4:1 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

2 for I give you good precepts;

    do not forsake my teaching.

3 When I was a son with my father,

    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

4 he taught me and said to me,

    “Let your heart hold fast my words;

    keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom; get insight;

    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

    love her, and she will guard you.

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

    and whatever you get, get insight.

8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

    she will honor you if you embrace her.

9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;

    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,

    that the years of your life may be many.

11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;

    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

    and if you run, you will not stumble.

13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

    guard her, for she is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

    and do not walk in the way of the evil.

15 Avoid it; do not go on it;

    turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness

    and drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

    they do not know over what they stumble.

20 My son, be attentive to my words;

    incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not escape from your sight;

    keep them within your heart.

22 For they are life to those who find them,

    and healing to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,

    for from it flow the springs of life.

(See also: Proverbs 28:26 (KJV)  He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.  |||  Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.)

Remember when we talked about the heart, and how it’s more than just the seat of our emotions?  The heart is so much more that just our affections: it is regarded as being the seat of the intellect, the feelings, and the will.   The heart is often spoken of in God’s Word as our innermost being and charts the course of our life - it determines our decisions, our daily path, and our course of life!

When we ignore the wisdom we find here in God’s Word, we begin to make wrong choices.  Those wrong choices begin to “pollute” our life - a wrong heart LEADS TO and PRODUCES a wrong life.  Have you ever used food colouring or dye before?  If you have some in your house, go grab it.  Get a cup of water in a clear glass, as well.  If you look at that glass, see the purity in the water, and then drop ONE little drop of food colouring into it.  It changes and affects the entire glass, not just one portion of it!

In the same way, sin and wrong choices - ignoring God’s wisdom - affects our heart and thus pollutes our entire life.  Often, our choices do not only affect us, but also those around us.  We may think we can do whatever we like, but that selfish attitude and our actions resulting from it touch more lives than our own.

24 Put away from you crooked speech,

    and put devious talk far from you.

25 Let your eyes look directly forward,

    and your gaze be straight before you.

26 Ponder the path of your feet;

    then all your ways will be sure.

27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

    turn your foot away from evil.

Where are you and I choosing to ignore wisdom in our lives?  How are those decisions affecting our heart, our attitudes, our lives?  How are those actions spilling over and affecting others, and what can we do to change them??

-nikki

Hey guys!  Apparently the queue has been broken, and I neglected to check on it - so, so sorry about the lack of daily updates!  Everything should be back on track now, but we’re still going to go ahead and stick with the once a day format, even though we’re a little behind.  Hope you’re having a lovely time with your family this holiday!

-nikki.

13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
     and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
     and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
     and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
     in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
     and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
     those who hold her fast are called blessed.

Can you imagine anything more precious than silver, gold, and jewels?  Even if you can, Solomon covered all of the bases here by saying that NOTHING you desire can compare with wisdom.  When we think of that, of COURSE we want to search for wisdom, of COURSE we want to be living our lives following its truth!  If there is nothing on earth, nothing that we can desire that compares to her, why wouldn’t we want to search her out and then hold on to that wisdom we’ve found with all of our might??  Solomon lists out for us many of the things we’ve already talked about in the previous passages as benefits of wisdom: long life, riches, honor, joy and peace and LIFE.

I look at that list and sort of kick myself - WHY have I not searched for this great wisdom my whole life?  I mean, it’s been laid out for me in God’s Word this whole time, I’ve had it right in front of me, yet I haven’t tried to study or truly learn or follow this truth.  And don’t we all spend our lives searching for things of worth?  So many people waste their lives searching for riches, when the best thing we can find is here - and we ignore it.  But why??

There’s good news, though: That can change - for each of us - right now, today!  We’ve learned that everything we could ever want is found right here in the Scriptures, so let’s grab ahold of it, why don’t we?

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
     by understanding he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
     and the clouds drop down the dew.

Not only do we have all of this treasure of wisdom and knowledge at our fingertips, but we get to read here that through this same wisdom the Lord created everything!  The same wisdom used to create the universe is something that we have the ability to harness and use to live in this crazy world.  =)

21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
     keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul
     and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
     and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
     when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror
     or of the ruin [4] of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
     and will keep your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
     when it is in your power to do it.

28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
     tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
     who dwells trustingly beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man for no reason,
     when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence
     and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
     but the upright are in his confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
     but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
     but to the humble he gives favor.
35 The wise will inherit honor,
     but fools get disgrace.

