Category: Proverbs

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Changing of the Guard

Have you ever seen the guards at Buckingham Palace? What about the sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? I’ve only seen pictures or videos but those are amazing!

The concentration and determination on the faces of the guards in England is almost mind boggling. How many times a day do they have people getting in their faces trying to make them laugh or a least smile? A wink, a nod, even a twitch would prove that they recognize the existence of the passers-by but nothing. How long do they train for that?

Train they must – what kind of schooling do they go through to keep from reacting? But if they felt their gates were truly being threatened, I’m sure that they would fight to defend it.

I have to ask myself would I make a good guard? Would I be easily distracted by all of life’s little annoyances? Would I scream “enough is enough”? Would I refuse to show up for duty the next day?

“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.” Proverbs 4:20-24 NLT

We need to know our enemy; know the subtle ways that he will use to break our concentration, the ways he will try to get inside our head and get us off track. James says he will use the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That’s how he brought temptation against Jesus – “turn the stones to bread, throw yourself from the pinnacle of the Temple, if you worship me, I will give you the nations of the world”. (Matthew 4)

Each time Jesus defeated Satan’s temptation with the word – it is written!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

The distractions, the attacks, the temptations will come but we can be like those guards at Buckingham Palace and while being ready for battle, we can ignore the distractions and the temptations. Like the sentries at the Tomb of the Unknown, we can be consistent in our duties regardless of the storms, the heat, the cold…we stay on task.

I know it’s hard. Sometimes it’s an hour by hour or minute by minute vigil. Guarding our hearts and our minds requires constant discipline.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10 NLT

It’s often easier to let self-pity stand guard over our hearts but it’s always more profitable, and more difficult, to let God’s peace be our guard!

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The Heart of the Matter

When you’re on a long trip with people who don’t understand the path or the purpose of your journey it’s important to have a guarded heart. If not, discouragement and frustration creep in and get you off course.

Guard your heart.

“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words… Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” Proverbs 4:20-25 NLT

This is where we find Jesus and his disciples.

The cross is imminent but Jesus’ closest friends, His twelve apostles, really have no understanding of what’s about to happen.

“The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, because they were afraid of what the people might do. 3 Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles. 4 Judas went to talk with the chief priests and the officers of the temple police about how he could help them arrest Jesus. 5 They were very pleased and offered to pay Judas some money. 6 He agreed and started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus when the crowds were not around.” Luke 22:2-6 CEV

At the heart of the matter was Judas’ greed. He was looking for a way to earn a quick dollar. He left his heart unguarded.

“When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, 15 he said to them, “I have very much wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer...After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, ‘This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. 21  The one who will betray me is here at the table with me! 22 The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who betrays him!’ 23 Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.” Luke 22:14-23 CEV

The purpose of the Passover had always been the shedding of lamb’s blood to make an atonement for the sins of the people. At the heart of this Passover was the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God.

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 CEV

Jesus guarded His heart. He knew there was suffering ahead; He knew the one who betrayed Him was sitting at the table with them acting as if nothing was wrong. Jesus continued to serve those who should have been serving Him. His heart was pure.

“The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25  So Jesus told them:.. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. 27  Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant.” Luke 22:24-27 CEV

No greed, pride, or self-serving ambition filled His heart. Only love, compassion, purpose, forgiveness, mercy and grace were in the heart of Christ that night. He laid aside His anguish, His sorrow and His suffering to continue to minister to the needs of His disciples.

He had a guarded heart.

Because He kept His heart pure He died for us. If we guard our hearts we will live for Him.

It’s all a matter of the heart!

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Wisdom Chooses the Right Road

From time to time, we all make mistakes and fall for deception. Let me ask, has there ever been a time you said, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that; I should have done the other?”

It’s important that when we face situations where we just aren’t sure that we seek wisdom.

