Proverbs 18:1-24
Unfriendly people care only about themselves;
they lash out at common sense.
Fools have no interest in understanding;
they only want to air their own opinions.
Doing wring leads to disgrace,
and scandalous behavior brings contempt.
Wise words are liek depp waters;
wisdom flows from the wise like deep waters;
wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
It is not right to acquit the guilty
or deny justice to the innocent.
Fools words get them into constant quarrels;
they are asking for a beating.
The mouths of fools are their ruin;
they trap themselves with their lips.
Rumors are dainty morsels
that sink deep into one's heart.
A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.
The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
the godly run to him and are safe.
The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;
they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.
Haugghtiness goes before destruction;
humility precedes honor.
Spouting off before listening to the facts
is both shameful and foolish.
the human spirit can endure a sick body,
but who can bear a crushed spirit?
Intelligent people are always ready to learn.
Their ears are open for knowledge.
Giving a gift can open doors;
it gives access to important people!
The first to speak in court sounds right-
until the cross-examination begins.
Casting lots can end arguments;
it settles disputes between powerful opponents.
An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.
Arguemnets seperate friends like a gate locked with bars.
Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
the right words bring satisfaction.
The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor form the Lord.
The poor plead for mercy,
the rich answer with insults.
There are "friends" who destroy each other,
but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
Thursday
What to look for in Men when dating?
Women should look for a man who exudes spiritual character. To understand what that means, let's look at
Ephesians 5:25: "husband's. love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it."
This means that men should be like Jesus Christ. He is their example. This is far more important than what a man looks like, or the kind of job he has, or the model of the car he drives.
Women, ask yourself this question about any man you date: "Is he a spiritual leader?" Does he take the lead in spiritual matters, like praying with you? Is he someone you can respect because he's growing in the Lord? Is he the kind of man who doesn't just say "praise the Lord" in the pew, but says it out on the streets, too? Does he serve the Lord not only in the church but also in day-to-day living? Is he a man who lives an uncompromising life for Jesus Christ?
I think it so very important that we be looking for these qualities in the men and the women were around. Let's help each other develop the inner qualities that will really count for a lifetime, long after physical beauty has faded, and on into eternity.
1 Peter 3:3-7 Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes form within, the fading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted, God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
Ephesians 5:25: "husband's. love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it."
This means that men should be like Jesus Christ. He is their example. This is far more important than what a man looks like, or the kind of job he has, or the model of the car he drives.
Women, ask yourself this question about any man you date: "Is he a spiritual leader?" Does he take the lead in spiritual matters, like praying with you? Is he someone you can respect because he's growing in the Lord? Is he the kind of man who doesn't just say "praise the Lord" in the pew, but says it out on the streets, too? Does he serve the Lord not only in the church but also in day-to-day living? Is he a man who lives an uncompromising life for Jesus Christ?
I think it so very important that we be looking for these qualities in the men and the women were around. Let's help each other develop the inner qualities that will really count for a lifetime, long after physical beauty has faded, and on into eternity.
1 Peter 3:3-7 Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes form within, the fading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted, God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
Tuesday
Healing Scriptures
If you are stuck in an emotional tie that no longer serves you, it’s time to set yourself free.
Christians throughout my life have always said that if you're depressed, then you aren't trusting in God enough. So many great men in the Bible struggled with it though: Elijah, David, Paul….. these were amazing men of God who struggled with depression through the hard times.
Proverbs 4:20-22 My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Exodus 15:26 He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."
Psalm 107:19-21 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
Exodus 23:25 You shall worship the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from among you.
Psalm 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
Psalm 91:3-4 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Are you stuck in heart ache over a break up? Try reading this below to help you to get past this feeling of heart ache. Your brain believes your body, sort of a reverse of the placebo affect. You begin to feel free of the past when you act free of the past! Don’t talk about the old relationship, don’t ritualize it, don’t note anniversaries, or send mental messages. Your brain will notice how healthy you are and deepen those neural networks until they become routine.
