Tag: Christian Living

The BIBLE VIEW#1025 — Money

In This Issue:
Borrowing
The Delusion of Wealth
Never Enough
What Some Wealthy People Thought about Wealth

Volume: 1025   November 10, 2025
Theme:  Money

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Borrowing and Lending
Bill Brinkworth

Many in the last three decades or more have developed a lifestyle of spending more than they can afford.  Yes, I know that the economy is geared to people living off their credit, and yes, I know “everyone is doing it.”

No, I do not think it is the bank’s fault for lending us money we cannot afford to repay.  We are responsible for our decision to obtain a loan.  We alone are accountable for our spending and paying back what we borrowed.

In many cases, it may be necessary to borrow money to purchase a “need.” However, there is such a thing as “responsible borrowing and lending.” Here are a few biblical principles that, if heeded, may keep many from the financial trouble that could easily happen to them if these principles are ignored:

  • The Bible does teach that it is acceptable to loan money and things.  The good lender should show mercy and kindness to those to whom he has lent.
    “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.” Psalm 112:5
    “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17
    “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” Luke 6:30
    “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” Matthew 5:42  Also: Psalm 112:5, Proverbs 19:17
  • A godly person has a responsibility to pay back what he has borrowed.  It is a wicked person who does not repay a loan!
    “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.” Psalm 37:21
  • When we give our word to repay money we have borrowed, we have an obligation to repay it.  Breaking our word is lying.  We are accountable for the promises we make!  It is our testimony, especially as Christians, to do what we say we will do.
    “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,” Proverbs 6:16-17
    Covenant breaking (promise breaking) is listed as a sin in Romans 1:31.
  • When times are tough and it does not seem possible to pay the bills, turn to God first —not the banks.  He can, if it is truly a need, help you!
    “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalms 37:24-25
    “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4
  • When a person does not repay what he borrows, he keeps what does not belong to him.  That is stealing!
  • When you do borrow, you can lose some freedom.
    “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7
  • When you do borrow, do not get into a situation where your freedom is used as collateral for a debt.
    “Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.” Proverbs 22:26 (“Surety” can be one that is legally bound to pay off a debt. In some cases, if the debt is not paid, a person may be bound to pay off the debt by his being in slavery, in one form or another.)
  • Some debt may be accumulated because of one’s coveting.  Coveting is a sin (Exodus 20:17).  It is wicked in God’s eyes because one may not be happy with what God has allowed him to have.  

    A person may lust for what another has.  That coveting may lead him to spend what he should not have spent.  He may end up with payments he cannot afford.  The financial hardship may be the consequence of one’s sin.  It may be a reaping of what was sown.
  • If we borrow something, and it is damaged or dies in our possession, it is the borrower’s responsibility to restore to the lender what was lent.  The borrower needs to fix what was damaged or loss.
    “And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.” Exodus 22:14
  • If you are responsible for making a person poor, do not charge him interest!
    “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.” Exodus 22:25
  • If you are trying to help a person who is having financial difficulties, do not profit from his hardship.
    “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.  Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.  Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.” Leviticus 25:35-37

Having a “little” may not be such a bad thing!
“A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.” Psalm 37:16
“Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.” Prov. 15:16 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” I Timothy 6:6

The Delusion of Wealth
Author Unknown

There is a fable about a covetous man who claimed to find his way one moonlit night into a fairy’s palace.  There he saw bars, apparently of solid gold, strewed everywhere.  He was permitted to take away as many as he could carry.  He carried his treasure home with much difficulty.

In the morning, when the sun rose, he found himself waking and still clutching his “treasure”,  which he saw was only a bundle of sticks.  All around him, invisible “people” laughed and scoffed at what he previously thought was valuable.

Such will be the confusion of many a person who died in this world and who is worth much.  Awaking in the next life, they will find that their “treasures” on Earth meant nothing in eternity.  They will find themselves “… wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”  Rev. 3:17-18

Never Enough
Author Unknown

“When I was younger,” said a friend, “an older man tried to teach me some wisdom I should know about.  He once asked me when a man was rich enough?”  I replied, “When he has ten thousand dollars?”

“No,” was his answer.

“Twenty thousand?”

Again, “No.”

“A hundred thousand?”

“No.”

In an attempt to settle the discussion, I responded, “One million dollars?”

“No!” he again responded.  “When he has a little more than he has, and that is never!  If he acquires one thousand, he wishes to have two thousand, then five, then twenty, then fifty.  If he grasped all the money in the whole world, he would desire other world’s riches to possess.”

“Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.”
Proverb 27:20

What Some Wealthy People Thought about Money

“I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.”  
— John W. Rockefeller 

“The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone.  There is no pleasure in it.”
— W. H. Vanderbilt

“I am the most miserable man on Earth.” — John Jacob Astor 

“I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.” — Henry Ford

“Millionaires seldom smile.” — Andrew Carnegie

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy  6:10

The BIBLE VIEW #1022 —Anger

In This Issue:
Get It Right Before Bedtime
When Anger Is Sinful
Uncontrolled Anger
When Humor Helped Keep His Shirt On
Yielding Personal “Rights”
Unhappy and Last Place

Volume: 1022   October 20, 2025
Theme:  Anger


Get It Right Before Bedtime
Bill Brinkworth

Part of man’s makeup includes the “anger” emotion.  Perhaps, because we are made in the image of our Creator, we received this reaction in certain situations from God.

Reading the Scriptures, one will quickly see some instances where God was angry.  There were times when God was angry with Moses (Ex. 4:14), Aaron (Deut. 9:20), Israel (Deut. 9:8, II Kings 17:18), Solomon (I Kings 11:9), and the wicked on a daily basis (Psalms 7:11). 

God’s only son, Jesus, also got angry at times.  He was angered by hardened hearts (Mark 3:5).  Most likely, Jesus was angered when He saw people making the Temple, a place of worship, into a place of commerce (John 2:14-15).

However, when God and Jesus became angry, no sin was involved.  God is Holy (Lev. 19:2, I Sam. 2:2) and does not sin, nor does His Son (Heb. 4:15).  Anger does not necessarily need to be sinful.

There are still things that make God angry, and I am sure they still break Jesus’ heart.  We encounter plenty in this life that should make a Christian angry. 

The killing of 4,000 innocent babies a day by abortion should make a Christian angry.  The world’s brainwashing attempt to get people to accept and tolerate sin should get a believer mad.  

Punishing righteousness and godly living should make one displeased.  Christians live in a world where many things are done contrary to what the Bible teaches we should do, and they should get upset over that.  We should love the sinner, but sin should make us angry.

Sometimes people’s reactions to things, which may not necessarily be a sin, can get them mad.  Regardless of what upsets us, we must be cautious, as anger can lead to sin.  A Christian must always be wary of getting involved in iniquity.  One must avoid anything that may, at one point, lead one to do wrong.

For this reason, God has given us a blow-off valve so the pressures from our anger do not evolve into sin.  God’s warning is that no matter what gets you angry, make sure you get it right before the day is over.  Before the sun goes down and before you put your head on your pillow, make sure you deal with your anger.

If you find yourself angry with your wife, family member, coworker, or anyone else, make sure to address it before the end of the day.  That means someone may have to surrender their pride and discuss the day’s provocation with their spouse before bedtime. 
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Ephesians 4:26

A child may need to be apologized to because a parent’s temper got the better of them during a discipline situation.  Perhaps a phone call is necessary to re-establish a good relationship with an employee or neighbor.  If we want to end the possible consequences of improper handling of anger, it should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Failing to address anger promptly often results in hostilities and feelings being bottled up.  When one wakes up the next day, those emotions are strengthened and hardened in one’s mind.  The longer they remain undealt with, the harder they will ever be to reconcile.

