Tag: reading

The Enemy Is Still Out There (Psalm 10)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 10

2 The wicked in [his] pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy [and] renounces the LORD. 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek [God]; God [is] in none of his thoughts. 5 His ways are always prospering; Your judgments [are] far above, out of his sight; [As for] all his enemies, he sneers at them. 6 He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue [is] trouble and iniquity. 8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. 9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. 11 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” 12 Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.

PSALM 10:2-12

THE ENEMY IS STILL OUT THERE

Psalm 10 is a broken psalm. It doesn’t have an introduction. It is written in an acrostic style that somewhat completes psalm 9 but it has letters missing and out of order. Even in the chaos of it’s organization it reminds us that we live in a broken world. There is much that needs to be fixed. 

In verse eleven we get a glimpse into the sinister mind of the wicked man. He thinks God doesn’t know or doesn’t care about what he does. He uses the seeming inactivity of God as a reason to figure and devise more wicked schemes. 

At this point we have to ask ourselves why does the psalmist feel so much need to give us so much detail about the wicked man? Why is he so concerned that someone is out there prospering by doing wicked things and setting his heart against God? He is reminding us that we cannot coast because the enemy is still out there!

History is filled with moments where a city was under siege or a war was being waged, but those in official power were drinking and celebrating their victories early. They fell into laziness or unconcern and later lost the city or the war because they celebrated before it was all finished. The psalmist is saying, “We can’t truly celebrate yet because wickedness still prevails!”

Part of the point of this Psalm is to register such a dissonance that we cannot slumber on wickedness. We must remember that our lives are always at odds with the wicked and how they would live. Isn’t the news we hear of wickedness winning in our own day something that drives us to prayer? When we hear of those who have taken advantage of others, doesn’t that drive us to intercession? 

 The Psalmist cries out to God to put things right. We know that there will come a day and time when God will set all things right. All injustice will be settled in him. We know that day is coming. Sometimes it just seems so far away. 

Notice the prayer in verse 17 for the orphan and those who are oppressed. “Prepare their heart” or strengthen their heart. Even when we don’t see justice in this moment or in our day. Set it right in my heart that I might bear up until I see your final justice. Give me grace and strength and hope in YOU until that day comes. 

PRAYER

Father, thank you for this psalm and all the chaos it presents. It doesn’t wrap up neatly in a bow and it reminds me of the messiness of life apart from you. In the celebration of your goodness it can be easy to forget we still live in a sinful and fallen world. Help me not to be content while wickedness prevails around me. Guide me in my community and my moment in history to stand against wickedness and intercede for victims of injustice. Don’t let me be idle while others are suffering. Thank you for your grace in bringing this to our attention to read and meditate on today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Start Looking For God’s Will Early In The Morning (Psalm 5)

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PSALM 5

1 To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct [it] to You, And I will look up. 4 For You [are] not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. 9 For [there is] no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part [is] destruction; Their throat [is] an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. 11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as [with] a shield.

PSALM 5:1-12

START LOOKING FOR GOD’S WILL EARLY IN THE MORNING

In one of my jobs I was tasked with assembling a large desk for our office. I unloaded the boxes got all the pieces sorted and made sure we had the tools we needed to start. Then I laid the plans aside and started to put the desk together. It wasn’t until about midway through that I realized we were in trouble. I thought we were going by the plans, but I was just eye balling the pieces and putting them together, I wasn’t checking for the important letters and numbers listed on each piece. Somehow I had placed piece J where G should be and to further complicate it I had H on backwards… We had to undo most of our work to go back and set it up right.

I reckon some of us try and go through life like that. We get all the pieces together and try to figure it out. We know enough about God’s word to assume we’re ok. But to say that we were looking for God’s will for our lives in any given situation might be a stretch.

David says here that he isn’t taking anything for granted. He is seeking the Lord in the morning. He is seeking after God’s will. He doesn’t want to make a mess of things and then go back and have to figure out how to straighten it out. He wants to follow the Lord’s will from the get go. There is too much at stake to not seek after God.

