The Word of God for wisdom:
Proverbs 7:1-3 (HCSB)
1 My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. 2 Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye. 3 Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
The Word of God for inspiration:
Psalm 28:1-2 (HCSB)
1 Lord, I call to You; my rock, do not be deaf to me. If You remain silent to me, I will be like those going down to the Pit. 2 Listen to the sound of my pleading when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
The Word of God for encouragement:
Matthew 5:33-37 (HCSB)
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. 34 But I tell you, don't take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your word 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no' be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.
My observation:
The way that a follower of Christ lives in the world should be different then the way other people live their lives. Jesus asked his disciples a very penetrating question that bears our paying attention to. He said to them, "What do you do more than others?" Jesus reminded his disciples that the standard is not what others do, but what the Father says in the word.
Matthew 5:48 (HCSB)
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In today's focal passage Jesus applied this standard to the disciple's words. The Pharisees were notorious for making vows. However, they had all kinds of exceptions to the vows that they made so that they could avoid keeping them. Jesus said his followers should be different. In fact, he said you should not even make vows. Just say what you mean, and let your life backup your words. Our Lord's brother caught this lesson from Jesus, and repeated it in his epistle that bears his name.
James 5:12 (HCSB)
Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your "yes" must be "yes," and your "no" must be "no," so that you won't fall under judgment.
My prayer:
Father God, my dear Father, our Lord Jesus has taught us that the standard for the life of Christ followers is holiness. Father, the only way I can meet the standard, and be pleasing in your eyes is if you hold my hand, and guide each step that I take, and guard each word that I speak. Father, I can't, but you can, so hold my hand dear Lord.
My song:
Hold Thou My Hand: So Weak I Am and Helpless
http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/388
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2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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