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What Is Celebrate Recovery and Why Did It Get Started

By Randy Sexton

As I related in my last article, “This Is My Story,” I fell into secret sin in 2009. I was firmly enmeshed in pornography and sexual addiction, when I began seeking counseling to battle these sinful defects of character. I began seeing a Counselor in November 20, 2018. This Counselor had 12 years’ experience as a counselor, was gifted in working with families and couples, had a heart for working with men’s issues, and had been trained at the Institute of Sexual Wholeness. He was certified as an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and as an LMFT (Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist). During our very first session, he told me about this Christ-centered recovery program called Celebrate Recovery. He recommended that I check it out. He said there were several churches in the area that offered Celebrate Recovery ministries. Following his advice, I attended my first Celebrate Recovery meeting at West-Ark Church of Christ in Fort Smith, Arkansas on January 7, 2019. On that same night I asked someone to be my Sponsor and I signed up for a Step Study. I had been reading several books that my Therapist had recommended and I was more than ready for the help that the CR Program offered.

In that first meeting, I attended what was called a “Newcomers Meeting” and was given a little paperback book, Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery by John Baker. That book helped me to understand the history and the benefit of attending Celebrate Recovery meetings. In this article, I would like to share thoughts from the Introduction: What Is Celebrate Recovery written by Rick Warren and from Chapter 1: Why Did Celebrate Recovery Get Started written by John Baker. I would also like to invite you to check out the website to find a local Celebrate Recovery program in your area https://www.celebraterecovery.com/what-we-offer/find-a-cr-meeting.

I have now been a part of the West-Ark Celebrate Recovery ministry for almost four years and have found healing. In Celebrate Recovery I have found a safe place to work on my hurts, habits and hang-ups. If you are struggling to find healing, I offer the following words as a first step in your recovery journey. God Bless you!

What Is Celebrate Recovery?

CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS A CHRIST-CENTERED, 12 STEP RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR ANYONE STRUGGLING WITH HURTS, HANG-UPS, AND HABITS OF ANY KIND.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS A SAFE PLACE TO FIND COMMUNITY AND FREEDOM FROM THE ISSUES THAT ARE CONTROLLING OUR LIFE.

Celebrate Recovery started in 1991 at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. At that time, the church was meeting at a high school gymnasium. John Baker wrote Pastor Rick Warren the “now-famous, concise, 13-page, single-spaced” letter outlining the vision God had given John for Celebrate Recovery. After reading John’s letter, Pastor Rick said, “Great, John — go do it!”

As Rick Warren points out, the Bible makes it clear “all have sinned.” Because of that sin, we hurt ourselves as well as others. “This means each of us needs recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended.” Because time doesn’t heal all wounds, we need something more to address hurts because “wounds that are left untended fester and spread infection throughout your entire body. Time only extends the pain if the problem isn’t dealt with.”

“Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. Celebrate Recovery is more effective in helping us change than anything else I’ve seen or heard of.” While there are many 12-step programs around, most of those programs are very vague about the nature of God, the saving power of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Rick Warren describes how he began an intense study of the Scriptures to discover what God had to say about recovery, “My study resulted in a ten-week series of messages called, ‘The Road to Recovery.’ During that series, Pastor John Baker developed the participant’s guides which became the heart of our Celebrate Recovery program. I believe that this program is unlike any recover program you may have seen. There are six features that make it unique.

  1. Celebrate Recovery is based on God’s Word, the Bible….
  2. Celebrate Recovery is forward-looking….
  3. Celebrate Recover emphasizes personal responsibility….
  4. Celebrate Recover emphasizes spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ….
  5. Celebrate Recovery utilizes the biblical truth that we need each other in order to grow spiritually and emotionally….
  6. Celebrate Recovery addresses all types of hurts, hang-ups, and habits….”

Why Did Celebrate Recovery Get Started?

