Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelation 17:1-18, Psalm 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Daily Verse: “If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.” Prov. 30:32

Control output.

“Not to brag about myself, but…” Watching a golf clinic on YouTube,  the coach began with those words, followed by a list of his accomplishments over the past fifty years of his career. Without a doubt, he possessed the knowledge to respect his teaching. Giving credentials to support your authority differs from exalting yourself.

When I broke a 100 for the first time in my golf score, I exalted myself, telling anyone who would listen. However, it took a while for me to repeat the feat; stroke play humbles any golfer. 

Exalting myself foolishly over a game taught me a lesson in humility. Each time I play a round, it tests my integrity. Keeping accurate scores takes brutal honesty and develops character. Foolishly exalting myself only leads to more humbling.

Better your hand on your mouth than foolish exalting. With every mountain comes a valley. My mother always said, “If you are worthy of praise, let someone else do it; don’t do it yourself.”

Lord, forgive us for foolishly exalting ourselves. Please teach us humility with a gentle hand as we follow You.  Keep us hungry for Your word and humble for Your teachings. Let us become more like Christ every day. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalm 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31

Daily Verse: “Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride” Prov. 30:29

Majestic qualities.

Leaders have a stately stride. Using animals as examples in the verses that follow today’s scripture, lions, strutting roosters, and he-goats all possess majestic qualities. The human model of a king standing with his army makes the fourth.

Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Sir William Wallace, a late 13th-century Scottish warrior in the 1995 movie Braveheart has a memorable scene. Wallace sits tall on his stallion in front of his army, giving a freedom speech:

“They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom.”

Gibson’s stately stride atop his mighty steed creates an unforgettable image of a king before his army. With a confident demeanor, strong leaders stand tall when leading troops into battle.

Standing tall and walking with a stately stride gives us confidence when facing life’s struggles. Propping ourselves on God’s promises will give us the strength for the fight, knowing we already have victory in Jesus.

Lord, thank You for giving us powerful examples to spur us onward. As we face the day’s challenges, please give us the weapons to enjoy victory. Patience, self-control, grace, and mercy, the things of Christ, will lead us to success. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelation 15:1-8, Psalm 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Daily Verse: “Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:” Prov. 30:24

Four things.

Ants, rock badgers, locusts, and lizards have small stature but extreme wisdom. Ants show forethought in preparing for winter by storing food in the summer. Rock badgers exemplify ingenuity in finding a place of security. Locusts have incredible cooperation and order, organizing their military division and causing problems for humans. Finally, lizards have elusive boldness, simultaneously attending King’s courts and servants’ houses.

Learning from God’s creation helps us become wiser. Each month, we save for the winters of life with an automatic withdrawal to our emergency account, learning from the ants. Creating a safe living environment requires adjustments as things change. Working well with others helps us develop a support system to help us through life’s trials. And walking boldly with Jesus takes us places we never thought we would go.

Ponder the world around you. Think about how the creatures of the earth manage their lives. Ask yourself, what can I learn from them? Pray for God to give you divine insight into the things of the world and what you can learn from them.

Lord, thank You for giving us examples to learn from in your creation. Open our eyes to see what you have for us to know; give us teachable hearts. Let us become who You desire as we grow wiser, learning from Your Creation. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 4:1-5:11, Revelation 14:1-20, Psalm 142:1-7, Proverbs 30:21-23

Daily Verse: “Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:” Prov. 30:21

Unbearable people.

Individuals who suddenly experience an elevated life status can become unbearable: a servant who becomes king, a fool who becomes rich, an unloved woman who gets a husband, and a maidservant who becomes mistress. The verses that follow Prov. 30:21 helps us understand the context of it.

Statistics show that when people win the lottery, they experience bankruptcy within two to three years. As much as we think more money will solve problems, it causes them. And if people don’t know how to manage the stress that comes with riches, they falter.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10

Becoming faithful in the small things helps us learn how to handle the big stuff. Instant success doesn’t allow us to gain the understanding necessary to handle it.

Trust God in the process, acquiring skills on the journey that will help you handle the blessings that come from faithfulness and not become unbearable.

Lord, forgive us for becoming unbearable when we receive blessings. Give us teachable hearts that help us learn how to handle the gifts we receive. Let us not become unbearable but draw people to Your light inside us instead. IJNIP Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 2:1-3:10, Rev. 13:1-13:18, Psalm 141:1-10, Proverbs 30:18-20

Daily Verse: “This is the way of an adulteress:  she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” Prov. 30:20

Insensitivity to sin.

Having no regard for immoral behavior, the adulteress doesn’t care about the consequences of her actions.  In other words, she possesses an insensitivity to sin.  The femme fatale has a hardened heart and a lack of self-awareness.

Continually doing the wrong thing causes the heart to lose sensitivity.  Eventually, the wall around the soul becomes impenetrable.  Stuck in distorted thinking, our perception becomes a reality.  Harden hearts don’t receive help because they don’t think they need it.

“What good does it do to get angry?” Mom said on many occasions to me.  Because I had an angry heart, feeling cheated by life, it came out in many ways.  My mother tried to help me see the problem, but my hardened heart wouldn’t listen.

Until I met my husband, whose love for me finally penetrated the wall I erected and began to pull the bricks down, a work still in progress.

Only unconditional love can conquer hardened hearts.  Jesus offers the cure for our sinful nature and waits patiently for us to let Him into our lives.

Lord, forgive us for hardening our hearts to our sinful ways.  Open our eyes to see the areas we must give to You.  Help us find life to the fullest as we soften our hearts and accept Your grace. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 1:1-21, Revelation 12:1-17, Psalm 140:1-13, Proverbs 30:17

Daily Verse: “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.” Prov. 30:17

Mocking looks.

