I have known Christians that seemed to be so committed, but everywhere they went was drama and challenges. Although they boasted of Jesus Christ and their call to embrace his path, it seems like they had a bigger goal to tick off everyone and be as offensive as they can. Today, we turn to Proverbs 16 which gives insight into what it looks like to live for God in this difficult world.
Proverbs 16:1- “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.”
This tells me I can do all the plans I have can do and ultimately the answer is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:3- “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.”
The second verse reminds me of a truth that I have seen: everyone is a legend in their own mind. This means that on our own evaluation we see ourselves as pretty awesome or clean, but the Lord does not evaluate by our standard. The Lord evaluates by our spirit or where we really live.
Proverbs 16:3- “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
Commit what I do to the Lord will result in my thought life being stable. If you are someone who is all over the place with your thinking, evaluate where your commitment to God is at.
Proverbs 16:4-5- “The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
These two verses remind me of the dangers of pride and living apart from God. The danger is that there is terrible punishment for a person who lives like that.
Proverbs 16:6-7- “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
The main point of those verses is the value of having the fear (reverence) of the Lord in your life. This causes us to turn and stay away from evil and the result is not drama around us, but peace (even with our enemies). If you are struggling with a disorderly life, look first to your hear and ask yourself if it fears God and is committed to Him? All of these points are built on a person being saved. Make sure that you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior.
John 3:36- “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. “
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