The Simple Life

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....

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. Isaiah 25:1(ESV) For one to say, "You are my God" and truly understand what that means is incredible. Some circumstances make no sense to us. Having God as our God is the only hope we have.   Those who have no God can only talk of circumstances and hope that those circumstances change, so they may endure the day. Those who know God can obtain a rest, a "faith rest" life, that He alone gives to those who dwell in His presence. Those who are experiencing the "faith rest" life are fine, regardless of the circumstances. If Satan cannot use the circumstances of this life to destroy his enemy (those who love and walk with God), then his arsenal is severely limited. Our proximity to God matters at all times, and our proximity is not accidental. God is worthy of our praise, for He, today, as in all days, has done wonderful ...

“In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 22:25 (ESV) What is thought secure, is not. What is safe is secure, even when you feel it is not. It may never rain on the person who has saved money for the rainy day. Retirement may never come to one who has lived their life for such a time. Health can change in a moment, accidents can easily alter plans, and natural disasters can render life as we know it today no longer available. When we place our hope for security in things that are not secure, we abandon reason. Reasonable people put their hope in something that gives them cause for hope. This world and the things of this world cannot offer hope, for all of the components of this life are to be used, not loved. It is only that which can be legitimately loved that can give hope. For now, the choice is ours. https://...

For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. Isaiah 21:6 (ESV) A watchman watches. There were several times when God addressed a watchman and commanded them to be vigilant. A watchman sets themselves up to watch and to proclaim what they see. When there is no danger, they remain silent. When they see danger, they proclaim danger. This proclamation can be heeded or discarded, but it must be made. The watchman must be faithful to his/her task. While I was in a major retail store, a screeching alarm began to sound. I started to ready myself for evacuation, but I observed that all of the store employees were going about their work as if nothing was happening. Therefore, I ignored the alarm, finished my shopping, and began the checkout process. During that process, I asked the clerk why nobody responded to the alarm, and was told that it was meaningless because it happened all the time. Watchmen need to carefully proclaim the truth in a time and pla...

And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. Isaiah  19:21-22  (ESV) In that day, the Lord will make Himself known. All men are like grass. All men will fade, weaken, and one day be declared helpless. Those who trust in God will never be truly helpless, for their help comes from One who can never be rendered helpless. One day, all who have ignored God will wish they had not, all who love God will be proven wise, and faith will be the only measuring stick used to evaluate success in this life. God doesn't need us; He wants us. Those who allow God to love them will never be ashamed. I am thankful for His love, mercy, grace, and provision. It truly is in God whom we trust. https://www...

"An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone." Isaiah 15:1 (ESV) " Man has but a little day to work in, but God's working hours never cease; man becomes weary with his day's work, and lies down to rest, and whilst he is in slumber destruction swiftly overtakes him, so that the morning looks upon a branch cut off, a city laid to waste and brought to silence. Men should diligently consider this in musing upon the judgments of providence. They cannot always be awake; they cannot always be upon the walls defending the fortress; they must retire for a time to renew their strength, and whilst they are resting the enemy acquires additional power, and comes down upon their boasted masonry, and hurls it to the dust." (Biblical Illustrator) I am limited; God is not. I am vulnerable; God is not. I would be wise to know and trust Him, and to rest assured that all wil...

"I will rise up against them," declares the Lord of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity," declares the Lord. "And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord of hosts. Isaiah  14:22-23  (ESV) A prophet often talks of destruction because man usually ignores God. To give people false hope is evil. Truth always sets us free to live in a way that will reflect that truth. Sometimes, we like it when people lie to us so we can feel good about what we know is destructive. A true prophet of God is just that—a true prophet. They deal in truth and love and are confident about both the present and the future. Their job is not to make people feel good. It is to make people "good" by getting them to know and live right. A prophet's primary responsibility is to declare the Word of God. It seems that many of them, the way t...

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. Isaiah 13:6-8 (ESV) We cannot imagine a day when all men are weak, helpless, and feeble. We cannot picture a time different from today, yet history has proven that life can change quickly and irrevocably. The wise prepare for things they cannot know by knowing the One who can be known and cannot change. We do not control the future. We enter the future and stand before the One who creates and controls it. Evidence continually points towards us preparing for our future by strengthening our relationships, not our pocketbooks. God is most capable. We are most vulnerable, and our trust in Him will never disappoint. The children of God are children of hope. The children of...

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:1-6 (ESV) Things will not always be as they are today. Life as we know it will change. Our time and ear...

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood Therefore the Lord God of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. Isaiah  10:15-16  (ESV) We are instruments dependent upon the skill of the one who uses us. By ourselves, we cannot accomplish anything. Without one to swing the ax, the ax lies in the dirt. An unskilled wood splitter dulls the ax, chips the handle, and can easily end up with bloody knuckles. The skilled woodsman skillfully and seemingly effortlessly slices through the toughest logs to make them useful. A worthy worker has the right tools for the job, uses them properly, and, when finished, maximizes the tools, the objects on which the tools were used, and the energy expended to accomplish the task. I am the tool. God is the workman....

Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. Isaiah 10:1-4 (ESV Strong's) Those who use people rather than love people will face an angry God someday. The innocent are often taken advantage of, yet one day, those who trust in God will be vindicated. Our litigious culture often prioritizes personal interests over the pursuit of truth. In the process, we usually run the innocent over and attribute it to doing what is necessary to promote what we have called right. One day, w...

The elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. Isaiah  9:15-18  (ESV) Self-absorbed people usually do not know they are self-absorbed because it is normal for the culture to be self-absorbed. However, a self-absorbed culture fosters a lifestyle that encourages self-centeredness. Self-absorbed cultures help people in need when it benefits them (which helps alleviates guilt), they ignore people in need if it costs them, and t...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) Prophets told it the way it was. They were known for telling the truth and accurately discussing the future. We tend to see the prophets as "prophetic," meaning they tell us what to expect. This passage perfectly illustrates the prophetic message and validates Isaiah as a legitimate prophet. However, many prophets exposed the people's sin in a way that warned them of impending doom. Speaking to people who live in sin about the destructiveness coming their way is not necessarily prophetic; it is obvious...

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Isaiah 6:8-10 (ESV)   Being used by God does not mean man understands us. Often, God's ways are not man's, and those who express His desires and plans are not desired or welcomed. Prophets spoke of things as they were, not as they were portrayed. When one speaks of things as they are, those who disagree are often "offended." When God asks for volunteers, it is wise to step up to the challenge, for if you do, you will see mighty and marvelous works that will both break your heart and restore your soul...

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! Isaiah  5:21-23  (ESV) When we are wise in our own eyes, we lack perspective because we ignore how God, without perspective, views our situation. Being wise in our own eyes is something we do to replace God. We want to live in a way that justifies everything we do, just because we do it, and it makes sense to us. The trouble with this thinking is that it is wrong. Prideful, arrogant, and belligerent behavior stems from those who rule their private kingdoms. There is only one King of the universe, and I am not Him. If I were truly wise, I would want to be wise in His eyes, not in mine, and I would continually check what I believe against what He has declared true. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. Isaiah 2:6-8 (ESV) Compromise is the door to disaster when you compromise with truth. Those who are Godless live Godless lives, and those who are Godly should have little in common with them. I have been married for many years, and my lifestyle has little in common with a man my age who has never been married. At my age, I do not act like a teenager, I am not concerned with my credit score, and I prefer older pickup trucks to newer ones. We must live within the identity God gives us in Christ and reject the idea of gathering ...

How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them. Isaiah  1:21-23  (ESV) It's easy for something that was once important to become worthless. Intimacy is meant to be experienced within strict guidelines, and when the guidelines are blurred, erased, or discarded, what was once beautiful becomes wrong, even evil. Money can be used for good, or it can be the weight around our necks that drowns us. We were made to live peculiarly, and when we avoid the particulars, we invite disaster to be our constant companion. Sort of right is not right. Kind of good is not good. Almost listening is not listening. Those who need to justify their lifestyle must not know that one day,...

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah  1:18-20  (ESV) I often like to ignore the "if-then" clauses in the Bible. I want to think that any flaws in my character and any acts of disobedience are problems that are too big for me to deal with, and therefore, I will never be held accountable for my actions. Just because God knows what decisions I will make does not mean He controls those decisions. He has given me volition, and my choices do matter. I must never pawn off my responsibility and play the victim. Life gets rough when I choose to go it alone. It is reasonable for me to listen to and obey God. For now, my choices are mine, and my choices matter.  ...

Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Isaiah  1:13-15  (ESV)   When we make "religion" about ourselves, we make fools of ourselves. When we make relationships about ourselves, we become "users" rather than "lovers." It is easy to go through the motions of loving God and others when we demonstrate that we love ourselves, and our outward exhibition of sincerity is a show to convince ourselves of our sincerity. Several places in the Bible tell us that our prayers are worthless. God sees through our religious drama and deals with our hearts as they are. We need not do anything to...

"The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." Isaiah 1:3 (ESV) Animals recognize the one who cares for them. For years, I operated the horse program at Silver Birch Ranch. Over time, the horses recognized my voice and looks and could identify me at a distance. Depending on what they were up to, they either welcomed me or ran from me, but they always knew it was me. Those who listened to me lived relatively carefree and straightforward lives. I bore the burden of caring for them; they needed to allow me to do so. One day, four horses escaped into the massive National Forest, two of whom were MIA for quite a long time. I was concerned, for I knew that without my help and protection, they were easy prey in those woods. Within a few weeks, I saw them standing by the gate, waiting to return home. Skinny, scarred, and scared, they finally realized that being under the master was better than going alone.   http...

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me." Isaiah 1:2 (ESV) "Isaiah lived during the decline of Israel in the shadow of Assyria. He spoke the word of God to a people who were "deaf and blind," who refused to listen to his warnings of looming disaster. He warned that the sin of the people of Judah would bring God's judgment, yet he also declared that God is sovereign and would use Cyrus the Persian to return them from exile. The book speaks of a "servant," a "man of sorrows," who would be "pierced for our transgressions," accomplishing God's purposes of salvation. The final chapters give a beautiful description of a new creation in which God will rule as King, judging the wicked and establishing eternal peace." (ESV Introduction) Here is a prophet assigned to proclaim God's Word to the "deaf and blind." What a...

