The Required Routine for 2018!

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Good: ethical, right

Require: ask for, demand

To Do: accomplish

Justly: attribute of justice, right, rectitude

Love: love

Mercy: kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable)

Walk:  associate, be familiar with

Humbly: keep close, reserve, preserve, retiring, modest, lowly

The Required Routine for 2018 is to:

1. Do justly

2. Love mercy

3. Walk humbly with your God

Each requires -

- a God perspective: what is good, ethical, right?
- an action: do, love, walk.
- a willingness: What does the Lord require?
- a personal relationship: your God

Required Routine - do justly, love mercy,

and walk humbly with your God. 

My prayer is that I can fulfill the required routine in 2018 and beyond. 

Proverbs 11:1-3 Honesty. Integrity. Humility.

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. Proverbs 11:1-3

Dishonest: deceit, deceptive

Abomination: something disgusting, an abhorrence

Just: complete, full, perfect

Delight: goodwill, favor

Pride: insolence, presumptuousness of godlessness

Shame: ignominy, dishonor, disgrace

With: in one's possession or keeping, mental quality

Humble: modest

Wisdom: ethical and religious

Integrity: blameless, innocence

Upright: well-pleased, righteous, straight

Guide: by implication to transport, lead

Perversity: distortion, viciousness

Unfaithful: to act covertly; by implication, to pillage, deal deceitfully

Destroy: devastate, ruin

Honesty. Integrity. 

The concepts of honesty and integrity seem to be missing from our society as a whole these days. Lying is common place. Deceitfulness is considered the norm. Cheating is the standard practice. 

Yet, no matter how common place dishonesty is, is remains an abomination to the Lord! It's disgusting to Him. And if it's disgusting to Him, it should be to us as well.

It SHOULD be. Why isn't it? 

Because of Pride. We tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and to make ourselves look better in the eyes of those around us, we "enhance" our speech with lies. And soon, it then becomes the norm for us. We liked that the lie, made us "better". 

Sadly, it is only an illusion. For a life based on dishonesty and pride is just, well full of hot air. It's not good for anything. It ruins trust. And it also eats away at oneself, because no matter how many lies are told—we know the truth, even if we think we've deceived others. 

Honesty. Integrity. Humility. 

Three important traits that begin when a heart is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG) 

Proverbs 3:31-35: There is a choice to be made.

Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways; For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just. Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools. Proverbs 3:31-35

Envy: a feeling of discontent or covetousness withregard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Oppressor: one who is or promotes violence and wrong

Choose: man's choice

None: all, the whole

Ways: of moral action and character

Perverse: to turn aside, depart, devious, crooked

Abomination: something disgusting; ethical sense to God and His people

Counsel: circle of familiar friends

Upright: straightforward, just, well-pleased, righteous

Wicked: one guilty of crime, deserving punishment

Just: just, righteous, in conduct and character

Scorns: open or unqualified contempt; disdain

Grace: favor, acceptance

Humble: lowly

Wise: ethically and religiously

Inherit: have or get as a possession

Glory: honor, dignity of position

Shame: personal dishonor, disgrace

Legacy: lift up, exalt, promotion

Fools: stupid fellow

There is a choice to be made.

Choose one who is and/or promoted violence. Choose be in the company of the devious and those who are disgusting (to God). Choose to dwell with those who are guilty crime and deserve punishment. Choose those who are contempt. Choose to leave a legacy be known for being a fool. 

There is a choice to be made.

Choose to be among the circle of the just and well-pleased before God. Choose to live in a home filled with righteous conduct and character. Choose to live in humility before God. Choose to be wise ethically and religiously and enjoy the possession of honor. 

There is a choice to be made. And to make the right choice, my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). 

What choice will you make today? 

Advice

Ruth 3:1-3

When one first reads these verses, it seems strange that a virtuous woman would suggest what Naomi advised Ruth to do. However, it's based on the law (Deuteronomy 25:5). 

Ruth had been working hard in the fields gathering grain. Now that the harvest time was over, Naomi, knew that Ruth needed a home where she would be cared for, and not have to work in the fields. Ruth had been working in the fields belonging to Boaz. And since Boaz was a kinsman, Naomi thought it was the right thing that Ruth present herself to Boaz. 

Boaz even though he was wealthy and had field of grain, he worked himself at the winnowing the barley. Winnowing is removing the chaff, usually by allowing the wind to blow through the harvested grain. The chat which is light will blow away, while the heavier falls to the ground. 

Naomi, then tells Ruth to make herself presentable. Some commentators suggest that she not wear her mourning clothes (from losing her husband); other suggest that she simply put on her "Sunday best" rather than the clothes she wore to work in the fields. Either way, she was to make herself presentable to Boaz. 

Ruth was not to run into the place where Boaz was, nor was she to make a scene. Rather, she was to privately wait and keep herself from being known. Ruth remained humble and followed Naomi's instruction. 

Ruth's character did not change in these verses. Ruth remained obedient, humble, and willing to listen to Naomi's advice. Ruth trusted Naomi and Naomi knew that Ruth would do what she advised. 

Advice. It can be a good thing. But coming from the wrong people with the wrong motive, it can be dangerous. It's key that the source of the advise have wisdom and integrity. It is also key that when the advice is solid and godly advise, that all of it be followed. You don't just follow the parts you like, it all must be obeyed. 

How does one know if advise is godly? Compare it to God's Word. If the advice goes against what God says, then it's NOT good advice. Also, consider the source of the advice. Has that person been trustworthy in the past? Is that person one of integrity? 

With a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG), it's easier to discern when advise is good. And when my heart is ready to accept good advise, it's much easier to follow through on the advice. 

Mistake.

"We are not called to be perfectly awesome. We are called to be imperfectly faithful, because we have been perfectly loved, liberated, and highly esteemed by the Most High." Scott Sauls 

(http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/04/when-you-feel-you-are-not-enough/)

I was helping a friend with a project this week. And after the project was printed... I found a mistake. Not a small mistake.. a glaring one. 

I have “perfectionist” tendencies. So when I make a mistake—I hate it! I tend to fret over it, even when I can’t change it. Humbling for sure. 

I’ve been studying about God’s grace and mercy. So this fits in well. God because of His grace and mercy forgives us of our sin, but we continue to fret over it and don’t forgive ourselves. We hold it against ourselves and allow it to hinder us from moving forward in our relationship with Christ, or serving Him.

If we truly acknowledge God’s grace and mercy, we then can live in freeness of His love and forgiveness. God’s grace and mercy is all encompassing! When I hold on to the past, I’m telling God that He cannot forgive those sins. WOW. That is NOT Truth! God has forgiven our sins… ALL OF THEM! Praise God!

God’s grace and mercy—

overwhelmingly awesome!