What strikes you about these two verses from Proverbs 25?
"Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters" 25:13
"Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble" 25:19
Yes, both start with the word "Like." As a matter of fact, in chapters 25-26, twenty of the verses start with that word of comparison- "Like." (I've underlined them in my Bible.) The original meaning of the word "proverb" meant a "comparison." (Like) You could make up proverbs of comparison like those yourself. "Like nails on a chalk board is a whining child." But the verses above aren't about whining children, but being unfaithful or trustworthy. If you are trustworthy, you are refreshing. If a man is not, then he is a big pain in the tooth or foot or elsewhere:)
Ever been around someone who was all talk, but not trustworthy? The year before I was to get married, I took in a brother from the church to help him out and for him to help me out with rent. Then another brother needed a place to stay and then another. None ended up holding down their jobs, so I was soon providing free room and board to three grown men. They promised money soon, but it never came. Reminds me of another proverb from today's reading, "Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give" 25:14. I ended up loaning one of those guys an accumulation of $300. After he moved out, I politely called him a few times about the money he owed me. "Out of gratitude" he then hired a lawyer who called, telling me to stop threatening his client. When I explained what happened, I think the lawyer was quite embarrassed. (Any story sounds true until you hear the other side. Compare Prov.18:17.)
Another one of those brothers who lived with me went on a singles retreat I was leading. He liked to dress in military fatigues and was fond of saying our Marines motto, "Semper Fi!" (Always faithful.)
I commend you for being faithful to the team even when you would rather play chess, play a video game or play a movie. I commend you for being unstoppable when you would rather stop reading and go to sleep. I commend you for persevering when you've had a hard day and there's more yet to do. I commend you for promptly returning calls, when so many other people don't do that for you. When it's hardest, that's when to push even harder. My 16 year old son has a word for getting something done when it is really hard, "Beast-mode!" If it's pushing through the pain in wrestling practice or pushing up one more rep of killer weights, then go into "Beast-mode." It is when you would rather not, that tests what you are made of. When you'd rather not have to stay up late to fulfill the mission, go into beast-mode! That is where "glory" and honor is found. Do hard things. Paul said he gloried in his sufferings. Taste it. Be trustworthy no matter what. In special forces training, soldiers are required to stay awake for over 24 hours to accomplish a practice mission. They put the mission above their comfort. They are trustworthy. In a world of unfaithful men, you are so refreshing to me (let me make up a proverb), like jumping into a pool on a really hot day. Best of all you are refreshing to our semper fi Father in heaven. You are reflecting His image! Hoo-rah!
PS- A shout out to the Marines in our midst, Mark Estrada and Dave Heidekrueger and to all our armed forces personnel, such as Andre Vargas (Army) and Sam Vargas (Air Force). Am I missing anyone? You have faithfully served and we salute you.
1.- Maybe it wasn't because you needed to be faithful to accomplish an important mission, but share a memory of when you stayed up for an extra long stretch, perhaps over 24 hours. You were in beast-mode. You have got what it takes. Semper fi!
2.- Read through Prov.25:15-28 and share a verse you like and what you like about it.
Thanks for being trustworthy, reliable- even faithfully putting your points on the scoreboard. You also lighten my load and your fire team captain's when we don't have to make reminder calls. Udabest!
Please remember to fill in your prayer partners names and email addresses within the "Contacts" tab. The deadline for completing this is next Tuesday, June 30th. We need all the prayer support we can get. You have entered into the battle and the enemy does not like it. Pray!
Announcements
Happy Birthday Greetings to Andre Vargas and Guillermo Baez, who also happens to be celebrating his anniversary today. Congrats men!
1. I cannot recall ever staying up over 24 hour. Just a couple of times having to drive long hours to get home when returning from out of state and didn't want to stop at a hotel the spend the night.
ReplyDelete2. Prov. 25:28 "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."
We must always live with God's word in our hearts otherwise we will be running around without defenses and be vulnerable to the temptations of this world.
Very true! We are lost without his guidance. Good verse bro.
DeleteAh yes Roger, long hours of driving- that can be hypnotically hard to stay awake.
DeleteBrother Roger, good insight!
