Friday, January 23, 2009

Appendix

I have now posted my complete calendar of personal meditations in Proverbs. To go to any specific day of the year, use the 'Blog Archive' list at the left to open the month and the day you would lilke to read. Below is an appendix of all of the verses from the book of Proverbs that have been used in this meditations commentary, and the month and day on which they were featured. Thank you for joining me this past year, may God bless the years ahead as we endeavor to serve with Him in seeing His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Ken Sweers

Appendix

Proverbs
1:1-4 January 1
1:2 February 1
1:5 October 1
1:7 March 1
1:10 April 1
1:17 April 1
1:19 May 1
1:20, 21 June 1
1:22 December 1
1:23 July 1
1:25 November 1
1:28 August 1
1:31 August 1
1:32 September 1
2:1-5 March 2
2:5 December 2
2:6 January 2
2:7 September 2
2:8 October 2
2:9, 10 February 2
2:11, 12 November 2
2:10 June 2
2:12-14 May 2
2:16, 17 July 2
2:20 April 2
2:21, 22 August 2
3:3, 4 September 3
3:5, 6 March 3
3:11, 12 February 3
3:13 June 3
3:13 December 3
3:16 November 3
3:21 May 3
3:24 April 3
3:25, 26 July 3
3:27 October 3
3:31, 32 January 3
3:34 August 3
4:1 August 4
4:2 November 2
4:3, 4 February 4
4:7 February 4
4:8 December 4
4:10-12 April 4
4:13 January 4
4:14, 15 June 4
4:18, 19 March 4
4:23 May 4
4:24 September 4
4:25 July 4
4:26 October 4
5:1, 2 March 5
5:3, 4 May 5
5:5, 6 August 5
5:8 November 5
5:11, 12 February 5
5:13 July 5
5:15 September 5
5:16 December 5
5:20 October 5
5:20, 21 April 5
5:21 June 5
5:22, 23 January 5
6:1-3 May 6
6:4 September 6
6:10, 11 July 6
6:12-14 November 6
6:16 March 6
6:16-19 December 6
6:20-22 January 6
6:26 February 6
6:26 April 6
6:30 February 6
6:30, 31 June 6
6:32 February 6
6:32 August 6
6:34 October 6
7:1, 2 January 7
7:5 November 7
7:6, 7 July 7
7:8, 9 March 7
7:10 May 7
7:11 April 7
7:13 August 7
7:14, 15 December 7
7:16-18 October 7
7:19, 20 June 7
7:21, 22 February 7
7:25 September 7
7:27 October 7
8:1-3 January 8
8:4 June 8
8:5 May 8
8:8 September 8
8:10, 11 March 8
8:12 February 8
8:13 April 8
8:17 August 8
8:18 October 8
8:22 February 8
8:30, 31 November 8
8:32 December 8
8:36 July 8
9 – overview December 9
9:1 June 9
9:1 November 9
9:1, 2 July 9
9:6 May 9
9:7, 8 February 9
9:9 September 9
9:10 January 9
9:12 October 9
9:13 April 9
9:13 August 9
9:17 March 9
10:2 August 10
10:5 October 10
10:9 November 10
10:12 July 10
10:17 April 10
10:17 June 10
10:20 March 10
10:23 May 10
10:24, 25 February 10
10:27 December 10
10:29 January 10
10:31 September 10
11:1 October 11
11:2 April 11
11:6 March 11
11:11 May 11
11:16 December 11
11:17 September 11
11:17 November 11
11:22 July 11
11:24 January 11
11:25 June 11
11:27 February 11
11:30 August 11
12:3 November 12
12:11 April 12
12:14 October 12
12:15 February 12
12:16 May 16
12:17 June 12
12:18 March 12
12:19 August 12
12:23 December 12
12:24 January 12
12:27 September 12
12:28 July 12
13:2 November 13
13:4 August 13
13:6 April 13
13:7 January 13
13:9 October 13
13:12 May 13
13:13 July 13
13:16 March 16
13:20 February 13
13:21 December 13
13:23 September 13
13:24 June 13
14:1 August 14
14:4 July 14
14:9 April 14
14:12 January 14
14:15 June 15
14:20, 21 March 14
14:23 February 14
14:27 December 14
14:31 September 14
14:32 May 14
14:35 October 14
14:35 November 14
15:1 June 15
15:2 March 15
15:3 September 15
15:8 July 15
15:10 December 15
15:12 February 15
15:17 November 15
15:22 October 15
15:28 March 15
15:29 January 15
15:33 April 15
15:26 May 15
15:30 August 15
16:1 August 16
16:2 May 16
16:3 December 16
16:4 March 16
16:7 September 16
16:8 July 16
16:9 February 16
16:20 June 16
16:20 October 16
16:21 April 16
16:26 November 16
16:28 January 16
17:1 October 17
17:3 September 17
17:7 January 17
17:8 December 17
17:10 February 17
17:14 April 17
17:15 August 17
17:16 March 17
17:17 July 17
17:19 May 17
17:21 June 17
17:23 December 17
17:24 November 17
18:1 December 18
18:2 May 18
18:7 July 18
18:9 January 18
18:12 November 18
18:13 April 18
18:14 June 18
18:17 April 18
18:18 February 18
18:19 March 18
18:19 September 18
18:21 October 18
18:23 August 18
19:1 September 19
19:2 October 19
19:3 April 19
19:6 March 19
19:11 January 19
19:12 July 19
19:15 November 15
19:17 June 19
19:19 May 19
19:21 December 19
19:27 February 19
19:28 August 19
20:4 February 20
20:5 April 20
20:8 November 20
20:14 March 20
20:15 August 20
21:16 April 21
20:17 May 20
20:18 June 20
20:19 September 20
20:22 October 20
20:23 December 20
20:25 January 20
20:26 July 20
21:5 March 21
21:7 October 21
21:8 January 21
21:9 February 21
21:13 September 21
21:15 December 21
21:18 November 21
21:19 February 21
21:21 June 21
21:22 July 21
21:27 May 21
21:30 August 21
22:1 July 22
22:2 October 22
22:3 December 22
22:7 November 22
22:9 February 22
22:10 January 22
22:13 May 22
22:15 June 22
22:24, 25 March 22
22:28 April 22
22:28 August 22
22:29 September 22
23:4, 5 July 23
23:6, 7 March 23
23:7 June 23
23:10, 11 September 23
23:13, 14 October 23
23:15, 16 July 23
23:17, 18 April 23
23:23 January 23
23:26, 27 May 23
23:29, 30 August 23
23:31, 32 December 23
23:33 November 23
23:35 February 23
24:3, 4 August 24
24:5, 6 April 24
24:7 February 24
24:10 January 24
24:16 March 24
24:17, 18 June 24
24:19, 20 May 24
24:21 November 24
24:23-25 December 24
24:29 September 24
24:30, 31 July 24
24:33, 34 October 24
25:6, 7 August 25
25:8 January 25
25:9, 10 May 25
25:13 July 25
25:14 February 25
25:15 September 25
25:19 April 25
25:21, 22 November 25
25:25 October 25
25:25 December 25
25:26 March 25
25:28 June 25
26:2 December 26
26:4, 5 June 26
26:7 May 26
26:8 April 26
26:9 August 26
26:10 July 26
26:11 September 26
26:12 October 26
26:13 March 26
26:15 March 26
26:17 February 26
26:20 January 26
26:22 January 26
27:1 April 27
27:2 July 27
27:5, 6 August 27
27:7 June 27
27:10 September 27
27:14 February 27
27:15 November 27
27:17 May 27
27:19 October 27
27:21 December 27
27:22 March 27
27:24 January 27
28:1 April 28
28:2 March 28
28:3 August 28
28:5 June 28
28:6 November 28
28:9 July 28
28:11 January 28
28:13 July 28
28:19 February 28
28:20 October 28
28:23 May 28
2825 December 28
28:26 September 28
29:1 January 29
29:3 November 29
29:4 March 29
29:7 December 29
29:9 February 29
29:11 June 29
29:12 July 29
29:13 April 29
29:16 October 29
29:18 May 29
29:19 August 29
29:20 September 29
30:2, 3 December 30
30:5 January 30
30:10 May 30
30:11 September 30
30:12 July 30
30:15, 16 June 30
30:17 September 30
30:21-23 November 30
30:24-28 April 30
30:29-31 August 30
30:32, 33 March 30
30:33 October 30
31:3 March 31
31:10 March 31
31:13 December 31
31:15 October 31
31:16 January 31
31:23 May 31
31:25 July 31
31:31 August 31

Thursday, January 22, 2009

January 23

Jan 23 - Today from Proverbs 23 we look at verse 23

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."

