Determining Gender Roles

Posted on July 2, 2025 by verticallyfocused

The Culture Is Broken

Our culture is broken! Have you noticed that? It’s broken because it’s made up of broken people who are born into this world totally depraved and separated from God because of their sin! Only the Gospel of Christ can adequately and accurately direct us to solutions that restore our homes and our communities! Our broken culture can’t help us! When determining our roles as men and women, God’s Word must shape our opinions, not the culture!

The Original Design

God’s original design, at Creation, can be found in Genesis, the book of beginnings! After creating Adam, “…the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.’” (Genesis 2:18) So, God designed the woman to “complement” the man— not “compliment” (as in, “Why, Adam, what a handsome, rugged man you are”)—but to “complement” or “complete” him. Yes! That means that the man was NOT complete by himself! Eve was his “completer”; and, by implication, she was also made complete by Adam! Adam and Eve, man and woman, were created and designed by God to “complement” and “complete” one another… NOT to compete!

Happiness & Fulfillment Realized

The way that men and women find genuine happiness and fulfillment is in owning the identity given to them by God, their designer! The culture is WRONG! Ladies: You will not find meaning in your life by becoming more manly and aggressive! And, men: You will not find meaning in your life by becoming more passive, effeminate, and unsure of yourself! And, for the same reason we needed to shed the ethnic jokes, we need to quit making fun of those who’ve become so twisted in their logic that they think the answer is in self-mutilation—removing the sexual organs they were created with and adding sexual prosthetic organs.

Anger With Their Creator

How sad! Their gripe is ultimately with their Creator! They’ve fallen into the same trap as Adam and Eve in the garden, when the tempter convinced them that life would be so much better if they could be their own god! Somehow, he convinced them that an all-wise God didn’t know what He was doing when He created them! So, how’s that working out? Not very well for the human race! We’ve never been more confused!

God, Help Us Love The Broken

The Apostle Paul asks, “But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9:20) And yet, that’s exactly what we do when we fight God on the way He designed us! If you’re a follower of Jesus, let me challenge you to love the broken world of people we’re surrounded by! Jesus wept over people! He saw them as sheep without a Shepherd! We won’t win the culture wars by arguing and shouting down those who disagree with us on this issue! We won’t win with our rants on Facebook or Twitter or the blogosphere! When we’re quoting 1 Peter 3:15, “…always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” don’t forget the rest of it: “…however, do so with gentleness and respect…”

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The Mysteries of God

Posted on May 21, 2025 by verticallyfocused

Why Doesn’t God Fix The World?

In my lifetime, I’ve had several conversations with individuals who set themselves up as “judges” of God. “If God is all-powerful and knows everything,” they ask, “then why doesn’t He do something about all the bad things in the world?” Job’s story could be placed next to that question—he serves as the epitome of unanswerable questions like that! How does God determine His will? Why does He seem to step into certain situations but not others? Why does He permit wicked people, like ISIS, to continue ripping open pregnant women, beheading little children, and killing people just for loving Jesus?

Can You Fathom God?

The Book of Job is an appropriate book for addressing the mysteries of God: “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea” (Job 11:7-9). Scripture tells us that God’s paths are beyond our ability to trace! So, what is an appropriate response on our part to His wisdom and knowledge? To His unsearchable and untraceable ways? The answer: humility! That is the only appropriate response—to humble ourselves before Him and admit we haven’t got a clue! He alone knows it all, and He is under no obligation to share more answers with us than what He has revealed in His Word.

Who Can Know The Mind of God?

We need to give God glory for His counsel: “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has ever first given to Him and has to be repaid?” (Romans 11:34-35). Who has ever known the mind of God? Who can truly understand what He’s thinking? So, who could possibly offer God any useful counsel? Yet still, we try telling God what He should do with His universe, don’t we? If you were God, would you do things differently? If your answer is “Yes,” then that’s exactly why the rest of us are glad you’re not God! And you ought to be just as glad that I’m not God, either! Now, ponder this thought—because God knows everything that is knowable, that means He has already considered your ideas and dismissed them as an unacceptable response to the situation. Right?

