Good Advice From Psalm 119:9-16

"God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives"(1)  and Psalm 119: 9-16 gives us nine "spiritual disciplines" for achieving that goal.

1. Live according to God's Word.

2. Seek God wholeheartedly.

3. Keep the faith (don't stray).

4. Hide God's Word in our hearts.

5. Ask God to teach us.

6. Speak God's Word often.

7. Delight in obedience.

8. Learn God's Ways.

9. Never neglect God's Word.

Sometimes we mistakenly think that God's grace exempts us from hard work. Not true.

We aren't saved by works, but we are saved so that we will do good works prepared in advance for us (Ephesians 2:10), and we can't do these works if we aren't seeking to live pure lives.

To do a short Bible study on this devotion check out this Bite Size Bible Study. 

To read  1-minute devotion on each of these 9 Disciplines:

Discipline 1: Living According to God's Word
Discipline 2: Seeking God Wholeheartedly
Discipline 3: Keeping the Faith
Discipline 4: Hiding God's Word
Discipline 5: Being God's Student & Bible Study
Discipline 6: Speaking God's Word
Discipline 7: Enjoying Obedience
Discipline 8: Considering God's Ways
Discipline 9: Never, Never Neglecting God's Word
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Pleading the Fifth

I am heart-broken when I see our modern culture's view of parents. I thought this devotion would be worth a second look, so I pulled it from the archives.  What do you think?  Gail

We don't pay much attention to the 10 Commandments anymore, especially the Fifth. We might refer to it when training children but we rarely talk about its relevance to adults.  

“Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother; this is the first commandment with a promise: That all may be well with you…” (Ephesians 6:2,3, Amplified Bible)

There's nothing in the command that's age-specific. We never get old enough to ignore it.

And God emphasizes the Command  in some unique ways: 

• It's on His "Top Ten" list.
• It’s the only command with a specific promise attached. 
• It’s one of two positive commands (i.e. it promotes a behavior instead of prohibiting one). 
• It's one of the three most quoted Commandments in the New Testament.

The parental relationship is our first relationship in life and one of our longest. Only our siblings will know us longer. Just as children are especially vulnerable to their parents’ injustice, indifference or selfishness when they are young; parents are especially vulnerable to the injustice, indifference and selfishness of their adult children. God designed us that way, and He has high expectations for the relationship throughout our lives.

Unfortunately, our culture has turned things upside down: Adults are far more apt to criticize than honor parents. We judge their performance more strictly than we judge our performance as adult children, sometimes acting as if they must “earn the right” to be respected while feeling we deserve their love and respect no matter how we treat them. But God commands respect for parents whether they earn it or not. In Matthew 15:1-9 Christ says adults who ignore the Fifth Commandment have turned their hearts away from God! That's powerful.

For many years I underestimated the Fifth Commandment. I got along fine with my parents, but I didn’t really understand what it meant to honor them. And I was even less faithful in my relationship with my in-laws. Only as I changed my attitudes did I realize the well-being I'd been missing (God's promise).

I studied the Hebrew word used for honor in the Fifth Commandment and found it is the same word used for honoring God.   Here's a summary of what God taught me:

• It matters how I speak to my parents--they aren't my peers.  I owe them more consideration and respect than my friends.
• It matters how I listen to my parents.  Their opinions should be more important than friends' opinions. I don't need to agree or obey, but I need to listen respectfully and respond respectfully.  
• My attitude matters more than my actions. A critical, ungrateful, indifferent, self-righteous or disrespectful attitude will come across even if I'm fulfilling my "duties."
• I need to deliberately develop and maintain the relationship, taking an adult responsibility to call, write, visit, remember special days, and prioritize time with my parents. When I was young, they were the initiators. Now it's my turn.
• Honor means finding out what matters to them and doing my best to please them unless their desires are unreasonable. (And I should beware of what I call "unreasonable" unless I am equally judging my own desires.)
• I need to do my very best to work through problems, disagreements, or conflicts with my parents.  One of the highest forms of disrespect is deciding my parents are not worth the time or effort to explain my feelings and listen carefully and prayerfully to theirs. My desire to honor God and His commands is best reflected in the hard times, not the easy ones.

