Category: Proverbs–BibleTrekToday
A Son, Conceived by the Holy Spirit
Scripture reading for April 6th: Matthew 1, Psalm 69, Proverbs 7
Matthew 1:18-22 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
As we begin the Gospel of Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, he included a genealogy of Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, showing Jesus’ promised link to Abraham and King David. Matthew was a Jew and wrote this Gospel primarily to help his Jewish people understand God’s promises through Moses and the Prophets and their fulfilment in Jesus Christ and His virgin birth. In this passage, Matthew describes how Joseph found Mary to be pregnant during their betrothal. He was an honorable man and was going to divorce her quietly, but an angel gave him instructions, explaining His conception through the Holy Spirit. A Son would be born, and the Name given: Jesus. This Son would save God’s people from their sins. What a blessed privilege and a joy to obey must have come over Joseph! Also, he had a great responsibility and much suffering as he walked out this Holy Spirit assignment.
Psalm 69:22-23 “I will also praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which You have redeemed.”
Prayer: Holy Father, thank You for Your amazing plan of salvation! I am humbled that You would send Your Son to earth as a human man on our behalf, to save us from sin’s shame and ultimate penalty of eternal separation from You. I shout for joy and sing Your praises for the redemption of my soul and all who will believe and receive. Open doors for me to share, even today, this Good News! Amen!
Proverbs 7:1-3 “My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Patience with people!
Scripture reading for April 5th: James 5, Psalm 68, Proverbs 6
James 5:7-11 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
James, a pastor, understood well the need for patience. His instructions to the beloved brothers was to cultivate a continual awareness of the coming of our Lord. Our Lord is the Judge of all men and believers must stand before the Judgment seat of Christ to receive reward or loss for deeds done in the body. A lack of patience with people is manifested in grumbling, complaining and judging others. To encourage patience, James pointed believers to the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord. Job, in particular, was a man of great suffering and trials, yet he patiently waited on the Lord. The Lord restored him double at the end! God is truly merciful and compassionate and worth waiting for!
Psalm 68:3-4 “But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; lift up a song to Him Who rides through the deserts; His Name is the Lord; exult before Him.”
Prayer: Father God, I rejoice in You today and in Your wise Words of encouragement through the prophets and apostles written down for us. Your Words are a Light and when I am reproved by them, it leads me to a fuller life and the experience of peace. Help me to be patient with others each day, recognizing Your great patience for me and Your endless mercy for Your suffering people.
Proverbs 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life.”
Grace to the humble!
Scripture reading for April 4th: James 4, Psalm 67, Proverbs 5
James 4: 6-10 “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.”
Our world operates on pride and is centered on getting what we want when we want it. This causes strife and quarrels, even in the church of Jesus Christ! James, as a wise pastor, was emphasizing to the church the need for God’s grace in each person and in the church family. God gives grace in abundance, but there is the requirement of humility. When we are in a prideful attitude, putting ourselves first, God actually is opposing us! Who can be blessed or find grace when God is opposing them? This pride is demonic in nature, because it is the devil’s nature. The simple solution, according to James, is to resist the devil and draw near to God. The devil will flee and God will then draw near to you. True humility brings repentance first and then exaltation and the joy of God’s grace and smile in our life.
Psalm 67:1-3 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You!”
Prayer: Father God, I pray the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 67. Be gracious to us and bless us and make Your face shine on us, that through Your smile and favor, we may reflect Your ways to those on earth and Your saving power among all peoples. I humble myself to draw nearer to You each day that I may learn Your ways and become more like You in the humility of You amazing grace.
Proverbs 5:1-2 “My son, be attentive to My wisdom; incline your ear to My understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.”
Fall in love with Jesus, our Wisdom!
Scripture reading for April 3rd: James 3, Psalm 66, Proverbs 4
James 3: 13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but it is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The letter of James is often likened to the proverbs wisdom of the Old Testament. Like the Jewish rabbi’s, James asks a question about who is wise and understanding. James answers his own question, stating that the wise are meek and do good works in a righteous manner. This is contrasted with those who are jealous and selfish and because of this bring disorder and chaos. God’s wisdom is likened to a godly woman in Proverbs 31 and again in Proverbs 4 where lady wisdom will keep you and guard you if you love her! Like the godly woman, wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle and full of mercy and good fruits. Godly wisdom brings in a harvest of righteousness and peace in contrast to the worldly wisdom’s disorder and demonic activity. Let’s fall in love with Jesus, the true Wisdom from God!
Psalm 66:1-4 “Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His Name; give to Him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that all Your enemies come cringing to You. All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to Your Name.”
Prayer: Father God, I shout for joy and sing glory to Your Name for the Wisdom of God in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior! Through the Holy Spirit help me to walk in the purity and gentleness of Your Wisdom in all my actions and relationships. Keep me from jealousy and selfish ambition. Use me to make peace with my brothers and sisters and reap a harvest of righteousness and peace in my own life. Amen!
Proverbs 4:5-6 “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the Words of My mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.”
Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Scripture reading for March 31st: James 2, Psalm 65, Proverbs 3
James 2: 8-13 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For He Who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James was addressing the sin of partiality in the church he pastored. He pointed his ‘beloved brothers’ to the ‘royal law’ from Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” When we show partiality, we are in a sense judging one person better than another, or more worthy of respect than another. This isn’t love like God our Father shows us. He is not partial with any of His ‘beloved brothers’. If we are born again and have God’s Seed, (His Word) in us, making us doers of His Word and not just deceived hearers, we will show mercy because we know we need mercy from God ourselves. We have received His mercy and now want to share it. We cease judging and showing partiality and God’s mercy triumphs! Amen!
Psalm 65:9-10 “You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.”
