Author: David Short

Proverbs 5:1-2

My son, hold fast to wisdom
And incline your ear to my words,
That you may guard good thinking;
And I command you with the perception of my lips.

Personal Challenge

A godly, righteous life is not a one and done deal. We must be consciously focused on doing those things that result in godliness and righteousness. We must hold fast to wisdom, which is Jesus. We must incline our ears to His words, which again is Jesus, the living Logos. We must guard our thinking and focus on the good. It is by these behaviors that we remain close to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Encouraging Words

We are much more than just followers of Christ. We are God’s adopted children. We are the living epistles, or letters, written by our forefathers of the church. We are the carriers of Christ to the next generation by living for Him and sharing His gospel by loving our neighbor. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 4:23 (4:22)

Keep your heart with all watchfulness,
For from these words are the issues of life.

Personal Challenge

We live in a world filled with so much stimulation. Whether it be audio, video, visual, or touch, our senses are often confronted with things that can drew is away from God. It is our responsibility to exercise our free will and protect our heart with great watchfulness. By doing this we can stay close to our Lord and His path of righteousness. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 1:10

who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

Encouraging Words

God is our deliverer. He delivers us from eternal death. He delivers us from our earthly trials and tribulations. He even delivers us from ourselves and our sinful desires. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Proverbs 3:23-26 (3:26-29)

That you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways,
And your foot may not stumble.
For if you sit down, you will be without fear,
And if you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
And do not be afraid of intimidation when it comes upon you,
Nor of the attack of the ungodly when it comes at you;
For the Lord will be over all your ways,

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Personal Challenge

I have cherished this passage many times throughout my life. We all have those times that are challenging and painful. Times when we need real comfort. For those of us who sincerely strive to follow in the footsteps of Christ, we have felt the comfort of the Father during those times. That comfort usually comes from another follower. We learn through this process that there is nothing wasted in this tribulation and the healing process that follows. We can also be used by God to be a comfort to those in our lives who go through similar experiences. We can give them the comfort that God gave us. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the instruction of the Lord,
Neither grow weary under His reproof.
For whom the Lord loves He instructs,
And chastises every son He receives.

Personal Challenge

We, the entire human race, are a stiff-necked people. We love the benefits of life that our God gives us freely, yet we resist when He tries to teach us His ways. We despise His instruction. We grow weary under His reproof, even though it is us who have gone astray. Because of His love for us, He instructs us. Because He cares for us and desires the best for us. He will sometimes chastise us. He cares for us that much. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.

Personal Challenge

Once again, we are reminded that a godly, Christ-like life is not a passive life. We are called to be on the watch for the coming of our Lord as well as for opportunities to serve and glorify Him. We are to stand fast in the faith that the Holy Spirit has given to us. We must be brave and strong in Him. And above all we do everything out of love. This is an active life for our Lord. We must also be careful that we don’t slip into the mindset that attending a lot of services qualifies as living this way. This way of living has to happen every moment of every day and be directed toward others. Glory be to God!