Unreconciled feelings often lead to hardened, unpliable hearts.  A hardened heart leads to bitterness.  Before long, one may develop a bitter spirit towards an individual or even a group of people, all because anger was never addressed and instead it festered and grew.  

Often, the person may not even realize what has happened to him.  Anger and bitterness can fester in a relationship all because one let a day go by without humbling oneself and getting a problem resolved before the sun went down.

Perhaps, many suns have set on your anger.  The resulting bitterness has robbed you of the joy you once had. 

Every time you see a certain person or hear his name, the old, unforgiven memories churn up, and you find yourself facing the same anger.  It would have been much easier to remedy those feelings on the day it happened, but it is never too late to get your angry feelings right with another. 

Yes, it may be the other person who did something terribly wrong.  However, your anger has robbed you of your joy, and that sin may have kept you from having a closer walk and relationship with the Lord.  Get hostilities and anger right today, before the sun goes down.

“A man that does not know how to be shaken to his heart’s core with indignation over things evil is either a fungus or a wicked man” — Beecher


When Anger Is Sinful
J. Beaumont, 1871

Anger is sin:

  • When we are angry with the providence of God.
  • When we are angry with the laws of God.
  • When we are angry at the doctrines taught in the Word of God.
  • When we are angry at the good we see in others.
  • When we are angry with those who differ from us in religious sentiments.
  • When we are angry at reproof.
  • When we wish evil upon our reprover.
  • When we use unlawful means to avenge ourselves.

“To be angry is often to revenge the fault of others upon ourselves.” — Antinomy

Uncontrolled Anger
Oliver B. Greene

Alexander the Great was one of the few men in history who truly deserved his descriptive title.  He was energetic, versatile, and intelligent.  Although hatred was not generally part of his nature, several times in his life, he was tragically defeated by anger.

The story is told of one of these occasions, when a dear friend of Alexander, a general in his army, became intoxicated and began to ridicule the emperor in front of his men.  Blinded by anger and quick as lightning, Alexander snatched a spear from the hand of a soldier and hurled it at his friend.  Although he had only intended to scare the drunken general, his aim was accurate, and the spear took the life of his childhood friend.

Deep remorse followed his anger.  He was overcome with guilt, Alexander attempted to take his own life with the same spear, but he was stopped by his men.  For days, he lay sick, calling for his friend and chiding himself as a murderer.

Alexander the Great conquered many cities and countries, but he had failed miserably to control his own spirit.

When Humor Helped Keep His Shirt On
Author Unknown

In early 1952, President Truman appointed Newbold Morris to investigate crime and its management in high government circles.  Later that year, Morris was in the witness chair answering a barrage of pointed questions from the Senate subcommittee regarding the sale of some ships by his New York company.

The investigation was becoming hot and fierce.  Morris’ face took on a look of pain, then of surprise, and then of anger.  Amidst the excitement, he shouted as he reached into his coat and produced a sheet of white paper.

“Wait a minute.  I have a note here from my wife.  It says, ‘Keep your shirt on.’”

Everybody laughed, and the angry excitement died down, at least temporarily.

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

Yielding Personal “Rights”
Author Unknown

The public library had a system called “Dial-A-Tale.” Anytime a young child wanted to hear a fairy tale, they could call the number, and a voice would read a short fairy tale to the listening young ear.  However, the number was only one digit different than Rev. Tom Erickson’s number.

Because the small fingers often made mistakes, Tom received frequent calls from a child wanting to hear a fairy tale.  

After several unsuccessful attempts to explain a wrong number to the small child, Tom felt he had only one alternative.  He obtained a copy of Three Little Pigs, and set it by the phone.  Whenever a child called, he simply read him the tale.  A beautiful illustration of yielding personal rights and avoiding anger.

He didn’t, as you might have thought, change his telephone number to avoid the “invasion of his privacy”, as some might have done.

“Anyone can become angry.  That is easy.  But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, and in the right way — that is not easy.”  — Antinomy

Unhappy and Last Place
Author Unknown

A Do-it-yourself catalog firm received the following letter from one of its customers: “I built a birdhouse according to your stupid plans, and not only is it much too big, but it keeps blowing out of the tree.  Signed, Unhappy.”

The firm replied: “Dear Unhappy, We’re sorry about the mix-up.  We accidentally sent you a sailboat blueprint.  But if you think you are unhappy, you should read the letter from the guy who came in last in the yacht club regatta.”

The BIBLE VIEW #1021 — Being A Christian

In This Issue:
When the Holy Spirit Whispers to Your Heart
What We Do Have
Paul’s Good Advice
“Insiders” Can Do More Damage

Volume: 1021   October 13, 2025
Theme:  Being a Christian


When the Holy Spirit Whispers to Your Heart
Bill Brinkworth

Paul had corrected the carnal Corinthian church in his writings to them.  He got no joy out of rebuking them for their sin and weaknesses (II Corinthians 7:8), however, he rejoiced over the results of his correcting them. 

The Corinthians weighed his remarks about their sin, found the accusations were correct, saw that it was wrong in God’s eyes, were sorrowful over their iniquities, and corrected their behavior (II Cor. 7:8-9).  Paul’s verbal stand against their wrongdoing helped them repent of their error.

That is usually the intent of every preacher who preaches behind the pulpit.  They labor over the portion of the Scriptures God had laid on their heart to preach and deliver a message.  Many times, the preacher would rather not say what he has to say.  He knows very well how some will react.  

The preacher has a duty, however (II Cor. 7:12).  That duty is to deliver the truth, no matter how hard some may take it.  As did Paul, the preacher is to put the spotlight on spiritual problems in our lives.  Once we see the error, it is up to us to correct the wrongdoing.

Some hear the message pounded from the pulpit and do as the Corinthians did.  They listen to it, and most likely do not like what they hear.   Then they realize that it was not the preacher who was rebuking them, but God’s Word. 

When the seriousness of the matter is realized, they become “sorrowful” over the matter.  They become so sad about what they had done that they committed themselves not to do it again.  The Holy Spirit’s work through the preacher’s sermon has done what it was intended to do!

However, many react differently to the sermon.  Instead of getting their sin or spiritual weakness corrected, they get mad at the deliverer of the Good News. 

It is not unusual for some to storm out of the church, never to return, blaming the preacher for, “He was personally attacking me, and embarrassing me before the whole church!”  Quite often, the preacher has no idea that his words hit the mark the Holy Spirit was aiming at or to whom it applied.

Others react badly by discrediting the Spirit’s tugging at their heart by saying, “The preacher doesn’t know what he is talking about,” “That Scripture was for another time, and doesn’t apply today,” “I don’t agree with what he said”, and on and on the excuses flow.  The truth is that the Holy Spirit spoke to their heart, and they refused to obey what He was convicting them of doing.

Preaching is often the medium God chooses to speak to hearts.  However, God speaks to our hearts, it is up to us to heed the warning and turn from our rebuked ways. 

Have you heard His commands?  Did you get glad and repent, or did you get mad and not correct what He desired you to change?

“When God’s Word convicts you of sin, don’t shoot the messenger; heed the message!”

What We Do Have
Bill Brinkworth

From time to time, one hears a complaining Christian murmur, “I am a Christian.  I can’t do this or that.”  They sound like they do not enjoy being a Christian.  They forget who they are and what they have. 

Romans 8 reminds us of some of the many advantages of being a Christian.  When we are saved, the blessings include:

  • We are not condemned for the many sins we commit.
    “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

Matthew Henry wrote, “Paul does not say, ‘There is no accusation against them,’ for this there is; but the accusation is thrown out, and the indictment quashed.  He does not say, ‘There is nothing in them that deserves condemnation,’ for this there is, and they see it, and own it, and mourn over it, and condemn themselves for it; but it shall not be their ruin.  He does not say, ‘There is no cross, no affliction to them or no displeasure in the affliction,’ for this there may be, but no condemnation.” We are protected from the law’s judgment on our sins because of Christ.