Delete1. Working on the Chicago Fire Department we would work 24 hour shifts. We caught many of Fire where we were out most of the night. Driving from the U.S. to Mexico was another time that we stayed up for 24 hours.
ReplyDelete2.This is a tough verse to follow, yes the Lord will reward us ! I'm not sure what the heaping coals mean, but I think your enemy may not like you helping him? Pro.25.21-22." If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
Thanks brother George for working long hours for keeping people safe. God bless you.
DeleteYes George, some people interpret that verse as doing something that will "burn" or hurt the evil person. But I don't think this is correct or simply an OT, less than loving practice, because Paul quotes this very passage in Rom.12:20 as to how we are to overcome evil by doing good. So this was some kind of good deed that the Lord would be pleased with and reward his child for doing so. Some believe this may refer to giving coals to someone whose fire was going out, which he carried home in a container on his head. I don't know if that is what it refers to, but it clearly was a good deed according to Paul, a way of overcoming evil with good. The recipient would hopefully feel ashamed of his bad behavior and repent.
DeleteBrother George, I've heard that it was an ancient purification ritual that someone would carry out as a outward sign of repentance. The hot coals were supposed to burn-off all unrighteous thoughts the person had and cause them conviction of their wrongdoing.
DeleteThe Good News Bible puts it like this: verse 22. You will make them burn with shame, and the Lord will reward you.
DeleteI like referencing the message version sometimes. this is what that version says.
DeleteIf you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch;
if he’s thirsty, bring him a drink.
Your generosity will surprise him with goodness,
and God will look after you.
1. When I got out of high school I didn't go directly to college as I workrd plowing the Illinois tollway and fixing the road with jackhammers. 1 winter we got so much snow that many men couldn't get to work so the few of us who braved it had to plow for 48 hrs with only a couple hour nap laying on a table. It built character!
ReplyDeleteWow. I'd be so nervous to fall asleep. I am sure all your hardwork was appreciated by all the people getting to work and back.
DeleteWow, how grueling Jack! You are unstoppable!
DeleteBrother Jack, sounds dangerous!! Glad you no longer have to carry-out that line of work :-)
DeleteJack , you took your naps on a table and I did mine under my drawing table.
Delete2." Better to live on the corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife." Blessed is he who has a loving wife to grow in the Lord with!
ReplyDeleteSame verse I picked. As a single guy I feel it is very important to seek God during singleness. So that we would make wise choices in picking a godly spouse.
Delete1. The only thing that comes to mind is when my father was battling cancer, I'd be at his bedside at odd hours of the night. I recall singing hymns and reading the Bible a lot.
ReplyDelete2. "Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house— too much of you, and they will hate you." Proverbs 25:17
My dad would advice us to make every effort not to outlast your welcome and had a saying in Spanish that I'll attempt translating to "Guest are like fish or a corpse, after 3 days they stink".
Amen brother. It must have been a very difficult time for you, it takes strength and trust in the lord to overcome the hurt you must have felt.
DeleteBeautiful Robert! Love is the greatest.
DeleteNo better place to turn for strength in our most trying times than the Word, Brother Roman. Only fools go to battle unarmed, but you carried your greatest weapon with you and endured. God bless.
DeleteHard time when you lose you parents. We just pray for strength
Delete1 I climbed Tai Shan (great mountain) in the city of Tai'an in China. After a normal full day and a train ride to Tai'an, we started climbing around midnight so that we could reach the summit for the sunrise. There were technically steps leading to the top, but they were of varying heights and lengths (I had to walk sideways since the stairs were not designed for people with size 11 shoes), which made it quite difficult. But we reached the summit just before the sunrise and it was nice. Getting down was actually a lot more difficult.
ReplyDeleteHere is a story about me sleeping too much: My first day back home after a 2 month intense teaching program in Taiwan and China I slept for 23 hours straight (no exaggeration). After getting home from the airport I went to sleep at 5pm and work up at 4pm the following day. Before I went to bed I asked my mom what was for dinner and when I woke up (from what I thought was a nap) I asked if dinner was almost ready. I did feel super dizzy when I work up and have since learned that it is actually pretty dangerous to sleep that long in a row.
2 I like verse 21 and 22. I think it encompasses a Christian's role to love their enemies, which Jesus commanded. It doesn't exactly encompass the new testament grace though since it is encouraging us to do this because our enemies will be infuriated by this. Jesus in the new testament states "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Mat 5:44). Those are tough words to live out. May God give us the grace and power to do so.
You too have proven that you are unstoppable Ed!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBrother Ed, I found myself vicariously daydreaming from your accounts of mountain climbing and travels. God bless you :-)
DeleteLittle steps in China not made for big feet. Ed , you have some interesting stories from out of town . The Lord has blessed you in your travel.
Delete1. I remember staying up late when I was in college. I could not figure out to save my life why the program I wrote was not working. I remember not getting much sleep. I also remember how much my body took a hit sitting for hours. I rather be active marching all day like in boot camp. Our first week of boot camp was another time were we only received like three hours of sleep each day, but that was mandatory.
ReplyDelete2. Proverbs 25:26 (NIV) Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
This reminded me of a situation that happened at my last job. There were three guys that I worked with bashing Jesus. I was graceful enough to hold my tongue that day. I spoke to them individually and told them that I do not appreciate them doing that. I also told them that I will not be going to HR unless the bashing continues. A couple already knew that I am a Christian but I don't think they knew how serious. I did not hear any bad mouthing after that.
I pray that no matter what happens, when we are represented with the opportunity, that we make a stand for Jesus.
Matthew 10:33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Awesome Sam way to be bold and strong for Christ. You are great warrior for Christ bro.
Deletegrammatical error ..when we are presented...
DeleteThanks James.
Ugh! Three hours of sleep per night! That's going into beast mode!
DeleteBrother Sammy, I commend your bravery in a taking a stand for our faith!
DeleteYou had computer programing in college? In my first year college they had just come out with four function calculators. Before that was the slide ruler.
DeleteSam Great job for standing up for the Lord.
James , you were blessed to be working along side with your Dad.
DeleteWow God bless you Sam I am encouraged by your courage. Thanks brother
Delete1. I remember a time I was working with my dad on a side job. It happen to be one of the new life locations. We started a 7am in the morning and worked to 7am the next day. My dad had a deadline to get his work done. It was exhausting but we made it through and got the work done before the deadline. I pretty much slept that whole next day.
ReplyDelete2. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22 ESV) This verse reminds me to be slow to anger and have compassion for are enemies. Kill them with love and kindness. Got to learn to lower my pride when it comes to my enemies.
Working 24 hours straight in your youth- that's beast mode too James!
DeleteBrother James, same here, still a work in progress!! "Got to learn to lower my pride when it comes to my enemies."
DeleteYou are right James, pride always seems to get in the way.
Delete1. A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. (Proverbs 25:28 MSG)
ReplyDelete2. I've been running a janitor business for the the last couple years. There has been multiple times when I had back-to-back jobs that kept me up over 24 hours. The worst was stripping an Ace hardware store where I spent three 24 hour work days in one week.
Ouch! You are another in my hall of beast mode fame Dave!
DeleteBrother Dave, I don't know how you managed but it definitely demonstrates great work ethic :-)
DeleteYou are definitely beast-mode material, Brother Dave. That's what going above and beyond the call of duty looks like.
DeleteThat is some rough work
DeleteMore power to you, very hard job brother.
Delete1: I just recently had to stay up 24hrs, actually it was Tuesday. My wife as some of you know is pregnant. She was having pains and was concerned about the baby so we went to rush emergency room, we where in the waiting room until 4am with no service the nurse kept saying we got two people ahead of us. I got irritated from waiting while my wife was getting pains in her stomach, so we ended up leaving and going to women's apprentice hospital. We got there at 5am they seen us right away and did the test she needed I'm glad it wasn't anything serious but while she slept I stayed awake to watch over her.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 25:28. Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self control.
You had the love to stay up watching over your wife with your child within her. Very good Jose!
DeleteLove is the ultimate motivation for sacrificing for others, just consider Jesus.
Brother Jose, now that's loving your wife above yourself! I'm glad everything was fine with their health :-) God bless!
DeleteBrother Jose, God willing sleepless nights lie ahead for my wife and I in the months to come (we'll know more by July 6th). Thank you for being an example of Christ's love to your wife and to all your brothers in M3. I will pray that you recover some of the sleep you lost and for the health of your wife and child. Blessings upon you, brother.
DeleteJose, that's love. God bless you and your wife
DeleteSo glad to hear you and your wife are doing fine
DeleteThe summer before I graduated from college, I was accepted into LSPI (the Law School Preparation Institute). At the time, I was preparing to apply for law school and pursue my law degree. it was, to say the least, the most intensive academic experience I had ever had. To say we had A LOT of reading each night would be an understatement. Throw on top of that the briefs we had to write and the case studies we needed to analyze, and it quickly added up to an insane amount of nightly homework. Sometimes, I'd be forced to work straight through the night preparing for the next day. I'd leave home after a quick shower to pick up right where the last day left off. I don't know if this is a condition of sleep deprivation, but I would get these bad bouts of "the shakes". I would literally tremble uncontrollably through the day. Lucky for me, my wife (whom I had recently started dating at the time) was my guardian angel through it all. She'd sometimes come to class better prepared than me and get my right up to speed. We survived the course together.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." My maternal grandmother passed away early this morning after a long battle with cancer. A text message from my mom, back home, delivered the news in the middle of the night. A year ago, I would have allowed my grief to consume me and turn into anger. This has been my default response to emotional pain since my dad passed away.
When my uncle passed away a year ago, I cursed the wicked who inhabit this Earth, and I blamed God for allowing such people to exist. When my dad passed away, I blamed God for taking the good and righteous from our lives and leaving the wrong-doers and life-wasters among us. This morning was different. I sat up in bed, and through my tears I praised God for His mercy and love. The void my grandmother's death created in me this morning has been filled by the presence of our loving Father in my heart.
Rather than allow it to turn to anger, I surrendered my sorrow at the feet of Christ. I still can't believe she is gone...but I am comforted by the promises God makes to His faithful servants, among whom my grandmother is counted. I could have lost self-control this morning, and allowed the cracks in my heart to lead me down a dark path, but I prayed for strength and understanding, and I gave thanks to the God that makes all things possible. This is not the man I once was...it is the new man I am becoming through Jesus Christ. God bless you, brothers. Do me a favor and reach out to any loved ones you may not have had contact with lately. Let them know they are in your thoughts and prayers, and may God pour blessings upon you for the love and compassion you'll show.
My condolences brother, words cannot comfort your heart in this season of bereavement but the Word of God can and has. May He calm the storm around you and quiet your heart. May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, amen!
DeleteI feel you pain brother. I too lost both my loving parent some years ago. You never stop loving them . You also have beautiful memories of them. But the best is that we will see them again in the kingdom of heaven. Will pray for you and you family.
DeleteBrother I am so sorry for your loss, but I am also thankful for the way God is working in your life. His presence is definitely with you and your family providing that love and comfort that only He can give.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother Osiris. I will seek to call you in a few minutes.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Brothers Andre and Guillermo! I pray your day is filled with peace, laughter, and thanksgiving, and that you get to enjoy it in the company of your loved ones. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks Osiris and my days are always filled with cheer and thankfulness for the woman I married thanks again
DeleteOK Dave, I'm wearing fatigues today before I read the blog..lol. Proverbs 25;16 If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit.... Too me its like too much of a good thing is not so good. a co-worker told me he couldn't come to a company function because there would be free booze and he couldn't stop at just 1. Too much of something you like is not all that good.
ReplyDeleteBrother Florencio, I had the same thoughts when I read that verse, too much of a good thing can be harmful. God bless you.
DeleteBrother Florencio, you brought this verse out very well.
DeleteThough Flo may be wearing fatigues today, for the record, it was not him I was writing about. He is very reliable.
