Proverbs 11:2-3 – “After pride came, disgrace followed; but wisdom came with humility.  ³ The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I kept hearing the word – FRUIT! That set the course for my meditation.   In Proverbs 11:2-3, I was challenged by contrasts and progressions.   Disgrace follows pride, looking for an opportunity to prevail.  Humility follows wisdom, seeking opportunity to manifest itself.  Integrity is an inner GPS or Pathfinder!

In (vv 5-6), we see the power of True Righteousness.   In Proverbs 12:1, we observe the power or fruit of discipline!   In (v 14), we see the Fruit of words, and in (v 11), the value (fruit) of completing and focusing on our assignment rather than chasing any fantasy.

In Proverbs 13:2-6, we come face-to-face with the fruit of our words.   In Proverbs 15:1, we see the fruit of our reaction to every situation.   It is predictive of the outcome!  In Proverbs 16:7, we recognize the fruit of faithfulness.  In Proverbs 19:17, we discover the fruit of generosity.

Those are examples of Fruit, but the question is, “How Do We Become That Person?” The answer is in Romans 12:1-3.  Notice the pathway and progression.

• Total Submission to God.

Give Him Everything.   Give Him every possession. Give Him every thought.   Give Him every desire.    Give Him Everything.  Give Him 100% control and surrender.    How could that be unthinkable when our eternal soul hangs in the balance?   Do we trust Him?

• Determine that we will stop participating in Conformity to the World, the Flesh, and the devil.

But set our hearts to participating and cooperating in our Transformation! Dying to Self is a process.

• Begin Renewing or Reprogramming the mind.

What do we think about?  What do we think?  Why do we think what we think?  What will build us up, and what will tear us down?

Then follow the guidance of Romans 12:3-8. The gifts – The What and the How.   Start doing what we are!   Do not tell God what we do not have; do what we know we can and what our heart draws us to do.

If you are a planner, plan.   If you are an encourager, encourage.   If you are a giver, give.   If you are a prayer, pray.   If you are a singer, sing.  If you are a fixer, fix.  See it?  Be it!

As you become, the Fruit will be produced.  Transformation will transpire, and you will climb higher and higher spiritually.

Psalm 127:1-2 – “If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain.  If the Lord does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.  ² It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food.  Yes, he provides for those whom he loves even when they sleep.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of “Total Dependency on God” filled my thoughts.

We all have plans, dreams, goals, and ambitions, even fantasies or deep longing hope.  Some pursue those at the expense of everything else, and some only daydream in whimsical fantasy because the dream is too vast and complex to believe they could achieve.  They become convinced it is impossible because of some inadequacy in them or their failures.  They live trusting what they can do!  They miss the hope of life!

Psalm 127:1-2 provides a liberating revelation if we comprehend it. It is more than a statement of fact; it is a revelation of release.   Only God!   Our plans may seemingly produce results, but they are flawed.   Only God can transform the impossible into the possible and defeat into victory. Only God can provide while we sleep.   We accomplish nothing in our sleep, except sleep and maybe dreams.   But God provides wisdom and knowledge as we sleep.   Divine downloads in the night.

In Psalm 130:5-6, the encouragement is Total Dependence on God! Psalm 139 overflows with hope, promise, and assurance.   Here we realize that God, our God, is the Living God who knows   Everything and is everywhere!   He formed us with purpose.   Each of us is uniquely designed! Each of us has abilities, talents, gifts, and opportunities to satisfy God’s designed purpose.

I love (vv 23-24) where the light of revelation comes on if we can receive it. He asks, “Examine me!”   Wow!   “Probe my thoughts, test me, and know my concerns.”   Do you see it?   Dig deep into the recesses of my heart and mind, bring to the surface all those doubts and fears of inadequacy, and help me face them in Total Dependency on God!

If God is who the Bible describes, and we are in Him and He is in us (New Creations, Transformed Creations, Filled with the Holy Spirit), how can we fail to accomplish any assignment as we Totally Depend on God?

