Reading for May 19, 2012
Ephesian 1-3, Proverbs 25:15-28

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Ephesians 2:8-10

We did nothing to entice God to save us. It was a gift with no strings attached. We can do nothing to change that. And you know why? Because God created us as we would create a piece of art. We are uniquely created with a purpose to do good.

Proverbs 25:15-28

Verse 28 says, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control.” In the time this was written, city walls were extremely important. They protected the people from other nations’ attacks. As an individual, self-control serves a very similar purpose. If we cannot control ourselves, we leave ourselves vulnerable to other things. Do you practice good self-control?

Reading for May 18, 2012
Ruth 3-4, Proverbs 25:1-14

At the end of the book of Ruth, we are treated with another genealogy. Ruth was King David’s Great Grandmother. If you remember the beginning of the book, you realize that David only ever existed because of the choices of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. I also want to point out that they lived in the time of the Judges when following God was not popular. It would have been easier for Ruth to stay in Moab, but out of love and loyalty to Naomi, she stayed with her. Boaz did not have to redeem Naomi and Ruth, but it was the right thing to do. They lived obedient to God in a time when it was not popular and God blessed their faith. And of course later came King David and eventually Jesus.

Proverbs 25:1-14
Does anything in our reading today grab your attention?

Reading for May 17, 2012
Ruth 1-2, Proverbs 24:23-34

Today we start the book of Ruth. It is not a very long book, but a story about a relationship and character. As you read this book, I want you to think about the character of the Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. Pay attention to how God uses them in even the smallest ways.

Proverbs 24:23-34
Verse 27 says “Finish you outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” It is good to do things in their proper order. You can build a house anytime, but if you don’t plant at the right time, you will not have a harvest.

Reading for May 16, 2012
Romans 15-16, Proverbs 24:1-22

15: 5-6 was my favorite part of today’s reading.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It breaks my heart when I see a church that is divided. Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to be divided by the petty things and it tricks us into being divided by the important things even though we agree on them. In terms of Christian denominations, we all worship the same God, we just have different traditions. Traditions are invented by men. Jesus didn’t establish the by-laws for our denominations. He didn’t provide a set of rules and traditions on the side that we should follow. He was the example we should follow and he wishes for us to join together as one to glorify God.

Proverbs 24:1-22
Verse 14 says,

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Find wisdom and you will gain hope that will not run out. With hope you can always hang on.

Reading for May 15, 2012
Romans 13-14, Proverbs 23:19-35

God established the authorities on earth and we should submit to them. Even when the candidate we vote for does not win the election, we are still called to respect the authority of the one who was chosen. On a technicality, I would say you don’t have to respect their character, but to their authority.

Let no debt remain outstanding. I think this is pretty clear that we should avoid having debt whether that be financial or even personal.

I think chapter 14 speaks directly to the issues that causes churches to split up. Churches have split over rules, leaders, and even the carpeting. It often comes down to petty little issues. Verses 17-18 kind of sum it all up.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Proverbs 23:19-35

Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
Proverbs 23:19

Keep your heart on the path.  This got my attention because I have walked a long path that my heart is not always in. I chose a path because my heart was once ruled by money. Since that time, my heart has changed and the path that I walk is a difficult journey back to where my new heart wants to be. I am not sure if that was the point of this verse, but that is how the scripture is speaking to me right now.

Reading for May 14, 2012
Romans 11-12, Proverbs 23:1-18

Chapter 11 wraps up the first part of Romans. Paul gives his final thoughts on what to believe. He talks about the new remnant that includes the Gentiles and how God has essentially adopted them into the family. This is done so that all of Israel can be saved. After we get a dose of what we should believe in the first 11 chapters, Paul jumps into how to apply it to our lives. He wants to give us practical advice on how to live because of the life Jesus has made possible for us. I could write for quite a while on verses 1-2 about what it means to be a living sacrifice or transformation versus conformity. Paul really starts to bring it in this chapter. There are so many golden nuggets of advice here so I won’t try to hit it all. He touches on gifts and how we should use them. He tells us to love our enemy and leave room for God’s wrath. We should step back when we want to give someone a beating and let God bring the fire. The last verse is great. If there was a religious superhero, this would be his tagline from scripture.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 23:1-18
Verse 12 says,

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

Note that it says nothing about your brain. It is your heart that you should learn with.

Reading for May 12, 2012
Romans 9-10, Proverbs 22:17-29

God created us. Why do we think we have the right to question His creation and its purpose? God is God. We were made to worship Him through our unique gifts that He gave us.

Righteousness used to come through obeying the law. Now righteousness comes through faith when we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. God is the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles

Proverbs 22:17-29

Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.

Do you know the difference between learning something in your heart and in your mind? I have learned a lot of things over the years that went into my mind and was soon forgotten. The things that I learn in my heart stay with me forever.

Reading for May 11, 2012
Romans 7-8, Proverbs 22:1-16

The law does not have the power to save the sinner. The law was given to make us aware of sin, but the law itself had no power to save us. The power to save us came through Jesus. He lived a sinless life and paid the price for our sins in his death and resurrection. We now live by the Spirit instead of being slaves to our sinful nature. God uses all things in our lives for good even if we don’t see it that way. God gave us his only son to save us. If He was willing to make that sacrifice, then who can question His love for us?

Proverbs 22:1-16
Verse 7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” When I read this verse, I hear it in the voice of Dave Ramsey. I am tired of being a slave to the people who I owe money to. That is why I stopped borrowing money and am working towards becoming debt free. I don’t want to be a slave to any man or company ever again.