Proverbs 3 - 1.9.23
Scripture:
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Observation-What does it say?
This is a proverb from King Solomon. It is a proverb where he is teaching his son to trust God in everything he does. King Solomon tells his son that by trusting God wholeheartedly, he will gain true wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. He tells his son if he can manage to live a godly life, he will live a long, satisfying life.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Trusting God in everything we do.
The verse I chose this morning has been my life’s motto for quite some time now. The irony is it all started from a gift I received from my Dad. You see, when I was a teenager, my Dad gifted me with a small knickknack of a sailboat. On the sails of this sailboat was the inscription of the verse. I’m not gonna lie, at the time I was a little disappointed with the gift. I would have preferred a gift card, cash, or even a video game! But here I am now, years later, telling you all how much that gift means to me. It wasn’t because the gift was made of pure gold or anything like that. In actuality, it seems to be made from pretty cheap material. But it was the verse that was written on the sails of this sailboat that really helped mold me into the man I am today. That verse got me through relationship issues, financial issues, and even health issues. That verse reminds me that no matter how much I think I may know what is best for me, God knows better, and He has even better things in store for me if I would just trust Him. And I’ll tell you what…it’s true! Once I learned to trust God in everything, (my finances, decisions, relationships, etc.), my life has been blessed ever since! Sure there were bumps along the journey. But as I stayed the course, and continued to trust in God, and sought Him out, He directed my paths. He led me exactly where I needed to be, when I needed to be there. God molded me into the man He needed me to be. And I am forever grateful for it!
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”-Psalms 37:3-4
Life Application
In God we trust.
There has to be reason why they chose to put that on our American currency right? Where people can let you down, God will not. God is faithful. God is filled with grace, mercy, and love. God yearns to see us come to know Him more so He can bless us. Who wouldn’t want that right? Who better to trust? Answer: no one. So what is stopping you from putting your trust in Him today? See what happens when you wholeheartedly put your faith and trust in God. You will not be disappointed. Trust me. I mean… trust Him.😁
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”-Jeremiah 29:11
-Moses Gaddi
Proverbs 2 - 1.6.23
Scripture - What stood out?
PROVERBS 2: 3-8
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Observation - What does it say?
Back to the basics! King Solomon lays out the reasons that we should seek out wisdom and understanding. Once you seek wisdom you will naturally find God’s knowledge and you will understand the reverent awe of the Lord, aka the fear of the Lord.
Understanding - What does it mean?
The bible is a compass! And I say that will all the respect, honor, and glory that is due the word of God.
I remember being a teenager trying my very best to become a legitimate high school basketball player. My private training sessions would sometimes take me into all these wild directions which would lead to some of the best and some of the worst basketball games of my playground career!
Some of the best advice I was given when I found my creativity had spawned failure instead of ingenuity was, “go back to the basics Ken!”
And that’s what I hear the Lord telling me right now. Go back to the basics! Seek God’s wisdom. Read your bible! Pray to God! Worship God!
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
Lord for my life application I want to live out verse three today. I will use my voice to call out for Your insight. I will actually call out for Your understanding. Teach me your ways Lord! Teach me Your wisdom! Teach me Your word! Help me to put it all into practice! Help me to remember! I praise You and worship You this morning. Praise God! In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.
-kenneth lee
Acts 7 - 1.5.23
Scripture
Acts 7:51-53
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
Observation-What does it say?
Stephen was seized and brought to trial under false accusations against him with false witnesses. He was responding to the high priest who asked Stephen if the charges were true. Stephen answered by laying out the history of Israel and how time and time again the Holy Spirit showed up yet the Israelites resisted God, grew cold, hard and jealous, and turned away from Him. Stephen was calling the Sanhedrin out, showing them how they were doing the same thing people had done for hundreds of years before them.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.
All throughout scripture we see how God’s people resisted Him and suffered for it.
Jesus said: “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
–Matthew 13:13-16
I want to be like Stephen. I want to be someone who sees and hears what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying. I want my heart to stay soft, and I want to be blessed because I see and hear.
Life Application
Keep your heart soft before the Holy Spirit by spending time with God and God’s people.
I don’t want to be like the Sanhedrin or thousands of others who have gone before and have had their hearts hardened, and who have resisted Holy Spirit. I don’t want to miss out on the glory of God that people like Stephen got to experience because they were open to what Holy Spirit had for them and obeyed Him. I want to be open to all that God has for me, my family, community, and world. In order to do that, I need to keep myself in His presence, connecting with him regularly throughout my day and connecting with my family – God’s people – who can continue to encourage me and keep my heart in check should it start to grow cold.
God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, and thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the times I resist the Holy Spirit, forgive me for the times that I have received your commands but haven’t obeyed them. Thank you for your grace and mercy, and the blood of Jesus that washes me clean. Help me to stay soft and open to you. Help me to stay soft and open to my family of believers. Help me to stay vulnerable before you. I love you! Amen.
-Katie Thompson