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Wednesday, September 30, 2026

MY OWN UNDERSTANDING!

 

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

MY OWN UNDERSTANDING!

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

          Written by a wise father to his sons, Proverbs is a wealth of pithy advice written in short, stand-alone truths that need little or no corroborating support. Monolithic in their courage, these bits of advice warn of failure if they are not heeded and promise success if they are followed. The reason is that the wise father had tested each of them personally. We see this in his book called Ecclesiastes. In it he gives us his personal evaluation of all of life. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God [yaw-ray, to revere] and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl 12:13

          Our own understanding is faulty because we may not have all the facts, or those facts have been fed to us by someone who wants us to believe and react in a way that would benefit them or their agenda.

          The only reliable source of truth is the Lord. We must learn to consistently and confidently trust Him. We must question even our own opinions and yield them to the truth. In everything we do, we must acknowledge the Lord. In following Him we will ensure clear guidance on our path.

 

2 Cor 10:4-5

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Dear Lord, keep me from wrong thinking as well as wrongdoing for one leads to the other. Help me to trust you and to follow you. AMEN

 

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

MERCY AND PEACE!

 

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

 

MERCY AND PEACE!

 

Ps 85:10

10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

 

          We need mercy. There is something lacking in us and God, who has a limitless store, is both able and willing to provide relief. Mercy grows out of compassion and is manifested in real benefit. Such was the actions of the “good” Samaritan.

 

Luke 10:33-35

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

 

"Wherever the words mercy and peace are found together they occur in that order, except in Gal 6:16. Mercy is the act of God, peace is the resulting experience in the heart of man. Grace describes God's attitude toward the lawbreaker and the rebel; mercy is His attitude toward those who are in distress."

 

From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 340, 341.

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

 

2 John 3

3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

 

Dear Lord, many who read these words today will need your mercy. Give them both mercy and peace. AMEN

 

Monday, September 28, 2026

THE GOD OF HOPE!

 

Monday, September 28, 2026

 

THE GOD OF HOPE!

 

Rom 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

          Paul, writing to the Romans, offers multiple views of God. In Romans 15:5, He is the God of patience and consolation. The patience is His and the consolation is ours! Here the word “consolation” is paraklesis and is the same word that is translated “comforter” when Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in John 14:16. The word is made more powerful by the use of a definite article making it “THE consolation.” Consolation is in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

          He is the God of peace in Romans 15:33 and the word “peace” is eirene and indicates both quietness and prosperity. It also is preceded by a definite article which makes it “THE peace.” Peace, both quietness and prosperity, is in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

          In our text this morning, He is the God of hope. Here hope is elpis (el-pece’) and means both expectation and confidence. Once again it is forcefully preceded by a definite article. The hope that we have in eternity is an expectant hope. It is like an “expectant” mother large with child. She is confident of delivery but uncertain of the date! Many signs, both visible and known only to her, assure her that her hope is well founded.

 

Dear Father, all around we see signs and evidence of your soon coming. Inside us also there is a confidence that our hope is well founded. Thank you Lord, that our hope, our peace and our consolation is firmly grounded in your person. AMEN