DeleteHappy 21st birthday Andre and Guillermo
ReplyDeleteThanks Florencio but I turned 37 lol I understand what you tried to say tho
Delete1. I will do this almost every week. I will explain to you my schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday I arrive from work at about 6 am. I will wake up about 11 am get ready and leave at 1 p.m. My commute can take 2 hours since I work in Rockford. I work 12 ½ hours shift. I will leave at 4:30 in the morning to arrive at about 6 a.m. I woke up at 9:30 a.m. had my cup of coffee and left my house to go over grandma’s house to cut her grass. This task took me about 5 to 6 hours. I went to pick up my kids that my mother-in-law was watching. I arrived at home by 4:30. I took a shower and we all stepped out about 6 p.m. for a bite. After returning home about 8 we started to settle down and the kids took a shower. By 10 my wife fell asleep and the kids and I decided to watch a movie. About ½ hours later the kids were asleep. Now I have to take them to bed and I lay down by midnight. In 36 hours I will only get about 3 to 5 hours of sleep. Since I work a split shift, my hours are all over the board. I eat breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. I love my job but I can easily spend 80 hours plus a week at work with travel. I thank the Lord for my job but do pray for a different schedule. God is great and I know he will provide in due time. God is good.
ReplyDelete2. Proverbs 25:24 NIV - A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way? I sit back and wonder where God is taking me. At time I might get discouraged and complain but soon realize that God is not done with me. How much more can I take? Well I won’t know because the Lord is never done and he is constantly shaping me and molding me for greater thing. Blessed be our God for always being faithful.
Happy Birthday Andre Vargas and Guillermo Baez! Let God bless you with many more.
Brother Horacio, bless your heart. The things you're willing to do for your family. Now that's being "Beast mode" :-)
DeleteUgh! You are also in the beast mode hall of fame Horacio! I would have fallen asleep a few minutes into the movie!
DeleteO Lord, please give Horacio better hours!
1. During my college years , I took Architectural design classes. In these classes we were given design projects to complete. The first two weeks were spent on developing a plan and ideas . The Final Week was to lay out a presentation drawing.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time , I still had other classes and a part time job that I went to during the day. At evening and night I worked on my drawing. Most of us students would stay at the school building to do this. At 3 in the morning I would sleep under my desk. At 7 am I'd wake up and shower in the gym and head to class. During these times I remember going to class but missing the whole lecture.
Ugh Louie! I also remember not remembering what was being said when I was a freshman in Bible college because I was running on so little sleep.
Delete2. Prov. 25:19. Depending on an unreliable person in a crisis is like trying to chew with a loose tooth or walk with a cripple foot.
ReplyDeleteWith good teeth you can depend on to bite an apple. Not with a loose tooth. Take a walk with two good feet. You can trust that they will carry you. Not with a crippled foot . Same with depending on an unreliable person . You will get hurt and disappointed.
Brother Louie, like the loose tooth analogy especially as I've gotten older, lol :-=
DeleteSo right you are.
Delete1) i don't know if stayin awake while my wife was in labor, haha, but that was a time when I had to push myself to stay awake and be there for my wife and also avoid her choking me for falling asleep.
ReplyDelete2) Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. (Proverbs 25:28 NIV) lacking self control makes us weak and vulnerable to sinful ways
Brother, I can relate, I had my wife literally throw me out of her hospital room because I made her laugh during a contraction. Wasn't pleasant then to get dismissed but we sure laugh about it now.
DeleteOh you guys are bringing back memories. My wife was 21 hours in labor with our first born. Why can't they hurry things up? We need our sleep!
Delete1. College was extremely hard for me in that I stayed up many late nights to study for tests and complete assignments. I studied engineering at IIT and there were never enough hours to prepare for classes. There were times where I studied my tail of f and only get an average passing grade. I praise God that he helped me get through those years.
ReplyDelete2. Proverbs 15:16 If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit.
Too much of many things we like can be harmful such as food, alcohol, working out, you name it. This is a good verse for not being to greedy on things that make us feel good.
Brother Chuy, I'm proud of you for pressing on and not giving up. That's what makes you "Unstoppable" :-)
DeleteI second Robert's good words. And good words regarding the verse you picked. You took the illustration, derived it's principle and gave several good applications of it. Excellent!
DeleteIt's great to see how your growing in the Lord, Chuy. Stay in the Word and keep applying it to you life brother.
Delete1- Growing up especially in my 20's I pulled many all nighters. Once a group of us set out to visit Tennessee. We left on a Thursday evining and didn't return back home until Saturday night. The driver and I did not sleep the entire weekend. I did dowse off for a few minutes but I absolutely can not sleep in cars so i didn't sleep more than a handful of minutes at a time. I was so delirious. I think my sleeping schedule was out of whack for a few days following that.
