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I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

He who separates himself seeks his own desire

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Proverbs chapter 18 on the 18th; I die daily devotionals.

1 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

Good-morning, Readers. I love you people, and I mean it. That first verse of our chapter today describes Ander from our post yesterday—evil in the flesh. However, just as Ander was capable of such evil how much more are we capable of good; I pray for Ander. I pray that even though the man is in a cell and will experience justice; that he will not live in that jail the devil calls… home.

2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
But only in revealing his own mind.
3 When a wicked man comes, contempt
also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

“Is jail my home?“

These proverbs are teaching me that every soul is in a jail cell, yours and mine, but the significance of my learning is how our personal beliefs and faith expresses the nature of that cell. Is jail my home, or is it freedom? Will freedom be my home, or will jail? Wisdom would have me know—and I think you as well—that my belief and faith—in light of the book of prophecy—convicts me of present sin all the while providing my release to those “cuffs” if-you-will, its grasp to hold me in that state of which is presently convicting me.

6 A fool’s lips bring strife,
And his mouth calls for blows.
7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty
morsels, And they go down into the 
innermost parts of the body.
9 He also who is slack in his work
Is brother to him who destroys.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.

So because I have the capacity for all sorts of evil, and good, my present condition contains the essence of law. The essence of law is alive in me to define the nature of my being, and with it the identity of my spirit and where I belong. So right now my conscience is stable in that my focus is writing out this devotional, but as soon as I take my focus off writing and think about the state of my surrounding—my room, where my “office” is—I can see responsibilities I’ve neglected, such as taking out the trash and vacuuming the carpet. At which point the nature of my conscience shifts to that essence of law that inspires me to respond or not respond, to which then consequences soon reveal the state of my room in reflection to the condition of my soul.

11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
12 Before destruction the heart of man
is haughty, But humility goes before honor.
13 He who gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?
15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

You be the judge

You being the judge—in light of the information I’ve given—would my soul be healthy or unhealthy; if I just left my room in the condition it’s in? It might not be severe at this time, but as days become years of neglecting my responsibilities will then result to a person who’s made their home into a jail—the devil’s home. And not just for me, mind you, but my wife also.

16 A man’s gift makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
17 The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him.
18 The cast lot puts an end to strife
And decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to be won 
than a strong city, And contentions are
like the bars of a citadel.
20 With the fruit of a man’s mouth his
stomach will be satisfied; He will be
satisfied with the product of his lips.

essence of law

Today’s I die daily devotional is a life changing one for me as I think about what all this means, and I pray you’ll see the results of the Spirit of God at work in me… a fellow believer and brother of the faith. My questions to you, my reader, are…

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the LORD.
23 The poor man utters supplications,
But the rich man answers roughly.
24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

  • What is the essence of law telling you about your soul?
  • How should you respond in light of the Word of God?
  • When will you respond?
  • Who might you be affecting?

Recourses

Uhhh,,, well, none today.

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

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Proverbs chapter 17; I die daily devotional.

1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.

A “dry morsel”, what?! … Okay, after uh-little digging was able to make sense of it.

I think back before I was married, a bachelor in the small city of Wichita Falls Tx, sitting in my living room on the couch with a dry morsel of popcorn watching the movie 2012; …turns out the Mayans were off about 8 years, they must’ve meant 2020, not 2012! And they didn’t even warn us to wear masks; murderers (being facetious)! But there I was… all alone… beside myself. The point is I was at peace in the quietness of my life at that time, living the American dream. And then I got married…

2 A servant who acts wisely will rule
over a son who acts shamefully, And will share
in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace
for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

UNEXPECTED

While that was supposed to be funny, there’s truth to the negative connotation because… well… the proverb says—a house full of feasting with strife.

You know, a manual doesn’t come with your spouse at marriage. I mean, look! I tried finding an SOP once I was committed, and not even the Bible was helping me figure out how to work this thing. It was crazy, I’m telling yuh, don’t do it! “Run! Run away!” That’s actually what the SOP said! The apostle Paul does give a fair warning, but what the heck… How was I supposed to know that sex wasn’t all there was to it, that there’s actually a WHOLE LOT MORE to marriage than the sex part? “I wanna redo, that’s not fair!” No, not really, of course, but the sad reality did hit us hard at the first few years of our marriage. I enjoyed alcohol; Laura did not. I wanted to eat whenever and wherever as a family; Laura wanted to eat as a family at the kitchen table at a specific time. I wanted sex everyday; Laura wanted quality time everyday.

The challenges of marriage go on into eternity and the information is a mountain to explore, but once the mystery of marriage is learned, prepared, and decided… There are no words to describe the value and ecstasy of such a gift as marriage!

6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.
7 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a prince.
8 A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 He who conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter
separates intimate friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who
has understanding Than a hundred
blows into a fool.

As I dug into the scriptures, I also found an excellent commentary, (I thought) by Matthew Henry:

1. Those that live in unity and quietness, not only free from jealousies and animosities, but vying in mutual endearments, and obliging to one another, live very comfortably, though they are low in the world, work hard and fare hard, though they have but each of them a morsel, and that a dry morsel. There may be peace and quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God’s providence and a mutual satisfaction in each other’s prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage.

2. Those that live in contention, that are always jarring and brawling, and reflecting upon one another, though they have plenty of dainties, a house full of sacrifices, live uncomfortably; they cannot expect the blessing of God upon them and what they have, nor can they have any true relish of their enjoyments, much less any peace in their own consciences. Love will sweeten a dry morsel, but strife will sour and embitter a house full of sacrifices. A little of the leaven of malice will leaven all the enjoyments.

And I couldn’t help but feel bias, and connected to it because of what the meaning of the word providence means for me personally, but in the commentary I found—”There may be peace and quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God’s providence and a mutual satisfaction in each other’s prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage.“

11 A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 He who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he
who condemns the righteous, Both of them
alike are an abomination to the LORD.

ABANDON THE QUARREL

Learning how to abandon the quarrel in marriage and or all-in-encompassing relationships is quite the reward—not that we abandon people or discussions—because information is invaluable to the relationships we mean to build.

Although… Don’t get me wrong; there are people of ‘family and friends’ that you don’t need to be in a relationship with; for instance, the devil. Laura and I watched this movie, “22 July”—based on a true story—where a right-wing extremist in Norway murders 77 people in 2011; planted a bomb that killed 8 just outside the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Regjeringskvartalet in central Oslo; then shooting 69 people (mostly teens) at a youth camp on the island of Utoya, 25 miles northwest of Oslo.

(A link is provided at the end of this blog under Resources [not that you’re stupid or anything] to read up on the story in more detail. Hmmm… Hey! That actually gives me some ideas and ways to develop my posts! Anyway—*sorry*)

The question is why, why did Anders Behring Breivik murder 77 people?

According to the resource provided in this blog, a section of it tells us that Ander believed himself to be a “savior of Christianity”:

“Hours before the attacks, Breivik e-mailed a 1,500-page manifesto to 5,700 people, titled 2083 – A European Declaration of Independence. In the document, Breivik attacks multiculturalism and the “threat” of Muslim immigration to Norway, as well as Marxism and the Norwegian Labor Party. Breivik copied large sections of the Unabomber manifesto. Breivik writes that he is a “savior of Christianity,” and claims to be part of an order called the “Knight’s Templar.” Breivik was active on anti-Muslim websites.”

16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool
to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?
17 A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the
presence of his neighbor.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife;
He who raises his door seeks destruction.
20 He who has a crooked mind finds no good,
And he who is perverted in his
language falls into evil.

crooked mind

Now if that information is accurate about Ander—considering his belief—might be thought of as brother in the faith (a family member of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior). But is he?! And is he someone to build a relationship with? Well of course “…No!”, and “…No”—would be my answer—for reasons that the apostle Paul teaches the (1st) Corinthians in chapters 5 and 6, “…5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. …” .

The severity of Anders’ punishment is yet to be experienced; being convicted for “life” (21 years) in a jail cell is not punishment for the devil, it’s his home. However, there is a punishment that God describes as His vengeance (Romans 12:18, Hebrews 10:30) that Ander will experience. Ander made himself out to be a god in opposition against God by giving himself over to do the devil’s work—filled with the heart of Cain, who killed his innocent brother Able (Gen 4)—possessed by an eternal outcome of punishment according to Jude and Matthew 25:

Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Matthew 25:46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

21 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man receives a bribe from
the bosom To pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one
who has understanding, But the eyes of a
fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
And bitterness to her who bore him.

ways of justice

If we are a people of Christianity that behave as these proverbs contrasts’ the wicked from the good, are we then not testing God at His Word by our wicked behavior? As I write these final words… I think and examine my life …how is my faith discerned and judged by my fellow believers in Christ Jesus? What darkness might be about me that need be exposed—that hasn’t been exposed already? I ask myself the most deepest question I can fathom…

26 It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 He who restrains his words has knowledge,
And he who has a cool spirit
is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent,
is considered wise; When he closes his lips,
he is considered prudent.

“Is jail my home?“

Resources

Anders Behring Breivik (the devil at work)
https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/anders-behring-breivik

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

The plans of the heart belong to man

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Proverbs chapter 16; I die daily devotional.

1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

PLANS

I feel like a got hit so hard I woke up tomorrow, and I nearly did. Laura and I both worked the graveyard shift last night, but had plans for today because we’re off. During the night last night we had planned to prepare a little video for today’s chapter once we were off the clock heading home; because on our way home the colors of the sky change as night turns into day, and as the sky changes, the colors complement the Dallas Tx skyscrapers in a way that inspires you to marvel in awe and wonder! So our schedule was a productive one to start the day today. But uhhh… That obviously didn’t happen! As soon as we made it home, it was lights-out, figuratively and literally! And it was only about an hour ago (6p) that I officially rolled out of bed. Needless to say… today’s proverbs is appropriate for me.

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the LORD weighs the motives.
3 Commit your works to the LORD
And your plans will be established.
4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to
the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

It wasn’t long after waking up, realizing the time, that thoughts began to race through my mind along with the feelings that accompanied them; confusion, guilt, shame, anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, etc. . All of that complexity in myself causes me to pause especially now, while writing this out, praying without even realizing that I’m praying—distracted by so many questions that flood my system—but then that reminder of yesterdays post comes to mind, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”. Except replace Elijah’s name with yours: “What are you doing here, [NAME]?”. And so here I am, applying my faith to that question:

“What are you doing here, [Nathan]?”

6 By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
9 The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.
10 A divine decision is in the lips of the king;
His mouth should not err in judgment.

7:45pm CST

In the wake of my human storm of logic and emotions clashing with my present circumstances, I knew one thing for certain! I’ve committed to devote dying daily for the sake of—Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33 and John 12:25—which is the greatest reward of faith to an eternal life while here on earth!

What is that reward?

11 A just balance and scales belong to the LORD;
All the weights of the bag are His concern.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
For a throne is established on righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.
14 The fury of a king is like messengers of death,
But a wise man will appease it.
15 In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.

LOVE AND TRUTH

1 Timothy 2:3- This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The greatest reward to experience here on earth is that desire; LOVE! Love—is instilled in every true believer that was saved. But saved from what? If the emotion and logic of love did not have meaning or purpose, the experience of love would render null and void—chaotic in nature, fire without limitations or boundaries, meaningless—to be completely random for ultimate destruction; forgotten to the memorial place of hell.

1 Timothy 2:3- This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

But the reality of my experience to desire, is purposed with structure—even randomness—because of the knowledge of the truth. What is the knowledge of the truth? 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. Our warning to keeping this truth is different that the warning that was given in Genesis—2:16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

WARNING

Revelations 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

I’m curious as to what that warning means to you, Reader? For me, I hear what I’m not ready to understand yet—all the while, also—what motivates me to lose my soul. That may sound morbid, but actually, it might be selfish; because I believe in what it means for the reward at achieving it, which is eternal life, but more than that; for all to achieve the reward at losing their soul for the reason of God’s desire. I hope and pray for every man to be like King David in that he was a man after God’s own heart—Acts 13:22 After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’

21 The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

Especially because our Lord said, 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”—that He is the root and descendant of David! Jesus is narratively, figuratively, and literally the heart of God! I hope for every man to be found with those words of that testimony:

A MAN AFTER MY HEART

26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.
27 A worthless man digs up evil,
While his words are like scorching fire.
28 A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

So what are your plans?

What are you hungry for? (Not talking about food).

Do our plans work together?

What is the tongue of the Lord saying to our plans?

31 A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.

I plan to read the next chapter of proverbs, possibly have some more coffee since I’ve slept my day away. If the Lord will, I’ll eat, read, think, write, and plan more tonight with the Lord. I pray we will all rule our spirits as v.32 advises.

Until the morning…