Talking Smack: Goliath

Words are a funny thing. They have power. More power then we like to admit they have. They speak life. They speak death. We use them to communicate and to miscommunicate. We use them to make points and disprove opinions. Sometimes they are spoken to make us feel big and others to feel small.

^{1 Samuel 17:23-24} As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.

Goliath talked a lot of smack. Not only was his stature intimidating but he used his words to mock and discourage people. He did it for forty days, making sure his words were making the Israelites feel small and fearful. When David finally got frustrated enough and went out to face him, Goliath called him a stick, a toy for a dog to play with.

There are times in our lives we are given the opportunity to be right or to nurture relationships. There are often moments when we can make others feel small and insignificant because of our responses and gestures. Is there someone in your life that could be using an encouraging word instead of your insults? Is there someone who needs you to love them more than they need you to be right? While most of us root for David and know how the story ends, sometimes we don't consider that we aren't David.

Sometimes we are the Goliath in someone's life. We are the one's making someone feel small. We are the one's that taunt and create fear. Consider for a moment people in your life. Do you picture someone that you disagree with most of the time, can you see their face when they are hearing your judging words?

I pray for all of us today, and for every person we have ever been "better" than. I pray for forgiveness and I pray for a renewed spirit in those relationships. I pray we learn to discern the purpose of our words. I pray we learn to hold our tongues when our words are not speaking Truth. I pray there may never come a time that we are face to face with a David, someone so hurt by our words that they are determined to destroy us.

Go and DO!! Donkey!!!!

Okay, so I missed writing a devotional yesterday. I was at the Doctor with my grandmother, JoAnne, so I was not able to write. I am going to combine both yesterday and today's devotionals together.

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again.
26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
29 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."
30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said.
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. [a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."
34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."
35 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?"
38 "Well, I have come to you now," Balaam replied. "But can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth."

After consulting with the Lord his God, Balaam (Bay lum) heard clearly that he was to go with the princes to Balak. Balak had asked him to curse the Israelites. God had asked him to go, but to only do what the Lord told him. On his travels to Balak, Balaam rode upon his female donkey. An angel appeared before them three times, yet Balaam did not see them until the donkey began to speak. It was then that an angel of the Lord appeared to him. It says that God was angry. Why do you think He was angry? It doesn't say. I think God was angry because Balak wanted to curse the Israelites and they were protected by God. They were his chosen people.

29 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."

Balaam obviously feared his Lord. He consulted him about the trip. God must have felt that he would seem a fool if Balaam cursed the Israelites. Both Balaam and the Israelites feared the Lord. God's anger in this situation was similar. This is probably more how God was feeling. Balaam went when he was told to, but God needed him to know how serious it was that he did and said exactly what the Lord told him. It says his path was a reckless one. The Lord wanted him to approach slowly and learn that he must be obedient to the Lord. Had Balaam pushed on to Balak and not been approached by the Angel, then he may not have known how serious the mission was. What if he swayed and cursed the Israelites?

Reading on, we find that Balak and Balaam meet. Balaam didn't waste any time letting Balak know that he was there to do God's work and that he was going to say only what the Lord his God asks.

How many times do you think you have been sent on a mission to say or do only what God asks. How many times have you succeeded? Did fear get in the way? What about your flesh? Did you boldly state your mission? When someone comes to me and says they have something that the Lord has told them to share with me, I listen.

What can you do today to listen to God more clearly? Does he need to send a speaking donkey to get your attention? How willing would you be to go on a mission for the Lord and do and say only what he asks?

Lord, thank you for this scripture. I pray that we will always be open to you and that we would be open to others who are being obedient to you. May you be blessed by our words and actions, for they ultimately define who we are.

Please continue to pray for Baby Lauren and JoAnne Adams.

Acceptable

Proverbs 10:32
The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.

How do we know what is acceptable?

Things that you and I find appropriate come from where we have been and what we know. When I first became a Christian, I didn't know anything acceptable. I wanted so badly to get it right but I didn't know how. Thank goodness we are all a work in progress.

As we finish up Proverbs 10 it seems to mean that one thing is very clear, our words speak for our knowledge and wisdom. If you question the things in your life, there is once source for the answer, The Word. If you find yourself wondering if your frame of mind, your choices, your words are lined up with God, Read the Word. I can't say it enough.