ReplyDelete2-Proverbs 25:24
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Although I am still single. I chose this verse because it stood out to me that during the "prospecting" season. It is very important on making a wise choice on choosing a spouse and really taking it to the Lord in prayer. I don't want to wake up on morning 5 or 10 years into the marriage and feel that I made a wrong choice in choosing a woman who really didn't turn out to be who I thought she was.
Okay Luis, you also are inducted into the beast mode hall of fame :)
DeleteYes, when it comes to choosing a mate, choose wisely.
A godly, loving mate is well worth the wait Luis. You are wise to seek the Lord in this pursuit. Participating in M3 will help you to prepare to be the godly, loving, spiritual leader she will be searching for and need. May God grant that you find each other soon.
DeleteTake the appropriate time to get to know her Lou. God's GONNA bless you real good. Just remain faithful in serving and keep your eyes fixed on Him.
DeleteVery good post, Luis! By the way, that weekend sounds really stressful. haha
DeleteBrother Luis, I've always known you to be wise in your decision making and I'm confident the Lord will continue to guide your steps especially for a marriage mate. Blessings my brother :-)
Delete1) When I was a manager at the place I still work, twice a year I would have to go into an “Audit Mode” preparing the company for a quality systems audit by a third party auditor. I was always bombarded by upper management with special projects that prevented me from focusing on the company's quality systems. So as the Company's Quality Systems Manager, I ended up putting in a growling week of extremely long hours of work sometimes over 24 hours to make sure the company passed the audit so that we could keep our quality certification.
ReplyDelete2) Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
This Proverb reminds me of Martin Luther King and the persuasion he had with a very prejudice nation . His messages were based on Biblical truths and were convicting. He did not advocate hatred or violence. His voice was heard and his message was eventually received. He managed by his patience and perseverance to brake down a tall wall of the injustice against his people.
Dude that sounds stressful. Thank the Lord that he granted you with patience. I also like how you chose a verse speaking of being patient.
DeleteUgh Dave! You qualify for being in the beast mode hall of fame!
DeleteI remember I had to get a job done for a boss and we stayed up about 35 hours till the job got done when you have or want to accomplish something your mind shift changes
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Andre!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Andre! God Bless!
DeleteHappy birthday Andre! Many Blessings to you :)
Delete35 hours Andre! You definitely are being inducted into the Beast-mode hall of fame.
Delete1- Good evening gentleman sorry for falling behind. I was enjoying some quality time with the wife and just got back home. Thank you all for helping me feel part of the team, I have always ran solo. I have never stayed up for 24 hrs, I don't recall, but I have pushed and pushed to finish my work without giving up. I can relate to the beast-mode concept Dave. I push myself to limits that sometimes I can't handle but I keep my faith and hope. I am the type of person that gets it done.
ReplyDelete2- Proverbs 25:16, 27
If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit.
It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.
I have been reading about this honey situation and for a minute it got confusing and contradicting but I have prayed on it and with all of your help I have been able to understand a little better at the honey concept. Proverbs 24:13-14
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Also yesterday the wife read a passage from the calendar and it was about honey, Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Obviously honey is good and sweet like I had mentioned but me and the wife had a conversation and I felt that it was the lords words speaking through her in that verse to remind me of how sweet his promises are and how I should speak to the wife but she interpreted differently and similar at the same time and it got contradicting for me a little. Just thought I'd share. Love ya guys and thank you all for the bday wishes and anniversary greetings.
Guillermo, happy anniversary brother. May God continue to bless your marriage.
DeleteThanks Eddie it is a learning experience for sure but one that I would not change for the world, God bless you also sir. Thanks
DeleteHappy Anniversary and Happy Birthday,Guillermo! May God continue to bless your marriage and your life!
DeleteYes indeed Guillermo, so glad you are not a lone stranger anymore. God wants us to be a part of a band of brothers to work to together to advance his kingdom. Best of blessings!
DeleteThank you gentleman
DeleteThank you for all the birthday wishes
ReplyDeleteHappy bday Andre I'm thrilled to see someone else sharing a bday also God bless you.