The short answer to this question is that CR got started because John and Cheryl Baker realized they needed something more than, what then existed, to help them heal from the hurts that they had experienced in their lives. As Cheryl tells their story in the opening chapter of this book, we see two people who experienced the negative effects of alcohol in their lives, but who also suffered from deeper underlying issues of low self-esteem, insecurity, co-dependency, and need to control.

John and Cheryl met at a fraternity-sorority football game at the University of Missouri where they were both going to school. John was president of his fraternity and Cheryl was president of her sorority.  Cheryl and John were married in John’s senior year.  Little did Cheryl know what the next 19 years would have in store for her.

After graduation John joined the Air Force and was chosen to be a pilot.  He attended Officers Training School and, in 90 days, learned to act like an officer and drink like a gentleman!  He continued to abuse alcohol and viewed it as cure for his pain, certainly not a sin!  In the service he quickly found the proper use for 100% oxygen – to cure hangovers!  You know, the service is gifted in discovering one’s talents.  John was selected as his squadron’s social officer.  Perfect!  A job that required a lot of hours planning functions at the officers club’s bar.

After the service he joined Scott Paper Co., got his MBA degree at night school and God gave he and Cheryl their first child, a daughter, Laura.  And two years later they were blessed with their son, John Jr.  John was promoted eight times in the first eleven years of his business career.  He was the vice president of sales and marketing for two very large consumer food manufacturers. All of this by the time he was 30 years old.

With all the business success came several relocations.  Attending church became less and less important to John as his drinking increased.  He believed that if he died he was saved; however, he also was beginning to be uncomfortable with his lifestyle, business practices, and priorities.  To the outside world everything with his family seemed normal, but in his heart he knew something was very wrong. As John’s drinking continued to increase, he turned his back completely on God.

John was known as a functioning alcoholic.  He knew he had a problem, but he never lost a job or never got arrested for drunk driving.  Up to this point his secret was still safe.  Cheryl was in denial, or so he thought.  She just couldn’t label him as an “alcoholic” until she noticed his new breakfast drink – beer!  One evening, in her anger, she asked him to go to counseling with her or to just leave.  Much to her surprise, he left!  And their separation began.

John’s life was out of control.  It was an October morning, and he was in Salt Lake City on a business trip.  He woke up and knew he couldn’t take another drink.  But, he also knew that he couldn’t live without one!  He had finally hit his bottom.  He made it back to Orange County and went to his first AA meeting.  He started going to AA meetings daily.  He went to over 90 meetings in 90 days.  As the days passed, he came to “earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover.”

Cheryl was completely unaware that John was beginning to deal with his alcoholism. She tells of how her dysfunctions began to surface. She had never told anyone about the breakup of their marriage. She had wanted to tell her close Christian friends at the church pre-school where she worked but she just didn’t feel safe. She wondered if there were others who were also struggling with pain that they were too afraid to share and feeling so different and alone. She says, “Thinking that if we switched churches we would find a safe place to tell others about our pain, the kids and I began attending Saddleback Church. But we didn’t want to feel different or alone, so we didn’t tell anyone there about the separation either.”

Meanwhile, as John was continuing to work the 12-Steps of the AA program, he came to Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all and Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

He had quite a long list of names on his amends list.  They ranged from former employers, former employees, friends, and neighbors.  But his most special amends he owed were to his family – especially to Cheryl.  When he got to step nine they were still separated.

On February 14, 1991, after being separated for a year, John left a note on Cheryl’s table asking her to meet him for lunch.  On Valentine’s Day!  She thought it was a little strange to be meeting her separated husband on Valentine’s Day!  During that lunch, John told her that he had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous and that he went to meetings several times a week and had a sponsor.  He told her that AA was founded on the principles of the 12 steps, and he needed to share the ninth step with her.  He simply told her that he was truly sorry for the pain he caused in her life, that he still loved her, and that if he could ever do anything for her – anything – just ask.  Now this is where it really gets interesting.

