Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 7:28-9:6, Mark 3:31-4:25, Psalm 37:12-29, Proverbs 10:5

Daily Verse: “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” Prov. 10:5

Farmers understand seasons better than anyone. They know how many days they can plant and harvest. Not harvesting means not eating. Farmers who sleep through the harvest won’t provide for their families or survive the winter months.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 8:37-38

People yearn to know about Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life He offers.   Becoming a prudent child means we take every opportunity to share Christ’s love with others. Experiencing a bountiful harvest requires laborers.

Our time in the sun lasts for a short while; life on earth ends all too quickly. But eternity with God doesn’t end. Sharing Jesus’ love to the best of our ability will help build God’s kingdom and ensure a bountiful harvest. Don’t sleep through the harvest. Take every opportunity to plant seeds of love and yield a bountiful harvest for the Lord.

Lord, forgive us for missed opportunities to harvest.  Help us plant seeds of love everywhere we go, leading to a bountiful harvest for You.  In all things, let us honor and serve You well. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 6:1-7:27, Mark 3:7-30, Psalm 37:1-11, Proverbs 10:3-4

Daily Verse: “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Prov. 10:4

Hard work pays off.

Raised Protestant, my worldview includes the Protestant Work Ethic: “value attached to hard work, thrift, and efficiency in one’s worldly calling.”

And so, I currently run three small businesses and find work enjoyable. My goals for 2023 include resting on Sundays. Writing this at the end of January; I didn’t make it a month and will start again in February.

Living in America, we can become whatever we want. Dreams come true in the land of the free. Working hard will bring riches and builds self-esteem and strong character.

Work keeps me out of trouble and allows me to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. Hard work produces much more than monetary riches. Some things don’t have a price tag.

Slack hands lead to poverty, but diligent ones experience God’s riches.

Lord, forgive our slack hands. Bless the work of our hands as we do all things to Your honor and glory. Let us experience Your riches as we diligently follow You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2

Daily Verse: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.” Prov. 10:2

Ill-gotten gains don’t last.

When my brother and I stole candy from my uncle’s store, we didn’t get away with it. Before we got far from the door, Dad turned us around, making us confess our sins. The candy didn’t make it out of the wrapper.

But nothing felt better than purchasing my clothes for school after working all summer, mowing the church’s cemetery with my family. Paid $20 every two weeks, the memory my real treasure, not the money.

Dad used the riding lawn mower, driving back and forth between the long rows of tombstones. Mom and my older brother trimmed with weed eaters around the stones, while my little brother and I used push mowers to reach the spots Dad couldn’t. Hard-earned money created with precious memories.

Honest work delivers more than a paycheck. Memories don’t have a price tag, valuable only to those who possess them.

Lord, forgive us when we stray. Please help us make better choices today than we did yesterday. Enrich our lives with the memories we make during an honest day’s work. Bless our efforts. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 1:1-3:17, Mark 1:29-2:12, Psalm 35:17-28, Proverbs 9:13-18

Daily Verse: “The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.” Prov. 9:13

Folly, the opposite of wisdom, calls loudly.

Characterized as an unruly woman, her lack of judgment with no fear of the Lord makes her a dangerous companion. 

Despising God’s commands and choosing to live a life in rebellion to what the Lord desires doesn’t end well. Eventually, the poor decisions and lack of respect for the Maker will land you in a valley.

 Each day, the battle to live a Godly life in an ungodly world rages. Proverbs’ wisdom teaches us how to deal with the practical affairs of life. 

Foolish people follow their path without seeking guidance from above or others. God created us to live in a community. Never did the Lord intend for us to do life alone. He always meant for us to live needing help from Him and others.

Together, we walk confidently. Alone, we become susceptible to folly and her wicked ways.

Lord, forgive us for listening to folly’s loud voice. Help us hear You clearly as we face the day’s battles. Let us find victory as we tap into Your wisdom and that of Your people. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 39:1-40:38, Mark 1:1-28, Psalm 35:1-16, Proverbs 9:11-12

Daily Verse: “For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.” Prov. 9:11

God multiplies our days.

We don’t determine the length of our lives; God does. Watching a series on the life of Billy the Kid, his mother’s words at the graveside of the historical robber’s younger brother struck me.

“I guess it was his time to go. God called to him.”

One day, God will call to each of us; only He knows when. In the meantime, living for Him prepares us for our eternal destination.

Physical life on earth will end, but our spiritual lives with God never do. When the Lord calls us home, He’s calling us to a higher purpose without the earthly issues we now face.

Embrace God’s wisdom, and share it lovingly with others. Live fully for Jesus, knowing life with Him never ends.

Lord, forgive us for thinking we control the outcome of our lives. Help us embrace Your wisdom and live fully committed lives to You. In all things, let us honor and serve You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 37:1-38:31, Matthew 28:1-20, Psalm 34:11-22, Proverbs 9:9-10

Daily Verse: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Prov. 9:9

Instruction never ends.