Delete1- I can just think of times when I had to speak in front of youth and I stood up at night praying and studying what to speak . I like to cross reference and make sure I have all my notes in line. The funny thing Is that I would have my notes down but the holy spirit would just guide me somewhere else. I always pray to the Lord your will be done not mine. There were times when I would be tired and just wanted to go to sleep and put it off. I don't regret any of that lack of sleep. To God be the Glory. I love him and if that's what he wants for me to do is loose sleep so he can speak to me I am ok with it.
ReplyDelete2- Proverbs 25:21-22 New Century Version (NCV)
21 If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink.
22 Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
It best to give then to receive.
GOD BLESS
Thanks for sharing Vince. No scripture no sleep man. You take it literally.
DeleteGood words from you and from Eddie to you! :)
Delete1. I stayed up a few times in college during finals, I feel asleep in the library. Most recently, I camped out in Queretaro outside because I wanted to protect my paintings from local taggers. I didn't get much sleep, as soon as I heard a noise I was alert looking around.
ReplyDelete2.prov. 25:27
It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
Trying to gain the applause of man for your own self adoration is not good. It can lead to a conceited attitude.
Keep up the good work bro. I've seen the places the Lord has raised you up to. And I also see the humility you have in your roles. I never feel that you think you are better than anyone else. Rather I've seen a heart of a servant who is willing to lend a hand.
DeleteI Love You Man!!
You have such a God dedicated heart Eddie. It's a beautiful and powerful thing!
Delete1. In college i pulled an all nighter and Typed a 10-15 page paper on the bible prophecy and the end times. I think my professor gave me a D. I didn't think it was that bad. You'd think I said he was the antichrist.
ReplyDeleteLike one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart. (Proverbs 25:20 NASB)
We must mourn with those who mourn, I know some people mean well but it's better to try to listen and empathize.
Did you add up the letters of his name to see if he might be 666? :)
DeleteOne I can easily remember was when my wife (than fiancé) & I were on the verge of getting married!! Well as a leader of two I wanted a place we can call home and the was prepend to be a home. Well, was not happening the way I'd hoped to. Other things were coming to us one after the other, had to take care those areas first. Knew since time was cutting short I had to stay up extra hours after work sometimes til close to morning next day to get it done. All worth seeing my wife having that gorgeous big smile on her face, priceless!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://bible.com/111/pro.25.21-22.niv If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Your a good man Ish! Your wife is blessed to have u ;)
DeleteYou're a good leader bro. I know you make your wife feel special and happy. I also thank you for your friendship.
DeleteUdaman! :)
Delete1. The last time I stayed up for close to 24 hours was on Election Day. I am a precinct captain for one of our cities Alderman. That whole week I was running around non stop to try to help residents with city service requests and to get them to come out and vote. On election Day I had to wake up before 3am and work the polls all day and night. Afterwards we waited for the results and celebrated our Aldermans re-election for all of the hard work we put in.
ReplyDelete2. Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Beast mode!
Delete1.- There have been several times when I have been up approximately 24 hours and that has been always while driving. Once I drove from Orlando Florida to Chicago coming home from Disney World with my family. Our intention was for a stop over at mid point for a day rest that never happen. Instead I took several breaks at rest stops for stretching my limbs and using washrooms to freshen up and to break the monotony of the drive, and especially from getting mesmerized by the roadways. These drives I would never wish upon anyone, I have highly respect for our long haul drivers in our highways and I do take caution when driving close and next to them because I don't know how many hours they've been driving, these long drives can be a brutal physical undertaking. On several other occasions when i've driven long hours, were from El Paso Texas to Chicago and from Niagara Canada to Cincinnati Ohio in a constant rain storm throughout the night. I do not want to ever have to drive these hours again, I prefer my limit to be no more than 1 hour. My days in the Baja run are over.
ReplyDelete2.- Prov. 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."
The tumbling of moral principles, the unrighteousness path one might live by.
You to Armando are inducted into the beast mode hall of fame!
DeleteI recall when i was taking classes in night school that all courses were compressed to usually about 5 weeks. During that very long term papers were due each week. Sometimes i needed to finish my coursework and then head to work the next day which meant that sometimes i didn't sleep for around 30 to 40 hours
ReplyDelete2
Let us continue to practice our self control.
