November 4

Nov 4 - Today from Proverbs 4 we look at verse 2
"I give you sound learning, do not forsake my teaching."

"What do you think?" Jesus asks his audience for their opinion on a matter, and then proceeds to give the details. "There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard."
'I will not,' he answered, but later changed his mind and went.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered. 'I will sir,' but he did not go.
Which of the two did what the father wanted?" (Matthew 21:28-31).
Jesus' asks for an opinion that should be obvious to His listeners - and it was. "The first," they answered. Isn't it quite obvious to all of us that we should not forsake the sound teaching of God's Word? Why, this proverb is hardly worth printing it is so obvious. Yet, how many times in a week do we forsake the obvious teaching of our loving Father?
Jesus is teaching that oral assent to the obvious is not obedience at all. It is action that ultimately determines obedience.
"Wow! That sure was some message the pastor gave this morning!"
"Amen brother. He was right on the mark today."
We walk away feeling good about our ability to discern a word from God - and then go right back into our old patterns. If God's Word does not effect some sort of change in our direction in life, it is as dead as if we had never heard it at all. This was the lesson Jesus was teaching the religious leaders that day.
"I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:31, 32).
John the Baptist preached a strong message of repentance. The Word of God that he preached was meant to change the course of direction in the lives of the listeners. All of them. The 'sinners' who once said "No" to God changed their minds and changed their direction. The 'righteous' who constantly mouthed the word "Yes" to God never wavered in their self-righteous course. Why should they? They were already righteous. The problem with the 'righteous' religious leaders in Jesus' day was that they measured themselves by others rather than by God. If the tax collectors and prostitutes were the valley, the righteous were the mountain-top. But when you look at the earth, say from the moon, it is perfectly smooth. The valleys and mountain-tops are undetectable. We will never achieve perfect righteousness in our behavior in this life. We are to always be maturing through conviction, confession and repentance. The next time you sit under a clear and strong word from God, don't give it mere lip-service. Rend you heart before God and let His word do it's sanctifying work. REPENT, you ‘righteous’! Do not forsake His teaching.

November 3

Nov 3- Today from Proverbs 3 we look at verse 16
"Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor."

This verse is to be placed in proper context of the attributes of wisdom, as it is referenced to verse 13 which begins, "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom." We use the simple definition for wisdom as, 'understanding life the way God meant it to be'.
It seems that wisdom has something to offer; long life, riches and honor. But, no where in this passage, nor in the narrative of the entire Bible, do you see believers instructed to pursue these things. Jesus clearly lays out the Kingdom principles in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:25-34 He addresses the pursuit of things - and reveals that it is the wrong pursuit all together. In verse 33 He speaks the very familiar quote, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Jesus Christ was not yet revealed in the day when Proverbs was written, but there was a clear focus of pursuit. Throughout the book of Proverbs the Teacher admonishes the student to pursue wisdom. Long life, riches and honor are benefits of finding and applying wisdom, just as they are benefits of living in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
It is important that we do not use these benefits as indicators of wisdom or of living in a right relationship with Jesus. If we use the benefits as indicators, we will fall into the error of pursuing the benefits, and of judging others according to how many benefits they apparently have. Christians seem to be very prone to fall into this trap. It is short-sighted and temporal thinking. I have met believers living in destitute third-world circumstances who had little more than the clothes on their back and a roof over their head. Yet, they displayed far more wisdom than most believers I know in our culture who drive nice cars, have beautiful homes, keep full cupboards and closets, play golf in their leisure time, go out to restaurants to eat a couple of times a week, and hold fat retirement portfolios. In addition, the life expectancy of the believers in many third-world countries is from 10-20 years less than that of believers in our country. Because we apply world values as indicators of wisdom and ability, we often treat our third-world family members as spiritually inferior people. Perhaps not consciously or purposely, but we do. I have spoken to scores of believers in third-world countries who have told me so. They are not angry or bitter about it - just puzzled. There is no third-world in the Kingdom. The church must not adopt world values in kingdom work.
This principle can also be adopted right in our own culture. We have 'class systems' here in the cities and towns where we live. We can tend to apply the same values in these situations. We use long life, riches and honor as indicators of spirituality. Shame on us! That is temporal thinking. In the Hebrew text the word used for long in this verse most often means forever. People may have shorter life spans because of inferior conditions, but this is nothing in light of eternity. We must not place temporal values on eternal things. Riches means to accumulate. Jesus expands on this thought in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19, 20; "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Our temporal wealth will mean nothing when we stand before God. We must not place temporal values on eternal things. Honor carries the thought of weight. There is substance to a person who grows in wisdom. They are not easily moved or shaken in even the most difficult circumstances. We must not place temporal values on eternal things.
Wisdom has much to offer, but she only gives as we pursue her and not her benefits. Jesus has much to offer, but He only gives as we pursue Him and not His benefits. What is the greatest indicator of all? It is a servant's heart. That is what we were created for. That is understanding life the way God meant it to be. That is the life Jesus modeled for us. That is the true meaning of love. If you see a person who appears to have health, riches, and honor, but does not display a servant's heart, you can pretty much guess that he is in a wrong pursuit.
How about you? For what are you expending your efforts of pursuit today? Are you pursuing Jesus, or only what Jesus has to offer?

