jkdykstra52

O death where is your victory; where is your sting?

Hosea 13:44 14"I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? (NIV) Quoted by the apostle…

Hosea 11 - God changes his mind?

Yes He does. Hos. 11:8,9 "My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man - the Holy…

Secret Cure for all Disease?

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Prov. 14:30 Could this verse be the secret cure for cancer or any other disease? Most disease is rooted inwardly from stress, fear and…

Brave but bad

God's intolerance His message is clear: stay away from other gods. It doesn't matter how brave and smart and good you are if you follow other gods, you are out of god's graces. What other kind of gods…

1 Chronicles 5:24 (TNIV), 1 Chronicles 5:25 (TNIV)

Duplicity

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Prov. 11:3 Wow, Lord heal my unfaithfulness, it leads me astray. It's a weakness I can no longer bear.…

Proverbs 11:3 (NIV)

All things shaken

God will remove all things once more that can be shaken - ". "created things". Created things are not only God's creation but also man's creation(s). We will lose everything so that "what cannot be shaken…

Hebrews 12:27 (NIV)

This costs all you have

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." You mean I have to trade in all my junk, all my valuable possessions, all my property, everything to get…

Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)

Impossible to be brought back again?

Those of us who fall away after enjoying the benefits of knowing God and have tasted the power of the Holy Spirit cannot be brought back again to repentance according to this passage in Hebrews 6. Why?…

Hebrews 6:4 (NIV), Hebrews 6:5 (NIV), Hebrews 6:6 (NIV)

"and this is a gift of God"

Solomon says: "This is what I've observed to be good - to eat, drink and to find satisfaction in my work. God gives us wealth and possessions and the ability to enjoy them - this is God's gift; reflections…

Ecclesiastes 5:18 (NIV), Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NIV), Ecclesiastes 5:20 (NIV)

God's headlight

Prov. 20:24 "The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one's inmost being." Our own spirit is used by God to illuminate our deepest motives, fears, personality, problems, bitterness,…

Proverbs 20:27 (NIV)

Containers of bitterness or joy?

According to this verse we are self-contained systems of bitterness or joy. Only we can know ourselves enough to determine our state of mind. Others can observe our behavior and make a determination,…

Proverbs 14:8 (NIV), Proverbs 14:10 (NIV)

Look at the evidence

Do I hear a lot of strife in my presence? In my household? Am I bickering with my wife, my children, my coworkers? Better look at the most likely cause: Pride. That's the clue given here in Prov. 13:10…

Proverbs 13:10 (NIV)

"speak softly & carry a big stick"

Although this famous quote from Teddy Roosevelt was meant to describe a foreign policy that would initimidate a potential enemy with force if needed, the reassurance of speaking softly still has great…

Proverbs 25:15 (NIV84)

Drive out the mocker

This hits home. Put away my mocking self and peace comes to my household and my friendships. Too many quarrels and insults are received.<br><br>I have been the mocker for too long.

Proverbs 22:10 (NIV84)

Flesh & Blood

Our battle isn't on the physical outside but on the spiritual inside of us. That's where Satan comes to get us started in evil and temptation. Our thoughts become actions. We are in a spiritual battle.…

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

People Sense

A guy who isn't friendly just doesn't get it. He cannot be successful in life by steam rolling over people. This was me. I am slowly figuring it out. The people sense I lacked really hurt me more than…

Proverbs 18:1 (NIV)

We don't have to listen

Only "the wicked listen to evil talk". Am I wicked when I listen to the tempting words that come in to my thoughts? Obviously I must be when that happens. So I have a choice. When those words come, do…

Proverbs 17:4 (NIV)

God hates pride

This concept is repeated many times in the Bible; God hates our pride. It shows up in many of the infamous escapades related in the Bible. I was not conscious of it until recently that my own pride was…

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV), Proverbs 16:19 (NIV)

Lips vs. Heart

This concept is repeated at least 3 times in this chapter; Our heart attitude is in our jurisdiction but God gives our lips speech and our legs the right steps. We purpose in our hearts what we wish but…

Proverbs 16:1 (NIV)

If you expect it, you get it

"He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it." Isn't that what expectations are all about? If I anticipate negative consequences, then that's what I get. If I have a negative…

Proverbs 11:27 (NIV)

The Lord prefers the Few, not the Proud

The Lord prefers to do his work w/ the few, the outcast, the impossibly weak, the unexpected, the long odds, the minority, the small, the least amongst us, the incapacitated. You name it, God will use…

Judges 7:1 (NIV)

light and dark

Our path should be as described here: "like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter". Lord you do this for us. You make us light. We turn around after time with you and realize we have a trail.…

Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

Crying out aloud

The physical act of calling out for insight and crying aloud for understanding is the interesting point here. God somehow listens more closely when we use our voices - out loud - to seek his wisdom, understanding,…