The End from the Beginning

Because you and I don’t know the end from the beginning like He does, we really can’t offer Him any thoughts that He hasn’t already considered! “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” (Deuteronomy 29:29) and “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts,” says the Lord (Isaiah 55:9). So, let us give God the glory He is due for His wisdom, knowledge, and counsel! And by faith, trust Him with all the things you don’t have answers for. I love how Tony Evans says it: “Everything is either caused by God or allowed by God, and there is no third category.” Paul concludes, “To Him be the glory forever.” (Romans 11:36) Let’s glory in God, His Son, and the cross!

Is Your God Too Small?

Posted on May 14, 2025 by verticallyfocused

Are You Too Big?

40 years ago, J.B. Phillips wrote what became a Christian classic, Your God Is Too Small. It’s a great book— I highly recommend it! Phillips does a fantastic job of capturing the struggle that we humans have in seeing how big God really is. We tend to see God as much smaller and less awesome than He truly is, while seeing ourselves as much bigger and more significant than we really are.

Superman Don’t Need No Airplane

I love the story about former heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali, who loved to boast—mostly in jest—about being the greatest! It was part of his shtick and showmanship. Once, while flying on a commercial flight, the stewardess told him to fasten his seatbelt just before takeoff. “Superman don’t need no seatbelt,” Ali replied. The stewardess shot back, “Superman don’t need no airplane, either.” That exchange perfectly epitomizes the attitude spawned by the health, wealth, and prosperity FALSE gospel in the Western church! The image of God has been distorted.

He’s No “Genie In A Bottle”

Much of the Church has reduced God to a wimpy “genie in a bottle”—a God who grants our wishes and somehow needs us in order to feel significant. But God is not like that at all! He is the self-sufficient, self-sustaining Sovereign God who needs nothing. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords! I love how Paul addresses this subject in his letter to the Roman believers: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has ever first given to Him, and has to be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” — Romans 11:33-36

Glory In God’s Wisdom

This is another one of those rich passages of Scripture that magnifies and lifts up our awesome God! Paul seems caught up in the wonder and mystery of who God is. He emphasizes that—good or bad, big or small, whatever comes our way—we should give God glory in all things! Notice that Paul specifically calls believers to glorify God for His wisdom and knowledge: “Whatever comes, give God glory because of His wisdom and knowledge. He knows what He’s doing!”

Is God Foolish?

There’s another powerful verse that Paul includes in his letter to the church in Corinth: “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” — 1 Corinthians 1:25. Don’t you just love that? Mind you, Paul is NOT saying that God has a foolish side. On the contrary, he is pointing out how foolish we are when we think we’re wise and smart. IF God had a foolish side— and He doesn’t— He would still be wiser than you and me! He is omniscient, meaning He knows everything. Anything that is knowable, He already knows it, and He has known it for all eternity. He knows everything you and I have forgotten—yet He still remembers it! And He knows everything that you and I will never know. Only God understands why He allows wickedness in the world to experience temporary victories. Trust His wisdom!

God Punishes Because He Loves

Posted on February 14, 2024 by verticallyfocused

-God So Loved The World!

The most well known verse, in all of Scripture, is John 3:16. It says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” In this way, God proved His love— He sent Jesus to atone for our sin by His death on the cross! That’s really the end of the argument against God! For all the doubters of God’s love, mercy & grace there is the One & Only “Exhibit A”— His Name is Jesus! And, He bore God’s judgment against sin so we wouldn’t have to! So that we could be saved!

-Brokenness To Openness!

But, it’s only as we experience our brokenness that we become open to God’s overtures to save us! And, punishment is often the tool He uses to expose our brokenness! So, ultimately, it is because God is love that He punishes us to bring us to the place of brokenness; where, He can redeem us! And, there is perhaps no better Biblical example of that than God’s judgment of Judah & Jerusalem as they are overrun by Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar; and, taken into captivity & exile! The Biblical narrative reveals that God first warned them; then, punished them; and, finally, in love, He redeems them! To accomplish God’s purposes in our broken world, He first warns!

-A Skirmish You Can’t Win!

