The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18, ESV
The simplest meaning of this is that the realization of our sin and complete inability to remove that sin should break our hearts and crush our spirits.
Until we realize that is why Jesus came. When we understand and believe this fully, we are saved from our sins and God’s wrath.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
“Discipline” has gained a negative reputation in recent decades, intoning punishment. However, when we think of it in terms of sports or finances we tend to realize its important good qualities.
May we see the need for discipline in every aspect of our lives, realizing that circumstances are not God punishing us but teaching us godliness and self-control.
“Writing is almost like creating something from nothing: from the mind into reality. Therefore, writing brings the writer joy because in his DNA is the ink stain of the One who created him.” – A. Baker
(See Genesis 1:26 and John 1:1-4)
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12, ESV
Too many people have not counted the cost of discipleship (Luke 14) and therefore misunderstand what the Christian faith truly is.
If we wish to be faithful to our Lord, we must forcefully take hold of the truth of Christ and what it means for our lives, and we must strive to live in light of that truth, not the truth we make for ourselves.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV
A grateful heart cannot help but rejoice in all things. Look at the disciples in Acts who thanked God for being worthy to suffer because it was for their Lord. This only becomes possible by continuously being in contact with Him.
Do you have a grateful heart?
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12, ESV
Young, old, or have a past: do not wait for others to give you a chance.
You live your faith, and live it well in the power of Christ by the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
Amen.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
John 5:24 ESV
When John later said “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18), he was reminding us that faith in Christ means we no longer need fear punishment and harsh judgment. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ literally saves us.
I am starting something new for my blog, obviously with today being the first day.
It is what I am calling “VerseD”, a verse of the day with a quick thought.
May we all be a little more blessed by having a new thought everyday from God’s Word.
“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13 ESV
We may feel things are out of our control sometimes (or all the time). It may feel God is testing us. In truth, God has a plan, and we are a small part.
Find the peace this can bring.
Remember God is in control.
This about sums up my thoughts, too.
Daniel
For those who did not know or forgot, I am a contributor to Proverbial Thought.
Let us know your thoughts to Anthony’s questions!
Daniel
Many of you may know that I have another blog, and some of you may take advantage of it on a daily basis.
The other blog is ProverbialThought.com, and it has been a daily/semi-daily part of our lives for several years, bringing to us the wisdom of Proverbs – with a twist.
But here’s the thing… we are coming to an end to another rotation, and I’m wondering what to do next.
If you haven’t yet gone to my other blog – one that has been co-written by some wonderful people – go there now and see what you think.
Where should we go from here?
Start over – again? With a fresh group of contributors?
What about listing all of the past posts in pages, just like I started doing with the first two chapters?
I would love to know…
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a simple man of God 