“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” -Proverbs 21:23 NLT
Practice self-control even in speech. Not everything you are thinking and not everything you feel needs to be spoken. The problem with words is that once you have spoken, you will not be able to take those words back. Will your words edify or tear down? Remember out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
“The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.” (Matthew 12:35)
“Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” (Proverbs 25:11)
When our minds are fixated on those who oppose us, who are the children of GOD, we are only adding fuel to the fire of our anger and our confusion. Those who oppose us are not ours to worry about. GOD will take care of the opposition. Unless we truly let go, we will never have peace of mind. When we are fixated upon those who oppose us, those who speak ill of us, those who are trying to harm us, then we are not trusting in GOD.
SHIFT THE FOCUS: In Isaiah 26:3-4 (Berean Study Bible), it states, “3You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You. 4Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.” Rather than focus on the opposition, which is as fleeting as the grass that eventually withers away, focus on what is eternal such as reflecting on the laws and the commands of GOD and concerning yourself with obeying Him, not caring about the approval or the applause of people. When you begin to think and speak about the goodness of GOD, you will find yourself experiencing the peace that comes from GOD alone. Your soul cannot remain in a downcast state when you are letting the fruit of your lips be thanksgiving and praise to GOD, and you will experience true joy rising up within you. Your mind will not stay overwhelmed and weighed down when you are thinking about what is noble, honorable, trustworthy, and of good report. Trust in GOD, and let it go.
“6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” -Proverbs 12:3 NLT
The path of the wicked only leads to destruction. The wicked continue to grow eviler, more contemptuous toward what is good and holy, and their hearts continue to harden. Their deceptive words crush the spirit and they hate discipline. Their mouths spout foolishness. They devise evil schemes. Whatever success they do have is not permanent, and that temporal success costs them their integrity and honor. That temporal success comes at the expense of their character. They are NOT successful according to God’s standards.
The godly, however, are successful by God’s standards. They are deeply rooted in Christ and grounded in the Word of God. They maintain their purity before God. They walk in righteousness, and their words build up and encourage others. The success they have gained in the sight of God and in living for Him is lasting because the godly live by God’s commands and laws; they walk uprightly before God, protecting truth, and keeping up their integrity.
If you want true success that is lasting, then follow God’s ways and live by His standards. Obeying God and doing things His way will always bring about blessings.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, every good and perfect gift is from You. You are my Lord and my God, and my desire is to live for you. Remind me that true success comes by living for You and following Your laws and Your commands. True freedom is found in surrendering to Your will and Your ways, walking in obedience to you. Help me to maintain my integrity and to continue walking uprightly before You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” -Psalm 1:4-6 NLT
Are you the chaff or are you the grain?
Chaff is the husk, outer shell of the grain, and it goes through a process of threshing (getting the edible part of the grain loosened, a separating of the valuable kernel of grain from the outer shell) and winnowing (tossing the grain in the air to separate the inedible chaff from the edible grain). What is the difference between the kernel of grain and the chaff? The grain is useful and valuable. However, the chaff is worthless and is of no use to anyone or anything. The chaff and the grain are tossed in the air, the chaff is very light and is blown in every direction by the slightest wind. In other words, the chaff has no direction, no substance, and is no good to eat.
Each of us has been designed with purpose and significance. However, not every person, who has been designed with purpose and significance, will choose to walk in the purpose and step into the destiny that God has for them. EACH OF US HAS A CHOICE IF WE WILL WALK IN THE PURPOSE GOD HAS DESIGNED US FOR. We will either choose to be chaff or grain.
As children of God, Christ has chosen us to go and bear fruit as we see in John 15:16 which states, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit…”
How do you know whether you are the chaff (wicked)?“But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.” The chaff in this verse are those who are wicked, those who do not follow the ways of God, those who are living for themselves, those who treat what is holy as common, and those who are indifferent to the things of God. The chaff are those who are “Sinners” and “will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”
How do you know if you are the grain (godly)? If you are the grain, then you do NOT take counsel from those who are the chaff (wicked). You do NOT entertain mockers or scoffers or those who practice a life of sin (unrepentant life of any sin). You delight yourself in His instructions and His laws. You reflect on God and His ways and seek to do what pleases Him day and night. You walk in obedience because you love Him. Because you are grain, you are what Psalm 1:3 says, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
Today is the day to choose because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow: “CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.” Being the grain or being the chaff is a matter of spiritual life or death. Be like Joshua when he said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD “
No one can make the choice for you or me. Each of us is responsible before God as to how we live whether we live for God or whether we live for self. All is exposed before the eyes of God. CHOOSE you this day whom you will serve.
Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing me, for calling me to go forth and bear the fruits of righteousness and holiness. My joy is found only in You, Father, and there is no other place where salvation is found. You, O God, are my Salvation. You alone have the Words of Life, and You are the Fountain of Living Water. Before You, help me to keep my resolve to live uprightly before You and to walk in holiness before You that I may be counted amongst the righteous and be with You for eternity. Because of Your Spoken Word, O Lord, I know I am made clean. Be my Strength, my Portion, and my Song forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“…but doers of the word will be justified;” Romans 2:13 NKJV
No one ever said doing a spiritual self-examination would be easy, but we do so, as children of God, because it is necessary. God is longsuffering, not slack concerning any of His promises. He is longsuffering because He wants us to turn to Him, to repent, and to turn from any and all sin.
Asking God to point out our sin is difficult. The reason we ask God to point out our sin is so that He can cleanse and heal us. God will never bring harm to you. God has good plans for you for a hope and a future, but that also includes letting Him clean you up. While it is a little unnerving knowing that He sees everything we say and do, it can also be quite comforting knowing that we can come to Him with a humble and sincere heart and ask Him to change in us whatever displeases Him.
“…For You will repay each man according to His deeds.” Psalm 62:12 BSB
Our goal must always be to please God by seeking Him and acting on His Word through obedience and walking by faith, living our lives as a living sacrifice before Him. This is why is it not enough to have knowledge of what is right. We must act on what is right, doing what is right. We must be “doers of the word” so that we “will be justified.”
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 BSB
We do what is right because we love God; Because we love God, we understand obedience is better than sacrifice. Because we love God, we obey His commands and His laws. Because we love God, we apply His Word to every aspect of our life. We are doers of the Word, not just hearers only so that we won’t be self-deceived.
In all we do, let us always set out to please God and be doers of His word because“doers of the word will be justified.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for being patient with me. I ask, Lord, that You show me whatever it is in my life that is not pleasing to You that I might turn away from it. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Forgive me, O Lord, and heal me. Make me whole. Thank You for forgiving me and setting me free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”
Isaiah 51:7-8 ESV
God’s Word is so awesome. It is in the Word that we can find the truth of God. His truth is not dependent on how man feels or think. His truth speaks of His nature, His character, His warnings, His commands, and His promises. His Word clearly defines who we are. His Word tells us who we are in light of who God says we are, not a man says we are.
You, Child of the Most High God, have not been given the spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind. His laws are written in your heart, and His unfailing love banishes all fear. Those who are persecuting and mocking you are mocking the God you serve, and they cannot prevail against you. They cannot prevail against you because God’s truth always prevails.
Let God deal with those who oppose you. In the end, remember God’s Word never fades away, and God is your defense. The wicked do not prosper, and in the end, they will reap the wages of iniquity they have sown for hating God and for hating what is holy.
You need not fear anything when you are walking in obedience to God and when you are doing what He wants you to do. So keep focused on serving and loving God and let Him fight your battles for you. After all, the battle belongs to the Lord. Keep your mind fixed on Him, and He will fill you with perfect peace because you trust in Him.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You alone are My Defense. You are my Strength, and You are my Shield. Lord, help me to always remain steadfast in following You and Your ways. You are the One who has ordered my steps. Thank You for being the Shepherd of my Heart. Thank You, Father, that I am able to sit before a table You set before me in the presence of my enemies. Thank You for Your truth that always prevails. Your Word says that if I fear You, I need not fear anything else. I do not fear anyone because You have not given me the spirit of fear, but You have given me the spirit of love and of power and of a sound mind. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.'” -Ezekiel 11:12 (NKJV)
Israel was no different than us today. They were not supposed to be like the other nations. They were not to participate nor were they to conform to the ways of the pagan nations that were all around them.
As the children of God, Israel was not to take on the pagan customs as their own. They were to have nothing to do with pagan religious rituals; They were not to get involved in the pagan religions at all. They were set apart to stand out, not to blend in. They were called to bear fruits of righteousness and holiness.
Today, we like Israel are not to confirm to the patterns, behavior, or customs of this world. We are called to holiness, called to stand out and not to be like the world. We are to follow God’s commands and laws. We are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:2 NKJV).
GOD HAS ALREADY SET THE STANDARDS SO STOP TRYING TO REWRITE WHAT GOD HAS PERFECTED.
GOD has made it clear in His Word what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you says. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you calls right and wrong. The vain imaginations of men and the world’s philosophies are not approved of GOD.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” -Romans 1:21(NKJV)
If your main goal is to please man in what you do and say, and if you are looking for man to approve what you do and say, then you are not a servant of Christ.
“Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ,” (Galatians 1:10 BSB).
As a child of the LIVING GOD, you have been chosen and called to bear fruit (Reference John 15:16). You have been called to be set apart, to be made holy, to stand for truth, not to bow down to the culture around you.
No one knows that the church secretary has many bosses as the church has members! At least that is what some church members think.
Daisy can never forget this one particular day, a member of the church who was named Juniper came up to the reception counter, “Daisy, I want to see the Pastor and I want to see him now.”
Daisy responded, “The Pastor is in prayer right now, but he should be finished in about two hours.”
This answer didn’t make Juniper a happy little camper and she became angry, raising her voice, “It’s an emergency, and you need to do your job and interrupt him now!”
Daisy was puzzled by Juniper’s demand and why she was raising her voice at Daisy who trying not to laugh at Juniper’s facial expressions, and Daisy responded accordingly, “I was told by the the Pastor that he is not to be interrupted by anything short of the building being on fire. Therefore, I cannot interrupt him unless you, someone else, or something has set the building on fire.”
All of sudden Juniper burst through the administrative office door which Daisy had forgotten to lock when Daisy had come in that morning and Juniper slammed the door shut.
“Why don’t you do your job?”
Daisy responded, “I am.” Then Daisy reached over and opened the administrative office door and kindly said, “I would appreciate it if you could please leave the office. I will let him know you stopped by when he is done.”
Clearly from the look on her face Juniper was more angry and so Juniper towered over Daisy, and Daisy just looked at her trying to remain serious and not burst out laughing. Daisy asked her, “Is there a problem?”
Juniper responded, “I pay YOUR salary and I pay tithes, and I expect YOU to do your job. “
Then Daisy proceeded to ask, “Did anyone fall and crack their head open?”
She yelled, “No, what kind of a stupid question is that?!”
Daisy said, “A perfectly legitimate question. Is blood gushing out of anyone because that would constitute an emergency?”
Juniper was exasperated and yelled louder, “DAISY! What is wrong with you? No one is gushing blood and no one needs an ambulance in case that is your next question.”
Daisy said, “I wasn’t going to ask you if anyone was in need of an ambulance. I had to determine the nature of the emergency. However, I was going to ask you if you or if anyone was stroking out or about to stroke out because we have a doctor on the premises right now.”
She screamed, “You are incorrigible.”
Suddenly Daisy burst out laughing, “I may be stubborn and obstinate, but I am not incorrigible.”
“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” Isaiah 5:20 NLT
Learn to develop a thankful heart and let the fruit of your lips be praise to the Lord Most High. He is worthy of all praise, and we are told in the Word of God to give thanks at all times. Find something to thank God for because God is faithful and He is worthy of all glory.
“Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:18BSB
“even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:7-10NLT
One of the blessings God has given to those who are in Christ Jesus is that they are no longer what they were before Christ. In Christ, we are new creations. The old is gone, and the new has come. So fix your eyes on Christ and on the road God has marked out before you, and press forward. Step into the plans and the future God has for you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God from whom all blessings flow. I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for being the Author and the Finisher of my faith. Father, I am fixing my eyes on You because I know You have great plans for me. I will put my trust in You as I step into the plans You have for me and the future You designed. I ask that You continue to show me the way I am to go as I am relying and depending on You to lead me. My desire is to stay in Your will and to do what You would have me to do. I know You have already gone before me, and I ask for Your help in remaining steadfast before You. Continue Your work in me, O Lord, and light my way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stained Glass Confessions 