  • We have the opportunity to be led by the indwelling Spirit of God.  We do not have to follow the flesh that only wants to do what feels right to it, and leads us to commit damaging sin.  We can follow God’s perfect, safe guidance (Rom. 8:5).
  • Because we can follow the Spirit of God, we can please God (Rom. 8:8).  Before the Spirit guided us, we did not please Him.
  • We are “sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).  Praise the Lord!  We are family members!
  • We are adopted into God’s family when we are saved (Rom. 8:15).  He is our “Abba”, our Father.  There is no greater honor than to be able to call the Creator of everything “Father.”  We can, once we are saved!
  • We are no longer bound by sin; we are freed from its control (Rom. 8:15-16).
  • The indwelling Spirit lets us know that we are different; we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16).
  • When we love God, we know that all that happens to us can turn out for our good and God’s glory (Rom. 8:28).  There is no need to be afraid, because God is for us (Rom. 8:31).
  • No person or circumstance can separate us from our loving God (Rom. 8:35-39).

So, praise the Lord!  If you are saved, you are on the winning side.  You have much for which to be thankful.

“If you live for God, you might miss some things: drunkenness, AIDS, divorce,
jail, etc.” — Barbara Brinkworth



Paul’s Good Advice
Bill Brinkworth

In Paul’s concluding remarks to the Galatians (Galatians 6), he left them with some good advice.  His counsel included:

  • If someone has a weakness, and you truly are spiritual, help them with their problem.  That advice is contrary to what so many do when one is having difficulties (Gal.  6:1).  Too many talk about the dilemma of those who are hurting, ridicule them, and “kick them” when they are down.
  • Take others’ hardships to your own heart.  Bear the burdens of others (Galatians  6:2), as if they were your very own.
  • No matter how successful you think you are, do not fool yourself into thinking you are better than you really are (Gal.  6:3).
  • Hardships and trials are difficult and exhausting, but when you persevere through them, you will feel better about yourself (Gal. 6:4, 5).  Too many try to keep others from learning a valuable life lesson by making it easier for them.  Those people never experience the joy of overcoming the difficulty.  Often, facing a problem alone can lead a person to draw closer to and become more reliant on God.
  • Never forget or be fooled, one always reaps what one sows!  If one plants a crop of sin, he will reap the harvest of some really rotten “fruit” (Gal. 6:7, 8)!
  • Do not quit doing right!  You may feel that there is no reward in doing so, or that no one may ever give you the credit for doing right, but God promises that, in time, you will reap the blessings of a good “crop” (Gal.  6:9)!
  • Be a blessing to others, especially other Christians (Gal. 6:10)!

Those seven bits of advice will make one’s life more rewarding and limit many unnecessary bad consequences that many face.  Paul’s wisdom, if followed, would result in fewer selfish people and many more others-oriented, content, and fulfilled Christians.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  I Corinthians 15:58



“Insiders” Can Do More Damage
Author Unknown

We who have believed can hurt Christ more than those who have not.  Enemies within the fort are more dangerous than enemies without. 

God’s worst enemies when He sought the world through His Son were not the unbelieving Romans, but the Jews who believed in God and had worshipped Him for centuries.

What a responsibility this truth puts upon those who bear Christ’s name.  For the damage is just as severe from unintentional disloyalty as from open enmity.  Every lowering of our standard is a worse stab at our best Friend and Saviour than can be dealt by scoffers or unbelievers.

The BIBLE VIEW #1016 — Sin Free?

In This Issue:
One Can’t be Sinless
I Stil Mak Mistaks
Guilty

Volume: 1016   September 1, 2025
Theme:  Not Perfect

One Can’t Be Sinless
Bill Brinkworth

When I was younger, my mother once confined me to my room until supper time because of my bad behavior.  While there, I was very upset about getting into trouble.

The guilt of not doing right and being punished was humiliating.  Making my mother upset also lay heavily on my heart.   I never wanted to disappoint her and have her punish me.

After retrieving my Bible from the bookcase and reading random passages from it, I felt even worse.  Although I don’t remember which passage affected me, I was reminded that my actions were sinful.  Conviction made me feel worse.

Soon, I made up my mind that I would never sin again.  In a short time, I don’t remember what I did, but even though I was the only one in the room, I had sinned again.  All alone, with no one to lead me astray, and I still sinned.

At that point, I realized that it was not possible not to sin.  Now that I am saved, I understand that I was discovering my soul may not want to commit iniquity, but my weak flesh had a mind of its own if I let it. 

As a Christian, we may be forgiven and may not sin as much as we did before being saved, but we are and always will be sinners, as long as we are in this body!  We may not want to break God’s commandments, but we can and too often will.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” I John 1:10
“What then?  are we better than they?  No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” Romans 3:9

Admitting one’s sins is essential, but it is just a starting point for getting ALL one’s sins forgiven and forgotten by God.  The crucial next part to have ALL one’s iniquities pardoned is to realize there is nothing anyone can do or pay to have their sins canceled.  Good deeds and acts will not pay the great price the sinner owes God.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

There is only one payment that God will accept to cover our transgressions.  Believing that God sent Jesus, His only Son, to pay our sin debt on the Cross is the only way.  That personal realization and trusting what He has done for us will then free one from sin’s ultimate penalty.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9  We can be saved from an eternity in a tormenting Hell.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

Although we may still need to confess and repent of our sins daily to remain in fellowship with God, it does not mean we have to be saved again.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30  “Sealed” indicates salvation is an official transaction that cannot be changed.
“Quench not the Spirit.” I Thessalonians 5:19

“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:29  A saved sinner will not lose one’s salvation.

If one is not saved, they will experience an eternity of regret.  For those who are truly trusting Christ’s payment for their iniquities, you are forgiven.  However, get it right with God and purpose to do your best to flee temptation and sin with God’s help.

“When one is saved all their sins are forgiven, but refusal to clean out current iniquity can halt God from working in one’s life.” — Brinkworth

I Stil Mak Mistaks
Bill Brinkworth

I have been writing Christian material for over 40 years.  Thousands of articles have been produced.  However, despite my best efforts, I still make many mistakes.

All articles have been read and reread.  Each time I review the material, I find more errors and often discover a more effective way to express something.

My bookshelves have many grammar and writing books.  I have studied them and try to adhere to the rules, but still, not one article I have written in all those years has been without error. 

During and after writing, I carefully proofread what I have written.  Sometimes, I reread the article more than five times before I handed it to my wife for her to check.  Still, even with the two of us proofreading, there were still errors or improvements that could have been made.

Since she was unable to proofread my writing due to her illness, I use professional proofreading software to check the pieces I had written.  Those programs still find mistakes.  If I check the article with one program, another system will find errors that the other software did not detect.

Just before they are published, I reread them again.  Still, I find mistakes or more efficient ways to make a statement.

It is very discouraging to me that, despite the effort I put into the material, I still do not write “perfectly.”  The fact and truth of the matter is, no writer can proof their own work.  Other proofreaders may also still find more mistakes.

One printing company I am familiar with has put each of its publications through a rigorous 12+ point barrage of proofreaders.  Most have still found errors.

As hard as I try, I will always make mistakes in what I write.

Likewise, a person, saved or lost, will also make “mistakes,” however, their deeds are often sins.  Sin always has grievous side effects and usually regrets.  It must be avoided,

Try as the sinner may, iniquity will always be around the corner.  It is very difficult not to sin, especially in this God-rejecting environment. 