What is it God cannot do? The life that I now live (in the flesh), I live by the faith of the Son of God.   I live, but not I; it is Christ IN me.   Life is Jesus living as a single unit with me!   How dare I think I am inadequate in that light? How dare I say I have no gift, talent, or ability – The Resurrected Jesus lives in me!

Let’s receive that revelation and determine to live every second of every minute in Total Dependency on GOD!

Psalm 116:1-2 – “I love the Lord because He heard my plea for mercy, ² and listened to me.   As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I encountered a challenging thought in the form of a question. “Why do we love the LORD?”

Before we simplify and give the pat religious response, pause and think. In Psalm 116, the Psalmist said, “I love the LORD because…”   Because what?   Because why?   What motivates our Love?   To me, that was a challenging question.  I sensed it was not to be answered quickly or without deep introspection. WHY?

In (v 1), he says, “Because God heard my prayer for mercy and listened to me.”   That indicates more than awareness; it indicates action.   So, we could say that we love God because of what He does for us.   That sounds both reasonable and selfish.  The focus shifts more to us than to Him.

In (v 6), he says, “The LORD protects the untrained (the morally naive or immature).”    Again, it is rooted in what God does for us. Is that the biblical reason and transformational reason to LOVE God?

Psalm 118:1 – “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, and His loyal love endures (lasts, never fades or fails).”   Why do we love the LORD?  The honesty of our answer holds the key to our victory and spiritual advancement.

1 John 4:19 gives the best possible answer, but is it the true answer of our hearts?   “We love Him BECAUSE He loved us first.”    Love begets love.   Love is the seed that reproduces itself.   Love is the sacrifice that transcends all self-centeredness and selfishness.    John 3:16 is the key!   1 Corinthians 13 is the explanation.  Life is the classroom.

Why do we love God?   Is it because He saves us and we avoid hell?   Is it because He answers our prayers?   Is it because we are protected and provided for (Psalms 91 & 23)?   Why do we love other human beings?  We love our children because they are our children, not what they do or provide. They are part of us. We love our spouses because we have chosen to, because they complete us, not just what they do. We love friends because we have decided that their companionship brings us joy and a sense of satisfaction.

But why do we love God?   We should love Him because His love transforms us and enables us to be complete! His love empowers us to dispense that love to others and help them escape their prison of darkness.  His love introduces us to Life!   We should love Him because only in Him can we truly live!

What was life like before He came into your heart? What is it like now?  So, I ask again, “Why do we love God?”

Psalm 108:1-3 – “I am determined, O God.  I will sing and praise you with my whole heart.  ² Awake, O stringed instrument and harp.  I will wake up at dawn.  ³ I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord. I will sing praises to you before foreigners.”

Today, I heard, “Begin right, stay right, and end right.” I contemplated that as I read.   How we begin is important, but that alone is not sufficient to carry us through to completion.   However, if we do not begin right, we are severely disadvantaged in our hope of completion.   In fact, without a right beginning, there can be no right ending.

The Psalmist in Psalm 108:1-3 committed to begin his day worshipping God.   That gave him a pathway to walk in the presence of the LORD.   Is that a guarantee of ease?   Hardly, but it is an access designed to help what would otherwise not be realized.    

Seeking God FIRST infuses God’s strength into our day! If God is for us, what difference does it make who is against us?   It brings Psalm 91 into our hearts and enlightens us, helping us see God’s reality clearly.   In that mindset, we can be like Paul and Silas in Jail.  Acts 16:25 – They rocked the jail at midnight with praise and worship.   You could say this was the original “Jailhouse Rock”, long before Elvis!

The key to finishing the race with God’s favor is developing a mindset that seeks God in all things and at all times.  It is developing a mindset of gratitude, commitment, and confidence in God.