November 2

Nov 2 - Today from Proverbs 2 we look at verses 11 and 12
"Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse."

What are perverse words? To pervert something means to turn something away from its proper use or nature. Wisdom is the knowledge of the proper way. Perversion is to distort knowledge - usually for self-gratifying purposes. Sin perverts. Our words are to edify, to encourage and to bless others. Perverse words entice, wound, or curse others. Wicked men use perverse words constantly. Perverse words can be very deceptive and subtle. Discretion detects the motives behind perverse words and protects the righteous from the wicked ways of those who use them.
Discretion is the ability to tell right from wrong. Not only for ourselves, but it also helps us to detect evil motives in others. The beginning of this chapter gives a graphic description of how diligent we must be in acquiring wisdom. It uses plenty of verbs, which makes growing in wisdom very practical. The 'milk' of God's word is that which is easy to digest. It could also be called 'surface truths'. Digesting meat takes more energy, in both chewing and digesting. The meat of God's word is deeper and is found only by going after it and digging it out. It is that kind of practical study and application which enables one to grow in discretion and understanding. Hebrew 5:14 puts it this way; "Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
We don't gain wisdom through osmosis. We don't suck it up by sitting in a church pew. It doesn't seep into our soul from that Bible sitting on the end table. It doesn't leak into us from hanging around wise people. It comes from seeking knowledge of and from God, and then constantly applying that knowledge until it has trained (transformed), our mind.
Is it really worth all that bother and effort? It is if you value your relationship with the One who redeemed you. It is if you want to live a full life and not end up with an empty shell of a life that only echoes with faint memories and loud regrets. It is if you get married, have children, and want to provide for and protect your family. It is if you want to sleep peacefully at night. Yes. It is.

November 1

Nov 1 – Today from Proverbs 1 we look at verses 25 & 26
"Since you ignored my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock you when calamity overtakes you –"

For those of us who know God, who have seen Him in the life and character of our Lord Jesus Christ, this just doesn’t sound like His voice. Actually, that’s because it’s not. Whose voice is it? By going back to verse 20, we discover that it’s the voice of wisdom. The Teacher uses the literary technique of teaching a principle by giving voice to an inanimate object. Wisdom ‘laughs and mocks’ when those who ignored her call in better times suddenly fall on hard times. The Hebrew term for mock in this passage means to imitate a foreigner or to speak unintelligibly. The point the Teacher is making is that if one fails to study and practice wisdom as they process daily life, they will not understand its basic principles and applications when it is most needed in life – in times of extreme difficulty and disaster. ‘Wisdom from above’ (based on the values taught in scripture), is indeed a ‘foreign language’ to the heart of man’s fallen nature. His fallen heart is tuned to the ‘wisdom of this world’ (the values embraced by this world system). When a person who never bothered to study the language of wisdom from above is thrust into a situation where only such wisdom can provide and protect – that person is doomed to suffer the consequences. Diligence studies wisdom and applies her instruction in such times. But many are complacent to study wisdom, and when her instruction is most needed, it is unintelligible – it makes no sense whatsoever. "The complacency of fools will destroy them" (Proverbs 1:32).
What then is God’s voice in such matters? He says, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn form their wicked ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil way! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11). Here there is no doubt who is speaking, and there is no hidden meaning. Here God calls His people to turn from the deceitful values of this world system and embrace life as He meant it to be. In the ‘New Covenant’, sealed with His Son’s own blood, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). This is the voice of our Father. He is worth listening to.
Wisdom calls us to abandon ourselves anew to Him each day – regardless of circumstances. Don’t put off seeking wisdom because the circumstances of life do not demand it. That’s called complacency. When circumstances suddenly change and it is critical to apply wisdom, it may be too late. Her voice may sound very foreign to you.

October 31

Oct 31 - Today from Proverbs 31 we look at verse 15
"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

Before commenting on this verse, I would like to preface it with the text of Ephesians 5:31& 32 and from that truth, change one word from verse 10 of Proverbs 31:
"'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. A church of noble character who can find?"
From verse twelve on, the Teacher describes what a church (wife) of noble character looks and acts like. Being that the 'wife' is an illustration of a spiritual truth, we are left to work out the spiritual concepts of nobility and virtue for the church. The Teacher points to a woman of high moral character. We then must seek to be a church with high standards of moral behavior if we are to honor our Lord (husband). Morality goes far beyond it's most common perception of dealing only with sexual behavior. It covers the entire range of virtue - how we are to behave toward our fellow man. Because we are working from the Word of God, and we are speaking of His Church, we are constrained to use only one standard of 'good' when we define good behavior. That standard is the moral code given us in God's Word.
The church of noble character then 'gets up while it is still dark'. What is the concept here? I believe it is related to time and not to darkness. The noble church is not to be idle. She knows that time is a gift from God, and that she must be a very good steward of the time allotted her. She does not waste time by being idle, waiting for a more proper time to begin to 'fulfill her purpose'. Now is the time. "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here." (Romans 13:11, 12). The virtuous church does not wait until she feels like being a virtuous wife - she knows that she is the virtuous wife, and the time for serving her Husband is now. Woe to the church who is waiting for the right opportunity and time to serve when suddenly the Husband returns and finds her idle.
The church of noble character 'provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.' What is the concept here? I believe the issue is priorities of provision. The church is to care for her own first, not neglecting those outside (verse 20). Jesus says the world will know that the church is made up of His disciples by their unconditional love for one another. That's a bit of a paraphrase of John 13:35, but it is accurate. Sin has made individuals in the world self-serving. That is our state when we are born in the flesh. Grace through Christ Jesus has restored the church to God's original purpose of others-serving. The evidence of God's original purpose for man is to be manifested in the church. Jesus was the example for the Church (his wife), she is to be the example to the world. That is how we glorify Him, by reflecting His character. If the church does not care for her own first, how can we bear witness to the world our love for one another? "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10). When the church treats its fellow believers with contempt and withholds her blessings from them, she dishonors her Husband. When the church fails to make adequate provision for her servants (Pastors and staff personnel), she dishonors her husband. The church of noble character makes sure her own are cared for first, and then she looks for ways and opportunities to serve those outside of her household.
"A church of noble character who can find?" YOU are the church.

October 30

Oct 30 - Today from Proverbs 30 we look at verse 33
"For as churning the milk produces the butter, and twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."

