Man can either govern his nature, or he can be governed by it. He can let it rule him chaotically and pull him into degradation, or he can use God’s plan to govern it and strive toward improvement. God’s law gives man the option to rise above natural degradation. It shows him the way to govern his nature and his life so that improvement is possible. It does not give man a new nature — only the Holy Spirit can regenerate man’s natural nature. But God’s law gives the new man tools to pursue his good intentions born of his new conscience, so he can put them to work. God’s law is man’s road map to success and blessing. Thus he is not left to guess how to engage the enemy in his battle against the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I Jn: 2:16).
Life’s problems always seem to go from bad to worse. God is the only one who can reverse this downward spiral. He can take your problems and turn them into glorious victories. There is one necessary requirement: You, like David, the author of this psalm, must cry out, “Come, Lord, and show me your mercy.” When you are willing to cry out to God for help, even the worst can lead to something wonderful.
Psalm 25: 1-22
of David.
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
Ahithophel was a trusted advisor of King David for many years. He gave good advice to the king and was well respected. But Ahithophel had a significant character flaw that became evident when he betrayed David – he was too opportunistic. Once he switched loyalties from David to Absalom, his only concern was to guide his new king to success. Unfortunately, we are also capable of cooking up “successful” schemes that are contrary to God’s will. You can be caught up with “what works” instead of “what’s right.” Being known as an achiever can become more important to us than being ethical. You must continually be on guard against compromise in important life situations.
2 Samuel 15: 30-37
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “O LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.” When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.” So David’s friend Hushai arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.
Lying only creates conflicts and destroys the fellowship that believers share. In the short run, it is sometimes more difficult to tell the truth than it is to lie, but in the long run, lying undermines the trust people have with each other and makes matters worse later.
Ephesians 4: 23-32
Be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
God looks past our outward appearance and knows our deepest thoughts and emotions. He judges our actions as well as our attitudes. Our character is not obvious only to God, however. Outward actions reveal the quality of our character to others as well. It is difficult to hide character flaws because they eventually become evident in the way we behave, especially when we are under stress.
Proverbs 20: 11, Proverbs 21: 8, Proverbs 20:11
11 Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.
Proverbs 21:8
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
Have you ever had too much of a good thing? Unfortunately, a delicious roast meal can result in a stomach ache, just like a financial windfall can lead to greed or overspending. Many of life’s richest blessings can be misused to cause the greatest destruction. This practical proverb understands the weakness of human nature – we think that it will just take a little more money, or a nicer car, or a bigger house to make us truly happy. In reality, our constant striving for more leads to disillusionment and bondage. God’s Word challenges us to choose moderation over self-indulgence.
Proverbs 23: 21, Proverbs 25: 16, 27Proverbs 23:21
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 25:16
16 If you find honey, eat just enough-
too much of it, and you will vomit.
Proverbs 25:27
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honourable to seek one’s own honour.
The passage below describes the qualities of the ideal woman: hardworking, respectful, encouraging, caring, concerned for the poor, and wise in financial matters. In our society, where physical appearance counts for so much, it may surprise us to realise that this woman’s appearance is never mentioned. Her attractiveness came entirely from her character. Unfortunately, our tendency is to pay more attention to improving our outward appearance than to nurturing our relationship with the Lord. It is important for us to remember that God is more concerned with our character than charm.
Proverbs 11:22, Proverbs 31:30, Proverbs 11:22
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
What a tremendous statement: “I am trying to please God.” How many of us truly live every moment of our life “trying to please God?” It would make life so much simpler. Rather than having to worry about what our spouse, kids, parents, boss, or neighbours think, we would only need to be concerned about what the Lord thinks! It should be our life goal to please not others, but God. Galatians 1: 9-10 – As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Posted by Brendon Naicker 
Posted by Brendon Naicker 
Posted by Brendon Naicker 