One Saturday night he was visiting the kids and they asked him to go to church with them on Sunday morning.  Much to their surprise he said yes!  He hadn’t been in a church for five years! John describes what happened, “That Sunday morning, I heard the music and Pastor Rick’s message, and I knew I was home.  Cheryl and I began in earnest to work on our issues that had torn our relationship apart.  And five months later God opened our hearts and we renewed our marriage vows.  As a family, we were baptized and took all the church’s classes – Class 101 (Membership) – Class 201 (Maturity), and Class 301 (Ministry) which is the class that I now teach.  Folks, that can only be the power and grace of God!”

As John attended his AA meetings he was mocked when he talked about his Higher Power – the only true Higher Power – Jesus Christ.  And at church he couldn’t find a place where individuals could openly relate to his struggle with alcoholism. He knew they were there because in a church of then 6000, he couldn’t be the only one struggling with a hurt, hang up, or addictive habit.  So John wrote Pastor Rick a concise 13 page single-spaced letter outlining the vision that God gave him – the vision of Celebrate Recovery a Christ-centered 12 step recovery program.  And he said, “Great…do it!”

John was finally able to accept God’s call, and he entered Golden Gate Baptist Seminary.  He committed his life to God to serve him wherever and whenever he chose. The first meeting for Celebrate Recovery started on November 21, 1991 with four open share groups: women’s chemical addictions, women’s codependent, men’s chemical addiction, and men’s codependent. Forty-three people attended that first meeting with volunteers leading their worship and lessons were taught in a large group format. John was asked to join the Saddleback Church Staff in 1992. In 1993, Rick Warren preached “The Road to Recovery” sermon series that became the basis for the 8 Principle of Celebrate Recovery. In 1994 and 1995 John wrote the 4 Participant Guides that now serve as the basis of the Celebrate Recovery Step Study.

Read Cheryl’s words as she describes the growth that resulted, “As we began to use the participant guides, we had a huge growth spurt. Leaders began to emerge from those step study groups and wanted us to start new groups. Gradually groups for newcomers, anger, eating disorders, food addictions, love and relationship addiction, sexual addiction, codependents in a relationship with a with a sexually addicted man, gambling, sexual/physical/emotional abuse, and adult children of the chemically addicted were added to the original four small groups.”

“Celebrate Recovery has helped more than 17,000 people at Saddleback, attracting over 70% of its members from outside the church. Eighty-five percent of the people who go through the program stay with the church and nearly half serve as church volunteers. Celebrate Recovery is now in over 37,000 churches worldwide!” (https://saddleback.com/connect/ministry/celebrate-recovery)

If this sounds like a program that you would benefit from, I would invite you to begin your Celebrate Recovery journey by visiting a local Celebrate Recovery ministry near you.

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Saturday, June 12, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Luke 11-12

Things to remember in today’s reading:

*The Lord teaches His disciples to pray, declares confidently that it is the finger of God that is at work in him to cast out demons (1:1-23).

*Luke describes the process that occurs when an unclean spirit goes out of a person (11:24-26).

*Jesus defines “the blessed” as those who hear the word of God and keep it and He denounces the current generation for seeking a sign (11:27-32).

*Jesus teaches about light, washing before meals, and pronounces several woes on the Pharisees and lawyers (11:33-12:3).

*Jesus teaches about fear of the physical vs. fear of the spiritual, about acknowledging Him before men and about covetousness (12:4-21).

*Jesus teaches about being anxious, about being ready, about commitment even when it brings division, about interpreting the times and about settling with your accuser (12:22-59).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

*When we pray, we should express words of adoration (v1), confession (v4), thanksgiving (v3) and supplication (“your kingdom come” and “lead us not into temptation”). This simple prayer provides a pattern we can follow that we can remember with the acronym ACTS.

*We can be so persistent in pressing for specifics of right and wrong, that we neglect love (11:42).

*We can be guilty of seeking glory for ourselves for what we do rather than giving glory to God (11:43).

*We can so hinder others that we “take away the key of knowledge” (11:52).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

*I will pray!

*I will work to share the key of knowledge to God’s word!

