“Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.” v5
Father, I need this verse today. As I speak to teenagers this morning, I pray that your word will be spoken in truth and love. Instead of running from you, may we hear your word today and find shelter, protection, and confidence.

“Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.” v1
Criticism is never easy to hear! Especially if it’s done in a way that is not constructive. But regardless of how it is done, we should at least look into it and see if there is any truth in the statement. If there is, try to make adjustments, if there isn’t, don’t dwell on the statement and move on. But be careful, the easy way out would be to ignore or say there is nothing wrong when sometimes there is!

This is what my Life Application Study Bible says,

Warnings rarely come with countdowns. We can’t tell when we’ve had our last chance to change. When we, like the person in this proverb, refuse to consider valid criticism, we leave ourselves open to sudden disaster. The moment we realize that a change is necessary is the best moment to take action. What significant adjustments have been on hold in your life for too long?

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

This is what my Life Application Study Bible says,

It it human nature to hide our sins or overlook our mistakes. BUT it is hard to learn from a mistake you don’t acknowledge making. And what good is a mistake if it doesn’t teach you something? To learn from an error you need to admit it, confess it, analyze it, and make adjustments so that it doesn’t happen again. Everybody makes mistakes, but only fools repeat them.

Pretty straight forward.

As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person.

My mentor use to challenge me with this verse all the time. It reminds me of the movie The Lion King! Simba looks into the water and he believes to see his dad but in reality, he is looking at himself.

We can look good on the outside, but its what is going on on the inside that God is most interested in. The real us tends to be revealed when we are around people that are closest to us and we can be ourselves. But, does that private person, match the person we are in public? The only way this can happen is if we look at our heart and ask ourselves some hard questions, like . . .

Who am I going to live for today?
Do I practice what I believe?
Do I say one thing, but act differently?
Am I allowing God to transform me from the Inside Out?

As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his foolishness. v11

Fire goes out without wood,
and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. v20

Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,
just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. v23

As I read this morning these three verses seem to jump out at me. There are times that I am foolish with my words. As a young Christ Follower it was learning how to control the choice of words. Now it is learning how to control the content of my words as it pertains to others. It is easy to be/feel attacked by others. As a pastor, I have learned this the hard way. But the way I process this can be wise or foolish.

I need to have people I can talk about things with, but at the same time, I need to remember that the things I say to them may just keep the hurt, situation, conflict, and even gossip going on longer than it needs too.

My prayer today is that God would remind me of when to share and when to pray about the everyday situations that I may not understand.

“A person without self-control
is like a city with broken-down walls.” v28

A wise person has self-control! It seems that some situations are easier than others. But the times I find myself loosing control, are times that I get caught up in the moment. Here is what I mean, it’s in these times I do things that I wouldn’t normally do, say things I would normally say, act ways I wouldn’t normally act . . . the list can go a mile long. I have gotten so caught up in the moment that I am become reactive instead of proactive.

Reactive is my response to a situation or stimulation. Many times it is here that we loose control.
Proactive (not the face cream) is putting myself in environments that avoid temptation, allow me to grow by filtering and processing things through prayer. Many times it is here that we exhibit self-control.

I wish all of life could be planned out like this but there are times that we are thrown into situations that may challenge our self-control. I am reminded of two verses that can be an encouragement to us all.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

5 The wise are mightier than the strong,
and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers.

The Bible says that wisdom is something worth attaining. But where to we go to gain this wisdom? Sadly many times I find myself trying to gain wisdom from the wrong areas or influences.

Today I am thinking about these two verses listed above. Wisdom and Knowledge make us stronger. Seeking advice and help first from God and second from friends allows me get through the day-to-day temptations and spiritual battles with success. However, if I don’t allow others to hold me accountable and seek their advice, I tend to slip and fall easier and faster.

Do you have someone or a group that holds you accountable, that encourages you? Do you have someone that is willing to fight with you for the things of Christ?

Keep Running,
DG