To buy something is to barter or trade something that you have for something you desire even more. To sell is for you to give up something you have in exchange for something you consider to be of reasonably equal value.
It is strange that even in our slang vernacular 'buy' has come to be a positive term and 'sell' has come to be a negative term. When we hear something that we believe is credible, we say, "Yeah, I'll buy that". It seems to mean that we will trade our old concept of whatever the subject matter is for the new concept that we just heard. A Positive term. On the other hand, when someone betrays us we say, "He sold me out". It seems to indicate that the person valued something else above your friendship. A Negative term.Now let's apply this to today's verse.
To "buy the truth" means that we will practically discard unproven concepts for proven ones, even when the unproven seem more self-gratifying. Truth is to be valued more than pleasure. To obtain a valuable truth, we have to trade something - and to the flesh it may seem costly. Too abstract? Okay, let's throw out a concrete example: John grew up believing that the better he lived a moral life, the better his chances were of him getting to heaven. He worked hard to follow the Ten Commandments, to attend church, and to do good deeds. Whenever he 'fell' he became very insecure and worked all the harder to win back God's approval. John greatly valued heaven and pleasing God was his ticket to get there. Then one day he came across TRUTH; He discovered that his sin separated him from God, and there was no way he could ever do enough good to get to heaven - but he also discovered that God loved him and desired a personal relationship with him. So much so, that He Himself paid the price for John's sin by dying in his place on a cross. All John needed to do was to confess his sin, his inadequacy to overcome it, and to simply receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus by faith. Now John saw something of greater value than heaven, and he was willing to gain that truth by giving up his old concept. What was of greater value for John? A personal relationship with the One who lives in heaven. John 'bought' it and gained what he had been struggling for his whole life. A Positive thing.
"Do not sell it." To sell something means that you would have to trade it for something of relatively equal value. There is nothing of equal value to the truth. You would have to be self-deceived in order to give up a truth you hold for anything else. In Genesis 25:27-35, Esau had the truth. You can be sure that his daddy Isaac told Esau of the great value of his birthright. But Esau 'sold' his birthright for something that only temporarily satisfied his fleshly appetite. It wasn't a 'just kidding' thing. God took it very seriously. Hebrews 12:16, 17 says that afterwards when Esau wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected - even though he sought it with tears. He 'sold out' his blessing (the truth), when he gave in to the immediate desires of his appetite. Pretty serious stuff - and definitely a Negative thing.

HOW do we hold onto the truths that we possess?
By getting wisdom,
by practicing discipline,
and by understanding why it is truth.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

January 22

Jan 22 - Today from Proverbs 22 we look at verse 10

"Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended."

If you are ever in a gathering where there is arguing, insults and strife, you will find at least one mocker personality at the center of it. Wisdom says to 'drive out the mocker'.But doesn't the Bible teach that we should be peacemakers? That we are to love others and do all we can to restore them?
Yes, it does. When you 'drive out the mocker' from the rest of the folks, you have made a huge step toward peace. The love we are commanded to love with isn't an emotion. It is a decision to do what is best for the object of your love. Here we see two objects, the gathering and the mocker. If we love the gathering, we want to see that the strife, quarrels and insults are stopped. This is done by removing the source - the one or one's who have no respect for authority, and who have little or no regard for the feelings of others.
If you want to love and restore the mocker, that's fine. But do it outside of the fellowship of the gathering, where their arrogance will no longer be a threat to the rest.
A word of caution: This proverb is directed toward leaders - those with proper authority. In the context of the sum of God's Word, we are not to live in an anarchical society. There is to be order, and within that order there are appointed positions of authority. In a government, there are law enforcement agencies. In a business there are corporate directors and managers. In a church there are officers of the church (Bishops, Pastors, Elders, Deacons, etc.), and in the home there are parents. All authority comes from God (Romans 13:1). Those who abuse it will one day give an accounting to God. Those who resist or show no regard for it will also give an accounting.
I have observed that driving out the mocker by the proper authorities is a universal principle. It works in the family, in the work place, on mission trips, in the church and in government. It may not seem to be 'politically correct', but it is a principle of wisdom. It is preventative maintenance. By not driving out the mocker, you go into damage control, which is much more difficult and more costly.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

January 21

Jan 21 - Today from Proverbs 21 we look at verse 8

"The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright."

Some proverbs seem so obvious at first that one wonders why they were even written down. This is one of them. In fact, The Living Bible states the obvious in its modern paraphrase:
"A man is known by his actions. An evil man lives an evil life; a good man lives a godly life."
See what I mean? But as we stop and think on a little deeper level, we see that there is more than first meets the eye here. I believe there is a lesson in discernment for us. As we go through life, we are to be discerning as to which people we allow to influence us. None of us wants to believe that we are influenced by 'evil' people. The problem is, evil people do not wear a sign around their neck which says, "I AM EVIL". The Bible says that even Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Evil can be very subtle. To help us here, it might be good to define evil as a noun. The dictionary says, "Something that causes harm, misfortune, suffering or destruction." One of the two most common words for evil in the Hebrew agrees with this definition. The other most popular term relates to rotting - a degenerative term. Even with these definitions, it is somewhat difficult to discern evil in its early and deceptive stages at times. So this proverb turns the focus on the actors rather than the actions. Are the actions going to turn out to be productive - or destructive in the long run?
Again, Proverbs most often deals with the rule of life - not the exceptions. So, as a rule, when you are unsure of whether an idea or activity is proper, you should observe the character of the person who is trying to influence you rather than the idea or activity the person is attempting to get you to embrace. If it is a person of integrity, his conduct will be consistently 'upright'. The picture in the Hebrew here is 'straight'. We use it in our modern vernacular; "You can trust him. He will be straight with you." That is said of a man who has a solid reputation as being up front with you, regardless of the consequences. Another example is when one notices the Doctor hedging the diagnosis and the patient says, "Tell it to me straight Doc." The patient isn't interested in a dance of deception, even though the Doctor is trying to spare their feelings. Upright people deal straight, and they leave a legacy. Look at the trail they leave in life. Do people of integrity who have known them for a good period of time speak well of them? Have they made relationships, partnerships and fellowships better off because of their active influence? It's a good bet that you can trust the influence this person can be in your life.
On the other hand, you have the devious character. In the Hebrew, 'devious' is just the opposite of 'straight'. It means to turn about, to change, to pervert. It gives one the picture of one weaving and dodging, unable or unwilling to give a clear and concise answer. Devious people can be charming or they wouldn't be much of an influence. But they also leave a legacy. If you want to know whether you should follow their influence, look at the trails they leave in life. Is there a trail of harm, misfortune and destruction in previous relationships, partnerships or fellowships in which they were an active influence? You can bet that if you allow yourself to be influenced by this type, you will end up getting hurt, or even worse, you will end up being an agent of 'rotting' in your own spheres of influence.
There's more to this Proverb than first meets the eye. God wants us to be discerning as to what kinds of ‘influencers’ we take up with.

Monday, January 19, 2009

January 20

Jan 20 - Today from Proverbs 20 we look at verse 25

"It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later consider his vows."