None of us is “good.”  We may have better moments, but sin can hijack one’s thought life or behavior.
“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Galatians 3:22

Because of an inherited sin nature, no thanks to Adam and Eve’s disobedience,  we will always sin.  Those who claim they do not sin are either ignorant of what iniquity is, are dishonest, or should be checked for nail prints in their hands  (Jesus was the only person who never sinned and His hands were nailed to a Cross).
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12

Because one will always sin, that does not give anyone the license to continue transgressing God’s commandments, nor does one need to stop trying to halt iniquity.  “Why, I keep messing up, so why try?” some mutter in exasperation.

When a born-again child of God sins, one does not lose one’s salvation.  No one has earned their salvation; it is a free gift of God, and He does not take back what He has given.
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” II Timothy 1:9

Sin needs to be confessed to God, and with God’s help and one’s watchful attempts, it can be curtailed.  Draw closer to Him.  He will patiently help you get untangled from sin’s stranglehold.  You can succeed.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” I John 2:1

We cannot be perfect because of our temporary, weak bodies.  However, one day we will not have to battle our sinful flesh and be discouraged by our sin.  God will one day give saved people a new body that will not sin.  Until that time, carry on doing his will and way.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“Real Christians are forgiven, but sin can still ruin one’s walk with Christ and make one’s life miserable.” — Brinkworth

Guilty?
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.  26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:22-32

The BIBLE VIEW #1012 — What Are You Doing With God’s Word?

In This Issue:
Lessons Realized While Picking Blueberries
In One Ear and Out into the Fire
Forgotten Treasures

Volume: 1012   August 4, 2025
Theme:  What Are You Doing With God’s Word?


Lessons Realized While Picking Blueberries
Bill Brinkworth

We can see examples of biblical principles all around us.  We should expect to find these visual “parables” because the God who preserved His written Word for us is also the same One who created all in this universe.  He has not left you on your own.  He wants you to see and follow His way, and there are many ways to see it.

While picking blueberries from my sprawling bushes, I related many situations of that job to principles about our handling of God’s Word.  I was reminded that:

  • Although you think you picked all the juicy berries in front of you, when you look back at where you have already plucked, you find you missed some.  Often, they are hidden behind leaves or branches that shield them when picking from another direction.

    This brought to mind the many times I have read certain scriptures, but their principles were not understood at the time or were not relevant to me when I first read them.  However, when in need of specific godly advice, the same verse can be looked at from the angle of need, and it becomes a light or solution to a situation one is currently facing. 

    When the Bible is read, we may not always find something that applies to our lives at the time, but when it is needed, God allows us to understand His advice.
  • Sometimes good fruit has fallen off the bush and lies wasted at the base of the tree.  We often read the Bible with other things on our minds and miss God’s advice that could help us. 
  • Unharvested, ripe fruit laying at the base of bushes also pictures godly direction that one never bothered to glean from God’s preserved, Road-map for life.  Solutions to problems are close at hand, but the pages of the Bible are not opened to find them.
  • Sometimes berries have rotted or have been ruined by nibbling birds.  Too often, we read something in God’s Word and believe it means what we were previously told it meant.  We fail to study what other Scriptures say about the situation and believe in unusable, untrue doctrines.
  • Sometimes a strong wind came and blew much of the fruit off the tree.  Those wasting winds are like many false teachings that have been heard.  They invalidate the truth and value of God’s Word, causing people to pay no mind to the Bible’s advice.  Untrue statements like “A bunch of old men wrote the Book, and it is not what God said,” “There are errors in the Bible, and it cannot be trusted,” and “ Different versions say it better” convince too many to ignore the Bible’s truths.
  • Sometimes, intermingled among the branches, a wild, thorned blackberry bush manages to grow.  Among delicious blueberries, blackberries are tempting fruits, but they are not blueberries.  However, when picked, one gets scratched, and annoying chingers cause tremendous itching.  For the next few days, one regrets being tempted to pick those non-blueberries because of the painful scratches and the insect bites.

    Likewise, Christians who get sidetracked from doing God’s will and way by some unscriptural temptations many times regret straying from God’s direction for them.  Too often, wrong acquaintances, watered-down Bibles, unbiblical doctrines, and involvement in sin get one off-course from God’s direction, and it causes much regret.


Life certainly is not a bowl of blueberries.  There is not much easy-picking, and it requires much work and discernment.

Read and study God’s Word.  Pay attention to every Word because one day you will need His wisdom.  Do not be distracted by philosophies, opinions, or popular trends if they do not align with what is taught in the Bible.  God does not desire you to go through life without His help.  His Way is there for you to follow.  Read and apply His Truths.

In One Ear and Out into the Fire
Bill Brinkworth

God gave His Word to the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36).  It was shown in hopes that the people of Israel, when they heard how their sin would be judged and punished by God, would repent and stop their wickedness.  That is always the first desire of God.  He does not want any to perish.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, heard the Words from Jeremiah and recorded them on a scroll.  For an unspecified reason, the prophet was not allowed in the Temple.  Jeremiah commanded Baruch to read it, in his place, to an array of princes.  Fear struck the listeners, and they immediately wanted the king to hear God’s judgment by hearing the words of God.  “Surely, as they were touched and convicted, so will the king be,” they must have thought.

Jehudi was selected to read the prophetic words to the king.  Instead of being grieved and burdened as he heard a few pages read, the king cut them up with his penknife and threw them into the fire.  As more were read to him, he did likewise.  Soon, all the Words given to Jeremiah were destroyed.

Just ignoring the Words, however, did not lessen his responsibility to deal with the warnings.  As for the Word, it was simply rewritten, and today we have all the same Words that Jeremiah was given, plus some additional truths Jeremiah added.  God could preserve His Word then, and He is still doing it today in the preserved King James Bible for English-speaking people, despite all that man is trying to do to dilute His truths.

What is interesting is to see how these men handled what was heard.  The prophet heard, knew their source, and knew they were valuable to share with others so they could divert a terrible fate.  He knew how many would react, but he still made sure others had the opportunity to hear God’s Words as he had.  Today’s Christians should have a similar burden to want others to listen to the truths as taught in God’s Word.  If we do not tell others, who will?

The princes heard the same words and were afraid of what was prophesied to happen.  They too wanted another to hear it.  I am sure they were hoping their leader would help change the situation so God would not judge their nation.

The king reacted like so many do today.  He heard the words, was not convicted or disturbed, and burnt them up.  He did not do with the Truths as God intended.

Destroying or ignoring the truths from the Bible is certainly going on today.  God’s Word is ridiculed and demeaned.  We hear all the “arguments,” which include:

  • “Only the weak believe it.” However, are we not all “weak”?  Most do not recognize their weaknesses – yet!  I heard this defense from a man who was on his fifth marriage, and he is a young man.  He just does not see where he is failing, perhaps because he is comparing himself to other “weak” persons around him, and does not seem as “bad” as others.  If he and others would compare themselves to what the Bible says about their condition, actions, and sins, they might see a truly different picture of themselves.
  • “It is filled with errors.” People often say that, but most cannot give an example of an “error”.  The majority who have given the Bible open-minded study have concluded that there are no errors.

    Years ago, one website offered thousands of dollars as a reward to anyone who could find errors in it.  They never gave one cent of reward because no one could find a mistake.  None of the big talk about contradictions and errors proved true when they were challenged.  I have found that many who claim this excuse have never even read it for themselves, or have formed an opinion before they even read some of it.
  • “It’s too hard to understand.” Actually, the majority of the King James Bible is at a fifth-grade level.  The difficulty in reading and understanding it depends on whether or not the Holy Spirit of God is in the reader’s heart.  God’s Spirit is the only One that can allow anyone to understand it.
  • “It’s not important.” This is the excuse many use for not even attempting to read it.  It is shocking to know how few have read it at all, and even fewer that have read it from cover to cover — even amongst Christians!
  • They do not want to hear it.  They have already purposed in their heart not to obey the highest Authority.  This was the case of the king in Jeremiah 36.  He, like so many others, had his plans as to how he wanted to live his life and did not want any authority telling him how to live it.  It is when people realize their way does not work that they turn to God’s way and allow Him to lead them in the direction He desires for them.

