The halfbaked Bard

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Pro:30:5 A shield is a weapon of protection. In fact you cannot call it a weapon. It is that part of the armour which you wear on your left arm. Wherever you bring it, it protects you from arrows or spears. But it does have it's own limitations. It cannot protect you from the arrows that come from every direction.  Shield is often idiomized in the Bible for protection from the enemy and his fiery darts.  In Proverbs 30:5 - God picturises Himself as a shield. But only for those who take refuge in Him. Only those who come under His overarching presence of God will be protected. Those who willingly stay away, adamantly are rebellious cannot be protected.  Pro:2:7 He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless . A desire to walk a blameless path, is yet another prerequisite. Someone who indulges in sin or enjoys being there, cannot be protected. Only someone who desires to be blameless, He will protect. ...

Fearing people is a dangerous trap Pro:29:25 A man whose priority in life is to please others, is a havoc. When he tries to please one set of people, he will displease the other set. And he will be running around like in a trap.  Because the standards you set for yourself is based on the inconsistency of the man around. You tend to compromise. You tend to dwindle.  But if you are focussed on living a life that you desire to fear God and please Him, then life is more organised and orderly because there is only one standard.  Easier, said than done. Because you are more inclined to live for people who are more tangible than the God whom you do not see.  Lord open my eyes so that i will be able to see you every moment and live for you.  Image credit:  https://www.meirc.com/articles/am-i-mr-nice-guy-or-a-people-pleaser

Pro:28:13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper But if they confess and turn from them they will receive mercy.  When the Holy Spirit (through the word of God or your thoughts or through other people) intervenes straight into your life and points at a particular sin in your life, His desire is that you open up and renounce it with the same grief and disgust that He has. If you do that you will be shown mercy.  Mercy is never something you deserve. You cannot demand mercy. Because you have sought forgiveness, there is no guarantee of pardon. It is the discretion of the other person to forgive or not. And no one points fingers at Him, if He doesn't. He is justified in not pardoning.  But we take His grace and love for so granted that we expect Him to forgive. "I repented, so He will have to forgive me". He will forgive. That is for sure. For that is His character. But we think we deserve. No we don't. He has been gracious.  If we realize this truth...

The righteous are as bold as a lion Pro:28:1 The lion is not the biggest or the strongest or the fastest. But still is the king of the jungle. Because it is the bravest and the boldest.  He who stands strong, on the rock of salvation, Jesus Christ, based on His righteousness, wearing the robe of righteousness that He gives, will stand boldly.  No matter what trials he faces, how big a mountain it seem like - he will face it with surity and assurance that the Sovereign God is with him. And no one can stand against him.  He will not run away. He will not flow off like water. He will not be helpless. He will stand firm on the solid rock. He will trust in the goodness of God. He will trust in the providence of God. He will trust in the timing of God.  Image credit:  https://in.pinterest.com/pin/296041375480659704/