Hard Work

Hard Work
Read This Passage: Proverbs 13:8-11

Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it. —Proverbs 13:11

A FEW MONTHS ago, I went to work for a marketing firm. The job was much different than they let on during the interview process. As it turned out, the owner of the company was using unethical techniques to obtain employees. He did this because he was able to make money off of people working for him.

In today’s world, many people don’t want to work to earn their living. They’d rather do whatever is easiest, even if it’s fraud or something that’s not quite illegal, but not right either.

In today’s passage, God told us that wealth obtained by fraud will “dwindle.”  For months the owner of the company I worked for made a great deal of money through fraud and dishonesty. Then everything fell apart. The owner lost his business and his income.

In this world, there’s an obvious need for money to survive. But ask yourself just how important money and riches are. In terms of eternity, are they worth lying and cheating to obtain?
God has called us to earn our living, and sometimes that’s hard work. But He respects and blesses that. In the end, it’s worth it.

Pray
Father, help me make decisions in my life that reflect You. Keep me accountable for my actions.

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Hard Work

Hard Work
Read This Passage: Proverbs 13:8-11

Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it. —Proverbs 13:11

A FEW MONTHS ago, I went to work for a marketing firm. The job was much different than they let on during the interview process. As it turned out, the owner of the company was using unethical techniques to obtain employees. He did this because he was able to make money off of people working for him.

In today’s world, many people don’t want to work to earn their living. They’d rather do whatever is easiest, even if it’s fraud or something that’s not quite illegal, but not right either.

In today’s passage, God told us that wealth obtained by fraud will “dwindle.”  For months the owner of the company I worked for made a great deal of money through fraud and dishonesty. Then everything fell apart. The owner lost his business and his income.

In this world, there’s an obvious need for money to survive. But ask yourself just how important money and riches are. In terms of eternity, are they worth lying and cheating to obtain?
God has called us to earn our living, and sometimes that’s hard work. But He respects and blesses that. In the end, it’s worth it.

Pray
Father, help me make decisions in my life that reflect You. Keep me accountable for my actions.

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Free for All

Free for All
Read This Passage: Proverbs 11:24-26

One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. —Proverbs 11:24

AS I STOOD in that foreign country, my ears full of indecipherable language, my North American view on life began to deteriorate. There I stood, sweating in the 100 degree heat of the Nicaraguan jungle, reevaluating every idea I’d ever had about wealth. I thought I understood poverty, but I didn’t really, not until I went to Nicaragua and met people living in it. I was in the heart of one of the poorest countries on the globe, meeting people who had nothing. And it was there that I met some truly rich people.

In Nicaragua, I met people who -literally had nothing. Many didn’t know where their next meal would come from. Though most had next to nothing, they lovingly offered our mission team what they did have. These people who had so little wanted to give it to us, who had so much.

As Christians, that spirit of generosity should also characterize us. As today’s key verse says, when we give freely to others, whether we have a lot or a little, we gain. We have a peace that we know we’ve done what is right and satisfaction that we’ve allowed God to work through us. When we don’t give and know it’s right to do so, we only rob ourselves.

Pray
Father, renew my heart and redefine wealth for me. I thank You for all I have, and what I have, I offer to You.

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Free for All

Free for All
Read This Passage: Proverbs 11:24-26

One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. —Proverbs 11:24

AS I STOOD in that foreign country, my ears full of indecipherable language, my North American view on life began to deteriorate. There I stood, sweating in the 100 degree heat of the Nicaraguan jungle, reevaluating every idea I’d ever had about wealth. I thought I understood poverty, but I didn’t really, not until I went to Nicaragua and met people living in it. I was in the heart of one of the poorest countries on the globe, meeting people who had nothing. And it was there that I met some truly rich people.

In Nicaragua, I met people who -literally had nothing. Many didn’t know where their next meal would come from. Though most had next to nothing, they lovingly offered our mission team what they did have. These people who had so little wanted to give it to us, who had so much.

As Christians, that spirit of generosity should also characterize us. As today’s key verse says, when we give freely to others, whether we have a lot or a little, we gain. We have a peace that we know we’ve done what is right and satisfaction that we’ve allowed God to work through us. When we don’t give and know it’s right to do so, we only rob ourselves.

Pray
Father, renew my heart and redefine wealth for me. I thank You for all I have, and what I have, I offer to You.

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Whatever You Say

Whatever You Say
Read This Passage: Proverbs 26:23-28

A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin. —Proverbs 26:28

GOD DOESN’T HOLD anything back, does He? Verses like Proverbs 26:28 cut straight to the heart. The point is clear. Lies and flattery will never accomplish God’s purposes in our lives. They will only bring problems, pain, and in the end, they’ll ultimately bring ruin.

Proverbs 26:28 is today’s key verse for a reason. You’ve read a lot of devotions about the power of the things you say this week. The point of all this is that you understand this important truth: to live life successfully God’s way, your words matter. Scripture tells us that nothing good comes from lying, and false flattery sabotages trust and leads to ruin. Our words shouldn’t hide thinly veiled deception.

