Proverbs 6 -- This One Thing

Out of so much to pick from today, God pointed me yet again to another of His "listen and accept My teachings" references.  In verse 22, He says, "[My commands] will guide you when you walk, guard you when you sleep, and speak to you when you are awake."  That pretty well means all the time.

In the sidebar of my Bible today, from Enjoying The Closeness Of God, I read, "It is never too late to say no.  The freedom offered in Christ is that we can say no, and when we say it, there comes the opposite resounding yes.  And out of that yes, God builds a life more beautiful, more complete, more satisfying than ANYTHING that we could ever create for ourselves.  He wants that for each of us."

In this chapter, we're taught to say no to a lot of things, like guarantying someone else's debt (which might be enabling them to be a spendthrift), to laziness, to pride, to lying, to planning evil, and to causing arguments among believers, among other things.  Again, the biggest warning is against adultery.

But that suggestion of just saying no cries out the loudest to me, for being a man consists not in giving myself license to do whatever I decide to do, but instead it consists of what I am willing to deny myself in order to honor my God.

Father, I know that there are still things I need to say no to in my life.  I can't say that I have achieved that goal.  Please grant me the heart of a man sold out to You and not to the world.  I want to unreservedly accept into my heart all of Your teachings.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford