Tag: No understanding

53.c. Wilderness – 17.i. “Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people?”

 

 

Deu 32:4-6  “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

 Psalms 74:18     Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.

 Jeremiah 4:22    “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

 Jeremiah 5:21   “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

 Galatians 3:1-3   O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith.  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

 Isaiah 1:2    Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.

 Titus 2:11-14    For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

If we look at foolish in a Thesaurus: stupid, silly, idiotic, halfwitted, witless, brainless, mindless, thoughtless, imprudent, incautious, irresponsible, injudicious, indiscreet, unwise, unintelligent, unreasonable; ill-advised, ill-considered, impolitic, rash, reckless, foolhardy, lunatic; absurd, senseless, pointless

Foolish and senseless people, foolish people, My people are foolish, and foolish are all ascribed to people who should know better. It indicates they have had teaching in proper conduct but discard it and choose paths that are foolish and unwise. It is easy to understand why those who reject God, things of God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are acting foolish and untie. However, I often wonder why this occurs in those who are called by His name. God’s Word gives clear examples, promises of judgment, warnings, and curses, and yet, these are disregarded and something else takes hold. What are foolish things that people who should know better do that is foolish: They choose to

Neglect God’s Word

Harden their hearts

Stiffen their necks

Deafen their ears

Satisfied with the lack of understanding

Eat baby food

Stagnate in their pursuit of holiness

Give no thought to honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all thoughts, words, and actions

Unrepentant

Worldly and fleshly pursuits

Allowing the busyness of life to consume them

Follow after what the world deems important

Does not seek to be led by the Holy Spirit

God’s Word is truth and in it are depths of wisdom and understanding so vast that a life time of study will only scratch the surface of it. There is never a minute wasted when God’s Word is pursued. How easily we are distracted. How easily we are influenced. How easily we fall away. How easily we disregard holiness. How easily sinfulness is disregarded. How many professing Christians give only lip service to things of God? How many are void of the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives? How many are self-reliant? How many are blinded and deafened by things of this world?  Neglect of God’s Word is a result of having no desire for it and seeing no need for it in their daily lives.  

We make time to eat and even snack throughout the day. Our day is structured around getting what is needed to fuel our bodies – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Our day is also structured around getting rest – bedtime. We choose how we apply our time to fill our need for these. It is said we can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, and 4 minutes without air. That is how we were created. God’s Word says that we find life in His Word, both now and eternally. We will find wisdom, understanding, knowledge, truth, purpose, rest, hope, and satisfaction in it. Apart from His Word, we will not. There is no one to blame and no excuse that can be given for choosing to neglect God’s Word other than ourselves 

Confess it, repent of it, and intentionally choose to live differently. It is not about carving out time or making time for God’s Word. That would indicate it may have value, but you are using your precious time to tick the box of things to do out of your hectic life. God’s Word needs to be desired deep within our souls. It must be important to our lives.  It must be what gives us purpose and satisfaction. 

If the generations of people before us and their time were consumed with worldly and fleshly pursuits, how much more are the temptations of this technology-filled world influencing our minds and consuming our time?  Oh, foolish and senseless people.

35.a. “For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

 

Matthew 23:13  “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

 Luke 11:52   Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

 Isaiah 56:10-11   His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.  The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.

 John 9:39-41  Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”  Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

 The religious leaders kept people from the kingdom of heaven by making human traditions and human religious rules more important than God’s Word. This was clearly seen in the way that they opposed and rejected Jesus; if they had opened the kingdom of heaven to men, they would have welcomed and received Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.  It is bad for someone not to enter into heaven themselves, but it is far worse to prevent another person from entering in.

Their zeal in evangelism did not prove they were right with God. These religious leaders went to great lengths to win others, but they brought people to darkness, not light. They may have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. Having a zeal for a false message does not make the message true. Leading a person down a path to hell with a false message has consequences for both the message giver and hearer. The blind proclaiming they can see and are able to lead other blind people to light does not make it true. Zeal, no matter how great it is, plus false doctrine, no matter how great the persuasion in their message, will never give rest for the blind soul seeking lasting light with purpose, hope, rest, joy, peace, and courage. 

