Reading along this morning. The Holy Spirit highlighted the word “do”

Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments…”

Joshua 1:8 says that as we read and meditate on His word, we are to observe to do what is written

Keeping (doing) His commandments is tangible evidence of our love for Him. John 14:21

Psalm 19:11. Keeping His word brings great reward. He reveals Himself to us in ways we haven’t experienced Him before. Think of a kaleidoscope 

I fell November 18 and have been absent. I fractured my left humerus neck, my right knee cap, and sprained my right wrist. I was in rehab 40 days. I’m home now and recovering. I’m just popping in to share something with you. I’m up to my ears with in-home PT and OT visits and exercises. Not ready to type devotionals quite yet 

I was reading Psalm 78 when the Holy Spirit stopped me 

Verse 57 says “…they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.”

Hebrew for deceitful means lax or slackness 

How does this fit? I asked two of my cousins who hunt with a bow

“One way to look at it is…Arrows that are “spined” for a particular bow are more efficient, if the bow has lost its strength or it’s “poundage” the arrow won’t fly like it once did”

“Bows that are made the “old way”, from a single stave of wood, require straight grain, which the bowyer must follow as the bow is shaped.  If one or both limbs start to twist, the bow will be inaccurate, and in severe cases, the string can jump out of the nock grooves at full draw, and potentially injure the shooter.”

The Amplified says “…they were twisted and warped like a deceitful bow, that will not respond to the archer’s aim).” We need to be straight arrows.

We can say one thing, but our fruit exposes the truth of our heart’s belief. We may say that we love the Lord, but our disobedience to His word tells a different story. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…” The Greek for keep means to guard.

One way we guard our heart is to release the unresolved issues that are deeply buried. Proverbs 4:23. Our love relationship with the Lord is evidenced by walking in a manner worthy of the gospel ~ exemplifying the Lord through every aspect of our lives.

1 John 2:5 says, “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” Perfected means matured. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to brindle the whole body.” 

I learned something years ago from a landscaping friend of mine. He had just taken a class and I asked him about the dormant season. He said that the roots are still very active, gathering food from the soil. The dormant time is an essential time. The soil needs nitrogen which is immediate food. Dormancy brings stability, growth, and beauty.

The fruit is determined by the root system. There is an interesting verse in 2 Kings 19:30. It is speaking about the remnant of Israel. It says, “…take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” We cannot see our roots. However, we can be assured they are thriving when we are abiding in Him. It is a given. It is the way He establishes us.  

We flourish in our trials when our roots are being fed through the soil of our intimate communion with the Lord. 1 Peter 5:10 says, “…after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

As I was memorizing 1 Timothy 6:4 the Holy Spirit showed me several things. In context, the verse was referencing bondservants who despised their masters, then folks who did not consent to wholesome words.

Verse 4 says, “He is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words…” Pride is the root, now catch what the fruit is. The verse goes on, “…from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions.”

Arguing, contentious, quarrelsome are the pride of self-defense. James 3:14 says, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.” Verse 15 says it is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Verse 16 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Verse 18 says, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

It was God’s love that caused Him to create the world, to lay the foundation of the earth on nothing, and to form man in His own image for relationship. Everything we have comes from God’s love for us.

Our trials are impregnated with His love. What He allows is for our best good. Romans 8:28. Verse 29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Our trials conform us to reflect His character to those around us.

Our trials test our heart to see, as David said in Psalm 51, “…any wicked way in me…” 1 Peter 1:7 says, “That the genuineness of your faith…though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…”

Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens…” The Greek word for chastens is to train up a child, educate, and discipline. Our trials display His love for us.

I woke up thinking about God and His love. Everything is born out of His love. I like to think about how He formed Adam out of the dust. What were His thoughts? Genesis 3:8 gives us a snapshot of God’s relationship with Adam and Eve.

It says, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” It was a familiar sound. They knew immediately it was the Lord. Think of the song “In The Garden.” The words speak of communion with the Creator. 

1 John 4:8-9 says, “…God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

In Ephesians 1 we find many ways of being ‘in’ Christ. Verse 7 says, “In Him we have redemption…” Through His love we have forgiveness of all our sins.