Prayer: Father, I rejoice today in Your great mercy and loving kindness towards me and my family. You have sent the river of Your Love and watered us, planting the Seed of Your Word in our hearts and bringing a harvest! Help me by the Holy Spirit to walk daily in the perfect law of liberty–loving You fully and loving my neighbor as myself! Forgive me for showing any partiality or judging others.
Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”
“My beloved brothers (and sisters)”
Scripture reading for March 30th: James 1, Psalm 64, Proverbs 2
James 1:19-22 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Humility, obedience, and integrity are marks of those who follow Jesus Christ and love His Word. James was the half-brother of Jesus and was chosen to be the pastor of the Jerusalem church. He addressed the believers as ‘my beloved brothers’, a sign of humble respect. He shared godly instruction with the church that is written down for us today as well. Hearing requires focus and a quiet and calm spirit. Anger tends to hinder our ability to hear. As we receive God’s Word, faith comes by hearing. We must humbly listen in order to apply and obey. James likens our hearing as looking into a mirror and then forgetting what we look like. We must concentrate intently with a quiet spirit and receive the Word as a seed that can find good soil and grow, producing corresponding actions. True faith always produces good works.
Psalm 64:10 “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him! Let all the upright in heart exult!”
Prayer: Holy Father, I rejoice in the Word of Truth You have given to Your ‘beloved’ people. Help me to hear and receive Your Word like seed. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit to understand and apply all Your Truth to my life. Forgive me when I have looked into Your Word like that mirror, and then immediately forgot what You had said about my identity and new character in Your Son Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 2:21-22 “For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”
Restore with gentleness!
Scripture reading for March 29th: Galatians 6, Psalm 63, Proverbs 1
Galatians 6: 1-5 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”
Paul had just warned the Galatian church about the works of the flesh and that those who are involved in those works will not inherit the kingdom of God. He also had warned these believers about going back under the law and trying to work for their salvation. Those caught in these sins must be dealt with in love and gentleness. Walking in the Spirit means we do everything in love. We bear one another’s burdens of weakness and even sin to God in prayer for our brothers and sisters. We should first examine ourselves to be sure we are not operating in sin ourselves or in pride or a haughty spirit instead of the Holy Spirit. We will all have to answer before God for our attitudes and actions!
Psalm 63:3-4 “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your Name I will lift up my hands.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your knowledge and instruction for Your children. Thank You for sharing this knowledge through the Word of God. Help me with this instruction on restoring brothers and sisters caught in sin and transgression or following the lies of our enemy Satan. Keep me from pride and deception in my own heart. I desire to be innocent of great transgression when You judge.
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Walking by the Spirit in Freedom!
Scripture reading for March 28th: Galatians 5, Psalm 62, Proverbs 31
Galatians 5: 13-18 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use you freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Paul was writing to Jewish believers who were thinking of returning to Judaism and Jewish traditions. He exhorted them to continue to live in freedom by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus and the Father. He exhibits the fruits of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. The Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us into Truth and away from the deeds of the flesh–sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Those led by the Holy Spirit are no longer under the law but under the Spirit of love, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself!” If we live in love, we are free indeed!
Psalm 62:11-12 “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to You, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For You will render to a man according to his work.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your power found in Your Word and Your steadfast love. Baptize me afresh in Your love that I might serve and love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and that I might love my neighbor as myself. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and lead and guide my hands, my steps, and my lips to do Your will and works and bring glory to Your Holy Name! Amen!
Proverbs 31:30-31 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”
“Abba! Father!”: the cry of God’s Son
Scripture reading for March 27th: Galatians 4, Psalm 61, Proverbs 30
Galatians 4:3-7 “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Paul, although a pious Jew, recognized that as a young child he was in slavery to the elementary principles of this world system. That is how all humans are born the first time. But at just the right time in the timing of God our Father, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world. He was born of a woman and grew up under the law as a Jew. He perfectly kept God’s law as an obedient Son. His purpose was to redeem all men and women and to free them from slavery to their flesh and the law by a promise of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through His sinless sacrifice on the cross. All who would believe the promise would receive the Gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, Who would cry “Abba! Father!” in our heart.
Psalm 61:4-5 “Let me dwell in Your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of Your wings! (Selah) For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your Name.”
Prayer: Abba! Father! Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit I now can understand Your Word and plans. I know God as my “Abba”–Daddy. You have given me an inheritance of a dwelling place in Your eternal kingdom and full right of sonship. I trust every Word of my Father as Truth and seek to live a life that pleases You by faith in that Word. Amen!
Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every Word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His Words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.”
Sons (and daughters) of God!
Scripture reading for March 24th: Galatians 3, Psalm 60, Proverbs 29
Galatians 3:24-29 “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
Paul likened the law of God to a guardian that watched over God’s people until faith in Christ Jesus was revealed. Legally, younger children were under their parent’s guardianship or a guardian was appointed for them if they had no parents. This guardianship was to instruct them and protect them until they reached the age of adulthood and could receive their inheritance. When Jesus Christ came, the promised “Offspring” of Abraham, through which all nations would be blessed, the law was no longer over God’s people as a guardian. Now faith in Christ brought adoption as full sons (and daughters) of God. All who believed on Him would become heirs of eternal life by faith just like Abraham! Hallelujah!
Psalm 60:4-5 “You have set up a banner for those who fear You, that they may flee to it from the bow. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by Your Right Hand and answer us!”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I rejoice in Your great love and perfect sacrifice for me! Thank You for the blessing of righteousness and adoption into God’s forever family! Thank You that this promise is for all nations, sexes, and every man-made social status. I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and gladly ‘put Him on’ in joyful thanksgiving! You have answered our deepest need of salvation and everlasting life!
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”