Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 2 Kings 1:1-2:25, Acts 13:42-14:7, Psalm 139:1-24, Proverbs 17:19-21

Daily Verse: “Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.” Prov. 17:19

Arrogant speech.

People bring destruction upon themselves with arrogant speech. Thinking of sports, when someone brags about their ability, they often set themselves up for a fall. 

My husband and I recently watched “Happy Gilmore.”  The comedic golf movie with Adam Sandler, a hockey player turned golf pro, demonstrates what happens to overconfident people. Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald, portrays the arrogant and contentious golf pro who underestimates his competition. Eventually, the seasoned golfer resorts to cheating to win, which fails.

Sports teach humility, and so does God. Prideful speech leads to downfall.   Our mouths can get us in more trouble than anything else, the gate to what flows from our hearts. Staying humble and closely watching our mouths will keep us from destruction.

Stay humble, don’t fall into the trap of arrogance. Things change quickly; mountaintops lead to valleys, and so does arrogant speech.

Lord, forgive us for bragging. Please help us stay humble as we pursue You, remembering; You made us all equal. Let us love each other well, guard the words that come from our lips, and live peacefully with all. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 22:1-53, Acts 13:16-41, Psalm 138:1-8, Proverbs 17:17-18

Daily Verse: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Prov. 17:17

Loyal friends.

God gives us framily, friends that become family. Adversity always exposes the people in your life who have your back. During my hospitalization for a blood clot, friends prayed for me from all over the country. One of my friends, a busy mom of three, found time in her schedule to drive the half-hour, bring me flowers and sit with me. Others dropped their plans and rushed to my bedside—friends who had become framily.

Investing in friendships develops a support system for everyone. Showing up for people in crisis, even if you can’t do anything, strengthens them and displays God’s love. We can’t fix life’s problems, but we can walk through them with others, helping them persevere.

Following Christ adopts us into God’s family and gives us friends who always love. Invest in your framily, build solid and supportive relationships with the people in your life. Show up for them in adversity, walk with them through strife, and set an example of loyal friendship for those around you.

Lord, thank You for the friends we have. Help us love and support them well, developing a framily. As we meet new people, let us love them and draw them into our network, supporting and loving them well for You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 20:1-21:29, Acts 12:24-13:15, Psalm 137:1-9, Proverbs 17:16

Daily Verse: “Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?” Prov. 17:16

Inaccessible wisdom.

Fools can’t buy wisdom because they lack the intellect to get it in the first place. During my undergrad years, I acted foolishly. More concerned about my social life than my academic life, I didn’t pay attention in class and wasted the money my mother paid for me to learn wisdom. Because I had my priorities wrong, I couldn’t gain wisdom.

Flash forward twenty-five years when I returned to school for my graduate degree, and life had taught me lessons about priorities. Learning from earlier mistakes, I made the dean’s list every semester and gained much wisdom.

Following Jesus exposes our foolish ways. Don’t give up on people who act irresponsibly. Instead, pray for them like my mother did me. Without a doubt, her prayers helped me find my way back to Jesus and learn wisdom.

People can change. Fools can become wise with Christ. Submitting our lives to Jesus begins a new life, where we leave the old ways behind and embrace a new way of living.

Lord, forgive us our foolish ways. Open our eyes and ears to learn the lessons You want us to know. Help us develop wisdom as we apply Your teachings to our lives. Let us fulfill our purpose as we pursue You vigorously. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-21, Acts 12:1-23, Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 17:14-15

Daily Verse: “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” Prov. 17:14

Controlled strife.

The Hoover Dam holds back the water from nearby Lake Meade. If it developed a leak and broke, experts predict the water would cover approximately 10 million acres, about a foot deep. To prevent the dam from bursting, spillways stop the water from rising and overflowing. Bathtubs and sinks have spillways, the hole at the top that doesn’t allow them to overflow.

In the same way, if we choose our battles wisely, we’ll stop the dam of emotions from bursting and causing catastrophic damage to our relationships. Some fights don’t need fighting. When headed down the wrong path, stop before an argument starts. Walk away, if necessary, but don’t let an emotional moment cause irreparable damage.

Play out the scenario in your mind before saying the words. Ask yourself, “Is it worth the fight?” We have control over our thoughts and emotions. Stopping a fight before it starts controls strife in our lives and allows us to live peacefully with others.

Pick your battles wisely. Control the strife in your life.

Lord, forgive us brash words that unleash unhealthy dams of emotions. Please give us the wisdom to choose our battles and stop the strife before it happens. Bless us with self-control to manage our thoughts and emotions. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 18:1-46, Acts 11:1-30, Psalm 135:1-21, Proverbs 17:12-13

Daily Verse: “If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.” Prov. 17:13

Justice for ingratitude.

Bitter hearts return evil for good. Instead of seeing the kindness in the act, they view the world through a negative lens, looking for the ulterior motive and responding inappropriately. Intentionally evil deeds bring on more disaster and cause bitter roots to grow.

How we treat others often determines how they respond. As the saying goes, hurting people hurts others and usually begins a vicious cycle of pain. People can’t see the trauma hidden behind the actions; they only see the reactions.

During my flight attendant days, while switching planes, I had a memorable conversation with a Bride-to-be. I responded bitterly to her excited talk of the upcoming wedding, thinking of my dead Father and that he couldn’t walk me down the aisle, squashing her joy. My bitter heart hurt many relationships. I could not release the bitterness and have healthy relationships until I dealt with the pain.

Strive to understand the emotions behind the actions. Before responding in kind, look for the hurt, and give love back instead of evil.

