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414 | Conversations - Conversations - Proverbs 25 · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  Music.
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  Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries,
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  where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus like the woman at the
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  well in John chapter four.
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  Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
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  Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
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  or on our website at watwm.org, we invite you to sit down with us as we look
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  to the scriptures to learn more about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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  Living her life for Christ, she's a happy girl.
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  Music.
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  She's a happy girl She's a happy girl,
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  In this episode of the Woman at the Well Ministries podcast,
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  join Kim Miller and Erica Close in a conversation as we walk with Jesus.
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  In today's conversation, we continue a series on the book of Proverbs,
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  and in today's podcast, we're discussing the lessons that we've learned from Proverbs chapter 25.
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  Thank you all so much for joining us today. My name's Erica Close,
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  and I am here with Kimberly Miller.
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  Hello, and thank you for joining us as we dive into the truths we find in Proverbs chapter 25.
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  So Proverbs chapter 25 has so many truths and so many verses in it,
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  and we're going to look at some of these, some of the topics that are found
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  in Proverbs chapter 25. We're going to look at verses on the power of our words.
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  We're going to look at some verses on gluttony, on how we're supposed to treat our enemies.
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  There's a lot of verses in here about humility.
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  And then there are a number of verses just about being a good neighbor.
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  So this particular chapter in Proverbs has all of these topics,
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  and it also just has some really special verses in it.
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  So we're excited to dive in. Kim, would you like to read the first half?
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  Sure. These are also Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah,
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  king of Judah, copied out.
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  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
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  The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
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  Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for
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  the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne should
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  be established in righteousness.
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  Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men.
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  For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest
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  be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
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  Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof,
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  when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.
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  Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself, and discover not a secret to another,
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  lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thy infamy turn not away.
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  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and pictures of silver.
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  As an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an immediate ear.
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  As a cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is faithful messenger to them that send him.
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  For he refresheth the soul of his masters.
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  Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
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  By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
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  Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee,
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  lest thou be filled their width and vomit it.
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  Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee.
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  A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul,
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  and a sword and a sharp arrow.
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  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint.
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  As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre,
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  so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
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  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.
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  For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.
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  The north wind driveth away rain, so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
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  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
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  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
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  A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.
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  It is not good to eat much honey, for men to search their own glory is not glory.
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  He that hath no rule over his spirits is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
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  So there are so many topics like we talked about in Proverbs chapter 25,
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  but I think this idea about the power of our words is,
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  is just so very important. And I think we see two verses about this in verses 11 and verse 12.
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  Absolutely. I love verse 11. I know. It was my dad's, one of my dad's favorite verses.
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  If you really just look at what it says, it says, a word fitly spoken is like
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  apples of gold in pictures of silver.
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  And if you think about what he's saying, these apples of gold in this picture of silver.
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  It's something that is shiny. It's something that is bright.
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  It's something that catches your eye. It's something that turns you.
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  Because when you saw that picture, you would surely turn.
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  And a word fitly spoken does all of those things. It brightens their soul.
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  If somebody has just the right word for you, they can lift your spirits.
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  They can change your countenance, and they can transform the direction that
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  your mind, your thoughts, and even your being is going.
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  And so we need to be very cognizant of the fact that our words can change people's minds. Absolutely.
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  As we continue through looking at verse 12, that says, as an earring of gold
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  and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
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  So you adorn the ear with good things with this pretty gold shiny earring.
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  And the right words, the comforting words, the maybe sometimes even challenging
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  words, but the words that give us that corrective moment and we're like,
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  aha, this is really what I should be doing.
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  Those words, That's what he's saying, but the words from a reprover,
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  those words are also making you look better and be better.
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  That idea of that reproof or correction can be beautiful is so...
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  Important. And so often we don't think of reproof when we're getting instruction
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  as always maybe the prettiest times in our lives.
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  It's usually painful. Absolutely.
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  But when we have wise words, wise words to each of us from the right person
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  can be absolutely beautiful.
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  You know, the entire book of Proverbs is really completely filled with wisdom
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  and talking about gaining wisdom and the price is far above rubies.
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  And I believe this is just saying two things to us right here.
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  I think it's saying that a wise person sees the value of instruction and correction and reproof.
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  I also think it's telling us that a wise person who has wisdom will see the
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  benefit of learning how to say the right thing at the right time in the exact right way.
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  And that always involves humbling yourselves unto the Lord and allowing Him
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  to speak through you in the right time and in the right way.
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  I think that's so important because I think so often we may think that we have
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  the right words for a situation.
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  And they may not be bad words, but they may just not be timed right.
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  And so often we have to be, like you said, attuned to what the Holy Spirit is
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  saying so that when we speak, we're speaking at the right time.
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  And you might even have the right words, but you don't have the right relationship
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  for that person to hear what you have to say and for it to not fall on deaf ears.
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  We have to be very prudent with our knowledge and our wisdom.
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  Sometimes our knowledge and our wisdom is for us.
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  Sometimes I do believe he does give us knowledge and wisdom and things to help other people.
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  But not always what we know and what we think we should say are things that
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  are in obedience to what God is saying.
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  He does say, be still and know that I am God. And so we have to discern the
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  Spirit, and the Spirit will make a way for the words that He has given us to
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  fall on fertile ground. Absolutely.
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  Amen. And He will make a way for that person to be able to—they may not like
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  it, but they will hear it.
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  And so I think it's very important. Just because you know something doesn't
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  mean this is the time and the place and the person to tell it.
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  Absolutely. Those are powerful, powerful verses. Again, those were Proverbs 25, 11, and 12.
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  We would invite you to go back and read those again.
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  So one of the other topics that's in Proverbs 25 is just the idea of gluttony.
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  And I don't think any of this is fun to look at and to read about.
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  But there are three verses in here that just really talk about our appetite.
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  And I think it's about our appetite for a whole lot of things.
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  Fleshly things, worldly things, food. Right, not just food. It's in the context of food.
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  But in verse 16, it says,
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  And here, the writer of Proverbs is talking about honey.
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  So finding enough that is sufficient, enough that is satisfying and not to go
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  beyond that, because beyond that, it can just make you sick.
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  And in verse 27, we also read about honey.
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  It is not good to eat much honey, for so men to search their own glory is not glory.
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  Trying to find too much of a good thing, seeking too much of a good thing,
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  eating too much of a good thing is just too much.
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  If you look in Ephesians 5, in verse 18, the latter part of that,
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  he says, and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but the latter part
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  he says, but be filled with the Spirit.
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  If we're going to err on the side of excess, that's what he's telling us to do.
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  He's telling us to fill yourself with the Holy Spirit.
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  And if you recall in John chapter 4, that is a thirst quencher.
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  The Holy Spirit will satisfy you, and the word of the Lord will satisfy you.
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  But it's a discipline to really fill ourselves with the word and to fill ourselves
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  with the Holy Spirit and to get to know him as a person.
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  But scripture tells us that we're to do all things in moderation.
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  And so that means that even the good things, like, you know,
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  strawberry shortcake or whatever you think is good, mashed potatoes,
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  it's not that you can't have the mashed potatoes or the strawberry shortcake.
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  Is that it can't be where you're going for your joy and your fulfillment,
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  and it can't be done in excess, but it has to be done in moderation.
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  There's another verse, verse 28 says, He that hath no rule over his own spirit
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  is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
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  And when I read that, all I could hear was that when we have a lack of self-control,
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  And in this case, not being able to control our own spirits,
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  but in not being able to control our actions, whatever they might be,
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  without a lack, with a lack of self-control, it leaves us open to attack.
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  Now, this talks about being like a wall, a city with walls that are broken down.
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  But when we're going to excess in whatever situation it is, we're not taking
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  care of ourselves. I think that's what the verse I was alluding to earlier is
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  found in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 5.
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  And he says, let your moderation be known unto all men.
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  The Lord is at hand. We're called to live moderate lives.
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  Right. Not excess in materialism, not excess in food, not excess in wealth, not excess.
