Amos 7:7-8 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” A plumb line, I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.”
Commentary:
As those who have been close to construction know, it is impossible to build a straight wall without some standard, some measure to use as a horizon and vertical plumb. In this old testament verse, God gives us a prophesy of Christ and tells us how to use Him. We are to use Christ as our plumb line, to establish our standard. If we do not, the only standards left are defined by our society and history shows that man’s morality is like the sifting sands of the desert. Ready to move with the slightest wind.
James 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Commentary:
One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to discourage us with our own temptations. A temptation, however, is a warning signal, not a sin. We need to see the process of how a sin is formed. First temptation, then we give into it and it builds within us. Fueled by our sinful nature, the temptation becomes a desire. Not long after that, bingo, we find ourselves discouraged because we have given in to sin. Use this verse to train yourself to look for warning signals. Just like knowing cloud formations can save you from getting caught out in a storm, recognizing our temptations can provide us a kind of early warning system.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Commentary:
Why is mankind so quick to believe in a Creator of the Universe yet filled with frustration because He cannot be understood. The intellectual level of God and man are not capable of comparison. Trust and faith is our price; a life orchestrated by God is our prize. To follow our own understanding can lead us to sin. Following God’s understanding (the Word) is fool proof.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Commentary:
While it is not possible for the human mind to comprehend the fullness of God, we do have a vision of God’s greatness that He has provided us. That vision is Jesus Christ. We should always remember that our God bent downward to mankind by taking on human form. And because of this, Christ has become our intercessor (Romans 8:34), having lived and experienced humanity but being of God, Christ formed a communications channel for all mankind. We trust Christ because He knows our needs and He knows God’s plan for each of us.
Proverbs 13:10 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Commentary:
No quick rich schemes here. We are advised to use patience and take our time. If it sounds too good to be true, ask the question, “Would Christ invest in this idea?”
Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
Commentary:
Wealth comes to both the deserving and the undeserving. Wealth can be withheld from the deserving and the undeserving. The sources in all cases emanates from our God.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Commentary:
While the Lord is not against the acquisition of wealth, the deep satisfaction of the soul cannot come from money. It is like pursuing the source of the wind. Only after a lifetime of exhaustive searching do we learn that God is the source of all things.
Romans 5:1-5: 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Commentary:
The Letter to the Romans is Paul’s complete summary of Christianity written for the Gentiles. Romans contains all of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Most importantly, Paul defines Salvation.
Justification – God’s unconditional love for us through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross; our faith and belief in Christ – the gift.
Sanctification – The reciprocation of our love toward Jesus; how we are living our life – the work.
Glorification – The ultimate reward we’ll receive when Jesus returns; becoming like Christ – the prize.
Faith is our understanding that our sinful nature separates us from God. God’s gift was to remove our sins through Christ’s work on the Cross. We must, however, accept the gift. The work is our faith walk, to turn from sin and to seek a life modeled after Christ. The prize is eternal life. The first day of eternity begins the day we have faith in Christ.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. …
Commentary:
Two important points about wisdom. First, God is a source of wisdom. Notice that wisdom, knowledge and happiness are all separate items. Second, sin keeps us from gaining wisdom. Note, however, that sin does not necessarily keep us from gaining wealth. But the wealth is temporal.
1 Kings 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
1 Kings 3:9 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern you people and to distinguish between right and wrong.
Commentary:
Solomon is known for his great wisdom. The Bible calls him the wisest man ever to live. In 1 Kings 3:9, Solomon asks God to give him a discerning heart. Many translations of the Bible refer to Solomon’s request as a “hearing heart.” Solomon held a rare skill, he not only listened well with his ears but could listen with his heart. True wisdom comes not only from raw intellect but from having a deeper understanding of the emotions and feelings of those around us.