Verses 30 + 31 are so, so interesting to me.  How many of us start something - even something small - just because we can?  That girl at school who’s never done anything to you, but you’re annoyed by, your little brother or sometimes your mom… we all start things without real reason and nothing but bad intent.  Solomon tells us here that one aspect of wisdom is that we will not “contend” with someone who has done us no wrong, or be jealous of those who live violently.  That road only leads to us becoming more and more open to it, and eventually participating - but he tells us here that those people are “an abomination to the Lord”.  We want to be the opposite of that - good, righteous and trustworthy!

Sorry for the delayed post, everyone!  Tumblr being down all day yesterday really threw us off.  =(  Today’s post will be coming later this afternoon, but without further ado:

3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
      but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
     and peace they will add to you.

3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
     bind them around your neck;
     write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
     in the sight of God and man.

I don’t know about you guys, but one thing I’ve realised during my time in juniour high, high school, and throughout college is that we are all searching for something.  I mentioned a few days ago that we’re searching for truth, and that is definitely true…. although we may not really realise it.  What you *may* have realised is the unrest in your life - what caused you to see that you’re looking for something in the first place!  When I recognised that unrest, I acknowledged that I was searching for PEACE.

But what is peace?  Especially this time of year, that word gets thrown around a lot, right?  ”Let there be peace on earth” and “sleep in heavenly peace” are lyrics we sing, and our whole country has been talking for years about “bringing peace to the Middle East”.  But what does peace look like in our own lives?  And why are we searching so diligently for it - and what, if anything, can give it to us??

Solomon tells us here, in the opening of chapter 3, that when we remember the truth we learn here, and follow it, it will not only bring “length of days”, but also PEACE!  He goes on to say that we shouldn’t let this truth and mercy get away from us, but that we should keep them close.  It should be something that we have written into our hearts, something that we practice daily.

So cool, we know how to find this peace, but what in the world is it?  These next few verses you’ve heard, I’m sure, and they’ve been applied all sorts of ways.  But when I read them coupled with the verses we just went through, I see them in a whole new light - it’s something that helps me understand this peace that we will gain from following God’s truth! 

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
     and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
     and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
     fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
     and refreshment to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
     and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
     and your vats will be bursting with wine.

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
     or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
     as a father the son in whom he delights.

When we are trusting the Lord, and when we are relying on Him for our decisions and what we’re doing daily, we are no longer restless.  Our lives aren’t chaotic, and our hearts find that PEACE - a stillness - that we have hardly known before!  When we live in our own ways and rely completely on ourselves for our decisions, we tend to feel lost and sometimes even completely crazy - but when our lives are based on His truth, He takes care of it for us!

If we seek humility and fear (remember: respect and honour) God and turn away from the evil in our lives [v 7], honour the Lord with our money and possessions [v 9], and OBEY His Word and teachings [v 11], He will correct us, guide us, and grant us peace.  We don’t always want to be corrected, and we definitely don’t often want to listen to someone else about how to live our lives, but the truth in the Bible has proven time and time again in countless lives before us to be right and good.  What will it take for us to actually *believe* what we’re reading here and begin to live by it??

-nikki.

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

In yesterday’s passage, Solomon talked a lot about truth and how we can know it. In verses 14 & 15, he told us that fools love what is worst, and this short passage is a warning of that, once again.

Reading through these verses, it’s pretty clear that Solomon is warning the reader here of a woman who is - basically - enticing him with sexual advances. As a woman myself, I have to read this passage very differently than many of you will… for the guys, I see it as a huge warning sign, a big red flag, to avoid women who are so forward and trying to lure you in any sort of sexual manner.

When I read this passage, looking to learn from it and apply it to my own life, however, I see it as a call out to avoid these sort of actions. It is a challenge to take the wisdom we’ve been learning about and will learn about in the coming weeks and to not be this woman whose way “sinks to the departed”, but rather a woman who reflects the second part of the passage (vv 20-21). I want my way to be righteous and good, as I think most of us do.

We never set out with the intention of doing wrong, or pulling someone else down with us, but when we’re not living according to the truth we’re learning here in God’s Word, we will struggle to do right, because we’re doing it on our own. Remember in Friday’s (and even yesterday’s) passage, though? Solomon told us that when we live and walk in the truth, God will protect us from all sorts of evil. We don’t have to do this on our own! When we study God’s will and His Word, and strive to live in them, we have His power on our side, to live righteously and do good.

What have you been struggling in, lately? Where have you been trying to do good, on your own? Why don’t you talk to God about it - tell Him where you’re having trouble, and ask Him to show you His wisdom for the situation?

