A proverb a day turns into 5 days
After attending the Dallas Razorbacks vs. Aggies game, I am somewhat behind in posting to my blog. I was able to read my Bible each day but since I did not take my laptop I have a lot of writing to do.
If you wonder why you should bother to read the book of Proverbs 12 times during the year, keep reading and you will find an abundance of reasons. Verses 2-7 0f the first chapter says:
- for attaining wisdom and discipline
- for understanding words of insight
- for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life
- doing what is right and just and fair
- adding to the learning of the wise by listening
- giving the discerning guidance
Why wouldn’t we want to spend a portion of every day devouring words that will accomplish all of these things? And v. 7 is one of the strongest verses in the entire Bible: The fear (awe) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
If you have ever watched Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” you may think wisdom is no longer sought after or treasured. It seems we have all but abandoned our quest for knowledge, and the thirst for godly wisdom has likewise been abandoned. But if you continue to read further in Proverbs, you will see that just as there are rewards for wisdom, there is punishment for folly. Vs. 25 and 26 actually says, “I will laugh at your calamity because you did not listen to me.” I have heard some pastors say this verse means that God will laugh at our calamity, but these verses are about wisdom, not God. I cannot imagine God laughing at the demise of any of His children, but we should not test God by continually turning away from His instruction.
Proverbs 2 goes on to deal with the moral benefits of wisdom telling us we should search for wisdom as though it were silver or some other hidden treasure. I remember the movie “Goonies” which was about a group of misfits who had found a treasure map. So convinced were they that treasure would be found, they began a journey that not only was rife with traps but also put them at odds with a family of criminals. If we would only seek wisdom with the same fervor those kids sought (and found) the treasure, then we are told in v. 10 of Ch. 2 that “wisdom will enter your heart.” Wisdom saves from wickedness, perverseness and darkness and keep us in the company of good men. (v 20)
Proverbs 3 goes on to expound on the benefits of wisdom. Prov. 3:1-2 says wisdom will increase our lives and give us prosperity. Prov 3:5 is another one of those scriptures that once learned, stays with you forever: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths.” If I tell God that I am committed to trusting Him with all of my heart, but then do not invite Him to partake in any of my decisions, I am not being honest. When I read my Bible and pray, if I do all of the talking and do not give God any time for any input, then I am really just talking to myself, and that has never been known to be very productive. When we find ourselves on the wrong path, time after time, then it is clear God is not directing our paths and we need to back up and start again.
Prov 3:11 can be a tough scripture: do not rebuke the Lord’s discipline for the Lord disciplines those He loves. No one likes to be disciplined. Discipline equals punishment and punishment implies you have done something wrong. But God’s discipline is not man’s discipline. God’s discipline is designed to turn you back to Him. When we find ourselves on the mat, down for the count, that is when we should look toward Heaven and turn toward God for the answers to life’s questions.
Prov 4 says though it costs you all you have, get understanding (v.7). Most of us have never given all we have for anything. We always save a little something back “for a rainy day.” Giving all we have is just not in our nature. Jesus, however, gave all He had to purchase our redemption, not His, ours. Will we ever completely fathom God’s mercy, Jesus’ sacrifice, or why God even wants a relationship with such flawed individuals? God, please give us the wisdom to understand, and the understanding to continue to seek your wisdom.
V. 22 says God’s words are life to those who find them and health to our bodies. We are to guard our hearts, for they are the wellsprings of life. Again, I wonder why–why would we not cling to the word of God, why do we not take more time to visit His word, to hear His word, to make His word a part of our daily lives? Why do we not make a conscious effort to memorize His word? What else can you think of that is life to those who find it, and health to your body? Help us Father, to recognize the importance of your word, and to receive the life found therein.
Prov. 5 speaks primarily of adultery. Many of us may think we can skip this chapter as it does not now, nor would ever, apply to us. Not so fast. This chapter speaks not just of adultery, but of the lack of discipline that can lead to adultery. There is that word again–discipline. V 12 says, how I hated discipline, how my heart spurned correction. These are the words of a man whose life was ruined by a lack of discipline. Is discipline so hard that we are willing to trade it for our life? God forbid that we choose folly over wisdom, or evil over good.
More proverbs
Now we look at Proverbs 31, the saga of the virtuous woman. When I was a child, my mother told my twin and me that our verse in the Bible was Prov. 31:29. She said that the 31st chapter was for girls (and Prov. 21 was for boys), and your birth date was your verse, so my verse is “many women have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Let me tell you, as a child I grew weary of hearing a verse recited that first of all applied to women and I was just a little girl, and secondly was about someone who sounded pretty much perfect, and perfect I was not.
Oh, but now how I love that verse and I love that chapter. The virtuous woman is not Martha Stewart on steroids, but instead, a model which, admittedly lofty, is absolutely attainable. I view the virtuous woman somewhat the way I view holiness. Virtue is a growth process. As we go through our lives, we may not always act with virtue, but just because we fail it does not mean we fall. When we stumble we reach out to steady ourselves by holding onto the tenets of our faith, we ask forgiveness, and we move forward. Thank you, Father, for this character trait to which we can all aspire.
