Follow You Anywhere – Proverbs 3 Purity 816

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of a distant sunset on the horizon comes to us from yours truly, as I stopped for a moment to capture it before it was too late as I drove down Waite Road around 7:45 PM on Friday evening. The photo fails to do the moment justice, but I somehow felt that the photo would lose something if I decided to crop it. So I invite you to save it and zoom in on it yourself to see the details of the landscape and to gain an idea of just how big this setting sun was on this vast panoramic view. I just didn't want to lose that clear sky above or the long expansive road to the right, but I really encourage you to zoom in to see the tree and the farmhouse that are in the valley. Of the shadow of twilight. As this was, uh, the road home for me after an extended last day of work before vacation, it was a sight for sore eyes. Um, well, it's Monday again, and I pray all those who have to work, uh, work a productive, if not easy, week. Uh, I am happy to have the time off and somehow already feel that this week is slip-sliding away. I guess that is the way we always feel about the times we would rather stay in. Uh, today my wife has a day road trip, uh, planned that will take us on a route that will bring us from New York, uh, into Vermont and back again. Where are we going? I don't know. My wife showed me a long list of possible stops along the way, but I really don't care. I trust that she will direct us, uh, to places that are worthwhile, or at least other people thought they were, and I'm I'll just be happy being in her presence as we go to and fro. Our honeymoon, uh, to Tampa this past winter demonstrated to me that Tammy Lynn is a good traveling companion and that we enjoy the same things. We both love God, his creation, and each other, and can find joy and peace wherever we go because we have him and now we have each other. Because I love my wife and she loves me, we would follow each other more or less anywhere. And that's how our relationship with the Lord is supposed to be. We are to consider his wisdom in ways, and our love for him should cause us to want to follow him and, and the way, uh, with the way we live our lives. God is loving and wise. If you are blessed enough to know him through faith in Jesus, you should take your relationship to the next level and and out of your love for him, decide to commit yourself to following him and enjoying his presence wherever he may call you to go. I'm currently studying Proverbs because I am on vacation, and— well, I'm currently studying Proverbs, and because I'm on vacation, rather than stress myself out over trying to craft something awesome, some awesome message, I think I'll just share Proverbs 3. God's word is better than anything I could come up with, and if I share that, I know I will be faithful in encouraging others to follow the way the Lord would have you go. So Proverbs 3 says, my son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands, for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions and with the firstfruits of your increase, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest his correction, for whom the LORD loves he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of ple— pleasants, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds dropped down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion. So they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. 2 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. 3 Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,' when you have it with you. 4 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety's sake. 5 Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. 3 Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 4 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, but His secret counsel is with the upright. 5 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just. 6 Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall come— shall be the legacy of fools. So be wise and keep walking and talking with God. His way is the best way, and when you follow him, you discover peace, love, and joy in his presence that lasts a lifetime and goes on forevermore. Today's Bible verse— one more, uh, today's Bible verse comes to us from the New Living Translation Bible, promise God's Book for Men. This morning's meditation verse is Psalm 77:14, and it says, you are the God of great wonders. You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. Today's verse speaks of God's great wonders and power that are demonstrated among the nations. The evidence of the truth of today's verse are throughout the earth. As the creator of all things, God gets the credit for great— for the great wonders over all all over the world. Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, the African bush in Botswana, the Hawaiian Islands, the Colorado Rockies, and the mountains near Jocoten, Guatemala are just a few of God's wonders that I have personally experienced. So if you don't know the great wonders of God, you might want to travel or just open your eyes to the beauty of his creation in your local community. God is with us, and his great wonders in his creation is the first piece of evidence of him that is demonstrated among the nations. His power is shown in the, in the tides, raging rivers, volcanoes, waterfalls, the heat of the summer sun, the cold of winter, and the mighty winds of a storm. God is powerful, but God is also personal. He sent his Son Jesus. He sent his Son Jesus, and Jesus's great wonders of creating meals that could feed thousands, healing sick— the sick, lame, and the blind— and that, that could, uh, defy death itself were demonstrated for us so all the nations would come to faith in him. So, be sure to point out to your unbelieving friends, family, and neighbors that the evidence for God is shown throughout the world through his great wonders in creation, but his heart to make peace with us is shown in the great wonders and power of Jesus Christ. As always, I invite all to go to M.t. Clark.