My Daily Pause

Author: Butch Adams

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Thanksgiving

    1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Thanksgiving

    18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

    The world will slow down a bit in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. For most it will be the observance of the day off – or even the whole weekend for some – rather than the act of returning thanks to our Lord. Thanks giving is an act that should be a part of our daily routine. Maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but there is always a reason to be thankful. Matthew Henry, the well-known Bible scholar and commentator recorded some remarkable words in his journal one night after he was mugged:

    “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

    Can you use the last thing that went wrong, or that you didn’t like, and make a list of four things about it that you can be thankful for?

    With Thanksgiving on our minds, it is an excellent time to begin a new habit to return heartfelt thanks on a daily basis. Paul had much to say on the subject: Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:15; 1 Timothy 5:5.

  • Proverbs 22:9 – Cheerful Giving

    Proverbs 22:9 – Cheerful Giving

     9 Generous people will be blessed,
    because they share their food with the poor    . – Proverbs 22:9

    Last Post, I posed this question: “Will Your Giving Count?” and The last of the suggested readings was 2 Samuel 24:24 where David has been sent to build an altar on someone else’s property. Araunah, the owner, offers to give David the property and the Oxen to make the sacrifice, but he refuses and insists on paying for it. He says, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”

    I hope that jarred you into thinking about your giving.

    We are entering the season where we will have opportunities through raffles, formal dinners, parties, payroll deduction and more from well-meaning people to try and fulfill a lot of worthy needs. My thought is this: Does enjoying a $100 formal dinner with wine and waiters equal handing $5 to the next homeless person you see? Is your payroll deduction to United Way equal to keeping the heat on for a family that you know has fallen on hard times?

    I can’t give you those answers as it ultimately depends on what is in your heart. What I will do is point out some of God’s guidance on how our giving should be:

    • We should give Liberally – Luke 6:38
    • Our giving should be Sacrificial – Hebrews 13:16
    • Giving should be on purpose and cheerful – 2 Corinthians 9:7
    • Give in secret – Matthew 6:3-4

    God loves a cheerful giver and rewards those who are. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 2:6-13

  • Proverbs 19:11 – Anger is the Second Choice

    Proverbs 19:11 – Anger is the Second Choice

     11 The wise are patient;
    they will be honored if they ignore insults.     – Proverbs 19:11

    Godly people will not “have a chip on their shoulder” nor do they take insults and injustices to heart.

    James gives us the New Testament pattern (James 1:19-20).  …let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

  • Proverbs 14:30 – Ways to Find Peace

    Proverbs 14:30 – Ways to Find Peace

     30 Peace of mind means a healthy body,
    but jealousy will rot your bones.     – Proverbs 14:30 NCV

    Peace and quiet within the soul is foundational to God’s plan (1 Timothy 2:1-4) (Matthew 5:9). He told us to seek the Kingdom first and he’ll take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33). Jealousy then, is wasteful, as it destroys us faster than it motivates us.

    Go ahead, set goals, be productive and work hard, but enjoy the rewards of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6)

  • Challenges For Growth

    Challenges For Growth

      1 Anyone who loves learning accepts correction,
    but a person who hates being corrected is stupid. – Proverbs 12:1 NCV

    1 Wise children take their parents’ advice,
    but whoever makes fun of wisdom won’t listen to correction. – Proverbs 13:1 NCV

    18 A person who refuses correction will end up poor and disgraced,
    but the one who accepts correction will be honored.  – Proverbs 13:18 NCV

    Disturb Us, Lord

    Disturb us, Lord, when
    We are too well pleased with ourselves,
    When our dreams have come true
    Because we have dreamed too little,
    When we arrived safely
    Because we sailed too close to the shore.

    Disturb us, Lord, when
    With the abundance of things we possess
    We have lost our thirst
    For the waters of life;
    Having fallen in love with life,
    We have ceased to dream of eternity
    And in our efforts to build a new earth,
    We have allowed our vision
    Of the new Heaven to dim.

    Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
    To venture on wider seas
    Where storms will show your mastery;
    Where losing sight of land,
    We shall find the stars.

    We ask You to push back
    The horizons of our hopes;
    And to push into the future
    In strength, courage, hope, and love.

    – Sir Francis Drake  – 16th century English sailor

    Our Bible study leads us to think a lot about gracefully facing our daily challenges. Our text leads us down a slightly different path. How can we benefit when we seek correction, or seek to be challenged, or seek to learn more? The selected Proverbs hint at some of the benefits, but look at what the Hebrew writer says:

    “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? – Hebrews 12:5-7 ESV (Note that he is quoting Proverbs 3:11-12)

    Doesn’t a healthy loving household result from the discipline of a godly father? Do the members love each other less because of the discipline?

    The poem/prayer attributed to Francis Drake is a very bold request to force us out of our comfort zone. Like Romans 5:3-5 it recognizes that in order to grow, to build patience and hope, we need to be tested. We don’t need to wait on life to bring these challenges to us. It would be much better to dream a little bigger, sail out a little further and be a little less satisfied.

    How much more honorable is the Lord’s correction when we ask for it?

  • Proverbs 11:5 – Plant Good Seed

    Proverbs 11:5 – Plant Good Seed

     5 The goodness of the innocent makes life easier,
    but the wicked will be destroyed by their wickedness.     – Proverbs 11:5 NCV

    The import result of practicing good habits is the momentum we get as a reward. The body gets stronger, the mind gets stronger and the spirit gets stronger. It becomes easier and easier to maintain all three of these parts of ourselves as they improve.

    Isn’t this a major teaching point all of the major New Testament players were trying to make? (Galatians 6:7)