Proverbs 16:6

Proverbs 16:6  Through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

Reigning Ruler of the Universe, As the Creator of everything, You and You alone have the exclusive right to rule the world. Your rules are always right because You are infallible. If only I'd listen to You, I'd avoid danger. Help me develop a deeper respect for Your almighty authority. The more I know You, the more I'll revere You. Awaken my senses to Your unsurpassable power and justice.    With the thunderous voice of authority, and the snap of a finger You tell the lightning exactly where to strike. When You open Your mouth the mountains tremble. At Your command the clouds dance over the earth. The storehouses of hail and snow are under Your control. You appoint the sun to shine by day and tell the stars and moon to light up the night sky. Stirring the sea, You whip up the waves. Because everything under heaven obeys Your orders, I ought to too.    Since one day, possibly quite soon, I'll appear before Your sacred throne and answer to You for the things I've done, arouse my heart with holy fear. Inspired by Your supreme sovereignty, I'll turn from my selfish desires and seek to satisfy You. Your righteous rules will show me truth, expose my rebellion, correct my mistakes and prompt me to live in reverent fear of the Only One who has the right to reign and rule over the Universe. Amen.

Is your heart aroused with a holy fear of God? Ponder the righteous rules inscribed by His holy hand in the sacred Scriptures. They will show you truth, expose your rebellion, correct your mistakes and prompt you to live reverently before the Reigning Ruler of the Universe.

A Brave Heart: A Story of Courage, Confidence and Conquer

While I work I meet the most fascinating people. This is Kim Nguyen. I met her in October 2015 at Richmond SHRM Annual Conference. My company was a sponsor of the event, and I was an exhibitor. After hearing me talk about my career transition, she reached out to me for some coaching. I helped her articulate her passion and ideal position; and then, encouraged her to pursue it with all her heart. She has just been offered her dream job working for the State of Virginia. When we met to celebrate her success, I learned her incredible story of overcoming adversity.

A native of Vietnam, she migrated to America with her parents, two brothers, and grandma when she was 11. Together they escaped Vietnam on a cargo vessel along with 4,000 other people. They spent 4 days at sea with no food or water. Her mother was pregnant with her sister. Their ship began taking on water and was sinking when an SOS was sent. They were rescued by a Danish cargo ship. They had to cross from one ship to the other on a scary ladder. One slip of the foot and her destiny would have been swallowed by the sea.

4,000 people. It was chaos. People were pushing and pressing in on her to escape the sinking ship. She became separated from her family. 11 years old, she crossed the ladder and landed safely on the Danish vessel; alone; lost; heading to an unknown destination.

Dehydrated, famished, and weak, she fainted in the hot sun on the ship's deck. The ship's crew miraculously came to her rescue. Scooping her up, they took her to their quarters and fed her chicken noodle soup. She shared her bowl with a lost boy who she imagined was her brother. The crew somehow took her photo, developed it, and posted it on the various decks. (This was long before cell phones and internet technology.)

Her mom was sick from the pregnancy, malnutrition, and the loss of her daughter. Her dad was despondent thinking his daughter perished at sea. But grandma was strong and set out looking for her. After two days grandma found her and she was reunited with her family.

They landed in Hong Kong and spent six months in a refugee camp. Because her dad fought with the US Marines in Vietnam her family was granted asylum in the US.

They were deported to Fort Indian Town Gap, a short distance from my home, and spent a month there. A church in VA was looking to sponsor a family of 5 or 6. Since they were a family of 5 1/2, the church sponsored them. She received a private school education in America where she learned to speak the English language impeccably. She went on to Princeton and got a job working for the Federal Reserve. After 20 some years she was outplaced and our paths crossed. Last year, in pursuit of her dream job, she went to Harvard, earned a certificate in Human Resources Management, and passed her SHRM Certification exam without ever having worked in the field of Human Resources.

I have never met a braver heart. She is courageous, confident, and a conqueror. I am blessed to call her my friend.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him,  and he will make your paths straight.

