Crooked paths

[Wisdom will save you from men]…
who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
Proverbs 2:14-15

The way of the wicked is laid out very near the path of the righteous but leads to a very different destination. Its proximity to the path of truth makes it easy sometimes for those who walk the path of the righteous to get confused, forget about their goal and stray into the path of wickedness. Fortunately for the children of God the path of evil shows situations that when analyzed with the wisdom that God has granted to their children allow the wanderer to realize his error and return promptly to his rightful path as a child of God. The wisdom that God gives us through reading his reliable word serves, therefore, as a guide and guardian to helps us stay the course without turning. It also frees us from falling into the traps and pits that can be found in excess on the road to perdition.

Let us therefore continually check the health of our relationship with God and ask ourselves what we need to do to grow closer to our heavenly Father. A strong relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ will keep us firmly attached to him and focused on the path that God has prepared for us from before the creation of the universe. Search for wisdom as he who seeks for a hidden treasure, this will help you to understand what the fear the Lord means and deepen your knowledge of God. Possessing it, we will be protected at all times of the temptations and confusion that might divert us to the path of the shadows. Read the word of God every day. Only to God be the glory!

Paths in the desert

Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
Psalm 107:4-7

When we have lived for some time in the ways of the Lord, we often forget how bad our existence was before meeting the Lord and accepting him as Savior and Lord of our life. Some even become confused and make the mistake of looking at those gone days with nostalgia, as if returning to their former condition, apart from the Lord Jesus, would be a good thing. When having this attitude is easy to err and wander aimlessly. It’s easy to lose sight of our vision and therefore we begin to walk on the wrong paths. Because of the many errors and mistakes our lives fall into chaos and problems pile up on us. Noticing that we are weak, the enemy takes advantage to attack us more viciously. As the pressure increases so does despair and we end up feeling that we perish. For some strange reason, despite our sad condition, we refuse to raise our eyes and cry out to God to deliver us from the tangled situation.

The Lord is willing to eliminate the affliction that affects our lives but we must cry out to him. We must understand that he the power and the authority to provide the solution to our problem. We must believe that he is the only one who can give us a positive response because he has all the power and there is nobody like him. It is he who can guide our feet to return to the right path that leads to his presence. He is the one who can rescue us and take us out of the abyss in which we have fallen. No one else can bestow all these blessings and that should be very clear in our minds and our hearts. Everybody has problems. The difference is whom do we go to have these problems removed from our path. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. You’ll see how the gray clouds disappear to make way for the radiant light of a new dawn. Only to God be the glory!

Paths

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
Proverbs 2:12-13

Some trails are wide and spacious and some are narrow and difficult. Some trails are flat and some are very steep. There are straight roads and also extremely tortuous roads. Some paths are full of shadows and others are clear and illuminated. There are dry roads and muddy paths. There are slippery trails and there are also firm trails. There are flat roads and rough roads. There are trails that lead us to the heights and paths that can lead us straight into the abyss. There are trails that are perennial and there are others that eventually disappear. Finally, there are many kinds of ways that most of us have travelled, must travel or will travel throughout our lives. So,what makes the traveler progress and feel serene regardless of the different circumstances of the terrain?And why many, though they have to move through paths full of obstacles and difficulties, feel safe and confident that the road, be it harsh or pleasant, will lead them to a  good destination?

The difference, my dear friend, is who accompanies him on his journey. Who have you looked for to help you move smoothly, regardless of the vicissitudes of life? There is only one partner who can guarantee peace and joy and progress towards the ultimate and safe destination and he is the Lord Jesus Christ. In his hand, we need not fear because he is responsible for removing any obstacle that stands in our way and will allow us free rein to the presence of the Almighty. Take care, therefore, to be accompanied by the only person who can give assurance to successfully complete our journey regardless of the path we have to go through. Look to Christ and take his hand. To God alone be the glory!

