A Bit Early for Mothers’ Day

(Proverbs 30:17 KJV)  The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

God has no compassion on the child who “mocketh” (mocks NASB) (3932) his father.  Deserving equal condemnation is the one who “despiseth” (scorns NASB) (936/3349) his mother.  In terms of respect both are given equal billing.

I don’t know about other religions but the Bible tells us to give honor to both parents.  While there is a hierarchy in the family it is not the kind of thing that says women are inferior.  Keep in mind the words of Paul,

(Galatians 3:28 KJV)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

So?  Picture a sign over the gates of heaven, “Abandon Machismo, all ye who enter here.”  Honor and respect your parents, both of them.

My Brother, the Slave

(Proverbs 29:21 KJV)  He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

Most Americans know that slavery was a part of our past.  What they don’t seem to understand is that slavery is a part of the past of almost every country.  It is not an exclusive American scar.  Until England outlawed the slave trade in the early 1800's and later outlawed slavery in the British Empire there was not major country in the world, in all of history, that had condemned the practice.  There is also no major religion in the history of the world that has issued a blanket condemnation. 

What does this teach us about slavery and being a “servant” (slave NASB) (5650)?  For one thing it teaches what is clear through the entire Bible, slaves are to be classified as human beings.  They are not animals or sub-humans.  This puts definite limits on how you treat them.  Of course some people don’t even know how to treat their children, so the instructions are hard for some to obey.

One of the reason slavery has disappeared in the Christian world is that the Bible insists on treating them well.  Over time this destroys the practice.

So?  You don’t own any slaves?  Join the crowd.  You do, however, live in a culture that has other accepted practices that are to be rejected or modified by believers.  Sexual sin, the “spin” (lies) of politics, dishonest claims in selling used cars, the list could go on and on.  Examine your own list.

What’s Your Hurry?

(Proverbs 28:20 KJV)  A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

What is a “faithful” (530) “man” (376)?

We need to consider context here.  The previous verse talks about being focused on things of importance and not just the desire of the day.  This verse seems to imply the person who is willing to take the long range view and build a solid foundation to his activities.

Faithful here is not related to our ideas of believing.  Here it means “firmness, fidelity, steadfastness.”  We are talking about the description of love being patient and the fruit of the spirit including patience.

So?  Are you willing to be a faithful steward of the life God has given you?  It seems to be the way to blessing.  Or perhaps you would prefer the frustration of being in a hurry and always too late.  Think about it.  Apply it.

He Never Promised You a Rose Garden

(Proverbs 27:25 KJV)  The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

We recently had someone leave our church in a huff.  I am sure you have been through this.  Maybe you are the huffer, who knows.  I was once.  I am sure people were glad to see me go because they did not want to hear what I was saying.  I have heard this referred to as a back door revival.  It is not the end of the world when the old, growth-choking “hay” (grass NASB) (2682) “appeareth” (disappears NASB, in the sense of changing) (1540).

Sometimes we cannot see the promising new developments that are going on around us because of the dead traditions and habits.  When the process of life takes out the old guard it is easier to see the promising new opportunities.  I am approaching the age where the process of life will remove me.  Praise the Lord because He probably has some new growth ready to step up but it doesn’t “showeth” (seen NASB) (7200) because I am in the way.

So?  Are you the old grass or the new growth?  Both have a part in God’s plan.  The goal is to gather the “herbs” (6212a) not admire the mowed grass. 

Are We Building Ruins?

(Proverbs 26:28 KJV)  A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

It is very easy for us to fall into this trap.  I see it on a regular basis at school.  Maybe you can see some parallels in your day.

Recently we had a meeting about a student who was having problems.  Out of four core classes he was failing three and almost failing the fourth.  His citizenship grades reflected the same.  How did we start off the meeting?  The administrator in charge said, “Let’s go around first and share some of the child’s strengths in the classroom.”  I wanted to say, “We are not here because of his strengths.  We are here because he has none.  Let’s deal with the real issues, lack of work, lack of effort, bad attitude, tardiness, etc.”  Because I want to keep my job I said nothing.  I listened as the other teachers described a wonderful, well behaved boy.  The entire time was spent “flattering” (2509) the child. 