In a message series titled “Blessings,” our pastor’s current teaching comes from the Beatitudes.  Talking about growth, he asked us what we did to continue growing.  One of his questions convicted me: what readings outside the Bible did we do to help us mature in our walk with Christ?

If we want to keep moving forward, we must remain teachable.  Pondering the pastor’s question, I became convicted about committing to reading more books to help me grow.

“What is down in the well comes up in the bucket.  Fill yourself with positive things.” Tony Dungy, ‘Uncommon’

We choose what instructions we follow.  Filling our hearts well with positive things means reading and memorizing scripture, engaging with Christ’s followers, and continually finding ways to learn and grow.

Lord, illuminate unteachable areas in our life.  Soften our hearts and minds to receive instruction, knowing we always have more to learn.  Let us live blessed lives as we apply Your teachings to our lives. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 35:10-36:38, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalm 34:1-10, Proverbs 9:7-8

Daily Verse: “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.” Prov. 9:7

Pride abuses.

Les, scoffer’s original Hebrew word, means “proud mocker, babbler.” Pride has deep roots and causes us to sin. Nothing hardens hearts like ego.

“Pride is an independent, me-oriented spirit. It makes people arrogant, rude, and hard to get along with. When our heart is prideful, we don’t give God the credit, and we mistreat people, looking down on them and thinking we deserve what we have.” Joyce Meyer

Correcting a scoffer means addressing a prideful heart. Having an excessively high opinion of ourselves places Jesus below us. Christ leads; He doesn’t follow.

When addressing a scoffer, lead with prayer, allowing Jesus to do the heart work. Mockers can’t receive until they submit. Lead with grace, love well, and let God do the heavy lifting.

Lord, forgive us our prideful ways. Help us submit all to Jesus, letting Him change us. May we always follow Christ and exemplify His humble ways. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 34:1-35:9, Matthew 27:15-31, Psalm 33:12-22, Proverbs 9:1-6

Daily Verse: “Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Prov. 9:6

Leaving requires movement.

Pastor Mike taught me a life-changing analogy.  Two friends, traveling in a car, get a flat tire.  After pulling over and fixing the flat, they prepare to leave.  One friend doesn’t want to continue, choosing to stay stuck at the moment, while their companion decides to keep going.

You choose whether you move forward in life.  When difficulties happen, and they will, you must decide whether to stay stuck in the valley or move up the mountain.  No one can choose for you.

Walking in insight requires effort.  Seeking wisdom and understanding will propel you forward.  But if you choose to stay by the side of the road, you’ll never experience life to the fullest as Christ intended.

Seek understanding and walk in the way of insight.  Follow Jesus on the adventure He planned for you long ago.  Leave simple ways behind, engage with God and learn His ways.

Lord, forgive us for getting stuck by the side of the road.  Help us get back on track as we seek Your wisdom and understanding.  Let us live fully today in Christ.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 32:1-33:23, Matthew 26:69-27:14, Psalm 33:1-11, Proverbs 8:33-36

Daily Verse: “Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.” Prov. 8:33

Listening to sound advice helps us avoid heartache. 

“A man never reaches that dizzy height of wisdom that he can no longer be led by the nose.” Mark Twain

Mark Twain, an American author, and creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn understood wisdom. We always have more to learn.

Twain’s quote makes me think of Jesus leading me by the nose. Desperate for His guidance, I’ll go wherever the Lord takes me, knowing I don’t travel alone.

Unfortunately, I don’t always listen well, which always ends in regret. Thankfully, with Jesus, He waits patiently for me to get back in line and follow Him. Choosing to follow the advice written in scripture will help you develop wisdom. Letting Jesus lead us by the nose will take us on the adventure of a lifetime as we live life to the fullest.

Lord, forgive us for not listening well. Help us turn our ears to Your instruction, obeying Your commands as we live life to the fullest. Let us never stop learning. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 30:11-31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalm 32:1-11, Proverbs 8:27-32

Daily Verse: “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways.” Prov. 8:32

Expositor’s Bible Commentary summarizes today’s verse as a choice “between life and favor and harm and danger.”

Focusing on the straight and narrow path requires choices.  When a bump in the road happens, we can go over it or around it.  However, sometimes going around a problem leads us off the path.

Alley Ball, a drill in tennis, requires the kids to stand inside the lines of a three-foot alley.  Coaches roll balls the students must avoid.  If they jump sideways, they land outside the alley, losing the game.  But if they jump over the ball, they remain inbounds.

Choosing to stay on the straight and narrow will involve overcoming obstacles.  We can jump the largest hurdles and stay in the game with God’s ways. 

Whatever balls get rolled your way today, remember that God’s ways can help us overcome anything.

Lord, thank You for giving us instructions for a favored and blessed life.  Forgive us when we falter.  Help us make the right choice today, letting Your ways lead us.  IJNIP. Amen