Prayer: Father, I pray for fresh insight into the things of wisdom. Help me to make good decisions, better decisions, life giving decisions. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Reading: Proverbs 10 key: vs. 16-17
16 The wages of the righteous are life.
The income of the wicked is sin.
17 One who heeds discipline is on the path of life,
but whoever ignores correction goes astray
Attention: Do you realize how big a role discipline plays in our lives? Would you say you live a disciplined life?
There was a training class which I attended about 30 years ago which had us rate the healthiness of our life on a scale from 1-10 in the areas of Family, Society, Business/Career, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind and Finances. I remember adding the spiritual aspect of my life. They had us draw a circle and then divide the circle like you would a pizza. In each slice of the circle, we were to put the name of each aspect of our life and then rate the health of each aspect from one to ten, placing a line at the appropriate point. One was at the center and ten at the edge of the crust. If you were to rate yourself a ten, it would mean you were totally healthy in that aspect of your life. They told us to highlight the level of each aspect and then look at the graph as a wheel. We were posed with a question, “If this wheel represents our life, how smoothly would the ride be if this wheel represented our life?” Unfortunately for many of us, it would be a rather bumpy ride and not pleasant at all. We were tasked with setting goals for each aspect of our life. How over the course of the next 3 months, 6 months, a year and then 5 years, we were going to develop a healthier life?
The point is this, it takes discipline to stay with the daily tasks of being and staying healthy. Life has a payout. As we get to retirement age, we find out if we have lived a disciplined lifestyle, in each area of our life? Class reunions may be outdated, but if you have ever gone to one, you may already know what I am going to say. It is visually striking how differently, kids you grew up with age. Some people look better than they did in school, and some look the same, but most show the wear and tear of an undisciplined lifestyle.
If you are reading this today, we are over six months together in this journey to Choose Life this year. It takes conscious, intentional discipline to give God the first fruits of your day. I commend you, for very few exercise the discipline of studying and journaling the Bible every day. There is a pay out or wage for diligently, daily doing this exercise. Transformation comes from spending time with the Holy Spirit every day. If you not experiencing the fruit of the Spirit, then establish a daily time in the Word. Do you want a new mind, a new heart, or a new mouth? Time with the Holy Spirit will transform your life!
Action: I will begin today to set a disciplined, scheduled time with the Holy Spirit every morning.
Yield: Submission is yielding to a disciplined lifestyle of time with the Holy Spirit.
Engaged: I will engage with the Holy Spirit in a daily, disciplined lifestyle of journaling and studying.
Relationship: Relationship is daily. Relationship is discipline.
Prayer: Father, help me establish a disciplined lifestyle in all areas of my life. One undisciplined area impacts all the others. I want to please You. I want to be a joy to my heavenly Father. Amen.
Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:5
5 Have you forgotten the warning addressed to you as sons?
“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of Adonai
or lose heart when you are corrected by Him,
Music Video: Lauren Daigle – First
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”