Tuesday... This is imperative for us to understand.

Tuesday... This is imperative for us to understand. It really is.

We each one were created as free-moral-agents. In other words we are free to choose what we want to do. But this is imperative for us to understand. We are not free from the consequences of our choices.

Proverbs 20:17 (AMP) says this, "Food gained by deceit is sweet to man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel [just as sin may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair]."

I also read this morning in Luke 4 of Jesus' time with the devil. Verses 1-2 says, "Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River, He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became hungry." And that is where the devil started.

Verse 3 says, "Then the devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.'" Yes, Jesus was the Son of God and he had the freedom to choose and he was hungry but he also knew the consequences of his giving into the temptation of the devil. And verse 4 says, "But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, '"People do not live by bread alone."'" Yes, he was hungry, yes he was the Son of God but he knew the consequences so he said, "No!"

The devil came at him two more times tempting him in his humanity but Jesus knew what he was doing and he quoted scripture each time and said no. Jesus knew he was free to choose but he also knew the consequences. The Spirit led him into the wilderness to show us how to handle the temptations that will come our way.

Back to Proverbs 20. Verse 4 (MSG) says, "A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall."

Verse 25 (NLT), "Don't trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost." In other words, knowing the consequences.

There are also positive consequences.

Back to verse 7 (MSG). This is a good one, "God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children."

Verse 13 says, "Don't be too fond of sleep, you'll end up in the poorhouse. Wake up and get up; then there'll be food on the table."

Yes, we are free to choose but we are not free of the consequences of our choices.

Now the writer of Psalm 50 tells the consequences of making wrong choice but then in verses 14-15 (NLT) he says, "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory." Now we don't really call that consequences we call them blessings. But they do come about because of right choices. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

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