Preparation and God's Blessings

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 12:1–15:35 
1 Corinthians 15:29-58 
Psalm 39:1-13 
Proverbs 21:30-31

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Proverbs 21:31 (NLT) "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Just as a horse was prepared for battle, so we must prepare for this day if we have any expectation of accomplishing some worthy goals and achieving any victories.

Yet, our preparation does not guarantee success. Our preparation only puts us in a position where we can pray for victory but it does not guarantee us the victory. As the above verse states, "Victory belongs to the LORD."

Just as a farmer would be foolish to pray for a massive harvest if he didn't plant, so would a warrior be a fool who prayed for a victory if he didn't prepare for the battle. It would also be foolish of us to pray for victory this day if we don't prepare. But, just as the farmer and warrior depend upon the Lord to bless their efforts, so must we rely upon the Lord for this day's potential victories.

Essentially, its a partnership. Do your part and God will do His part. But, ultimately, if there is any success, its not because of our preparation - it's because of the Lord's blessings upon our preparation. 

It would only make sense, then, to end this day with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

The danger of blessings

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 26:1–28:27 
Romans 13:1-14 
Psalm 23:1-6 
Proverbs 20:11

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

2 Chronicles 26:16 (CSB) "But when he became strong, he grew arrogant, and it led to his own destruction..."
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

One of my very favorite passages in the Bible is Isaiah 6:1-8. Those verses allow us to peer into Heaven. We see the Heavenly Temple and God's glory filling it. We hear the angels crying out, back and forth, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

But, this captivating passage begins with these words:

"In the year that King Uzziah died..." (Isaiah 6:1)

You see, Isaiah 6:1-8 was God's way of encouraging the prophet Isaiah. A very good king died and the future was now uncertain. But God reminded Isaiah through a vision that He was still sitting on the Throne of Heaven ruling over every detail of planet earth.

However, when we read the story, we realize that Uzziah didn't simply die. I suspect that Isaiah mourned the fact that a very good king, who started wonderfully well, ended horribly. Uzziah was such a godly man and he led the people to follow the Lord. Yet, he made a huge mistake and sinned against the Lord. His life ended in bitter health and his reign ended with him as an object of people's pity.

So, what happened? What caused Uzziah to turn from a very good king to a pitiful excuse for a leader?

"But when he became strong, he grew arrogant, and it led to his own destruction..." (2 Chronicles 26:16)

Because he followed the Lord so passionately, God blessed him.

As God blessed him, he became powerful.

As he became powerful, it went to his head and he became proud.

As he became proud, he failed to submit to the Lord's authority over his life and he fell into sin.

As he fell into sin, it led to his demise.

Do you see how we must be so very careful when the Lord blesses us? We must receive those blessings humbly and continue to acknowledge God's authority over us and our inability to do anything of consequence without Him. Otherwise, what begins as God's blessings will end with God's discipline and judgment.

So, whatever you plot in life and however God chooses to bless you, stay humble, my friend. Stay humble.

Understanding Proverbs and how God blesses

The verses that I chose from today's Bible reading are Proverbs 3:9-10. Yet, in order to properly understand those verses, we need to briefly do a little background work.

So, here goes...

To understand the book of Proverbs, you must understand that it is a book of general truths. They are true most of the time.

For instance, look at the following verses that appear one right after the other:

Proverbs 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself."

Proverbs 26:5 "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes."

Now, if these two verses had appeared in Proverbs but were separated by at least a few chapters, someone would allege that they were a contradiction. Yet, the author chose to put them side-by-side. So, there must be something else going on here.

The only explanation that makes sense is that both verses are generally true. You will simply have to determine which one is relevant and applicable by considering the circumstances. On some occasions, you will believe it is the right thing to ignore a foolish person. On other occasions, you will feel the need to show them their error.

So, the book of Proverbs is full of general truths.

Now, let's get to the verses I chose from today's One Year Bible reading:

Proverbs 3:9-10 "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

That's a wonderful promise, isn't it? We are told that when we honor and show our gratitude to the Lord by giving back to Him a portion of what He's blessed us with that He will bless us beyond our capacity to bear it.

Yet, with what we know of the book of Proverbs and how we are to interpret it, we realize that this is a general truth. It isn't true all of the time. But, much of the time, the Lord will bless those who honor Him and thank Him.

So, let's get right to the questions that we all want answers to: "Does this general truth still apply?" and "How do I get blessed?"

The answer to the first question is a resounding "yes!" Of course God delights to bless those who honor Him.

Then, how does He bless us? Sure, the Lord can bless through monetary gain. Just Google the story of R.G. LeTourneau and read the story of an American businessman who experienced God's blessings as he honored the Lord.

But, it seems to me that most of the time, God's blessings come in other forms. After all, Jesus' disciples and His followers throughout the ages have typically not been independently wealthy. Yet, they have been blessed. How? He blesses us with friends and family. He blesses us with the ability to serve and bless others. He blesses us with peace in the middle of a major life storm. He blesses us with an experience where He becomes much more real and enjoyable to us. On and on this list goes.

So, apply Proverbs 3:9-10 today. Hold the Lord in high esteem in your mind and heart. Express your gratitude for how wonderful He is to you. Then, expect to be blessed. Look for the fingerprints of God throughout your day. Almost certainly, you will have something to thank Him for, a blessing, before the day is out.

Bearing a striking resemblance to God

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to read certain verses in the Bible and how infinitely difficult it is to

actually put them into practice? I certainly have!

In my prayer time, I often use "Handbook to Prayer" by Kenneth Boa to guide my prayers. In today's prayer guide, he offered Matthew 5:44 as a verse to pray through. That verse says:

Matthew 5:44 (New Living Translation)

"But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!"

Easy to read. Extremely difficult to put into practice.

After all, it comes natural to hold grudges, doesn't it? It feels normal and we feel justified when we avoid (ignore) those who have hurt us. It might even be easy to go so far as to undermine them by talking badly about them to others.

But, if you look in the neighborhood in which Matthew 5:44 camps out, you'll see that there's more on the line than just being merciful and gracious to those who have hurt us. The big idea is this: When we are merciful and gracious to others, especially those who have hurt us, we are evidencing the qualities of a true child of God. 

God loves His enemies. Do you want others to see the family resemblance when they look at you? Do the same thing.

Matthew 5:43-48 (New Living Translation)

"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I (Jesus) say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Periodically, folks look at one of our three boys and say something like, "Wow! The resemblance is striking! He sure looks like his dad!"

Do you want to look like your Heavenly Father? Love the unlovable today.

Blessing Your Children

Genesis 27:38 (New Living Translation) “Esau pleaded, ‘But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.”

The blessing that Esau begged from his father is different from the kind of blessing that parents provide for their children today. The craving for that blessing however … is the same.

Parents, look for ways to bless your children regularly! Hint: Your words are your most powerful and cost-effective resource.