“Listen, Wisdom is calling. Yes, Understanding is shouting for us. 2 Wisdom stands at the top of the hill, by the road where the paths meet. 3 She is near the entrance to the city, calling from the open gates. 4 “I am calling out to all of you. I am speaking to everyone.
5 You who are ignorant, learn to be wise. You who are foolish, get some common sense.
6 Listen, I have something important to say, and I am telling you what is right.7 My words are true, and I will not say anything that is wrong. 8 Everything I say is right; there is nothing false or crooked about it. 9 These things are clear to any intelligent person. They are right to anyone with knowledge. 10 Choose discipline over silver and knowledge over the finest gold. 11 Wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing you desire compares with her… What I produce is better than pure silver. 20 I lead people the right way—  along the paths of justice.” Proverbs 8:1-11, 19 & 20 ERV

We saw how Abraham got detoured and had a son with his wife’s maid, the result was jealousy and contention. King Saul, who was the first king in Israel, took a wrong path and instead of seeking God’s counsel consulted with a witch. The nation of Israel often went in search of other gods, only to find that there was only one true God and then they would repent and return to the path He led them on.

We read yesterday that the Bible is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. Jesus made the comment to his disciples that “I am the way (the path), the truth and the life”. He also said that He was the light of the world.

The whole book of Proverbs is written to give us wisdom and understanding by following God’s word. It’s easy to become deceived and take a wrong road when we try to do things on our own.

“So get rid of everything evil in your lives—every kind of wrong you do. Be humble and accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts. This teaching can save you. 22 Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. 23 Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror 24 and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. 25 But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard.” James 1:21-25 ERV

“Listen, there is someone shouting: ‘Prepare a way in the desert for the Lord. Make a straight road there for our God…The Lord God is coming with power. He will use his power to rule all the people. He will bring rewards for his people. He will have their payment with him.
11 Like a good shepherd, he takes care of his people. He gathers them like lambs in his arms. He holds them close, while their mothers walk beside him.” Isaiah 40:3, 10 & 11 ERV

These words were written 400 years before Christ was born. These are the very words that John the Baptist was preaching when Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized.

God’s word is timeless, it is flawless, it is perfect and gives us wisdom and direction keeping us on the right road. It will always show us the right road to follow!

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Gentleness Requires Strength

As I start this writing my eyes are filled with tears as I remember the moments when I was most gentle.

The last year of my mother’s life her strength failed. She needed help doing everything. Walking, sitting down and getting up, showering, dressing, even eating at times. Someone had to be at her side almost constantly.

At night, when I would help her to bed, we would talk. Her voice was soft and low, and she would thank me for taking such good care of her. She would say “I know my body isn’t working and I need the strength of others. Thank you.” Then we would pray, and she would go to sleep.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Gentleness.

That quiet strength that seems to bring calm and comfort. Parents know how to be gentle when their child has had a bad dream or is frightened by a new and strange experience. Nurses seem to be particularly adept at being gentle when they are caring for someone who is ill.

A friend knows how to step in with gentle consolation during times of heartache and loss. The best is when a small child cradles your face in their hands and says, “It’s ok Mommy, don’t cry”.

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” Philippians 4:5 NLT

But gentleness isn’t just meant for those we are related too or have a close relationship with.

 “And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me…Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you their angels are always with my Father in heaven.12 Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had 100 sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the 99 on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the 99 that never wandered off. 14 That’s how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.” Matthew 18:5,11-14 CEV

Christ’s instruction to all of us is that we should be gentle with those who are lost. We should search for them and bring them back from danger.

“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a sharp word causes anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses much learning in a good way, but the mouth of fools speaks in a foolish way.” Proverbs 15:1-2 NLV

“Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 CEV

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 CEV

Seeds of gentleness.

The Father’s example to us, His children, and our harvest of gentleness reflects the love of the Father to the world.

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For Goodness Sake

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful self. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.” Galatians 5:22-24 ERV

I hope you took the opportunities you had yesterday to be kind. Today we will be planting seeds of goodness, which may look very similar to kindness but there is a distinct difference.

Kindness is something we do for others. Anyone can do random acts of kindness, but goodness is an attitude of the heart.

Goodness is a moral excellence.

“People who try hard to do good and be faithful will find life, goodness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21 ERV

“God’s love will come together with his faithful people. Goodness and peace will greet them with a kiss. 11 People on earth will be loyal to God, and God in heaven will be good to them.” Psalm 85:10-11 ERV

There are several places in the Bible where goodness and fairness are linked together. Some refer to our actions toward others and some refer to God’s heart toward us.