'Dedicate' - devoted to a special purpose. We can dedicate many things; time, money, energy, objects. . . the list is inexhaustible. How could we be 'trapped' into dedicating something? In the majority of cases, I would say through our emotions; anger, pity, desire, sorrow, pride, discouragement, and most of all greed. Emotional decisions are very tricky and often spontaneous. We usually don't logically think through what the long term consequences would be when we let our emotions rule in a decision. This is a great benefit to con artists. People who make important decisions by their emotions are known as 'suckers' - and as the old saying goes, "There is a sucker born every minute." Once the money is handed over or the contract signed - you're 'dedicated' to it. Later on, when emotions wane and logic settles back in, you begin to 'consider your vows', and you realize that you didn't make such a good decision after all.Wisdom and maturity go hand in hand. As one matures, they learn not to be emotionally manipulated into making important decisions. In fact, verse 18 fits along with this verse; "Make plans by seeking advice." If you are emotionally involved in a major decision, seek the advice of trusted friends or reputable professionals to see if it is a sound decision. When there are areas where you do not have the needed wisdom in a situation, you can benefit from the wisdom of others who do. One final thought, "Do not make critical decisions when you are emotionally unstable." Stick with the situation until your emotions are under control and you are able to begin to clearly reason through it. It takes practice - but wisdom is practical.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

January 19

Jan 19 - Today from Proverbs 19 we look at verse 11

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."

"A man's wisdom gives him patience." How does that work? Again, we have to understand just what wisdom is. It is more than correct knowledge, although one cannot have wisdom without correct knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to apply correct knowledge. In order to do that, one must know how it fits into the greater scheme. I guess we could use a jigsaw puzzle as a limited analogy. If the pieces of the puzzle were correct knowledge, and you possessed all of the pieces, it still wouldn't do you much good unless you knew how they all fit together. As we grow in wisdom, we not only accumulate the puzzle pieces (correct information), but we practice putting them together in proper order. A little simplistic, but at least it gives some understanding.
Now perhaps we can better see how wisdom can give patience. Wisdom looks at the 'big picture', understanding that the situation one is currently dealing with is only a small piece of it. This is the foundational thought of the proverb; the second is built upon it. Without the understanding of a bigger picture, we want to immediately react to a personal offense. We want to be sure that the offender 'pays', so we often take matters into our own hand and retaliate. When someone insults, we lash back. When someone takes unfair advantage, we bristle and look for a way to get even. When someone gossips about us, we do all we can to discredit their character. When we can only see the small piece of life we are dealing with, and have no thought of God's greater scheme of life, we react to insure that personal justice is served. This is, of course, all 'self-serving'. Retaliation is almost always a pride issue.
In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount He was teaching kingdom principles. He was pointing people to the big picture. He was moving people from the limitations of personal justice to the liberty of mercy and grace. In Matthew 5:38-42 He says, "You have heard that it was said 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth'." Here Jesus was speaking about the limits of personal justice. People are prone to want revenge instead of justice - they want at least two teeth for a tooth. God limited 'natural man' to just punishment. You didn't have to demand a tooth for a tooth; it's just that you couldn't go beyond a tooth for a tooth. Then Jesus goes on to the big picture. He says, "But I tell you, if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus goes from limited personal justice to the power of mercy and grace. As a mature and wise believer, one has the knowledge and the capacity to forfeit their personal 'just rights' in order that it does not interfere with their witness. It is an 'ornament of splendor' (glory) to overlook an offense in order to promote peace and to give witness to God's mercy. The big picture also reveals that no offense goes unpunished. In the end, God will see that perfect justice is done. Either the offense will be paid through the shed blood of Jesus, in which case you have taken it upon yourself to 'punish' an innocent person, or, the offender will answer to God for the offense, in which case you will be vindicated.
It is to a man's glory to overlook an offense. Hopefully the offender will be influenced through such a witness as to draw near to God and find the same forgiveness as the offended did. If not, there is no ultimate loss - God will take up your case and in the end He will see that all wrongs are righted. Can't wait that long? You need to spend more time studying the big picture.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

January 18

Jan 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 9

"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys."

On first read, the mind tends to think of occupation (which is applicable). But I would like to venture down another path. Much of our labors in this life consist of maintenance. If you are any kind of property owner, you have to spend time, energy and resources to properly maintain your property.
We live in a fallen creation whereby the second law of thermal dynamics has placed us in a constant battle with corruption. I don't have any resource books at hand to look up the technical wording of the law, but in the simplest terms, as I remember, it states that everything is in constant process of breaking down to its most base elements. This is why cars and bicycles rust (corruption). This is why wood rots (corruption). This is why paint fades and peels (corruption). Even 'environmental unfriendly' plastics and styrofoams will eventually break down - it just takes a very long time. When things are new, there are certain precautions we can take to delay the process of corruption. We can get our new car 'rust proofed' with a protective undercoating to keep salt away from the metal. We can keep our new car in a garage, protecting it from the other elements that expedite corruption. We can get floor mats (and sometimes seat covers), to protect the upholstery from excessive wear. Then we have to pull maintenance on the car to extend its limited life. We get it lubed and get the oil changed. We get it washed, and periodically get a protective coat of wax on it. We keep the tires properly inflated (under-inflation causes excessive wear - corruption). As the car ages we replace worn (corrupted), belts and hoses, worn tires, and other parts that cease to function as intended. This is all work. "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." We would be appalled if someone approached our new car, tore off a fender or two, slashed the tires, dumped sand in the crankcase, and tore out the carpeting. That would be one who destroys - easily identifiable. But if a person bought that car and never pulled any preventative maintenance, that car would look good and function properly for only a fraction of the time it was intended to last. For all practical purposes, that person 'destroyed' the car simply because he was 'slack in his work' in conducting proper maintenance. Oft times these types are a little harder to identify - especially when it is ourselves.
This isn't a lesson on car maintenance - we just used that as an analogy that can be applied to relationships. That's right - relationships take work. Our human nature has also been corrupted - by sin. And the root of sin is pride - 'me first'. The 'natural' base element of the fallen nature is 'my way'. When two or more people enter into a relationship, the 'natural' tendencies of the elements of that relationship are to break down to 'my way'. A destroyer is pro-active. Their demand is "My way or the by-way!" Potential long-term relationships are quickly destroyed by their demands
But there is a much more subtle way of destroying a relationship, and that is by the way of the 'corruption' of inactivity. Don't work on preventative maintenance. Let the small things go. Ignore the places where the relationship is worn thin. Stop listening to the other. Don't bother to work on understanding the other. Stop working on looking for the best in the other. Stop working on encouraging and nurturing the other. Yes, maintenance in a relationship is all work - but it's much more worth the effort than changing the oil and waxing your new car. When you work on a relationship, there are wonderful dividends. YOU are growing in character, and becoming more like the One who redeemed you - who never experienced corruption of the soul. Jesus, who is the express image of the Father, never yielded to the 'me-first' attitude when considering a relationship with you. He put you first. He died in your place, so that you COULD have a relationship with Him. We don't have to say to Him, "It's my way or the by-way" in order to destroy our relationship with Him. All we have to do is stop working on that relationship and it will gradually become so corrupted that it is no longer functional. He still puts us first in His relationship with us (His mercies are new every morning). That relationship reaches its fullest potential when we reciprocate by putting Him first by 'dying to self', and to living for Him. Yes, it's all work - but there are wonderful dividends. Have you considered having the Eternal Creator and Sovereign King as your friend? As One who desires to have a relationship with you? It's ALMOST incomprehensible - except He tells us it is true. And He NEVER lies.