The Fifth Commandment is an awesome responsibility which involves self-sacrifice, but God is eager to help us fulfill it and has promised to bless us if we obey. It's really up to us whether we want our parents to be a blessing or a liability in our lives.

Hi! I'm Gail. My husband Michael and I have 2 grown children and 7 grandchildren. I used to edit and maintain the WOW blog until my duties with 1-Minute Bible Love Notes became too time-consuming.  1-Minute Bible Love Notes has over 8000 subscribers, over 19,000 Facebook followers, and over 10,000 Pinterest followers. I'd love to have you check it out.

Natural ♥ Supernatural ♥ Unnatural by Gail

imagerymajestic Free Digital Photos

The most successful popular teachings among Christians: 

• Appeal to felt needs, not actual needs. 
• Tell us we're victims, not sinners. 
• Tell us we're wonderful just the way we are. 
• Use only Bible verses that make us feel good about ourselves. 
• Exclude verses that talk about holiness, dying to self, or obeying God's commands.

We love hearing good things about ourselves which leads us to believe God's love is limp and one-dimensional. But true love is full-bodied and includes teaching, rebuking, correcting and training (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

God is holy and He demands ... yes, demands ... holiness from His beloved children. 

• Our "old man" = selfishness 
• Our "new man" = holiness 
• Our only hope = doing all things in Christ's strength (Philippians 4:13). 

The natural man needs the Supernatural Man to do what's unnatural for his fallen human nature because "He has saved us [WOW!!!] and called us to a holy life" (2 Timothy 1:9).

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Doors to Wisdom

Today's WOW devotion is a bit different. It's message is in pictures as well as words. I hope you enjoy it!

These are photos of doors and windows that I took while traveling through some of the little villages and towns along the Makarska Riviera in Croatia. 

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” ― Helen Keller

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”   Genesis 4:7

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." 

Psalm 84:10

“Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!” ― Max Lucado

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Matthew 6:6

"they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven."

Psalm 78:22-24

  

"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." 

Colossians 4:3

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10 

I hope you enjoyed this pictorial devotion, and I'd love to have you leave a comment. 

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A Slave's Freedom by Gail

A pattern of holes brought air to the underground tunnel

Beneath the floor planks of the Savannah First African Baptist Church, a secret passage hid slaves on their way to Northern freedom. When we visited this church (once part of the Underground Railroad), I was ashamed that my race had once denied African-Americans basic human respect.

Incredibly, many slaves trusted Christ in the midst of their oppression. How could they do this when some of their harshest mistreatment came from slave owners calling themselves Christian?

The slave’s secret: they didn’t let their circumstances change their view of Christ—they let Christ change their view of their circumstances.

Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."

First Black owned church in U.S.

If we apply this principle to our lives, we will be transformed. We will experience the “freedom of a slave”—a freedom that defies circumstances.
© copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011

To read a 4-minute devotion I wrote about this experience, read “Slavery is a Black and White Issue.”

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Be One to Have One by Gail

25 years ago, people averaged 3 close friends.

Then came facebook, twitter, and scores of online social networks.

Now people average 60 close friends, right? Wrong. Studies show we’re down to 2.

Despite these falling numbers, we can’t be healthy without close relationships… no matter how many facebook friends we have. 

But healthy friendships take time and effort, commitment and consideration:

• answering friends’ emails and returning their phone calls
• scheduling time with them, not just assuming it will happen
• listening, not just talking, giving, not just taking
• cutting back on work, sports, and TV at times

Without friendships, we stay rough and dull. 

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. 

Proverbs 27:17 NIV

We need close friends who will cry with us, rejoice with us, and tell us hard truths when we need to hear them.

If you’ve neglected a friendship, do something about it today!

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It's the Law by Gail Purath

I'm on the left in the photo taken on this 1980 tour to Prague

• Location: Communist Czechoslovakia, 1980, on a tour with some girlfriends 
• Situation: I ran out of money on Sunday when banks were closed. 
• Possible solution: Black-market money-changers were everywhere even though this was explicitly forbidden by international law. 
• My thoughts: My $2 worth of Korunas wouldn't pay for supper, no legal exchange available, everyone was doing it, and black-market rates were more fair. 
• Solution #1: I bought black-market money from our tour guide, getting twice as many Korunas as the legal rate. 
• Wrestling: God and I wrestled...all afternoon....me telling Him I had no choice...Him telling me that the bank law didn't violate His Law, so I needed to obey (Romans 13:1-6).
• Solution #2: I returned the black-market money and prayed my $2 would be enough. A friend (who knew nothing about my situation) surprised us by buying our supper, and my $2 worth of Korunas was a great tip for the waiter. 

35 years later, I'm still learning that God wins all wrestling matches.

You can listen to this devotion HERE.
This devotion is followed by a Bible study if you'd like to do it. It is a sample of the kind of study Gail offers each Monday on her site Bite Size Bible Study. Click HERE to sign up for a subscription to Bite Size Study.


Bible Study
How are we supposed to respond to unfair, unjust, or stupid rules from authority, especially when dealing with ungodly, oppressive systems like Communism? As always, we can trust God's Word to guide us.

When you combine the messages of the verses below, what do you learn? This isn't as straight-forward as some answers in Scripture, but there are some clear guidelines just-the-same. Please read through these verses and thoughtfully ponder and pray about the overall message. Then, if you still have questions, read this very thorough Biblical explanation of Biblical civil disobedience. But please do your own study first.  When is civil disobedience allowed for a Christian?

After you work through this study, please check out my insights HERE. I want to share something I did on that same trip to Czechoslovakia that was illegal but right.

♥ Romans 13:1-6: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

♥ 1 Peter 2:13-17:  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

♥ 1 Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

An angel releases Peter from prison (BPG)

♥ Acts 5:27-32:  The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

For additional study: ♥Acts 4: 1-22  & ♥Matthew 22:15-22

copyright 2013, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com 
All Scripture NIV unless otherwise noted

You can also find Gail's 1-minute devotions on Bible Love Notes.

Prompted to Pray by Gail Purath

"Is everything okay with little Scooter Pie?" I asked my daughter. 

"Yes, why?" 

"Well, last night before bed, I had the strongest prompting to pray for her." 

My five-year-old granddaughter was with her siblings at their other grandma's house, and only later did we discover that she'd been bitten by fire ants and refused to let anyone treat her. Her hand had gotten badly swollen, and that's why I believe God prompted me to pray.

I'm not always sensitive to God's Spirit, but I imagine these promptings happen more than we realize. We may think we choose to pray for someone or something on our own when it's actually God's Spirit prompting us. 

It's an aspect of "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20), and it's a good reason to pause and ask God to direct our prayers. 

If you've had a similar prompting, why not share it in the comment section and let all of us be blessed. 

This post is a bit different...it has a devotion followed by a brief Bible study, if you'd like to do it. This is a sample of the kind of study Gail offers on Bite Size Bible Study each Monday. If you'd like to sign up for a subscription to these Bible studies, you can do that HERE.

Bible Study 

Prayer is such a rich subject, and this study is merely a bite-size look at one aspect of praying in the Spirit. Please read the passages below and ask the Spirit to show you new insights that will make your prayer time more effective. 

Romans 8:26-27:  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Ephesians 6:18: pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Jude 1:19-21: These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Copyright, Gail Burton Purath, 2013, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com 
All Scripture NIV unless otherwise noted

After doing this study, you can check out Gail's insights HERE. copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011

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Generation NeXt by Gail Purath

Married, single, teenager or ninety-year-old, we all have spheres of influence. 

How will our words and actions touch the lives of the next generation….and through them, the next generation?

My friend Kim has never had children, but she's had a great influence on the next generation. As a youth worker, speaker, writer, friend and aunt, she's faithfully shared the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.

“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord…so the next generation would know them…and they in turn would tell their children.”     Psalm 78:4-6

Who has influenced you from an older generation? Why not contact them this week and thank them. And think of deliberate ways you can share God’s praiseworthy deeds with someone in a younger generation this week. It's an important way God uses our lives!
copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011

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The Sweetest Gift by Gail Purath

In 1995, I celebrated my birthday in Bulgaria while on a mission trip.   

One of the local Christians came to my birthday dinner and surprised me with a gift. When I unwrapped the small package, it contained a bar of soap, nothing special, just regular soap.  

But that soap was one of the sweetest gifts I've ever received. 

Like the widow in Mark 12:41-44, my Bulgarian friend had given generously from his limited income.  I kept that soap for several years as a reminder of true generosity.  

Compared to most of the world, we Americans are rich. Our Christmas trees will be surrounded by gifts that many people throughout the world would never dream of owning. Yet most of us take this for granted and even complain that we don't have more.  

This Christmas, let's ask God to give us grateful hearts and a true understanding of our blessings.

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Sometimes I'm an Elephant by Gail Purath

“Elephants never forget.”

According to Scientific American elephants have an uncanny ability to remember faces, smells, and situations, especially mistreatment. “Grudge-holding” helps them survive. 

Philippians 3:13,14 says: 
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

"Forgetting" is an important part of moving toward God's goals in life.

Paul had things to forget--he'd cheered on the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:3) and been unjustly flogged and imprisoned (2 Corinthians 11:23-33). To fulfill God's purposes, he had to forget these things and move forward.

When it comes to the past, I can sometimes be an 'elephant,' but I'm learning to place injustice and regrets in God's hands. What about you?

Is something in your past tangled around your heart? Will you leave it in God’s hands today and face your future with new hope? Another reason to REJOICE!
© copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011

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Does the Bible Teach Us Not to Judge? By Gail Purath

I wrote a devotion about the harm of reading immoral books and when I put it on Bible Love Notes Pinterest page, a woman commented: “The Lord also said 'judge not.' have you read it?”

Her misunderstanding is common. Many people think that the Bible prohibits us from judging anything beyond our own sins.

But the "Judge not" passage (Matthew 7:1-5), when read in context, actually teaches us these points:

• Don’t judge others with a different standard than you judge yourself.
• Judge your own sins first, because unrepentant sin alters your "vision" (perspective).
• If you appropriately deal with your sins, you’ll be able to appropriately judge others' sins.

This passage prohibits hypocritical judging, not judging in general.
 
So why have we so easily accepted this false notion?

Because Satan has been twisting Scripture from the beginning of time to confuse us and make us soft on sin.

But we can refuse Satan's counsel by checking everything, even out-of-context Scripture passages, against the full truth of God's Word.

Matthew 7: 1-5: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.


Some other examples in Scripture where we are called to judge: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Corinthians 15:33-34;
For extra info on this, read  Who Are We To Judge, a Christianity Today article.
  You can LISTEN to this devotion below.  Subscribers: Click Title to go to the Wow site. Then scroll to bottom of devotion for audio tool:

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Crumbling Walls by Gail Purath

I love the story of Rahab. It has so many messages applicable to us today.

You know the story: 

• Jericho was an evil, pagan city that refused to repent in spite of God's continuing rebukes and revelations.
• Israeli spies went to check it out before destroying it. 
• Rahab, a prostitute hid the spies and asked for mercy, telling them she believed their God was real. 
• God miraculously caused the thick walls of Jericho to crumble so His people could conquer the city.
• Rahab and her family were saved.