In the process we were working “ruin” (4072).  He went out of the meeting figuring that he had fooled us again.  His sluggardly behavior was reinforced.  We as a group had smoothed the way for him to keep falling on his face and face disaster in his life.

So?  Find ways to love people enough to tell them the truth.  It may save their life and their soul.

Man, Oh, Man

(Proverbs 25:24 KJV)  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

As I read this verse again my mind wandered off into the gender wars and our culture’s push toward a politically correct gender neutrality.  You don’t find that position in the Bible.  There are lessons to be learned in reality that you don’t see when you refuse to see. 

Several times Proverbs addresses the theme of this verse.  Each time it is advice to the man living with a woman who makes life miserable.  Why is there nothing the other way?  Was it because men are never hard to live with?  I doubt it.  The thing that I was seeing this time is that there are situations that we can do nothing about and we need to live with them.  That would be the position of married women in that culture.

I know we don’t like to be told that all problems cannot be solved.  It is true anyway.  Remember Paul asked three times to have his thorn in the flesh removed.  Remember that Jesus asked to go to plan B in the garden of Gethsemane.  The answer to both was “No.”

So?  Sometimes all we can do is soldier on.  His grace is sufficient.

Payoff

(Proverbs 24:20 KJV)  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Here is why we are not to fret or be envious:  The “evil” (7451a) will have no “reward” (future NASB) (319).  You need to understand this with a little flexibility.  A hard nosed literalism would say this means that evil people will not be around tomorrow and will know only suffering.  That is obviously not the meaning. 

“Reward” (future NASB) (319) has the idea of a project coming to completion.  It means “end” but with a value added on.  I think a good modern word for use here might be “payoff.”  The KJV translation is pretty good with the idea of reward.  It obviously has an eternal dimension but if you follow the lives of the rich and the famous you will observe that their final years are not all that good either.

So?  Take the long view.  Realize that God will not be mocked.  Think of God as a rope salesman as in giving enough rope to hang yourself.  Or give you a rope to hold on to and be rescued.  The choice is really ours.  I know the choice I made and continue to make.  I hope you are on board.

Investment Counseling

(Proverbs 23:23 KJV)  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

How do you “buy” (7069) “truth” (571)?  It is something that money cannot guarantee.  I am thinking that this involves investing our greatest riches, time and effort, in seeking it out.

Part of the point here is to remind us that we have an investment to make in our spiritual growth.  The Bible makes it clear that our salvation is a gift of grace.

(Ephesians 2:8 KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

The other side of the truth that is often ignored is also found in the writing of Paul,

(Romans 2:6-7 KJV)  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

By the gift of His grace, by the cleansing of His blood, by the power of His Spirit, we are expected to take the gift, cleansing and power and apply it daily in our lives.  He has handed us hope and said, “Share it.”  He has given us a book and said, “Read it.”  He has given us power and said, “Use it.”

Here He is offering us truth and calling us to invest ourselves in it to become what He wants us to be.

So?  Invest yourself in Him and His truth today.  It will pay returns in your life and in the lives of those around you.

You Are Who You Eat With

(Proverbs 22:25 KJV)  Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Have you ever seen those articles about how people and their dogs begin to look like each other?  Have you ever heard about how some married couples become like each other?  My wife says she can tell if a boy is in seventh grade because of the way he acts.  This verse would give validity to all of those positions.  We become like the people we hang with.

Here the warning is about hanging with people who have short fuses.  When we make our inner circle angry people we become angry people.  We learn their “ways” (734).  In so doing we “get” (find NASB) ( 3947) ourselves in a “snare” (4170).  We trap ourselves.  This is a trap that can have eternal consequences.

So?  Be careful who you call friend.  Are you compromising in your standards?  Are you modifying your behavior more than you should?  Are you walking into a trap that will doom your soul?  These are not casual questions.  Please think about it and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you.