Friday, January 16, 2009

January 17

Jan 17- Today from Proverbs 17 we look at verse 7

"Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool - how much worse lying lips to a ruler." (NIV)
"Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince." (RSV)
"Excellent speech becometh not a fool; much less do lying lips, a prince." (KJV)
"Truth from a rebel or lies from a king are both unexpected." (TLB)

I don't understand why the NIV chose to use the word 'arrogant' in this passage. Arrogance is self-importance, which to me IS suited to a fool. In this particular passage, the KJV is most loyal to the original language. I think The Living Bible has caught the implication of this verse by use of the word 'unexpected'. Every once in awhile a foolish-type person may come up with a gem of a thought and give proper expression to it. But it is unexpected because it is not in character with a self-absorbed person. As unexpected as this may be - it is even more unexpected that a ruler would lie to his/her subjects. I don't think the author is referring to a tyrannical self-imposed ruler, as they will do most anything to hold and/or increase their power base. I think the author is referring to a ruler of integrity; one who leads his/her subjects because they have gained the trust of the people. Trust is an amazing paradox of life. On one hand it is so incredibly strong it can hold a nation together in even the toughest of times. On the other hand, it is so fragile that a mere single action or word can destroy it in an instant. A wise leader knows this, and a wise leader knows it is better to quickly confess a mistake to their subjects than to try to cover it up with lies. They may be able to cover it for awhile, but truth is eternal, and is always waiting to expose the lie. Once exposed, the trust is broken and a lifetime of work can be destroyed in an instant.
People don't expect trusted leaders to be deceitful, and that is what an intentional lie is. People can expect that leaders are not perfect, and are subject to make mistakes - even big ones. But they do not expect their leaders to lie to them. Children do not expect their parents to lie to them. Trusted employees do not expect their employers to lie to them. Parishioners do not expect their Pastors or Priests to lie to them. Citizens do not expect their President to lie to them. When trust is broken, there no longer remains a foundation on which relationships can be maintained - much less built. Much can be forgiven in any relationship, but a lie is devastating - and it takes patient dedication and a long time, perhaps years, to restore trust. Trust is something you cannot demand of another. It is earned and is one of the most valuable assets one can have in any relationship. Treat it as such and you will be an effective leader in whatever endeavor God has called you to in life.
Now if you happen to be a fool, people don't expect much of you anyway. You can just continue on in your self-absorbed, self-serving ways and you will never have to worry about the responsibility of being a leader. Some people are like that. They are called lonely. They may be surrounded by people - but they are still lonely. We were created to be involved in relationships, and true relationships are built upon trust.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

January 16

Jan 16 - Today from Proverbs 16 we look at verse 28

"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends."

As you go through the book of Proverbs it becomes very clear that God does not like gossip! The dictionary defines gossip as "idle chatter", idle in this case meaning "unfounded rumors". The King James Version of this verse doesn't contain the word 'gossip', rather is uses the word 'whisperer'. Hebrew is a very picturesque language, and this picture serves well. Gossip isn't something you publicly proclaim because it is unfounded - the 'gossiper' would come under scrutiny. The better way to get their little morsel out into the public arena is by speaking in small secluded groups in low tones - whisperers.
We all know from experience what gossip is - I can assure you that we have all been involved in it. There are 'gossipers' (those who speak) and there are 'gosipees' (those who readily listen). A gossiper would be shut down quickly if gossipees refused to listen. Gossip is the idle chatter. All who are willingly involved in the activity are guilty of gossip.
Who are the victims of gossip? The first victim is the gossipee. They have just been prejudiced against another person or group by receiving unfounded information - which means it has not been properly investigated and confirmed. If that were the case, it would no longer gossip. It would be 'truth' and open for public knowledge. It wouldn't have to be whispered any more. Most gossip is based on opinion anyway - it's subjective and is meant to influence people to move toward the opinion of the gossiper.
The other victims are the (usually) innocent victims of gossip. They are usually unaware of the unfounded rumors going around about them, and soon they find themselves either being avoided, or possibly objects of hostility. The reason God is so upset with gossip is because once the 'seed' has been planted, it is so terribly difficult to get all of the roots out - many an innocent person's reputations have been permanently affected by gossip.
How should we deal with gossip?
*First, stop and think. Ask yourself this question, "Does this fall into the category of gossip?" If it does, do not become a willing participant.
*Second, challenge the gossiper and ask good questions. "Where did you hear this?" "How do you know it's true?" "Why do you think this knowledge important to me?" "Shouldn't you go to that person and clear this up?" etc.
*Third, DO NOT PASS ALONG UNFOUNDED RUMORS. If, for some reason, the subject matter affects you or your life and it is important to get the facts, go to any and all authorities involved and do your own investigation. Make sure you are moving on solid ground.
Wisdom continually works on the principle that preventative maintenance is far less costly than damage control. Sometimes in dollars, sometimes in time, and always in effort. Shutting down gossip is good preventative maintenance - saving emotional damage and personal reputations.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

January 15

Jan 15 - Today from Proverbs 15 we look at verse 29
"The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayers of the righteous."

As a member of the New Testament church, I take confidence that my righteousness is in Christ and that in Him my prayers are heard. But, when the Proverbs were written, the gospel was still a mystery hidden in God. What did righteousness mean to them? Could it be that of studying the code of the written law, and then attempting to keep that law? I don't think that this is the answer. Jesus referred to this as the 'righteousness of the Pharisees' and said unless one surpasses this kind of righteousness, one will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). The rich young ruler had this kind of righteousness and Jesus said "You're close, but you're not there yet." (Luke 18:20-22). Saul of Tarsus had this kind of righteousness - he called it 'legalistic righteousness' (Philippians 3:6) - and discovered that he was actually an enemy of Christ. He ended up considering such righteousness 'rubbish' (Philippians 3:8). He became the apostle Paul and opened the gospel to the Gentile nations, teaching them that true righteousness comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:9). Ah, there is the key. Although the mystery of the gospel was not yet revealed, Old Testament believers found righteousness in exactly the same way.
In verse 8 of this chapter it says "The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayers of the upright pleases Him." By viewing the two thoughts in this verse as a contrast, we could say that prayer is a sacrifice. Why would the wicked offer a sacrifice to the Lord? It would be to appease Him for their wickedness. The wicked live self-serving lives. They can go one of two ways; they can totally ignore God or they can offer sacrifices to God to give Him His share so that He will not inflict punishment upon them. Feeble thinking? Let the Holy Spirit search your heart and see if you have ever engaged in such an act. I have - Lord have mercy. The sacrifice of the prayer that pleases God is very different. It is an act of faith. It is giving up time in which one could be doing something in his area of personal interests to spend worshipping a God he cannot see and speak to Him about issues he has little or no control over. That, my friends is faith. And that is a practical demonstration of values (which always asks the question, "What is important?"). The wicked sacrifice to appease God. The righteous sacrifice to draw near to God.
In our proverb for today it says God "hears the prayers of the righteous". Doesn't God hear the prayer of the wicked? First, let's define the word 'hear' in this instance. It doesn't mean 'to detect sound by the ear'. God 'hears' everything by this definition. In this instance it means 'to give a hearing', to be an attentive listener. To my knowledge, there is only one prayer the wicked can offer to which God will give a hearing, and that is contrite confession of sin. Anything else they have to say, particularly in the framework of bargaining with God, God detests. In contrast, the righteous come to God in contriteness. They honor God and seek to know and please Him because He is God. They desire knowledge of the truth in order that they might walk more closely with Him. Certainly this attitude pleases God because God desires fellowship with His children. He is an attentive Father to those who seek Him in this manner. This is the attitude of the heart of the Old Testament saints, and God counted it to them as righteousness. They placed their trust and faith in God, and when they made mistakes in their relationship with Him (sin), they would come with a contrite heart and plead God's mercy. Their relationship with Him was of the highest value and time in prayer proved it.
Today we have the revelation of the gospel, with a better Sacrifice, with better promises and with a better High Priest (read the book of Hebrews). Our behavior reveals how much we value these things. "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:22-25)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

January 14

Jan 14 - -Today from Proverbs 14 we look at verse 12

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

In John 14:6 Jesus boldly says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The principle of this verse and of Proverbs 14:12 are quite obvious from the point of evangelism - that of proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. There's no wiggle room. There it is; it's Jesus or death. The Living Word totally disarms the postmodern feel good mantra of 'Many paths to one God'.
But is there a sound principle contained in these two passages for the believer? For one who has already accepted the gospel and professes Jesus as Lord and Savior? Oh, most definitely. We ask ourselves, "Can a believer be deceived?" If the answer is yes, then one must seek to guard against deception. There lies the principle of these passages for the believer. Let's use the analogy of a narrow road for truth. Not so narrow that we would quickly lose our balance while navigating it, but narrow enough that we must pay close attention in our journey upon it. On either side of this road is a ditch. If one fears the ditch on the right, the ditch on the left becomes the greater threat, and vice versa. That is the ploy of deception.
The character of the ditches is not static. They can vary greatly. For example, the most popular character for these ditches in the Christian realm would be that of 'legalism' and 'tolerance'. One ditch says that unless you keep some list of legal rules, you can't be a very good Christian, and an angry God will punish you. The only shadow of grace in this ditch is the cross, but even that is obscured by the tall weeds of austere judgment against any form of sin (found on any particular 'list' of the legalist). The other ditch is tolerance, or that which I refer to as the ditch of 'sloppy agape'. It is a love that is so loose and void of God's justice that almost anything goes. The tenants of this ditch don't want to hurt feelings or offend. "Let's all just love each other and get along." In this ditch God's order and justice are obscured. Those who end up in either ditch are unaware that they are even stuck in a ditch. They are deceived into thinking they are on the road of truth.
Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life." When we study His life and His teaching we find that He was neither legalistic nor was he tolerant to a fault. In fact, you will discover that He couldn't tolerate legalists! When we end up in a ditch, we become separated from the fullness of relationship that God desires with us. And we separate ourselves from those who remain on the road of truth. That's what death is - separation.
A few years back there was the rage of 'What Would Jesus Do' (WWJD) bracelets. It was popular and faddish to wear them, but it seems that few who wore them really disciplined themselves to study and learn what Jesus really would do. Most just continued in the way that seemed right to them. Some believed that Jesus would condemn the ‘wicked’ (the homosexuals, the abortionists, those who drink and smoke. . .whatever). So, they did too. Some believed that Jesus just loved everybody so much that He would accept them anyway and He died for my sins so what's the big deal. So, they did nothing.
What did Jesus do? He didn't condemn sinners; He showed them the way to the Father. He didn't tolerate sin, He forgave and said, "Now go and sin no more." He didn't subjugate but became a servant and blessed those who misunderstood and persecuted Him. He didn't leave the world like He found it. He changed it with the truth. He calls us to be agents of change as well. We are empowered to be His witnesses, and to usher in the presence of His kingdom through Godly example, through servanthood, and through worship in spirit and in truth.
Beware saints. There's death in the ditches. Keep your relationship with Jesus a priority, and you will find that your journey on the road of truth is not all that difficult.

Monday, January 12, 2009

January 13

Jan 13 - Today from Proverbs 13 we look at verse 7

"One man pretends to be rich, yet he has nothing: another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth." -NIV
"There is he that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is he that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches." -KJV
"Some rich people are poor, and some poor people have great wealth." -TLB

I have shared three translations because I am not convinced that the NIV gives the best sense of the principle intended. I will share what I believe to be the principle involved; you may draw your own conclusions.
I have in my possession a very small book entitled The Orphans & the Raven. It never made the best seller’s list. I doubt whether it even went into a second printing. It is a story about an obscure family of which the father and husband was a Reformed Pastor in Communist Romania. To make matters worse, the family was ethnically Hungarian, whom the Romanian nationals despised. The father was arrested and imprisoned for his faith in Jesus Christ. The mother and eight children were exiled to a village in a dominant Romanian ethnic village. They were assigned to a one-room mud house, which had no roof. You can't get much poorer than this family was when they arrived at their 'new home'. The mother however was rich in faith and in grace. In spite of all her hardships and enduring the scorn of their neighbors, she ministered love and grace to the villagers at every opportunity. Gradually the villager's attitudes changed toward this 'widow' of persecution. Many began to minister to the needs of her and the eight children. Eventually she became esteemed in the village, and actually brought many to a saving knowledge of Christ. For six and one half years her husband endured extreme hardship and even torture in the Romanian prisons and was finally released. Reunited with his family, they moved back to the Hungarian area of Romania and he once again began to follow his pastoral calling. That is where the book, which the mother wrote, ended. The children grew up to be very strong believers and continued to strengthen the persecuted church of Communist Romania. Then, in December 1989 the Communist regime of Romania fell. There were riots in the city where the family now lived and served. The people were about to overtake the building of the offices of the Securatate and other Romanian officials and drag their former oppressors out and beat them - probably to death. The father of the family made his way through the mob and walked up the steps of the building and raised his hands. Many recognized this respected Pastor who had himself spent time in the filthy prison below the building. A silence fell. He admonished the crowd to show grace to the officials. If they carried out their plan, they would be no better than their former persecutors. He pleaded with them to return to their homes and thank God for this day and not to make it a bloody bitter memory. The crowd listened and slowly dispersed.
My copy of the book is autographed by the Pastor. His name is Ferenc Visky. One of his sons is the Regional Director for Dorcas Aid Eastern Europe - and a very good friend of mine. His name is Paul Visky. I have also met several of the other children during my time with Dorcas. When they speak of those years of exile, they all say the same thing; "Those were some of the richest years of our lives." Incredible! Though their parents 'made themselves poor' by being faithful to their Lord, they were some of the richest people in the world. The wealth of those years lives on today in the lives of their children and grandchildren. I too am richer for knowing this family.
I am very grateful for the abundance of material goods I enjoy each day. But I have met enough of the truly rich in this world, like the Viskys, to know that the material wealth I enjoy somehow makes me a little poorer in my relationship and dependence upon God. Don't get me wrong, I am not in despair about my blessings. It's just that I know that I have never quite experienced God's grace on the level that these folks have. It's a comfort to know that if a time ever comes when it will be needed, that my Father in heaven has abundant grace. Overcoming grace. Ferenc Visky and his wife Julia practiced faithful discipleship before the extreme grace was needed. The patterns practiced in safety became a vital lifestyle when persecution came. All of the money in the world couldn't have helped them. But they were rich in something beyond the feeble riches of this world. They knew their Savior intimately. He never left nor forsook them. What a friend we have in Jesus!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

January 12

Jan 12 - Today from Proverbs 12 we look at verse 24

"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor."

We must begin with a thought of clarification. There are two points of focus in this proverb. There is ETHIC (system of moral principles and values), and there is MOTIVATION (an incentive to action). For those seeking wisdom, I believe the focus is always to be the ethic. When one's focus is ethics, the motivation is to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ and pleasing to Him (Col. 1:10).
For those who are following the way of folly, I believe the focus would be motivation. This kind of person is obviously not interested in a relationship with Christ as by definition they are more interested in living a life pleasing to themselves. I can't imagine that anyone in this world would find it pleasing to end up in slave labor.
Let’s review a very important principle in Bible study: A person seeking to grow in wisdom, to live a life pleasing to the Lord, will always seek the ethic in any instruction of the Lord. The ethic in this proverb is 'diligent hands'. It's a work ethic. To 'rule' is to be viewed as a general result, but not the motivation. Any time a disciple of the Lord begins to focus on results as a motivator, he is in a dangerous position of trying to manipulate God. In Matthew chapter 4, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan himself tried to get Jesus to shift His focus to results when using a scripture with a promise (verse 6). But Jesus refused to alter His focus when He answered with a scripture that taught ethic, "Do not put your Lord God to the test". In today’s proverb, the principle for a disciple of God’s Word is to develop a good work ethic. This is pleasing to the Lord. "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 1:31). If you approve bank loans, do it for the glory of God. If you enter computer data, do it for the glory of God. If you are a CEO of a large corporation, do it for the glory of God. If you mow lawns, do it for the glory of God. If you are at home raising your children, do it for the glory of God. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Let that be your motivation.
If God rewards you to 'rule' in some area, give Him glory. But let that be a result, not a motivation.
On the other hand, negative results can also be a good motivator. People who end up in slave labor tend to either become motivated to get free, or they become hopeless and bitter. Do we still have slavery in our culture today? Yes, we do. Not in the same sense as we did before the emancipation 150 years ago, but people are still enslaved non-the-less. They are usually lazy, undisciplined people who tend to chase fantasies (verse 11) rather than to develop a good work ethic. Some become enslaved to loan companies (government loans, credit card companies, etc.). These people now work to pay off huge sums of interest rather than securing the future for themselves and their children. They are enslaved. Or there are the socially enslaved who live off government support programs. These are the people who can become hopeless and bitter if they are not motivated to get out and develop a work ethic. They cover their hopelessness with an attitude. They are enslaved to a hideous system that robs them of dignity and reduces them to a statistic. Either of these 'slave-types' can be overcome if they are motivated to develop a strong work ethic.
As disciples of Christ we can see at least two practical lessons here: 1. Commit to develop a good work ethic. No matter what we are doing, we can do it for the glory of God. 2. We can seek to encourage those who are financially or socially 'enslaved' to seek hope in the development of a sound work ethic and help restore their hope and dignity.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” –1 Thes. 4:11,12.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

January 11

Jan 11 - Today from Proverbs 11 we look at verse 24

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."

