Saturday, November 17, 2012

Proverbs 26:24–26

"People may cover their hatred with pleasant words,
but they're deceiving you.
They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them.
Their hearts are full of many evils.
While their hatred may be concealed by trickery,
their wrongdoing will be exposed in public."

 

We are to be discerning and not naïve about people. Some people are deceptive. Proverbs suggests that we need to give people time for their true character to come out. When considering working with someone, or any kind of long-term relationship, you have to take your time so you can discern their true character. This passage suggests that any deception will come to light.


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

John 21:25

"Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written"

 

John says the whole world could not contain the books that would be written if every single thing Jesus did in his three years on earth were written down. (Talk about living a life of significance!) Yet despite all that could have been said about Jesus and all he did, we have only four Gospels, and many of Jesus' actions are recorded repeatedly. The Gospels, then, contain the nectar—the distillation of what is most important about Jesus. How might this knowledge shape the way you read the Gospels from now on?

Monday, November 12, 2012

Psalm 119:138, 140, 143

"Your laws are perfect
and completely trustworthy. …
Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
that is why I love them so much. …
As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands."

 

God's Word is entirely worthy of our trust. It's been tested and found true, again and again. There are few things in which we can absolutely trust, but this is one of them. We find joy in God's promises and commands, even during times of pressure and stress, because possessing truth and the promises of God surpasses any negative thing we can experience.