“He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” (Proverbs 13:24)

Raising godly, well-adjusted children to maturity requires diligence.  If you don’t discipline your child – you hate them.  You don’t care enough about them to give them the tools and the boundaries to become functioning adults.  Kids without discipline become adults without discipline.

Inconsistent discipline may just be worse.   Inconsistent discipline means that we only set the boundaries when it is convenient for us or when we become irritated enough to be prodded into giving our child attention.  We love ourselves more than we love their future.

The godly answer is consistent discipline – diligent discipline.  Diligent parenting comes from parents who have a plan, consistent boundaries, goals for their child, and enough commitment to get up off the couch every time those boundaries need to be enforced.

A gentle, steady hand on the tiller is the only one that is truly loving.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 16-24; Psalm 13; Proverbs 13

This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“How long, O LORD?” (Psalm 13:1)

         This question is the one that has always vexed humanity.  When we pray, we desire immediate response from God.  When we see evil, we seek immediate justice from God.  When we are under duress, we plead for immediate relief.  Yet, God lives by His clock, not ours.

         God time is different than man time.  God’s perspective upon waiting is different than ours, and His patience can frustrate us when we long for instant reaction from Him.  Yet, I love His longsuffering with me, and I suspect, you love His patience with you, too.

         By faith we wait for God’s timing to play out in our lives, in our country, and in our generation.  ‘In His time’ is another way of saying ‘at the right time’.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 16-24; Psalm 13; Proverbs 13 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these, the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.” (Leviticus 18:24)

         Sexual immorality defiles a nation.  Throughout history, mankind has invented and practiced every form of sexually-aberrant behavior.  Leviticus had to address homosexuality, incest, and bestiality (amongst other sins) because those were things actively practiced by many nations at that time.

         Just because something is common doesn’t make it right.  The normalization of evil is one of Satan’s oldest tools. Sin is common. Righteousness is not.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 16-24; Psalm 13; Proverbs 13 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“For the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life.” (Leviticus 17:14)

         Very early on in the Scriptures we are introduced to the importance of blood and its connection to life.  This emphasis is reiterated numerous times throughout the Old Testament.  The Holy Spirit, beginning in Genesis, points us toward the blood of the cross.

         Jesus’ blood is identified with His life.  The life of the Son of God makes atonement for our sins… and unlike the livestock led involuntarily to sacrificial slaughter under the Jewish system, Jesus shed His blood by choice at the hands of wicked people who rejected His love.

         He gave His life voluntarily for those who didn’t want it.  That’s love.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 16-24; Psalm 13; Proverbs 13 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls.” (Leviticus 16:31)

         When we think of resting, we typically consider it as an opportunity to recover from fatigue or to enjoy some downtime.  Unlike typical rest, the Sabbath, and particularly the Day of Atonement, were meant to be days of rest for solemn purposes.

         It is important for us to be serious sometimes and with deep reverence consider the spiritual nature of life.  Solemn moments are humbling moments.  Slowing down to worship, study, pray, and dwell upon the divine is a necessity for spiritual people living in a physical world.

         Though the Sabbath of the Old Testament is no longer bound upon us, there are lessons to be learned from it.  We must make time to humble our souls. Solemnity, reverence, and humility are acts of intentionality.  It isn’t enough to rest your body; we must have solemn rest for our souls, too.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 16-24; Psalm 13; Proverbs 13 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.” (Proverbs 12:4)

Husbands: Most men are social idiots compared to women.  We are playing checkers while they are playing chess.  If you look good in public, it is because she makes you look good.  Give her credit (publicly and privately) for putting that crown on your head.

Wives: You will never fully appreciate what a gift you give your husband when you protect his dignity even when he doesn’t deserve it.  You win our hearts all over again when you shield us from the humiliation of our own concoction.  We were stupid, but you were gracious.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 10-15; Psalm 12; Proverbs 12 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’ ” (Psalm 12:3-4)

Hell will be full of people who were convinced that when they met God, they would talk their way out of it.  That’s not how it works.

Satan’s the smoothest talker there is, and he hasn’t fooled God, either.

“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 10-15; Psalm 12; Proverbs 12 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45)

Holiness is imitation of the Creator.  It is the creation crying to the Creator that we adore Him and wish to be near Him in character.  The Christian is holy for the same reason a child imitates their father.

“I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean…” (Leviticus 20:24-25)

The Jew understood that what they ate, how they worshipped, and even how they dressed was because they were meant to stand out as peculiar – as holy.  Their God was different, so they needed to be different.  Simple Christianity asks the same of us (1 Pet 2:9).

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Wake up, be holy, and flatter God.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 10-15; Psalm 12; Proverbs 12 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean.” (Leviticus 13:40)

Just as a reminder gentlemen: bald is biblically beautiful.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: Leviticus 10-15; Psalm 12; Proverbs 12 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision