"Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble." -- Proverbs 25:19

When you need to know someone will be there, you turn to the ones who have always been there before.  It is the case that the greatest predictor of future behavior is past behavior.  Do an inventory of the people in your life.  Who are your "go-to's" who have been faithful all along?  Treat them well and be loyal to them.  Additionally, be one who is faithful as a witness to God's call to be faithful.  When you are faithful to God, you are more inclined to be faithful to others.  Something for those considering marriage to think about...

Readings:  Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19

"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm." -- 1 Timothy1:5-7

Read carefully today the passage from 1 Timothy.  Paul had a point that was lost to many of his followers and is lost to many today.   What would be a contemporary example of this?

Readings:  Jeremiah 28:1-29:32; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 25:17

"If a man will not work, he shall not eat." -- 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Did Paul start the tea party?  He parts with Jesus here in terms of being concerned about survival.  Jesus says basically not to worry-- God will take care of that.  Paul, on the other hand, conditions survival on the participation in the work force.  But some context is in order here.  It was important to Paul to make sure that the churches that were collecting offerings for his ministry understood that it was not to pad his pockets.  Rather, it was to support the mission of spreading the gospel, in which he worked tirelessly.  In addition to working at that, he was also a tent maker, earning more money to support himself and the cause.  He was not above work, and wanted to make sure his church members followed that model. 

Readings:  Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..." -- Psalm 84:10

This verse inspired one of the most sung contemporary worship songs around.  Listen, meditate, worship.

Peace.

Readings:  Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15

"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord." -- Jeremiah 23:16

Who can you believe these days?  News outlets are unashamedly biased.  Religious leaders come in all flavors and interpret Scripture differently.  Corporations spin their messaging through conglomerated media.  New scientific findings come out regularly, debunking old science that had long been established as "sound".  We are losing our grip on our ability to trust and wonder now who the authorities are.  And so no longer is it okay to go along with the crowd and assume that what you're told is truth.  You have to do your own work and discover it for yourself.  And just when you think you have it, it will elude you once again.  Now that's the truth.

Readings:  Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you..." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:12

Conduct is born of the mind first.  Actions are often preceded by thoughts.  Great ideas lead to great changes, but there are two things that can botch the realization of a great idea: acting on the idea too soon, and not acting on it at all.

Say you want to start a business.  It can be any business.  You have no plan, no clients, no sure idea of what your business would be, and no savings built up to cover your living expenses while you launch it.  To quit your job to work on it would be a bad idea.  It's too soon.  It's not time.  You need to plan before you execute.  The other side of the coin is not to act at all.  Say you have tons of ideas... and they're great ideas... but that's all they ever remain because you never act on them.   Our deeds determine our outcomes.

I believe God inspires us to not just think certain ways, but to act in certain ways.  The trick is knowing the right time to act and then having the courage to step out and act at that right time.  One of the best ways to go about that is to set realistic goals and plan out the action steps to those goals that will get you there.  Then you go about taking small achievable steps EVERY DAY toward turning your ideas and God's inspirations to realities in your life.  Plan your deeds and be diligent in their execution.

Readings:  Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-19; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:7b-10

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Prior to the industrial revolution, we were an agrarian society.  We worked our fields, grew our crops, and raised our families to work together for our sustenance.  Progress "improved" our situation.  Men were led to the cities to provide labor for the factories and were paid a wage on which they could survive... provided they could work another day for another dollar.  Progress continued and we moved from a production economy to a service economy where cognitive work was deemed of higher value.  We are in transition once again and while we still labor on assembly lines, and provide services, we are entering a new dimension where cognition and creativity together will define work more than ever.  So how does work today reflect the work of the agrarian age in which the Bible was written?  What would Paul say to us today using this same verse?

Readings:  Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-7a