"Manner of Life"

 "For what hath the wise more than a fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?" (Ecclesiastes 6:8 KJV)

  "I will sing of your love and justice, LORD. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life - when will you come to help me?" (PSALM 101:1-2 NLT)

 To be a messenger, you need to have been given a message; to be a prophet, you need to have been given a prophecy. These things are not that hard to understand, because they verified in God's word, and they are easy to test the validity. But to share the work that God has done and is doing in your life, that is just something that requires an obedient heart! 

 The questions Solomon is bringing forth refer to a manner of living; as it is, the wise and the fool, may not be on the same level of knowledge or having sense in business; but both have the ability to become successful and both have the ability to teach about life; that might be different lifestyles, but it is still a life. The only difference is intellectual, as one might evaluate and debate about life's existence; while the other just lives life, as free and as foolish as he can. 

 Jesus spoke of the poor, calling them, "The poor at heart," which is pretty much why David was referred to by God, saying, "A man after God's own heart." The NLT has Jesus saying, "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3) If we know the life of David, much of it was not perfect; yet he knew that God alone was able to make him perfect, in His Kingdom! 

 This life here is temporary and will only last a very short while; yet in this life, we can make some very serious mistakes and do some very damaging sins, that seem to have consequences that we cannot control. That's life! And as bad as that might be, God's mercy and grace is more than able to overcome even the greatest sin or even the worst mistake! 

 I get the privilege to share at a friend's church this Sunday, and as much as I love to share what God has done, is doing, and always will be faithful to do, I can never get over what He does teaching me, as I prepare to give a message. There are no mistakes when you are a child of God! Even though they might mess up your life, in this broken world, God is more than willing to make something good out of something that might seem bad and unforgivable.

 When I began this journey, ("my living journal," as I called it,) I started with talking about God's will and God's perfect will, as if there was a difference. In that illustration I used Hezekiah's sickness and God giving him 15 more years to live. Did God's change His mind? No! But He changed the heart of Hezekiah! 

 And from that change, Manasseh was born; the longest reigning king in Judah, and the evilest king that Judah ever had! But God...

"But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request. So the LORD brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the LORD alone is God!" (2 Chronicles 33:12-13 NLT)