Disobedience to God & His Word will never turn out well for you! When you fight against God, it’s a skirmish you can’t possibly win! When I was young & very foolish I loved to get into fist fights out on the school playground! But, I always sized up the other guy first! There were some guys that I just knew I couldn’t take! So, I would find a way to wiggle out of that fight! I was foolish; but, I wasn’t stupid! I would do everything I could to avoid getting into a fight I knew I couldn’t win! So, why would anyone ever pick a fight with God! You can’t possibly win against a God who is all-powerful! You can’t outwit a God who knows everything there is to know! And, you can’t run away from a God who is everywhere!

-They Despised His Warnings!

And, yet, the Biblical account shows that Israel tried multiple times & lost! So, God warned them & warned them & warned them again! In 2 Chronicles, chapter 36, God reminds them of this: “But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy” (vs. 15-16)

-God’s Compassion Toward Us!

Did you notice why God said He sent them prophets? Look at the end of v.15. It says He sent messengers to warn them, “…because He had compassion on His people…” God warns because of His great compassion toward us! He warns because He is Love! When you disobey God’s word you expose yourself to great danger! Sin lies to you! It promises pleasure! But, it always delivers pain! Sin is a destroyer! It destroys lives, families & nations! Just go back and read God’s 10 Commandments; and, consider the pain and suffering that comes to those who break them! The one who steals will be incarcerated! The one who lies will never be trusted! The one who sleeps with someone they’re not married to destroys relationships & families & brings hatred & disease upon themselves! Listen when God warns!

Daniel & The Invisible God

Posted on January 3, 2024 by verticallyfocused

(Note: This concludes our series of posts on the life of the Prophet Daniel)

An Urgent Plea Not To Give Up

As I bring this series of posts— on Daniel’s life— to an end, I conclude with an urgent plea not to give up because you don’t get an answer to your prayers according to your timeline! Instead of quitting, follow Daniel’s example and devote more time to more prayer & fasting! Daniel shows us that because we pray in the spirit, we can’t see with our physical eyes, the spiritual responses our prayers stir up! If we could see into the spiritual realm, our prayer effort would reveal invisible forces of good & evil opposing one another. Unseen spiritual forces are behind every movement!

The Battle In The Spirit World

Daniel couldn’t tell, just by observing the Persian Gov’t, that there was a war going on between an “angel of God” & a demonic “prince of Persia” (see Daniel chapter 10). But, if he could have pulled back the curtain that divides our realm from the spiritual realm, he would have observed the battle going on in the spirit world. We can only assume, from this text of Scripture, that Satan has “territorial” demons in places of influence, among government leaders, in every nation. That’s why the Apostle Paul later wrote Timothy in the New Testament; and told him to pray for kings & all those in places of authority.

Not With Flesh & Blood

The REAL ENEMY is not the people we may oppose politically! Our battle, according to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, is not with flesh & blood. We need God’s help to see the truth about this! We need to pray for our leaders to be saved! Knowing that our warfare is spiritual in nature, it is our prayers, humility, knowledge of God & perseverance that serve as our best weapons against the spiritual forces of evil in this world; and the unseen spiritual world behind the curtain that separates us. So, be inspired & encouraged! Daniel prayed! He humbled himself before God; and, he purposed to know God & to understand His ways!

He Prayed & Fasted & Waited

And, he persevered! For 21 days, the text says, he prayed & fasted & waited on God to fulfill His Sovereign purpose in His Sovereign time frame! Will you wait on God also? Will you trust His eternal wisdom over every life situation? Will you trust His timing; that God is never early, nor is He ever late! He who “knows the end from the beginning” has perfect timing in the way He answers every one of our prayers! Will you trust Him if His answer to your prayer is “no”? Will you trust the Word of God that tells us that His ways are higher than ours? If He answers “no” it’s for the best!

Focus On The Unseen

A Biblical response, to the war going on in the spiritual realm & to life’s problems that result, is to focus NOT on the seen; but, on the unseen! What you see going on in this world will mess with you! It will frustrate you! It will, at times, cause you to question God! It’ll even depress you because it will APPEAR that we’re losing! So, focus on the UNSEEN, not the SEEN! Focus on the invisible God, who is Sovereign, who is Omnipotent; and, who is All-Knowing! He has an unbeatable plan; and, He will get it done! Don’t focus on the political climate of our country; or, the rest of the world! That’s the SEEN! Focus on the UNSEEN God! Pray to Him! He’s the only One who can bring revival & clean up the mess humanity has made of this world! Are you struggling in this area of your life? Make it a matter of prayer! Turn it over to God!

God’s Law Of Sowing & Reaping

Posted on April 26, 2023 by verticallyfocused

God Is Not Mocked

I grew up convinced that my parents had eyes in the back of their heads! You too? Or, they had a spy reporting back to them every time I disobeyed; because I never got away with anything! The Apostle Paul sets the record straight: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” Galatians 6:7-8. So, it wasn’t my parents! It was an all-knowing, omnipresent God who knew everything about me; and in His Providence, made sure that my sins were exposed.

The Time Lapse Between Sowing & Harvest

And Paul says that God will NOT be mocked! The word “mocked” literally means “to turn up one’s nose.” We can’t turn up our noses at God and live a life contrary to His Word without facing the consequences. We won’t get away with it! There’s always a time lapse between the time of sowing & the time of reaping. In the spring, the farmer is out sowing seed in the fields; but, harvest can be 6 months away! Don’t be deceived! You may have sown a seed. You may have acted sinfully. You may think you got away with it; but, the harvest is still coming in! Or, perhaps you’re a follower of Jesus who is troubled by the godless individuals around you who seem to get away with their sins. Remember the time lapse between planting & harvest!

God Will Right All Wrongs

In time, God will right all wrongs: “…vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord” Romans 12:19. The “Law of Sowing & Reaping” assures a harvest of corruption for the one who sows everything to the flesh; for the one who is consumed with this present temporal life; and, has little to no regard for the eternal! They’re placing time deposits in all the stuff that will one day pass away. They have no treasure being stored up in heaven because everything they’ve sown will only produce a harvest here in this life! And what is produced is a harvest of corruption, However, for the one who sows to the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul says that the “Law of Sowing & Reaping” produces a harvest of everlasting life. We sow to the Spirit as we plant a new affection for God. It’s an intentional pursuit of Him! It’s overriding the desires of our flesh with the desires of a new heart He gives us at salvation! It’s fleeing those lusts, of the flesh, as the Holy Spirit directs & empowers us! We only experience genuine happiness in our holiness; as we obey God’s Word! His commands are meant to protect us from sins harmful harvest!

Sowing To The Spirit

We sow to the Spirit when we say “YES”, on purpose, to everything that will strengthen Holy Spirit-inspired desires in us! We repent of sin quickly as the Spirit points it out to us! Sowing to the Spirit means turning our back on the lies about God— changing our minds by intentionally filling them with the truth about God! Sowing to the Spirit means we submit to those things that God uses to strengthen His Work, of Grace, in our hearts! God uses the Scriptures to prepare the soil, of our hearts, to sow to the Spirit! God uses prayer to prepare our hearts for sowing seed to His Spirit! He also uses worship to convince us God is better than anything our flesh offers & He uses the local church to keep us accountable for spiritual decisions we’ve made. When all is said and done, God gets the glory for the changes, in our life, because it was by His Spirit that they happened! Sins harvest always includes guilt & shame. Sowing to the Spirit produces joy!

Does God Get Disappointed With Us?

Posted on November 23, 2022 by verticallyfocused

-A Big Disappointment To God?

I know of a Youth Pastor who handed his students a 3-inch nail & told them to keep it in their pockets. Whenever they had a sinful thought, sassed their parents, or mistreated a classmate, they needed to reach in their pocket & poke that nail into their finger ‘til it hurt. “Draw a little blood,” he told them, “that way you’ll remember the pain those actions are causing God. You’ll know how disappointed He is with you right now!” Maybe that’s the picture of God that someone painted for you when you were growing up! Maybe you live every day thinking that you’re nothing but a big disappointment to God! Maybe you’ve messed up so badly & so many times that you think you could never make God happy with you!