How are you handling the Word of God?  Is it so precious to you that you are burdened to share it with others, no matter what it costs you in popularity, friendships, and others’ opinions about you?

 Are you believing every Word and trusting its Author, even though you may not initially understand it all?  Are you asking and allowing the Spirit of God to help you know His Word?  Are the truths within the pages of God’s Word so important to you that you make the effort to read and obey them, or are you allowing it to go in one ear and out into the fire as the king did, and not letting God’s Word influence and direct your life?  Read God’s Word and let Him show you His truth.

“… For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48



Forgotten Treasure
Dr. Edmond

A man once entered a home in Germany and found it very wretched — no fire, no furniture, no food.  Everything bore the appearance of utter poverty.  Glancing around, he saw, in a neglected corner, a copy of the Bible, and when he went away, he said to the poor tenants, “There is a treasure in this house that would make you all rich.”

After he had gone, the people began to search the house for what they thought must be a jewel or a pot of gold, and found nothing.  They dug up the floor in hopes of discovering the hidden store of wealth.  Their labors were all in vain.  One day, the mother lifted the old Bible, and found written on the flyleaf these words, “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” (Ps. 119:72)

“Ah!” she said, “can this be the treasure the stranger spoke of?”  So, she shared her thoughts with the rest of the family.  They began to read the Bible and were transformed in character, and the blessings of God came to stay with them. 

The stranger came back to find poverty gone, contentment and peace in its place, and a hearty Christian welcome.  With grateful joy, the family told him, “We found the treasure, and it has proved all that you said to us it would.”

“A man may read the numbers on a sundial, but he cannot tell the time of day unless the sun shines on the dial.  We may read the Bible over and over, but we cannot learn its purpose or words until the Spirit of God shines into our hearts.” — T. Watson 

The BIBLE VIEW #1005 — Trust the Lord

In This Issue:
An Unreliable Foundation
Give God the Rudder

Volume: 1005   May 11, 2025
Theme:  Trust the Lord!

If you like The BIBLE VIEW, you will most likely look forward to receiving  The Daily View, a free daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Bible study, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

An Unreliable Foundation
Bill Brinkworth

The central Italian city of Pisa has many popular tourist sites.  Many come to see the University of Pisa, which was first started in 1343.  Others flock to the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) to see the famous white, marbled cathedral, baptistery, and the tilting bell tower.  Of all that the city has to show, none is more memorable and curious than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or as a 1929 Scientific American article named it, the “Sinking” Tower of Pisa.

The tower was begun in August of 1173 A. D., of which they are sure.  Many of the other details are vague because they are not documented.  Who the architect was is not clear, as at least three different times, the project was resumed and then halted.

Many believe that the tower’s tilting had been discovered by the completion of the third story.  Because of battles and possibly because of the discovery of its inclination, construction was halted.  Soft river valley sediments, sand, and clay did not support its weight, and the building began leaning.  A temporary bell was placed on the third story.

There, the semi-finished building lay, year after year, halted before it was completed.  I am sure it was a laughing stock for many.

“Hey, Luigi, see that unfinished tower those foolish builders left.  Such lack of planning.  It was a waste of money and materials, and what an eyesore.  If they had only spent the time wisely on a firm foundation on which to build,” may have been the conversation of the past.

Some later levels tried to compensate for the five-degree tilt by building them off-center, on the true vertical.  Upward the white, marbled structure’s construction went.  Over the next one hundred years, construction was started and stopped.  It is believed the belfry was completed in 1350, as one of the bells in the tower is dated.

Still, the campanile leans.  All the planning, ingenuity, and decoration did not solve or even hide the problem that the building tilts more than 17 feet from its perpendicular and continues to tilt at a rate of ¼ an inch per year.

Man still has not given up.  Many attempts have been made to stop its leaning.  In the 1930’s, cement was injected through pipes inserted under the tower in hopes that the foundation would be strengthened and the leaning would cease.  The tilting continued.

Attempts were made to tie it together with cables to keep it intact.  Numerous restoration projects were begun and then discontinued.

Plans for the structure’s righting are vast.  Some call for jacking the building up six feet on one side and moving the 14,700 metric tons to a new concrete base.  The more sure method would be to dismantle the eight stories and start construction over on a thick, firm foundation.

How many lives in the past have been erected similarly?  Instead of building a life on the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ and around the firm foundation of the Word of God (our preserved KJV Bible), people try various ways, plans, and fads to live their lives.  They spend their entire lives compensating for a life that was not founded on a firm foundation from the beginning.  Their efforts are hopeless if they are not in line with God’s plan and method.

Lives have been directed by the advice of strangers, family, television talk shows, and even from movies.  Newspaper columnists and others’ beliefs have probably directed more lives than would ever be known.  Man-made unbiblical religion has also misdirected many.

All kinds of techniques have been tried to stop problems.  Today, there are drugs to try to solve the issues of weight loss, nervousness, lack of attentiveness, feelings of loneliness, and other of life’s problems.  The hope is in a pill to fix a problem.  Psychologists’ and psychiatrists’ advice is followed, no matter how extreme or illogical it seems.  Man’s attempts to right a tilting life usually fail.

Few of these people ever seek to get the advice from their Creator, who has raised millions upon millions of children.  Father knows best, but He is rarely sought for direction, or His word followed for guidance.  No wonder so many lives are slanting to an inevitable destruction.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”Matthew 7:24-27

Sin is usually the “tilting” force in one’s life.  There is a clear way to reconstruct a sin-troubled life.  That way can change one’s life.  It is the only way that works.  Man tries to change a life from the outside, hoping the inside will be altered.  God changes it from the inside, and then the outside will be transformed.  The amount of renovation is dependent on one’s obedience to God’s commands found in His Word.

When a man is saved, his life is changed.  The inward change is done in the heart.  That is why the Bible names a spiritually revitalized person as “born again”.  A life is started all over again.

He is a new creature.  All sins are forgiven and forgotten by God.  The new life can begin on a new foundation that will support the load of life’s troubles.  Guilt from sin will disappear.  An eternal penalty for past sins is gone!

This “second chance” can be achieved by admitting one’s sins.  The Bible reminds us that we are all sinners.  Not one of us has pleased God with our good works or kindness.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

God certainly knows we are sinners.  Our confession of our guilt shows God that we are humbling ourselves and admitting our failure in doing it our way rather than His.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9

Once our sinfulness is acknowledged, one must know that a price has been paid for our sins.  God’s only son, Jesus, paid that price.  The death He suffered on the cross was not for His sin, as He was sinless.  It was for our transgressions.  His payment is the only fee God will accept.  We cannot pay for our sinning against God by our good works or deeds.  Jesus has already paid the price.
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:15

Once we are saved, we are then in the family of God.  The Father can guide if the “born again” (John 3:3) child obeys Him.  A life can be salvaged and restarted.  There can be hope.  We can compensate and recover from our self-lived lives.

The world’s solutions hardly ever work, and if they do, they often work only temporarily.  God can come into a life and straighten the crooked course, and it can stay undeviated.

Build your life around the Word of God.  It is as true today as when God inspired its writing.  Since then, God has used it to raise, support, and guide millions.  It is the firm foundation.  It will never let you tilt.

“Life is a long lesson in humility.” — Barrie



Give God the Rudder
C. H. Spurgeon

I have heard of a young man who went to college, and when he was there one year, his parents said to him, “What do you know?  Do you know more than when you went?”

“Oh!  Yes,” said he, “I do.”

Then, after he attended the second year, he was asked the same question, “Do you know more than when you went?”

“Oh!  No,” said he, “I know a great deal less than I thought.”