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from Clinton Arnold's Powers of Darkness, and this morning we begin chapter 14, uh, which is entitled The Powers and the People. And again, this, this book by Clinton Arnold is about the powers of darkness, and, uh, today he introduces the powers and the people, uh, and people and, uh, their direct and immediate influence, uh, is the first section that, uh, comes up in that chapter. So if you want to check out that resource, see what Clinton Arnold has to say about it, uh, go to mtforchrist.org and look at today's blog post at the bottom, and you'll find that resource. As always, we share, we share this information because we've discovered that, you know, we need as much help as we can get to, uh, to understand the wisdom of God's word and to apply it to our lives and to interpret, help us to interpret the Bible. The Bible. So I share various works from different Christian counselors and theologians that I, I found helpful in my walk and my understanding and my, you know, journey of overcoming, uh, the world, the flesh, and the devil. So, uh, that's why we share it. We encourage you to check those resources out. Um, well, today is Monday. I do not have to work, and, uh, so I want to get to relaxing and enjoying my vacation. Um, so as much as I enjoy, uh, a nice blog post and podcast, I think we'll just wrap it up for today. I would encourage anyone new to— who new to the podcast to check out my, uh, teachings, uh, that are all based on Dr. Neil Anderson's work that we share on the podcast. Um, if you search for Power, uh, let's see, Freedom in Christ, The Bondage Breaker, and, uh, Victor Over the Darkness, you'll find those classes. And, uh, if you look at the today's blog post, there's links for our YouTube channel, and you can find the, the audio teachings on YouTube as well. So we encourage people to check those out, to experience their freedom in Christ and to grow in their faith. And, uh, like I said, fight the good fight— good fight— the fight, the good fight of faith against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to overcome. Um, we also obviously encourage the study of the word, as we shared an entire chapter of the Bible today. You know, basically to share its wisdom. Um, why? Because, well, the word of God transforms our minds and helps us to, uh, to live more like the Lord would have us live. So we encourage Bible study, and we do that in our own little way by sharing our Bible study discussion that we have each week with Arthur and Susanna Sincotti. Yesterday we did a study called, um, The Spirit and the Bride Say come. So, and that's from Revelation. And if you want to see what, what we talked about, go to M.t. Clark.org to see our, our outline for the Bible study that Arthur created. And within that blog post, there's, there's a link for the YouTube video of our study and also an audio podcast. So if you subscribe to the podcast, you can always listen in. Or if you want to watch us, go to YouTube. But we really appreciate everyone listening. We're genuinely shocked of the people who are listening or watching on YouTube. We appreciate each and every one of you who are with us on this walk of walking and talking with God and trying to just just live as the Lord would direct us and to answer the call to share his love. So I want to pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you so much for the revelation of Jesus Christ that changed our lives and the Holy Spirit that came in us the moment we said yes to Jesus, and that empowers us to— empowers us and corrects and convicts us to walk in your ways. Um, Lord, we thank you so much for the blessings of this life. We thank you for the relationships we have and, uh, the relationships we have we don't even know about through the people who are listening, uh, to this podcast, Lord. So we pray for you to come alongside them, um, in their daily walk. We pray for you to bless, uh, bless their prayer requests and their lives, Lord, as you— we, we pray for you to pour your grace, your divine favor out on them. Lord, we pray for you to go before us today. For those who work, you know, we pray for you to give them diligence and skill and whatever they need to accomplish what they need to accomplish today, and to stay within your presence to maintain their peace. But for all of us, Lord, if we're on vacation or working, we pray for you to go before us, open our eyes to the beauty and, uh, all the things we— you want us to see and the things we need to see, uh, to best represent you here on the earth. Lord, guide us into the things you would have us do and the things you would have us say, and just to best represent you in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you, we love you, and we praise you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.