I chose verse 25:28. As men and as the individuals that are on the frontline. Our self control keeps the gates strong and the armor pf God equipped in our families and relationships; not only protecting them but inspiring their own self control
Wow Gary, that's beast mode, most definitely!
DeleteI knew it Gary before even reading your comments that you would be in the beast mode hall of fame!
Delete1) While I never stood up for 24 hours straight, I have stayed up for around 40 hours with merely one hour of sleep in between the days. I was at a father/son all-nighter event. I nearly stayed up all night long, but I decided to go to sleep when my brothers did. I couldn't sleep because it was too cold in our van. As a result, I had a 1 hour nap for that night. After that, I stood up to 1:00 a.m. the next morning.
ReplyDelete2)Here are the verses I chose:
Proverbs 25:20 "Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."
Proverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."
I like this verse because it illustrates how lacking self-control is a very dangerous situation not only for the person who lacks it but also for others around them as well.
Oh Alex, you definitely are inducted into the beast mode hall of fame!
Delete1) I thankfully have not had to endure staying awake for 24 hours straight. That being said, I have had long days that started very early in the morning, had a long strenuous midday, and ended very late. One I remember specifically is when I helped family members of ours move. They lived close to two hours away, so we left early in the morning to go to their house. I drove there, and we then helped their family pack and load the moving truck and vans. Their new home was half and hour away from their old one, and we had to take almost 5-6 trips to finish. I drove on each of those trips their and back. At 11:00 pm. We finally started home, and another 2 hour ride ensued. I was pretty exhausted by the end, but we wanted to help our, so it was worth it, and we powered through!
ReplyDelete2) Such a true warning and verse today from Proverbs:
Proverbs 25:16 "If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.
There are many things that God allows us to do, eat, participate in. Yet, we always think too much of a good thing is great, when it can instead be very detrimental to us. All things should be done in moderation, even things that are good and we would want more of. Self control is key in this area! Praying that The Lord would do that work in me more strongly!
You have an unstoppable mindset and a servant's heart William. Blessed to count you as a growing friend.
DeleteHappy Birthday Andre and Guillermo!
ReplyDeletePart of my job is to manage office space for the company I work at which includes moving offices when necessary. In office buildings they usually don’t let us move during the day to keep disturbing other tenants to a minimum. Last October when we moved our Calgary office I got into the office around 9:00 AM and stayed until 2:00 AM due to issues with the moving company. Then I was back in the office early the next morning to make sure things were working when the employees got into the office the next morning.
Proverbs 25:18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. This is kind of a long way to say “words can hurt”. We need to watch what and how we say things. There have been a few times when I’ve hurt Janette’s feeling by choosing words poorly.
Ugh! Those are some tall hours you yet put in George. Your company is blessed to have such a dedicated employee.
Delete1. Yes, I have stayed awake over 24 hours in a row on many many occasions, when I was in college, I used to pull regular "all-nighters" study sessions and then go to school the following day. Unfortunately, my grades were usually "B's or C's ". I am sure there was a better way?
ReplyDelete2. Prov 25:21-22 says "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." -- Not that I have too many enemies, but in the real estate field, I deal and have to negotiate against many kinds of people and so many are hard to work with. I am always reminded to love your enemy and focus on the goal and that is to help my client get the best possible deal and to put my client's interest above my own in every situation. I try to take my personal pride and feelings out of the business deal, and focus on the deal. God always helps me to tolerate working with so many personality types :)
Congratulations Israel, you are in the beast mode hall of fame!
Delete1. - My aunt and I travel to Mexico last year for Easter weekend. I drove for 25 hours straight. I left Thursday at 1am and arrived to the border at 2 am Friday. My aunt was nervous that she did not want to drive. I was fine until the last two hours before arriving to the border. I was really tired and I was falling asleep but my aunt kept me up by telling me jokes. I was so thankful God gave me journey mercy. I arrived to the border and rested there until 7am that morning. I was ready to drive again after the 5 hour rest. My aunt and I rested and were ready to keep going. We drove through the border and arrived to our destination at 8 pm that day. God gave us mercy and listen to our prayer. Amen
ReplyDelete2. - Proverbs 25:21 if your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. Love your enemy.
Ugh Oscar! You too are inducted into the beast mode hall of fame!
ReplyDeleteIt was good talking with you after church today. Best of blessings!