Read
8The Lord is disgusted
by gifts from the wicked,
but it makes him happy
when his people pray.
9The Lord is disgusted
with all who do wrong,
but he loves everyone
who does right.
10If you turn from the right way,
you will be punished;
if you refuse correction,
you will die.
11If the Lord can see everything
in the world of the dead,
he can see in our hearts.
12Those who sneer at others
don't like to be corrected,
and they won't ask help
from someone with sense.
Reflect
Struggling through difficult and painful challenges can feel like we are being pummelled in a “School of Hard Knocks.” Hopefully these unwelcome classroom experiences will help us gain wisdom. But thankfully there is another more fulfilling curriculum; pursuing God’s word and following his pathway.
Here are four simple steps to by-pass the School of Hard Knocks:
- Stop trying to appease God by giving him the left-over crumbs in your life. God wants more of us than an hour in church on Sundays or the occasional half-hearted prayers. God wants all of our hearts and he delights when we come to him in prayer (v 8).
- God does not tolerate wickedness; actually he despises it. Ask God to help you stop sinning and pursue an honest and upright life (v 9).
- Don’t try to fool God with deceit. God created our hearts and he knows our every thought and intent. Learning to live with pure motives will always set us down the right path (v 11).
- Don’t hang around with “know-it-alls.” They don’t like being told what to do (v 12). Instead seek the company of the wise where there is give and take in conversations.
God gave us the Bible, and also sent his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that we can live the satisfying, glorious life he designed for us. His words and stories in the Bible, together with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, give us all the wisdom and help we need to graduate from the School of Godly Living.
Respond
Thank you God that you desire for me to walk a pathway of joy and fulfillment. Thank you that you help me to do just that. Forgive me when I sin and have wrong motives. Teach me what it means to follow in your pathway so that I do not fritter my life away with wickedness and meaningless pursuits. Amen.
Heidi McLaughlin
For over two decades Heidi has helped people find fulfillment in life through embracing God’s truth. She does this through writing and teaching the Bible, mentoring and speaking at Conferences and Retreats all across North America. Heidi has been twice widowed and has a family of 5 children and 12 grandchildren. When she is not writing or speaking she loves to golf, laugh or share a cup of coffee with her family and friends. Publications: Sand To Pearls: Making Bold Choices to Enrich your Life; Beauty Unleashed: Transforming a Woman’s Soul; Restless for More: Finding Fulfillment in Unexpected Places; Looking Back and Enjoying The View; Your Home, An Entry Into a Woman’s Heart Anthologies: Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider; A Taste of Hot Apple Cider, Apple Cider and Cinnamon, Chicken Soup for the Soul: "O Canada"; Sunshine Kisses for Grandmas, , The Joy of Less
- Web |
- More Posts(22)