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes  12:11-14  ESVST)   We must be careful not to add to what God has said, for adding parts to truth can be as devastating as subtracting parts. We must have the whole truth without additions or subtractions.   Anything that does not increase our fear of God is dangerous, and anything that compromises obedience to God is devastating.   God has not asked us to do anything we cannot do. He has asked us only to do things we can do when we obey and depend on Him. If you do not fear God, you do not know Him. If...

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 12:8   Our position in life, wealth, learning, or comfort will never bring lasting satisfaction to our souls. Life can be a failure or a triumph depending on our focus.   God created us to love, and Satan seems to want to tempt us to pervert love by enticing us to love what we should use and use what we should love.   At the end of our lives, all we possess will remain here and be managed by someone who may have had nothing to do with its accumulation.   However, those who invested their lives in loving God and people will enter an eternity of celebration, and will never really be without what they treasured most.   For now, the choice of what/who we treasure is ours. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them." (Ecclesiastes 12:1 ESVST)   Good habits are established early in life and easily broken if not attended to diligently attended. If one remembers his Creator, he remembers that he is created. If you are created, you realize your limited power and authority and that you have a purpose that has been given to you.   Many try to earn their purpose or change it to no avail, for our design is intentional, and will not yield well to something outside our design.   In the days of our youth, we can look ahead and see what we think we will enjoy when we are old, yet those who are old, like the writer of Ecclesiastes, warn us that the stuff of this earth and life are not worth our time and have no worthwhile yields.   Young people should often be reminded that God created them to love. They need to see older people demonstra...

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4 ESVST)   There are always reasons to procrastinate, delay a project, seek more information, consider other options, or wait for ideal circumstances.   Those who do not start cannot finish. There are countless stories of individuals who began journeys where the eventual destination was clear, but the path was blurry.   We need to remember that we cannot control future circumstances and that the One who can loves us and wants us to live in a way that demonstrates who He is and how He works.   To do that, we need to live in a way that allows life's current circumstances to have no real controlling factor over us or our decisions. Instead, we focus on the end result, and often, God uses the lack of clarity to allow us and others to see Him clearly.   There are many reasons to remain in a place you consider safe, and one overwhelming reason to consider starting some...

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them (Ecclesiastes  9:11-12  ESVST)   Why would we invest our time and money in being swift, strong, wise, intelligent, and ignoring God? God, alone, is in charge of the time and chances in life, and can make the poor rich, the slow appropriate, the weak strong, the simple wise, and the uneducated intelligent.   Our time and effort should be invested in knowing and following God, not in knowing and following the best educational practices. Many healthy, educated fools have ignored the one thing that would truly give them what they seek.   Nothing on earth...

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 ESVST)   The living know they will die, but often live as if they will not. The truth of the matter is elementary: we will all die. Death is as much a part of life as life. The day of our birth is special, the day of our death is special, and the days in between are filled with either meaningful or meaningless activity.   Meaningless activity is activity that dies with the person or shortly after the person dies. Meaningful activity lasts for eternity.   Whenever we are involved in things that focus on us in the here and now, we focus on the futile. Then we wonder why we feel so insignificant. We feel insignificant because we have not enjoyed the source of significance.   We were mad...

Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. (Ecclesiastes  8:10-13 )     Evil men are buried, their probation is over, and the means of reconciliation are ended. There is a time, an end to all things other than God. This life and earth will end, our nation will end, and the power and use of money will end.   The wise person invests in things that will not end and promise a return on the investment. There is little that fits that category, and therefore, littl...

For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. (Ecclesiastes 8:6-9 ESVST)   We can see the present, but we have no real idea of the future. Only God knows what will happen and can prepare us for it. The wise person lives each day, yielding themselves to the One who holds that future. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. (Ecclesiastes  7:21-22  ESVST)   This verse holds the key to a leader's sanity. If anyone is in leadership, they will be doubted. Many who are under your authority believe that they can do your job better than you, and all whom you serve could give you a lesson on how to serve them better.   Everybody wants to have their voice heard, but they do not mean that they want you to hear them. They want you to listen to them and do what they say. If not, they will claim that you do not listen to them.   A leader hears many voices and probably actually listens to them, but in the end, he still needs to make a decision for which that he alone is responsible, and for which he alone will stand accountable before God.   I have been guilty of criticizing leaders, and was wrong to do so, for my information was limi...

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 ESVST)   I'm not sure you would want this message delivered at your party, but these statements contain tremendous wisdom.   I remember talking to a friend whom I accidentally ran into in the checkout lanes of a store. I had not seen him in a while, and he was in a different lane from me so that others could hear our conversation. He told me he was in the area to do music for a wedding. Then he added, "I'd much rather do funerals than weddings." I agreed with him.   The checkout person said something like, "It's always entertaining here," and seemed amused. Yet there is a reason why some of us would prefer to speak or play at a funeral rather than a wedding. Funerals force us to face reality. Th...