Little is known about Agur, the author of chapter 30 of the book of Proverbs. If you have read the entire chapter today, you will see that his style is quite different. This chapter is a prime example of Metaphorical Theology, the dominant philosophical process of ancient Eastern thought - and still quite prevalent in the East today. The Western mind struggles with this process because we have been trained in Process Theology, or Systematic Theology, which began to dominate Western thinking when the great Greek philosophers prevailed and their influence spread throughout the great empire of Alexander the Great. Out of the Greek influence came Platonism, Aristotelism, scholasticism, rationalism, Hegelianism, existentialism, and finally process theology. Because of the radical differences in these two approaches (Metaphorical Theology and Systematic Theology), it sometimes becomes difficult for us in the West to understand or interpret the Old Testament scriptures, which were written primarily in Metaphorical Theology. This would include the Gospels, written by men who were naturally acclimated to this thought process. The apostle Paul was the apostle to the gentiles, who were much more under Greek influence. Thus, Paul used a much more systematic approach in his writings - the book of Romans being one of the finest pieces of Systematic Theology available.
Very briefly, the primary difference in the two thought systems is the approach. In the West, we begin with a concept, and then illustrate the concept with examples and analogies. The Eastern approach begins with a parable or illustration and then moves to conceptual interpretation of the illustration. This is the way Jesus taught theology because His audience was Eastern. It was the way they processed thought.
I am a Western mind, and sometimes (often), I still struggle through some of the theology of the Old Testament. It requires a new way of thinking. Agur was considered a very wise man in his day. He was not 'over the head' of his audience. He did not introduce concepts. He simply introduced illustrations which the Eastern mind would be challenged to apply conceptual interpretation. This is a key for us in most of the book of Proverbs, particularly in chapter 30. Today we are looking at verse 33. I am only going to go in perhaps one or two levels of conceptual interpretation of this verse. The Holy Spirit may take you deeper, because illustrations cover so much more area than a single concept.
The overriding concept I see in this illustration is by-products. When one churns milk, one should not be surprised that the chief by-product would be butter. When one twists another's nose, one should not be surprised that the by-product would be a flow of blood. The simplest of minds understands the concept of natural by-products. Yet, humanity still does not seem to understand that strife is a natural by-product of stirring up anger. We do something that we know will make another angry, yet we are surprised at how it produces long term strife. Am I right? We think that people should just get over their anger. We got our way. . . or our shot in . . . or our frustration vented . . . now just drop it. Human nature doesn't just drop it. We are surprised to discover that it wasn't the end of the game, it was only the first volley in a long game of strife. The game only ends when LOVE makes its entrance. "Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Cor. 13:5). No return volley. Game over. Wisdom always acts and reacts in love. This kind of love only comes by the grace of God. It calls for us to surrender to Him that we might appropriate that which He offers through the power of His Spirit. It is the incredible paradox of the exchanged life - we surrender in order to get the victory.

October 29

Oct 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 16
"When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall."

It seems that the concept of ‘wicked’ is politically incorrect these days. Why? Because identifying wickedness calls for a standard of morality, and a standard of morality erodes one of our highest post-modern social values - freedom. For instance; it is our freedom of speech that allows pornographers to erase moral boundaries, and without moral boundaries there is no wickedness (sic). In his pursuit of the wisdom of this age, man deceives himself and moves ever deeper into darkness. It is in the darkness that moral lines disappear. When believers in God's moral code attempt to bring light, they are persecuted. Jesus says to His disciples (even today), "No servant is greater than his master, If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:20). Persecution can be in the form of rejection, mockery, isolation, harassment, and even physical harm. As wickedness becomes more acceptable and darkness more pronounced, persecution increases. So much so, that the righteous may begin to wonder if the wicked will prevail all together.
Today the Teacher puts those fears to rest. The wicked may prevail for a season, but eventually the righteous will see their downfall. Why? Because sin is corrosive. Sin rots the fabric of society to where eventually a wicked society can no longer hold together. The payback for immorality will eventually become greater then the pleasure of sin, and wicked man's house of cards will come tumbling down. History has proven this ever since man began to record it.
History has also proven that the righteous will sacrifice and invest into the Kingdom even when they know the dividends may not appear in their generation. They do not live in the darkness, for they see far ahead with an eternal perspective. Love (the God kind), does not simply serve self. In Bible times there were often fig trees along the roadsides to refresh weary travelers in season. Where did they come from? Those who originally planted fig trees by the roadside knew they would probably not live to eat the fruit - but future generations would. These planting servants may well have benefited from trees planted by those who had gone before them. They did not live a selfish life of pleasure hoping that the current trees would at least provide fruit through their lifetime. They took the seed of the fruit from which they had benefited and nurtured some new plants for the future. They invested themselves in service to others - others they may never meet in their lifetime. That is what the righteous do. Hebrews chapter 11 lists a number of the righteous from the Old Testament, and explains their fruit-bearing acts of faith that identifies them as righteous. In verses 38 and 39 God says this of them, "The world was not worthy of them. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised." Unless we see with eyes of faith, we may never see the downfall of the wicked.
Faith calls us to action. The righteous are to "do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:14-16). The righteous will never overcome the darkness by retreating. We are to let our lights shine, for the light overcomes the darkness. The light of the righteous is not indignation and judgment. The light of the righteous is God's grace. That's what those in darkness need to see. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Tired of the wicked prevailing in our sinful, post-modern culture? Plant some fig seeds out there. Follow God's lead in serving your community with good deeds. So what if you do not immediately benefit from it? Someone will - perhaps your grandchildren.