All-Knowing One,  You are my Leader and Guide on this journey through life. When I try to figure out where You're taking me, I only end up lost and confused. Who can understand You? My thoughts are not Your thoughts, neither are my ways Your ways. Just as the heavens are far above the earth, so are Your ideas far superior and brighter than mine. You are always right, always good and always loving.    You, O God, are perfect in knowledge. Exalted in power, who has taught You? No one! Who can teach You? No one! You are the Master Mind of the universe. No mind on earth is equal to You. No one can begin to grasp Your greatness. Yet, we feebly try to.  Please humble me Lord Jesus and teach me Your ways. Give me a fresh revelation of Who You are and I will acknowledge You in all my ways. With a proper perspective of You, I'll trust You with all my heart and not rely on my own foolish wisdom. When I read my Bible You will light my way, make my path straight and lead me on the highway to heavenly happiness and holiness. Thank You for this guarantee if I obey. Amen.

God promises to make your paths straight if: You trust Him with all your heart, stop relying on yourself, and acknowledge Him in all your ways.    The way to trust Him and acknowledge Him is to know Him. The only way to know Him is through His Word, the Bible.

Psalm 67:5-6

Psalm 67:5-6 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. NKJV

O Glorious God, You are my God!  Thank You for Your Living Word that tells us exactly how to work the land to produce bountifulblessings! We need to join together as believers and plow the field with praise even in the midst ofour own problems and pain. Then the whole world will see how You work. The godless will see how You save.  We need to joyfully shout:   S        Our God is a God who saves! (Ps. 68:20)   A      Awesome are You, O God!          You give power and strength to Your people. (Ps. 68:35)   L       Your love stands firm forever. (Ps. 89:2)           You're eagerly waiting to give the gift of eternal life to everyone!           (Rom. 5:17)   V        You will rescue the weak from violence. (Ps. 72:14) A        Direct access to Your wide open spaces of grace and glory are available            to all know Your Son.  (Rom. 5:2, Heb. 4:16)   T         You will take Your people into glory; (Ps. 73:24)             And, free them from tyranny and torture. (Ps. 72:14)   I          Instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance;             They will inherit unimaginable blessings and everlasting joy! (Isa. 61:7)   O       You will rescue the oppressed,             because their lives are precious to You. (Ps 72:14)   N       There is no condemnation for those who belong to You! (Rom. 8:1)   O Lord, let us together be happy and shout for joy because You judge us fair and square. Eventhough You've seen the depth of our debt, You've graciously paid it in full with the blood of YourSon.    Display Your exuberance in us, O God! Let Your face shine on us. Mark us with grace and blessing so that the whole world will witness that a wonderful Savior You are! Hallelujah! Amen!

Jesus says you will be judged by the fruit you bear. (Matthew 7:17-19)   God's Word clearly tells us how to be blessed with everlasting fruit. We, the people of God, all ofus together, need to start singing His praises!    Instead of complaining we ought to be complimenting. Instead of arguing we ought to be agreeing. Instead of blaming we ought to be blessing. Instead of grumbling we ought to be grateful. Instead of accusing we ought to be interceding.   At all times we should praise Him with our words. Then, the whole world, not just our individualcommunities, will see how He works. As we shout for joy during our difficulties people will hear and be saved!    Join me in plowing the fields with praise! Together we will be blessed with fruit that lasts forever. When we intentionally turn our complaints to praise, God will surely smile on us and bless our hearts.    God's Smile - His affirmation comes in the form of grace and blessing. When God smiles on you, you can feel it in every part of your life. - Henry Blackaby.

Hosea 14

Hosea 14 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your petitions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, "Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you the sacrifice of praise. Assyria cannot save us, nor can our strength in battle. Never again will we call the idols we have made 'our gods.' No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy." The Lord says, "Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever! I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. It will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like those of beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedar forests of Lebanon. My people will return again to the safety of their land. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon. "O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who looks after you and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green, giving my fruit to you all through the year." Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall along the way.

God of Grace, have mercy on me! Admittedly, I'm conceited and controlling, insisting on having my own way. Thoughtless and inconsiderate, I'm absolutely self-absorbed, self-assured, self-righteous, self-reliant, self-seeking and just plain SELFISH. Demanding my own rights, I'm completely disrespectful and irreverent, denying Your supreme authority over my life. Vigilantly looking for virtues in others, I cease to be virtuous myself. O Lord, how I've disappointed You. Please be gracious, forgive me, and accept my sweet sacrifice of praise.    Heal me of my selfish idolatry and faithlessness. Let Your limitless love fall fresh on me like tiny teardrops from heaven. Watered by them, I'll burst up from the dirt of despair like a lovely lily in springtime. My roots will go down deep and I'll stand firm, free and fragrant like a tall cedar in Lebanon. I'll produce many off-shoots and become a sheltering forest where others will find relief from the hellish heat. My beauty will be widespread like that of a hearty, ancient olive tree. I'll grow gracefully like a golden grain of wheat. My vine will be famous for producing fresh, flavorful fruit.    O Lord, my God, You are the everlasting Tree of Life. You protect me and provide for me. Everything I need is found in You. In the shelter of Your presence give me wisdom to fully understand Your generosity and goodness. Carefully listening to Your time-proven, trustworthy teaching, I'll stand firm on Your powerful promises. My heart's desire is to live well by You and grasp all the blessings You bestow on those who walk close beside You. Following You, I will be faithful, fulfilled and fruitful and Your holy name will be glorified. Amen.

Confess your waywardness, asking the God of Grace to forgive and heal you. Then, claim all the powerful promises contained in these verses. Following Him, you will be faithful, fulfilled and fruitful.

Romans 11:17-18

Romans 11:17-18 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for another wonderful word picture to teach me who You are, and who I am. You are the Divine Gardner. Jesus is the solid trunk with deep roots, wounded for me. I am nothing but a dead branch that's been gently and graciously grafted to Him. Completely connected to You, the sap of Your Spirit nourishes every part of my being - heart, mind, and soul. Drinking from the deep spring of Living Water, I'll grow in Your everlasting light and never die. Saturated with the fertilizer of Your Word, I will produce luscious fruit for You.   Though I stand tall, radiant and confident, I have no grounds for bragging. Apart from You I'm nothing but deadwood. I'm totally dependent on Your strong root system to give me abundant life. I know that You will ruthlessly cut off every unproductive limb and preserve it for future grafting.            O Holy Gardener, snip me and clip me, even though it hurts. Shape me into the fruitful branch You want me to be. Cultivate me to produce baskets full of sweet succulent fruit to adorn Your glorious temple. In Your hands, carefully and skillfully tend to my branch making me the shoot that displays changed lives for the glory and splendor of Your name. Amen.

The only reason you're on the Divine Tree is because your graft "took:" when you believed, and because you're connected to the belief-nurturing root. So, don't be cocky or arrogant. How can you be humbly mindful of the root that gives you life?

John 12:24

Driving through the beautiful, bucolic farmlands of south central Pennsylvania, I noticed the gloriously golden wheat fields and pondered these words spoken by Jesus.   I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But, if it dies, it produces many seeds.  John 12:24

Glorious Father- Thank you for this beautiful word picture. Like a grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies to live anew, I lay down all my dreams and worldly desires to follow you. Plant me wherever you want to produce a harvest for your Kingdom. Press down on me, crush me, and break me. Soften me and release me to press upward to reproduce an enormous multiplication of blessings.    God please crucify me with Jesus - fully yielded, completely surrendered, totally submitted. Use the problems and challenges that are part of my every day life to put me to death. Then raise me, like a kernel of wheat to an abundant ... victorious ... blessed ... fruitful ... powerful ... Christ-like ... Spirit-filled life. I love you Lord and want to be more like you! In Jesus name, I surrender all. Amen.

What do you need to surrender in order to reproduce abundant blessings for the Kingdom of God? Make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what interests God. Intentionally, remove everything from your life that keeps you from following God's dreams and plans. Concentrate on the Son who did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. This joy will be yours too, if only you will die to yourself and devote your life to Him.   O. Chambers writes (06/19) in My Utmost For His Highest, "The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that "falls into the ground and dies" - it will spring up and change the entire landscape.

Psalm 126

Psalm 126 When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them."  Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!    Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert.  Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. NLT

How Great You are O Sovereign King! There is none like You!    Lord, overwhelming sorrow tries to take me away from You. Battered and bruised by the battle with the enemy, a fountain of tears flow from my eyes. Wounded and worn out, I weep. Gripped by grief, I'm a miserable mess. Rescue me! Restore my fortune! Bring me back to the peace of Your presence.   Help me to plant kernels of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and discipline in the soil surrounding my sadness. I will gently water them with a steady stream of tears. And, then I will patiently wait through the season of sorrow for the promised heavenly harvest.    When I joyfully return with baskets full of bountiful blessings I will share a foretaste of glory divine with those around me. They will notice that You have done amazing things for me! Together, we will sing, laugh and celebrate a yield of sweet succulent spiritual fruit. I believe that You will turn my hard situation into an enormous reward for the praise of Your glory! Amen.

What has taken you away from your Sovereign King? It could be sin, addiction, false teaching, idolatry, ministering to someone needy, transition, a new job, busyness, or love to name a few. Identify the thing that holds you captive and break free! Plant the seed of His Word in the soil of your situation, water it with your tears and patiently endure while it grows. Then reap the bountiful blessed harvest and celebrate the amazing things the Lord has done!

Luke 12:7b

Jesus said, "Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7b

Jesus,  Thank You for the sparrows You send to our windows to remind us that we're worth more than the birds of the air!   Please don't let me feel discouraged by the darkness of shadows. My heart will never be lonely with You as my constant companion and caretaker. You promise to always watch over me. With You in me, my heart will not be troubled. Near to You, I will hear You tenderly say, "Don't be afraid, my child. You're worth more than many sparrows." Let me rest on the goodness of your precious promise. Just as Your eye is always on the sparrow, I by faith I will trust You to keep Your eye on me. Within Your sight, I will sing joyfully. When I'm tempted to fear; when storm clouds arise; when songs give way to sighing, and when all the hope in my heart dies ... help me to remember that I'm worth more to You than many sparrows. Draw me close to You and lead me safely through this perilous world to heaven's gate where You'll welcome me home. Please dear God, take away my fears today in the name of Jesus. Amen.

God commands: Don't be afraid.   He promises: You are worth more than many sparrows. Do you believe God? Will you rest on His promise today? You are worth more than many sparrows. He provides for them and will sustain you even more. Do not be afraid. Trust Him. A mama sparrow recently built her nest in the birdhouse outside my kitchen window. I was blessed to watch her prepare a safe haven for her little ones. It reminded me when we hide God's Spirit in our hearts, He surrounds our souls with a safe shelter.  A short time later the baby birds were born. I was blessed to see their mama faithfully bring them food. She feed them bit by bit while I watched from the kitchen window. God reminded me that He will feed His children too, bit by bit.  Soon, the cute little birds spread their wings and soared from the safety of the birdhouse to a branch on the tree, and into the wild blue yonder where they will weather all kinds of storms. As we trust God with all our hearts, He will teach us to spread our wings and soar above the storms of life.   Fly little birdies! Fly!

Isaiah 40:11

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:         He gathers the lambs in his arms         and carries them close to his heart;         he gently leads those that have young.

Good and Gentle Shepherd, So tenderhearted and compassionate, You certainly love Your sheep! You carefully lead us to the lush mountain pastures in our Bibles where we can graze to our heart's content on the fertile food of Your Word. Faithfully, You guide us through barren deserts to refreshing streams of Living Water to quench our dry and thirsty souls. Along the way, You protect us from animalistic humans who threaten to attack our character. Prone to wandering off, we slip into clefts of criticism and condemnation, plunge into ravines of rejection and ridicule, and sink deep into depressions of disgrace and despair. In our times of trouble, You never fail to hear our cry, find us and set us free. Your sheep are Your most prized possession! Bruised and bloodied from the fall, You meticulously bandage our broken hearts. Scooping us up in Your powerful arms, You hold us close to Your loving heart and carry us to safety. Resting in Your presence, we have nothing to fear. You are bigger than the people, problems and pressure pursuing us. Thank You dear Shepherd for diligently doing Your job twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out. Because of Your hard work I'm alive and well. I know from experience that danger lurks around the bend. It's crucial that I trust and obey You. Huddled in Your flock, there's protection, provision, and perfect peace because of Jesus. Amen.

