Eternity Promise

Psalm 16:10-11 (KJV) 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

(Proverbs 8 also read)

This is an interesting part of Psalms.  We see prophecy about the “Holy One”, which would be Jesus, mixed with the promise of eternal life.  It is a seamless mix that is jarring if you don’t know all that is going on.

The first phrase could apply to the Messiah or to David, and thus to us.  Then we have the line about the Holy One which could not be David or us.  Finally we have the promise.  I imagine that you could find other ways to put it together but that seems the simplest to me.

So?  Don’t buy the line that the OT does not teach eternal life.  Read it for yourself and keep thinking as you read.  

The ID Card Doesn’t Matter

(Pro 7:27 KJV)  Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

If you read through this narrative of a young man being seduced into adultery you probably don’t stop to think about how both he and the woman were members of God’s chosen people.  They were part of Israel. They had the promise of God in their heritage. They were descendants of Abraham.  All of that is wonderful.  It is awesome.  The problem is not whether you have a Platinum card but does the scanner refuse to honor it.

You have all been there.  You have your purchases rung up and even bagged.  You put your card in the slot or tap your phone and the computer says, “No.”  Usually, if you are paid up, the second try works and you go your way but it isn’t the plastic that says you are chosen.

So?  You are not more spiritual because you are not a part of a liberal denomination.  You are not on the road to heaven because you are too in touch with God to find a church to attend.  The “way to hell” is real and is on the wide gate that Jesus said is so easy to find.  Find the narrow gate.   

Look Back

Psalm 15:1-2 (KJV) 1 [[A Psalm of David.]] LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

(Proverbs 6 also read)

All through the Bible we see statements that are ignored because they don’t fit in with the theological demands of a system.  Notice the emphasis of this verse which continues through the whole Psalm:  Behavior.  Two words appear in verse two that give people trouble:  Uprightly and righteousness.  This is in the context of people who like to quote the previous chapter that claims there is no such thing.

When you try to understand the Bible then you need to read the whole thing.  There is too much to remember it all but give it a try.  How can you claim that none can be righteous and yet it is demanded?  Grace and the work of the Holy Spirit fit in between the two and make the second possible.

So?  If you are a believer you should not be focusing on what can’t be but on what is.  If you are a believer God makes it possible for you to live a righteous life.  Don’t focus on the naysayers but on the promise.  

A Word of Caution

Psalm 11:5 (KJV) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

(Proverbs 5 also read)

We live in a time of chaos.  We have political leaders who seem to care only about power and wealth.  Some would say that is nothing new.  They have a point.  The statement of Lord Acton about power corrupting is a solid insight.  At the same time things seem to be moving in the wrong direction.

Some worry about civil war or nation wide insurgency.  Much of that is hype from media sources.  Satan would love to see the United States devolve into that kind of free for all.  To that thinking we need to look at verses like this and understand what is being said and what is not.

This is not forbidding violence.  It is condemning those who love violence.  It is a misunderstanding like that of people who say, “Money is the root of all evil.”  No, it is the love of money.  If extreme measures ever become necessary then we need to carefully monitor our attitude.

So?  Pray for peace.  Be an island of stability.  Make sure that your heart is right.  Remember that in the book of Esther the Jews were given the right to defend themselves.  That is just one example of godly behavior.  

Footwork

Proverbs 4:26 (KJV) Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Before I got to Proverbs I was thinking about the armor of God in Ephesians 6.  I noticed that one of the concerns was one we might not think about and that is having our feet shod.  In this case it said with the preparation of the gospel.

Preparation would involve pondering.  That means to think about.  It would be like coming to a stream when you are out on a hike and examining the placement of the rocks to see what is the best route across.  Not only do you need to consider the distance between the rocks but how slippery they are and their stability.  I don’t just start across.

So?  Consider your day.  Most days that won’t take long but it can’t hurt.  Some days it may be key to feeling like the day was a success.  

It Is a Secret

Proverbs 3:32 (KJV) For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

My first indication for today came from a footnote in the NASB.  It indicated that the word “secret” meant “private counsel”.  I looked at my software and found that the concept was counsel and in some cases secret counsel.

Think of a meeting with your lawyer before a trial starts.  You do not broadcast to the world what you are going to do.  Consider a football team going into the huddle.  They do not announce to the other team what their play is going to be . In the same way, God meets with His people.  That is you and me.  I don’t need to know what He tells you.  I may choose to not inform you of my insight.  There are many times when that is the right path to follow.

So?  God has directions for His people.  Much is ignored or rejected.  It is still available.  It seems like a sensible thing to do to follow His advice.  

Then…

Proverbs 2:9 (KJV) Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

The first part of this chapter lays out a long list of “if’s”.  As a conclusion to that it gives a couple of “then’s”.  Too often we want to get to the results without considering the causes.  They go together.  One sets the foundations and parameters, while the other lays out the application and goals.

Notice the qualities that God expects to see in our lives.

So?  It is a package rooted in the character of God Himself.  We are expected to be extensions of Him.  It is a genuine honor.  Then…