-God Is Never Surprised or Frustrated

Well, here’s a statement that’ll rock your world— “If Jesus is your Savior, God will never be disappointed with you!” Disappointment is comprised of 2 elements: surprise & frustration! People disappoint us when we’re surprised by something unexpected that they did; and, we’re frustrated by it! If Jesus is your Savior, God will never be disappointed with you because He is “omniscient”; or, “all-knowing.” Because He’s omniscient, He’s never surprised or frustrated! He’ll never say, “Wow! I never saw that coming!” The psalmist said, “Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away…You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord” Psalm 139:1-6

-God Knows Everything About Us

God knows everything about us! So, we never surprise Him! Not once is the word translated “disappoint” ever used, in the Bible, about God! An All-Knowing God can never have His hopes or expectations fail! Now, I understand that concept of “hurting God” or “disappointing” Him by our sin! It just doesn’t seem to be a sentiment that can be supported by Scripture! God is omnipotent, or all-powerful! How can an all-powerful being ever be hurt? God is also omniscient, or all-knowing! So, He would know, in advance, if something would hurt Him— assuming anything could— and He would avoid it, right? The only hurt or pain ever inflicted on God was when Jesus went to the cross voluntarily; and suffered for the sin of the world! That was planned from eternity! God planned to endure pain & suffering so that the repentant might be redeemed & relationships with God restored!

–God’s Theology Of Forgiveness

Ultimately, He’s never disappointed with us because all our sin has already been paid for by Jesus on the cross! It’s been replaced with the “righteousness of Christ”! So, grab hold of God’s forgiveness! God’s forgiveness, through Christ, is total! What God offers, through Jesus’ substitutionary work on the cross, is a radical, sweeping removal of every sin you’ve already committed & every sin you will ever commit for the rest of your life! Review Colossians 2:13-14 and Psalm 103:12—He’s “removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west”! So thorough is God’s forgiveness that we were forgiven before we ever sinned—our names were written in God’s book before the “foundation of the world” Revelation 13:8. He no longer holds our sin against us—“…God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them…” 2 Cor. 5:19. So, does God get disappointed with us? No! How could He when He no longer holds our sins & our missteps against us? He’s canceled our debt of sin!

The Fear Of God!

Posted on June 16, 2021 by verticallyfocused

–Are You Thinking Rightly About God?

So, how do we think rightly about God? Where does our thought life, about God, need to begin? Well, the wisest man who ever lived, said that it begins with the fear of God— “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline “ Proverbs 1:7. This is the introduction to the book, of the Bible, which is known for its wisdom! The writer sets up the theme of Proverbs for the entire book with those opening words. And, if you read the book from the 1st page to the last, you’ll uncover that theme of the “fear of the Lord” on multiple occasions; along, with the keywords associated with that theme—wisdom, knowledge, guidance, instruction!

-You’ll Be Wise!

And, the end results of adhering to God’s words of wisdom? You’ll be wise! For rejecting the wisdom of these Scriptures? You’ll be a fool! In my time of ministry, I’ve had the occasion, several times, to encourage individuals, that I was discipling, to read through the book of Proverbs once a month. There are 31 chapters; so, read a chapter a day! You might need to double up a couple of chapters at the end of certain months! But, you’ll be amazed at how God’s wisdom will change you in your person; in your marriage; in the training up of your children; in your work; and, in the entirety of the rest of your life!

–Wisdom Has It’s Origin In God!

So, let’s draw some points from this key verse of Scripture, Proverbs 1:7. Notice that the author, King Solomon, begins with a presupposition, that, authentic wisdom has its origin with God! Theologically, we mean that God is omniscient; or, He is all-wise! So, all wisdom comes from Him! All knowledge comes from Him! Think about that! Anything that’s knowable, He knows! There is nothing He does not know! He knows the end from the beginning, Scripture says because He IS the END & the BEGINNING! He is the ALPHA & the OMEGA! God knows all things (1 John 3:20).

–God Knows Everything That’s Knowable!

He knows every detail happening in all the world right now! Even when a sparrow falls out of a tree; or, a hair falls from your head, He knows (Matthew 10:29-30). He knows your every thought before you speak it (Psalm 139:4). He saw you when you were in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:1-3). He knows everything that’s on your heart (1 Kings 8:39). Even things you share with no one else, He knows! If you look at Proverbs, chapter 8, beginning with v.22, wisdom is personified & informs us of its origin: “I, wisdom, was with the Lord when He began His creation, before His works of long ago. I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began” (8:22-23). In Proverbs 3:19, he adds: “The Lord founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.”

