- Feb 3, 2020
Psalm 113, Proverbs 20, 1 Peter 1
Psalm 113 : 1-9
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. 2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,the name of the Lord is to be praised. 4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God,the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to lookon the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dustand lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes,with the princes of his people. 9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 113: 1 “Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.” Still struggling with being prideful. Never thought I would have a problem with that, but just like my pastor said this Sunday, pride doesn’t attack all at once it creeps in real slow. So while reading this verse God spoke to me saying give praise, thanksgiving and credit to Jesus all day, all the time. If your praising Him, thanking Him or pointing to Him, no one is looking at you! Hide behind the cross.
Proverbs 20: 1-30
Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. 2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives. 3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. 4 Sluggards do not plow in season;so at harvest time they look but find nothing. 5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,but one who has insight draws them out. 6 Many claim to have unfailing love,but a faithful person who can find? 7 The righteous lead blameless lives;blessed are their children after them. 8 When a king sits on his throne to judge,he winnows out all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;I am clean and without sin”? 10 Differing weights and differing measures—the Lord detests them both. 11 Even small children are known by their actions,so is their conduct really pure and upright? 12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both. 13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;stay awake and you will have food to spare. 14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—then goes off and boasts about the purchase. 15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. 16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. 17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel. 18 Plans are established by seeking advice;so if you wage war, obtain guidance. 19 A gossip betrays a confidence;so avoid anyone who talks too much. 20 If someone curses their father or mother,their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. 21 An inheritance claimed too soonwill not be blessed at the end. 22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong! ”Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you. 23 The Lord detests differing weights,and dishonest scales do not please him. 24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.How then can anyone understand their own way? 25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashlyand only later to consider one’s vows. 26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;he drives the threshing wheel over them. 27 The human spirit is the lamp of the Lordthat sheds light on one’s inmost being. 28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;through love his throne is made secure. 29 The glory of young men is their strength,gray hair the splendor of the old. 30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil,and beatings purge the inmost being.
Proverbs 20:3 “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”
Honor – adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.
Avoid – keep away from or stop oneself from doing (something).
This doesn’t mean we swallow our feelings or keep them bottled up inside; instead of causing conflict we take our feelings to God continue to form that relationship with Him by turning to Him in times of negative emotion. He will guide us in how to handle the situation and will give us peace over the matter. And we will have acted honorably.
Proverbs 20:5 “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Our heart is where we hide away our true feelings it is at the core of our being. God see’s our heart, wants to heal our heart, then use His triumphs within us to minister to others. That is our purpose. 1. Accept Jesus to overcome sin 2. Form a relationship with Him and let Him calm the storms within us (transform and heal our deep waters) 3. Then by encouraging us to look within ourselves and pour out what He has done for us = we help others and show them Jesus.
Proverbs 20:18 “Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.” This ties into the previous verse by encouraging us to seek God in all things and letting Him direct our steps but goes on to speak of war. Not physical war but spiritual war. It is very important to seek out and turn to Jesus when engaging in spiritual warfare He is the ultimate conqueror.
Proverbs 20: 24 “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?” Every second of every day is directed by God. He has plans and a purpose for us each day we choose to listen and follow Gods plans or our own but choosing our own path is foolish. We don’t know what is instore for us in the days, months and years ahead. But God does and not only that but He knows who we are at our core so He knows what’s best each day.
Proverbs 20:27 “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” Human Spirit refers to a person’s words. In this verse according to my NIV. So a person’s words are a “lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” God uses our spirit or words in a powerful way to illuminate Christ. No other part of us can point to Jesus like our words.
1 Peter 1: 1-25
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Praise to God for a Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Be Holy
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,“All people are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:5 “who through faith (in believing in Jesus Christ) are shielded by (the blood of Jesus) God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (when we stand before God upon our death).” If we didn’t have the covering of Jesus’s blood we would be accountable for all our actions (sins) here on earth and would pay the penalty for those sins, but because we believe we are shielded from that fate and have eternal life with God in Heaven.
1 Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” God does not promise us a problem free life in fact he points out that we will definitely have problems, but they will prove and improve our faith.
1 Peter 1:14-16 “…do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” I am reminded that I am no longer a slave to my fleshly desires and have been called to a higher purpose and that is to daily strive to be more like Jesus, allowing Him to transform me.
1 Peter 1:17 “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially (without bias), live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” We are to live as foreigners (outsiders). We aren’t to conform to the norm of society but be always mindful of “the wages of sin which is death, but (remember) the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.
Well I’ve tried to make this a bible study that anyone can pull up and read. My hope is that you will read the scripture and find new meaning in the verses placed in front of you. I also pray that you would be brave and bold enough to share them with myself and the rest of the world here on my page. Just drop a comment down below, with the scripture reference and what the Holy Spirit is speaking into your heart. Because God speaks to each and every one of us through His Word and there is a lot we can learn from one another. ———>Walking in Grace, Teresa.