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  We are to live so that when people see us, there aren't distracting things about
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  us that are so beyond what the norm is that they can't see Jesus.
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  And so if you are always discussing your wealth, they're not seeing Jesus,
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  they're seeing your wealth.
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  If you are displaying your wealth all the time on yourself and all the other
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  things, they're not seeing Jesus, they're seeing your wealth.
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  And I'm not saying at all that it's bad to have material things.
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  I'm not saying that it's bad to be wealthy.
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  What I'm saying is seek that with the Lord.
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  And every purchase you make, whether it's the bag of oranges,
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  the bit of honey bar, or the BMW, you pray.
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  And God will tell you what it is you need to do. And sometimes just because
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  you can doesn't mean you should.
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  Because sometimes he wants to make sure there's no distractions.
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  He always wants to make sure there are no distractions in your life where they
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  would see something you have or something you do or something about you before they see Jesus in you.
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  And I think if we really fully start to understand that we are the ambassadors
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  of Jesus Christ and that when you walk into a room,
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  yeah, they know my name is Kim Miller, but it's my prayer they see some fruit
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  of the Spirit, like we learn in Galatians 5,
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  or that my reputation for loving the Lord precedes me and my actions and my
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  walk while in their presence affirms it.
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  We don't want things that distract people from seeing the Lord.
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  That's all I'm saying. He says in Philippians 4, 5, that we are to do all things in moderation.
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  Absolutely. So in that theme of living lives that are showing off Jesus and
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  not showing off ourselves, let's look at how we're supposed to deal with our
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  enemies, which we read in verses 21 and 22.
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  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat. and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.
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  For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.
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  And I think that when we look at these two verses, what we're seeing is that.
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  It's our job to repay evil with good.
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  It's our job to let the battle be fought by the Lord and for us to be good to
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  people regardless of what they do to us.
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  Scripture tells us that we are to love one another as Christ loved us.
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  And I don't care how good you think you are. I don't even care how good the world thinks you are.
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  The Bible says that we are all as filthy rags, that none of us are good, no, not one.
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  So beyond the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, the mercy and the grace
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  that he bestows upon us. We're not that much.
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  And we are to live Christ-like. He said he went about doing good and we are
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  to do the same because we are Christians.
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  And so it only stands the reason that we are to show loving ways to those who are our enemies.
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  We were an enemy of God and he loved us and we love him because he first loved us.
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  But one step further in that processing of that thought of loving our enemies
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  is that's how you're going to show them Jesus.
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  Because flesh wants to get even. Yes.
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  At best, flesh wants to just ignore them and remove them from their lives, your life.
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  But Jesus says, hey, you see their need?
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  You fix their need just like you would the person you love the most in this world.
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  And I'm telling you, you talk about being a witness.
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  You talk about they're going to be scratching their head and trying to figure
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  out just what is different about you. How could you do that?
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  And the people around you will also be touched and probably questioning what is happening.
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  And then you're fully living out Matthew 5, 16, which says, let your good works
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  glorify your father, which is in heaven.
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  That's what you're going to be doing. So let your light so shine before men
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  that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven.
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  I love this idea of our good works and glory given to God be what people should see.
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  You know, there are verses in this chapter about humility.
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  You know, verses 6 and 7 says, Put not forth thyself in the presence of the
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  king, and stand not in the place of great men.
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  It's not our job to go to the king and say, hey, look at me, look at me, here I am.
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  And if we look at verse seven, for better it is that it be said unto thee,
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  come up hither, that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince
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  whom thine eyes have seen.
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  We're called to be humble and we're called to let the Lord call us up, right?
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  Call us up for duty, call us up for service.
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  And you know, he says he has a plan for us and that plan is to prosper us and
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  give us a hope. And when we place ourselves in places, we're basically superseding his plan.
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  Now, if he puts you in that place, that's different.
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  But oftentimes that's not what happens. But what we know is that we are told that in 1 Peter 5, 6,
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  that if we submit ourselves to him, if we humble ourselves under the mighty
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  hand of God in due time, he will exalt us.
