Monday, August 31, 2009

August 31 Daily Journal

August 31, 2009 Daily Journal


Proverbs 31:1 →Don't ignore your mother. She has many good things to teach you.


Proverbs 31:5 →It's the responsibility of rulers to remember the weight of their duties and the laws they are charged with upholding. This only is a justification for term limits. It's for the health of rulers, lest they stress out. Additional application thought: church leaders? Do you think it's appropriate to try and “forget” the worries of church leadership for a little while? I'm not downing taking some vacation time, but while you are away, or on your day off, are you really entitled to completely forget your responsibilities? NOTE: I read this week about a church whose pastor, who had been serving as a Guard/Reserve Chaplain, was called to Active Duty and deployed to Iraq. Church members tried to get him to continue dealing with the minutiae of church life in the states. That's beyond wrong. He wasn't on vacation, and he was surely still burdened for his church at home, but he was fulfilling other duties. As with all Biblical principles, use the wisdom God gives you, and don't be a knucklehead.


Proverbs 31:8-9 →These verses speak to seeking justice for those who are completely unable to seek it for themselves. This isn't about speaking on behalf of Michael Vick or Bernie Madoff. They have the means to speak for themselves. This is about speaking on behalf of the unborn, the widow, the orphan, the truly oppressed. We ought to do more of it. Here's a start: check out Voice of the Martyrs and the work they do on behalf of oppressed Christians. Or International Christian Concern . Get involved with a crisis pregnancy center or a children's home . Do something.


Proverbs 31:27 →Ok, you have the whole Proverbs 31:10-31 passage about a capable woman, and about her traits and behaviors. I want to isolate this verse: Proverbs 31:27. This doesn't say she never rests, never takes a break. The literal is that she does not “eat the bread of idleness.” Basically, she is not content to have things given to her that she doesn't earn. She doesn't spend all of her time idle and wasting it away. I've heard this verse used to justify women working 60-hour weeks away from home, to justify women being expected to never sit down and rest. That's not what it says! Ladies, rest is acceptable. Idleness, a life spent focused on luxury, is not. Whether you are working for pay or not, be sure you are not being idle when you should be expanding the Kingdom of God. Men, don't neglect Proverbs 31:28-29: bless her, praise her. Build up your wife.


Devotional Reading: Exodus 3:1-15 → God is defined by Himself. What that means for us is that we should seek out what He has said, and trust it, rather than applying our standards to God.


Sunday School this week, from Lifeway's Explore The Bible curriculum (which, back in the olden days, was the Baptist Sunday School Board's Bible Book Series, I think. Goes to demonstrate that content is more crucial than title.) Psalm 19:1-14. Today: Psalm 19:1-6 → I think we're doing an injustice to the concept of “God's Glory” by associating “glory” with “weightiness.” While the archaic Hebrew words are related, the modern English words are not. The concept is that the Glory of God is the impact on the universe around Him, it's what is felt by mankind. It's not that God is in need of a diet. The other impact in these verses is that God is evident in creation, whether we see Him there or not. Have you ever considered that a marvelous creation is there to drive us to study the Creator, not the creation? Any science that does not have as its long-term goal the praising of God is going to come up short.


2 Peter 1:2 →Have you ever wanted to just have grace and peace, and for your preacher to leave you alone about learning? Ever thought that what the church needs is less theology and more grace and peace? We put a division in a place where God puts a connection. The more we grow in our knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord and of God, the more we receive and show grace and peace. And remember, in Scripture, “know” isn't just an informational awareness. It's a behavioral adjustment.


Doug


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