Anything apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ, or apart from bringing Him all the glory and honor, or adding to, or taking away from His complete atonement for sin, or by some means of self-reliance, will always lead to blindness to things of God and lead a person to become a tool for satan and his lies. 

We do well to desire God to expose us to whatever is in our heart, mind, and soul that does not honor and glorify Jesus Christ and also be ever desiring to hear those quiet whispers for leading.

14.v. “They have hearts trained in greed.  Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.”

John 2:13  The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Jeremiah 7:11     Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.

Isaiah 56:10-11   All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest.  His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.  The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.

1 Timothy 6:5    and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

2 Peter 2:3    And in their greed they will exploit you with false words

2 Peter 2:14-15    They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!  Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

Jews came to the Temple from all over Israel, indeed from all over the known world. Most of the time, they couldn’t bring animals with them to sacrifice.

Moreover, Passover was the time that people paid the annual temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27; Exodus 30:13, 26). In Jesus’ day, many kinds of coinage were circulating. The  Romans, of course, had their own coins, but so did many kings and city-states across the empire. The various Herodian kings issued coins, as did the Phoenicians, Aegeans, Corinthians, and Persians. If these were voluntary offerings, perhaps, coins from these various countries and kingdoms might have been accepted. But this was a tax, not an offering. So, probably because of its exact weight and good alloy, Tyrian coinage (from Tyre) is specified in the Mishnah as the only coinage acceptable for the temple tax. Of course, there was a fee to exchange one’s coins for the Tyrian coins. The chief priest controlled the entire enterprise of money-changing and sale of sacrificial animals — and got his percentage of the gross. The sacrificial animals and money-changing tables were located in the Court of the Gentiles within the temple grounds. So the place designated for believing Gentiles to pray and worship was cluttered with the clink of coins, the braying of animals, and the sounds of commerce — hardly a place of peace wherein to seek the Lord. Jesus was offended, not that pilgrims needed to purchase sacrificial animals — cattle, sheep, goats, doves/pigeons, etc. — but that God’s house had become perverted from its main function as a house of prayer, and turned into something resembling a market, at which everyone brought their products, set up stalls, and crowds came to do their shopping.

Psalm 69: “I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”

I recently asked my Pastor about something that had been on my mind for a while and I could not wrap it up to understand it.  I love to listen to godly expositional preaching on the radio when I am driving.  There are some who seem to bring the Word of God alive.  The problem I had was at the end of their message there were 3-5 minutes of requesting money, need for money, and promise of blessing for sending in money.  To add to this problem I routinely would visit their web sites and read their sermon.  During visits to their web-site, I would be required to give my email address.  During my visit to their web site, there were pop-up ads for donations.  After they had my email address I would at least once or more per day get offers of deeper meaning to enhance my walk, through books, tapes, pod-casts., and other teachings for either a minimum donation or a flat fee.  This was the problem for me, there were more promotions and marketing for selling and making money than there was for proclaiming God’s Word.  The second concern I had was for what I was hearing on certain Christian radio stations.  They were offering a chance to win something.  If you call in and donate today we will enter you into a “chance to win” this once in a life time experience.  They all seem to be exchanging the humble sacrificial giving of a servant of Jesus Christ for a personal book that will bring you closer to God or a game of chance.  In either case, they are robbing that person of giving the honor and glory to Jesus alone.  I have no problem with being made aware of a need for a ministry.  It is when a ministry converts to using worldly marketing and cultural enticements to obtain donations or sell merchandise that I think it is wrong.  My Pastor said this “God’s will, God’s bill”.  God will provide, empower, and supply for those who do and follow His will.  When we go about commercializing His Word  He is not being honored or glorified or worshiped.  God’s Word is given to us by our loving heavenly Father and its application in our lives is through the Holy Spirit’s leading, and the blessings that come from and through His Word are rewards directly from and through Jesus Christ. God’s Word and its application into our lives is not something that can be bought and sold.

