Today's Texts: Proverbs 11&12, Deut. 18, Amos 2:6-16, Matt. 1:1-17
This morning I was drawn to the chapters in Proverbs. The author is presenting choices and the ramifications of those choices to the reader. If you choose wickedness, you will come to ruin; if you choose righteousness, you will be blessed. These chapters confirm what we will read in a few weeks from Deut. 30 where Moses presents the same question: will you choose to obey or to curse? If you choose to obey, you will have life; if you choose to curse, you, too, will be cursed with death.
In the Proverbs texts, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. And the pudding is our tongue first and then our actions. What are we saying? How are we talking to others? Our family, our coworkers, our boss, our neighbors? Are we uplifting with our tongues, or are we "downlifting" (see yesterday's post)? I know I could be much more uplifting with my tongue. Lord, give me words of sweetness and not words of bitterness.
The author continues to define the pudding proof with our actions. Are we kind? Are we generous? Are we diligent? Do we do what we say? (That's a big one!) He adds in 12:1 that this endeavor may require discipline. What will our response to discipline be? Will we love it? Or, will we hate it? According to the author, we must love it!
So, I commit to seeking righteous choices, both with what I say and with what I do, acknowledging that discipline may be required. Bring it on!
Seeking discipline,
Josh
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1 comment:
Very interesting read today, mostly for me was the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. I've skipped over that so much because of the father of, the father of stuff. Since you've challenged us to READ these passages, I actually read every word from Matthew 1: 1-17. Now I'm wondering the significance of the 14 years from Abraham to King David, 14 years for King David to Babylon and 14 years from Babylon to Christ.
What say you, Pastor?
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