Reading: Proverbs 10:1-10
When we make decisions in life, being able to have the vision of whether or not we'll regret them or not would be a nice gift to have. However, it is laid right out in the Bible the sorts of decisions to say "no" to. Right here in this reading are a lot of wise concepts and thoughts, that can help you decipher certain decisions that come your way. There is a lot of talk about being honest and living a clear, honest life, full of integrity. That goes with gossip, malice and laziness. Deciding to do these things will not mark your life with honesty or integrity. Why risk giving yourself a bad reputation and lack of trustworthiness when you can simply walk away from those situations? Work hard and do everything as if you are doing it for The Lord, because you are.
Reading: Luke 18:31-19:10
When we decide to be transformed by Jesus and His power, we make a very important decision that changes our lives forever. Jesus tells the disciples how He will die and rise again, and though this is over their heads, we realize now how this is the biggest transformation for humankind ever. Through this, every human being is given the opportunity to accept redemption and eternity.
We also see how a man is physically transformed because of his faith. As Jesus enters Jericho, and a blind begger hears He is there, he begins to shout for Jesus to come and have mercy on him. Though people hush him and tell him to be quiet, he shouts louder, proving he just doesn't care what people think. Jesus, recognizing this man's faith and courage, heals him, and this man's life is changed. He goes on praising God, and passing on that praise.
We also get to see an instance of transformation with a man named Zacchaeus, a despised chief tax collector. In this culture at this time, tax collectors were very despised. As he sat up in a tree to see Jesus, Jesus again knew his faith and asked to be a guest in his home that day. You could imagine the reactions from around town. But by Jesus going to spend time with this man, who was curious about Him and what He was about, this man was able to have a transformation. Zacchaeus tells Jesus he is going to give the money back and hen some to the people he cheated.
From this, we see that God loves imperfect people. We all have our downfalls, our quirks, our pasts. But that doesn't separate us from the love and opportunity we have in Christ. We can't hide our sins from God, but we can take them to Him and repent. Be transformed by this power of Christ.
Reading: Deuteronomy 29:1-30:10
Determining the course of the rest of our lives is dependent upon whose path we follow. There are many things laid out for us in the Bible, like making wise choices and following the example of Jesus. But there are also unclear things, and as this passage quotes:"The Lord God has secrets known to no one. We will not be accountable to them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us..." (29:29) We need to focus on what is laid out for us, and not worry about what is not disclosed. The Lord knows what we need to live successfully under His terms, and He knows what we don't need to burden ourselves with. Deep theological discussions, though fun for some, can be hard to grasp for others. This verse helps with that. Live life out the best way you know how through the words Fod has given to us. Decide to follow His transformation in all areas of your life, for the rest of your life.
Life can sure be heavy with rules and things that we don't even know how to handle. God lays out some great advice in His Word, showing us how to decide on transforming our lives for Him. We see examples of how faith transformed lives in today's reading, and we read about letting go of the things we don't need to know. Let yourself be loved and transformed by a perfect God, Who loves imperfect people.
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