Psalm 45:1 ” My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”

Religious scribes were an important and integral part of ancient Jewish history.  They preserved and interpreted the Holy Scriptures.  When they spoke the word of the Lord out loud to the people…they were speaking on behalf of God…knowing His word would never return void without first accomplishing its purpose…the ultimate purpose for each listening ear.

Proverbs 1:8 ” Listen, my son to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”

As children we may not look like we’re listening…but our heart is attentive.  As teenagers we roll our eyes and sigh…thinking our parents are so out of touch and old fashion…but our heart is listening.  And when we finally reach adulthood with some age under our belt, we look back at all the godly instruction and disciple we’ve received by our parents…and decide,  they really did know best.

Matthew 14: 28-30 ” ‘Lord, if it’s You,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to You on the water.’ ‘Come,’ He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘ Lord, save me!’ “

Just like Jesus, Peter walked on the water.  Just like Jesus, Peter’s faith was great enough to keep him afloat.  But unlike Jesus, Peter took his eyes off his Savior and onto the situation around him and he began to flounder.  When the storm is swirling around you…keep your eyes on Jesus.  When fear promises to overwhelm you…keep your eyes on Jesus.  For as long as Peter stayed focused on the Lord, he walked above the fray.

I Kings 11:4 ” As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

King Solomon had not followed the laws of God that commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with foreigners.  Of his 700 wives and 300 concubines, numerous were foreign women who worshiped many gods.  Instead of remaining fully committed and totally obedient…Solomon acquiesced and compromised his devotion to the Lord.

 

John 16:7 ” But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

The Comforter…the Encourager…the Holy Spirit.  Sent by Jesus to witness and glorify Him, and part of the Holy Trinity.  He is the Paraclete…the one who comes up along side and guides us in all truth.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 ” To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”

To the Believer, the Lord bestows not only godly insight and discernment…but also optimism and deep contentment.  But to the non-Believer, the Lord gives the assignment of acquiring wealth in order to bless  Believers with provision and prosperity.

Ecclesiastes 2:13 ” I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.”

Groping around in pitch blackness can be dangerous.  The consequences  can be just as hazardous when spiritual darkness blinds us to the risks and pitfalls of this fallen world.  When light invades the darkness, the darkness must flee.  When life, salvation, and wisdom come into us…the spiritual darkness must also take  flight.

Titus 1:1 ” Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.”

The mystery of God is summed up in one word…Jesus.  Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have new birth and can fully grasp the foundation and principal of God’s love for us.

Jeremiah 29: 14 ” ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’ “

Sometimes we manage to banish ourselves from God’s presence by bad decisions we’ve made…sometimes the Lord disciplines us by starkly exposing our disobedience and lets us think about it in the desert for a while.  Either way, God promises His forgiveness and reconciliation to all who seek Him.

Jeremiah 29:13 ” You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

God wants the best of you…not the leftover dregs.  He wants your total heart, mind, and soul in  pursuit of His will for your life.  That means setting aside a time daily to be in His Word and pray…whether that means early in the morning, over the lunch hour, or in the evening when the house quiets down.  Don’t squeeze God into your schedule…but rather work your schedule around Him and the things that have eternal consequences.