Evergreen

Things here Stephen Devi with some practical comments were is our joy is on the line you delighted a person, spent time in a person you delight in a song you be singing that song the light of the book you will if you delight as a hobby. Spent time in recent days. The blessed person the advancing person delights in the word which means he spends time condemnation because you don't live up to its or do you actually love and delight in the word of God. Someone tells us that a blessed person is the person who delights in the law of the Lord. This is wisdom for the heart Stephen Devi.

Today's lesson is called Evergreen green trees are an analogy for godly people.

We have to be rooted in good soil watered consistently and receive sunlight. The more dependent we are on God, the more fruitful we will be today, and this was devastating. Read about it in the past few years when major Corporation after another having to acknowledge the fact that their client's credit cards and information had been breached. Millions of credit card accounts have been hacked and money stolen from target Chase Chick-fil-A hackers have found a way of read as I researched a little bit on it one cybercrime day stolen as much as $34 million in just this year alone, $34 million. But another group of hackers impacted 34 million lives. They hacked their way into an online business called Ashley Madison and online dating site with one primary objective to allow married people to meet other married people so they can cheat their advertising motto. As I read about it. It is one rather crude, brutal, wicked phrase. Life is short have an affair. That's it in more than 34 million people signed on the hackers evidently want to shut the site down so they hacked and they publish the names, addresses the phone numbers and email addresses, and even private messages they had sent to other potential spouse or people that they would business leaders were exposed bankers, teachers, authors, pastors, UN peacekeepers, staff members inside the Vatican all brought out into the light. I read a little bit about it and so I read more just to make sure I understood it, but I thought it was interesting response to this particular hacking the Ashland Ashley Madison website is been nicknamed. Evidently the Google of cheating and in its president.

When this was found that you responded publicly and ironically I might add bike by saying this data breach was criminality and active criminality is that full investigation is underway.

The problem is cybercrime. The problem is the sinful heart and cybercrime stealing and adultery are simply the fruit of sin, and none of us are beyond any none of us. Frankly, no one, especially the believer gets up in the morning planning on ruining the reputation ruining their marriage ruining their lives. It doesn't it doesn't happen with one big decision to ruin my life.

One little decision after another. One little compromise after another.

Many sins along the way you years ago when research organization asked adults to consider themselves to be evangelical Christians.

Which of the eight following behaviors have they done or acted upon this path in one week the past seven days, 28% of them use profanity 20% gamble 19% had viewed pornography 12% gossip 12% got drunk 11% of live and 9% had been sexually involved with someone other than their spouse.

In just the past say all that to simply say, as we gather is a body of people that are better pursuing the life right.

None of us are out of harms way. We all have the ability to manage sin, to commit sin, the compartmentalized sin fail and none of our sins to be managed not to be hidden. All should be repented of all we do that with with with and and and rehearsing all of this leads us to do it again to open our lives and our hearts to Christ across Peter would write to the believers and remind them to be alert. He would say stay awake literally stay away because the downfall that old serpent, he's he's roaming around like a lie is roaring Romans about seeking someone to devour. First Peter 58 her to devour literally means he will swallow you whole swelling you whole.

He can hit her so, but he can destroy the totality of your life if you want to be happy. Swelling flirted with a hungry lion being on a safari in Africa in the Jeep and we pulled into right and the pride of life and they got out of the back of those liens came up to the edge of the window in their purring could be her vibrating inside the G you know is a nice little kitty cat don't play with it.

It is the ability to swelling will go back to someone and remind ourselves of the warning. Psalm one we got to verse one will finish it.

How blessed is the man that's that were blessed how how wonderfully advancing health progress. See in godliness is the man does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Remember that he were to walk and circled it circled it effectively since you don't merge lanes with someone who will give you wicked counsel change your lunch partner sit on a different seat in the book nor notice. Stand in the path of sinners is literally refers to taking a stand means you're agreeing with this person you're agreeing with their perspective, which is wicked because if you do notice the third step downward sitting in the seat of scoffers. The first, or walking with them, then your standing around agreeing with them and now you're sitting in the seat. Remember, that means the chair that is the chair authoritatively scoffs at the truth of God, don't walk, stand or sit under the influence of those who want nothing to do with God and his word it ruin your relationship to ruin your marriage to ruin your life it will potentially ruin the entire IT of your personal life. So this is what you are not to do. Telling someone what not to do is not enough right verse one tells us what not to do now verse two tells us what to do. Verse two.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord. The next keyword circle is that word delight notice his delight is in the wall of the Lord. Word is his art and joy. Leaders are delight you delight in a personally going to spend time in a person you delight in the song don't be singing that song that the day the light of the book and read the book it if you delight as a hobby. Spent time in it. In recent days. The blessed person the advancing person delights in the word which means he spends time and it is a walk with the wicked, because even though I didn't stand around the center of the like.

