Laughter.
It’s a good gift and if you are blessed to live with people who give you reasons to laugh out loud each day, you are doubly blessed. JT does that for me.
Wait. Wasn’t there a song about that?
God has been doubly good to you?
I’ve got to look that up.
Found it!
And yes, HE has been doubly good to me!
Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. source
Day 13 of The Giving of Thanks.
A Fireplace.
I’m giving thanks for a fireplace that never worked properly and now ceases to work at all, for a fire that is. However, it is excellent at housing candles and treasures. The treasures of a little boy, just over 2 wonderful years of age. Little Man thrills to pull aside the curtain and hid plastic eggs. I leave them there.
Yes. 
This no longer wood-burning fireplace brings me many smiles and warms my heart.
Matthew 6:21 (NKJV) 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. source
Proverbs 2:7 (NLT) 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. source
2 Corinthians 4:7 (TLV) 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. source
I posted this to Facebook today and if I may, I’d like to expound:
Have we considered this crisis among other things to be an imperative opportunity of learning GOD is offering us going forward to live CLEANER lives: physically, emotionally AND SPIRITUALLY?
Let me begin with emotionally. Would not GOD want us to live cleaner emotionally? Would He not want us to clean out all the negative junk we are nursing inside? You know like unholy anger, bitterness, unforgiveness – all that stuff that makes us emotionally ill. What does Scripture say?
Proverbs 17:22 (AMP)22 A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. source
Spiritually. Oh, that one is easy to see! Of course, He wants us to live cleaner spiritually – crucify that old putrid flesh and live in the Spirit.
James 4:8 (NLT) 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. source
Galatians 5:16 (AMP) 16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. source
Galatians 5:24 (AMP) 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. source
Physically. No, you will not find in the Scriptures what you have heard all your life: that cleanliness is next to godliness. But I am confident and certain from the whole counsel of Scripture that GOD sees the benefit of clean bodies. Look, GOD was so concerned about hygiene that He gave the Hebrews instructions on what do with the product of their morning constitutionals. You don’t believe me? Check out Deuteronomy 23. Click HERE. My point is this if GOD gives instructions on how to cover your poo, do you really think He would have us overlook our BO?
Look, we live in a dirty world. We have dirtied it up with viruses, infections, excrements, expletives, lust, greed, germs, nasties of every sort and kind and mostly our sins.
Who of us could not live CLEANER? Even our mouths – what we put in and what we let out!
Ephesians 4:29 (AMP) 29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. source
And this one:
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. source
That’ll get us clean!
A note: If you click the word source following each verse of Scripture given in any of my posts a new window will open at (Biblegateway) to at least three and possibly four different Translations of the given Text.
My Journey Magazine did me good this morning.
I knew the moment I read the opening Scripture that it was new and fresh and for me.
Proverbs 14:4 New Living Translation (NLT)
4 Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. source
I am not well familiar with oxen, but I am familiar with messy. And today I am grateful for the reminder that messy is a necessity. What else does the Text say? A large harvest. When we want a large harvest — some messy is inevitable. So, I can fuss at the mess (and the ones who made it) or I can rejoice by lifting my eyes
Psalm 121:1 King James Version (KJV) 121
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. source
for the mess and the harvest!
Previous Related Posts
Deadly
Words and Doings
Simmer and Boil
Parading
Strong
Number 7
Me, Me, Me
Flirting with the Enemy
Heart or Hand
End All Of
Second on the List.
Forbidden Path.
13 Things
Foolishness (poor judgment)
Yesterday’s installment we ended with Proverbs 22:15. Lets open with it today.
Proverbs 22:15 (AMP)15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him. source
I started with Studylight.org again with our word and found: without reason.
Immediately, Isaiah 1:18 came to mind.
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. source
Foolishness can be driven from the heart of a child or an adult as we come together with the LORD. And when we come He administers His Wisdom and His Lovingkindness to us, and upon our repentance He removes the penalty of our sins, washing us clean and enabling us to live free and holy in this unholy world.
To refuse Him, to refuse to come and reason with the LORD of Glory is ultimate foolishness; indeed making us full of foolishness with the poorest of all judgments.
Without Christ, we are indeed fools.
In covenant with Him, for us to neglect His wisdom, His counsel on any given matter, is utter foolishness.
I am trusting this labor of love will make a holy difference somewhere, at a time certain, for someone, including me. 🙂
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