datethewordtest

Author: admin

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 14 (10/14) is Proverbs 10:14

    “Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of
    the foolish is near destruction.” – Proverbs 10:14
    It is BETTER to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!

    One day during math class my 7th-grade math teacher, Mr. Ford, was asked by a fellow classmate why we had to learn math.  I have never forgotten his answer as he said, “It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”   My math-teaching daughter would say, “AMEN!”

    I can now look back and say that was one WISE answer.  I do not know if Mr. Ford knew Proverbs 10:14 but when I first read “Wise people store up knowledge,” I thought of his statement.

    Drawing from the teaching of Proverbs 10:14 we are reminded that when it comes to learning God’s Word we must read and look to apply it PRESENTLY AND we need to read it and memorize it in order to know it for LATER application.

    Keep in mind you are reading God’s Word for TODAY as well as storing it up for TOMORROW.

    The foolish do not have this mindset.  They brag of NOT NEEDING TO KNOW and will be caught off guard many times without the resources to handle temptations, which in turn leads to destruction.  

    Are you a WISE person who is storing up knowledge today for tomorrow’s use?  
    Or do you think more like a FOOLISH person who is constantly questioning WHY DO WE NEED TO LEARN THS?  

    Take a quick moment as you ponder Proverbs 10:14 to:
    1) Think of a time when a lesson you learned years ago came to mind and you immediately had the answer to a situation.
    2) Think of a time when you wished you would have paid more attention to a lesson or a sermon as you find yourself in a situation with no answers.

    As you reflect on your answers how wise does Mr. Ford’s answer, “It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” come across today?

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 14 (10/14) is Proverbs 10:14. It says, “Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.”

    Continue Strong “DATING” the Word for today AND tomorrow!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 13 (10/13) is 1 Corinthians 10:13

    “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
    God is faithful to keep us faithful!

    1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us that our great and awesome God is very actively involved in our lives. One of His greatest activities is providing HELP with the very real temptations we face. I like to say that our God is faithful to keep us faithful.

    As temptations come, God shows us and leads us in how to resist and say no. He provides us with the WAY OF ESCAPE.

    Now let us get honest with our battle with temptations.  The key to victory is for us to USE the WAY OF ESCAPE.  As He is faithful to REVEAL the way of escape, we must be faithful to REMOVE ourselves from temptation. Victory over temptation calls for cooperating with God as He provides direction, as He provides the WAY of ESCAPE!

    Being honest with ourselves again and we tell the truth we will say that many of our failures with temptations happened because we were in the wrong place with the wrong people.  If we analyze our failures, we probably will recall the Spirit of God speaking to us to stay away from that place and/or person but we did not listen! 

    Are you listening to God as He is seeking to keep you from even being in a place of temptation?  Being victorious over temptations means not putting yourself in places where you are prone to fall!!  

    Don’t put yourself with people where you are prone to fall.  

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 13 (10/13) is 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

    If we are going to ask God to lead us not into temptation, we must follow Him as He leads us from temptation. 

    Continue strong knowing our God is faithful to keep us faithful.
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 12 (10/12) is Deuteronomy 10:12

    “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD 
    your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with
    all your heart and with all your soul.” – Deuteronomy 10:12
    God’s EXPECTATIONS ARE CLEARLY DEFINED

    What is God expecting from His people? Every now and then we get a summation of what God is expecting of His people from just one verse and Deuteronomy 10:12 is one of those verses. The Lord, who loves and redeems His people, looks for His people to respond back to Him with certain actions.  Yes, He has certain expectations of His people.  Let us notice the clearly defined expectations from Deuteronomy 10:12.

    First, we are to have a REVERENCE for Him. The fear of the Lord is the starting point. The fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God but standing in AWE of God. It acknowledges that He is the Creator and that He is our authority.

    Reverence always leads to OBEDIENCE. To walk in His ways is to obey His commandments. His commandments are for our good. As John writes in 1 John 5:3 His commandments are not burdensome. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

    God has been so good in pointing out what is right and wrong.  Because of His goodness in providing commands, we respond with LOVE, loving Him as He truly loves us.

    And then we gladly SERVE Him!  There is within our hearts and minds a what would you have me to do, Lord?  

    Do you fear the Lord – Do you have reverence and respect for Him?
    Do you walk according to His directives – obeying His commands?
    Do you love the Lord – having a heart for the heart of God?
    Do you serve the Lord – serving Him and others as His hands?

    Ultimately, we ask DO YOU KNOW THE LORD? Is He your Savior? Living for Him starts with being born again!

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 12 (10/12) is Deuteronomy 10:12. It says, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

    Let us seek to exceed His expectations.  