Christians throughout my life have always said that if you're depressed, then you aren't trusting in God enough. So many great men in the Bible struggled with it though: Elijah, David, Paul….. these were amazing men of God who struggled with depression through the hard times.
Proverbs 4:20-22 My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Exodus 15:26 He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."
Psalm 107:19-21 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
Exodus 23:25 You shall worship the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from among you.
Psalm 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
Psalm 91:3-4 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Are you stuck in heart ache over a break up? Try reading this below to help you to get past this feeling of heart ache. Your brain believes your body, sort of a reverse of the placebo affect. You begin to feel free of the past when you act free of the past! Don’t talk about the old relationship, don’t ritualize it, don’t note anniversaries, or send mental messages. Your brain will notice how healthy you are and deepen those neural networks until they become routine.
Monday
Submission Is A Two-Way Street
"Marriage Connections Devotions For Couples"
Written By: Greg Laurie
No husband should talk to his wife about submitting to him (Ephesians 5:22) until he has first read Ephesians 5:21, where God calls for mutual submission. Isn't it interesting that before God says a word to wives or husbands individually, he first instructs couples to submit to one another in the fear of God?
The Greek word translated "submit" here means "to get in order under something." In a military sense, it means "to rank beneath" or "to rank under." It can also be translated "to support one another." Husbands and wives are to support one another in the fear of God.
A husband's biggest booster and most ardent supporter should be his wife. A wife's greatest encourager and most ardent supporter should be her husband. they need to support one another in the reverence of Gog. Husbands must under-gird their wives and hold them up, and wives must do the same for their husbands. Both partners should always be ready to meet their spouse's needs and to sacrifice their own desires to help meet those of their mate. This is not to imply that a husband abdicates his responsibility for leadership in the home in his submission to his wife. Yet it does help to explain what submission is all about.
This issue is not about superiority or inferiority; it is about mutual sacrifice. It is about placing the needs of your mate above your won. Most importantly, it is about imitating God and walking in love.
The husband no more "possesses" his wife than she "possesses" him. He is not superior; she is not inferior. They belong to each other. Therefore, when God calls a wife to submit to the leadership of her husband, he is not saying that the woman is any less than the man. She most definitely isn't.
First Corinthians 7:3-4 shows beautifully how mutual submission is really amounts to a true partnership between a husband and a wife. "let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband," writes the apostle Paul. "The wife does not have autority over her own body, but hte husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."
There it is again-a delightful partnership. No godly husband can say to his wife, "you do what I say," and no godly wife can speak with a reciprocal arrogance. God calls both husbands and wives to see themselves in a partnership together. That means working together and submitting to-and supporting- one another out of reverence to God.
Mutual submission is having a task so gigantic that everyone must pull together using whatever muscle, strength, and ingenuity is available in order to get the task done.
Written By: Greg Laurie
No husband should talk to his wife about submitting to him (Ephesians 5:22) until he has first read Ephesians 5:21, where God calls for mutual submission. Isn't it interesting that before God says a word to wives or husbands individually, he first instructs couples to submit to one another in the fear of God?
The Greek word translated "submit" here means "to get in order under something." In a military sense, it means "to rank beneath" or "to rank under." It can also be translated "to support one another." Husbands and wives are to support one another in the fear of God.
A husband's biggest booster and most ardent supporter should be his wife. A wife's greatest encourager and most ardent supporter should be her husband. they need to support one another in the reverence of Gog. Husbands must under-gird their wives and hold them up, and wives must do the same for their husbands. Both partners should always be ready to meet their spouse's needs and to sacrifice their own desires to help meet those of their mate. This is not to imply that a husband abdicates his responsibility for leadership in the home in his submission to his wife. Yet it does help to explain what submission is all about.
This issue is not about superiority or inferiority; it is about mutual sacrifice. It is about placing the needs of your mate above your won. Most importantly, it is about imitating God and walking in love.
The husband no more "possesses" his wife than she "possesses" him. He is not superior; she is not inferior. They belong to each other. Therefore, when God calls a wife to submit to the leadership of her husband, he is not saying that the woman is any less than the man. She most definitely isn't.
