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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 31 December 2023:
Malachi 4:1 — For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
Dictionaries define arrogance as “having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.” More critically, arrogance is undervaluing the holiness and authority of God, not honoring, glorifying, and serving God wholeheartedly. All sin, even the smallest one, is an act of cosmic treason, an attempt to dethrone the Almighty in our lives, if but for just a moment. How could we dare sin if we truly appreciated the holiness of God, the reality of our utter depravity, and the incredible gift of grace He has bestowed upon us through Jesus? Pray that God will help you see sin the way He sees it and that you would be truly amazed by grace.
Arrogance starts with pride, and as Proverbs says, humility comes before honor (Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 18:12), and pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Arrogance is overly confident and abrasive pridefulness. Pride says, I can trust my own judgment over God’s and others. Pride robs you of the ability to learn, understand and grow. Pride is the ultimate blind spot; we have a very hard time recognizing our own pride. We need the constant counsel of the Holy Spirit and of other faithful Christians in our lives to combat our unrecognized pride, but pride tends to make us unreceptive. Pride robs you of wisdom, and the fear (proper respect) of the Lord is the beginning and foundation of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and life (Proverbs 9:10). We must build upon the foundation of the fear of the Lord by humbly practicing daily obedience, faithfulness, until we become the embodiment of His Word. In our practice of obedience, we must be very careful that pride doesn’t creep in to cause us to measure ourselves by our acts rather than our heart. If we are not careful, we can become whitewashed tombs with nothing but dead bones inside. We must look, as God does, at the true heart and motives behind our actions, again, humbly.
– Proverbs 8:13 — The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
– Proverbs 11:2 — When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
– Proverbs 16:18 — Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
– Proverbs 21:24 — “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.
– Proverbs 29:23 — One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
– Proverbs 1:7 — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
– Proverbs 1:29 — Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
– Proverbs 2:5 — …then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
– Proverbs 8:13 — The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
– Proverbs 9:10 — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
– Proverbs 10:27 — The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.
– Proverbs 14:26 — In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
– Proverbs 14:27 — The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
– Proverbs 15:16 — Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.
– Proverbs 15:33 — The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
– Proverbs 16:6 — By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.
– Proverbs 19:23 — The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
– Proverbs 22:4 — The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.
– Proverbs 23:17 — Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.
– Proverbs 29:25 — The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
– Isaiah 8:13 — But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
– Isaiah 11:2 — And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
– Isaiah 11:3 — And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
Malachi 4:6 – And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
God fixes nations by fixing families. A godly family is a united family. God is the answer to your family problems. Jesus is the answer to our national problems. There is no other answer.
Psalm 150:6 — Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Congratulations on reading through the entire Bible! Hopefully by prayerfully reading and studying the entire Bible systematically, you have been able to see the “big picture,” the truth of “His Story (history).” In a society where so many are proclaiming a hopeless worldview of purposelessness, meaninglessness, random chance, scarcity and self-preservation, hopefully you are having a different conversation, one of hope and “Good News” about 1) God’s purpose and desire for humanity and the world (oneness with Him and fulfillment in Him), 2) the fall of humanity and the world (separation from God through sin and disunity with Him), 3) God’s redemption of what was lost through Jesus Christ and Him alone, the Restorer of humanity, and 3) the final restoration for which we joyfully anticipate when Christ will return to make all things new for eternity. Hopefully, you have seen Christ revealed throughout the entire Bible.
The Bible begins with Christ (see John 1) and ends with Christ, and between the bookends of Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22 where there is no sin present on earth, God has been unfolding His redemptive plan through Christ for His glory.
Hopefully, as we approach another New Year, you are sure and are sharing that, “through Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension, God gave him the authority to give all who receive and follow Him in repentance and faith a new standing before God, a new heart and life from God, a new community in God, and a promised new world from God-when Jesus returns to make all things new.” (Pathway Learning) The Good News this year is all those who will believe in Jesus Christ are saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from the domineering power of sin in their lives, and will be saved from the presence of sin when Christ returns and makes all things new. You certainly have something to celebrate this year!
“Praise the Lord!” After many long prayers and songs about all of life’s major ups and downs, successes and failures, blessings and curses, wins and losses, joys and sorrows, after it all, the Book of Psalms concludes with this summation: “Praise the Lord!” In fact, in this very short and final Psalm, the word praise is used 13 times! Can you look back on this year, with all its ups and downs, and joyfully sing God’s praises with a Romans 8:28 perspective? At the close of this year, are you enthusiastic about proclaiming the praises of God to all you know? Recommit today to begin every day of the next year in prayerful study and application of God’s word and see if your joy and praises don’t grow.
Proverbs 31:1 — An oracle that his mother taught him….
A wise mother wants nothing more for her son than a wise, godly wife. A wise mother carefully instructs her children on God’s plan for marriage.
Proverbs 31:2 – What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?
God intends parents to model integrity and fidelity for their children.
Proverbs 31:6-7 – Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
Various forms of escapism are for the weak and not appropriate for a Christian who faces the responsibilities and opportunities God has set before them with courage and strength.
Proverbs 31:8, 9 – Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
God expects us to speak up when we see evil.
Proverbs 31:10, 11 – An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
Character earns the trust and confidence of others.
A marriage requires trust which comes from good character.
Proverbs 31:30 — Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
There is no one more beautiful than a woman (or man) of godly character.
The quality of your life will be determined by your Christ-like character, not your charm, looks, personality, talents, or accomplishments.
Proverbs 31:31 – Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Honor is something that is earned through consistently honorable behavior over a lifetime, and every day is a new day to repent (have a change of heart and mind), and begin a new life of honorable faithfulness to God to His glory and to the benefit of you and everyone around you.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 31 December 2023: “Praise the Lord” today for all that God had done in your life, and commit to a closer walk with God in the upcoming year! (Psalm 150:6) Tell everyone you can what you learned about Jesus this year from reading the Bible, and encourage others to read the Bible with you this year. Start your own Bible study going right to the source. All you need is a Bible, the Holy Spirit and receptive hearts.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 