-nikki.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

The whole world is searching for truth, every single one of us. We’re searching for something that we can ultimately know is right and good and that we can follow and be passionate about - something we can hold fast to. Solomon is telling us here: this truth comes from God! His wisdom is found only by revelation (by Him sharing it with us - here, through Scripture). We can only gain this wisdom, as we’ve already seen time and time again this week, by reading and intently studying His Word and intentionally seeking it out and asking for it daily.

But what an awesome gift it is when we receive this truth! Verses 10 & 11 tell us that “When wisdom enters your heart [remember, the core of your being, your emotions and will], and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.” How cool is that?! When we live in the truth we’ve found in God’s Word, it will protect us!

Solomon calls those that seek out wisdom “the upright” - basically identifying true believers, people who WANT to know, love and obey God. Are you and I living uprightly? Are we seeking God? Are we making decisions based on the truth we’re hearing and reading in His word? We need to intently seek to know Him and to live righteously. Only then can we know wisdom and experience the peace that comes from living under God’s protection.

2:1 My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.

When I took geometry in highschool, we studied “if… then” statements.  Don’t ask me why we spent so much time focusing on the written word in a math class, but we did.  As soon as I read the beginning of this chapter, I noticed Solomon using a huge “if… then” statement!

IF you:
-receive (my words)
-treasure up (my commandments)
-be attentive (to wisdom)
-incline (your heart)
-call out (for insight)
-raise your voice (for understanding)
-seek [understanding]
-search [for understanding]

THEN you will:
-understand (the fear of the LORD)
and
-find (the knowledge of God)

Pretty cool, huh?  It’s a big “to-do” list!  Basically what Solomon is telling us here, is that we can receive wisdom when we begin to value it above everything else.  When that is what you value, you begin to find it!

He breaks it down in verse 2, telling us that when we value wisdom, we make our ears attentive to it - we listen for it.  Not only that, but our hearts - the center of our thinking and reason, as well as the very core or our emotions and will - will be captivated by wisdom!  Because our hearts are the very center of our being, our speech, thoughts, and actions all pour from the heart… so when our hearts a captivated by the wisdom God is giving us, our behaviour is affected!

Verses 3 & 4 lay out a desperate search for this wisdom.  We should be passionately calling out, desperate to not only know God’s truth, but to begin to apply it to our lives!  How often do you and I sit through a sermon, or a lesson in youth group, hear what the speaker has to say - perhaps even be moved or convicted by his words - and then go out to lunch or with our friends and forget the message immediately?

Could you honestly tell me that you’ve worked to apply the things you heard and were so convicted about a few weeks ago in church?  I know I couldn’t say that to you if I were being straight with you.  But that’s where we should be!  Diving into this Book daily, passionately asking God to open our hearts to the lessons He has for us and the changes He wants us to make - and then MAKE THEM.  Only then will we be able to begin to understand the fear of the Lord, that reverence and exchange of wills that we touched on on Tuesday.

Let’s work together this week on being attentive to the sources of wisdom God is placing in our lives, around us everyday.  Let’s ask Him to help us SEE the things in our lives that need to be changed - not only to acknowledge them, but to actively work on improving them.

-nikki.

11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;
    hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,
    and they make haste to shed blood.

17 For in vain is a net spread
    in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they set an ambush for their own lives.

19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.

Have you ever tried to catch an animal with a trap?  Or been fishing??  You set the trap or your pole up perfectly, but what do you have to have to lure the animal into your set-up?  Food!  You have to have something that it wants.  So you’ll have your trap set, with the food placed exactly where the animal will trigger it, and then you leave it alone for awhile.  Isn’t it crazy how many times you’ll come back to find that animal in there?  How could they not see the huge trap that the food was sitting inside, you know?  Or that huge hook and line holding the bait?!

We’re the exact same way, though!  Just as Solomon says here in verses 17 & 18, these people try to lure others in, but in the end they fall for their own trap.  And so often we only follow what we want, not what is good for us.  We see the “food” - whatever it is we desire - and we get tunnel vision, just like that animal we were trying to catch and convince ourselves that we’ll be fine.  We don’t see the trap laid perfectly all around it, and walk right into the very thing we convinced ourselves we could avoid.

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
    How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,
    behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

This part of the chapter is so cool to me!  It’s such a refreshing thing to read.  Sure, you and I make a lot of bad decisions, but Solomon tells us here that wisdom isn’t hidden, like the enticement in verse 10.  He’s laying it out right here for us, all we have to do is find it and hold on to it!