God has called us to live a life of truth. Sometimes, that truth hurts. But when we look at ourselves honestly, we will be more real with Him and with those we care about.

It’s so easy to build a world of lies around us. We tell small lies to our parents, our teachers, and our friends. And we think that’s OK because they’re just little lies. Not really even lies—we just make things sound a little better than they are. Or we make them sound a little worse than they were, so that we come off looking better.

God doesn’t let us off the hook so easily though. He looks right through us and sees what we say as truth or lies with no middle ground. As Christians, truthfulness is supposed to be a characteristic of our lives and our speech. Does it characterize you? What about your words?

You may know someone with whom you’ve not been honest. Has God put it on your heart to go and tell that person the truth? What will you do?

Real Choices
To whom do you need to tell the truth? Are you willing to step up and be honest in your relationships regardless of the cost? How have lying and false flattery affected your life?

Digging Deeper
Read John 14:6. Who is described as the truth in this verse? How important is the truth in your life?

Pray
Ask God to show you areas of your life that lack truth. Seek to know what He would have you do about those areas.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Proverbs, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotion | Leave a reply

Whatever You Say

Whatever You Say
Read This Passage: Proverbs 26:23-28

A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin. —Proverbs 26:28

GOD DOESN’T HOLD anything back, does He? Verses like Proverbs 26:28 cut straight to the heart. The point is clear. Lies and flattery will never accomplish God’s purposes in our lives. They will only bring problems, pain, and in the end, they’ll ultimately bring ruin.

Proverbs 26:28 is today’s key verse for a reason. You’ve read a lot of devotions about the power of the things you say this week. The point of all this is that you understand this important truth: to live life successfully God’s way, your words matter. Scripture tells us that nothing good comes from lying, and false flattery sabotages trust and leads to ruin. Our words shouldn’t hide thinly veiled deception.

God has called us to live a life of truth. Sometimes, that truth hurts. But when we look at ourselves honestly, we will be more real with Him and with those we care about.

It’s so easy to build a world of lies around us. We tell small lies to our parents, our teachers, and our friends. And we think that’s OK because they’re just little lies. Not really even lies—we just make things sound a little better than they are. Or we make them sound a little worse than they were, so that we come off looking better.

God doesn’t let us off the hook so easily though. He looks right through us and sees what we say as truth or lies with no middle ground. As Christians, truthfulness is supposed to be a characteristic of our lives and our speech. Does it characterize you? What about your words?

You may know someone with whom you’ve not been honest. Has God put it on your heart to go and tell that person the truth? What will you do?

Real Choices
To whom do you need to tell the truth? Are you willing to step up and be honest in your relationships regardless of the cost? How have lying and false flattery affected your life?

Digging Deeper
Read John 14:6. Who is described as the truth in this verse? How important is the truth in your life?

Pray
Ask God to show you areas of your life that lack truth. Seek to know what He would have you do about those areas.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Proverbs, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotion | Leave a reply

Fueling the Fire

Fueling the Fire
Read This Passage: Proverbs 26:20-22

Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. —Proverbs 26:20

FIRE CAN BE an incredible thing. It can warm you up when you’re cold. It can be beautiful to watch as it sparkles in the darkness. It can be fun to just sit and watch as the embers drift toward the sky.

Yet, if you’re not careful, a fire can easily get out-of-control. Let a few embers drift to a dry spot, and before long you have a fire that’s consuming everything around it. All of a sudden what once seemed enjoyable is destructive and scary. In the end, it will leave damage that may take a very long time to repair, if it can be repaired at all. Fire is not something to play with. Fire has a lot of power, and power can become destructive.
Gossip is just like a fire. Oh sure, it may seem innocent and fun at first, but before long, we’ve spoken words that we cannot take back. Gossip hurts people, damages reputations, breaks the community in a cabin, and breaks trust.

Just as Proverbs 26:20 points out, a fire will go out if there is nothing to fuel it. Gossip works the same way. If there is no one there to keep pushing the rumors, feeding the desire, or otherwise fanning the flames, gossip will die down, and so will the conflict and destruction that go along with it.

Today’s key verse points out that we have an active role in stopping this destructive cycle of gossip and conflict. We can choose not to fuel the fire; we can choose to keep our mouths shut!

Choosing to not participate in gossip, walking away, or even confronting those who are gossiping can be tough. You may face ridicule or even rejection from those you count as friends. Yet, when you do what God’s told you to do, He will bless you. You will grow in your walk with Him, and you’ll be a better friend.

Real Choices
Will you choose to follow God’s leading when you hear others participating in gossip? Why or why not?

Digging Deeper
Read John 21:20-23. Even Jesus’ disciples struggled with gossip. Can you find any other examples of gossip and how we should deal with it in His Word?

Pray
Take time to confess any gossip you have participated in. Ask God to show you what He would have you do and to help you stand strong when faced with opportunities to participate in gossip.

