Thought 339: Be Careful from Ryan's devotional book Thoughts

 

 

Thought 339

Be Careful

“When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.” Proverbs 26:25-26 KJV

      This passage warns about charming speech. Many a young woman believes that a “prince charming” will appear one day and sweep her off her feet. The problem is that this notion is a fantasy and certainly has no Biblical basis; instead it is rooted in a cartoon world of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, not to mention Sleeping Beauty.

        God loves us, and He desires to protect His daughters and His sons. One warning that the Lord gives us, as He a spoke through Solomon, is that charm is really of no value. Charm is a deceptive tool, in most instances. However, the young man who is living in the Lord’s will and yet appears to be charming to the young women in his  fellowship is quite different issue. Young women and men should “keep their eyes open” for the young man or woman who is following the Lord, not for charm.

 

Thought 326: Establishing God's Guidelines for Romance from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 326

Establishing God’s Guidelines for Romance

     Romance is a commonly misunderstood subject in our culture today. Do you know any of God’s guidelines for marriage? What about dating, I mean, is there anything like that in the Bible? Or what about courtship? This is only a couple of questions, but there is a lot of Biblical principle and wisdom on this subject of “relationships.”

      First, following the direction of the Holy Spirit in alignment with the Word is everything. Many follow and seek God’s direction and is will in their career, problems, and hardships, so why not in “romance” to? After all, this area is very confusing, painful and routine for just about everyone that attempts to build their own ”Hollywood love” story. Even Christians many times passionately want the lights, the  fireworks, and the THE HEAT of a head over heels relationship with the opposite sex.

     God does have rules though, and those rules are for our protection. For instance, nearly every New Testament book warns us of sexual immorality: it is a big “no no” for God’s people. The Bible says there is not even to be a hint of sexual immorality among you (Ephesians 5:3). Not even a hint! Unfortunately, that is not what is thought of when people look at the American Church.

      Older readers, think back to the times of your youth with the young men or young women; likewise you young’uns think back to your recent past or just examine your present “relationship.” Are dating relationships today void of sexual immorality? Among Christians circles? Is there truly not even a hint of sexual immorality, which is as simple as a wanting desire (lust, which is a form of pride)?

        Hands interlocking around his neck she passionately kissed him . . . he grabbed her and kissed her (that was the first time he had ever expressed his “feelings” for her), but just a few hours later everything he ever knew as right was thrown out the window as they stared at each other longingly in the back of his car. . . . .and now they are both feeling guilty for the crime they have just committed before God and what they had stolen from each other’s future spouses . . .

        This story and many others out there relate the timeless truths of Proverbs. Just take a look and see how many of these stories are described in other terms in that book—you will be amazed what you find.

⁹  In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

¹⁰ And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

¹¹ (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

¹² Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

¹³ So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

¹⁴ I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

¹⁵ Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

¹⁶ I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

¹⁹ For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey

--Proverbs 7:9-19 KJV

  Solomon’s life, like his father David’s, was filled with compromise when women were “part of the package”. Solomon gave into beauty, charm, and sex – the very things that God wrote through him not to do when the book of Proverbs was penned. The man had A THOUSAND WIVES! For being so wise, he turned out to be “pretty lame.” Only one wife is permitted to a man (Genesis 2). It has been that way since the beginning.  God created one Eve for Adam, not a Hiram. How could Solomon ere so greatly; after all, the guy had it made? Because he gave up his relationship with God for a season just to have the ladies. Young men, young ladies are important. I mean, I am excited that one day I will spend my days with the amazing woman that I can call my wife for the rest of my years and every young woman should be treated with respect. But . . . . we need to surrender our desires to God. The book of Psalms declares that if you delight yourself in the Lord he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4). But understand this: those desires are not lustful.

     The warnings of Solomon in the book of Proverbs are amazingly applicable to our lives. Solomon was the wisest that ever lived (other than Christ), yet he didn’t even follow the commands that he gave to his own son to whom he appears to have written the Proverbs. Solomon wrote the Proverbs under the direction of the Holy Spirit and did not truly ‘think them up’ on his own; therefore, these aren’t just guys’ opinions, they are the very Words of God.

Thought 244: Scripture from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 244

Scripture

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 27:12 KJV

Thought 212: The Seriousness of Sexual Sin from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 212

The Seriousness of Sexual Sin

Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV1984)

Thought 210: The Word from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 210

The Word

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:22-27 (NIV1984)

  Meditate on what this verse means in relation to your own life.

Thought 207: Power Word! from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 207

Power Word!

"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV

Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV

Thought 186: Wisdom from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 185

Wisdom

Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Proverbs 2:11-19 (NIV1984)