Posted on 12/20/2022 7:14:59 PM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof” (Proverbs 21:21-22).
Paul, in First Timothy 6 tells the man of God to “fight the good fight of faith” (vs. 12). In verse 11 he says, “Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” Some other verses on this idea of finding life, righteousness, and honour are:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).
“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Romans 2:7). Cornelius, the Roman, is the example of this in one man’s life. He was a devout man, a good man, one that prayed and gave alms. He was a just man. Peter said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). Because Cornelius strove to please God, and strove to find God, God revealed to him life through the Gospel.
None of those things that Cornelius did saved him, but they set of a chain of events that led to him hearing the Gospel and becoming saved.
This is the difference between a lost man and a saved man. A saved man is somebody that has sought for the truth, sought for righteousness, his conscience convicted him of unrighteousness, creation convinced him that there is a God, and because he knew he needed something he looked for that God that creation pointed him to, and God sent the Gospel message to him, and he responded.
The lost man, on the other hand, has experienced some or all of those things that the saved man did, but he responded essentially with a “Yea? So what? And just continued on living his life repressing any urge to look for God until God basically said, “As you wish,” and left him alone.
This is overcoming those things that oppose you. In the old days, a city had to be taken; because as long as the enemy was in encamped there they constituted a danger.
“A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,” he figures out a way to attack it, “and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.” There were different ways to take down a city. They could use battering rams, or they could use catapults to weaken their defenses and then climb over the walls using ladders to gain entrance.
Notice that the enemy was too confident, a lot like Belshazzar, who thought that the city of Babylon was impregnable, yet the Persians marched right into the heart of the city using underground natural tunnels. Darius the Mede did not come in over the walls, but under the walls. They diverted the Euphrates river just enough to lower the water level, so that they could enter at night using the area where the water once was. Because of the height of the water, the Babylonians were not afraid of being breached in that way—and yet they were. The Medes marched in right at the time when Belshazzar was having his drunken feast, just at the time when he saw the writing on the wall.
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With the upcoming move in focus, packing and such like, I anticipate a couple months hiatus from posting the Proverbs daily devotions until further notice to begin on the first of the new year.
Moving?
No need for the details.
Well the first thing you know ol Jed’s a millionaire,
Kinfolk said “Jed move away from there”
Said “Californy is the place you ought to be”
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.
Hills, that is.
Swimmin pools, movie stars.
Well now it’s time to say good by to Jed and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin’ in.
You’re all invited back a gain to this locality
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality
Hillybilly that is.
Set a spell,
Take your shoes off.
Y’all come back now, y’hear?.
Not California . . . the opposite side of the country where the governor appears to be sane.
Thank goodness.
We want only the best for you and yours.
Good luck with the move!
Thank you!
Thank you for your good wishes.
I’ll be praying that your move goes smoothly.
Your daily reminders have been a blessing. Thank you for the work you’ve done!
Awww, I wish you a smooth and safe move to your new home! I will keep a keen eye out for your posting of proverbs when you get settled. God bless you for spreading his word!
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