Creating our own problems

There are times when God brings discipline into our lives. There are times when God allows trouble to enter our lives for a purpose. And although there may be other reasons why difficulties come there are times when people have trouble because  they brought it upon themselves. Their own conduct created an unnecessary problem in their own lives. Lets look at one example in Proverbs.

Proverbs 14:3

3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.

Here the sinful use of the tongue ended up being a rod for the foolish person's back. Unnecessary trouble came back to this person as a direct result of sinful speech. Words that hurt others could be one example. When someone is wounded by unloving speech they can respond back to the speaker with anger, quarreling or even violence.

This trouble would come to the speaker by their own doing. God's hands did not engineer this conflict. They created their own conflict by the way they treated their fellow man.

We will never be trouble free in this life. But we can reduce unnecessary trouble by building godly character in thoughts, words and deeds.


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Tempted to use your mouth in the wrong way?

Psalm 39:1

I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”

David had more than one approach to keeping his tongue under control. In Psalm 39 we see two of his methods. One of the things he focused on was the tongue itself. He made a conscious effort to keep his tongue under control. He guarded his mouth.

But notice he did not just guard his mouth but he also guarded his ways. He said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue;"  The way we are on the inside will eventually work its way out to our tongue. So addressing our ways is also very important if we are going to keep our tongue under control. That principal is clearly stated in Luke.

Luke 6:45

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

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Having a balance between work and rest

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6

4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. 6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

In this passage we see three different mixtures of work and rest. One person chooses to avoid work, one has a healthy balance between work and rest and one works too much. 

In verse 5 the foolish person takes a lazy extreme. He chooses to fold his hands and to avoid work. He did not get a lay off which caused him to be out of work through no fault of his own. He was unwilling to work and provide for himself. In his case his poverty is his own fault. 

In verse 6 the next person balances work and rest. One handful of rest suggests that he has one handful of rest and one handful of work. He has a balance between a time of work and a time of rest.

The third person which is also in verse 6 has two handfuls of work. He works too much and does not rest from his work when he should do so. Whatever is motivating him to be a workaholic is robbing him of needed rest. Sin can be a hard task master that drives us and deprives us of needed rest. But God doesn't drive us like a task master. God leads us to work and He also leads us to times of needed rest too. 

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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Little with peace is better than wealth with fighting

Proverbs 17:1

17 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

Than a house full of feasting with strife.

Strife can diminish the rich person ability to enjoy their wealth . And the lives of those who have little can actually be better if their godly character provides peace in the home.

Lets take a look at the poor person first. His portions are poor both in quantity and in quality. It is poor in quantity since the word "morsel" is used. It is poor in quality since the word "dry" is used.

In contrast the rich person has both quality and quantity. Quantity is clear by the word "full" and quality seems to be implied the word "feasting". One would think of moist, not dry, food that is flavorful when feasting.

It seems to be implied that the poor person is godly while the rich person is disobedient. The poor person in this verse has developed relationship skills that keeps the home at peace. While the rich person's selfish character puts him at odds with those around him

But the main point that I get out of this verse is that wealth can't be fully enjoyed without the development of godly character. And developing a godly character will yield me a better life whether I have little or much. 

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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Some stern warnings about hardening our hearts and falling away from God

Hebrews 3:7-11

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
And saw My works for forty years.
10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
11 As I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

Here is a passage found in Proverbs that speaks of a consequence of persistent disobedience. 

Proverbs 29:1

A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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Seeking a spouse?

Seeking a spouse? Don't be blinded by one sided thinking that says, "I just need to find the right person." Instead we also need to focus on our own godly character too. A successful marriage requires both partners, not just the other person, to be walking in God's ways. Grow in love so you will be a good partner for that future right person. Don’t just look for the right person, be the right person too.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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How willing are we to follow Christ?

I am not going to give a devotion on this topic today.  I'll just let these verses say it all. God bless you.

Luke 9:57-62

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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