Good Hope Union UMC Ministries

Greetings, Beloved--

This is a day of blessing created by God. Declare this good news today. God reigns. God is great and greatly to be praised. No matter what you may face today, with God you can handle it. Our meditation for today is Proverbs 10 and11. Both chapters have key principles that offer wisdom for life. Key principles and excerpts from those chapters are below for our reflection.

1.) Admit When You are Wrong

¹⁷ People who listen when they are corrected will live, but those who will not admit that they are wrong are in danger.  (Proverbs 10:17 GNT )

Our first task is to examine our actions (not advisors) when corrected. Often we consider the source (the advisor first) and this is important. Nevertheless, when wrong we must admit it and work to change our ways.

2.) The Law of Generosity

²⁵ Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped. (Proverbs 11:25 GNT)

The law of generosity is similar to Jesus' parable of a farmer sowing seed on various types of soil (documented in Mark 4). The action of sowing is important. The Sower is most concerned with sowing (giving). The Sower (God) is generous with the seed. Unlike many of us (and even conventional wisdom), God is not most concerned with the soil (the environment/recipient of the seed). The ultimate responsibility of the sower is generosity. Grace is given to the just and unjust. Even if the sower (you) distributes seed on rocky ground, the birds may be benefited by your generosity. This kind of giving can be considered reckless for some if we do not have the understanding of God.

Action Items for us:

Who do you have to call/visit today to make peace (admit any wrongdoing)? If no one comes to mind, then great.  If a name is there, be swift to admit any wrong action and endeavor to make peace. If the person declines your authentic apology, then prayerfully consider your next steps. Remember, God is righteous. Do everything in your power to do what is right.

Sow generously today. Consider ways that you can give your time to help/assist someone. Use five minutes (as a starting point) of your day to help someone complete a task. We were made to reflect God's love and the world daily awaits our reflection.

Let us pray,

God, we LOVE YOU. We thank You for your correction and generous Spirit. Teach us how to be more like you. With these pearls of wisdom, give us understanding and the discernment needed to do all things well. It is in Your Most Holy Name that we pray. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Beloved,

Today is a day of blessing! May this entry encourage you to soar to greater heights as you seek the Face of God!

For the next two-three weeks, we will study the Book of Proverbs.This pivotal book and partial collection of Wisdom Literature is a great guide for us as we continue our Sermon Series and converse with God regarding "Wisdom for Life (Living)." These are our first two principles:

1. Revere/Honor/Love God

¹⁰ To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding. ¹¹ Wisdom will add years to your life. ¹² You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer. (Proverbs 9:10-12 GNT)

To honor the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and false words. (Proverbs 8:13 GNT)

Wisdom comes from God. So, first we must acknowledge who God is and our need for God's guidance. To honor/revere God, we must hate/resist every evil, prideful, arrogant and false way. God hates lies. God is the God of truth. Therefore, we must chase truth and seek every good path.

2. Love People: Own It- Your Words, Your thoughts, Your decisions, Your actions- and Determine to Be Better

¹⁷ People who listen when they are corrected will live, but those who will not admit that they are wrong are in danger.

¹⁸ Anyone who hides hatred is a liar. Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.

¹⁹ The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.

²⁰ A good person's words are like pure silver; a wicked person's ideas are worthless.

²¹ A good person's words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.

(Proverbs 10:17-21 GNT)

In every area of our lives, it is important to be better today than we were yesterday. Let's first celebrate the fact that we are seeking God for direction, counsel, wisdom and understanding. Next, let's be specific as we one consider thing that we can do today (with the help of God) that will help us to righteously love people. The first thing that I would like for us to do is to 1) confess our need for God and desire for God's wisdom; 2.) own our decisions/actions and speak words of life. Someone needs you today, especially you!

Let's pray,

God, thank You for simply being You! Thank You for spending time with us and for loving us enough to correct/challenge us. We want to be better in every way. Thank you for teaching us to carefully consider our words so that we may benefit/help people and not harm them. You are WONDERFUL and we thank you! In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

²¹ What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words. -Proverbs 18:21 GNT

I declare that today is a day of blessing for you! This is the day that the Lord has made; so, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Praises be to our God. Someone is praying with you, beloved. Someone is interceding on your behalf. Give God thanks for God is good and God's mercy endures forever. Give God thanks for creating the ones who stand with and for you! God's goodness, grace and mercy are poured out upon you! In creation, you were Adam's seed. Therefore, you were formed by the breath and words of God. Words have great power, especially the Word/words of God.

The Book of Genesis begins with a clear indication that words (communicated concepts) are extremely powerful. Creation was formed by words. God's words gave form to God's thoughts. Trees are 3D tactile images of God's words. Flowers are manifestations of God's creativity. Animals are living animations/paintings of God's thoughts and humans are living elements that carry God's breath! Isn't that incredible?

Consider the power of our words--

• As soon as we are born, we communicate our thoughts (maybe even in the womb). Babies cry (a form of communication) until they are able to communicate their needs in other ways.
• At a wedding, vows (words of intent and promise that are shared by the bridal couple) preclude the pronouncement of marriage.
• At a funeral, words are often shared by family members, friends, clergy or loved ones to convey a life lived.
• Consider the power of the words "thank you" and "please forgive me."
• To apply for employment, words often describe the identity and life work of a person.

So, what words will we use today to express ourselves and our thoughts? Our words should in some way model God's words/thoughts. We are created in God's image. We can recommit our lives to God today and live as led by the power of God's spirit. You make a difference. Continue to speak words of life and meditate on God's Word today. Share God's words today. Share God's thoughts! Have a great day and look for someone to encourage.

Let us pray,

God, we thank You for the gift of words. Help us to choose to speak Your words of truth, life and encouragement. Renew our minds so that we can think Your thoughts and speaks Your words even now. We represent You. We are Your creation. Receive the confessions of Your people and restore us once again. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

...Honor your father- Exodus 20:12

This is a commandment from God. To honor (love and respect) your parents (the ones who engineered your existence) is an expectation from God because God is the ultimate Creator. God expects us to honor God first and to honor the vessels (people) God chose to bring us into the world. Why? Because they ultimately point to God at work in creation. In our finite opinion, the people may or may not be honorable; but, God is honorable. The actions of our fathers may or may not be honorable (in our opinion). But, God is. The power to love (not only those who love you rightly and those who were there for you; but, those who may love in times of convenience) is divine. It is a reflection and indication of God's love for us. God loves us when we love God rightly and when we love God with conditions. Remember loving someone else is a reflection of our love for and thanksgiving to God. How will you show God's love today?

Let us pray,

God, You are our Father and we give You thanks for the humans that You've used to father us. Thank You for loving us enough to look beyond our faults to meet our needs. Help us to do the same with others. Thank You for fathers. Thank You for sending persons to mentor, love and guide us regardless of their biological affiliation. Help us to live in Your perfect love and to extend grace and mercy as received by You. You are an awesome God and we give You thanks for all we are and have today. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

 ²³ Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. ²⁴ Never say anything that isn't true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words. ²⁵ Look straight ahead with honest confidence; don't hang your head in shame. ²⁶ Plan carefully what you do, and whatever you do will turn out right. ²⁷ Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Don't go one step off the right way.- Proverbs 4: 23-27 GNT

Be encouraged by these words as spoken by Solomon, the son of King David, beloved. Our lives are shaped by our thoughts. Think good thoughts and continue to do good to others. God is with you. Amen!