*I will consider the birds and the lilies of the field when I begin to feel anxious!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

*For courage!

*For an obedient spirit!

*For anchoring in Jesus

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Thursday­­­­­­, June 10, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 4

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • After making his fourth appeal to his son to walk securely in wisdom (3:21-35), the father makes his fifth appeal that wisdom is a tradition worth maintaining (4:1-9).
  • His sixth appeal is that there are two ways that lie before all of us that require us to choose the way of wisdom or the way of folly (4:10-19).
  • The father’s seventh appeal to his son is for him to maintain a heart of wisdom (4:20-27).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • Godliness and prudence are part of the legacy we should maintain as a family heritage (4:3-4).
  • Keeping hold of instruction of godly fathers and mothers will allow children to walk without their way being hampered and to run without them stumbling 4:12-13).
  • Out of the heart flows “the springs of life,” affecting our speech, what we look at, where we go and how we conduct ourselves (4:23).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • Impress upon my sons the importance of putting away “crooked speech” and “devious talk” that they have a tendency to pick up from their friends in the world (4:24)
  • Discuss with my sons, ways they can keep my instructions to them within their hearts and what it means to hold fast to my words (4:4, 20-21).

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • That I always have humility as I give “good precepts,” and that “my teaching” and the wisdom that I impart to my sons is what God intends for them to receive!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Wednesday­­­­­­, June 9, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 69-71

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • In this psalm, the author laments his suffering at the hands of attackers who are taking advantage and making worse what he is experiencing as a result of his own wrongs (69:1-36).
  • In this psalm, the author prays urgently for rescue from enemies who delight in his hurt (70:1-5)
  • In this psalm, the author laments his plight at the hands of wicked, unjust, and cruel men and requests deliverance based upon his trusting in the Lord from his youth (71:1-24).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • We sometimes grow weary waiting for our God but then we remember, at an acceptable time, He will answer in His saving faithfulness (69:3, 13).
  • The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His own people who are prisoners (69:33).
  • God will not cast us off in the time of old age, when our strength is spent, if we have remembered Him in the days of our youth (71:6, 17-18; Ecclesiastes 12:1).
  • God has done great things; he has seen us through many troubles and calamities and will revive us again, when the flame grows dim (71:19-20).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • I will keep on camping toward Canaan’s happy land!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • Teach me Lord to wait!
  • Revive me again – rekindle with fire from above …

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Tuesday­­­­­­, June 8, 2010

Today’s Scripture: 1st Kings 10-13

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • A description of the glory of Solomon’s kingdom continues from the previous chapter (10:1-29)
  • Solomon turns from the Lord when he is old, loving foreign women and going after other Gods, so God raises adversaries against him (11:1-26).
  • The most important of these adversaries, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, is chosen to receive ten of the tribes at the death of Solomon (11:27-43)
  • Solomon’s son Reheboam reigned in his place at his death but has to deal with the providential plan of God to give ten of the tribes to Jeroboam (12:1-25
  • “Solomon had been given great gifts from God, but instead of responsibly using these gifts in obedience to God, the king allowed himself to be influenced by others. Christ’s followers need to stand against pressure to compromise our faith and what we know be true.” (The Devotional Bible by Max Lucado, p 401)
  • When Jeroboam builds golden calves, the Lord sends a Man of God to speak against it (13:1-34).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • We must be on guard to not allow things in our lives to bring us to the same condition that Solomon found himself in when he was old; “his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God” (11:4)
  • With blessings come responsibilities (Luke 12:48). “Those who are given understanding, ability, goods, money, authority or fame have a responsibility that the less favored do not bear; failure to fulfill it produces fearful punishment…. Whatever level of opportunity is given to us, both God and man expect us to give a certain standard of performance. Favor carries with it responsibility. As the favor increases, the responsibility increases.” (From The Secret Kingdom by Pat Robertson)

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • To explore the responsibilities I have been given to serve God!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • For help to stand against the harmful influences of others!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Monday­­­­­­, June 7, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Leviticus 1-3

