Where will these 2 lead you?

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

All of these can be ours, and each of them will lead us somewhere.

When pride comes, then comes shame. What is pride, and what is shame? The word pride here, comes from a word that means, to boil, to boil up, to seethe, and it literally means to be arrogant. Pride will lead you to, or is followed by shame. Which means, disgrace, and confusion, humiliation, embarrassment, and to be discredited, loss of face.

On the other hand, and this is much better news, with the humble is wisdom. Humility, is to be of a lowly spirit. or to be deferential, respectful, submissive, unassertive, not overbearing, and not proud. When we have humility, we will have wisdom, which means to have skill, and to have your wits about you, and to act wisely, to have common sense, to act rationally, and not be foolish, or stupid.

In verse 13, we are told that the integrity of the upright will guide them. Integrity, comes from a word meaning clean, good character, moral, decent, fair, righteousness, and truthful. These are the ways of the Lord. He cleanses us from our sins, and He leads us in the paths of righteousness. He leads us to be this way, and then we find ourselves being guided, or going in the correct path, and in the straight way.

Lastly, and here is what all of us want to avoid, and that is to be perverse, or to have perversity in our lives. It means to twist, to pervert, to distort, to overturn, to ruin, to be crooked in our dealings with others. This kind of living will bring destruction into our lives. It will absolutely devastate our lives. It will rob us of blessing, it will cause us to have wasted lives.

The good in our lives comes from the Lord through the Holy Spirit, working through God's Word, to produce fruit in our lives, and the bad, comes from our own fallen natures. The Bible calls it our flesh.

Here's some more good news......Our Lord, who is the Good Shepherd, wants to and will lead us this very day into humility, and into integrity. We can follow Him today. Let's do it.

Father, we used to sheep without a shepherd, and sometimes we even feel that way today, and may be acting like sheep without a shepherd. But, we know You are our shepherd, and we know that we can hear your voice, and that You want to and can, and will lead us today into the paths of righteousness. We want to follow You...

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises

1.We hear our Shepherd through His Word.

2. He knows each of His sheep.

3. He cares for His sheep.

4. We can follow Him.

5. The Holy Spirit is our helper.

6. Paths of righteousness lay ahead today.

7. Let's let Him lead us today.

8. Humility, Wisdom, Integrity, and Guidance are for us.

9. God can un-twist your heart.

Gladness and strength.....

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 10:29 The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

Here are two things that we can be blessed with from the Lord, He is the giver of these two things, and He wants us to have them in our lives day by day. Gladness and strength.

1. Gladness. First of all, this is not because we have earned this, or that we are righteous by our good deeds, but rather, as God's people who have been clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ......Gladness what is it? It means to be of a merry heart. It speaks of a glad result, or a happy issue, to have joy, the joy of God in our lives. This is our hope. We can hope for, expect this joy in our lifetime here on earth, and then for eternity. Maybe you don't have joy at the moment. More about that in just a moment...

2. Strength. The word here means, fortress, a place of safety, protection, refuge, a harbor, a stronghold. We are told that strength is the way of the Lord. Or that in the way of the Lord, in our following Him, abiding in Him, etc, He will be our strength, He will give us strength, He will be that refuge and protection for our lives.

Back to gladness.....and for those who today, may have sadness instead. What can we say. The verse says the HOPE of the righteous is gladness.

As with many things in life, we must wait for them. That's exactly what hope means here. It means to wait, to expect, to tarry, to wait for, to hope for.

Waiting is Biblical. Many times God's people are encouraged to wait upon the Lord.

Here's just one example.........

Isa 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Sometimes the Lord has us in a place of just waiting. We have God's promise in Isa 40:31, that renewed strength will come, mounting up with wings as of eagles, running and not weary, walking and not fainting. Sure sounds like gladness to me.

Father, we may be those in need of gladness and strength today, or someone else who is reading this devotional today may be in need. We pray for ourselves, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, bring that gladness, give that strength today Lord. Give grace to just wait upon You. And, Lord there may be some of us today who are abounding with gladness and a renewed sense of strength, we thank YOU for those blessings in our lives. May it show in our faces and in our words today......bless those we come in contact with.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. We can wait upon God.

2. We can expect God to come through.

3. We can say thank You Lord for coming through for us.

4. We ask the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh this very moment.

5. We may be walking in that gladness and strength today.

6. We can help others by walking in love towards them.

7. He is the giver of these blessings.

8. He will do it, because He is faithful.

The fear of the Lord, the knowledge of God and wisdom, or scoffing.

Below, are 3 verses that describe what the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God, and wisdom can bring into our lives, along with a sobering statement about the loneliness of being a scoffer.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

Proverbs 9:12 f you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.

The verse about the Fear of the Lord comes right after a few verses which talk about scoffers who won't listen to God's counsel, and wise men who will.