“Well,” said the father,” you are getting somewhere now.”

Then he went to the third year and was asked the same question.  “What do you know now?”

“Oh!” said he, “I don’t think I know half as much as I should know.”

“That is right,” said the father; “you will now profit since you say you know nothing.  He who is convinced that he knows nothing of himself as he ought to know gives up steering his ship and lets God put his hand on the rudder.”

“The truest end of life is to know the life that never ends.” — William Penn

The BIBLE VIEW #999 — Priorities

In This Issue:
Not As Important As You Think
Our Important Testimony
Beware of Covetousness

Volume: 999    March 31, 2025
Theme:  Priorities

The  Daily View is a free, daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will aso include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Bible study, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

Read what readers have said about the e-mailed devotion at
https://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/what-readers-say


Not As Important As You Think
Bill Brinkworth

Many are concerned about things that often are not as important as believed.  As Christians, we need to be concerned about the priorities God desires us to have and make what He deems relevant important to us.

Webster defines “vanity” as “emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; fruitless desire or endeavor; trifling labor that produces no good; empty pleasure; vain pursuit.” Vanity is a concern for things that are not that important.  “Vain” is similar in that it is defined as “worthless, having no substance, empty, and unsatisfying.” Many times, vain interests get more energy and concern than they deserve.

Here is a brief study on what the Bible classifies as “vanity” and “vain” in hopes that more Christians will realize what is truly important and what is not essential (vain) in God’s eyes:

What the Bible calls “vain”:

  • Ideas and popular trends of the world are vain.  
    “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.” II Kings 17:15
    “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.” Psalm 12:2
  • The “end justifies the means” philosophy is vain.  
    “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.” Proverbs 21:6
  • The wages of sin are vain.  
    “He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” Proverbs 22:8
  • The love of money is vain.  
    “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
  • Foolish desires of youth can be vain.  
    “Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.” Ecclesiastes 11:10
  • Nations against God are vain.  
    “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” Isaiah 40:17
  • Ungodly wisdom of judges is vain.  
    “That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.” Isaiah 40:23
  • Good works without salvation are vain.  
    “Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.” Isaiah 41:29
  • False religion is vain.  
    “For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.” Zechariah 10:2
  • Prideful wisdom is vain.  
    “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.” II Peter 2:18
  • Cursing is vain.  God’s name should never be used lightly and without respect.  
    “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7
  • Over-beautifying the flesh is vain.  
    “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” Proverb 31:30
  • Customs and traditions are vain, especially religious ones.  
    “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.  For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.” Jeremiah 10:2-3
  • Philosophies of men are vain.  
    “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9
  • Religion without Christ is vain.  
    “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” I Corithians 15:14 Also: Titus 3:9, II Timothy 3:5-7.


What Is Not Vanity:

  • Hard work is not vanity.  
    “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” Proverb 13:11
  • A godly stand is not vanity.  
    “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” Ephesians 4:17
  • Fear of the Lord is not vanity.  
    “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” Proverb 31:30
  • God’s creations are not vanity.  
    “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18


The best word to define both “vanity” and “vain” is “emptiness.” No matter how much time and energy one spends on vain things, the results will be nothing of value.  God has so much more to offer you than “emptiness”.  Fill yourself with the desires of God.  They will have value that will last forever.

“A man is rich based on what he is, not what he has!” — Author Unknown


Our Important Testimony
Bill Brinkworth

One of the most valuable assets a Christian can have is one’s testimony.  What others think of him is often what they see him do, how he reacts in certain situations, and how they believe a Christian should live (although their views may not always be accurate).  Paul gave some advice on how to preserve that testimony in Ephesians 4.  Some of his advice included:

  • Do not live like the rest of the world and put the wrong value on things that are not that important (vs. 17-18).
  • Do not lust after things of this world and be consumed with greed for them (vs. 19).
  • Do not let your conversation with others be about lust for this world’s things (vs. 22).
  • Live a righteous life and strive to be a good example (vs. 24).
  • Let your conversation be honest, and do not lie (vs. 25).
  • If you get angry, get it right with those involved before the sun goes down (vs. 26).
  • Do not get close to sin, and allow the devil to destroy your testimony (vs. 27).
  • Do not steal; work hard for what you want (vs. 28).
  • Be careful of the words you utter, making sure what you say helps others (vs. 29).
  • Do not sadden the indwelling Holy Spirit by sinning (vs. 30).
  • Do not allow the sins of bitterness, violence, anger, and evil speaking to be part of your life (vs. 31).
  • Be kind to others (vs. 32).

As hard as we try, some will always see our example wrongly, no matter how we adhere to the above advice and other godly principles.  Although it is impossible to please all the people all the time, we are responsible for trying to have the best testimony we can.  Our example is not so much about what others think about us but what others think about Christ from our example.  We are often all the unsaved will ever know about Christ.  Will they determine that they do not want to be a Christian because of what is observed in our behavior, or will they consider being one because of how we live our lives?

“Your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” — Author Unknown

Beware of Covetousness
C. H. Spurgeon

Beware of covetousness.  It is one of the most insidious of all sins.

Covetousness is like the silting of a river.  As the stream flows down, it brings sand and earth and deposits all these at its mouth.  Soon, unless cleared and dug out, it will block itself, leaving no channel for ships to travel.  Daily deposits create a sandbar, which is dangerous to navigation.

Many people, when accumulating wealth, ruin their lives similarly.  The more that is acquired, the more closely one’s spiritual life is blocked.  Instead of doing more for God, a person does less.  The things of this world get in the way.  The more that is saved, the more that is wanted, and the more that is wanted, the less one cares for the world to come.

“The greatest deception is to equate success with wealth.” — Author Unknown

The BIBLE VIEW #997 — Encouragement

In This Issue:
The Brake Is On!
Assurance
“I Have Nothing to Complain About!”
Christ, Our Banner
Prepare for the Daily Battle


Volume: 997    March 14, 2025
Theme:  Encouragement

The  Daily View is a free, daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.


Read what readers have said about the e-mailed devotion at
https://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/what-readers-say/


The Brake Is On!
Bill Brinkworth

“Yippee” was the feeling of glee the young driver felt.  It was the first time for her to drive after she got her license.  All those school classes on driver safety, reading and reciting that boring driver’s manual were finished, and now the moment of freedom was not far away.  She could go anywhere daddy’s car would take her.

“Well, what’s the first thing I should do? Check the driver’s mirror.  Check.  Check the rear-view mirror.  Oops, my lipstick needs a little more on the top lip.  Double-check.  Adjust seat.  Put on the seat belt.  Check.  Put the key in, and turn it on.”  A little burst of excitement made her smile as she was seconds from a world she had wanted to enter for way too long.  “Put it in drive, and away we go,” she giggled.  This was it.  “A little bit on the accelerator, and?”

The car would not move.  “Maybe a little more gas?”  The car inched forward, lurching and jerking.  It did not want to cooperate.  “Hmm.  What didn’t I do?”  The novice driver double-checked everything she had done so many times before.

More gas, and still the car lurched forward.  “Something is wrong here,” she concluded.  “I had better check with Dad.”  As she put the car in park, turned off the ignition, and prepared to leave the vehicle, something caught her eye.  Someone had left the emergency brake on.  Again, she restarted the car, removed the emergency brake, put it in gear, applied the gas, and she was off.  The brake made it almost impossible for her to get anywhere!

In church, there also may be securely applied brakes that keep many from going forward for God.  The appliers of the brake often mean well, but sometimes, they unintentionally restrict others from moving smoothly forward in Christian service.

