THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The book of Proverbs is a rich source of wisdom, reminding us of the timeless principles that govern a well-lived life. It calls for honesty, integrity, hard work, and a respectful fear of the Lord. Despite life’s unpredictability, it assures us of God’s sovereignty, encouraging us to seek wisdom and understanding in every situation.
“Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?”
Proverbs 20:24 (KJV)
Matthew 8
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
Matthew 8:3 (KJV), “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Only Jesus can cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness
1 John 1:7-9 (KJV), “7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
All we have to do is ask
John 14:13 (KJV), “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
The sons of the kingdom
At first the Kingdom was offered only to Israel. They were the intended sons of the Kingdom
Matthew 10:5-6 (KJV), “5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 8:10-12 (KJV), “10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children [sons NKJV] of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The Cost of Discipleship
Matthew 8:22 (KJV), “But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.””
Jesus only calls the select
Romans 9:16 (KJV), “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
Many make excuses, and delay their invitation, yet Christ will at length answer their excuses, conquer their unwillingness, and bring them to His feet; when Christ calls, he will overcome, and make the call
1 Samuel 3:10 (KJV), “Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.””
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
Matthew 8:26 (KJV), “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”
The disciples were marveled by this
Matthew 8:27 (KJV), “But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
One would think by now no one would question or be surprised at who Jesus was or what He could do
Genesis 1:2 (KJV), “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Psalm 33:6 (KJV), “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”
Colossians 1:16 (KJV), “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
Daniel
Ezekiel told us what was seen, and what was foreseen, by him in the former years of the captivity: Daniel tells us what was seen, and foreseen, in the latter years of the captivity. Daniel’s Hebrew name was Daniel, which signifies the judgment of God; his Chaldean name was Belteshazzar. He was of the tribe of Judah, and, as it should seem, of the royal family. Daniel is the author of this book.
Daniel 9:2 (KJV), “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
Daniel 10:2 (KJV), “In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.”
Matthew 24:15 (KJV), “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:).”
Ezekiel and Jeremiah wrote of the impending capture of the Babylonian empire, Daniel, also captured, writes during the capture
Daniel 1
When was Daniel written?
Daniel 1:1-2 (KJV), “1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. ”
Daniel was divinely selected from the Jews that were captured
Daniel 1:9 (KJV), “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”
Daniel 1:17 (KJV), “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”
Daniel 1:4-6 (KJV), “4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.”
Without blemish
Leviticus 24:19-20 (KJV), “19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; 20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.”
Godly wisdom
James 3:13 (KJV), “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”
Descendant of Judah
Genesis 49:10 (KJV), “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
Jeremiah 23 Woe to false teachings
A clear statement from God for those who choose to pastor
Jeremiah 23:1-2 (KJV), “1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. 2 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. ”
One of many statements in God’s Word indicating God’s plan to refresh and replenish
Jeremiah 23:3-4 (KJV), “3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.”
God’s Word to Jeremiah of the coming of His Son
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV), “5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.”
Many of the Pharisees and leaders during the time of our Lord quoted incorrectly on who the chosen were and why
Jeremiah 23:7-8 (KJV), “7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8 But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”
God is not specifically talking about the law of adultery
Deuteronomy 22:22 (KJV), “If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.”
Spiritual and corporal whoredom. They go a whoring from God, and, having cast off the fear of him
Jeremiah 23:10 (KJV), “For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.”
Brown-Driver-Briggs – 2. figurative of idolatrous worship.
Again, God specifically holds the leaders, pasters and elders, responsible
Jeremiah 23:13 (KJV), “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.”
Jeremiah 23:16-17 (KJV), “16 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. 17 They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.”
Prophet
Strong’s Concordance (5030) – nabi: a spokesman, speaker, prophet.
How many times have we heard a televangelist say, “I had a dream from God?”
Jeremiah 23:25-26 (KJV), “25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.”
Jeremiah 23:33-37 (KJV), “33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. 34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his house. 35 Thus shall ye say everyone to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the Lord answered? and, What hath the Lord spoken? 36 And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God. 37 Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and, What hath the Lord spoken?”
Proverbs 20 please read
Ezekiel 21
God is going to lay waste Israel until Jesus comes
Ezekiel 21:26-27 (KJV), “26 Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. 27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”
Grow in the Word of the Lord 