Some scripture is difficult for me to understand and I go searching for help.  I came across “The Enduring Word” website by David Guzik and his commentaries on the bible.  I have used it often and especially when studying the Old Testament.  I notice early this week that other than personal use permission must be given.  I had been using this commentary for over a year.  I sent David an email confessing my use and how I used it.  This was his response “Please, don’t worry at all about citing or using my online commentary in the preparation of your devotional writings. I make my material freely available; my main concern is that they would not be sold in some form without my permission. I’m happy to hear the online resources have been of some use to you.”   

To me, this is a humble heart wanting to honor and glorify and proclaim Jesus Christ.  We do well to seek God’s discernment in applying His Word without contaminating the honor and glory Jesus Christ deserves.

13.r. “But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. “

Zachariah 10:3   “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Isaiah 56:9-10    The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.  “Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

Jeremiah 10:21    For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

Jeremiah 50:6    “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.

Ezekiel 34:2   “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?

Ezekiel 34:7-10    “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep,  therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

The shepherds pretend to be guides of the people.  They lead them astray.  They do not feed them with the Word of God.  They feed them idols.  They feed them lies.  They lead them on paths away from God.  We can look at the shepherds being the religious leaders or the civil government leaders.  Both will be held to account for how they led the people God had placed under their responsibility.  These shepherds do not speak the truth but rather speak what the people want to hear. How is a person to be able to recognize false teaching leaders?  How are people to know lies from the truth from the craftily worded teachings of their leaders?  Too often preaching has turned into nothing more than saying what makes people comfortable, being afraid they might offend someone.  Too often leaders say what people want to hear without giving a second thought about trying to fulfill what they promised.  Without knowledge, understanding, and wisdom through God’s Word and Holy Spirit leading there is no way to see how blind we are to things of God.  Complacency and neglect of God’s Word will always lead to confusion between right and wrong.  In this confusion, people are easily led astray.  in this confusion, people turn toward their shepherds/leaders and away from seeking Jesus Christ.  In this confusion, people believe in everything other than what God’s Word proclaims.  In this confusion, people place their hope and trust in worldly shepherds/leaders.  There is no substitute for God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.  There is no substitute that will fill the longing of our heart apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.  There is no Substitute that can take away the confusion, worry, and fear apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.  Do not look for answers to today’s problems, trials, and troubles apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.

124. “He catches the wise in their craftiness”

2 Samuel 13:1 Now Absalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

Jeremiah 4:22     “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

Job 5:13    He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end

1 Corinthians 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

James 3:15    This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Psalms 9:15-16     The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.  The LORD has made himself known

 

Psalms 7:15   He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Pro 14:12  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

This may refer to the blinding effects of passion and self-will; for these make a man think his own way best and most desirable. But it seems better to take it as a warning against following a perverted or uninstructed conscience. Conscience needs to be informed by God’s Word and ruled by God’s will to make it a safe guide. When properly regulated, it is able to pronounce a verdict upon contemplated action, and its verdict must always he obeyed. But warped by prejudice, weakened by disuse and disobedience, judicially blinded in punishment and in consequence of sin, it loses all power of moral judgment, and becomes inoperative of good; and then, as to the way that seemed at the moment right, the end thereof are the ways of death. The man is following a false light, and is led astray, and goes headlong to destruction.

Matthew Poole; There are some evil actions or courses which men may think to be lawful and good, either through gross and affected ignorance, or through partiality or self-flattery, or through want of necessary diligence in examining them by the rule of God’s will or word; all which are culpable causes of the mistake, and therefore do not excuse the error:

Gill; There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,…. As the way of sin and wickedness does, it promising much carnal pleasure and mirth; there is a great deal of company in it, it is a broad road, and is pleasant, and seems right, but it leads to destruction;

88. Due to their hardness of heart.

Judges 8:22   The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Exodus 23:33     They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Psalms 106:39    Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.