Was he wants to win them to faith in Christ is said scoffers because he thinks that the light not even interested.

His delight is in the law of the Lord now in the stalls. The wall that expression is often used not simply as a reference to the Torah, but as a categorical expression of God. The old mind or his will, which means dishonest here. Is it referring to just one little part of God's law, but all of it. He delights in all God is revealed about himself. The apostle Paul said the same thing effectively to Timothy remember from our study of the word of God is inspired profitable for doctrine, that's right for proof.

That's what's wrong tells us what's wrong for correction of how to get right in for training the tightest day right so that the man of God that belongs to God will be thoroughly stocked all for his voyage through life, so is the totality of the word. It doesn't lie like that verse to be my fingers. I like that with all of the revealed truth of God's get a verse or two.

They twisted around so badly they make it defend their own opinion distort their own perspective. I read a funny story that Amanda got a verse or two from the Bible, is quoted in the book written demand on how to be no real man effective title of the book was the man of the house is reading it all and he read it on his commute by train to work and back in one day he read it honey figures trying to work it out at home. Finally, his wife walked to the front door and pointed his finger in her to sit from now on, I'm man of the house.

My word is your command.

I want you to fix my favorite dinner when I needed to draw my bath and after I finished relaxing in my bath. I want you to get close to me and comb my hair. She said will that would be the funeral director Gerald let's not take delight in our little verse delight in the revealed will in mind of God were in it because we delight in it and we want to practice the second keyword practice is the word meditate notice and it is law he meditates day and night. The word meditate.

Meditation means to monitor mother. It refers to the movement of the mouth. This explains the command of Joshua which might not be understandable when he's commanded to not let the book of the law of this book of the law apart from your wife mouth mouth and others are constantly muttering. You're constantly ruminating on your constantly chewing on it you're talking to yourself and you're talking to yourself in terms of God's revealed word. One of the wonderful things about Bible memory as you mutter that as you rehearse to make it sink in. Meditation is not the emptying of your mind you're sitting around in some placid form that that trend this will work its way into the evangelical church in a really troubles me is called contemplative prayer.

This is the practice of simply remaining silent, maybe even getting a piece of paper you can wait for God's sake we will wait for God to see God has spoken in these last days, through his son. Hebrews 1. You're holding in your lap. You ruminate on any meditate on it.

You're calling it muttering and repeating it chewing on it and what it does, that he says are blessed you are progressing your progress in relationships and marriage in work ethic in life itself.

The person who seeks the roots of their mind and their life into the soil of the written word with an attitude of submission happened three words begin to characterize their life, the relationships the mayor they are there treelike that's the analogy he shifts to be given to you the first word is stability. That's how I would characterize her principal eyes this next phrase look at verse three. He will be the result. Like a tree planted by streams of water. The illustration is of a tree firmly rooted in some Hebrew scholars think is referring to being transplanted by the river grows strong and stable because it's able to draw from water nearby. The idea of call to the Colossians he said, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord's own login him, having been firmly rooted and now built growing up in him in establishing fake license to six and seven. This is the person. This is no to the drive counsel of the wicked no to the scoffing of the unbeliever.

This is the person who says yes to the thirst quenching revealed truth of God's mind in the word and the analogy did here is that the roots of your life will drink in the wisdom and counsel of God, not patient trees don't appear overnight. You'll plant a tree and expect God see anything the lifetime the patient is God works in you is your rooted by this stream. This counsel of God revealed will you will experience and begin to evidence stability is the second characteristic of someone whose life is becoming treelike use the word fruitfulness verse three you will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season. In other words, roots and pull-up and in spiritual truth result fruit that is spiritual and what is spiritual fruit but the fruit of the spirit right. Paul writes, and by the way, consider how these might affect your marriage your life your relationship. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience and kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 57. I've been trying been trying, I decided yesterday. I get up and I work on patients.

The worst day of my life never had, you know how long I've been working at this marriage thing you would get one of the wonderful things about the assembly to get around people in working at a longer view at one guy in our church several years ago came to be. Been married over 60 years. Again, dead. Dead that Steve and I have discovered the secret of a great marriage.

I don't how to get a pin or what was rightness in the in the auditorium between services is really what is it he said on the day I got married I looked at my wife and the I and I said I will not try to run your life, and I will not try to run my well the fact that Adam died at age 930 it's possible he and Eve were married for 900 years thinking I will have is that after all. Imagine that this is the issue is not to try to work love and kindness and patience. The issue is dignity down roots into the word of Christ, the mind of Christ the character of Christ by the river, the wisdom of Christ and then this becomes stability fruitfulness. One more word endurance verse three will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season, and sleep is not whether whatever he does prospers again that word as he advances. According to the purposes of God do notice this is an evergreen tree leaves don't dry up and blow away, even in the harsh winter green. The dry summer green verse for the wicked are like this chaff dry chaff which the wind drives away they will not stand in judgment.

In other words, one day the holy truth in the piercing mission logic of God will dismantle their justifications and revealed their deception. The godly person is like a tree rooted. The unbeliever is constantly scattering in the windstorms of the world. I read that one of Germany's lawmakers is actually proposed legislation that would legally terminate marriages after seven years. The legislation would allow couples to extend their marriage or allow them to terminate automatically after the seventh year and that is moved across the pond. It's picking up steam.

The ideas now called the phrase wed leasing wed leasing that is the dry and fruitful counsel of the ungodly Stearns life into chaff unstable, self-centered lives tossed around by the winds of light know nothing of stability and fruitfulness and we put it into a simple phrase, their lives never take root. Read the difference between wed leasing in the covenant of marriage.

According to the wisdom of God in his wonderful book the disciplines of a godly man.

Kent Hughes writes of his friendship with Robert Wilkin, the former president of Columbia International University.

Robert Murray was in the latest stages of Alzheimer's. Dr. McCook and resigned his presidency and retired in order to cure his resignation letter he wrote this to the student body. My dear wife Muriel has been in failing mental health for about eight years. So far I've been able to care for both her ever-growing needs and my leadership responsibilities at Columbia.

Recently it has become apparent that Maria was contented most of the time she is with me and none of the time I'm away from it isn't just discontent. She is filled with fear even terror that she has lost me and she begins to go in search of its clear that she needs me now full-time. This decision was made in away nearly 50 years ago when I promise to care for her in sickness and in health, till death do us part so as a man of my word. I will do it.

She's cared for me fully all these years and if I cared for her for the next 40 years.

I would not be out of debt duty can be grim, stoic, but I love her.

I do not have to care for get I get this is the result of a man who rooted himself along the wisdom of God's river in this life now is bearing fruit that is remarkable to us and distinct members a kid we have tree in our backyard. Perfect for climbing as I try to remember back, I think it might've been a Maple not sure it's branches were just perfect for four boys perfect for a mother that needed a place to send for boys in the afternoon we built a treehouse word houses and exaggerations.

It was a lot of wood and a lot of nails going every which way upon which we finally got a little platform that was our tree fort, we love that and that little tree would make that treehouse possible wasn't our engine or our strict. It was the spring of the branches that tree couldn't help but think the best place to the life next to a river with branches of tree tree that has used the polluted wisdom of the world, and it has continues to drink in wisdom of God drink it. Everything in your life, your marriage, your relationships, your business, your testimony, your very life itself.

It all becomes like strong branches of a firmly rooted tree as you drink in God's word you're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen is currently working through a series on some selected Psalms called the song, volume 2. Today's lesson from Psalm one is entitled evergreen. Do you know someone who's been neglecting time in God's word. Maybe they need a fresh reminder of the importance of delighting in the law of the Lord, which made it possible for you to share this lesson from both our website and our smart phone app.

I encourage you to do that when you share the teaching ministry of wisdom for the heart. With others you're hoping to expand this Bible teaching outreach.

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