The Simple Life

Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. Isaiah 28:23-26 (ESV) Life is seasonal. There are times of ignorance that, after years of precept upon precept, turn to times of understanding. There are times of great sorrow and times of great joy. There are times of fasting and times of feasting. God knows what times are coming up, and He knows how to prepare us for the challenges and joys we are about to face. It is vitally important that we position ourselves to listen to Him, for He alone will prepare, guide, and ultimately help us conclude this life. It is wise to understand the seasons of life and to live in the context of that season, knowing that the season will change ...

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter." Isaiah 28:14-15 (ESV) Making a lie a refuge leads to a tragedy. To believe that you are well when you are sick keeps you from treatment. To think that you are "set" financially when you are not keeps you from making wise financial decisions. An alcoholic who thinks they have no problem can never free themselves from the grip of alcohol. Lies are easy to come up with, hard to live with, and once believed, hard to expose. It almost seems as if we want to believe lies, and sometimes we like the lie over the truth. We must have a way to check what we believe against the truth, or be subject to the tremendous and disastrous consequences of believing a l...

"To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." Isaiah 28:9-10 (ESV) God teaches us slowly, through His Word, as we are in a position to understand what is taught. His teaching is slow and methodical, and quite effective. We do not take toddlers who are showing an interest in a musical instrument and teach them music theory. Instead, we provide them with an instrument that can be "abused," and allow them the chance to learn how to respect, handle, use, and experiment with it. As time passes, we begin to teach beginners how to organize notes into patterns and lay the foundation for a time when they can become accomplished musicians.  No matter how accomplished one becomes, the basics of music theory will still apply, for it is the precept upon precept, and line...

These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left. Isaiah 28:7-8 (ESV) A young mentally challenged boy was asked about alcoholic drinks, and he immediately responded that he would not touch them because alcohol is a "solvent." When the questioner had a puzzled look on his face, he replied, “It dissolves marriages, friendships, ability to work, and more.” There are many warnings about alcohol in the Scriptures, yet "believers" tend to look at passages that mention "wine" in passing, and they try to make it proof texts for their own drinking habits. The downside of alcohol is enormous, as would be indicated by the amount of health care, law enforcement, and emergency services that are dedicated to the effects of its abuse. Satan h...

The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:7-9 (ESV) A righteous person does what is right. In many cases, right and wrong are very clear. In some cases, right and wrong are mysterious. It seems to me that our loving God and Father is the one who makes things "level," and that the most critical aspect of our responsibility is to want to please Him. As a child, I may not always know what is right, but I can always have the desire to do what is right, and that makes all the difference. God can make it so that one who has a pure heart can avoid the rugged peaks and valleys of this life. I need to trust in Him. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV) When I am not at peace, it is because my mind is not dwelling on God, but it is dwelling on the circumstances of life. If I lack peace and look to God, then I really do not know God, and I am really looking at a God I have created in my mind. Knowing God and choosing to be close to Him, and to listen to Him, yields a peace that passes all understanding. Peace is a barometer, and barometers do not cause conditions or even predict conditions. They inform you of the existing conditions, allowing you to prepare accordingly. The lack of peace tells us that our priorities are off. When my focus, my mind, is on God and how the circumstances of this life point to Him, and the fact that He loves me and has a plan for my life, I am at peace. When I focus on the problem, I am overwhelmed, and I become the problem. https://www....