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  And his exaltation of us is far higher and greater than we could ever do for ourselves.
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  But we just get ahead of him. I mentioned a little bit earlier about.
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  Be still and know that I am God. That doesn't mean you're just sitting there.
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  That means you are actively being still.
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  You're not getting ahead of the Lord, and that's a conscious decision,
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  and it's a disciplined way of living.
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  And while you're doing that, you should be praying and studying and listening
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  and hearing until the day comes that He moves you forward and you get progress
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  and a direction because that's when he's ready for you to receive the blessing he has for you.
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  And if you go and get ahead of him, you're creating a false or fake blessing,
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  one far less than what he had.
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  But he tempers us and he molds us like in Jeremiah 18, where he says he's the
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  potter and we're the clay.
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  And when he has us really right and ready to receive what he really has for us, then he exalts us.
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  And I think every Christian needs to really just put the brakes on,
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  not on the brakes on Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but the brakes on their own self-will.
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  And that's what that submitting and humbling is that he's talking about.
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  And then you can receive the blessings that God has designed exactly for you and your mind.
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  The Bible says that I have not seen and ear hath not heard what lies in store
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  for them that love the Lord.
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  We can't comprehend the blessings that God has for us.
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  And Ephesians 3.20 tells us that he can do exceeding abundantly above all that
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  we ask or think according to the power that works in us.
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  And so when I talked about a little bit earlier that we are not to do excess.
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  But to be filled with the Spirit, it's this filling of the Spirit that brings
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  contentment and joy and peace and the blessings of God. Amen.
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  Amen. I feel like we could stop right there, but we promised just a few verses.
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  On being a good neighbor, which comes out of that.
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  If we are living as Jesus calls us to live, we're going to be a good neighbor
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  for those that are our actual neighbors, for the that live near us,
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  for those that are our neighbors that may live far, but that we may come into contact with.
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  But I love that verse 17 says, withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house,
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  lest he be weary of thee, right? Don't overstay your welcome.
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  Some of these verses are really just very practical. Don't overstay your welcome.
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  Verse 18 talks about a man that bears false witness against his neighbor, right?
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  We've got to live honestly and uprightly in this world.
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  There is so much dishonesty in this world.
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  We need to be the contrast to that as followers of Christ, and we need to be
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  honest with our neighbors.
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  In verse 19, confidence in an unfaithful man in a time of trouble is like a broken tooth, right?
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  We need to be people that are reliable for our neighbors because this verse
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  tells us if there's someone that you can't depend on, it's painful.
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  It's painful like a broken tooth. And we live in community.
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  We do live in community. You're created to live in community,
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  and the people around you are around you for a specific reason.
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  And it's just not random chaos that you live where you live.
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  It's not random chaos that those around you live around you.
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  It is part of God's divine plan.
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  And first and foremost, it has to be that we show people Jesus.
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  And you can't show people Jesus if you can't get along with them.
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  Because Jesus got along with everybody.
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  Yes. And he loved everyone, even when he was tearing the tables up in the temple.
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  Absolutely. I think that what we really need to do here is to remind ourselves
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  every day as we walk out the door.
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  Where we might run into anybody else, that it's our job to be Jesus for whoever
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  it is that we come in contact with.
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  It's our job to act like Jesus. It's our job to bring Jesus.
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  It's our job to remember that we are carrying Jesus into all of our situations.
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  And the only way that that can happen is if you humble yourself to him.
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  You know, there's a common colloquial phrase called bring it when you want someone
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  to, you know, you're challenging them.
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  And I'm going to challenge all of us, myself included. Bring it.
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  Bring the word. Bring his character. Bring his goodness.
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  And let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works. And glorify who?
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  Your Father, which is in heaven.
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  Thank you so much for joining us in this podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries.
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  It is our prayer that you are growing closer and closer to the Lord and that
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  the Holy Spirit is real and alive in your life.
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  Remember you are loved. Jesus loves you.
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  Music.
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  Thank you for joining us in today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for
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  quotes from today's podcast and scripture references. We pray today has been
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