I have had the privilege of traveling to many oppressed areas of this world, and of observing the real cultures of those areas. I sometimes took occasion to visit the areas of historical interest, but most of my time was spent in working with and serving the indigenous churches of the common people. Much of the service was focused on the poor. Now, when you're in a third world country to begin with, and you are in touch with the poor of that country, you begin to understand the incredible needs of most of the population of the world.
Even though I have seen some extremely poor areas, I am still very careful when I use the word 'poverty'. I am convinced that poverty is not a condition, it is a mindset. Being poor is a condition. Being impoverished is a mindset. I have met people who have more than adequate material resources, yet lived in poverty. I have met people who have little or nothing of this worlds goods, yet had a quality of life. It is refreshing to be in their company. I would go so far as to say that poverty is a spirit. It is something one can sense in the spirit. I once knew an old farmer and his spinster sister who lived near the rural service station my dad operated. The old man would come over to the station with a five-gallon can and get it filled with gas for his tractor. He always came on 'double stamp' day (For you younger folks, retailers used to give away premium saving stamps with cash purchases. You then saved up books of stamps and could redeem them for goods from the stamp companies. S&H was probably the most popular.) He would also always want any premiums we gave away with a fill-up. He never seemed to be clean-shaven. His clothes were always filthy. He had electric to his house, but he usually burned kerosene lamps to save money. He pumped water by hand to water his few cows. Everyone felt sorry for the old couple. One time when he got sick, we went to bring him a lunch. Going into the house was an unforgettable experience. There were stacks of newspapers and magazines from years and years back. There were cartons and boxes of who knows what, all over the place. There were 'walking-paths' through the various rooms. The old man passed on first - his sister soon followed. I don't know who the heirs were, but when they began to clean the place out, they discovered cans and boxes full of cash money. I heard that when all was said and done, there was over a quarter million dollars hidden on the property. That was a LOT of money in those days. I have encountered a lot of poverty in this world in the 35-40 years since that time. But that was my first real encounter with the spirit of poverty. Here was an old man who would do his best to get all that he could out of a transaction. Our signs said "Free (gift) with a fill-up of 8 gallons or more". He would fill up his five-gallon can and argue for 10 minutes until he got his premium. I finally stopped arguing and always gave him the premium. He would even walk over in the pouring rain to buy his gas because it was Tuesday, so he could get his double stamps. He lived in the dim light of kerosene because he could save a few pennies by not turning on an electric light. He had tens of thousands of dollars stored in shoeboxes and coffee cans in the very rooms where he trimmed the wicks of his kerosene lamps. A spirit of poverty bound him.
On our first trip into Communist Romania in 1987 we had to be very careful in making contact with the Christian contacts of Dorcas Aid. If it were discovered that Westerners were visiting their homes, they would be taken in and interrogated by the Securatate - and that usually was a very unpleasant experience. The Christians were persecuted. Not always openly, but the authorities made sure they were punished. Their children could not go to the universities. The parents got the lowest jobs. Staples such as milk and meat were very scarce, and Christians were the last to get any - if at all. These contacts never knew when a Dorcas team would arrive. They never knew why a Dorcas team was there. Usually it was to collect information on prisoners or conditions. Sometimes a team would bring medicine, which the contact had to deliver. Our task was to bring food parcels and clothing to these families, have a short visit, pray with them, and leave - never expecting to see them again. It was an incredible experience. We were told to bring in the food parcels last. If you brought them in first, they would make a meal for you from the contents. Can you imagine?!? I will never forget the family we visited in Timisoara that summer. They lived in a tiny little apartment with the barest of furnishings. But it was spotless, as were the members of the family. Their clothes were faded and somewhat threadbare, but they were clean and pressed. More than the apartment and clothing was the sparkle in the eyes and the sense of peace in the home. We could hardly communicate as they knew only a few English words, and we knew even less Romanian. But we had a wonderful time. They wanted us to stay for lunch (yes, before we brought the food parcel in). Mama went to the small refrigerator and proudly took a frozen 'chicken' out that she wanted to prepare for us. It looked like a plucked pigeon. The meat was purplish and there was lots of freezer burn. We could tell by the way she was holding it and talking about it that this was a great treasure. We told them that we couldn't stay that long. She was genuinely broken-hearted. She was willing to give this family of strangers the last meat in the house - and probably wouldn't see any again for a long while. We said good byes - and oh, one more thing. We have some items we were asked to drop off. We went out and carried in the food and clothing. The prize was four large tins of powdered milk. The mother began to laugh and weep all at once. She explained as best she could that another Dorcas team had left behind a tin of powdered milk months ago. The day before we arrived she used up the last of that tin. She apologized to her little six-year-old son and said there would be no more milk for breakfast. He told her not to worry, he prayed to God and God said he would send more soon. She took it for a child's fantasy. And now there are four large tins in the house! Even before we left they were dividing the goods and making plans on which items should go to which families in the area. It appeared that very little was going to stay in this apartment - save one big tin of powdered milk.
"One gives freely, yet gains even more."

Friday, January 9, 2009

January 10

Jan 10 - Today from Proverbs 10 we look at verse 29
"The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil."

In meditating on this verse I see three elements:
The way of the Lord.
The righteous.
Those who do evil.


I also see two effects:
A refuge.
Ruin.


Three elements, two effects. That means that one of the elements is a cause: The way of the Lord. Strange, isn't it? That the way of the Lord can cause both a refuge and ruin? The way of the Lord is unchanging. God's perfect will is the first cause. When God willed to create, the effect was creation. The element of science that refuses to acknowledge God is still searching for the first cause. What could they possibly be searching for apart from a sovereign being???
All wisdom is included in this first cause. In Proverbs 8:22 & 23 the writer has personified wisdom and speaks in the first person. Wisdom says this; "The Lord brought me forth as the first of His works . . . I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began." This is the way of the Lord. Those who seek, find and live in God's wisdom find a refuge. Those who ignore and oppose God's wisdom find ruin. The way of the Lord is the cause of their ruin. That's somewhat difficult to grasp at first. Let's look at a simple analogy. Let's say the way of the Lord is a moving vehicle. It is transporting a passenger from one point to another. It provides heat when it's cold outside. It provides cool when it's hot outside. It provides shelter when it’s stormy outside. As long as the passenger remains in the vehicle he has a refuge. But, let’s say the passenger decides that he wants to go his own way, so he opens the door and jumps out. As he rolls down the tarmac he curses the vehicle for all the pain it caused.
"But," you might say, "The cause of ruin was jumping from the moving vehicle." Yes, it was a cause, but not the FIRST cause. The first cause was the moving vehicle.
As I said, the analogy is simple. As with all spiritual analogies, it will break down at some point. It is only meant to demonstrate the axiom of cause and effect and the theory of first cause. (If one were a scientist, one would continue to go backwards from the moving vehicle; What action caused the vehicle to move? What actions caused the engine to produce power? Back - back - back until he hits a big wall. The big wall of first cause, which is the Sovereign Creator he so stubbornly denies.)
Getting away from science, let's get back to practical everyday living (we have already identified the first cause). The more we determine to seek out and live in the way of the Lord, the more we will enjoy the refuge of our relationship with Him. In Luke 12:22-32 Jesus comforts us with the knowledge that the Creator feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the fields - and we are much more valuable to God than they are. If we will but trust and abide in Him, we needn't worry about our lives - God will provide. He says in verse 32, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." The kingdom is the way of the Lord. We cannot expect to profit from the refuge of the kingdom when we want to continually jump out and go our own way in this world.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

