datethewordtest

Tag: Trust

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 13 (11/13) is Proverbs 11:13

    “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” – Proverbs 11:13
    Q. Who can you TRUST?  A: DEFINITELY NOT A GOSSIPER!

    As one reads through the Book of Proverbs one will see the word BUT used many times as it seeks to provide a CONTRAST of a variety of actions. Understanding the contrast, one can then make better decisions on how to live. In Proverbs 11:13 we have the results of one who is a gossiper contrasted with one who is trustworthy.   The gossipier garners the reputation of being a BETRAYER. Nothing is safe with them.  Whereas the one who is trustworthy KEEPS even the most sensitive information secure.  

    Are you a gossiper?  

    To know if you are let’s consider a definition for a gossiper, I like to say a gossiper is one who tells another person something about you that they would never tell another person if you were standing right beside them.  In other words, they will say something about you behind your back but not to your face.  

    Are you prone to gossip?  Does it excite you to share tasty bits of information about people?  Proverbs 18:8 says, “A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being.”   This verse speaks of two types of gossipers. There is one who talks and the one who listens.  So we should be asking not only do you enjoy spreading information but are you prone to listening to someone sharing secrets, to gossip? 

    You should KNOW that someone who will share gossip WITH you will also share gossip ABOUT you!

    We should listen to the INSTRUCTIONS of Proverbs 20:19 as it says, “The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.”

    In Proverbs 11:13 we have a verse that challenges us to be a TRUSTWORTHY person.  As a trustworthy person, one is careful in what information is shared and with whom what information is shared about others.  The trustworthy person is even careful how they share prayer request concerning others.  

    Please commit today to not being a gossiper.  HOLD YOUR TONGUE!  GUARD YOUR WORDS! Guard your ears. Don’t listen to gossip!  
    Commit today to be a TRUSTWORTHY person!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 13 (11/13) is Proverbs 11:13.  It says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

    Oh, be careful little tongue what you say, especially about others!

    Continue Strong holding your tongue!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS ***A ministry/leadership note:  Occasionally someone will come to you for HELP and they start by saying, “I need to tell you something but you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone.”  Friends, don’t make that promise!!!!
    Listen close!! “Never tell a person you will never tell a person.”   The only promise you make is that if you can’t help them with what they tell you is that you will only involve those who can help.  
    Listen again carefully: “Never tell a person you will never tell a person.” 

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 10 (9/10) is Psalm 9:10

    “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You,
    LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” – Psalm 9:10
    Names you can TRUST

    Psalm 9:10 has become one of my favorite go-to verses as it tells me WHO I can trust and HOW by KNOWING the NAMES OF GOD my trust in God can be stronger, as well as, yes, sustained.  Every day we face the challenges of doubting God as we face disappointments, diseases, and, yes even facing a coming death.  The trials of life bring a test of our trust in God.  While we can easily quote the famous quote from Charles Spurgeon where he said, “When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart,” there is a very real battle of the mind and heart of CAN I TRULY TRUST GOD.  I have a feeling you have been here, and I have a very good feeling you will be here again.  Thus, there is a need to know and apply Psalm 9:10.

    As you consider Psalm 9:10 it does call for some work on our part for it says THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME.  To KNOW means to learn.  Learning calls for studying.  Studying takes time and effort. God has graciously revealed Himself to us throughout His Word.  And one of the ways He uses to reveal Himself is by revealing His names.  A Google search of the names of God found in the Bible will reveal nearly 1000 names.  This tells me God wants us to KNOW a lot about Him SO THAT no matter what we are facing we can KNOW that HE can be TRUSTED. 

    One example from one verse that tells us of God’s names and how He is everything we need is found in Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah 9:6 is more than a Christmas verse as it is one of the most complete descriptions of our God we will ever get in just one verse. Isaiah 9:6 says “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

    Think about this from the names found in Isaiah 9:6.  In a world of confusion, He is the wonderful counselor! He is the smartest in the world! In a world of chaos, He is the mighty God! He is the strongest in the world! In a world of complexity, He is the everlasting Father (speaks for being the Founder who understands how it was made). He is superior! In a world of conflict, He is the Prince of peace! He is the Savior for all as the greatest conflict of all is with God. From and through the Prince of Peace we can have peace with God because of what He did at the cross and at the tomb!

    Isaiah 9:6 is just one example of how when we KNOW the names of God, we realize we can TRUST GOD! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 10 (9/10) is Psalms 9:10. It says, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” 

    One of God’s ways of revealing Himself to us is through His names.  Get to know them and watch your trust in Him increase.  They are NAMES YOU CAN TRUST!

