In the garden the serpent showed me the fruit With a beauty and fragrance within But I did not know that its razor-sharp seed Lay hidden down under its skin
It glowed with desire and was sweet to the taste With a promise of wisdom and powers But its poison-tipped blade cut right to my heart Leaving sin among withering flowers
Oh where is the healing, and where is the balm For my heart and my soul and my mind? A pathway to carry me all the way home And the Father who I left behind
Then suddenly I saw I was there at the cross And I wept at the wound in His side And the nails and the crown and the noise of the crowd And His blood that flowed down like the tide
I saw in His hand was the husk of that fruit Filled with vinegar and bitter gall That was pressed to the lips of my Savior that He Would taste for the sins of us all Would taste for the sins of us all
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” Matthew 27:34 KJV
Matthew 13:45-46 NIV “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
In 1922 Rhea Miller penned these words in a poem that got the attention of the mother of George Beverly Shea. George’s amazing vouce earned him a measure of success singing both in churches and on the radio. When he was just 23 George seriously considered a contract he was being offered to use his talent singing for a secular broadcaster. Then one night George discovered these words left by his mom on his piano.
"I'd rather have Jesus Than silver or gold I'd rather be His Than have riches untold."
Intrigued by those opening lines, George began to put them to music and its message carried the day in his heart. Soon George began singing “I’d rather Have Jesus” everywhere. Later, Billy Graham, hearing of this young man’s commitment, invited him to sing regularly at his crusades.
Now our commitment to following Christ will rarely lead to such dramatic results here on earth, but it will always reap an unfadimg eternal reward. Would you truly trade away all life has to offer for Jesus? Is He the pearl of greatest price to you today?
Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 NKJV
As an average married guy, I used to think of Proverbs 31 as, “The Ladies Chapter.” Though it all sounded sweet and idyllic, it seemed to be filled with advice that had nothing to do with me. But then as I read these verses recently, I noticed that there is not only a Proverbs 31 woman, but there is also a Proverbs 31 guy, (King Lemuel). In fact, King Lemuel wrote this entire chapter, and its first nine verses teach about how a real man and a good king ought to live, and his advice is super relevant for men today. The first seven verses are like a bucket of cold water thrown over our heads. Apparently, King Lemuel had been heading down the wrong path, when his mom showed up at the door saying that he needed to be careful to watch out for the wrong kind of women and stay away from the bar! What I really love about this guy, is that he wasn’t embarrassed to mention that these ideas came from his mom. He then lets us in on the secret that he learned from her that being a good man means listening to a woman, when she speaks the truth. Or as it is told in the lyrics of the song, “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome:
"This is a man's man's world. But it wouldn't be nothin' without a woman or a girl!"
Then King Lemuel goes on to tell us that we need to be more than just a, “I Feel your pain” kind of guy. We are expected to take action. We are called to do more than conquer, consume and celebrate. We are commanded to put on our big-boy pants and speak up for the silent victims of our society, get involved with putting things right in our communities and personally stand up the cause of the poor. The Bible certainly doesn’t call us to be wimps, pushovers or sissies, but it does call us to use our uniquely male strength and abilities to defend the weak and carry the weight of the burdens of others. God is calling us as men to be the framers of a just society, the defenders of the weak and to keep our personal lives pure. All of this sounds a bit overwhelming and a pie-in-the-sky, and it makes me ask “So, where do I begin?” And that’s a perfect question because the rest of the chapter tells me that, I need to start by being faithful to a woman who fears the Lord and teach our children to honor her and publicly give her the praise she deserves! Then, when God is at the center of our family and we are together moving in His design, He will bless us. Throughout the Bible, God promises that as we stay faithful to one another, and serve one another, His joy and peace will fill our hearts and homes and show the love of Christ to anyone that God puts in our path today.
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