Through our eyes, we see the soul.  Contemptuous looks run deep and reveal the person’s inner thoughts.  Mocking our parents with eye rolls results in severe punishment.

My Mom didn’t tolerate my disrespect.  Widowed and raising three teenagers alone, she didn’t have time for our shenanigans, and we had many.  I feel shame when I think how my contemptuous ways made her life harder during those years.

Both of my parents instilled the fear of God in me.  As a result, I realize that I must answer to the Lord for my actions.  Submitting to His authority means respecting His sovereignty, including who God gives us as parents.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

Our Creator expects us to honor our parents, not disrespect them.  If we follow the Lord’s command, He promises long days in the promised land.

Lord, forgive us for disrespecting our parents.  Please help us honor and respect our fathers and mothers, appreciating them.  Guide and direct us, allowing us to serve our parents well, glorifying You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Haggai 1:1-2:23, Revelation 11:1-19, Psalm 139:1-24,Proverbs 30:15-16

Daily Verse: “The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough” Prov. 30:15

Unsatisfied desires.

According to Agur, four things never find satisfaction: death, barren wombs, land that lacks water, and wildfires. Greed, symbolized by the leech, a blood-sucking creature that never gets enough, remains insatiable.

In other words, the leech’s daughters give and give and never get enough. No matter how much they get, they want more. Death never stops coming; the mortality rate always 100%. For women struggling to get pregnant, the journey challenges their faith. Parched land consumes any water it gets, and wildfires burn out of control, devouring everything in its path.

Agur makes the point that greed never finds satisfaction.   Like a gambler who experiences the thrill of winning, greed causes him to lose reason, never getting enough of the thrill, eventually losing everything.

Satisfaction comes from following Jesus. Developing an attitude of gratitude slays greed, as we appreciate what we do have instead of focusing on what we don’t.

Lord, forgive us for letting greed take control. As we turn our eyes to You, help us find satisfaction in Jesus. Give us eyes to see the blessings we have, filling our hearts with gratitude. Let us enjoy life to the fullest as we follow You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20, Revelation 10:1-11, Psalm 138:1-8, Proverbs 30:11-14

Daily Verse: “There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.” Prov. 30:12

Inner cleansing.

Outer cleanliness doesn’t equate to inner cleansing. Showering and washing the day’s dirt off our body doesn’t clean the heart. Exterior cleansing differs from internal cleansing.

During my youth, people attended church because of the cultural norm. Fewer people attend church now than ever. Walking through the entrance doors, listening to the sermon, and saying the right things doesn’t cleanse you. 

Unless we let God’s word permeate our hearts and transform us from the inside out, we can’t experience inner cleansing. Allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate our shortcomings will enable us to address them.

Jesus transforms our lives with inner cleansing. Become sensitive to the nudges from within that steer you in a different direction. Humility comes when we acknowledge our shortcomings and change our actions.

Inner cleansing happens when we allow Christ into our hearts and minds.

Lord, forgive us for acting cleansed on the outside and remaining dirty on the inside. Help us become sensitive to the Holy Spirit, purifying our hearts and making us new. Free us from our sins as we confess them to You and change our ways. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19, Revelation 9:1-21, Psalm 137:1-9, Proverbs 30:10

Daily Verse: “Do not slander a servant to his master,  lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.” Prov. 30:10

No meddling.

At first glance, today’s verse means don’t talk about someone to his boss. If you don’t speak the truth, you look like a fool. Think of every petty, jealous character on T.V.  The more they try to bring other people down, the more they fall themselves.

A second interpretation means you don’t get in other people’s business, or you will find yourself in trouble. Gladys Kravitz, the neighbor to Samantha on the pop culture sitcom “Bewitched” comes to mind.  She portrayed the epitome of a nosy neighbor who couldn’t keep their nose out of everyone else’s lives.

As Christ’s followers, we shouldn’t slander anyone. God commands us to use our words wisely, uplifting and encouraging others. Slandering does the opposite. And unless people ask for advice, we shouldn’t give it to them. Don’t use someone’s prayer request as an opportunity to meddle.

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.” Mom’s advice stands true long after God called her home. I’m still learning to follow these words, but they keep me out of trouble.

Lord, forgive us for not using our words well. Please help us speak only uplifting and encouraging words, stay out of other people’s business, and honor You in all we do. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Nahum 1:1-3:19, Revelation 8:1-13, Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 30:7-9

Daily Verse: “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,” Prov. 30:8

Balanced blessings.

Agur, the author of today’s verse, doesn’t want anything to take him away from his relationship with God. To draw closer to his Lord, Agur asks for divine help to prevent him from lying or becoming obsessed with possessing or wanting material things.

When in want, we can become desperate, willing to do anything to meet our needs. On the other hand, when we have plenty, we can forget who provided our blessings to us. Both situations bring us out of alignment with God, causing division in our relationship.

However, when we develop an attitude of gratitude, realizing circumstances can change instantly helps us stay balanced. In all situations, we can find something to give God praise. Corrie Ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor, thanked the Lord for fleas in her cell because they kept the guards away, allowing her and fellow inmates to study the Bible.

Keeping the Son in our eyes will help us maintain a centered lifestyle, develop integrity, and balance our blessings with an attitude of gratitude.

Lord, forgive us for getting caught up in worldly possessions. Help us develop an attitude of gratitude as we stay focused on You. Let us become more like Jesus every day. IJNIP. Amen