Romans 12:1-3 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

Please Pray for Janice J this week.

Harmonious

Proverbs 10: 31 (Amp)
The mouths of the righteous (those harmonious with God) bring forth skillful and godly Wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut down [like a barren and rotten tree].

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Regardless of how you spent your time, with Easter egg hunts, family bbq's or watching the Masters, I hope you found time to reflect on the sacrifice made for you. I hope you found time to celebrate in the Resurrection of our Lord.

Verse 31 is a good one for today. I could point out to you the power and words, yet again. But, I want to focus on something else. Something you may have overlooked. The promise in this verse.

Matthew 3:10"The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Have you ever been in the midst of gossip, of lies and deceit from someone close to you or maybe not so close? Do you wonder, Why Me? Do you ask God what you did to deserve the cruelty? It can be very difficult to see the light through the tunnel of gossip and perverted words.

Forgiveness and Redemption are promised to us, but so is judgement and accountability. What you do not see today, may be seen in the everlasting. While we are in the midst of our struggles and fighting the injustices of this place, hold close the promises of being adopted into God's family. It is easy to get lost in the here and the now. Maybe, next time (and there will be a next time), someones words tear at your life and pride you can find a glimpse of hope. Being in harmony with God isn't painless but it does promise you justice.

1 John 4:4-6 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Heavenly Father~Thank you for this day. Thank you for the sacrifice. Thank you for the power that overcomes death. Continue to work in my life Lord. I desire a life focused on the promises of your word and not on the words of this world. Give me the power to discern those that are speaking in your wisdom and those that defile. ~In Your Precious Name.

Please pray for Janice J this week

Upcoming event: I (Angela) will be teaching at my first women's retreat. I am so excited and would like to invite anyone who may be in the Knoxville area or would like to travel here. It is May 8th and 9th. Email me through womenofworship1@gmail.com and I will get you the information.

Chatterbox

Proverbs 10:21
The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

We are beginning our week with the last of the "The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life" verses of Proverbs 10 and it is a toughie.

It has come clear to me that our words are a very important part of our relationship with God. Sometimes we put such little value on them. How ever it is that you communicate with your words there is a clear line drawn between good and bad words. And I am not talking about cussing here. I am talking about pouring truth and life into people because of your words. I think we can talk ourselves in circles and never find the wisdom or understanding that we desire.

You have the power to encourage, to love, to understand and be a rich treasure to many because of your words.

Take inventory the next time you are with friends. Did you chatter away with very little to say? Will the heart of your relationship be left empty because you didn't take the time to listen? When we don't have anything to say, maybe we should honor that.

Heavenly Father~ Today I praise the strength that comes only from You. I thank you for the potential you see when I don't see it. I thank you for being the Father I find comfort in and the Father that encourages me to be more than I am at this moment. Lord, may my life and my words be an honor to you and your beauty. May I be a treasure to those I talk to. Hold my tongue Lord when I chatter on and leave my relationships empty hearted. ~In His Precious Holy Name.

Please pray for Becky G this week.

Foolish

Proverbs 10:14
Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

It seems there is a running theme in this weeks Proverbs. Knowledge, wisdom and our mouths. Today, I read this and think that maybe there are times we shouldn't say whatever it is we want to say.

How true. Sometimes our own best advice can be to the ruin of our friends or ourselves. I recently had an experience where being helpful turned into something distasteful. A group of wonderful godly women that I know were meeting together for prayer. I don't know if you have ever been in a prayer group that went from prayer requests to gossip but it happened to us. And once we got started it consumed us. By the end of our meeting it was hard to even remember what the prayer requests were because we had lost all focus of our purpose.

Instead of holding back all of our knowledge of a situation and just lifting someone in prayer, we told everything. I was so disappointed afterwards. I know we are better than that but lost our perspective. My heart still aches for those that we talked about.

I can't change the part I played in that situation. I can change what happens next time.

Heavenly Father~ Praise you for the changing of the seasons and the way the warm spring air has started to change the flowers and the trees. You know my heart Lord and that I wish to honor you in my life. Show me Lord when I become foolish with my words. Show me when I should be storing knowledge. Lord, I desire to be more obedient to your ways...to know you intimately through your Word and live a life that is responding to your greatness.~In Your Heavenly Name

Please continue to pray for Sam Y this week.