“I’ve got so much work to do today that I must spend at least three hours in prayer.”

Attributed to Martin Luther

What a great sentiment and it rings truer than we’d like to admit sometimes. Our days start off better if we are grounded in God’s word and Prayer. I learned the hard way that the instructions are there for a reason and there is an order to things. We should look to the instructions first and then construct the desk. Yet so often we attempt to live our life eyeballing the pieces thinking we don’t have time to pray and seek the Lord’s will and guidance. The truth is that when we are busiest we need to seek the Lord the most.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for a full schedule. It is a blessing to have so much to do. I bring my schedule to you today and ask you Lord for your hand of guidance on my life. You know what is most important here. You know the details of this day before it has even happened. So I ask that you would guide my steps. Keep me from temptation, use me for your kingdom and your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Prayer for an Angry Son (Psalm 4)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 4

1 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in [my] distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O you sons of men, [Will you turn] my glory to shame? [How long] will you love worthlessness [And] seek falsehood? Selah 3 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. 6 [There are] many who say, “Who will show us [any] good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

PSALM 4:1-8

PRAYER FOR AN ANGRY SON

Three pastors were gathered together to share their perspectives on the best position for powerful prayer. There also happened to be a fellow from the phone company working in the background of the office where they were meeting. The first pastor said, “I think the best position for prayer is to have your hands pressed together pointing upwards.” Another pastor interjected, “That’s good and all, but I’ve found that I’m the most powerful prayers I’ve prayed are when I’m on my knees!” The third pastor said, “I used to pray on my knees, but I’ve had a lot of success lately in getting on my face and laying on the ground before God in prayer.” … finally the phone guy couldn’t stay quiet any longer, he said, “The most powerful prayer I ever made was when I was dangling upside down by my heals, from a power pole, suspended forty feet from the ground!”

David finds himself in a “dangling upside down from a power pole,” type situation as he pens this song and prayer. He is on the ropes from Absalom. He is in danger of losing the kingdom, his son is leading an incredible rebellion against him, and there is no really good outcome that can come from any of it. Where else could he go, but to the Lord.

The fourth verse really stands out as David reminds us that sometimes anger is legitimate but it does not make our sin acceptable. Anger is never an excuse for sin. David confesses that there are things that may have happened to provoke his son to anger, “be angry.” But that our flared tempers shouldn’t lead us to sin, they should lead us to contemplation and meditation upon the character of God who will one day right all wrongs. We should put our trust in the Lord to lift up our faces from anger. Who knows, but perhaps David remembers moments of his life where he was right to be angry and was about to sin, but a calmer voice prevailed (1 Samuel 25).

PRAYER

Father, there are many things in this world that make us angry. Sometimes we are angry because we we misunderstand a situation, but sometimes we have a legitimate right to be angry because injustice has been done. I pray that even in the midst of righteous anger that we would not take in our hands that which belongs in yours. Keep us from sin in our anger, give us wisdom and grace to go to you in the midst of our angered and anxious minds that we might fine peace to sleep by trusting in you to guide our paths. We seek your will in every area of our lives, even our emotions like anger and how it is expressed. In Jesus Christ, Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Who Can Find a Virtuous Wife? (Proverbs 31)

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Pro 31:10-12, 30-31 NKJV Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth [is] far above rubies. (11) The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. (12) She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. … (30) Charm [is] deceitful and beauty [is] passing, But a woman [who] fears the LORD, she shall be praised. (31) Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Dear Son, the day I knew your mother was the woman I was going to marry was just an ordinary day. I knew your mom years before that moment but I had taken a year off of dating and started praying and seeking God’s will for my life especially as it was in relation to marriage. My year was up. Your mom and I attended a college ministry event together. She was babysitting a child and was putting him in the car seat. I looked up and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in that moment and whispered, “She’s the one.”

I’ve told you thousands of times in your life that you have a great mom, that God has blessed you with a good mom, and that she is worthy of your honor. Those words aren’t just true for you as her son, but they are true for me as her husband. There is so much to praise God for in the relationship between your mom and me. She is a Proverbs 31 woman.