January 9

Jan 9 - Today from Proverbs 9 we look at verse 10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

First, we must consider that there are indeed two kinds of wisdom. The first is a wisdom of this world (James 3:14-16). It may be identified as savvy-ness, street-smart, cleverness, etc. - the identifying factor of such wisdom is that it emanates from selfish ambition. It is often admired by others who themselves are self-ambitious. Jealousy and covetousness often accompany this admiration. People who 'successfully' display this kind of wisdom appear to get what they want in life – often at the expense of others. Obviously this is not the kind of wisdom being spoken of in this proverb. The wisdom here is the wisdom which comes from heaven - 'pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere' (James 3:17). This kind of wisdom endures and one who successfully displays this kind of wisdom is an asset to mankind.
The fear of the Lord is to revere Him - to hold a profound awe and respect for Him. It encompasses the spirit of the first four commandments which is articulated in the 'great commandment', "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). This is the beginning of wisdom. One cannot expect to gain wisdom from above if one does not revere the One who is enthroned above. When one truly reveres God and His Word, one easily surrenders one's life to Him.
The very fact that something is a beginning suggests that it is not an arrival. It's the place to start. In order for one to grow in wisdom, one must gain understanding. Of what? Of life the way the Creator meant it to be. The best way to understand life the way God meant it to be is to grow in the knowledge of Him. When one of His disciples asked Jesus to see God the Father, He replied, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9). If we want to know God, we must watch, listen to, and follow the Son. The best way to do this is to regularly study the gospels. Read some good commentaries on the gospels. If we will commit ourselves to this, we will grow in understanding life the way the Creator meant it to be - the Son lived it. The world system has been corrupted by sin. It is indeed a wide path - wide enough to accommodate every conceivable philosophy and religion there is. But you will not find the Son of God or His true disciples on that path. They walk the path of wisdom and understanding. One cannot even find this narrow path until one surrenders. This is the purposeful act of laying down one's self-will and seeking to find and do His will. Once one has made this decision, one is on the narrow path, the path of true enlightenment.
Discipleship is a lifetime commitment. The process doesn't end until we pass over to our eternal home with Him. Even then, the process will not end; it will just be gloriously and infinitely different.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

January 8

Jan 8 - Today from Proverbs 8 we look at verses 1-3
"Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud."

Even though this passage can easily stand alone, I am persuaded that it is a continuation of chapter seven. In chapter seven we just 'watched' an unsuspecting young man become lured and ensnared by an adulteress. There was no one person there to call out to him and warn him of the trap he was entering. The writer anticipates the question of the reader; "Doesn't wisdom raise her voice?" The question is, "Isn't there some sort of 'guidance system' available, even when there is no one around to alert and counsel you when being confronted by temptation?"
The answer is, "Yes". But, in order to benefit, one must 'listen' (verse 6). 'Where paths meet' are places where decisions must be made. 'Besides the gates leading into the city' is where the city elders sorted out information. Wisdom calls for one to 'stop' and think through the situation. Again, not simply seeking the pleasure of the moment, but looking far ahead. It is a determined action, a practiced skill. Even though there was no person around to warn the young man in chapter seven, had he stopped and carefully listened, wisdom was right there where the paths met. He didn't bother to listen. His ear and senses were tuned into the folly of pleasure for the moment.
Children can be trained in wisdom. They can be taught to think through a situation. It takes patience and repetition, but it can be done. Once the patterns are in place, dad and mom don't have to be there at every 'intersection' to warn the child of consequences. The child has learned to listen for wisdom's voice. I wish I had been more proficient in training my own sons in wisdom - but I wasn't that good at it myself in those days. I think one of the best ways is to learn how to ask good questions and let the child think through to proper answers. In my early days as a disciple, I was more prone to give all the answers first. It kind of conditions a child to either let you do the thinking, or to tune you out. Children need to be stimulated and challenged. In relating to my grandchildren, I am amazed at the incredible lines of logic they display. Because of their limits of knowledge, they don't always arrive at the correct conclusions, never the less, they use surprisingly sound logic to get to their conclusions. Just by interspersing thought-provoking questions in regular conversation, I have been entertained, delighted and sometimes shocked at their processes of reasoning. By equipping them with good information, they come to the correct conclusions more and more. They want to know the answers, but they like to find their own way to them. As I said, it takes patience and repetition. As a dad, I guess it was easier for me to drag my sons to the conclusion than it was to guide them to the conclusion. As a granddad, I have developed more wisdom and patience.
Fortunately it's never too late to learn to listen for wisdom's call. It wasn't too late for me, and it wasn't for our children. It's just much better to learn it earlier than later. Our heavenly Father is always there to guide us into wisdom. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt." (James 1:5, 6) When do we ask God for wisdom? When we are at a place where paths meet. Just the process of stopping to ask helps us to enter into a reasoning process. When we ask, then we must listen. We must think past the momentary and look to longer-range conclusions. If the young man in chapter seven knew God, and had stopped and earnestly asked for wisdom, "God, what should I do here?" and then thought through what was happening and what would be the possible (probable) long range effects of entering into the temptation he was facing. . . the story would have turned out much differently!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

January 7

Jan 7 - Today from Proverbs 7 we look at verses 1 & 2
"My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye."

Some of the mystery of this Proverb was cleared up for me when years ago, somewhere in my studies I discovered what the "apple of your eye" is. It is the black center - the pupil. From this we can begin to see the practicality of the metaphor. To guard the pupil of the eye is first of all a reflex. You could touch it with effort, but your bodily reflexes do all they can to stop it. Your 'instincts', if you will, know how sensitive and valuable that tiny part of your body is. Of all of the hundreds of square inches on your body, only these two tiny dots allow light into the body. Without them, you would have no sense of light. There would be no sense of form or color of the world in which you live.
Jesus uses this metaphor in Matthew 6:22, 23; "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." God's teachings (the scriptures), are the only objective source of spiritual truth that we have. We need to guard that truth, for by it we are able to walk as enlightened people. By it we will not stumble by deceitfulness. Jesus says a strange thing at the end of verse 23; "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" That's the irony of the deceitfulness of all false religions and vain philosophies of man; people think it is light. We have no way to judge it until we encounter the true light - the revelation of the scriptures. In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul refers to God’s Word as the sword of the Spirit – the weapon of our spiritual armor. In speaking of our weapons in 2 Corinthians 10, he says "They have divine power (to) demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God." The true light of revealed scriptures exposes and consumes the darkness of ‘false light’.
We are first to store up God’s commands within us. That means when God reveals truth, we must receive it. Then we must guard His commands, knowing that it is through them alone that we can function as He purposed. The ultimate Truth is Jesus Himself (John 14:6). He is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Those who do not receive Him and live in a relationship with Him will one day find out 'how great is that darkness' in which they chose to live. Embrace God's Word. Cherish God's Word. By doing this on a consistent basis, one will indeed develop and maintain a 'good eye'. Such an eye is truly worth protecting.

Monday, January 5, 2009

January 6

Jan 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verses 20-22
"My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you."