Curiosity

Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4-5

In the genetic map of humanity there are, among others, a couple of features which are typical to the human race: curiosity and a craving for knowledge. Man is the only physical being that has the ability to reason and to question what he sees and the conclusions of his reasoning. Many have used this capability inherent in human beings to make major strides in the epistemological, scientific and technological fields. Economically developed nations put away large sums in their budgets for scientific and technological progress aiming to achieve dominance over space and on other planets and their satellites. Many get involved in satisfying this thirst for knowledge to fill the void that is present in the life of every man. The more they learn, the more they want to know yet the more questions remain unanswered. Few realize the futility of their research.

King Solomon described this situation as follows: “When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night—then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.” Curiosity and the thirst for knowledge are there to encourage us to learn more about God. Unfortunately people are only concerned with knowing more about God’s work and has put aside the pursuit of knowledge of the Creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible. Let us increasingly seek to know God and his ways, and everything else will be added. Let us let God teach us, show us his ways and guide us by his truth. Only then we will gain wisdom. To God alone be the glory!

Misery

Listen, my son, and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 23:19-21

One of the evils we see in this world is the great number of people who have fallen into the clutches of alcohol. This terrible addiction is present in all socioeconomic levels, but is most noticeable in the poor who do not have the funds necessary for treatment or to hide their misery. If it is hard for the rich to beat addiction, how much more for the poor who do not receive the care that luxurious clinics provide to the wealthy who take refuge in them trying to escape from the bondage of alcohol and drugs? In reading today’s passage George came to mind.

George is a destitute homeless person that roams the streets of the city where I live and who despite being a veteran now has nowhere to live. The first time we try to help him we were able to guide him in prayer to the feet of Jesus and also to provide him with a Bible, clothing, food and money. We do not know what he did with rest but the money he used to buy a bottle of gin and the next day my wife saw him stumbling down the street, barely keeping his feet under the influence of liquor. It was our mistake to give him the cash. In that we were very naive, especially since he told me he had undergone five rehabilitation treatments and rehabilitation and he had failed and relapsed at every opportunity . We continue to pray for George but we will not give him any more cash because we know what he will do with it.

Although nobody can learn from somebody else’s experiences, may this story serve as a warning those who enjoy being with friends who are consummate drinkers. Doing so only exposes them to the demands of their bodies and sinful nature. To continue with this kind of behavior will only take themselves and their family to a state of pain and trouble that can be perfectly avoided if they cater to the instructions of the Word of God. To God alone be the glory!

Path

You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
Psalm 18:35-36

When we march at the very center of the path that God has designed for us, his children, we see that our walk has, among other things, the following attributes: protection, support, prosperity and swiftness. We are protected because we are highly regarded in the eyes of God. We have been bought with a price and a very high price, may we add. God will not let what has cost him so much to be lost for not having it protected. So he zealously cares for his valuable acquisition at all times. Remember that God guards his people as the apple of his eye. The second attribute is support. God gives us strength and energy to carry out any activity, however heavy it may be, necessary to establish his kingdom. Our strength will be renewed day by day so that we can undertake great things with which we can exalt the name of God.

The third quality is prosperity. When we speak of prosperity we are not referring to the much-touted financial prosperity some promise peddlers offer with their sweetened messages to exploit the gullible. Prosperity is to move ahead with speed along the path we have defined to achieve the milestones and objectives of the plan of God for our life. Our progress will be consistent and in the right direction. The fourth quality is swiftness. With our feet treading on a paved road we can move unimpeded, smoothly and without any difficulties. When things come from God, they come about with amazing facility and we are often surprised at how swift and unexpectedly events occur. Armed with all this amazing help, let us move along the path that God has prepared for us and let us rely on his protection, support, kindness and preparedness. To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word for July 23, 2011

Listen, my son, and be wise,
and set your heart on the right path:
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 23:19-21

