what not to do, David sees the Law of the LORD as the what to do in giving and getting the most to and from the LORD. In fact, look at the volume of what comes from the LORD according to David.

“⁵You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.”

— Psalm 40:5 (ESV)

They are too many to be declared to the world.

Here is what I am seeing and learned this morning. The LORD provides all, and I mean all according to His Law. He is gracious to the point of so much abundance that we cannot let it known the full extent. I am to keep His law in my heart, not to be sure of what not to do as it is not restrictive as one might think, but to delight in the wonder and greatness of the Law that allows me to give and get the most to and from the LORD.

What is your approach to the Law of the LORD? Are you working to be sure that you are doing what is “acceptable” and seeing it as restricting? What if you meditated on the Law of the LORD and kept it in your heart to delight in it, giving and getting the most to and from Him?

Speak Truth

This morning I am continuing my study of the word “will” and was reminded to not hold in the truth in the interest of inclusion and tolerance. Too often it is the truth that is determined to be exclusionary and intolerant. When it comes to our life in the LORD, He is truth and therefore we are to be examples of Him and truth to the world. He is to be trusted as is His Word which we are to meditate day and night.

“¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

As the Word of God is truth, and can be trusted, we are to speak it always. I do not have to “feel bad” for bringing the truth. I actually should release the truth and not keep it bottled up inside, as it will eat me up inside. By speaking truth always, I will avert the tragedy of exploding the truth and will be able to deal with others much more rationally and calmly.

“¹I said, “I will guard my ways,

that I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,

so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

²I was mute and silent;

I held my peace to no avail,

and my distress grew worse.

³My heart became hot within me.

As I mused, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:”

— Psalm 39:1-3 (ESV)

Notice the words from David’s Psalm above that he works to “muzzle” himself and that he was “mute” and “silent” and “held” his peace only for it all to well up inside him. His “hear became hot” as the truth was burning to get out. He then “spoke”. I can only imagine the fire that David spoke with as he let out the truth after holding his tongue for so long.

Isn’t that the way it is with us as well. We hold things inside and then when they finally come out, there is this explosion that is understood. We become emotional and irrational and loud and flailing to the point that we are cast aside as zealots.

We should be rational and thoughtful and calculated and honest in our speaking. We are not to hold things in, we are speak the truth so that the gospel will be known in the world.

“¹⁹Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” – James 1:19-20 (ESV)

This morning I pray for slowness of speech which leads to calmness where the truth of the LORD will be revealed and understood.

What is your approach to speaking? Are you holding in the truth to not offend? What if you were to speak the truth slowly that the Word of the LORD would be heard and understood?

Be All About the LORD

This morning I am in Psalm 37 and am seeing the glory of the LORD manifest for those who are connected to Him. The thing that stood out to me this morning is that I have to be all about the LORD and give myself fully to Him and work to bring glory to Him always.

“³Trust in the Lord…

⁴Delight yourself in the Lord…

⁵Commit your way to the Lord…

⁷Be still before the Lord…

³⁴Wait for the Lord…”

— Psalm 37:3, 4, 5, 7, & 34 (ESV)

These are all there in God’s Word for me to meditate on. I am not just to accept salvation from the LORD, I am to be all about and all in with Him. Justification is gained once one has accepted salvation and the fact that Jesus came and paid the price for my sin in this world that I may not die of my sin. He came for that I would not have to experience the wrath of the Father as He took on the consequence of my separation from the LORD.

Being all about the LORD and all in with Him is a move to Sanctification as I work to remove the power of sin in my life. I will be judged as righteous when I trust, delight, commit, am still, and wait for the LORD. When I surround myself with the LORD and dwell in Him I will keep myself working for, in, and with Him and my focus will not wander into the temptation of sin. I am devoted to the LORD and His work and do not have the time or thought of anything else.

Every day I am tempted by the evil one to wander off from the LORD. Even as a child of God, I am drawn to sin and sinful ways. I am secure in my salvation thanks to the justification I have gained through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. My sanctification is the ongoing struggle as I work to overcome the power of sin. It is in my all in and all about the LORD where I will find relief from the power of sin as I find peace in Him.

What is your view of your relationship with the LORD? Are you content in your justification? What if you were to be all about the LORD and fully trust, delight, commit, are still, and wait for Him to avoid the power of sin that continues?