The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:4-6)

Unlike the man who finds his joy in God’s Word, the person who does not love and follow God’s commands is destined for judgment and destruction.

Why do you think that the verses are true? How does ungodliness lead to destruction?

March 19, 2012
Today’s Text: Psalm 19:1-6
Today’s Key Thought: Nature tells all men everywhere about God.

Have you ever been through the mountains? A couple of summers ago I went with our youth group to Guadalajara Mexico. On one trip to the Pacific Ocean we drove through the mountains. With every turn of the corner we were able to see a new panoramic view of God’s creation as we took our dangerous treck on a mountain road. If you’re ever at Sonshine at around sunset you will notice the incredible western sky in all of God’s glory. The Psalmist in today’s text says that nature can tell us something about God. It shows his power, creativity, and vastness. We serve a big God. Every time you see a volcano erupt or a caterpillar become a butterfly it reveals something to us about God.

Application:
The theme of the week is that we have a stewardship of God’s revelation to us. One of the ways we can be a good steward of the God’s revelation through nature is to study science. True, testable science is simply an exploration into what God has created. Truth about God’s creation can be used in conversation to point people to God. Take some time today to thank God for declaring His glory in His creation.

 

February 7, 2012
Today’s Text: Psalm 90:12
Today’s Key Thought: A wise steward recognizes that our time is finite, not infinite.

 

Yesterday we talked about using our time wisely.  We said that wisdom is the key word for thinking about our time.  The question is, “How does it look to be wise with my time?”  Today’s psalm gives us incredible insight into this question.  The Psalmist asks God “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.”  There is a lot to think about here.

 

•  Our days are numbered.  None of us have an infinite number of days to our lives here on earth.  Since our time on earth is a limited resource, we’ve got to be wise in how we use it.
• “Numbering our days” means being proactive rather than reactive.  The idea here is that we think about what we have and plan on how to use it.  This has the idea of taking an account of what you have.

 

If you were to give your money to an investor and then you went to meet that investor after he had your money for a year or two and he had no written record of what he had done with your money wouldn’t that make you pause?  Wouldn’t you wonder about his business practices and whether or not he was the best person to handle your money?  Even if he had ended up making money with your investment, you know that he could have made a lot more if he would have taken a better account of what he was doing by keeping a record, or by taking account of what you had given him.  Most likely, if he had no written record, he probably wasn’t a great steward.

 

Application:

In the same way, I challenge you to start making decisions about how you use your time by writing it down.  Start by writing down how you have used your time.  Just notice where your time is going by writing it down at the end of the day, or by keeping a record of it in a notebook or on your Smartphone as you go throughout your day.  You’ll be surprised at where your time goes, and how much wiser your choices will be just by writing it down.