Christian Friendship and Family
PROVERBS 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
A simple, yet profound verse describing what Christian relationships should be. Loving at all times is not easy when everyone goes through their own ups and downs in life, and only through the Holy Spirit and obeying the Word can we achieve this.
Adversity is also not always external. Sometimes our sinful nature may cause us to antagonise our own friends and family members. Always remember Christ’s unconditional love for the church as the model of the love we should have towards one another. God put the people in our lives not just for them to be there for us, but vice versa.
A Community Together
Design by Blessed Ong.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17.
Most likely to be a familiar verse to most of us, we know that “iron sharpens iron” means that we Christians are meant to keep each other accountable and “sharp” for the Lord.
What does this look like in our daily lives? We should make all efforts to interact and communicate with our Christian communities, even during inconvenient times such as these. Despite feeling comfortable at home, we should take the time and energy to go for physical services and bible studies.
Iron need to come into contact with other iron to sharpen each other, as we should as Christians motivating and building up each other.
Decisions from the Lord
Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
A simple verse from Proverbs, simply stating that though lots are cast by man, the outcome is determined by the Lord. Do not take this as an encouragement to gamble or take risky decisions, but rather as an assurance that the Lord has an eye on everything that happens under the sun. Nothing happens or does not happen outside his will.
Even in the Old Testament, it is stated that lots were cast before the Lord, to seek His wisdom and guidance when making decisions. Joshua 18:8-10 “So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.” So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.
Take heart in God’s wisdom and plans for us, and turn to Him, whenever you feel uncertain or lost. Seek His wisdom and guidance, and it will be given.
Fear and Wisdom
Proverbs 1:7 ESV “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”.
Knowledge and wisdom are often understood as words with different meanings, but in this verse, they speak of the same thing; understanding of our place and role in creation under our loving God.
At the same time, there is a difference between the earthly and the biblical pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. While the world often upholds knowledge and wisdom as a means for one to wield power over another, we understand that fear and submission to the Lord is foundational to the attainment of real understanding. Proverbs 9:10 states “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”.
In your pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, have you remembered to first fear the Lord and understand our role in creation under him? Or are you the fool, looking for knowledge for the sake of power and ignoring the Lord’s commands.
Above all else, Guard your heart
This week, we are showcasing a devotional clip from Cru Singapore, narrated by the National Director Lam Kok Hiang who is also on the Board of Directors at East Asia School of Theology. He reminds us to, “Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). View his short devotional on video below or click here.
#SaturdayGoodClip this week is about Heart Renovation which can be messy and inconvenient. Clutter like distractions in life can choke our hearts. Take time this weekend to remove clutter, rest, reflect on everything excellent, praiseworthy and noble (Philippians 4:8), and renovate your heart.
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