If God fills our hearts, sin troubles our spirits! Acts 17:16: When Paul was alone in Athens and toured the city, he saw all the idols, and it “greatly upset” his spirit.   We live in a world that overflows with idolatry and do not give it a second thought. Have we become that calloused in our hearts?   When God fills us to overflowing, sin bothers us!   When sin doesn’t bother us, it just might indicate that God does not occupy the throne of our lives.

Those outside the Grace of God (Lost) are racing toward destruction (hell). Does that bother us?   How much does it bother us?  How often does it bother us?  What are we doing about it?  All that is revealing, far more than we like to acknowledge.   We like to live religious, unaffected lives, getting our weekly religious fixes on Sunday and living unbothered, busy lives pursuing our objectives.

What is the prime objective of the Holy Spirit if it is not pursuing the Will and Kingdom of God?   What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit would focus on?   What do we focus on?   Is there a contrast?

Believe me, I’m not being condemnatory or suggesting I am not guilty, only asking, “Does Sin Bother Us?” How much?  My prayer is, “LORD, forgive me for living an unaffected life. Transform me and fill me to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Help me to seek You above all and trust You to provide all I need rather than justifying my negligence by saying, I have to do this or that to provide for myself and my family. Help me to roll my entire life on You. I Surrender All. Amen.”

LORD, help us to begin right so we can end right and never give up the fight!

Psalm 100

“Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!  ² Worship the Lord with joy.  Enter his presence with joyful singing.  ³ Acknowledge that the Lord is God.  He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.  Give him thanks.  Praise his name.  ⁵ For the Lord is good.  His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was challenged, encouraged, and inspired.   I began to think about the emphasis on, or lack of, gratitude and praise to God, as well as the lack of understanding of what genuine praise truly is.

Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100, and Psalm 103 all express a central element. “Come into God’s presence with gratitude, thankfulness, and adoration.”  The benefits are amazing.  But why is this important?   Is God a narcissist or ego maniac who needs to be affirmed constantly?   If He is, He is not the God of the Bible.  So, why?

The reason is first our own minds and hearts.   

• Without gratitude, we develop an entitlement mentality, and selfishness grows. 
• Without adoration (expressed love), we turn inward and make ourselves the pinnacle (throne) of our lives.

As we focus on the person, power, and provision of God, we realize our frailty and His magnitude.  We learn obedience and contentment and are able to live Spirit-directed lives! 

In Acts, we have several examples of ‘Spirit-Directed Lives.’  Acts 8:26: Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch.   Philip obeyed, the eunuch was saved, and the gospel went to Ethiopia.  Who knows the full impact of that obedience?

In Acts 9, we have both Ananias the centurion and Peter the apostle living in Spirit-directed obedience.   Ananias sent for Peter, and Peter obeyed.  He violated the Jewish traditional law.  He broke the barriers of sectarianism and prejudice! As a result, the Gentiles received the gospel. (That opened the door for us.)   Acts 10:34-48 reaffirms that truth.

Is there a common theme in living the Spirit-Directed Life?   I believe, yes! The importance, the presence, and the operation of the Holy Spirit.   How do you live a truly Spirit-Directed Life without the fullness of the Holy Spirit? One of the key elements in the expansion of the early church, as revealed in Acts 9:31, was the fear (reverential awe) of God AND the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

Had Ananias not been obedient, Paul the apostle might have slipped through the cracks.  Although I believe God would have used someone else or sovereignly worked His work, Ananias’ obedience resulted in the launching of an unequaled ministry in the New Testament.

We don’t know the full result of our one act of obedience!   Living a Spirit-directed life could result in the release of another Paul, Billy Graham, Dwight L. Moody, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, or W.J. Seymour (Azusa Street).   Maybe a Corrie ten Boom.   

Heaven will reveal the extent.   However, even if our obedience resulted only in the salvation of a Nameless person with no major impact, they are who Jesus died for!  Their salvation causes jubilation in heaven.

But our Spirit-directed lives also bring a smile to God’s face. The Aaronic Blessing becomes a reality in our lives (Numbers 6:22-27).  Our goal is to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit!

LORD, help us to realize that we Worship You, not Your Ego!