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • Instructions are given for the burnt offering (1:1-17)
  • Instructions are given for the grain offering (2:1-16)
  • Instructions are given for the peace offering (3:1-17)

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • As God’s people, we must address our sin and impurity so that God will dwell among us!
  • As worshippers, we must be wholehearted in our devotion!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • I will present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God! I will NOT be confirmed to this world! I will be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of my mind, because He has delivered me from the domain of darkness and TRANSFERRED me to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 1:13)

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • For wisdom to fight off all of the deceiving schemes of the prince of the domain of darkness!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Sunday­­­­­­, June 6, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 1-3

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • Paul writes to “the saints who are in Ephesus” to remind them that Christ has blessed them with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (because they were chosen and predestined “for adoption as sons”) and had redeemed them through His blood. He praises them for their faith, telling them that they are continually in his prayers (1:1-23).
  • He reminds them of their hopelessness and helplessness without Christ and contrasts that with the hope this is in Christ and encourages them to even greater faithfulness to join in what God is building – a holy temple (2:1-22).
  • Paul elaborates on his call to be a minister to “preach to the Gentiles the unreachable riches of Christ and continues his prayer for their spiritual strength (3:1-21).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • What amazing blessings God has “lavished upon us” because of His grace (1:7). “It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (1:11-12 – The Message).
  • What incredible hope we have if we are Christians!
  • What a privilege we enjoy to live in a time where it has now been revealed that which was not made known to other generations!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • “To preach the unreachable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages.”

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • That my eyes may be focused and clear that I may see what Jesus is calling me to do!
  • For boldness and courage to preach God’s plan for redeeming the soul of man!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Saturday­­­­­­, June 5, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Luke 9-10

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • Jesus sends the 12 Apostles out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal, Herod the tetrarch is perplexed by all that is happening and seeks to see Jesus, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and Peter leads the Apostles in stating their recognition of Him as “the Christ of God” compared with who “the crowds” were saying He was (9:1-20).
  • Jesus foretells His death, teaches the Apostles and others about daily cross bearing and is transfigured before Peter, John and James up on the mountain where Jesus had gone to pray (9:21-36).
  • Jesus heals the boy with the unclean spirit, astonishing the people “at the majesty of God,” and again tries to get across to His disciples that He would soon be “delivered up” to be crucified” (9:37-45).
  • Jesus continues to interact with His disciples, teaching them about the true nature of greatness, about potential reactions to their preaching, and about the cost of discipleship (9:46-62).
  • Jesus sends 72 other disciples on a mission of preaching and healing, meets the tests of the lawyer and teaches about loving God and loving your neighbor, and accepts an invitation to go to Mary and Martha’s house and teaches about physical aspects of serving vs. discipleship and fellowship with Jesus (10:1-42).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • Daily cross bearing is required to follow Jesus. It often requires saying “no” to other tasks (9:57-62).
  • The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain while He was praying was an important event, instilling in Peter, John and James the conviction they would need concerning the coming kingdom and the power with which it would come (see Peter’s statement in 2nd Peter 1:16-18).
  • Interesting is the statement by Jesus, “Let these words sink into your ears” and the comment by Luke, “But they did not understand His saying an it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it.” (9:44-45). The concealing was not by God. (I disagree with the ESV Study Bible which comments here, “The disciples lack of understanding is due to the meaning of Jesus’ words being concealed from them by God.” I agree with the commentator Albert Barnes who says, “They had imbibed the common notions of the Jews that He was to be a prince and a conqueror to deliver the nation…. In this way it was hid from them – not by God, but by their previous false belief.”)
  • Things that are good in themselves, can distract me from the most important (i.e. close fellowship with the Lord).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • I will not allow the physical aspects of my service to cause me to neglect “sitting at the Lord’s feet” and “listening to His teaching.”

