organized religion?
section 1
Organized religion has become such a dirty idea in our culture today that even in church there is a shying away from any kind of organization, order, proper administration, godly habits, and even self-discipline because these have been abused, redefined and perverted into wicked facsimiles ezekiel 34:2-5 ezekiel 34:18-19 iii john 9-11 matthew 23:2-3 of what actually pleases God in the principle of order i corinthians 14:33 i corinthians 14:40 .
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
return
8 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
return
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
return
2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
return
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
return
40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
return
section 2
We as believers should be very careful not to overcompensate for abuses of God’s order when it is not readily favored or accepted in the church and world galatians 1:10 . While we should not make order a matter of do’s and don’ts that replace a sincere heart isaiah 28:9-13 ; forsaking the principle of Biblical order is not the way to peace with God either isaiah 28:12 matthew 11:28-30 . As good order in your life with God is a delightful fruit of faith colossians 2:5 .
my notes:
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
return
9 "To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
11 For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people,
12 to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.
13 And the word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
return
12 to whom he has said,
"This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.
return
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
return
5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
return
section 3
While we could go through the structure of the church, family hierarchy, governmental authority, etc.; our focus in this study is on order itself and how we should embrace organizing our own lives in the fashion of Scripture.
Jotham, King of Judah, was not a highly notable king. Not much is given in Scripture about him, but one thing stands out about him: he was mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord ii chronicles 27:6 . While this seems almost a blip in Scripture, there is a great lesson for us in organizing our lives before the Lord. Jotham prospered i timothy 6:6 proverbs 28:13 like Hezekiah ii chronicles 31:20-21 because he "religiously" ordered his life before the Lord.
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
6 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.
return
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,
return
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
return
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
return
section 4
It is not a bad thing to build up godly habits hebrews 5:13-14 ; in fact it is a Christ-like endeavor to organize your life so that the course of your life proverbs 4:18 is conducive to living in Truth and Love ii john 3-6 . Jesus was not averse to customs; in fact he had routines luke 22:39 and religious habits luke 4:16 which Paul emulated acts 17:2 and we are also exhorted to have similar religious customs hebrews 10:25 that should be as customary as eating job 23:12 .
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
return
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
return
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
return
39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.
return
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
return
And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures...
return
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
return
12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
return
section 5
Life should be structured to make indulging in evil harder matthew 5:29-30 i corinthians 15:33 and acting in obedience easier jeremiah 3:22-4:4 hebrews 12:13 proverbs 13:20 so that we may cooperate in God’s work in our hearts psalm 50:23 isaiah 26:1-9 and not resist the Lord psalm 32:8-10 unto grieving the Holy Spirit ephesians 4:30 . For you will reap what you sow; whether the destruction of wickedness hosea 8:7 hosea 10:13 or the fruit of obedience hosea 10:12 galatians 6:7-10 . This is why it is important how your life is ordered in its daily routines, weekly commitments, hobbies, interests, etc. psalm 1:1 , because godless disorder comes naturally through simple negligence proverbs 18:9 ecclesiastes 10:18 proverbs 7:7-9 while good order is intentional and pursued ii timothy 2:20-22 proverbs 5:7-9 . Where you spend your resources is where your heart is and where it will continue to be matthew 6:19-21 proverbs 2:1-15 .
my notes:
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
return
33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
return
my notes:
22 "Return, O faithless sons;
I will heal your faithlessness."
"Behold, we come to you,for you are the Lord our God.
23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains.
Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 "But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God."
4:1 "If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver,
2 and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds."
return
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
return
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
return
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"
return
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
"We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy."
7 The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
return
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
return
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
return
7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour; if it were to yield, strangers would devour it.
return
13 You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors,
return
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
return
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
return
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
return
9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
return
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.
return
7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense,
8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house
9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.
return
20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
return
7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
return
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
return
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.
return
my notes:
section 6
Our life should be so habitually organized and trained to perpetually seek God in all i corinthians 10:31 and above all luke 14:26-27 luke 14:33 so that our life is in substance and practicality built colossians 2:5-7 with His Kingdom {souls He is saving} revelation 1:6 and His righteousness {He, Himself} i corinthians 1:30 . This is so that even when we are not in our right minds we still stay in the Way by the guardianship proverbs 6:20-23 of habitual familiarity i corinthians 14:20 , custom i corinthians 9:17 and utter dependency john 6:66-68 .
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
return
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
return
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
return
5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Alive in Christ
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
return
6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
return
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
return
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
return
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
return
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
return
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
return
section 7
This is not to say that we should be satisfied or enslaved with customs, rituals, mere habits or rules of life isaiah 29:13 ; as it is all about a genuine, loving relationship with the Lord and with others psalm 16:2-3 matthew 22:37-40 . Order in our lives should be understood as a useful servant and not a master over us galatians 3:23-25 . An orderly life of repetitious virtue is a self-controlled safeguard philippians 3:1 ii peter 1:12-15 as your heart is being renewed and remade to be like Christ’s philippians 1:6 . So we should not think our own customs are the end result or that our form of order should be everyone else’s as each has their own walk with the Lord romans 14:4-8 .
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
13 And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
return
2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
return
37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
return
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
return
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
return
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
return
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
return
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
return
my notes:
section 8
The Way we should walk is in the Lord’s commands, practically applying them to the circumstances the Lord has allotted to each of us ephesians 5:16 proverbs 22:2 matthew 25:15 i corinthians 4:7 . Just as a wife’s customs will Biblically vary from a husband’s; so it is with each individual’s role, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses. Only let us order our life before the Lord so that our hearts may be guarded proverbs 4:23-27 and the way fruitful for God, the benefit of others and the blessing of our own souls joshua 1:7-9 titus 3:8 .
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
return
2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.
return
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
return
7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
return
my notes:
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
return
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
return
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
return
my notes:
customs to cultivate or weed out
section 9
customs to weed out
Practicing Evil jeremiah 13:23
Harboring Greed ii peter 2:14-15
Valuing Men’s Traditions Over God’s Commands mark 7:9
Perverting God’s Ways acts 13:10
Contentiousness i corinthians 11:16-19 philippians 2:14-16
Not listening to God jeremiah 22:21
jump to next section →
supporting scriptures
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.
return
14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
return
9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
return
10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
return
16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
return
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
return
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.
return
my notes:
section 10
customs to cultivate
Intentionally looking NOT TO Walk, Stand or Sit in Evil Customs psalm 1:1 hebrews 12:1 leviticus 26:40-42
Praying daniel 6:10
Reading/Studying the Word acts 17:11 deuteronomy 17:19-20
Do maintenance on your customs customarily with wisdom and discretion proverbs 3:21-26 ii corinthians 13:5 romans 12:3
Practice Wisdom proverbs 28:26 psalm 119:97-104
Interceding job 1:1-5
Religiously do good for others to meet their need james 1:26-27 isaiah 58:6-9 isaiah 58:13-14
Questioning Yourself proverbs 3:5-6
Trusting God proverbs 3:5-6
Seeking Him in Everything proverbs 3:5-6
supporting scriptures
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
return
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...
return
my notes:
40 "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
return
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
return
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
return
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
return
my notes:
21 My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
return
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
return
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
return
26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
return
my notes:
97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
return
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.
return
my notes:
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
return
6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
return
13 "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
return
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016