Hosea 4:12-14     My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.  They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery.  I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.

Isaiah 56:11     The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.

John 8:43     Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

Romans 3:11     no one understands; no one seeks for God.

Ephesians 4:18     They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

What is it in your life that is a snare to you and possibly your family?  What occupies your thoughts and time? What sacrifices do you make so that you have time for whatever it is that occupies your thoughts and actions?  The list of what can snare us is limitless for we are very good at seeking our own interests and wants.  We are very good at giving our time and energy to that which pleases our eyes, heart, and mind.

We have been given free will to choose whom we will honor and serve.  Unfortunately many times the choice is made for self and self-interest and self-satisfaction.  The snare for each of us is different but it is rooted in the same self-interest choices that leave no place for honoring, serving, following, and obeying Jesus Christ.

Leave no room for a snare in your heart and mind.  Set your heart to humbly serve Him.  Intentionally seek to understand and know Him more and more.  Make decisions for eternity in line with that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.

64. What will you do when the end comes

Deuteronomy 32:29   and there is no understanding in them. If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Psalms 81:13     Oh, that my people would listen to me

Psalms 107:43     Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

Isaiah 48:18-19     Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!

Hosea 14:9     Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them

Isaiah 10:3    What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

Jeremiah 5:31    but what will you do when the end comes?

Luke 12:20     But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Job 27:8     For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

What will you do when the end comes? If you are wise you would understand your latter end.  If you will pay attention to God and keep your eyes on Him and your heart and soul fully seeking and desiring Him the end is clear.  If you are given a glimpse of eternity, sin, judgment, atonement, redemption, salvation, the need for repentance, grace, mercy, and love of God, and you live as though this world is all there is to live for, then you are to be pitied.  For you have rejected a full life in Jesus Christ.  You have cast aside blessings and promises of eternity in heaven for desires of the flesh here and now.

The end comes to all life.  Judgment comes to all. Those who have rejected a life of humble service, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying God will find that when life ends they have believed a lie.  They are cast into torment for eternity for this is the judgment to those who reject the grace, mercy, and love of God through Jesus Christ.   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.   And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

There is no room in our lives for being lukewarm, neglectful, or complacent to the gift of life through Jesus Christ.

Steadfast vs Meaningless

“I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”

Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

Isaiah 1:11
“The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.

Jeremiah 4:22
“My people are fools;
they do not know me.
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.

Mica 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Matt 12:32
Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

I recently spent time in Roatan, Honduras and met some fine young men.  The one thing I was so encouraged about was their heart for God and how open they were to talk about it.  There was no desire on their part to impress or judge it was a pure heart to talk about God and their walk and struggles with this walk.  Their heart desire was to seek knowledge and understanding of His word and being able to apply it in their lives.  These young men have struggles that we can’t even comprehend.  Little or no father figure in their lives, cultural pressure from their friends, lack of consistent water, food, shelter, clothes, and yet they have chosen to serve, honor and glorify God.  They spoke openly about sometimes not walking close to  Him and I was so humbled by this openness.  When we talk about how we are doing in our walk with God we don’t seem to open up and speak about all that sets us back.  Even worse is sometimes we don’t even see how lacking we are.  We pretend or perform trying to make ourselves right before God and man in our own eyes.  The truth escapes us in this matter because we lack knowledge and understanding which comes from His word in our hearts and minds.  I wonder if our submission to Christ is nothing more than an insurance policy against eternity in hell.  How sad is this?  Rather than being open and honest about our time in God’s word and application of it in our thoughts and actions we shrug it off because we don’t  see immediate need or find time.   I am not sure if I will see these young men again – I certainly plan on it – their names are written on my heart “Bebe, Jorvick, Pablo, Menfy, Hubert, Richard, Jonny, Jason, Christopher, Bryan, Carry, Oral”.  Please keep them in your prayers of protection, guidance, and blessing from God.