-Looking For Wisdom?

So, if you’re looking for wisdom, look no further! Seek God! He created wisdom! Do you want knowledge & understanding? See God in His word! He has it! All of it! So, there’s a 2nd point that builds on the 1st. Authentic wisdom begins with a belief that God exists! If “…the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom & knowledge…”; then, unbelief, in God’s existence, would result in no fear of God & conclude with an absence of wisdom & understanding! Were you tracking with me? In other words, if we view Solomon’s words here as a hypothesis or a proposition, he’s drawing the conclusion that an unbeliever (especially an atheist) is incapable of true wisdom; because true wisdom comes ONLY from the very God he fails to believe exists! He can be a really smart guy! He can be book smart! But, the ultimate wisdom necessary to successfully navigate this world & eternity is only available in God! We’ll pick it up there next week!

Living Life Wisely!

Posted on May 19, 2021 by verticallyfocused

-Which Invite Would You Choose?

Imagine you received invitations to eat out at 2 different restaurants. One invitation is to one of the finest dining establishments in your town! Great food! Great atmosphere! Fantastic service! The other invitation is to a greasy spoon kind of place that serves what everyone calls “mystery meat” because no one is quite sure what it is. The locals call it the “Road Kill Grill.” No one is sure how many times it’s nearly been shut down by the health inspector. It’s dirty & the staff is rude! Which invite are you probably going to choose?

-The Wise & Foolish Decisions We Make!

While the choice, between the 2 restaurants, seems rather obvious, we tend not to choose well between wisdom & foolishness! That contrast between the “wise” decisions & the “foolish” ones— along with the consequences of your decision— is really what the Old Testament book of Proverbs is all about! Someone said: “A proverb is a timeless truth in the form of a simple illustration that exposes a fundamental reality of life.” They’re timeless truths because they’ve been inspired by an All-Wise eternal God who has built them into the very fabric of His creation! So, they’re timeless!

-Wisdom Crosses All Generational Lines!

That means they cross all generational lines—they’re just as true for you Baby Boomers as they are for the Generation X’ers and the Millennials of our world! And, the “wise” among us will read them, take heed & adjust their life accordingly; while, the “fool” rejects the counsel & experiences a pain-filled life! The Book of Proverbs contains themes! Multiple themes about every area of life— the family, marriage, parenting, children; as well as business & work & retirement! There are Proverbs about sex, your thought life, your speech, your conduct in private & your conduct in public! There are Proverbs about how to deal with a loud mouth & gossip; and, how to handle conflict & strife.

-There Is God’s Way & The Foolish Way!

And, for every theme or subject mentioned, there are “foolish” ways to respond and there is the “wise” way to respond. The foolish response is always to learn the hard way; while, the wise respond by reading God’s word & acting in obedience and consort with it! There is God’s way & the foolish way! Those are the only 2 options! Here’s what a wise person told me long ago: “Experience is a great teacher; and, a fool will learn no other way.” You might say that the wise assimilate God’s word & corrects their course of life! The fool keeps doing the same thing—living life in defiance & disobedience to God’s word—and, they keep expecting different & better results!

-Living Life Proactively!

But it won’t happen! The wise live their lives proactively! They read from the Scriptures, what God— the Creator & Master Designer— has written, as laws, into His Creation; and, they make course corrections BEFORE they step on life’s landmines & blow up their domain! Over the next few posts, I plan to consider some of the themes in the book of Proverbs! And, I hope you’ll consider them with me! Let me just finish up today with one Proverbs theme & hopefully you’ll come back next week for more! Wisdom teaches us to be cautious choosing our friends! This is a really big deal! Your friends will either build you up or tear you down! For example: “Don’t make friends with an angry man & don’t’ be a companion of a hot-tempered man or you will learn his ways” (Prov 22:24-25). Choose friends poorly & you’ll suffer harm!

God Punishes Because He Loves!

Posted on January 28, 2021 by verticallyfocused