These “brakes” are often:

  • Unkind, unthought-out words such as, “We ain’t done it that way before,” “That’s not how we do it around here,” “When you’ve been saved as long as I have, you’ll know better,” and “I’d never do it that way.”  Although there should be proper ways to do things, since any ministry is representing the church, too often we can deflate one’s enthusiasm to move forward for God because of unedifying, self-purposing, wrong words.
  • Very few attend church-wide events such as church, prayer meetings, visitation, church dinners, or other church functions.  Lack of attendance instantly sends a message to those who attend that they are not like anyone else, and maybe they are “taking this “Christian” thing too seriously.”  Immediately, their zeal is quenched, and they soon could become one more Christian who is sitting and not serving.
  • The longstanding members and leaders do not attend church regularly.  New converts and visitors see their lack of support for the ministry and instantly halt their zeal in attending.  “Well, if they’re not coming, then maybe it is not important for me to attend all the time,” could be their thoughts.
  • Members are late.  Lateness gives a clear impression of the importance of attendance.  One would not think of being late for school or work because it is essential.  Church attendance is also important!
  • Complaining and murmuring among members magnifies to the on-looker that maybe this is not a happy church family.  It also does not help when someone in public prayer makes it clear that they are not satisfied with something that is going on in the church.  Under the guise of spirituality, it is sometimes prayed aloud, “Please pray for Brother So-and-so that he will get his heart right and stop lying,” or some other cutting remark about a situation.  Those cowardly attacks never do anything positive; they only increase discord and hurt feelings.  No one is usually fooled and realizes that the person is venting his opinion about how they think people or situations should be dealt with in the church. 

    The Holy Spirit should handle most situations and not us!  If we need to ensure the matter is handled, it should be dealt with first on a one-to-one basis (Matthew 18:15-17)!



There are enough obstacles in serving the Lord without discouraging others, intentionally or unintentionally.  The work is great, and so is the battle (Ephesians 6:12).

There is more said in the Bible about encouraging others and ourselves than there is in our being volunteer holy spirits, and our telling others how to serve God.  The real Holy Spirit can certainly do a better job in speaking to hearts and guiding one in the way He would like it done.  We need to be more like accelerators, and less often “brakes”!

“If you are busy rowing the boat, you won’t have time to rock it!”

Assurance
Author Unknown

Pelopidas, when informed that the number of the enemy was double that of his army, replied, “So much the better.  We shall conquer so many the more.” His intelligent self-assurance was more powerful than a thousand spears.

“It takes little intelligence, character, or spirituality to criticize.  However, it does take all three to encourage others!”  

“I Have Nothing to Complain About!”
Bill Brinkworth

One of our favorite blessings in the nursing home ministry is L.  We asked her the other day how she was, and she cheerfully replied, “Brother Bill, I’d like to complain about something, but I honestly cannot find anything to complain about.” 

Another time, when asked what she was thankful for, she quipped, “I am so thankful for my health.”   She meant this from her heart, as she sat in her wheelchair receiving oxygen much of the day and needing the care provided for her by the nursing home.

What a testimony she is to us who have so much more, but complain too often about our “little” afflictions.

“The men who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than they criticize.”  — Elizabeth Harrison

Christ, Our Banner

C. H. Spurgeon

The army’s banner was a source of consolation to the wounded.  There he lies, the good knight.  Well has he fought without fear and without reproach.  A chance arrow pierced the joints of his harness, and his life is oozing out from the ghastly wound.  

No one is there to unbuckle his helmet or give him a draught of cooling water.  His frame is locked up in that hard case of steel, and though he feels the smart from the wound, he cannot gain the remedy.  He hears the cries, the mingled cries, the hoarse shouts of men that rush in fury against their fellows, and he opens his eyes as yet he has not fainted with his bleeding.  Where, think you, does he look?  He turns himself around.  What is he looking for?  For friend?  For comrade?  No.

Should they come to him, he would say, “Just lift me, and let me sit against that tree awhile and bleed here, but go you to the fight.”

Where is that restless eye searching, and what object is it looking for?  Yes, he has it, and the face of the dying man is brightened.  He sees the banner still waving, and with his last breath, he cries, “On!  On!  On!”  He falls asleep content because his troop’s banner is safe.  It has not been cast down.  Though he has lost, the flag is secure.

Even so, every true soldier of the Cross rejoices in its triumph.  We fall, but Christ does not.  We die, but the cause prospers.  When my heart was most sad, sad as it never was before nor since, that sweet text, “Him hath God the Father exalted, and given him a name that is above every name,” immensely cheered my soul and set me again in peace and comfort.  Our banner is still flying, and there is hope!

Prepare for the Daily Battle!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:10-18

The BIBLE VIEW #994 — God’s Provision

In This Issue:
Just Enough
Little Is Much When God Is in It
God Provided 
Matthew 6:25-34
God’s Ravens

Volume: 994    February 17, 2025
Theme: God’s Provision

The  Daily View is a free, daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

Just Enough
Bill Brinkworth

After two months of being led out of bondage in Egypt, the people of Israel complained (Exodus 16:2) about not having the food they liked.  They ignored the fact of being mistreated in slavery, God had delivered them from their bondage, and they daily saw God’s leadership and provision as they traveled through the wilderness.  God heard their complaints but still met their needs.

God rained “bread” from Heaven every morning for the people.  The sweet, small bread was also called “the corn of Heaven” and angel’s food (Psalms 78:24-25).  

Six days a week, the manna rained down.  There was just enough for every man, woman, and child to eat.  Each family gathered what they could eat, about one omer (3.6 liters).  After the sun burned hot, there was no manna left.  The manna melted.  They had just enough for that day!

If the people did not trust that God would provide the “bread” the next day and tried to hoard it, it would stink and turn to worms.  They had no choice but to trust God would provide their daily needs.  To compound God’s miracle of provision, on the day before the Sabbath, when they were not to work, God rained down a two-day supply of manna.  The bread gathered that day would last two days.  God gave them just enough food every day for 40 years until they ate corn in the land (Joshua 5:12) that God had led them to.

Throughout the Bible there are examples of God’s meeting the needs of His own.  Jacob had a son, Joseph, in the right position to provide his family with food during a drought.  God provided just enough food to meet all of Israel’s needs when they were in the wilderness.  The widow’s miraculously refilling barrel of meal and the cruse of oil were just enough to meet Elijah’s and the widow’s needs.  Jesus told the disciples to reach the world with the Gospel and not carry anything extra.  In all cases, God provided just enough.  They were not to have extra because they were to trust God and see what He would do for them daily.

Man’s distrusting nature relies too often on his provision.  There needs to be a correct balance between saving for a “rainy day” and amassing as much as possible because he thinks only he can provide.  We are to be wise and good stewards of what we have, but not dependent only on what we do.  It is often forgotten that God wants us to trust him for everything, including our daily needs. 

Most people have long forgotten, or never given any thought or trust, that God is the one that ultimately provides all we have.  It is not the government’s food stamps or its welfare that we should rely on.  It is not our big barns of storage, as the “fool” in Luke 12:16-21 trusted in.  It would not take much for a government to collapse, especially these days, or “barns” of investments or savings accounts to fail, and then where would those people who were relying on themselves be?

My wife and I have learned long ago that God will meet our daily needs.  We saved what we could, sometimes only ten dollars a week, and have been frugal with our purchases, but still tithed (gave to the Lord through the local church). 

We soon learned that God honored His promises and did provide our “daily bread” (Mat. 6:11).  We have always had enough to pay our bills.

When we desperately needed housing, God gave us just enough money from an insurance claim to fix up an old house.  When our house desperately needed paint, the paint I found was just enough to cover the job and just “happened” to be the right color.

Without planning, I purchased seeds for the garden, which were just enough to cover the available space.  Repair jobs around the house are often met by having just enough materials lying around the house.

Food prepared is just enough to meet the needs of all the unexpected guests who drop in for dinner.  The clothes given to us just happened to fit exactly our sizes.