Are you sticking with the Shepherd or have your wandered away from the flock? You are valuable to Him! He wants to take care of you, but you need to follow Him. If you've lost your way and are stuck, cry out to Him. He'll find you right where you are, pick you up in His strong arms, and carry you close to His heart to the safety of His presence where there's protection, provision and perfect peace.

Psalm 85:8-9

Psalm 85:8-9 I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. NLT

Amazing, Loving, Wonderful King, You display Your brilliance and glory radiantly in the rich colors of creation. Even though we ignore You, You faithfully bless us with Your prosperous presence each day. You're right where You've always been, doing what You've always done, creating spectacular miracle moments from heaven on high. If we would just look up to You, acknowledge Your greatness, and admit our stupidity, You'd forgive the foolish things we've done. Lovingly, You'd rescue us from death and destruction. You'd revive our stone-cold hearts with Your precious blood, giving us a fresh new start. Gladly, You'd restore our laughter. God of Help, I'm concerned for the impotent church that desires to reach lost people with pleasant programs and plans that exclude the Truth. If we want to live in the prosperity of Your presence, we must diligently study Your Holy Word, paying careful attention to what You say when we open our Bibles each day. Listening to You, we'll know right from nearly right, never having to live foolishly again. Accepting and respecting Your authority, love and loyalty will miraculously come together. Goodness will bond with peace and our great land will spectacularly display Your brilliance and glory because of Jesus. Amen.

Pray for revival in the church, and let it begin with you. Study God's Word daily so that you will know the Truth and obey it. Choose to live differently, wisely, brilliantly, according to God's Word so that His glory will shine through you, drawing others to Him like the rich colors of creation.   "Discernment is not knowing the difference between right an wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right." Charles Spurgeon

Romans 1:21, 28

Romans 1:21, 28 Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

King of Creation, Your invisible qualities have been clearly seen since the beginning of time. The heavens proclaim Your perfect nature. The skies display Your brilliant handy work. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make You known. Even though their voice is inaudible their message has moved through the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth. Everyone everywhere sees Your glory. There's no excuse for not knowing You. You, O God, deserve our praise forever and ever. Even though we know You perfectly well, we fail to accept and worship You as the One and Only True God. We pretend to know it all, but are really quite ignorant. Foolishly, we've traded Your prosperous, pristine beauty for worthless, tarnished trash. We've shrouded the Truth with lies. Pornography, homosexuality, and adultery have become acceptable standards. We tolerate the killing of unborn babies, while viciously fighting to save animals. We cry out, "God bless America", but we've removed You from the classroom, the courtroom and the currency. We deny Your intelligent design, deliberately, spitting in Your face, as we invent new ways to ruin the rich life You intended for us. We're a nation full of senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless fools who expect blessing despite our defiant disobedience. Something has gone terribly wrong! This isn't the way You created it to be! Have mercy on us for disrespecting and desecrating your Holy Name, O God. There's no fear of Your sacred laws or holy judgment. It's a free for all world. Though Your Word is freely and readily available, it also freely and readily rejected. We've rebelled against You, our Creator, and we don't deserve to live. I'm thankful that Your Word convicts me of my wrong beliefs and behaviors. I want to relinquish my tarnished treasures in order to live joyfully in your beautiful, prosperous presence. By Your strength that's within me, change the desires of my heart and mind. With all due respect, I'll reject political correctness in order to love and obey You, bringing honor to Your perfect nature, Jesus, my Creator King. Amen.

America is on the brink of destruction. Will you acknowledge and cry out to God for the sin of our nation today? Will you pray for changed hearts and transformed minds? Will you admit and turn from your own wicked ways?