    Continue Strong Learning and KNOWING His names,  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

    BTW – 9/10 has a few other really good verses to DATE
    Ecclesiastes 9:10  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
    Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
    Matthew 9:10  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 20 (8/20) is 1 Kings 8:20

    “So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position
    of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and
    I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” – 1 Kings 8:20
    God fulfills His Promises

    As King Solomon recaps all that has taken place in building the temple that was first in the heart of his father David, he tells us that God fulfills His promises. This is the second time in just a few verses that Solomon proclaimed that God keeps His promises.  In 1 Kings 8:15, he said, “And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with His hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father.” 

    Just as God fulfilled His promises to Solomon, you can STAND firm on the promises of God.  

    Do you believe what you just read?   Do you believe that you serve a PROMISE KEEPING HEAVENLY FATHER?  Do you believe that He says what He means and means what He says?  

    I present those pointed questions because how we think and what we believe about God impacts our praying and our living.  One of the greatest questions to be answered is CAN YOU TRUST GOD?   

    CAN YOU TRUST GOD?   Can you truly trust GOD with your salvation?  Can you truly TRUST God with your life?  Can YOU truly trust God to do what He says He will do?  

    In getting an affirmative answer to those pointed questions it is always good to look at one’s track record.  Our God has a long track record of keeping His promises.  As chapter 8 of 1 Kings wraps up Solomon says these words about God’s promises: “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”  Not one word has failed.

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 20 (8/20) is 1 Kings 8:20. It says, “So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.”

    The apostle Peter wrote that the believer has been given exceedingly great and precious promises  (2 Peter 1:4).  As you ponder on God’s promises what is (are) the most precious promise (promises) you have from God?  

    Continue Strong standing firmly on the precious promises of God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    BTW – my most precious promise from God is that He will never leave nor forsake me.  His presence is the most precious promise to me!
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5

    “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”” – Luke 5:5
    Choosing to TRUST and OBEY What He Says

    Various stories in the Bible help us to see the real-life struggles of trusting and obeying the Lord. The story of Jesus telling Simon Peter (a professional fisherman) to launch out into the deep and drop his nets for a catch is one of those stories.  To get the full understanding of the struggles and then the surrender notice Luke 5:1-4.  It says, “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the Word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

    Simon Peter, the professional fisherman has just heard an order from a carpenter that goes against what Peter knows about fishing.  Peter responds with a REASON that what Jesus just said will not work.  They had already been fishing and had come up empty.  And coming up empty as a fisherman is embarrassing.  This order to go fishing in the wrong place at the wrong time looked to Peter that he was going to be embarrassed again. So he tells Jesus, his master,  “Master, we have toiled (labored, wore ourselves out) all night and caught nothing.”

    I see myself and maybe you see yourself sounding like Peter as Jesus tells us what He wants us to do.   I KNOW what works and what does not work.  I KNOW what looks absurd and ridiculous and yes what is impossible.  I am thinking you have been there with God.  Maybe you are there at this very moment.

    What do YOU do when God tells you to do what appears to be absurd, ridiculous, and impossible? 

    I think this story is so helpful as we struggle with what God wants us to do.  We can learn from Simon Peter how he made the decision to TRUST and OBEY what seems absurd – ridiculous – crazy – impossible.  His decision starts with one word and that word is NEVERTHELESS.  “Nevertheless” reveals a change, a change of thinking.   Peter is going to TRUST that Jesus knows best. 

    Make no mistake Luke 5:5 is a major moment in the development of Simon Peter’s faith. With the word “NEVERTHELESS,” he moved to the level of TRUSTING AND OBEYING.  

    If we are going to OBEY Jesus there will be a crucial moment where we have to TRUST Him.  We will have to decide to stop believing that we know what is best and decide that HE KNOWS BEST.  It is not easy. The struggle is real.  That is why you will have to say NEVERTHELESS!

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 5 (5/5) is Luke 5:5.  It says, “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net.”

    Are you facing a NEVERTHELESS moment right now?  Let Peter’s story of struggling with doing what Jesus said encourage you, encourage you to TRUST AND OBEY.  

    Oh BTW, don’t miss the results of trusting and obeying.  Luke 5:6 “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  What Jesus said would happen did happen.

    Continue Strong TRUSTING AND OBEYING JESUS
    And remember to DATE THE WORD