Verbal

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

So much can be said in one sentence. Daily, our words are our legacy. We speak life and truth or we speak lies and deception.

One of the great Christian expressions is "holding our tongues". I know I have said it often and maybe you to have had an occasion where saying nothing is better than whatever it is you are thinking.

Words express our hearts emotions. Sometimes, that isn't all good. When we are angry and mad we want someone to hurt as much as we hurt. Right or wrong, in the heat of the moment it is hard to find control. When we are feeling unheard, when we are feeling small, when we are just tired of this place we are in, we explode. Words come out at a hundred miles an hour, hurtful and abusive to the people we love the most.

Have you experienced violent words coming at you? Have you expressed your emotions with violent words? Verbal abuse is a serious matter and shouldn't be taken lightly. It isn't nearly as easy as we would like it to be to take back hurtful things we say. I am sure every one of us can remember a hurtful word said to us. Do we ever consider even our words said out of "helpfulness" to be hurtful?

I struggled with a cigarette smoking addiction for many years. And through those years many people had "good" advice for me but the most hurtful thing ever said to me was "If you loved God more you would just quit". I was crushed. My addiction and struggle with sin wasn't about how much I loved God. I had spent years teaching my body that the only way to cope was with smoking. Sometimes, things don't happen just because we want it to.

When you meet a new Christian, do you judge there struggles to overcome their sin? Do you disregard that even Paul struggled with "things he did not want to do"? Do you think that in your Bible study circle that there is someone, maybe even you, dealing with sin and they feel like their faith isn't enough or their love for God isn't enough?

Romans 7:15-17 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

As the mouth of the righteous we are called to be a fountain of life. Called to speak truth and love into each others lives. Maybe instead of condemning one another for our faults and abusing each other with our words we could love a little more. Speak more kindness. Maybe we can find a way to use our words to give strength instead of condemnation.

Heavenly Father~ You are so good to me, blessing me more abundantly with your Love each day. Today, Father, as I read and learn that I am a mouth piece, a fountain a life. Called to share your word and Love with everyone. Pour into me self-control Lord, so I may know when I am being hurtful and mean. May you cultivate the fruit of patience so I may think through my words before I say them. Teach me to Love with your eyes so that I see you in people and avoid condemnation and judgement. Show me in ways that I may not want to see anywhere in my life that my words become abusive and hurtful. Do a work in my thoughts and heart so my words are a reflexion of who You are in me.....In Your Precious Holy Name.

A Blessing

A Blessing

Proverbs 10:6

New King James Version - Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

The Message Version - Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

Amplified Version - Blessings are upon the head of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

New International Readers Version - Blessings are like crowns on the heads of those who do right. But the trouble caused by what sinners say destroys them.

New Living Translation - The godly are showered with blessings; evil people cover up their harmful intentions

Blessings - Happiness; praise; divine favor or heavenly reward; the antidote to cursings.

The Lord's blessing rests on those who are faithful to him. His blessing brings righteousness, life, prosperity, and salvation. The blessing is portrayed as a rain or dew. In the fellowship of the saints the Lord commands His "blessing". In a few cases the Lord made people to be a blessing to others. Abraham is a blessing to the nations. His descendants are expected to become a blessing to the nations.

I included several different versions of this verse so that we could get the point across. Lets take note:

Blessings will be on, accrued, upon, showered or are like a crown to those who are righteous, who lead a good and honest life, those who are upright and in right standing with God, and who are godly. Violence, a dark cave of abuse, trouble and harm comes from those who are evil, wicked, sinners. This verse specifically mentions two body parts.

The head is that part on which a blessing will be bestowed. And the mouth is the part that is referred to as a dark cave of abuse.

Are there times in your life when you have felt the blessing of the Lord was upon you? That it was on others?

Have there been times that you have used your mouth to produce trouble, harm and abuse to yourself? To others?

What can you do today to bring forth more blessings in your life? What about others lives who may not know the Lord, who may be seeking the Lord, who may be lacking hope? What can you do today to make sure that you will not use your mouth for evil?

Did it strike you that it says that the trouble caused by what sinners say destroys them? If we are all sinners, this verse should be taken to heart. Will you commit with me today to hold your tongue so that you will not destroy yourself or others?