“You must always be fair. You must not favor some people over other people. You must not take money to change your mind in judgment. Money blinds the eyes of wise people and changes what a good person will say. 20 Goodness and Fairness! You must try very hard to be good and fair all the time. Then you will live and keep the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 16:19-21 ERV

“Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. 6 Your goodness is higher than the highest mountains. Your fairness is deeper than the deepest ocean. Lord, you protect people and animals. 7Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to you.” Psalm 36:5-7 ERV

Here the character of God is in full view – His faithful love, goodness, fairness and His kindness. Because God is love, His heart is good, His thoughts are fair and His actions are kind.

Jesus taught about this attitude of the heart.

“ Every tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. You won’t find figs on thorny weeds. And you can’t pick grapes from thornbushes! 45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but you don’t do what I say? 47 The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.” Luke 6:44-48 ERV

A good heart is one that is obedient and grounded on God’s word. A good heart will produce kind actions. Let’s all be good, for goodness’ sake!

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Doing Good

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 CEV

What does it mean to do good? Have you ever really thought about that? God’s Spirit makes us good and gives us the desire to do good.

Luke wrote in the books of Acts that Jesus went around doing good.

“God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil.” Acts 10:38 CEV

When He did good people were healed – physically, emotionally, and spiritually and they were freed from the power of the devil. Their lives were changed. He told sinners to go on their way and sin no more. People like Zacchaeus were changed from dishonest tax collectors to benevolent members of society. Prostitutes were changed from women of low reputation to women who served their communities with kindness. A salty, boisterous, braggadocious fisherman was changed to a powerful preacher of the good news of Jesus.

How? By the goodness of God.

“You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?…6  God will reward each of us for what we have done. 7 He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever.” Romans 2:4,6&7 CEV

Doing good is life changing.

“The lifestyle of good people is like sunlight at dawn that keeps getting brighter until broad daylight.” Proverbs 4:18 CEV

“Whoever works to do good will find love and loyalty. It is a mistake to work at doing evil.” Proverbs 14:22 ERV

Christians, we who love God, should be a reflection of His character. God is good.

“ Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. 10 We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.” Galatians 6:9-10 CEV

“She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God’s people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.” I Timothy 5:10 CEV

Finally, I want you to see this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians that he was ministering to. It’s my prayer for all of us.

“ I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand 10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 CEV

Each of these verses is a seed of goodness that we can plant in our lives. Each seed will produce a harvest and will bring glory to God.

Time to plant some seeds! Don’t grow weary!

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Peace Reigns

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

Today’s image is the International Peace Garden in North Dakota. I think everyone wants peace – peace in our soul, in our hearts, in our families and communities. There’s really only one way to peace, true peace, and that’s through trusting the power of God to be at work in our lives.

 Jesus said: “I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

The Christian life is not free from struggles or difficult circumstances. All we have to do is look at Jesus’ time with His disciples to see that. They were ridiculed by the religious leaders; they faced mobs that sought to destroy them and then they dealt with physical storms as well.

“‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:38-39 NKJV

“And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.” Matthew 13:22 ERV

Jesus does care! He doesn’t want us to perish; He doesn’t want us to be in turmoil, chaos or confusion. He doesn’t want the cares of this life or fear to choke out our peace.

“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27 ERV

“Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: 14 “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” Luke 2:13-14 CEV

“ You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever. For the Lord God is a Rock that lasts forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NLV

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

“ Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV

Christ came into the world bringing peace on earth and good will from His Father. He left earth leaving us with His peace to overcome the attacks we would face. By trusting Him completely, by keeping our thoughts centered on Him, He will stand guard over our hearts and bring us perfect peace.

Because of Christ we have peace. These verses are seeds worth harvesting. Happy Planting!

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Let’s Grow Some Fruit

We’ve just finished almost 6 weeks of teaching on love and yet it’s going to be the first seed we’re going to plant in our garden.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Before we look at planting seeds of love, I want us to examine what type of seed we are putting into the soil of our hearts.

Fruit trees are a perpetual seed meaning each season they produce fruit. Some seasons they will produce larger fruit but there will be less of it. Some seasons they produce a lot but the fruit is smaller. Perpetual seed.

Vegetable seeds are annuals. They grow for one season; produce a crop and they die. We don’t want to be producing annuals in our lives.

Then there are the perennials. Technically, fruit trees and bushes are perennials but most often that term refers to flowers that bloom all year round or that go dormant and come back year after year.