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • That I may take up “my cross” today and ever day!
  • That I may always see the glory of Jesus and listen to Him!
  • That I may never be distracted from an intimate walk with Jesus!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Friday­­­­­­, June 4, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Lamentations 1-5

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • “How lonely sits the city,” begins the book of Lamentations, as it describes the devastation of Jerusalem and her calls for help. The reason for this devastation is clearly stated, “The Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.” (1:1-22)
  • The effects of God’s punishment are described, counsel is given to cry out to God and Jerusalem is depicted as responding by asserting God’s lack of pity (2:1-22).
  • “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath,” begins the writer (whom many consider to be Jeremiah) who has encountered suffering and experiencd God’s faithfulness. He expresses confidence in God’s continuing concern (3:1-66).
  • “How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold has changed!” Thus begins this chapter as further description is made of the conditions in Jerusalem, as the result of Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (4:1-22).
  • “Remember O Lord, what has befallen us! Look and see our disgrace!” Thus begins the final chapter, a pleas for a restored relationship with God (5:1-22).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • If we “take no thought of our future” (1:9), we place our children in jeopardy to be taken away “captives before the foe” (1:5).
  • God removes His protection, leadership, revelation, and direction from a nation when it ceases to recognize Him (2:9, 14)
  • When “I have forgotten what happiness is” (3:17), I will “call to mind … the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end (3:21-22).
  • Every morning is a new opportunity to experience the grace and mercy of God (3:23).
  • God has seen the wrongs done to His people and will repay (3:58-66).
  • When spiritual leaders fail to lead, they will be judged accordingly (4:13).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • I will prepare my children for the future by teaching them not to rebel against God’s word (1:18, 20).
  • I will wait quietly for the Lord and hope in Him (3:25-26) in a posture of prayer and expectation.
  • I will test and examine my ways and return to the Lord (3:40).
  • I will learn from the history of the Bible and NOT repeat the mistakes of the past.

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • Let me learn to “sit alone in silence” and “put (my) mouth in the dust,” when I must bear the punishment for my sin!
  • Let me not be complacent in my service to God!
  • Let me renew my faith every morning as I declare, “Great is your Faithfulness, O Lord!”

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

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Reflections on My Daily Bible Reading Thursday­­­­­, June 3, 2010

Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 2-3

Things to remember in today’s reading:

  • After appealing to his son to NOT join those greedy for unjust gain, the father makes the appeal to “Get wisdom” (2:1-22)
  • The father makes the 3rd appeal to his son, “Fear the Lord” (3:1-12)
  • Wisdom is extolled in this Hymn o Wisdom (3:13-20)

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

  • If we set our hearts on it, then God will give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding and He will be a shield to protect us as He “watches over the way of his saints”!
  • If we walk in “integrity,” then we are promised discretion to watch over us and understanding to guard us, delivering us from the evil way!
  • Though we are to seek it diligently, wisdom is not something we earn. It is pictured here as being given by God out of His great storehouse where He “stores up sound wisdom” (2:7) to be dispensed to the upright, those who walk in integrity, his saints.
  • The “tree of life” analogy used in 3:18, is also used in three other Proverbs (11:30; 13:12 and 15:4). When these are compared to its use in Genesis 2:9 and 3:22 and in Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14, and 19, I am caused to reflect upon man’s original state in the Garden before the fall and how that condition will be restored one day.
  • I may talk about doing good to others but then fail to do it when given the opportunity (3:27-32).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

  • I will acknowledge God in all my ways!
  • I will honor God with my wealth and with my firsfruits!
  • I will NOT despise the Lord’s discipline!
  • I will reflect upon the fact that wisdom and understanding are given and governed by God, and are “a tree of life to those who lay hold of her” (3:18).
  • I will not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in my power to do it!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

  • That God will bless my dwelling and give me honor as an inheritance (3:33-35).
  • That I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding (3:5).
  • That when my loved ones lie down, they will not be afraid and their sleep will be sweet (3:24).
  • That I will not lose sight of sound wisdom and discretion but will walk on my way securely (3:21-23).

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton