Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! (Psalm 31:23-24 NLT) The Lord protects those who are loyal to him - does that protection extend to you? If not, there is no time like the present to come under that protection! Wherever we put our trust determines our safety in times of trouble and turmoil, doesn't it? If we trust in the bathtub over the storm cellar in a tornado, we might not do as well, right? If we trust in God with all our heart, we will do well to not only 'manage' during the storms of life but come out the other side stronger. What does it mean to be loyal to him? If we were honest here, we'd have to admit our 'loyalty' is sometimes quite divided, is it not? We trust him with the hard stuff, but the stuff we think we can figure out on our own, well we just plunge right on through that without even stop...
William Shakespeare reminded us, "No legacy is so rich as honesty." Where would we be today if this world we live in would adhere to this belief? If no one sought anything but honesty in relationships, what depth would those relationships be able to attain? If honesty was the standard by which we do business, where would the profits of a company soar? Honesty is UNDERRATED these days. The gimmick, quick cover-up, and the facade all play an active part in our society, don't they? Wouldn't it be nice if these things were no longer the way we live? The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. (Proverbs 11:1-5 NLT) Honesty requires vulnerability and tha...