For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
Those who borrow become enslaved to those they borrow from. Let us strive to stay out of debt so that we are not controlled by anyone or anything other than God.
Let us seek out God the way in which a deer, and other animals, will seek water. If we wander from God we will become depressed and downcast. Our enemies will have success against us. However, if we turn back to God and seek Him once more, if we put our trust in Him, He will rescue us and restore our joy. Others may question God’s existence, but if we praise Him, He will make Himself known to us.
The Gospel message is like an incense or a perfume wafting up to God. Those who have already accepted the Gospel will find it a tantalizing scent making them want to get closer. Those who are still living a sinful life will find it like the smell of rotting flesh, to them it will smell like death. Some of those lost in sin will realize that in truth the terrible odour is not the Gospel message. Rather the Gospel message is like the breath of fresh air that allows you to smell once more the odours to which you have become desensitized.
The same is true of us if we live our lives faithful to that message. Those who have already been saved will be tantalized by our thoughts and comments, even before they know that we follow the Lord. Those who are immersed in sin will sense condemnation for their sins in our acts, even when we are completely unaware of their sins. Some will seek us out to learn how to escape from their sins, others will be convinced that we are self-righteous hypocrites. Let us speak God’s words with sincerity, allowing His Spirit to work through us. Thus bringing salvation to the former and proving the latter wrong.
Wisdom is more valuable than any material thing we can possess, yet where can we find wisdom? We can dig gold, silver, copper and iron out of the earth. Animals can find all sorts of food, birds have great eyesight and can see small things far away, yet you will not find wisdom by tracking them to their goals. Look where you will and you will not find the place that is the source of wisdom. God is the only source of wisdom. Fear of the Lord is wisdom itself. If you want to possess wisdom and understanding fear the Lord and turn from sin.