Without falling into judgments or resorting to much detail we can conclude that most people who roam the streets for lack of housing, also known as homeless, are in this sad and painful situation because of chronic and excessive use of alcohol and drugs, which led them to end up being slaves to a terrible addiction. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is a serious problem that affects society in every area and social stratum. Dependence or addiction to these substances cause problems at the personal, family and society level. Its consequences, as noted above, are devastating and have led many to fall in extreme poverty. Apart from restricting the free availability, conducting educational campaigns, restricting the dissemination of commercial messages, reducing the hours where sales are allowed and setting age limit to sales, it is very little that governments can do to control this disease. The problem goes beyond legislation, the problem lies with the individual as part of the sinful nature that all humans possess. Man’s lack of discipline and control is what makes his defenses against this scourge ineffective to protect him from the terrible consequences that result from consumption and uncontrolled exposure to these substances.

The improvement of the individual is not achieved by modifying his environment but by transforming his inner being. This can be achieved only by the Holy Spirit of God. The word of God warns us that excessive consumption of alcohol leads to debauchery. The Word of God exhorts us not to let ourselves be controlled by our sinful nature but by the Holy Spirit of God. All time dedicated to fulfilling the extravagant desires of the sinful nature is wasted time. Let us not lose time and be wise and attentive to the word of God. This will keep us on the right path.Only God has the answer to the problem of substance dependency . To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word for April 11, 2011

The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
Proverbs 11:5

Many people do not understand that the difficulties and setbacks which they constantly have to face are there because the road they have chosen is a tortuous and rugged path. The progress of his movements in that landscape becomes very difficult and given the uneven terrain, falls are numerous and quite dangerous. Even if others want to help them move more easily, the aid does not reach them because, precisely, they are trapped in a difficult place. They ignore that their evil deeds and their arrogant attitude is what makes that path become increasingly steep and less transitable. Such are the difficulties that stand in their way that they end up thinking that they are lost in a virtual maze. They are so disoriented that they are unable to get their stuff together.

The path of righteousness, by contrast, provides a journey that, although not free of missteps ─mostly because of carelessness and distraction, is much more pleasant and safer than the rugged paths of the wicked. Curves and bends show up before us with a lot less frequency and both the direction and layout of the road are much more visible and easier to follow. What we must be clear about this trail is that the justice referred to is not ours but God’s justice, which by God’s mercy, He considers as ours because of the faith we have placed in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection. Let us follow along the road of justice that unfolds before our feet and let us not stray from it by keeping a strong and unswerving faith in God our Savior, Jesus Christ. The progress will be remarkable. To God alone be the glory!

Today’s word for April 9, 2011

Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
you covered us over with deep darkness.
Psalm 44:18-19

Despite the profound failure and scandal caused in the past three decades by the hucksters of the theology of prosperity, there are still some traffickers of false doctrines out there that, acting very underhanded but with full freedom, are marketing their empty promises and are playing on the needs and the hope of naive believers. Soon after the mega-scandal and damage to the evangelical movement under which these con men of faith sought shelter was forgotten, controversies reappeared and powerful ministries fell by the collapse of their feet of mud. Greed has replaced humility and self-control, components of the fruit of the Spirit, which every child of God should show. In return for the offerings of the gullible audience of their message, they offer with blatant deception promises of well-being, success, wealth and the happiness allegedly associated with the three previous conditions.

While God has granted financial blessings to some of His children, it does not mean that everyone will get them. The happiness of a Christian, despite the false teachings in this regard, is not dependent on the possessions or the treasures he has managed to accumulate. Remember the warning that our Lord Jesus Christ left: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” The wise King Solomon said something similar when he mentioned that there is “a time to keep and a time to throw away.” The happiness of a child of God depends on the relationship he keeps with our heavenly Father and not on the circumstances around him. Let us ask, then, wisdom from above to discern the false messages with which the merchants of false promises bombard us every day. Seek only the will of God and everything else will be added. To God alone be the glory!