Wisdom here is painted as a woman, standing in the busiest part of the city, yelling out for all of us to hear.  She asks how long we’ll be content with - and even proud of - living simple lives and making bad decisions.  How long are we okay with living like that??  Proverbs will teach us how to live so that we are no longer ignorant of the truth and the wisdom available to us!

Where in your life are you being ignorant of or turning your back on truth and wisdom?  How can you change that??

-nikki.

We’re about to dive into Proverbs, a book of the Bible that is much different from what we’ve been studying up to this point.  Everything we’ve looked at has been awesome, but Proverbs is a whole different ballgame.  King Solomon, the author of this book, had come from an interesting family: he was the son of King David and Bathsheba (if you’re not familiar with their story, check out 2 Samuel 11 & 12 - it’s crazy!).  After becoming king, God told Solomon that he could ask for anything that he wanted, and he asked for wisdom… of everything in the world that he could’ve had, he wanted wisdom!?  It seems like a strange request, but God blessed that him by not only giving him what he asked for, but also making him the richest man on earth.

So Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and now we get to study a little of that wisdom that he’s shared with us!

1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

When I read through these verses, the first thing I notice are a ton of big ideas (words of insight, instruction in equity, prudence), most of them having to do with wisdom.  What’s the big deal?  Most of us, if we’re honest, don’t make very wise choices on a day-to-day basis.  How often, if we’re given the option to get some extra studying done before a test or go to a movie with friends, would we ACTUALLY choose to study?  How about this: when we’re faced with a choice to go to youth group or play video games at home, which do we choose?

Here Solomon calls us to study this book seriously, so that we can gain that wisdom that we so often lack.  In verse 5, he says that “a wise man will  hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” - a wise believer will be able to help others understand the truth!  The crazy thing about Proverbs is that some of the ideas and truths contained here are SO simple, while others are incredibly complex (hence the term “riddles” in verse 6).  You’ll soon discover, however, that the more you study the Scripture, the more you’ll begin to understand even some of the more difficult concepts and ideas!!

Verse 7 is also the first time “the fear of the Lord” is mentioned… which, contrary to how it sounds, is not actually being afraid of God. The fear of the Lord is very much having reverence for God, and an attitude or a state of mind where, instead of looking out for ourselves and what we want all the time, our feelings, will and even our actions are exchanged for God’s.  This theme is definitely something we’ll be studying more in the coming month!

8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
    and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.

Verse 10 - for me - is a key verse in this passage.  I am faced everyday with countless opportunities to choose the wrong thing, to sin.  Sometimes the choice is something that I bring upon myself, but very often it’s a temptation that is presented to me by something or someone I see - and very often, it is covert and secret.  I’m sure you run into the same thing on a daily basis; at school, when you’re home alone, out with friends, even at church, sin sneaks up on us all the time!  We’re told here that when we face those temptations and presented with those bad choices, do not consent (don’t agree).  Walk away, turn it off, stop the conversation, say NO, whatever you have to do: do not consent and stay away from those who encourage you to.

Start with me today to look for and listen to wisdom around you.  When you read Proverbs with me this month, try to pull one thing from it that you can practically apply to your life.  What can we pull from today’s verses, and how can we start to practice those lessons?

-nikki.

¹¹Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

 ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ¹⁵And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

                This post is going to be a short for basically one reason:  I didn’t have it written before hand, I procrastinated, so that’s my bad. That being said, no time to waste, so lets get it in and finish up the book of second Peter.

                Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.  Since we are waiting for…what? Check v. 11-13 again really quick. “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn. But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. What a blessed thing to be waiting for, right?  A new heaven and new earth, in which righteousness dwells! No more sin ridden earth with trials and hardships, we will be with Jesus. So since we are waiting for such things, we should be disciplined that we may be found in a certain state by Jesus when He returns (which, keep in mind, could happen at any time). What should we be diligent to be like?

Without spot

Without blemish

At peace

I don’t know about you, but for me It is really easy for me to be in a state other than a peaceful state. Such as a state of worry, or fear, or faithlessness, etc. We would be ashamed for Jesus to come back while we were in a frantic state of worry, maybe trying to control things. He would come back and I picture Him saying “ O ye of little faith, don’t you trust me? I have promised you that all things work together for good to them that love me, that are called according to my purpose. I am God, I am in control. Do you really think your worry is glorifying my name? “  That is just a scenario of what might happen if Jesus came back , and if He found us all worried or stressed or something. I think without spot and without blemish speaks of not being in sin at Christ’s return, or maybe even of not living with an unconfessed sin.