Solomon is describing the Fear of the Lord in 9:10, it's the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

So, to break those down just a little.....To fear God is the starting place of wisdom, or skill in living, be it in battle, or the daily affairs of life, the spiritual life we live, and or having skill in matters of what is right and what is wrong.

Understanding, is to have insight, to be able to discern and distinguish what is right and wrong.

Both wisdom and understanding come from God, and our relationship with Him, our knowledge of Him. To know Him, is to have these things in our lives, they are some of the fruit that He brings to us.

We can have a long and fruitful life because of our association with God, and our knowledge of God, or we can not.

Scoffing, and scoffers are mentioned many, many times in the Book of Proverbs.

To scoff is to mock, it is to talk arrogantly, it is to be inflated with oneself, it is to deride others, ( act contemptuously towards others, to ridicule, to mock, to jeer, to sneer, taunt, disdain, denigrate, disrespect, insult, lampoon, and be satirical )

The truth in Proverbs, is that if you are a scoffer, ( one who will not really listen to wisdom when they should ) that you will incur it's penalty. You will be alone. You will find yourself cut off from others, you will not be growing in fellowship with others etc, etc......

So, God's wisdom is for us to live in the fear of the Lord ( Respecting God and letting that respect show up in the way we live. ) God's wisdom is for us to know Him personally, intimately, consistently, and to gain His understanding about life, and to be blessed in our lives with His blessings. We can enjoy the fruit of a relationship with God.......

Thank You Lord for the Book of Proverbs.

In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. We can walk in the fear of the Lord.

2. We can know the Lord.

3. God invites us to both of these things above.

4. There are wonderful consequences to be had.

5. God can keep us from our foolishness.

6. He wants to bless you.

7. The choice is up to us, day by day.

8. His Spirit will fill us day by day.

9. Keep Jesus central one day at a time.

I love those who..........

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

The Book of Proverbs is of course God's book of Wisdom for us in our lives and in our daily living. In this particular verse, we have a simple statement and explanation having to do with God's love.

First of all, in applying this verse to the Lord and to us, we are told that "God loves those who love Him".

Loving God is also explained in another part of the Bible, as a reality in our lives, because He first loved us. 1Jo 4:19* We love Him because He first loved us.

But, having said that, what we have here in Proverbs 8:17, is this truth that blesses our souls and encourages us. God loves those who love Him. He loves us.

And, secondly, we are told that ( and here is one of those promises we find so often in the Bible ) "those who seek Me diligently will find me" This is tremendously encouraging.

What does it mean? Well, if we love the Lord, we have a relationship with Him, and we can do what is called seeking Him, and we can do it diligently.

To seek the Lord, comes from a word meaning "to dawn" that is to be up early at any task, to search for, ( with painstaking earnestness ) to enquire early, rise, in the morning etc.

In application, it can mean to search for the Lord through His Word and prayer in the morning before you do anything else. We call it having morning devotions.

The promise here, is that we will find Him. Find means, to attain, to encounter, to meet, to detect, to meet, to get, to get the thing sought.

So, isn't this great? Isn't this a great promise from the Lord?

I'm praying for myself and anyone who may be reading this, that we might together take God's instruction and promise and find Him. Not just today, but everyday, until we meet Him face to face. Thank You Lord

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Applicational thoughts and promises.

1. We all know we need the Lord.

2. Seeking Him is the way to find Him.

3 The Bible, prayer, meditation upon Him are His ways.

4. He is here, and ready to meet us day by day.

5. He can be found.

6. Diligence is needed on our part.

7. He is the great treasure we can find.

8. Thank You for loving us.

9. We love you Lord.

The way to blessing, or happiness

Ps 1:1 ¶ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Blessing in Ps1:1, also translated "happiness" is found interestingly enough by what we avoid in our lives, and by what we give ourselves to day by day. So, here is what the Lord says to us...........

#1 You will be blessed if you do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Or the advice of those who act wickedly.

#2. You will be blessed if you do not stand in the path of sinners. This means to "take one's stand with sinners". Sinners, are defined in the Bible who are missing the way. That is, they are not walking in the way, who is Jesus Christ.

#3. You will be blessed if you do not sit in the seat of the scornful. Scornful means to talk arrogantly, to boast, to mock and to deride or to ridicule.

#4. Then, we are told that blessing comes by what we delight in, and what we meditate upon. That is, the law of the Lord, or the Word of God, or the Lord Jesus Christ.

To delight is to take pleasure in, it means longing, and desire. And, to meditate, means to muse, or to speak to oneself, to consider to ponder, to think about.

Putting those two things together then, mean that if we long for, desire the Word of God, and then take the Word of God and speak to ourselves about it, we will find ourselves being blessed, or happy.

The Lord wants to bring blessing into our lives, and He lays it out for us right here. Stay away from certain things, and then give yourself over to Him. To His Word etc. etc.