The Give and Take of Righteousness

(Proverbs 21:26 KJV)  He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

What does it mean to be righteous?  Again I say, don’t get sidetracked into quoting “There is none righteous....”  Whatever that means it must be something different from the repeated command and expectation that we are to be righteous.  Here is another clue to what it means.

The “righteous” (6662) “giveth” (gives NASB) (5414).  He produces.  If he is at work he works hard.  If he is playing he gives his best. 

Giving is the opposite of “coveteth” (craving NASB) (183).  Being an asset to the community is a part of righteousness.  The opposite, identified in the previous verse, is slothful.  If you want to be a child of God, if you want to be like Jesus, if you want to go to heaven you cannot be a habitual taker.

This is a theme that reverberates through Proverbs.  Some people want to take.  Check out the passage in chapter 30 that has this verse.

(Proverbs 30:15 KJV)  The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

So?  Are you always whining that life is not fair?  Are you always expecting others to provide your “needs.”  Obviously I am not talking about someone who is in a sudden emergency or someone who is permanently bed-fast.  Not so obviously I may be talking about you when you get a government, church or family subsidy for your rent or food.  Be honest with God and yourself.  My opinion really doesn’t matter. 

A Creative Curse

(Proverbs 20:20 KJV)  Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

Are you looking for a creative curse?  This might meet the need:  “May your “lamp” (5216) go out in a time of darkness.”

Have you ever suddenly been without light in a very dark place?  Have you even tried to walk across a room in the dark right after you turned out the light?  It is amazing how quickly you lose your sense of location and direction.

I hope this verse brings to mind another that is more familiar to millions,

(Psalms 119:105 KJV)  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The Hebrew has the same word for “lamp” (5216).  The promise here is that our promises can be cancelled.  While the “batteries” of the word will never run out of power, our ability to see and understand them can “go out” (1846).

So?  Here although the warning is about cursing our parents, the concern might go to other attitudes and actions as well.  Guard your heart and mind.  Don’t lose your way.

Food Sloths

(Proverbs 19:24 KJV)  A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

The “slothful man” (sluggard NASB) (6102) waits for others to serve him.  This is the perfect summary of how a lazy man operates.  Here he is too lazy to even feed himself.

One of the standing jokes in our family is how our son, the first born, tried to train his sister to be his minion.  For awhile he was successful.  She is getting over it.  Where did he learn this pattern?  I have observed it for years in the syndrome which is demonstrated by the entire family sitting with almost empty cups waiting for someone to get up for a refill.  Then it becomes, “Since you are going anyway...”  I call it the Who Needs a Refill game.  It gets amusing watching everyone sit there with empty cups and afraid to be the first one to move to get a refill. 

It is also sad.

I don’t think I am guilty of this particular sluggard behavior, at least in the cup issue.  I may be in other areas such as every day requirements as putting dishes in the dish washer. 

So?  Be alert for ways in which you assume others will serve you.  I know I have a bevy of opportunities to improve.  It will probably make me easier to live with too.

The Offense of Winning

(Proverbs 18:19 KJV)  A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

I think it would be good to turn this verse around.  I don’t think the statement here is supposed to be a good thing.  It seems to be saying that it is hard to get forgiveness.  We understand that. 

Today this reminds me that it should not be.  There is little you can do about the lack of forgiveness in the other person.  What if you are the wronged one who will not forgive?  You may have been clearly offended.  You may have been in the right.  Now you must be willing to forgive.

It is important.  Remember the words of Jesus.

(Matthew 6:14-15 KJV)  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So?  Forgive; don’t hide in your virtuous strong city.  There is more at stake than your pride.

Blogger Blues

It seems like every time I schedule posts and don't get a chance to check, they get hung up.  This morning I had two posts that were marked "scheduled" and looked okay that were past posting time.  O, well.  I will post Tuesday's now (done) and see if I can get today's to come up a little later.

Technology is wonderful when it works.

Grace and peace.

Sometimes the Nut Falls Far from the Tree

(Proverbs 17:21 KJV)  He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

Some things in life we seem to have no control over.  The basic disposition of our children is one of those experiences we can’t plan.  My children were different from the day they were born.  In training them up we have instilled certain characteristics.  Recently they were sharing how people who did not know they were siblings could not figure out how they were so alike.  People thought they were married and had grown like each other.  When they discovered the connection was blood the response was, “Oh, that explains it.”  Actually, the best explanation is parenting, not blood.