I like that the Scripture doesn’t say that the “vegetable” the Spirit produces is…, no, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives. Big difference.

Love.

“So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13 ERV

Since the Bible names love as the first fruit and calls love the greatest characteristic we shall start there.

“Fill us with your love every morning. Let us be happy and enjoy our lives.” Psalm 90:14 ERV

“What I teach will give you a good, long life, and all will go well for you. 3 Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. 4 Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.” Proverbs 3:2-4 ERV

“He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”

37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39 ERV

As I pointed out the other day, God’s word is the seed we are given to plant in our hearts.

“And what about the seed that fell on rocky ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it. 21 But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.

22 “And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.” Matthew 13:20-22 ERV

The verses above are good seed and they WILL produce but they need to be protected. All the seeds of God’s word do.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLT

Now, let’s start planting and watch the seeds grow!

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Trust & Obey

As parents we like our children to be obedient. Sometimes when they’re little it’s “blind obedience”. They aren’t old enough to understand why we say to do the things we do but as we grow together in loving relationship, our children learn to trust us and obedience comes easier when it’s built on trust.

For the last month we have focused on God’s unconditional, unending love. I hope you have come to trust that God loves you and has designed a life filled with blessings for you. Trusting His love brings us to obedience.

“ If you love me, you will do what I command. 16I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever.” John 14:15 ERV

There is no need to fear that God will ask us to do something we are incapable of doing or that it would be harmful to us. No, perfect love casts out fear.

“But I will sing about your strength. I will rejoice in your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come.” Psalm 59:16 ERV

We run to God and not from Him when we need help in times of trouble. This is our place of safety, for He is our protector and our strength.

“ Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful.” Proverbs 16:3 ERV

This morning’s picture, the little girl and Jesus walking hand-in-hand, that’s trust! You might say, “well, if I saw the Lord holding my hand I would trust too”. That sounds like something . Thomas said when the disciples told him they had seen Jesus but he hadn’t been there. Look what Jesus said to Thomas a week later.

“Jesus said to him, “You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!” John 20:29 ERV

Jesus was talking about us and all those who were born after He ascended to heaven. We are the ones who haven’t seen Him. We are blessed because we believe – we trust, we place our faith in Him.

“ God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 1:9 CEV

I encourage you to start each day by trusting the Lord with your plans and your hopes. Lay them out before Him, listen for His instruction, depend on Him for guidance.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and obey His word. He won’t steer you wrong!

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Let the World Know

I have a question for you this morning. If I asked you to define friendship would the word love be in your definition?

It should be – true friendship is built on love and trust. A couple of days ago, in my blog “Love Covers” I showed you how God’s love covers our multitude of sins. Remember this verse?

“Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins.” I Peter 4:8 NLV

and then yesterday there was this verse

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

Those were the two thoughts heavy on my mind this morning. Am I a good and loving friend? Love and trust. Do I express those two characteristics with the people I call friends and those who are family?

Do I love the way Christ does? I think of the adulterous woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone. Jesus proved to be her friend; she could trust Him. He didn’t humiliate her or put her failure on display, He covered her actions with His love. He told her she was forgiven and to go and sin no more.

Look at Peter. Christ told him to be on guard because satan was going to trip him up and get him to sin. Peter in his own boisterous way said NEVER and then he denied Christ three times before the sun came up. After Jesus rose from the grave and encountered the disciples on multiple occasions He never once ridiculed or chided Peter in public. Jesus only spoke good things over Peter’s life.

How will the world know that we are disciples, followers of Christ? We are to love one another. That means that we cover the failings and shortcomings of those we love. We don’t repeat their mistakes, we don’t embarrass them with their past. We cover them with love.

“You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong.” Proverbs 17:9 CEV

There’s a story that you may not know. After he and his family were off the ark and living on land again, Noah got drunk and one of his sons found him naked in his tent. That son went and reported the incident to his brothers. He made his father’s shame public. Look what the other two sons did.

“Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body” Genesis 9:23 CEV

They covered their father’s sin and shame. This is what God expects from us. This is how the world will know that we are His disciples.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 CEV

With all we have learned about God’s love for us during the past month we have a mandate to walk in that kind of love to those around us. Be an encourager, be someone who builds others up. Don’t speak of past failures – cover them.

Let the world know we are His disciples by our love!

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