Integrity

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him

Day by day walking in integrity takes maximum effort.  Lying, cheating, stealing and getting-over is all so easy and so easily justified.  Ill gotten gain is indeed sweet at first but I want the blessed end.  I strive so that my children and children’s children will know and love you God.  I strive so my children will choose to follow my footsteps on the difficult path of integrity; one foot infront of the other, step by step, day by day; making the right choice, no matter how difficult. 

The payoff of integrity may not always be cashed by me, but I pray that my children will always reap the benefit.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Just so angry

Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

The greatest war that I have ever fought is the war within me.  Its challenging not to let anger rage and words of flames incinerate those who offend me.  It’s easy to fell offended when its time for promotion and my name is not called.  I so easily feel taken advantage of by others, but its anger that tries to manipulate me.  Anger shouts and fills my head with noise so I can not hear reason.  Anger floods my veins with fire and so consumes my compassion.  Anger’s proud voice tries to mimic my own and says you have a right and they have none.  But who am I but ash and dust?

Father, I thank you for the gift of anger and the understanding that anger is for danger; not for me to become a danger to those undeserving.  Help me to become mighty in self-control and great in perseverance.  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be ever filtered by your great grace and your mighty mercy towards me.  Amen

 

Shut up and serve

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Humilty should be so simple.  It’s just staying in my lane, serving on my road and minding my own business.  It’s easy to see the  potholes on someone elses lane and offer suggestions on how and why they should fix it or even worse, criticize them for not doing so.  It’s easy to look ahead and pretend; if only I were the boss, the pastor, the parent, the president; how wonderful things would be.  It’s easy to plan what I would do if; I get rich, a better job, married, or  have children while I do nothing with the opportunity I have now.  It’s so easy to put my words  out there, speak about matters that don’t directly concern me.  It’s effortless to share a little too much, feel a little too much and judge a little too much.  Like James 3 says;

 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,  and set on fire by hell. 

Father, help me to; stay in my lane, serve on my road and stifle my tongue as I strive.  In Jesus name, amen.

 

When hope hurts

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart-sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

It was on the darkest of days.  The drought of unemployment had lasted much longer than I ever imagined it would.  Signs everywhere boasted that the water of employment was available. Water over here!  water available here! Some even invited, come taste our great water, but then they revealed that the water drinker position had already been designated to another.  Once I even received the water drinker position but complications dried up the opportunity. On that darkest of days, I cried with every fiber in my body, my tears burned and my heart ached.  I was at the lowest place, in pain and pleading with you God for the ability to provide for my family.  In the darkness of my despair, I couldn’t understand why nothing I hope in would get me a drink of employment; not my experience, not my personality, not my education. Then I remembered…

Psalms 20: 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Father it is only you who can grant my heart’s desire and fulfill all my plans.  As dream drift into the distance and hope-clouds hide beyond the horizon, may I always remember and be comforted in my calamity, knowing my hope is in you God.  Amen

 

No Shame

Proverbs 10:5  He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

Just the idea of being your son God, plucks at the strings of my heart.  My biological father never treated me like a son should be treated.  Growing up fatherless did a couple of things for me.  First it made me want to be a great dad, secondly it made me want to be a great son.  I never want to bring shame to you.  Lead me in your ways.  I never want to be sleeping when I should be shining.  Help me to be prudent, to do the work that is so needed to bring others into your kingdom. 

Keep my eyes open with compassion and my feet moving with love.  May my eye’s never grow weary, heavy with selfishness and greed.  May my limbs never go limp from a lack of concern for the fatherless and widows, for the lost and hurting.

Father, I want to move when it’s time to more, I want to cry when its time to cry and give all that you’ve called me to give. 

Bless me to be a son that never brings you shame.  In Jesus name, amen.