Can someone be responsible for what he “begetteth” (begets NASB) (3205)?  In one sense, no.  It is possible that no matter what we do, our children will be fools.  They have personalities.  They make decisions.  They can produce “sorrow” (8424).  In many cases it is not the fault of the parents.  We have all seen people who have several children and one goes a totally different path than the others.

So?  Don’t let guilt overwhelm you when life hands you sorrow.  This is the place where we continue to walk in faith.  Prayer, modeling and fortitude can lead to change.  We may not live to see it in our children but we can continue to let our faith overwhelm our sorrow.  I know, easy to say and hard to do.

The Seemly Road

(Proverbs 16:25 KJV)  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

This is at least the second time these exact words have been repeated.  Check out Proverbs 14:12.

Before you are regenerated and given the mind of Christ you look at the world from one position.  A popular word for this today is “paradigm.”  Hopefully you have moved from living in the flesh to living in the Spirit.  That means the world looks different.

It is hard to accept.  We want to fit in.  We don’t want to be weird.  Something in us screams to conform even if we are conforming by non-conformance.  “There is a way which seems right to man.” 

That is not our way.  That way leads to “death” (4194), both physical and spiritual.  We are called to life.

So?  Get used to it.  People may say you are a really nice person but when it comes down to it they are going to sense that there is something about you that just does not fit in.

Profit from Prophets

(Proverbs 15:22 KJV)  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Last month I commented on the first part of this verse.  There is value in consulting with others.  The second part of this is the other side of this advice.  We need to be careful how we pick our “counselors” (3289). 

The world is full of people who want to give us advice.  TV, Radio, self-help and how-to books are omnipresent.  You are naive if you think that their real goal is to help you.  What they want is to sell you their product or exert control over you. 

When you listen to someone you need to make sure that what they have to say is in agreement with the written word of God.  That is impossible if you are not reading it yourself.  A counselor is no substitute for doing your own homework.

So?  Walking with Jesus is not a spectator sport.  Get to know the instruction manual.  You will find that if you read it you don’t need near as much counsel as you thought.  The knowledge will also help you wade through the fluff and find the dispensers of real wisdom. 

All We Like Sheep...

(Proverbs 14:22 KJV)  Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

Free will allows us to “err" (go astray NASB) (8582) but it implies that there is a built in standard to stray from.  We talk about stray sheep but a mountain lion that is hunting in your yard is hunting.  Both may be following instinct but only one should know better.

We have a choice in what we “devise” (2790a).  The word is used of both directions, evil and good.  We are not to use our creativity to plan or develop evil.  I think of this as being the conscious goal of our energy.

So?  Decide you are going to make a positive impact.  Today would be a nice time to start since “today” is all we ever really have when it comes to making decisions. 

Unrealized Potential

(Proverbs 13:23 KJV)  Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

This is a loaded verse in the context of the teachings of Proverbs.

First is the potential of “much" (abundant NASB) (7230) “food” (400).  This is only possible food.  It is not a promise.  Today I don’t want to go into the reasons the land is not producing.  I want to look at the idea of potential.

Bumper crops are produced from many types of land.  In the southwest of the United States and in desert areas like Israel people have been able to create bounty from desolation by irrigation.  When settlers moved into the areas of Ohio they were able to clear the forest and produce multiplied quantities of food.  In the plains of Kansas we now have the “amber waves of grain” that occupy land that was just buffalo grass.

God is reminding us that there is unrecognized abundance all around us.

So?  What abundance is to be found in you?  What is there in your personality and situation that is waiting to be plowed, irrigated or cleared?  Seek God’s heart and maybe today can be the day of new directions or connecting with forgotten dreams. 

Be a Diligent Hand

(Proverbs 12:24 KJV)  The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

You say you don’t want to “rule” (4910)?  You say you are more into servanthood?  That is good if it is true, however part of being a servant of Jesus is being a steward of what He has put in your care.  There are times when you cannot do that faithfully if you are not ruling.