    Continue Strong, growing in your relationship with the Lord.
    And remember to DATE the WORD.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 11 (10/11) is John 10:11

    “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” – John 10:11
    The Good Shepherd GAVE His life so we could HAVE life, here and HEREAFTER!

    One of the greatest things that Jesus Christ did for us while here on earth was revealing to us WHO HE WAS and WHAT HE DOES.  You will find in the Book of John the 7 great I AM statements and each reveals a key component of WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES.  The seven I AM statements are I AM the BREAD of Life. I AM the LIGHT of the world. I AM the DOOR.  I am the GOOD SHEPHERD. I AM the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. I AM the true VINE.  

    In our verse to DATE, John 10:11 reveals to us that He is the GOOD SHEPHERD. A shepherd has the huge responsibility of leading, providing, protecting, and caring for the sheep.  To be a shepherd meant putting the sheep first and doing whatever was necessary to keep them alive! So as Jesus reveals that He is the Good Shepherd He says that He GIVES HIS LIFE for the sheep. 

    Now let us pause and ponder this statement of “giving His life for the sheep.”  In giving He means DYING for the sheep. The GOOD SHEPHERD DIES! 

    As you ponder this revelation of WHO JESUS CHRIST IS and WHAT HE DOES (DID) I hope you can proclaim WHAT A SAVIOR!!!  He GAVE His life so you could HAVE life.  

    As I read John 10:11 I cannot help but go back to John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but HAVE everlasting life.”  

    He GAVE His life so you could HAVE life, here and HEREAFTER!

    I also think of John 15:13 where Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 11 (10/11) is John 10:11. It says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

    I repeat He GAVE His life so you could HAVE life.

    Continue Strong with gratitude and worship, crying out WHAT A GOOD SHEPHERD!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 10 (10/10) is Ecclesiastes 10:10

    “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use
    more strength, But wisdom brings success.” – Ecclesiastes 10:10
    PREPARATION PRECEDES PERFORMANCE – SHARPEN YOUR AX

    In the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey lists Habit #7 as Sharpen the Ax. The analogy may not be familiar today but for centuries people cut wood with an ax for building buildings and/or to cook and/or for woodstoves and fireplaces in order to keep things warm, etc.  Cutting wood with an ax was a daily activity and a sharp ax worked a whole lot better than a dull ax.   

    As valuable as the ax was to the user so too was a whetstone to sharpen the ax!

    While the user of an ax understood how much more valuable a sharp ax was one would be tempted to forgo sharpening the ax as it took time away from cutting.

    Sharpening an ax takes TIME.  

    For the ax to be sharpened meant the ax was not in use and could easily appear as a waste of time.  Starting to cut without sharpening was a real temptation.  As well one would be tempted to continue cutting as the ax become dull.  However, using a DULL ax would take more TIME AND it takes more EFFORT.  In the long run, one will find that there was less production.  Thus, it would be incredibly wise for one to take the TIME to sharpen their ax. 

    Sharpening the ax speaks for us today of PREPARATION! It is what is done before we do what needs to be done.  For a vocation, it is getting a high school degree.  It is getting the training, whether as an apprentice or a trade school, or a community school. or a university in order to perform the desired job.  Some preparation takes longer as skills must be mastered.  

    A great picture of preparation is seen in Esther where Esther purposefully PREPARES herself for her meeting with the King.  It took time to get ready but her preparation paid off.  See Esther 5:1-3.

    What is your AX today?  It could be your education.  It could be your vocation.   It could be your next vacation.  It could be related to a team event.  It could be cutting some firewood.  What is your AX that needs sharpening before use? What is that thing that is saying you must pay the upfront cost?  What is saying you need to spend time (and money) to BE PREPARED? 

    Whatever those answers are WISDOM is saying success follows sharpening.  

    The successful will tell you they VALUE the PREPARATION AS MUCH AS THE PERFORMANCE!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 10 (10/10) is Ecclesiastes 10:10.  It says, “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, But wisdom brings success.”

    Prior purposeful prayerful positive proper preparation precedes powerful productive performance.

    Continue Strong with PREPARATION.  And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS – I still recommend Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey as a must-read.

    PSS.  October 10 (10/10) has another great verse to DATE  John 10:10 says. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 9 (10/9) is Proverbs 10:9

    “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes
    his ways crooked will be found out.” – Proverbs 10:9
    INTEGRITY! Living with NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT

    I have heard it said that INTEGRITY is doing what is right even when no one is looking. One will have a reputation, yes, a CHARACTER, that makes one trustworthy and reliable. The idea of integrity is to be completely complete. The idea is there are no holes in your life. Nothing sketchy. There is no corruption. There are no hidden sins.