First Corinthians 7:3-4 shows beautifully how mutual submission is really amounts to a true partnership between a husband and a wife. "let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband," writes the apostle Paul. "The wife does not have autority over her own body, but hte husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."
There it is again-a delightful partnership. No godly husband can say to his wife, "you do what I say," and no godly wife can speak with a reciprocal arrogance. God calls both husbands and wives to see themselves in a partnership together. That means working together and submitting to-and supporting- one another out of reverence to God.
Mutual submission is having a task so gigantic that everyone must pull together using whatever muscle, strength, and ingenuity is available in order to get the task done.
Just Love Her
"Marriage Connections Devotions For Couples"
Written By: Greg Laurie
The Bible gives every Chrsitian husband a revolutionary three-word phrase that has the power to radically change any marriage: Love your wife. Four times in Ephesians 5:25-33, the apostle Paul instructs men to love their wives.
We husbands tend to gloss over this command, believing that we're already complying with God's instruction-but I think if we were to think through and apply this single commandment systematically, it would transform our marriages.
"But Greg," some might say, "What about her? Isn't she supposed to submit?"
Yes, but you are missing the point. Don't even concern yourself with that issue. You focus on what God has called you to do. And if you do your part, in most cases your wife will do hers. If you will begin to really love your wife, most likely she will respond in kind.
Does that sound implausiable? Think of it this way. Why are you a Christian in the first place? Why is that you put your faith in Jesus? Porbably it is because God loved you unconditioanlly. He accepted you as you where-in your ugly, helpless, simple state- and he began to transform and change you. It was his love that ultimately wore down your rebellion and resistance period. The bible says, "We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
Our submission to Christ today is a direct result of his love towards us. We have come to see that his plans for us are good. We have come to see that even God tells us to do something we do not like, it is always for our benefit. So we surrender to him. It is difficult at times, but we do it. His love continually wins us over.
The same will be true in a marriage. If a wife can feel confident that her husband has her best interesets at heart: if she can see that he loves her so deeply that he continually demonstarates an intense concern for her welfare-then it will be far easier for her to submit to his leadership.
As a disparing man once called a friend because his wife was threatening to divorce him. With resignation in his voice, the dejected man asked his friend to pray for him. His friend said he would, but added, "The request I'm going to make in my prayers is that you stop being so acquiescent and fatalistic all about this. I know Mary and I know you. You two have a good marriage-up to know. And a good marriage is worth fighting for." The mans friend then described love as preseneted in Henry Drummond's classic book, the greatest thing in the world-inspired by 1 Corinthians 13 and challenged him to live out that kind of love. The man accepted his friends challenge and ulitmately saved his amrriage. Love has the kind of astonishing power. Try it for yourself, and enjoy the results.
A call to love is not so much a call to a certain state of feeling as it is to a quality of action. when Paul says, " Love your wives," he is saying, "Be loving towards your wife-treat her as lovely. "Do the things that are true and loving things..... how are you husbands to love their wives? How much love is required of the man? Paul says like Christ loves the church.
Written By: Greg Laurie
The Bible gives every Chrsitian husband a revolutionary three-word phrase that has the power to radically change any marriage: Love your wife. Four times in Ephesians 5:25-33, the apostle Paul instructs men to love their wives.
We husbands tend to gloss over this command, believing that we're already complying with God's instruction-but I think if we were to think through and apply this single commandment systematically, it would transform our marriages.
"But Greg," some might say, "What about her? Isn't she supposed to submit?"
Yes, but you are missing the point. Don't even concern yourself with that issue. You focus on what God has called you to do. And if you do your part, in most cases your wife will do hers. If you will begin to really love your wife, most likely she will respond in kind.
Does that sound implausiable? Think of it this way. Why are you a Christian in the first place? Why is that you put your faith in Jesus? Porbably it is because God loved you unconditioanlly. He accepted you as you where-in your ugly, helpless, simple state- and he began to transform and change you. It was his love that ultimately wore down your rebellion and resistance period. The bible says, "We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
Our submission to Christ today is a direct result of his love towards us. We have come to see that his plans for us are good. We have come to see that even God tells us to do something we do not like, it is always for our benefit. So we surrender to him. It is difficult at times, but we do it. His love continually wins us over.
The same will be true in a marriage. If a wife can feel confident that her husband has her best interesets at heart: if she can see that he loves her so deeply that he continually demonstarates an intense concern for her welfare-then it will be far easier for her to submit to his leadership.
As a disparing man once called a friend because his wife was threatening to divorce him. With resignation in his voice, the dejected man asked his friend to pray for him. His friend said he would, but added, "The request I'm going to make in my prayers is that you stop being so acquiescent and fatalistic all about this. I know Mary and I know you. You two have a good marriage-up to know. And a good marriage is worth fighting for." The mans friend then described love as preseneted in Henry Drummond's classic book, the greatest thing in the world-inspired by 1 Corinthians 13 and challenged him to live out that kind of love. The man accepted his friends challenge and ulitmately saved his amrriage. Love has the kind of astonishing power. Try it for yourself, and enjoy the results.
A call to love is not so much a call to a certain state of feeling as it is to a quality of action. when Paul says, " Love your wives," he is saying, "Be loving towards your wife-treat her as lovely. "Do the things that are true and loving things..... how are you husbands to love their wives? How much love is required of the man? Paul says like Christ loves the church.
How To Avoid Divorce
Love is not sweeter the second time around. So say the statistics. A 67 % failure rate for first marriages quickly ascends to a 75% falure rate for second marriages and 84 % for third marriages. We do not learn by our mistakes in marriage; we repeat them. The best chance we will ever have for our happiness and the happiness of our children is to make our present marriage work. Recent statistics suggest that the divorce rate for born-again Christians is slightly higher than for those with no faith at all.
To help prevent this from happening to your marriage start by saying, " The word divorce is not going to be a part of my vocabulary. My spouse and I are going to do everything we can to keep our relationship as strong as possible."
We must keep on our guard. We must stand firm in the faith. We must me men and women of courage. We must be strong, especially when we feel the heat of arguments and the statistics of marriage. By depending upon God to supply us abundantly with effective marriage skills-things like earnest prayer and solid Christian fellowship and rich bible teaching and practical outreach-we, too, can build a marriage that is capable of surviving the statistics. "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone," says scripture, "but the righteous stand firm forever" (Proverbs 10:25).
Don't let divorce reduce to statistics. Take the time and effort required to protect your home. Make it divorce proof. You can turn your home into a good place by making a stand.
To help prevent this from happening to your marriage start by saying, " The word divorce is not going to be a part of my vocabulary. My spouse and I are going to do everything we can to keep our relationship as strong as possible."
We must keep on our guard. We must stand firm in the faith. We must me men and women of courage. We must be strong, especially when we feel the heat of arguments and the statistics of marriage. By depending upon God to supply us abundantly with effective marriage skills-things like earnest prayer and solid Christian fellowship and rich bible teaching and practical outreach-we, too, can build a marriage that is capable of surviving the statistics. "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone," says scripture, "but the righteous stand firm forever" (Proverbs 10:25).
Don't let divorce reduce to statistics. Take the time and effort required to protect your home. Make it divorce proof. You can turn your home into a good place by making a stand.
ANGER IS ABOUT CONTROL
Anger means the attempt to CONTROL and this erases equality. One person is in the control requires that the other person must forgo CONTROL of his or her own behavior. Equality is driven out. Freedom is driven out. And those things that can only be given freely- love and intimacy are driven out. Anger is neither a positive nor a negative emotion. It is the way we chose to handle our anger that makes it negative or positive.
Ephesians 4:26-27 And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun do down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
James 1:19- 20 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Nehemiah 9:17-18 They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, "This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!" They committed terrible blasphemies.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Proverbs 22:24-25 Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
Matthew 5:22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
Ephesians 4:26-27 And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun do down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
James 1:19- 20 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Nehemiah 9:17-18 They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, "This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!" They committed terrible blasphemies.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Proverbs 22:24-25 Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
Matthew 5:22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
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