Historians tell us there were two walls surrounding Jericho, one twelve feet thick, one six feet thick. Houses like Rahab’s were built on sturdy planking that bridged a fifteen foot gap between those walls.

God told the Israelites to conquer Jericho in a unique way. They blew horns and marched around the city for six days. Then, on the seventh day, they shouted in unison and the walls collapsed. 

Imagine the sight as the walls tumbled into dust and rubble, with only one small section of the wall remaining intact—a single house with a scarlet cord dangling from the window. That had to be a "Wow" moment for all of them.  

And what a good picture it is of the contrast between the rock solid strength and safety of the Lord and the crumbling deceptions of the world.

Have you built any part of your life on crumbling values and false philosophies (Colossians 2:8). Don't fear ... God can help you rebuild on the solid Rock of Christ (Matthew 7:24-27). 

Would you like to read Rahab's story? It's in Joshua Chapters 2 and 6.
© copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011

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Meetin' God for Coffee by Gail Purath

Have you ever been the faithful person in a relationship? 

You rearrange your schedule to meet your friend for coffee, but she cancels at the last minute for a slight inconvenience. She asks you for help when she has a need, but she's too busy to help when you have needs.  

She talks about herself for hours but starts looking at her watch when you begin to talk. Pretty soon, you begin to feel like a "duty," not a friend.

Not very fun to be around those kind of people, is it?

  But sometimes I treat God that way. And there He is promising: “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” (NLT)  Hebrews 13:5 

Today let’s make a commitment to stay close and interested in our Best Friend. Let’s not let slight inconveniences keep us from “meeting Him for coffee!”
© Gail Burton Purath, 2011
(1) Scripture tells us we can make God sad (Genesis 6:5,6; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 3:10)
(2) God is good to us even when we aren't good to Him! Matthew 5:44-48

Gail would love to have you check out her site Bible Love Notes where she posts a  1-minute devotion each weekday. And if you'd like a short Bible study each Monday, check out her site Bite Size Bible Study.

Biblical Anger Management by Gail Purath

I lost my temper the other day.

So I need this reminder about Biblical anger management. Maybe some of you could use it too.

So how do we control the ugly anger monster?

Here’s some things I’m doing that have helped me in the past.

1. Memorize verses relating to anger (Prov. 16:32; 19:11; 29:11) Reciting, memorizing and meditating on God’s Word changes us supernaturally.

2. Listen carefully and think before speaking—this helps us avoid misunderstandings that lead to anger (James 1:19-20)

3. Ask God to show us the underlying sins that led to our anger (James 4:1,2)

4. Deal with problems quickly (Ephesians 4:26). Unresolved problems grow worse.

5. Realize the danger of unresolved anger--it gives Satan control in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). Only God can change us, but these things help us yield our will to His.
copyright Gail Burton Purath, 2011 
* click on any Scripture reference to read the verse online.

Gail would love to have you check out her site Bible Love Notes where she posts a  1-minute devotion each weekday. And if you'd like a short Bible study each Monday, check out her site Bite Size Bible Study.

Overcoming Evil by Gail Purath

Born a slave, George never knew his mother. 

The corrupt system of slavery that damaged the American conscience for so many years, brought great harm to George and his race. 

Even after he gained his freedom and became a genius in science, technology and agriculture, George was treated with less dignity than his white peers.

But George Washington Carver served God, not man, and he showed remarkable kindness toward the culture that had brought him such harm. Were it not for his agricultural experiments and discoveries, the South could not have survived. 

He showed farmers how to replace cotton crops (which had continual insect infestations and weren't profitable without slave labor) with peanuts, sweet potatoes and pecans. And he discovered and invented a number of uses for these crops never known before.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 (NIV) How can you overcome evil with good in your sphere today?

copyright Gail Burton Purath
 

Gail would love to have you check out her site Bible Love Notes where she posts a  1-minute devotion each weekday. And if you'd like a short Bible study each Monday, check out her site Bite Size Bible Study.