Let's pray. Father, many things in life are easier said then done. This would be one of them. The pull of sin is not only from within, but it's from without also . However Lord, we know that You are above all things, and that Your power is greater then our flesh, this world and the devil. We pray now for ourselves as we read these things, that You would help us to long for You, and to ponder the wonder of Jesus Christ, the truth of Your Word. Help us Lord to fill our minds with the Word, and then give our time and attention, our innermost thoughts and such to You.

We love You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.....

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application and promises

1. Happiness is something we long for in our souls.

2. Happiness is really a result of how we live our lives.

3. Happiness can be ours by our avoidance of some lifestyles.

4. Happiness is connected with our delight in God's Word.

5. Happiness is something the Lord produces in our lives.

6. Happiness is not something the ungodly have in their lives.

God keeps His promises........

This is taken from a prayer of King Solomon.....

2nd Chron 6:15 “You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

Solomon was praying here, and expressing to God, that He had kept or accomplished what He had promised His servant David, who was Solomon's father. He went on to say that God not only had spoken about what He would do, ( to build the temple ) but, by His own hand had fulfilled it.

In the Bible, the word promise means to make a a claim. God has made so many claims in the Bible, and He has fulfilled everyone of them, and will fulfill those that are to come.

Can I encourage you today, ( especially if you are suffering, going through a very difficult time, and are afraid of the future, and are worried etc, ) to ask God to bring His promises, or one of His promises to your mind and heart. And, then, can I encourage you to believe His promise. Why? Because God keeps His promises.

May I pray for you right now.......Father, thank You for Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy towards us. And I ask right now in Jesus name, that You might help any dear brother or sister who is in great difficulty at this moment to find comfort and strength in and through Your Word, and Your promises. ............We love You Lord........

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application and promises....

1. The Bible is chock full of so many promises.

2. God does not change, thus He has and will be faithful

3. Promises are given to us by God to be believed and trusted.

4. God's promises are connected to His will.

5. Timing is in God's hands.

6. Loving Him and one another is in our hands.

7. John 3:16 is a promise of sorts.

Betrayed, Lied about, and denied. But, an understanding Saviour

The last half of Mark 14 is filled with human tragedy, and Divine love.

Please take a look at Mark 14:43-72.

It's the story of Judas betraying Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

It's the story of the high priest gathering lies and liars to condemn Jesus

It's the story of Jesus calm, composed, truthful, humble, and focused.

It's the story of Peter who was also one of the 12, and his denial of Christ.

But, as we say, that's not the end of the story........but, first...........what about you, and your experiences.

Perhaps you have suffered at the hands of someone like a Judas, who has betrayed you, and they did it for personal gain. Your betrayer may have been a close friend, a family member, even a spouse. Whoever it was, they betrayed you.

Or, you may have had one person, or a group of people tell falsehoods about you. They got to together, and came up with stories that were not only true, but were designed to help someone's goal to remove you from your place, or to somehow hurt you.

And, finally, maybe you have had a very close friend, or family member, or fellow worker, who has denied, or abandoned you in your darkest and most difficult moment.

I would imagine you have had these things happen to you.

But to the end of the story now........Jesus was the other person in the background of Mark 14. He stood silently for the most part, composed, and un-troubled by what was happening to HIm.

Two things about Jesus.

1. He is as Heb chapter 2 tells us, able to sympathize with us. He truly understands, because He went through all of what we have just read about in Mark 14, and much, much more. He not only sympathizes, but, through His understanding, He is able to give us help in our situations.

2. Along with His being understanding, He specifically came to the earth for people like betrayers, liars, and those who would deny and abandon etc, etc, He came not for the righteous but for the sick. Those who need a spiritual doctor.

Here's the final, and I hope encouraging thought for you out of this story.......He is also the restorer, the one who can take a person like Peter, and restore him, and wind up using him as a mighty New Testament vessel.

We do not know what happened to Judas, in his heart, in his last moments before death. We don't know what happened to the other liars who conspired against Christ. But we do know about the apostle Peter.

He is the example for us of failure, yet, rescue by God's grace, and not only drawn back to Jesus, but then used by Jesus Christ.

So, may the same Jesus who we read about in Mark 14, be to You the rescuer, and the restorer either for you, or for someone you know who has betrayed, lied, and denied/abandoned.

Remember, Jesus came not to condemn, but to save. He is the savior.

Lord, thank You for this story from Mark's gospel. It really portrays the human condition, and You are Divine one and only Gracious, Merciful, Saving Savior.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Applications/promises.

1. You may be in a similar situation today, just as Jesus was.

2. Jesus knows and cares about you and your situation.

3. Patience right now may be the one thing the Lord is saying to you.

4. God will work all these things together for your good.

5. Maybe you have been the betrayer, or the liar.

6. The blood of Christ is able to wash away each and every sin.

7. Let's pray for restoration, just as in the case of Peter.

8. God desires a fruitful and blessed future for you.