    Living with integrity brings many benefits. There is the personal benefit of not having anything to worry about as Proverbs 10:9 says one walks SECURELY.  Integrity brings inward peace as you don’t have to worry about being caught. You know when someone goes looking into your “closet” they will find it clean! 

    There are also benefits for others as by living with integrity others are blessed. 
    Proverbs 20:7 says, “The one who lives with integrity is righteous; his children who come after him will be blessed.”

    However, if one is crooked, one will be found out. Sooner or later the truth of Numbers 32:23 is going to happen! You do know Numbers 32:23? It says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Sooner or later what is done in the dark will come to light. The lie will be exposed, and the truth revealed.  The crooked will be caught!

    For example, we have RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES a story that tells of CHEATING in a FISHING TOURNAMENT.  Yep.  There was cheating in a fishing tournament up at Lake Erie.  A couple of fishermen were caught stuffing their fish at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail in Ohio with lead weights, fish fillets, and other debris in order to win a financial prize for the heaviest fish.  One person noticed that another person’s fish looked larger than the winner’s fish so they CUT OPEN THE “WINNING” fish and found a weight inside.  Talk about Proverbs 10:9b happening.  The crooked fisherman was CAUGHT!  

    Are you doing right even when no one is looking? 
    Are you doing wrong things wondering when will someone see?   Isn’t it time to start doing what is RIGHT?  

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 9 (10/9) is Proverbs 10:9. It says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”

    A life of influence (and enjoyment) begins with living a life of INTEGRITY! 

    Continue Strong with a life of integrity!
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 8 (10/8) is Proverbs 10:8

    “A wise heart receives (accepts) commands, but 
    foolish lips will be destroyed.” – Proverbs 10:8
    ACQUIRE WISDOM!  ACCEPT WISDOM!  APPLY WISDOM! 

    As one reads God’s Word you have decisions to make regarding what you will do with it.  Reading, as well as learning God’s Word is not enough.  You can check off that you read 1 chapter from Proverbs, 5 chapters from Psalms, 3 chapters from the Old Testament, and/or 1 chapter from the New Testament today but still be no different. You can study and learn incredible amounts of information about God’s Word yet not be impacted one bit.  You have to decide as you read and learn whether to RECEIVE or REJECT what God has said.  The wise person will ACQUIRE Biblical wisdom and the wise person will ACCEPT that wisdom and then the wise person will APPLY the wisdom. The wise person is not just a hearer (reader/learner) but a doer of the Word. 

    However, as you read and learn God’s word you can be a foolish person.  The foolish person does NOT ACCEPT what God has to say.  The foolish person is a know-it-all and will begin to ARGUE with God.  They REJECT to the level of REFUSING to obey God’s commands.  

    Decisions have consequences.   You make your choices and then your choices make you.  To argue and reject what God’s commandments say is to bring destruction into your life as sin destroys over time.  

    You might easily be connecting the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus to this verse as Jesus speaks of the wise man hearing and doing and the foolish man only hearing. The wise man’s life is compared to a solid home that withstands storms while the foolish man’s life is like a house on sifting sands and will crumble.  

    Getting personal: Are you acquiring God’s wisdom, accepting God’s wisdom, and applying God’s wisdom to daily living? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 8 (10/8) is Proverbs 10:8.  It says, “A wise heart receives (accepts) commands, but foolish lips will be destroyed.”

    Be WISE and MAKE THE DECISION to RECEIVE God’s Commands. Don’t be a fool and REJECT God’s commands. 

    Continue Strong APPLYING God’s Wisdom to your life!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 7 (10/7) is Proverbs 10:7

    “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the
    name of the wicked will rot.” – Proverbs 10:7
    Live so the memory of your name brings a smile.

    Some people live in such a way that they leave precious memories while there are others who have memories that quickly wilt away. Just one quick, short thought of a person, present or past, can quickly bring a smile to your face.  Just one quick, short thought of a person, present or past, can quickly bring a frown to your face.
    How that person chooses to live or has in the past decided to live impacts your feelings toward them, even years after they are no longer on this earth.  

    We remember how people made us feel.  

    We remember how people treated us.  

    We remember the imprints of wisdom they left us and the words of encouragement that gave us.  

    We remember the stripes left by foolish acts and yes, mean acts, and the words of discouragement.  Yes, we do recall both good and bad.  Over time the precious memories gain strength with a smile while we seek to quickly dismiss the bad.  

