Today’s Reading: Proverbs 21
The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases. – Proverbs 21:1
What a beautiful analogy of the direction God gives us when we stop resisting His perfect plan for our lives and completely submit to His. God will guide our hearts — we will start desiring what He desires, we will display mercy to those in need, and our walk with God will be evidenced by His righteousness. There is no need for us to create our own righteousness or to try to produce a holiness of our own, because He is willing to give us His. And the evidence of a heart that is truly devoted to God and a life that bears fruit will be pleasing to God.
GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE EVIDENCED IN OUR LIVES.
People may be right in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their heart.
The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just
than when we offer him sacrifices. – Proverbs 21:2-3
The godly walk with integrity;
blessed are their children who follow them. – Proverbs 20:7
The life of the godly is full of light and joy,
but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. – Proverbs 13:9
Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love
will find life, righteousness, and honor. – Proverbs 21:21
GOD’S MERCY WILL BE POURED OUT FROM OUR LIVES.
Some people are always greedy for more,
but the godly love to give! – Proverbs 21:26
Blessed are those who are generous,
because they feed the poor.
Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
Quarrels and insults will disappear.
Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
will have the king as a friend.
The Lord preserves those with knowledge,
but he ruins the plans of the treacherous. – Proverbs 22:9-12
If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you! – Proverbs 19:17
GOD WILL BE PLEASED WITH THE FRUIT OF OUR LIVES.
When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them. – Proverbs 16:7
The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly. – Proverbs 16:13
The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but he delights in the prayers of the upright.
The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue godliness. – Proverbs 15:8-9
When we choose to accept God’s free gift of salvation, which is available because Jesus was willing to die for our sins, God does a transformational work in our lives. He refines us and molds us into the person He created us to be. We start reacting in new ways and our lives become a reflection of who God is. This is not a learned performance, but the result of a Spirit-filled life.
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. — 2 Corinthians 5:16-18a
Father God, thank you for your patient love that led us into a relationship with you. Thank you for the work you have begun and will continue to do in our lives as we daily walk in relationship with you. May your righteousness and mercy continue to be evidenced in the way we serve you by serving others, and may you be pleased with our lives. We submit to you today and allow you to guide us and lead us like streams of water. Amen.