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Fueling the Fire

Fueling the Fire
Read This Passage: Proverbs 26:20-22

Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. —Proverbs 26:20

FIRE CAN BE an incredible thing. It can warm you up when you’re cold. It can be beautiful to watch as it sparkles in the darkness. It can be fun to just sit and watch as the embers drift toward the sky.

Yet, if you’re not careful, a fire can easily get out-of-control. Let a few embers drift to a dry spot, and before long you have a fire that’s consuming everything around it. All of a sudden what once seemed enjoyable is destructive and scary. In the end, it will leave damage that may take a very long time to repair, if it can be repaired at all. Fire is not something to play with. Fire has a lot of power, and power can become destructive.
Gossip is just like a fire. Oh sure, it may seem innocent and fun at first, but before long, we’ve spoken words that we cannot take back. Gossip hurts people, damages reputations, breaks the community in a cabin, and breaks trust.

Just as Proverbs 26:20 points out, a fire will go out if there is nothing to fuel it. Gossip works the same way. If there is no one there to keep pushing the rumors, feeding the desire, or otherwise fanning the flames, gossip will die down, and so will the conflict and destruction that go along with it.

Today’s key verse points out that we have an active role in stopping this destructive cycle of gossip and conflict. We can choose not to fuel the fire; we can choose to keep our mouths shut!

Choosing to not participate in gossip, walking away, or even confronting those who are gossiping can be tough. You may face ridicule or even rejection from those you count as friends. Yet, when you do what God’s told you to do, He will bless you. You will grow in your walk with Him, and you’ll be a better friend.

Real Choices
Will you choose to follow God’s leading when you hear others participating in gossip? Why or why not?

Digging Deeper
Read John 21:20-23. Even Jesus’ disciples struggled with gossip. Can you find any other examples of gossip and how we should deal with it in His Word?

Pray
Take time to confess any gossip you have participated in. Ask God to show you what He would have you do and to help you stand strong when faced with opportunities to participate in gossip.

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Life and Death

Life and Death
Read This Passage: Proverbs 18:19-21

 “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” —Proverbs 18:21

THINK ABOUT TWO friends who are alike in every way. They hang out together, shop together, wear the same clothes, and eat the same foods.

At the same time, they’re also so different. One always seems hopeful, confident, ready to face what she must. The other is quiet, almost scared, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. What makes them different? Words. The words that have been spoken to them have made the difference in their lives.

When we encourage those around us, lift them up, pray for them, and remind them of how special they are to God, it gives them strength. When we see those same people and choose to slam them, criticize, or make fun, we take away what we have no right to take away.

Our words are powerful. Stop and think about that. Your words are powerful. You can build someone up, or you can tear him or her down. As a follower of Christ, what will you choose to do?

Proverbs 18:21 says it so clearly. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. We can build people up, show them Christ, and be a living example of love and grace. Or we can spend our time and our words tearing others down. Words sometimes do more than hurt people; sometimes they destroy them. Think about the terrible things people have said to you—the things that stick in your mind and repeatedly convince you that you’re not worth it and that God couldn’t love you.

God created the universe using only words. If God created the universe using the power of words, how carefully should we consider our words?

Real Choices
Think about the things you’ve said today. Did you bring life or death to those around you with your words?

Digging Deeper
Read 2 Timothy 2:14-16. What is irreverent, empty speech? How many of the things you say would fall into that category?

Pray
Ask God to remind you of the importance of your words before you speak them.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Proverbs, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotion | Leave a reply

Life and Death

Life and Death
Read This Passage: Proverbs 18:19-21

 “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” —Proverbs 18:21

THINK ABOUT TWO friends who are alike in every way. They hang out together, shop together, wear the same clothes, and eat the same foods.

At the same time, they’re also so different. One always seems hopeful, confident, ready to face what she must. The other is quiet, almost scared, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. What makes them different? Words. The words that have been spoken to them have made the difference in their lives.

When we encourage those around us, lift them up, pray for them, and remind them of how special they are to God, it gives them strength. When we see those same people and choose to slam them, criticize, or make fun, we take away what we have no right to take away.

Our words are powerful. Stop and think about that. Your words are powerful. You can build someone up, or you can tear him or her down. As a follower of Christ, what will you choose to do?

Proverbs 18:21 says it so clearly. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. We can build people up, show them Christ, and be a living example of love and grace. Or we can spend our time and our words tearing others down. Words sometimes do more than hurt people; sometimes they destroy them. Think about the terrible things people have said to you—the things that stick in your mind and repeatedly convince you that you’re not worth it and that God couldn’t love you.

God created the universe using only words. If God created the universe using the power of words, how carefully should we consider our words?

Real Choices
Think about the things you’ve said today. Did you bring life or death to those around you with your words?

Digging Deeper
Read 2 Timothy 2:14-16. What is irreverent, empty speech? How many of the things you say would fall into that category?

Pray
Ask God to remind you of the importance of your words before you speak them.

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