The Need for Braces

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(Proverbs 4 also read)

Every time I come across this word “perfect” I think about how modern Christians seem to get offended by it, or repelled might be a better word.  We shouldn’t be.  It’s a wonderful insight in how God works with his people.

Notice that the “weakness” is in us.  We can’t avoid it.  It is reality.  We are inadequate for what we face in life.  If you think you’re adequate then you’re probably missing what the real challenge is.  But the promise is that God will make us adequate, that His strength is made perfect as He acts as a brace for our withered limbs.  Or you might even think of it as a prosthetic device.

We have a lady at church who walks funny.  I thought she was having hip problems or something along those lines, but it turns out that she had a leg amputated and she’s walking on a prosthetic.  She’s able to get around quite well as long as she keeps in mind that she has this perfection making her weakness adequate.

So?  What are our weaknesses?  I tend to find that I forget I’m getting old.  Sometimes I move too fast.  So far the Lord has kept me from major catastrophe, but in life, we need to be aware of our limitations and learn how to lean so that God can compensate.  

Applied Wisdom

Psalm 111:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

(Proverbs 3 also read)

We need to be mindful of a constant reminder by the word that it is not enough just to have head knowledge, or even just heart knowledge; we must apply the knowledge that we have.  Notice the simple little verb “do”.  There is some correlation between applying truth and just believing it.

We’re familiar with the concept of muscle memory.  By doing things repeatedly, we learned to do them by habit without thinking.  It speeds up the process quite a bit and allows us to focus on higher level thoughts and applications.  The same thing can be said about spiritual issues, about wisdom.  This might also in a bit of a stretch apply to why Jesus had to come and live as a human being.  There’s something about actually experiencing life that brings it a depth and richness that is not understood any other way.

So?  Believe it.  Apply it.  Get the full benefit of what God is offering. 

We Forget

Proverbs 2:22 (KJV) But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

In reading these last two verses, it came to my mind again.  Eternity is going to have an element of the physical in it.  We have that popular conception of floating around on clouds.  Some people imagine the masses of elders and saints, bowing down before the throne on the sea of glass and chanting, “Holy holy holy”.  You need to read the rest of Revelation.  You need to read about the new Jerusalem descending to earth.  You need to read about the river of life running out of Jerusalem and the tree of life growing on both sides.  Remember the wolf lying down with a lamb?

We will not be cut off from the Earth.  We are to be established.  I like to think that we still have access to flowing through the cosmos and diving into the center of massive stars, but our focus and our home is always going to be on earth.

So?  Get used to it.  Enjoy it.  Imagine what it will be like when our sin caused limitations are removed totally.  

What Was That?

Proverbs 1:23 (KJV) Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Reproof without response is a waste of breath.  That doesn’t mean God won’t keep trying to reach us and get us to listen, but there comes a point where we are expected to respond.  Notice the first word “turn”.  God gives us insight in His word, through preaching, our reading, our meditation and expects us to take it and apply it to our lives.  The result is that we are supposed to do things differently.

When we practice obedience, the promise here is that God will “pour out His spirit” on us and then He will bring us a deeper understanding of what it is that He’s trying to say.

So?  It’s a new month.  It’s getting close to a new year.  Those are days we highlight but there are no days when it’s a bad idea to start changing our direction if God is speaking to us.  

Does Creation Continue?

Psalm 104:30 (KJV) Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

(Proverbs 30 also read)

I almost breezed over this because of all the figurative language and great word pictures in this chapter.  Then I noticed the word “created”.  Now keep in mind that this is written in David’s time or later, and the author is probably not thinking about the seven days of creation, yet he uses that same word that is used in the first verse of the Bible.  It is also used about halfway through the creation account with the large sea animals, and then about man being created.

One of the mysteries of the people pushing evolution is something called the Cambrian explosion where suddenly a vast number of new species appeared.  They seem to have come from nowhere.  There is no fossil record of them developing.  Add to that the fact that all the links are missing when someone talks about the “missing link”.  All the links are missing.

This verse may be the reason why the links are missing because God continues to send forth His Spirit and create.  I’m not looking for a doctrine here or an article of faith.  This is just an observation of the creativity and continued involvement of God in His world.

So?  Man is still the only one that was created in His image.  Don’t forget that.  Honor Him. Worship Him.  

Happy Law

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

As Christians, we tend to look at the law in a negative way.  The apostle Paul certainly goes out of his way to make sure that we’re not trusting the law for our salvation.  That’s fine.  One of the things, though, that I’ve noticed is that the Old Testament does not promised eternal salvation through the law.  The promises of the law in the Old Testament have to do with Israel being guaranteed the promised land, that their cows would have healthy calves and their harvest would be adequate.  All of those are every day realities.

So how do we respond to the law?  In a general sense we still follow it, but we don’t follow it for the same reasons.  We don’t refuse to steal or commit adultery because we think we’re earning our way into salvation, we do it because it makes for a better life here on earth.  Following God's principles goes a long way towards establishing happiness in your life.

So?  Get right with Jesus.  Trust Him and His death and resurrection and God's grace as it extends towards you.  Having established that foundation, live a righteous and moral life.  It will pay off.  

Grace Applied

Psalm 103:10 (KJV) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

(Proverbs 28 also read)

Just in case you’re one of those people that gets hung up on the difference between the law and grace, you need to take another look at this verse.  I don’t think the law was mentioned at all in this chapter.  But I do see grace at work here.  I see God extending His patience, forgiveness, and yes, grace towards us as He watches us and follows our activities.

What better way to express the idea of salvation than to admit that God does not deal with us as we deserve.  He is ready, willing and able to forgive our sins.  He sent His son to die on the cross so that the justice that is in His heart could be fulfilled.  What a balance of love and justice.

So?  Don’t relax in your sin, relax in your forgiveness.  Enjoy the knowledge that God will not deal with us as we deserve.