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  Read Proverbs 12 Proverbs 12 NLT - To learn, you must love discipline; it - Bible Gateway   Proverbs 12:19, 25- Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.   These two verses together serve as a reminder that it is impossible for us to hear and receive too many encouraging words. While cutting remarks and unconstructive criticism are easy to come by and never in short supply, Solomon urges us to consider the negative effect our carelessly spoken words can have on others. Then he encourages his young readers to be intentionally encouraging to bring healing and comfort.    A word of encouragement has never kept me up at night. On the other hand, while I wish I could tell you cutting remarks and unconstructive criticisms have never kept me up at night, that's just not true. It's probably not true for you either. It's an important part of our discipl...

  Proverbs 6 Proverbs 6 NLT - Lessons for Daily Life - My child, if - Bible Gateway   Proverbs 6:6-11- Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.   What an image to consider- how diligently the ant toils! Have you ever spent time watching an ant farm? They move with clarity and purpose to accomplish their tasks. In these verses we are taught the beauty and wisdom of hard work that produces good things for today, tomorrow, and for eternity. This is all about using the gifts and graces God has given us to the best of our abilities. Excellence can b...

  Read Ephesians 6 Ephesians 6 NLT - Children and Parents - Children, obey - Bible Gateway   Ephesians 6:13-17- Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   Paul urged the people of God at the church in Ephesus to put on the full armor of God- most of which meant being defensively and offensively prepared for the inevitable and expected spiritual attacks against us. Most of the items mentioned in these verses were defensive in nature, and interestingly, there was only one we...

    Read Galatians 6 Galatians 6 NLT - We Harvest What We Plant - Dear - Bible Gateway   Galatians 6:7-9- Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.   In case anyone fails to properly understand what Paul means by the “freedom of grace in Christ,” he makes it clear that it does matter how we live. There are natural consequences that come with a decision to live life merely for ourselves. Reaping what we sow means God honors the choices we make good, bad, and ugly. Paul invites the Galatians- and each of us- to honor God with our very best, not out of obligation, fear, or trying to prove we’r...

    Lamentations 3:19-26- The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.   The word "remember" is used in Scripture around 250 times depending on the version you use. Remembering is a key calling for God's people. Remember you have been brought out of slavery into the Promised Land. Remember to honor the Sabbath. Jesus said about the Last Supper at a Passover Meal, "Do this in remembrance of me." In the middle of deep grief and pain through the exile of God's people in Baby...

  Read Exodus 35 Exodus 35 NLT - Instructions for the Sabbath - Then - Bible Gateway   Exodus 35:20-22- So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord.    Even though the people had recently bowed down before a golden calf when Moses was spending time with God receiving the Ten commandments, they were now once again willing to express their faithfulness to God's call on their lives through their joyful generosity through their sacrificial gifts to supply all th...