A proverb a day keeps apathy away…
Come, Holy Spirit, that I may hear the words of the Lord and accomplish your good purpose for my life.
Today, I will be discussing Proverbs 29, 30, and 31. The second verse of Proverbs 29 is one worth a closer look. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice.”
One of the characteristics of God is righteousness. When we pray to Jehovah-Tsidkenu we are praying to God, our Father, who is righteous. None of us can claim righteousness for ourselves except through the blood of Jesus Christ. When Jesus gave His life to purchase our salvation, then he imputed His righteousness onto us. We went from being on the wrong side of the canyon carved out by sin, to spanning the gulf by way of the cross, and were made righteous, that is we attained right standing with God our Father. When we live a righteous life, we live with integrity. Integrity is who you are when no one is watching.
While righteousness can only be attained through Jesus, I believe integrity is a communicable disease. When we live a life of integrity, others will take notice. The world can be changed through one righteous act at a time. Praise be to Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the God who is righteous, and to Jesus, who clothes us in His righteousness.
Proverbs 29 goes on to talk about self-control. Speaking as one whose foot is perpetually in her mouth, I will tell you self-control for me is an ongoing battle. But when I start my day asking that God be in control of my words, my actions, my responses to others, my day goes much smoother.
Proverbs 30 is so full and rich. As a poet, I love the lyrical quality of the verse. As a student of the Bible, I am in awe of the wisdom collected here. Verse 5 gives us the assurance that every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
We have all at some point in our lives been caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella, without a covering, and making a mad dash to the car have been soaked, for who can run faster than the rain? When wickedness rains down upon us, we have a ready shield, and we will emerge from the storm unscathed. God is our shield, our refuge in the time of storm, our resting place when all around us is in turmoil. He covers us with His wings and like a mother hen, He will not leave us or forsake us.
Proverbs 30 goes on to warn of the evils of pride (12-13) and greed (v15) but follows these verses with 18-19 and talks about things too wonderful for the author to understand. Are there things too wonderful for you to understand? How about the smell of a newborn baby, the caress of a loving husband, the security a woman feels when her pantry is full, and the faithfulness of a friend.
When we read verses 24-28 we see examples, yet again, of wisdom. But not only wisdom, we see a picture of community, for one ant alone cannot provide for himself. It is the community of ants, together, that provide for the needs of all. As a member of the Christian community, I believe we each should do our part to grow the kingdom of God, and as a member of the greater Little Rock community I believe we should do our part to support the place in which we live. Helping the poor and the widowed is a Biblical concept which we should never overlook. I thank God I am part of a community of believers who put their money and their time to work in helping those who cannot help themselves.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me…
Good morning. I did not post yesterday so I will talk about two days of Bible study. But, I have a meeting at church at 10:15 so I will post later in the day. Stay tuned…
He who is blameless
Prov. 28:1 begins by saying the wicked man flees though no one pursues. What a terrible existence, to always be looking over one’s shoulder. There is a term in psychology called transference. Simply put, it means the patient transfers or projects his feelings upon those around him. So, in this instance, because a man is wicked, he is always suspect of those around him, thinking because he would do harm to others, others would do harm to him.
The second verse of Proverbs 28 is just as bad as the first: when a country is rebellious, it has many rulers. As a child, we had to know not only the President’s and Vice-President’s names, we also had to know the name and function of the Cabinet members. These people, along with our Congressmen, were our leaders. Today, we have people called Czars in addition to our Executive Staff and Legislative Staff. Why do we have so many leaders, yet our country seems to be drifting upon the seas of discontentment and smashing against the rocks of partisanship and enmity? The answer is simple: rebellion. Rebellion against God and His laws. We have turned our backs upon the living God to pursue our own desires.
Proverbs uses comparisons to show us God’s will vs. man’s desires. We see the rewards of the blameless and the punishment of the wicked. One of the most pungent verses in this chapter says he who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap (v. 10) But it is followed by what I consider the central verse of this Chapter–whoever confesses and renounces them (his sins) finds mercy.
Mercy, grace and love–if Jesus is the cornerstone of the gospel, then these are certainly the foundation. God has said He is holy, be thou holy, too. But we are incapable of holiness because we were born in sin and we live in a sinful world. So God says, I cannot overlook sin, but what I can do is provide a redeemer for your sin so that you can be reconciled to me and we can fellowship one with another.
Today (and every day) I put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10). I wear the helmet of salvation to protect my mind from assaults by the enemy, I put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect my heart from slings and arrows that would weaken my witness, I gird my loins with truth, the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I shod my feet with the gospel of peace, so that the footprints I leave will blossom into fragrant flowers of peace, I pick up the shield of faith which I can use to deflect the attacks of the enemy, and the sword of the Spirit, the very Word of the very living God and I use only the Word to answer the attacks of the enemy, for the enemy cannot be debated, cannot be persuaded. And, I pray. I pray that God will give me the spirit of discernment, the wisdom of Solomon, and the compassion of Jesus.
Seeking Holiness 