Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

2 June 2024

Reading From Proverbs 1-3

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your hear and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

–Proverbs 3:3-12

     God never meant a life-giving relationship with Him to be reduced to empty religion consisting only of rules and regulations.  The idea of love, faithfulness, and the principles of God’s Word being written on our hearts is an echo here from Mosaic Law.  Our obedience to Yahweh is meant to come from hearts of love expressing our adoration in acts of compassion and service to others and holy living in His sight.

     Humanity is filled with pride.  We think we need to figure everything out for ourselves, but wisdom from the Maker of Heaven and Earth is freely available to us in His Word the Bible.  His thoughts and ways are higher and better than ours as His very nature is superior to ours.  As we place our trust in God enough to take His wisdom to heart and put it into practice, we will find our lives blessed by Him in ways we could never imagine. 

       Forsaking our own ways in order to follow the Way of Jesus is truly what is best for us in every way.  There are many principles found in God’s Word that not only lead to spiritual health but also promote physical well being. III John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 

The pattern of working six days a week but dedicating one full day to worship, rest and relaxation helps to greatly reduce stress and therefore the diseases associated with it.  When sexual activity is enjoyed only within the marriage relationship, all venereal diseases are prevented.  Medical studies have shown the health benefits of prayer and meditation. 

Deeper than these practical applications (of which we’ve only scratched the surface here), the Bible introduces us to our Great Physician, the Divine Healer Jesus Christ who has the ability to heal miraculously in answer to believing prayer and who will one day bring total healing to His children in the form of our resurrected bodies.  A wonderful promise is found in Jeremiah 30:17, “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’”  

     Holy Spirit guides us to put into practice the financial wisdom found in the book of Proverbs and elsewhere in the Holy Scriptures.  As we do this, we will be good stewards of whatever He has blessed us with.  As we have discussed elsewhere, every individual and family find themselves in different historical and socio-economic circumstances.  Therefore, material blessings from God look different in various contexts.  Regardless of how much or how little we perceive our resources, we are to honor the Lord by bringing our tithes and offerings into His House, giving generously to others, and taking care of those we are responsible for.  Sharing our abundance is to be a joy, not a burden.

     Finally, Heavenly Father is faithful to forgive us of our sins when we confess and repent.  His grace and mercy rescue us from the dominion of darkness and brings us into the Kingdom of Light.  When we are born again, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the Day of redemption, thus preventing us from experiencing the second death in hell apart from His Presence. 

     We must understand, however, that although our sins are forgiven and wiped clean from His eternal records, there are times when He allows us to walk through the difficult consequences of our actions.  He does this as our Father to teach us and refine our faith in fires of testing.  Please know that while He does use the principle of sowing and reaping to discipline us as His children, He will be with us every step of the way as we navigate the difficulties we have made for ourselves.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Thanks be to God.

“God, thank You for the depths of wisdom and knowledge available to me and all of Your children by simply opening the pages of Scripture, reading, studying, and putting the truths found there into action.  Thank You for caring for us and having compassion for us.  You are the Perfect Parent that we all long for.  We praise and glorify Your holy Name.  Amen.”

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 –II Peter 1:5-11