Lord, forgive us for responding inappropriately. Please help us healthily deal with our hurts, and when people do good for us, let us respond with love. Let us see others through Your lens and not ours. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 15:25-17:24, Acts 10:24-48, Psalm 134:1-3, Proverbs 17:9-11

Daily Verse: “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” Prov. 17:9

Discretion in love.

Friendship requires the ability to forget. When someone offends us, we must learn to let it go and speak of it no longer. Ruminating about it and sharing the hurt with others will only make e things worse, alienating people and ending relationships.

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, chose forgiveness. When a friend asked about a mean act done to her years before, the nurse responded, “I distinctly remember forgetting it.”

God allows us to choose how we respond and control our thoughts. Clara exercised her actions and mind by deliberately forgetting the offense, and we can too.

Full confession, I have damaged relationships because I couldn’t forget the offense.   Entering the second half of my life, I’m working diligently not to do this anymore.   My phone screensaver says, “Forgiveness is the conscious choice to give up your right to make the other person pay because you trust God to make things right.”

We must choose to forgive and trust God to handle the offense. By doing so, we will develop healthy, loving relationships.

Lord, forgive us for not letting go of offenses. Please help us forgive quickly, cover offenses, and love others well, trusting You with any hurts we have. Keep our hearts soft towards others. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 14:1-15:24, Acts 10:1-23, Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 17:7-8

Daily Verse: “A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;  wherever he turns he prospers.” Prov. 17:8

Bribery works.

Sohad, the original Hebrew word for a bribe, means gift. In today’s verse, the term refers to something that will open doors. When I yell “treat,” my dogs run to the kitchen, knowing something good awaits them.   Using dog biscuits gets my pups to do what I want.

Moms use Cheerios to reward children when potty training them. The promise of rewards encourages positive behavior. Bribes of this nature cause people to prosper because of proper motives.

In Exodus 23:8, the Law prohibits bribes made in secret that pervert the way of justices (Prov. 17:23). Payoffs to get someone out of trouble or promote illegal actions don’t fall into the same category as Sohad.

As always, God measures the heart and its intentions. He knows the difference between a bribe meant for good versus evil. Positive choices have positive outcomes and evil ways get exposed.

Appropriate gifts given at the proper time prosper.

Lord, forgive us for using bribery for the wrong reasons. As we study this verse, it helps us understand its meaning and use it appropriately. Let us use our resources to open the right doors properly. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 12:20-13:34, Acts 9:26-43, Psalm 132:1-18, Proverbs 17:6

Daily Verse: “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” Prov. 17:6

Family honor.

Today marks 37 years since God called my father home. Out of his six kids, he had only four grandchildren, one adopted. My sister had an accident as a child, which prevented her from having children. The rest of us without children tried unsuccessfully.

As much as I love traveling with my husband, I miss having children. Watching my friends enjoy their grandchildren brings joy to my heart. Working with kids encourages and uplifts my soul. Why God didn’t bless us with children, I don’t know. Having long accepted His will for our lives, I enjoy the children The Lord brings into my life.

Grandchildren bring joy to the aged, as children honor their parents. The circle of life continues through the ages as people come of age and have their own families. Enjoy the moments with youngsters; they grow fast, becoming parents themselves.

Life continues at a rapid pace. Staying in the moment helps to enjoy it. Respecting grandparents and honoring parents allows us to treasure our family heritage.

Lord, thank You for blessing our lives with children, whether our own or others. Please help us cherish our moments with them, honoring our grandparents and parents as we do. Let us value our family heritage each day. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 11:1-12:19, Acts 9:1-25, Psalm 131:1-3, Proverbs 17:4-5

Daily Verse: “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” Prov. 17:5

Unwholesome speech.

Mocking the poor and misfortunate shows contempt for God and His sovereignty. God controls our destiny; material things don’t determine a person’s worth. People’s temporary circumstances don’t indicate their value to the Creator.

In my life, I’ve met people from both ends of the spectrum, incredibly wealthy and extremely poor. The happiest souls and most peaceful hearts didn’t have bank accounts or homes with windows and doors. Singing praise songs in the concrete room in El Salvador, a chicken in the plastic chair beside me, and off-key voices worshipping the Creator ranks as one of the most joyous and educational moments of my life following Christ.

“The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Prov. 22:2

Connect with people instead of mocking them. Just because financial circumstances differ doesn’t mean God doesn’t love them. Our Creator made us all for different purposes; only He knows the end game. Don’t mock what the Lord made.

Lord, forgive us for mocking those less fortunate than us. Please help us see people through Your lens. Let us value the lives of those around us, honoring and serving them as You would have us do. In all things, let You receive the glory. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 9:1-10:29, Acts 8:14-40, Psalm 130:1-8, Proverbs 17:2-3

Daily Verse: “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” Prov. 17:3

Divine purification.

Nitric acid purifies silver by mixing it with the dissolved metal; it exposes the undissolvable contaminants, leaving them behind. Then adding silver precipitant crystals (common salt) to the mixture neutralizes the acid, pours it off, and leaves the pure silver behind.

God purifies our hearts with the circumstances of life as we follow Him.  Putting into practice Biblical principles reveals the “undissolvable contaminants” in our lives. Adding the Holy Spirit strengthens us to neutralize our impurities and leaves behind a pure heart.

When I struggled with hatred towards another person, God purified my heart. First, I had to understand why their actions caused such a violent response in me. God showed me impurities in my own life that needed work. Dealing with those issues purified my heart, replaced hatred with love, and helped me overcome the powerful emotion.

God tests the heart in various ways. Allowing Him to purify us leads to a more Christ-like life filled with the Lord’s blessing and peace.

Lord, thank You for purifying our hearts and removing the contaminated parts. Lead us in Your ways, continually refining and making our hearts pure. Let us become more like Christ as we follow You closely, changing daily. IJNIP. Amen