Saturday, February 1st

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  James 3:17

Do you have God's wisdom in your life?  Today's devotional reading covers what godly wisdom looks like in practice.

1.) Pure: without worldly influence.
2.) Peaceable: having a love for peace; not glorying in drama.
3.) Gentle: tender, loving.
4.) Easy to be intreated: quick to offer forgiveness.
5.) Merciful: having a delight in extending grace.
6.) Fruitful: seeing evidence of others' lives being impacted for Christ by your influence.
7.) Impartial: able to offer a non-biased concern for everybody.
8.) Non-hypocritical: being the same all the time, everywhere.

I think we can all look at this list and readily identify the area(s) that are our weak spots.  The wonderful thing about the Savior is that He doesn't expect us to have this Godly wisdom on our own. He is our Maker; He knows exactly what we are and what we CAN be if we will yield ourselves to him.  

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 1
James 3

Friday, January 31st: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 7

“For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.”

Ephesians 5:12

Keeping ourselves pure is not just about keeping our bodies pure – it is about keeping our minds pure, too.  Talking about people’s sexual desires and activity seems very “cool” these days…but in God’s eyes, it is absolutely disgusting.  Why?  Because when we talk about stuff like that, we are talking about straight-up sin!  What would you think if Mrs. Kim decided to spend a whole evening with us girls talking about how this person at church lied to that person, then that person gossiped and told a third person about the lie, and on and on and on?  Just as wrong as it is to talk badly about our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is wrong to talk about the sin that those around us partake in – including sexual sin.

But why?  God commands us to think on things that are right.  He knows that thinking pure thoughts will help us do pure actions.  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ~Philippians 4:8

Being comfortable talking about wrong things, and even being amused by the fact that people do wrong things, is very dangerous.  It is dangerous because it desensitizes our mind to evil.  “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” ~ Romans 8:6.  It would be like me sitting down and watching a TV show that had lots of curse words, immorality, and alcoholic drinking in it.  If I watched a show like that on a regular basis, eventually I would begin to be comfortable around cursing, immorality, and drinking in real life.  If I continued to be comfortable around these things, I would end up in one or all three of these sins myself.  Yes…this scenario is possible even for the child of God.

Living a holy life is not just about doing things that are right; it is also about being on constant alert against anything that Satan could use to make us more comfortable with His deceptions.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 31
James 2

Thursday, January 30th

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:2

Girls, today's Bible reading brings us to the book of James.  Written by the Lord Jesus' brother, this practical guide for New Testament Christians gives insight about why the Lord allows trials in our lives (chapter 1, verse 3).  God doesn't send desperate times in our lives just to see us beg for His hand of mercy; rather, He allows us to face tribulation simply because it is what grows our faith.  Look at it this way, what kind of mother would keep her baby on her lap constantly, never allowing him to venture from her guarding hands?  We might say she is overprotective, and that might be true; but, the truth is, if that mother doesn't allow her precious baby to get down, he will never learn to walk.  When she does allow him to leave her side, what usually happens?  Does he fall?  Yep.  Again and again and again.  Does he get hurt?  Certainly.  But, the hurt is necessary for him to learn to walk.  

As a child of God, we are going to experience physical pain, mental pain, and emotional pain.  And, while it is most assuredly true that God could very well keep us from this pain, if He did, we'd never learn to walk.  A mother can guard her child constantly, never allowing him to scrape his knee because she can't stand to see him hurt or she can allow him the falls, the scrapes, and the bruises because it is ultimately for his own good.  

God is the perfect parent, girls, and if He brings us TO a valley, He will, of a certainty, bring us THROUGH the valley.  

Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 30
James 1

Wednesday, January 29th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 6

 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?

God forbid.” ~ Romans 6:15

Satan’s counterfeit: “Sex is all about you and what feels good to you!  Plus, it will make you look normal and cool to your peers if you do what they do!  That guy you like will love you forever if you give your body to him!”

God’s purpose: “The physical relationship is about you focusing on your husband or wife. It is about you giving yourself wholly to him/her, for his/her pleasure.  If each of you are doing your part in the relationship, both of you will find yourselves fulfilled and satisfied.”

If you engage in the physical relationship before marriage, you are telling God that He does not know what He is talking about.  You are casting a shadow of sadness on your future marriage, because you will not have the privilege of giving yourself first and only to your husband.  Yes, God’s forgiveness is great, but His forgiveness is not meant to be used as an escape route.

I don’t know your stories.  I would hope that each of you has thus far retained your body for your future spouse, but maybe you haven’t.  But do you know what, girls?  God knows that.  He has already forgiven your sin.  He does not want you to keep sinning, if you are, or if you are contemplating it.  He does, however, want you to walk more closely with His Son, that you may stand stronger against the temptations of sex outside of marriage.  He wants you to know His Word so that you will have the courage to say no to bad situations where giving in to sin is easy.  God wants you to lean on HIM for your fulfillment in all things; if you can learn to depend upon the LORD for everything now, girls, doing so someday as a married woman will be so much easier.

 Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 29
Hebrews 13

Tuesday, January 28th

Have you ever thanked God for taking your wrong decisions or wrong actions and making them right?  I am so very quick to forget the many times that my Savior has turned something that was 100% my fault, 100% bad into something that was a beautiful blessing to me.  Jesus is so loving, so compassionate that He promises to work in our lives, even when we fail Him constantly.  Consider this: 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

And as if it isn't wonderful enough that He will turn our own mistakes into blessings, He will also transform the cruel, heartless actions of others into opportunities of growth in grace.  Consider Joseph.  His brothers, thoughtlessly selling him into slavery, certainly meant to do him harm.  But, God took their bad and used it for the good of Joseph and the whole nation of Israel.  

Girls, when I say that God works all things together for your good, I mean God works ALL things together for your good.  If you are mistreated---God's already using it to shape you into a reflection of Him.  If you have made a wrong decision---God's plan is already in action to transform that wrong decision.  Realize this though, you are not at liberty to act foolishly, purposely live contrary to God, or make bad decisions just to see God's miraculous power at hand; no, rather that would be tempting God.  

It's comforting to me to meditate on the simple promise that He is at work on my behalf, always ready to turn my sadness into joy for His glory.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 28
Hebrews 12

Monday, January 27th: Mrs. Lois Ormsby

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” ~ Isaiah 5:20

So, why, Mrs. Lois, is sex outside of marriage so accepted today – even by some Christians?  If it’s such a big deal to God, why is it not a big deal to people today?  

For one - it is simply because sin feels good, girls.  The Bible tells us that sin has its pleasures (Hebrews 11:25) – but these pleasures are not real, not lasting, and not Godly.  Sin feels good because it satisfies our flesh…it makes us feel better about ourselves.  But we must realize that God has not called us to satisfy our flesh – He has called us to “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Another reason is that today, so many people believe in evolution.  People think that we are a form of “mammals,” and therefore, even though we talk and have emotions and whatnot, we are really not much higher than animals.  This is what evolution teaches you.  But why is evolution dangerous?  Well, what do animals do?  Male animals will mate with numerous female animals in their lifetime.  There are very few kinds of animals that stick with “that one special animal” their whole life…and even then, I am sure there are those who “mess up.” :P  Ok, I know that sounds funny to talk like that, but think about it – if people think we are just animals, then why not act like animals in the realm of physical relationships?  What do people do today?  Guys have multiple girlfriends, sometimes all at once and sometimes one at a time, sleeping with every last one; a married woman slips away to be physically involved with some man at work who makes her feel more special than her husband might; a man and woman that love each other wholly and completely decide to just live together, instead of getting married first, because they want to avoid all the legal practicalities involved with getting married, as well as the possibility of then divorcing someday.  Somehow people convince themselves that avoiding marriage is a good thing – maybe it is because marriage brings with it a sense of responsibility.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 27
Hebrews 11

Sunday, January 26th

"As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool."

Proverbs 26:8

If Johnny Boy is out in the yard with his slingshot and a window gets broken, who is to blame...the rock, the sling shot, or Johnny Boy?  Silly anaology, right?  Of course it is!  But, today's verse tells us that honoring a fool and positioning a rock in a sling shot will both produce the same effects.

So, what happens when we put a rock in a sling shot and let go?  The rock will land somewhere and when it does, it will likely damage whomever or whatever it hits.  So, when we honor a foolish person, it will cause damage.  "Mrs. Kim, what do you mean by 'honoring a fool'?"  If you are exalting, praising, or admiring someone who acts ignorantly or blasphemously, you are honoring a fool.  Let me give you an example, the other day when Justin Bieber was arrested and charged with DUI, a local Christian radio host made the following random statements: 

"Justin Bieber is not a bad kid."

"He is a Christian."

"He needs to have his mommy take away some of his privileges."

Girls, I don't know Justin Bieber's heart, so it wouldn't be fair for me to say dogmatically that he is not a Christian, but of a certainty, he is acting foolishly.  Unwittingly this radio host honored his foolish behavior.  Ultimately, her poorly chosen words will be worse than a rock in a slingshot!  Why?  Because somewhere in Orlando there was a struggling teen listening who heard the words describing Mr. Bieber in spite of his immature, Christ-less choices.  Even though he was drinking and acting foolishly, the radio host defended him.  Why should this teen expect that when he drinks, drives, and acts foolishly he won't get the same treatment as Mr. Bieber?   The host unknowingly put the rock in the sling, so to speak.

Be careful about honoring foolish people, girls.  It will come back to your detriment.

Scripture Reading for the Day
Proverbs 26

Hebrews 10