Our first encounters with instruction are from our parents. Proverbs is neither a book of law nor a book of promises. It’s a book of wisdom. It mostly deals with life as it should be, or why it isn't always as it should be. Parents are to be very careful to be moral agents in teaching their children about life. Most parents are. Children should follow parental instruction in the area of morals because parents have lived a lot more of life than their children. And if parents are indeed growing in wisdom as they process years of life, it means they will increasingly be functioning as God purposed. Just as our heavenly Father, they will always be looking to serve the best interests of their children. The apostle Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God." (1 Thes. 2:11, 12). It is a great model for parents to follow.
When a child can trust that parents serve their best interests, a child will usually learn to follow instruction. (Yes, I said usually. They are free moral agents, just like we are.) A Godly parent who earns the trust of their child and instructs them in wisdom will indelibly impress moral behavior somewhere in that child's character. As Godly parents, we are to do our best to instill wisdom in our children. We are to live exemplary moral lives before them. We are to allow our children to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes. We are to love them unconditionally, and to pray over them all the days of their lives. Our job is to properly love them. It’s God’s job to make them good.
I can tell you from personal experience, that even when a child goes into rebellion - even deep rebellion - the indelibly etched instruction and exemplary model of the parents can eventually prove to be a huge factor in seeing that child come back. And again - never underestimate the power of prayer. In fact, you can fashion a prayer out of this passage for your children;

"Lord, bind your moral law upon the hearts of our children. Let your word guide them when they walk, protect them when they sleep, and speak to their hearts when they awaken. And Lord, grant me grace today to do my part - to instruct them in your ways, to be a Godly example unto them, and to love them unconditionally. Amen."

Sunday, January 4, 2009

January 5

Jan 5 - Today from Proverbs 5 we look at verses 22 & 23
"The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly."

There is a continual theme about the contrast of discipline/life and folly/death throughout the book of Proverbs. There is a reason for this; "Repetition is a good teacher." Proverbs isn't meant to be a quick read-through like some kind of novel. It is to be studied a little each day. I can remember as a child what a drag it was memorizing my times-tables. Day-by-day, week-by-week. The two-times were quite easy. The nine-times worse. The twelve-times a nightmare. But eventually I had them stuck in my mind. For almost twenty years I worked in a lumberyard. I worked with twelve-times all of the time - feet to inches, inches to feet. I don't even have to think about it any more. My wife was recently employed by a fabric shop. She is getting proficient in nine-times; square feet to square yards, square yards to square feet. Repetition is a good teacher. God wants us to quickly calculate that which is discipline and that which is folly. He wants it to become second nature for us. He uses repetition too.
The root word for 'folly' in the Hebrew language is 'perverse'. Sound familiar? To be perverse means to be self-willed. To be self-willed is folly. Folly brings about death - separated from God and from the wonderful purposes for which He created us. Discipline in this case is not self-discipline, rather it is 'instruction' or 'chastisement'. It is the correction of a loving parent. It is discipline only if it is received. Self-willed people will not receive discipline and they end up 'ensnared', tangled in the cords of the very sin that separates them from a relationship with God. Not a nice picture.
As believers we have two things going for us. We have clear enough instruction through the Word of God and we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to 'prick’ our conscience when we would seek to exercise our own will against that of God. The problem comes when we chose to ignore His voice and go with our own folly. Sometimes our folly appears to be wisdom, but we are warned not to lean on our own understanding. "There is a way which seems right to man, but in end it leads to death." (14:12). Repetition. The Word of God is to take precedence in every matter - His Word brings life. His Word keeps us from getting ensnared and tangled in the cords of sin. It is worth studying - over and over until it becomes a part of our thinking process.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

January 4

Jan 4 - Today from Proverbs 4 we look at verse 13
"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well for it is your life."

The first question that comes to mind is, "When would I 'let go' of sound instruction?"
Verse 10 instructs us to 'accept' instruction. The KJV uses the word ‘take’. It is more than just being in the general proximity of something. To accept instruction means we take hold of it. To use an analogy from our modern day, let’s say your sitting in your living room watching some of your favorite fare on TV and a guest walks in. You turn and look, maybe give a nod, and then turn your focus back on the program. The guest might be in your home, but you have not received your guest. It is the same with sound instruction. Sitting in church and listening to a message does not equate with receiving the message. To receive means to embrace and take hold of it. To put it to use. That is how God’s instruction bears fruit in our lives. So, why would I let it go?
I can think of three immediate reasons; Fear, lust (any desire of the flesh), and laziness. I am ashamed to admit I can be guilty of all three. That is not a statement of surrender to sin. By God's grace and through His mercy I am committed to mature and to grow in victory - but it's a struggle at times. Holding on takes an effort. In the front of one of my Bibles I wrote the text "Tempted? - Matthew 26:40". I guess it was in one of those times of effort. The text reads, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." It's still the best way I know of to guard instruction. When I stumble, I really don't forget what is right. It’s more likely that I don't call upon the One who promised strength to guard right in times of weakness . . . those times of fear, lust or laziness.
Life is in Christ. He says that His instruction is life. It makes sense. His instruction is for our best. Our best comes by being in a vital relationship with Him. All else pales in light of that wonderful truth. How simple it seems to pray in times of temptation. How difficult it is in times of reality. It's a discipline, and it is what disciples are called to.

Friday, January 2, 2009

January 3

Jan 3- Today from Proverbs 3 we look at verses 31 & 32
"Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man and takes the upright into His confidence."

I have had my current devotional Bible for many years now, and have read through the Proverbs dozens of times in it. So, as you can well imagine I have all kinds of underlines, stars, comments and even question marks in the margins. Years ago I had penned this comment to the end of verse 32, "WOW!". Every time I read this verse, I still think, WOW! Why? Doesn't it amaze you that the sovereign, eternal Creator of the entire universe would take a mortal, imperfect and sometimes undependable man into His confidence? It does me. So my next thought is, what kind of man would God take into His confidence?
An upright man. What does an upright man look like? Well, we can be sure he's not violent, for that is the contrast in this thought. There is also another key word - "perverse". In the Hebrew it literally means 'turn aside'. Perverse means to turn away from what is right or good. It's a conscious effort. God did not create man to be violent. The 'upright' man is the man who is moving in a right direction, toward the purposes for which God created Him. A perverse man is one who has turned aside from those purposes. Violence is a result of that perverseness. When a man begins to act in a self-serving manner, he increasingly displays emotional and even physical force to get his own way. This is perverse. We were created to serve God by loving one another.
I want to be an upright man. I am astounded that God would even consider confiding in me. If He considers it, I want to benefit from it. The best way I know how to be upright is to seek to know Him, and to understand His will for my life. I can do this by constantly studying His word. By spending time with Him in prayer. By confessing and repenting of areas of disobedience I discover through these disciplines. By seeking His grace through the power of His Holy Spirit to enable me to live in the manner for which He created me. Granted, there are times when I slip, when I am undependable - but by His grace I am growing. His mercies are new each day. He is faithful. What a joy to know that in spite of my failures, He still confides in me. I sure love Him!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

January 2

Jan 2- Today from Proverbs 2 we look at verse 6
"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

This appears to be a simple enough statement. By itself, it would seem that all we have to do is ask the Lord for wisdom in some matter and He simply doles it out. But, when you read verses 1-4 you get a different picture. As a rule, God doesn't just 'drop' wisdom on people. We have to work at it. We have to accept His words and store up His commands. We can't do that without studying. We have to call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding. This means that we need to be in dialogue with God. We have to look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure. This means it's not generally laying right on the surface - we have to work at it and dig it out. Just like achieving anything worthwhile in life, we need to work at gaining wisdom. We have to remember also, that the only true source of wisdom is God. All of our efforts at growing in wisdom must be centered on Him. When we ask Him for wisdom in some matter, we then must frame the possibilities for direction or solution with questions like;

"What principles do we find in God’s Word regarding the subject?"
"Would the direction I am taking reflect the character of Christ?"
"Is the principle driving my thought process an opinion or a conviction?"
"Does the solution reflect my love for God? My love for my neighbor?"


As we process through situations in life by asking such questions, we need to be in constant dialogue with God by seeking His Word and listening to His Spirit in prayer. When He speaks through His Word and confirms by His Spirit, we have but one option – to accept His will and obey His voice. It is through obedience that we gain knowledge and understanding.