These words were written from a mother to her boy about what to look for in a Godly woman. One day you will go looking for a wife. There is a lot to look for in a future spouse, you may be lured in by physical beauty, but a really beautiful woman isn’t just beautiful outwardly, but inwardly as well. When looking for a spouse, character counts more than curves and symmetry. Everyone ages, but a woman with a godly disposition and character will only grow better with age. She will be a blessing to you all the days of your life.

Father, thank you for the grace of being able to pray for and instruct my children. I ask for your grace in living the truth I’ve shared with them over these 31 days. I pray that they would be those who seek after you with all of their heart. I pray my daughters are Proverbs 31 women and are blessed by their labor, honored by their husbands and children. I pray my son searches for a Proverbs 31 wife and is blessed by her godliness all the days of their life. I pray my children have strong biblical marriages based on your word and committed to gospel truth. I pray their character of trust and dependence on you in all things is evident in their generations and generations to come (should you so choose to tarry). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

Where to Find Purity and Cleanliness (Proverbs 30)

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Pro 30:5-6, 8-9, 11-12 NKJV Every word of God [is] pure; He [is] a shield to those who put their trust in Him. (6) Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. … (8) Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches–Feed me with the food allotted to me; (9) Lest I be full and deny [You], And say, “Who [is] the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. … (11) [There is] a generation [that] curses its father, And does not bless its mother. (12) [There is] a generation [that is] pure in its own eyes, [Yet] is not washed from its filthiness.

Dear Daughter, There was a boy who was in the museum mocking one of the world’s greatest paintings. He critiqued the brush strokes, the colors, and the lighting. Everything about the painting that he could think to criticize he criticized. A crowed had gathered around. The listened with a half smirk as the boy went on and on. Finally the curator of the museum came to set things right. “Young man,” he said, “the painting isn’t on trial today. You are. In all your talk and critique of one of the world’s greatest masterpiece paintings, you have only accomplished proving to this audience your own ignorance of what is truly great art. This painting and the artist are already understood to be great and today you are understood to be a fool.”

So it is with God’s word. When we apply it, study it, and seek God through it we are rewarded to know God and find Jesus Christ. Yet when we claim that it is outdated, antiquated, add to it, or demean it in any way, we are proved to be fools. Generations have come before you and have trusted in God’s promises and proved them all to be true. Your generation nor mine could ever perfect the written word of God. We don’t judge it, but one day by it we will be judged.

The generation that imagines that it is pure in it’s own eyes will still wallow in filth. The only place you can go to really discover purity is through Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture. He is the only way that anyone can be made right with God. He is the messiah. The atonement. The greatest high priest. He is the one in whom the Old Testament finds it’s fulfillment and you will find true and lasting peace.

Father, Thank you for the grace of being a dad. I pray for your wisdom in raising my children. I pray that they see me in your word. I pray they hear your word on my lips. I beg that they might have an example of what it is to seek purity through your word. I pray they study and know it well. I pray they are blessed not just with knowledge, but with wisdom as well. I pray they know you and walk with you through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I ask that you be glorified in their lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

Trust in the LORD (Proverbs 29)

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Pro 29:17-20, 23, 25 NKJV Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. (18) Where [there is] no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy [is] he who keeps the law. (19) A servant will not be corrected by mere words; For though he understands, he will not respond. (20) Do you see a man hasty in his words? [There is] more hope for a fool than for him. … (23) A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. … (25) The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

Dear Son, whenever we set out on a trip our destination determines our path. We set out to go somewhere. So many in life are cruising through life with no clear destination in mind. They just hope to get somewhere someday. They react to the winds of culture and change course at the drop of a dime. We start out in one direction only to turn, turn, and turn again, the next thing you know we are just headed in circles. We are reminded that the Lord directs our paths. We always have a purpose and a direction to head.

When there is no clear destination, people cease to follow leaders. A man hasty with words brings about his own destruction because he is always backtracking and changing his mind. Trust the Lord. Sometimes you might not know the next step, but you will know who is going to get you there. There may be moments you don’t know how, but you can trust that where the Lord leads you, he will provide for you.

There is a way to begin a journey trusting in the Lord and end up afraid of men. Commit in your heart early that you will follow the Lord’s direction and no other. Walking in the fear of man will only bring about more anxiety, not less. Trust God. He will guide you.

Father, thank you for the grace of parenting my kids. I pray they follow you all the days of their life. I ask that they would earnestly seek you and your direction for their lives. I pray their decisions will be directly influenced by your word. I pray that they would seek you with all of their hearts and find fulfillment and satisfaction in you. Keep them from being afraid of what men may think and cause them to be confident in your word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

Walk Wisely (Proverbs 28)

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Pro 28:1, 6-7, 9, 13, 23-27 NKJV The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion. … (6) Better [is] the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse [in his] ways, though he [be] rich. (7) Whoever keeps the law [is] a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father. … (9) One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer [is] an abomination. … (13) He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes [them] will have mercy. … (23) He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue. (24) Whoever robs his father or his mother, And says, “[It is] no transgression,” The same [is] companion to a destroyer. (25) He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. (26) He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. (27) He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

Dear Daughter, I went walking several years ago and walked down a big path covered over by trees. I looked back and saw that just where I had walked was a giant rattle snake coiled up. I must have walked within just a few feet and never saw it coming. On the way back I was sure to give the serpent lots of room because I didn’t want to be bit.

The bible says that for those who walk righteously that we don’t have anything to fret or worry over. We can walk boldly as a lion through life. We’ve dealt in truth and so our lies haven’t gone before us as snares. We’ve trusted God and His promises are sure. We’ve kept good friends, listened to our parents, and honored the Lord in all things. Our steps are guided.

As foolish as it would have been to try and walk back by the snake as close as I could, so some people walk through life intending to do things wickedly (or near wickedly). You can’t go through life with that sort of deceit in your heart and not expect to get bit. Be sure your ways and your path will find you out.

Father, thank you for the grace of being a dad. I ask for my children that they would walk wisely. I pray that they seek to honor you in all things. I pray that they are bold as lions on the path you have set them on. I ask for your grace in confessing their sins and walking in integrity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

A True Friend (Proverbs 27)

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Pro 27:6, 8-10, 14, 17 NKJV (6) Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful. … (8) Like a bird that wanders from its nest [Is] a man who wanders from his place. (9) Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend [gives delight] by hearty counsel. (10) Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better [is] a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. … (14) He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him. … (17) [As] iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Dear Son, It’s been said that if your five closest friends are millionaires, you’ll be the sixth. If you five closest friends are dirt poor, so will you be. The kind of folks you hang around will shape your character and you will shape theirs. It’s a good idea to hang around with smart folks. It’s a good idea to hang around folks who do good in this world.

If you ever wondered who your real friends are, they are the ones who will stick around when the sky is falling. The are the ones you will stick beside when something goes wrong. You’ll be over at their house with food. You’ll listen to them in their den and on their porch. You’ll watch their kids when they are struggling. You will go out of your way to bless your friends and they will go out of their way to bless you.

Pick good friends in this life. No one may have ever told you that you can do that, but you can sit down and list the folks who you choose to be your friends. Be a blessing, show yourself to be friendly and you’ll be surprise at how people respond.

Speak the truth to your friends and expect them to do the same for you. A word of correction in the mouth of someone who cares about you is higher praise than a stranger who pays you a compliment. Your friends want the best for you. Pick good friends and your friends will be there to pick you up on the day of calamity. They’ll be there to encourage and bless you and you will be there for them.

