Reading, Listening, Obeying

Bible Reading

• Proverbs 8
• 2 Timothy 3

What Spiritual Gift has God given for me to thank Him and praise Him for in worship today? (Rom 1:11)

Prov 8:19 My gifts (wisdom) are better than gold even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver!

I pray God’s word, His truth, wisdom from Him will be more valuable to you than anything else. May there be “Nothing you desire that compares with it (Prov 8:11). It’s so easy to fill our lives with other things and be distracted from simple devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3).

What encouraged me in my faith? (Rom 1:12)

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

I love how NLT rendered this verse. It gave me new insight as I read it in a different version today. God’s word is what brings the knowledge of the wrong in my life. As I spend time with God each day, God uses His word to show me where He wants me to grow. It convicts me of wrong thinking and helps to correct me, teaching me the right way to think. The key is listening, and doing.

I pray that as you seek the wisdom of God, it will become your most treasured gift, and God will use it to help you realize wrong thinking, and teach you what is right today!

What spiritual fruit does God want to work in me and in those I share this with today? (Rom 1:13)

Prov 8:11 Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Prov 8:13 All who fear the Lord will hate evil.

Prov 8:35 Whoever finds me finds and receives favor from the Lord.

2 Tim 3:8 These teachers (people who love only themselves and their money v2) oppose the truth… they have depraved minds and counterfeit faith.

All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Do I hate evil? Do you hate evil? Yes, I do hate certain evil.. murder, abuse, parenting that doesn’t train a child, etc. But, what about the sin of lust? gluttony? laziness? Apathy? When sin controls me, it’s the same as what Paul said in 2 Tim 3:8. I am living with a depraved mind and a counterfeit faith, because my faith is worthless! While the power that raised Christ from the dead is available to me, I am living in slavery to my own desire (James 1:14-15; James 4:2)

Monday night at the fellowship I have been attending, the man who shared talked about giving our burdens to God. He said that we will never be able to give our burdens to God until we identify them. Once we identify them, we have to be willing to die and give them up. The reason we still carry our burdens is because we haven’t died. It’s only when we die to ourselves and our desires that we will experience truly living! Living the “not I but Christ” life is what will bring the gifts that are better than the purest gold and wages that are better then sterling silver! (Prov 8:19) When we live that way, we will live with the favor of God! (Prov 8:35)

I pray you will be in God’s Word every day. I pray the Holy Spirit will use God’s Word to show you what is wrong in your life! I pray it will correct you when you are wrong and teach you to do what is right! (2 Tim 3:16 NLT) Listen to it! There should be nothing you desire more than wisdom from God in His word (Prov 8:11) I pray for you today that you will pay attention to God’s Word. That you will listen to it, and that you will do what it says (James 1:22).