Psalm 24:5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Ezekiel 34:26 - I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.

Dear Lord, I pray with all my heart (not my mouth) that you will rest your blessings upon our heads. Lord, will you help us with this task of holding our tongues? What a blessing we want to be to you as well. The power there is in our words, our mouth. How funny that it is our head that houses the very thing that causes us destruction. The very part on which you want to bless contains the very part that can ruin our blessing. Lord, I pray that we pay more attention to our words, whether spoken or written. That we will honor you.

Only Begotten (one and only)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Day 1

As Christians, one of the first verses we memorize is John 3:16. Even if you haven't, I'm sure you have seen a sign at a sporting event or at many of a multitude of places that people find it necessary to say God gave His only begotten (one and only) Son to die for your sins. In all of the grand gestures by us as Christians, I think the power and truth in John 3:16 gets watered down. As I mature in my faith, sometimes, it is the simple verses that make me say, "what does that mean". So, hopefully you won't mind indulging me this week and finding out what in the world "only begotten" means and why it is so important to our faith.

If you use NIV you will find "one and only" in place of "only begotten" in this weeks verses. After a little study, this would be a good place to note in your bibles that begotten is a better translation of the original. Begotten refers to being the biological son of a father. Saying "one and only son" isn't entirely correct because it leaves out those of us who are made sons through adoption.

John 1:14-18
The Word Made Flesh
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Day 2

Only Begotten Son. God's only biological child.

From personal experience I can say that being someones daughter and biological child are two different parts of who a person is. My DNA, genetic code or whatever modern day term you would like to place on it has a portion that says I am Bob's child. There are important details in that code that will tell you the color of my eyes and skin come from him, that I have an increased risk of certain illnesses and I am sure a multitude of other physical characteristics are because I am a part of him.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to have a relationship with my dad until I was over 15 years old. I have to tell you though, don't discredit what other attributes come with being a biological child. My dad and I have eerily similar likes and dislikes. Even the way I stand can be a mirror image of my father. If I had spent any of my time as a child in his environment learning from him you would know quite a bit about my dad just because you know me.

During this study I have found a new favorite passage. John 1:18 says that the only begotten God (Jesus), explains God. Wow! If I want to know God I need to know his son. Jesus is not just the only begotten son of God but verse 18 also says he was in his bosom since the beginning of time. Who else could explain God better then someone who has his DNA and knows everything he has done since the beginning of time?

If I go back a few verses to 14, I see that the son is the Word in flesh. My friends, when you have a stack of questions about who your God is, take a look at Jesus. Take a look at the Word. Take a look at verses 14-18. In a few sentences we learn that Jesus shows us God's Glory, God's truth and God's grace. Imagine what else the Word might teach you about what God wants for you and your life.

Day 3

1John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

What is God?

Why did God send his Son?

What is our response to God's love?

Day 4

John 3:16-19
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

I thought we would take a day to talk about how much you are loved. You see, God loved you so much that he sacrificed his son for you. Our God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, is perfect. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to free you from the bondage of judgement. Do you recognize the truth when you hear it? Are you choosing to know your God, be in relationship with God and believing in the blood of Christ so that you may be freed from the bondage of this world? God wants to spend eternity with YOU!

Day 5

"....God is Love"

The ultimate sacrifice has been made on our behalves. The Word was made flesh to be sacrificed for our sins so that we may have eternal life. You are freed from death by simply believing that God loves you that much.

The next time you are questioning who God is and what he wants from you remember that you can know who he is if you take the time to know His Son. Jesus, the living Word, explains Him!

Praise God for the Ultimate Gift, the undeserving sacrifice, because HE loves YOU!

Heavenly Father~Praise your name, Lord. For all that you are, all that you do, have done and will do in my life I praise your name. Thank you for the Living Word, that I hold the key to who you are in my hands. Forgive me for not always focusing on you. Make my life a response to knowing you. May your love flow through me and show your love to those around me. May the blood that has purified my life flow out of my home and be an example to my friends and my community. You are my All, You are my Life. ~In Jesus' precious name.

Words Escaped Me

Sometimes life just presses in and it is hard to find words. Today I will leave the words to Amena Brown