Father, Thank you for the grace of being a dad. I ask for wisdom in raising my children. I pray that they’d all love and honor you. I ask that you’d bless them to have great friends and that they’d prove themselves a blessing to their friends. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

To Smart to Work? (Proverbs 26)

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Pro 26:12-19 NKJV Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? [There is] more hope for a fool than for him. (13) The lazy [man] says, “[There is] a lion in the road! A fierce lion [is] in the streets!” (14) [As] a door turns on its hinges, So [does] the lazy [man] on his bed. (15) The lazy [man] buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. (16) The lazy [man is] wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (17) He who passes by [and] meddles in a quarrel not his own [Is like] one who takes a dog by the ears. (18) Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, (19) [Is] the man [who] deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”

Dear Daughter, I’ll never forget an article I read several years ago about a man who died in India trying to take a selfie. He stood on a ledge to get the perfect social media post and fell off to his demise. The article sited that a staggering number of folks died each year taking a selfie. Selfies in and of themselves aren’t lethal, it’s when the person taking them begins to imagine that the laws of physics or laws of the jungle don’t apply to them. They are “wiser in their own eyes” than the warning sign. They think they have it handled and under control… until they don’t.

There is no reasoning with someone who is wise in their own eyes. They will come up with reasons not to work, “that job is too dangerous, there is a lion in the road so I can’t get to work today.” They think they are the smartest person in the room and they will help you feel it too. They’ll even try to solve someone else’s problem by inserting themselves into a situation that doesn’t belong to them. They’ll criticize harshly and then say they were just joking… all these are the luxuries of a man who is always right in his own eyes. These narcistic lazy men are always right and can’t be corrected. If you find one, run! Don’t go on a date with one and don’t bring one home. He won’t be content to destroy his own life! He’ll destroy yours too if you let him! Men Boys like this aren’t to be given the time of day. Life has enough drama without them.

Father, thank you for the blessing of raising my children. I pray you watch over them today. I pray that you keep them from becoming lazy and that you would keep them from people who are always right in their own eyes. Lord, I know this culture seems to be shifting. I pray though that you would turn the tide. I pray that there would be enough folks who recognize the insanity of the current philosophies being absorbed into our culture to turn the tide. I pray that we would once again be an industrious nation filled with producers. In Jesus Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)

Self Control (Proverbs 25)

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Pro 25:6-7, 14, 16, 27-28 NKJV Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; (7) For [it is] better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. … (14) Whoever falsely boasts of giving [Is like] clouds and wind without rain. … (16) Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. … (27) [It is] not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory [is not] glory. (28) Whoever [has] no rule over his own spirit [Is like] a city broken down, without walls.

Dear Son, I heard a story about a man who was supposed to be the rightful king of a nation but his brother held him prisoner and ruled in his stead. The brother was a clever man. To keep the rightful king imprisoned all he did was place him in a room with narrow doors that a regular man could fit through. Each day he ordered a large array of delicious food, sweets, and pastries sent up to the kings room and each day the king showed no self control and ate everything. The result was that he was too fat to leave the room. Certainly his wicked brother made sure the food was available, but the king had become a prisoner of his own appetite.

So it is with a man who has no self-control. He could be free to live in the world, yet he is held captive by his tastes and impulses. He hasn’t leaned to say, “That’s enough.” It’s healthy to practice self control and place limits on your consumption. In my life there are times where I have fasted every Thursday for an extended period of weeks. There have also been times when I’ve given up sweets or coffee for 40 days. I wish I had learned these disciplines earlier in my life. The reason I do them now is that I don’t want my appetite for these things to rule me. It’s also true that I’ve limited my freedoms by my lack of self-control in the past.

Self control isn’t just about overeating. It is also about controlling your tongue and knowing when to speak and when to hold your peace. It’s about knowing the thoughts you have and being able to filter them to express yourself in a way that is appropriate for the moment. It’s about not spending the money that’s in your pocket and holding on to it to pay your bills or save up for a big expense. It’s about knowing who is coming behind you and making sure that there is room for them as well. My prayer for you is that you will be known as a man with self control.

Father, thank you for the grace of being a dad. I pray for my children to know how to control themselves. There is so much I wish I had leaned earlier about self control. I pray they all learn in now while they are young and practice selfcontrol for your glory and their freedom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join us in reading a Proverb A Day through the Month of May (or any month you want)