Today Our Daily Bread Proverbs 4 & Rom 16:19-20

Romans 16:19-20 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
Is this conditional? Why? Why would there be conditions? Because of choice, no conditions, no choice. Choice is proof of true love and true loyalty. There is condition because of choice. Do you realize God our Father loves us purely even if we do NOT choose to love Him in return? He gave us that freewill choice. So, even if we choose to not ever be with Him, work with Him or live without Him in hell, he still loves us? Yes! Knowing that men would reject His blood sacrifice, He died anyway. There is NO condition on that love, but there is condition on whether we can be where He is or not. Whether we cab inherit His blessings or not. That has more to do with response-ability than love. Love gives, does the receiver respond to what is given? Do they take ownership and responsibility? Maybe or maybe not, BUT the love still gave, no matter the response. God IS love, He doesn’t just DO love. Love GIVES therefore, God GAVE man his own free will. Now man can respond to that gift favorably or not, THAT is up to man. I love when we read the word and God tells us what would be the best way to respond and be responsible. He lays it all out, explains it, hesitates a very brief moment to see if there’s a response and then very quickly adds- "AND THIS is the best thing to do or the best answer to give! Oh, and also, here’s what you’ll get as a benefit and a blessing if you choose this way or this choice, but if you decide to take another route you can, but, I just want to tell you ahead what will happen down that pathway." What an awesome gentleman, He covers all of the bases, gives us wisdom to know what’s best and right and tells us the whole story before we even get started! Remember we lie in a battle zone, one of God’s enemy against God and all that represents and chooses God, so if we choose what is not God’s way, God wants us to know His enemy is around that corner waiting to pounce. Proverbs is an example to me of the words that show the way to eternal life and it’s way of living/walking. It is full of very practical things to take ahold of and do. Remember we are blessed in what we do, and if we hear only and do not do what we’ve heard from God’s word, we walk right into deception (James 1-3)
Proverbs 4:1-27
A Father's Wise Advice
1My children, F6 listen to me. Listen to your father's instruction. Pay attention and grow wise, 2for I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my teaching. 3For I, too, was once my father's son, tenderly loved by my mother as an only child.
4My father told me,
"Take my words to heart.
Follow my instructions and you will live.
5Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment.
Don't forget or turn away from my words.
6Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
7Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, get good judgment.
8If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you.
Embrace her and she will honor you.
9She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown."
10My child, F7 listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. 11I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. 12If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run. 13Carry out my instructions; don't forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life.
14Do not do as the wicked do or follow the path of evildoers. 15Avoid their haunts. Turn away and go somewhere else, 16for evil people cannot sleep until they have done their evil deed for the day. They cannot rest unless they have caused someone to stumble. 17They eat wickedness and drink violence!
18The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19But the way of the wicked is like complete darkness. Those who follow it have no idea what they are stumbling over.
20Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. 21Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, 22for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.
23Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. F8
24Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech.
25Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. 27Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
FOOTNOTES:F6: Hebrew My sons. F7: Hebrew My son; also in 4:20. F8: Hebrew for from it flow the springs of life.
~Lena's Journalin'~
Are you a child, a father, a mother, a son? Think of your relationship with God, Where are you in relationship with Him right now? A new child barely born, or a child growing and in training for adulthood? Have you grown into a son who obeys and desires to hear words from His Father or mother? Or are you yourself a teacher, a father figure to others? These are the growth stages in the spirit as in the natural. God expects us to grow and finds joy in our stages of growth. It is not wrong to be a child when we are newborn in Christ, yet if we are of a teen age and we are still nursing the breast it would be quite odd, and even awkward. He loves when we are where we are at, and he also loves when we go on to the next stage and His heart is filled with another kind of joy when we come to a place where we see Him face to face. Where we look at Him at eye level and think as He thinks, desire what He desires, do as He does. It isn’t that He does not want us at any other stage than this one, it is just that He is given by us a certain fulfillment of His own desire when we reach and walk in this stage. There is so much joy in having a newborn baby, it is inexpressible joy, Then to watch a young toddler begin to walk and run and talk, it is fulfilling. All of the steps and stages have their joyful purposes and even a parent walking through the steps with their child is an awesome learning and growing experience. It is something else when the child grows into a man and experiences the work of the father, hands on; joins with the father’s work! That is when the child sees eye to eye with the father (or mother), that is when they really know them in a very intimate heart to heart, mind to mind, eye to eye way. What deeper fellowship is there than two walking together at that same level, agreed?