So what?

So are you without spot today? Are you without blemish? Are you at peace in Christ? Do you have any unconfessed sin in your life? Are we being diligent to be found of Christ in a state that would be glorifying to Him? The imminent and inevitable nature of His return should purge us and cleanse us, and instill within us a holy sense of fear.  Lets grow in the fear of the lord today, and glorify Him in that. Check out Isaiah 6:-10, and ask the Lord to increase your fear of Him. Lastly and most importantly, are you praising the Lord today?

⁸But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed

                Sometimes we get impatient, don’t we? We live in America , and our impatience is proven every time we use a microwave and think its taking a long time. Dial up access to the world wide web is too slow! We need high speed, wireless, so we can access it anywhere, any time. It takes too much time to go to the store and pick up that new cd – we need to be able to download it now. Normal pancakes take too long, we need pre-made pancakes. I point out these random things because they all hold one common theme: Impatience. To a certain degree or form, impatience is found in all of these things. What I am trying to say is this : Impatience comes naturally. Patience does not. Why else would James say “LET patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. (James 1:4).  Whats my point? My point is to point out Peter’s point; which is this. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. 

                The people receiving this letter have been dealing with false teachers and false prophets right?  There is probably a big chance that they could be getting impatient. Maybe impatient because they want the false prophets to be judged already! All these false teachers leading people astray, and confusing them, Christians probably want them done with by this point. The day of the Lord promises deliverance from false teachers , but much much more. Ultimately the day of the Lord promises deliverance from sin and death, and it also promises the Lord’s presence! When we are going through tough or unpleasant times, it is not hard for us to imagine why Jesus coming back sounds more than appealing. Sometimes when life on earth is going smooth, we think we want Jesus to hold off awhile. We’d like to get married, have kids and a career first. But when life hurts and is tough, we want Jesus to come back asap! This is why Peter encourages us to be patient and to not overlook that one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

                ⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. This verse can be a little confusing at first. If God doesn’t wish that any should perish, then why do people perish? This is where a distinction needs to be made between the desired will of God, and the decreed  will of God. God’s desired will entails things such as shown here, and like in 1 thess. 4:3  which says “ This is the will of God; your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality…”. An example of the decreed will of God is Rom. 8:28 which says “And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose”. I am no expert on God’s will, it’s a rather mind boggling thing to study and seek to understand. However, I think it is important to point out the difference between the decreed and desired will of God. When it sais that God is not wishing that any should perish, that is His desired will. He also doesn’t will for us to indulge in sexual immorality, but that obviously still happens. His desired will shows us how to best how to worship God and love others to the best of our ability.  So the Lord is extremely patient toward us! He wants all to reach repentance, to brealize how sinful they are in His Holy sight , and to submit to Him and forsake their sin. I can remember the point in my own life when I was filled with Godly sorrow that works repentance, and I confessed and forsook my sin and submitted myself to God. My life simply has not been the same since! For this I am thankful, and I share it with you for both God’s glory and your encouragement.

                ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. When is the last time you turned on the news and heard  the newscaster say “A *insert your town name here* resident was robbed last night. The thief dropped a letter on the doorstep the day before the break in which clearly stated the time and method of his break in. He also told the home owner exactly what he was going to take.”  I don’t think that has actually ever happened to anybody. A thief would have to just be plain stupid to do such a thing. Get the picture Peter is trying to paint here yet? He is comparing the day the Lord will come back , to a thief. Funny thing about thieves is that they come completely unannounced. Jesus could well come back before I am done typing this sentence, or before you finish reading this. Now lets be careful – this is no excuse to just drop everything in our lives and wait for the Lord to come back – that’s just stupid. People have done that though, and Paul addresses it in the book of 1 Thess. . We should actively be waiting upon the Lord’s return, being faithful in our daily responsibilities.

“and the earth and the works that are done in it will be exposed”

^^^ What does that have to do with me, today? ^^^

What are we living for today? Are we living ignorant of the fact that God is patient toward us, and that one day is as a thousand years with the Lord? The wicked will receive their judgment, so lets continue entrusting ourselves to our God who sais “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”.  The fact that Jesus may come back at any given moment should really strike a holy fear in our hearts, and really make us evaluate how we are spending our time. Would we rather play video games for hours at a time, or hide God’s Word in our hearts? Are we serving ourselves, or others today? Remember also, that all the earth and the works that are done in it will be exposed. Live with integrity and purpose today, but not without asking God’s help first. Because our flesh is weak, but through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we may live the way God would have us.