On and on, I could go of 40+ years of God’s precise provision.  Sometimes, we had a little extra, only to find, in a couple of days, that it would be just enough to replace a damaged tire or meet the needs of another emergency.  After thousands of examples of just having enough, we quickly learned it was not a coincidence but God’s provision. 

If we had had a surplus, we may not have been reliant and appreciative of God’s provision.  If we had had everything we wanted, we may have been like the wealthy man I once visited.  After I told him the Bible’s plan of salvation, he looked me in the face and said, “Look around.  Do you see all I have?”  He did have a large mansion, cars, and other splendid things.  “Does it look like I need God?”  He needed to know that God had provided, not himself.  Without God’s help, he may not have the health or the intellect to earn that money.  People like that who have such self-trust often have to, and do, lose all they have to find out Who really is in control.

Today’s world has become more dependent on their own devices or government aid, including Christians!  Unfortunately, those provisions frequently let those who trust them down.  The ways of man are not trustworthy nor always reliable.  God, however, will never let his own down that trust in Him.  Rely on God to provide.  He may give you just enough, but it will be He that you will reliably trust on.  You will then see what the mighty hand of God will do in your life.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Mat.  21:22
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” I John 3:22

“When you’re down to nothing, God may be up to something.”

 

Little Is Much When God Is in It
Hymn by Kittie J. Suffield

 In the harvest field now ripened,
There’s a work for all to do.
Hark, the voice of God is calling,
To the harvest calling you.
CHORUS:
Little is much when God is in it.
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.

 Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
CHORUS:

When the conflict here is ended
And our race on Earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, my child, well done.”
CHORUS:

“God strengthens shoulders to bear the burden.”

God Provided
Dr. J. Campbell

  • Abraham’s knife lifted up to kill his son; an angel appeared.
  • Lot was near destruction; angels intervened.
  • Hagar and her son were dying; an angel showed them water.
  • Moses was trapped from escaping his enemy by the sea: God parted the waters.
  • Rabshakeh insulted God; his army was destroyed in twelve hours.
  • Haman formed a plot to kill Jews; the king could not sleep and read what Mordecai had done for him.  Because of his discovery, Mordecai and, eventually, the Jewish people were spared.
  • Peter was in jail; angels released him.



Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they? 27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or, What shall we drink?  or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

“Worry is irreverent — God will provide!”

God’s Ravens
F. B. Meyer

Having read the story of how God fed Elijah by the ravens with his mother, a little boy sat on a wintry night in a fireless room beside a bare table.  With a simple, child-like trust, he asked his widowed mother if he might set the door open for God’s ravens to come in.

“I feel sure they must be on their way,” he said.  The trustful mother granted the request.

The mayor of the German town, passing by, was curious by the sight of the open door and entered, inquiring why it was open.  When he learned the reason, he said, “I will be God’s raven!”  He met their needs then and long afterward.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 37:3-5

“What God ordains, He sustains!” — Author Unknown

The BIBLE VIEW #983 — Your Word

In This Issue:
Your Words
Reneging on Your Promise to God
Three Will Know


Volume: 983 November 25, 2024
Theme: Your Word

The Daily View is a free, daily devotion. Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading. The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

Read what readers have said about the e-mailed devotion at
https://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/what-readers-say/


Your Words
Bill Brinkworth

God’s words, as preserved in the Bible, are always honest and can be trusted (Prov. 30:15). Our words, however, are not always truthful and cannot be trusted. All sin with their mouth.

“Word” is used at least 704 times in the King James Bible. Although most of those times refer to God’s Word, we can see from the many references that words are important to God. Some verses show us what God thinks about what comes out of our mouths.

In Romans 1, where at least 30 sins are mentioned, at least fifteen involve what was said. Some of the iniquities mentioned are ungratefulness, debating, deceitfulness, gossiping, backbiting, pride, boasting, disobedience to parents, and covenant-breaking. Although there are hundreds of commandments in the Old Testament, the popularly known “Ten” includes at least three commandments that can involve our tongue. It should be evident to all that our tongue can be used for good, or it can be used to sin.

Here is some of what the Bible says about the words that can come out of our mouths:
• Many sins are with the tongue. Our tongues can be behind some of our iniquities.
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:5-6
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:8
“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips….“ Isa. 6:5
“And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Matthew 12:32
“For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.” Job 15:5
“Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.” Psalms 52:2
“Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:” Psalms 64:3
“They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.” Psalms 73:9
“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” Proverbs 15:2
“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.” Proverbs 21:6
“A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Proverbs 26:28
Also: Psalms 15:3, Proverbs 6:17, Pr. 18:21, Pr. 17:4.

• Be careful what the tongue says. It can and should be controlled!
“Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.” Psalms 34:13
“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2
“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.” Job 6:24
Also: Job 27:4, Proverbs 10:31, I Peter 3:10.

• We will be accountable for every word we say!
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36
“The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:” Psalms 12:3
“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” Psalms 139:4
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26 There were times when Jesus, our example, knew to say nothing. Sometimes, it would be best to take His example and keep silent in certain situations.
“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.” Matthew 27:14

• The tongue can be used for good.
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Colossians 3:17
“And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.” Psalms 35:28
“The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.” Proverbs 10:20
Also: I Timothy 4:12, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 14:15.

• There will be times when we can speak what God wants us to say. Use it for His glory now.
“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:11

Like the rest of our body, our tongue was part of God’s creation. Its creation was not intended for us to sin against our Creator. A saved person should strive to control what is uttered by his tongue. Some of the best advice for those desiring to please God and wanting to control their tongue comes from the adage, “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything.”

“Promises may get thee friends, but non-performance may turn them into enemies.”— Benjamin Franklin


Reneging on Your Promise to God
Bill Brinkworth

“When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.” Deut. 23:21

In desperation, sometimes people plea to the Lord for His help. They beg and promise Him that if He remedies a situation, they will do or stop doing something in return for His intervention. No matter the dire, compelling circumstances, they vowed they would do something.


A frantic mother at the bedside of her deathly ill child may beg God that if He heals her child, she will go to church every Sunday and bring her children. Distressed about losing his job, a man may promise God that he will quit drinking if only God would get him work. Anxious from seeing unpaid bills piling up and visions of being homeless, a parent may promise God all kinds of changes if only He will deliver them from the financial mess they were in.

Often, God does deliver the despairing one from the serious situation. However, the rescued person sometimes goes back on his commitment to the Lord. He reneges on keeping his promise to God.

Such was the situation in Jeremiah’s day. God had the prophet Jeremiah relay a commandment to the Hebrews. The commandment was that they were to release all the Jewish maids and manservants from bondage. They were to be set free (Jer. 34:8-10), and the servants were released from their servitude.

However, as do so many in a similar situation, many changed their minds (Jer. 34:11). They went back on their commitment to the Lord. Those that were freed were again put into bondage.

Their doubled-mindedness, unfortunately, cost those who broke their promise to the Lord quite a lot as He dealt with their disobedience and promise-breaking. Enemies attacked them; pestilences plagued them; famine ravished the people; their reputation was tarnished; many lost their lives (Jer. 34:17-22); and other punishments. They paid an extremely exorbitant wage for breaking their word to God.
Let this hard lesson Israel learned from the judging hands of God be a wake-up call to you for any promises you have made to Him. The Lord takes our words very seriously. Be honest; be true; keep your word as God expects you to!
“If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” Num. 30:2
“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for [he hath] no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” Ecclesiastes. 5:45

“A promise made is a debt unpaid until you keep your word1”
— Author Unknown

Three Will Know
Author Unknown

A newly saved man was tempted to cheat. Upon his refusal, his tempter asked why.

“Because three will know that I cheated,” replied the Christian. “You will know. I will know, and Heaven will know.” This applies to all of us.
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13