    While we have our memories, we also need to know it is a two-way street.  We have the ability with our actions to create PRECIOUS MEMORIES that for generations those memories may bring smiles to people’s faces.  Yet we can take actions of cruelty toward someone that one may even wince at hearing our name spoken.  

    As you ponder Proverbs 10:7 know that HOW YOU LIVE MATTERS!  

    My challenge is that you do something memorable today for family or friends, or even a complete stranger that years from now brings a smile to their face.   Consider your words and works with others to not bring sadness but joy to their heart years from now.  Let the remembrance of your name be a blessing, not a burden. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 7 (10/7) is Proverbs 10:7. It says, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.”

    Let the remembrance of your name be a blessing, not a burden. 

    Continue Strong doing what is right in God’s sight and be a generational blessing!
    And remember to DATE the WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 6 (10/6) is Jeremiah 10:6

    “In as much as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great,
    and Your name is great in might).” – Jeremiah 10:6
    How GREAT Thou Art

    Every now and then we need to be reminded HOW GREAT GOD IS! The word “GREAT”  can be defined as considerably above average. It really conveys preeminence. It conveys being the best. We now use the term GOAT to say one is the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. 

    I find as I write that for me to use GOAT to describe God seems weird but using today’s word – GOD IS THE GREATEST OF THE “GOATS.” He has been and always will be the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!! There is none like Him – no one and none even close to being like Him. 

    As you consider Jeremiah 10:6 know that the greatness of God is seen throughout the Bible. Here are just a few verses. 
    Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
    2 Samuel 7:22  “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For [there is] none like You, nor is there any God besides You,”
    Psalm 95:3  For the LORD [is] the great God, And the great King above all gods.
    Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 
    Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. 
    Psalm 35:10 All my bones shall say, “LORD, who is like You, Deliveringthe poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” 

    By the way, what are your BONES saying today as you consider God?  

    Not only with your bones but with your whole being I cry out HOW GREAT THOU ART!! There is no one like our GREAT GOD

    Recognizing God’s greatness should impact our praise as 1 Chronicles 16:25 says, “For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised.  It should also impact our prayers.  When Nehemiah began to pray He acknowledged that he was praying to his GREAT and awesome God.  Nehemiah 1:5 And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God.  It should also impact us as we face struggles.  As Nehemiah and the people rebuilding the wall faced enormous challenges Nehemiah told them to REMEMBER THE LORD – who is GREAT and awesome.   

    Our verse to DATE the Word on October 6 (10/6) is Jeremiah 10:6. It says, “In as much as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might).” 

    How does the fact that God is GREAT impact your life?  

    Continue Strong KNOWING God is good and God is GREAT,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 5 (10/5) is 2 Corinthians 10:5

    “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
    WINNING THE BATTLE WITH YOUR THINKING

    One of the greatest battlefields is our mind!  In our minds, we have a battle for WHAT we will be thinking. Our thinking has to be controlled as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches for while our thinking can be incredibly creative and constructive as well as having compassionate thoughts toward others we can have evil and wicked and CORRUPT thoughts.  Our thinking can be cruel toward others.  WHAT we allow our mind to think about matters as wrong thinking can lead to wrong actions.  Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”   

    Reminding us of why WHAT we think about matters Emerson wrote 
    Sow a thought reap an action;  
    sow an action reap a habit;  
    sow a habit reap a character; 
    sow a character reap a destiny.

    Let us be reminded of what we should be thinking about the Apostle Paul wrote in
    Philippians 4:8 these words: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK about these things.”

    How is your THINKING? Are you hourly winning the battle of your mind?  To win we find a great strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It tells us to cast down or DEMOLISH those arguments against Christ and His teachings. Like the military breaking down a fortification, we demolish those arguments that are incorrect, that are wrong about Christ.

    The military analogy continues as we now TAKE CAPTIVE thoughts.  To take captive is to have CONTROL OVER.  Your thoughts are now to be considered a PRISONER. You don’t answer to them. They answer to you! Those who are captive are REMOVED from the battlefield.  

    A third action then takes place as our thoughts are OBEDIENT to Christ.  The NIV says, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   This means HIS WILL and HIS WAYS ARE RIGHT and are to be FOLLOWED! 

    So, I ask again HOW IS YOUR THINKING?  What are you ALLOWING your mind to THINK ON?  Does God see a CLEAN mind or a CORRUPT mind?  

    Are you CONTROLLING your THOUGHTS or are your thoughts controlling you?

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 5 (10/5) is 2 Corinthians 10:5.  It says, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

    Up close question: Have you memorized Philippians 4:8 so that you might use Philippians 4:8 as a filter for what you will think about?

    Continue Strong with thinking on RIGHT things!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD