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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!

Proverbs 3:7-8

Do not rely on your own discernment,
But fear God, and turn away from every evil.
Then there shall be healing for your body
And care for your bones.

Personal Challenge

This chapter in Proverbs continues to teach us that we can find true healing for our bodies and care for our bones by fearing God and turning away from the evil in this world that surrounds us. The only way to do this effectively and consistently is to not rely on our own discernment or understanding, but to rely on God’s. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Personal Challenge

The life of a follower of Christ is not a sedentary, passive life. We are called to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Our focus is not on the works that we want to do, but on His works. We do not do these works in order to earn our salvation. Our salvation is a gift given to us through the work of Jesus Christ. We do these works out of gratitude and love for our God, knowing that the work we do for Him, and through Him, will never be in vain. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in God with all your heart,
And do not exalt your own wisdom.
In all your ways know wisdom,
That she may cut a straight path for you;
And your foot will not stumble.

Encouraging Words

We are encouraged by the writer of this Proverb to trust in God with all of our heart. Part of doing this is to not exalt in our own, perceived, wisdom. We do this by knowing Wisdom, Jesus Christ, knowing that He will give us straight paths to follow. He will not let our foot stumble, if we keep our trust in Him. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Personal Challenge

God does not support disunity. He does not create it either. We are reminded in this verse that ALL the Christian churches of Paul’s time were of one accord, unified. Contrary to many popular beliefs and claims, this early church was not Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. As our creed proclaims, it was “one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church”. We were unified and not divisive as we are today. That is why you will hear me proclaim that I am a follower of Christ before you will hear me proclaim what my Christian faith practice is. We must stop being divisive in our Christian expressions if we ever desire to see God’s kingdom come. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Personal Challenge

This passage on love provides a very clear definition of the quality of love that is expected of a follower of Christ and the expectation to love our neighbor. If we find ourselves abandoning these qualities of love as we deal with the those who are migrants (illegal or illegal), those who are professing a different sexual orientation as expected, those who have aborted a child, or any other act that we disagree with, then we are not following in the footsteps of Christ. The same goes for if we are supporting and enabling people that abandon these qualities of love. If we want to see our world change to be more loving, caring, and Christ-like, then we most start by being more loving, caring, and Christ-like and supporting those who do the same. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner and lead me in your pathway of loving my neighbor!!