May 17
Proverbs 17: 1-9
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" Philippians 2: 3.
The Lord Jesus Himself said that He did not come to be served, but to be the servant of many. How often do we look down on "ordinary" jobs and criticize those who do them? Would you look down on Jesus for washing the disciples' feet?
Solomon says that when we look down on others, we are looking down on God our Maker.
As Christians, we often tend to be overly critical of each other, and keep wrong thoughts in our hearts against others. Verse 3 says that God will test your heart to see what your attitudes are. Will the results of God's testing please Him today?
May 16
Proverbs 16: 26-33
"Whoever slanders his neighbour in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. Psalm 101: 5-6
The halls of any school are great places to find out just what the students are like. In school, gossip travels like lightning. We sometimes gossip about others behind their backs just so that the "crowd" will pay attention to us. Solomon says that gossip is a scorching fire on our lips. If you admire the person who knows everything about everybody - then you are also part of that gossip as well.
Jesus never gossiped about anyone - He spoke directly to men. Be honest with each person you meet today, and ignore idle gossip. Use your mouth to give messages from God that bring life to others.
May 15
Proverbs 16: 17-25
The Lord Jesus turned His back on everything that was His in Heaven and came to earth in a human body to die for our sin. Christ "humbled" Himself, that is, He ignored His rights as God in order to save us. Verse 18 says that when we think we're "pretty good we soon get knocked off our places. Verse 19 says that it is better to be humble with lowly people than to be rich with proud people. How do you treat other people, that person in your class that everyone else dislikes? Is your attitude toward him loving and humble as Jesus' would be? If Christ is truly the ruler of your life, He will change you to be more and more like Himself. "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
May 14
Proverbs 16: 8-16
You may never expect to be a king, but read this passage again and look at the responsibility leaders have. You may say that this does not apply to you, but actually it does. If you have younger brothers or sisters, you are a leader. If there are kids on your street, then you are an influence on them. Did you ever think that when you sin, you set a bad example to the younger children in your family? God says it is a disgusting thing for a leader to sin. Verse 10 says that a leader should never judge wrongly. How are you with your friends? Verse 5 says that to have the king's favour is like a refreshing, life-giving spring rain. As Christians, we should long for the life-light to shine on us from the face of Jesus - the King of Kings.
May 13
Proverbs 16: 1-7
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart 1 Samuel 16:7.
Many of Solomon's Proverbs speak of a right relationship with God. The Bible tells us that one day we shall all stand before the Lord. If we are Christians, our lives will be tried by fire to see which of our works will stand the test of eternity. Only what is done for Christ will last.
We may think that we are doing all the right things and praying all the right prayers, but are our hearts right with God? Verse 7 is a good standard to judge our spiritual lives by. If our lives please the Lord, even our enemies will be at peace with us.
May 12
Proverbs 15: 26-33
Have you ever met a person who doesn't want anything to do with God, UNTIL he gets in a jam? Immediately he calls on "the Man upstairs" and expects an answer, sometimes even a miracle from God. Verse 29 says that God is far away from this type of person. He is so full of sin that God cannot hear his prayer.
The Bible says that God hears the prayers of those who are right with Him. Does God hear your prayers? He can't hear your prayers unless you have asked Jesus to take away your sin and have given your life completely to Him. If you haven't done so, don't wait any longer. He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.
"He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false - He will receive blessing from the Lord" Psalm 24: 4-5.
May 11
Proverbs 15: 17-25
"The path of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway." Nobody today wants to work. In our society, pleasure and play seem to take first place. God has a lot to say about laziness. If we are lazy people, we'll be lazy Christians too, and God wants soldiers.
Do you sometimes find you "can't be bothered" to tell others about Christ? If Jesus is not important to us, our lives are meaningless. Hard work for God leads to happiness. Is your life a "tangle of weeds" or a "highway"?
May 10
Proverbs 15: 10-16
''My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in, Proverbs 3: 11-12.
God also speaks to us about our spiritual lives through the Bible. Do you read it every day? Do you rebel when He points out wrong things in your life? Accept His correction and allow it to change you. Remember: God only corrects those He loves.
May 09
Proverbs 15: 1-9
Someone has written, "You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do, by the words that you say. Men read what you write, whether faithless or true. So, what is the gospel according to you?"
The other day we learned that our tongue tells what our heart is thinking. With it we can honour or dishonour the Lord Jesus. Did you know that Jesus can use your tongue to encourage others?
Calling others names or calling them down for their faults, is certainly not pleasing to God, and as Christians, our greatest desire should be to please Him in all that we do.
When we share the knowledge of our Saviour with others, God will encourage and strengthen them as they ask Him to control their life.
May 08
Proverbs 14: 28-35
"It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
With all the wars and troubles of our day, there is one thing that we need more than anything else, and that is wisdom. However, compared to God's wisdom, man's wisdom is foolishness. Yet the Bible says that a man who can control his temper has great understanding of life, and a man who understands has wisdom in his heart (verse 33).
As Christians, where does our wisdom come from? The Bible also says that Christ has come into our lives to give us wisdom and make us right with God. If we love our Lord, we will desire His wisdom, and our tempers and actions will show whose wisdom we really possess.