Keep in mind that the contrast of the context is being “slothful” (slack NASB) (7423b) and being “under tribute” (forced labor NASB) (4522), not being obedient.  As a servant of Jesus you don’t want to be in that group of common labor that has no skills and little to offer.  We are not called to that.

Focus on being the “hand” (3027).  You are the hands of Jesus bringing His rule to your life and the world around you.

So?  Yes, Jesus needs people to scrub toilets, literally and metaphorically.  Either way you are expected to be the king of the scrubbers.  Serve well.

Good for You

(Proverbs 11:23 KJV)  The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

This entire passage is moving on two levels.  The first level is the tone of the life we live now.  As you go through each day you are either “righteous” (6662) or “wicked” (7563).  Don’t get sidetracked by schools of theology that focus on “there are none righteous” and “we are all sinners.”  Your choice is to decide which of the two sides you will live on.  If there is no such thing as a righteous person much of the Bible, like this verse, becomes empty talk. 

The second level is the destiny we face in eternity.  When we are touched by the grace of God we are changed.   Our deep, central “desire” (8378) is changed.  This word does not refer to the flavor of ice cream you want but the overwhelming target of your being.  Those who are destined for heaven desire “good” (2896b).

So?  What do you want to see, good or wickedness?  If you have not come to the righteous side yet you might want to think about things like repentance.  Have a good day. 

A Wealth of Sorrow

(Proverbs 10:22 KJV)  The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

How do you measure “rich” (6238)?  Too often we assume that it simply means lots of money.  Not so.

We have heard that “Money cannot buy happiness.”  We have all heard many jokes generated by this such as, “No, but I would rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable.”  As most worldly humor it misses the point and the promise.  The world can only promise a large bank balance.  God can remove the bitterness and “sorrow” (6098).  Riches that come from God do not come with emptiness, pain and suffering.  That is one way we can determine if our wealth and health come from God.

This also assumes that God “adds” (3254) misery to riches that are gained the wrong way. 

So?  How is your bank balance?  How is your blessing balance?  Which do you really prefer? 

And in This Scorner...

(Proverbs 9:7 KJV)  He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

What is a “scorner” (scoffer NASB) (3917b)?  I guess my real question is, “Am I a scorner?”  There isn’t much I can do about the other guy but I can work on my own character.

That is probably one of the differences between a true scoffer and one who is just questioning.  Part of the character trait of scoffing seems to be putting yourself in a superior position.  You ask questions and make comments to elevate yourself rather than find truth.  There is a self-centered arrogance in the attitude.

So how do I plan on avoiding this today?  I will seek for truth, not just a winning position.  I will try to listen first and evaluate after the other person stops talking instead of my usual pattern of starting to plan my reply before they finish.  At least that is my goal. 

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed.

Let me pause to wish all of you a glorious Resurrection Sunday.  This is the central day for Christians to celebrate.  My parents have been gone for years.  I lost a brother a little over a year ago.  My mother in law is approaching death.  This is a special day for all who have lost someone or who are facing death themselves.  Remember,

(1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Since death is conquered, the only thing we have to worry about it taxes.

So?  Rejoice.

Grace and peace.

Wisdom Is Power

(Proverbs 8:14 KJV)  Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

Have you heard that “knowledge is power”?  The Bible has a little wiser spin on it.  Here “power” (1369) is linked to “wisdom” (8454).  Wisdom is what makes knowledge useful.

My son showed me a book he has, called Pocket Ref and edited by Thomas J. Glover.  It is pocket sized with thin paper and tiny print.  It is little besides information.  It has a section on “Diabetic Emergencies.”  It shows you knots and bends.  It tells you dew point temperatures.  It is cover-to-cover, raw data.  It is knowledge.  It is almost useless unless you know how to use it.

Most knowledge is useless if you don’t know how to use it.  This is where the Holy Spirit comes in.  He is our teacher.  He helps us to put it together. 

I have heard of studies that show that devout religious people are happier than the rest of the population.  It isn’t because some can’t read the Bible.  The difference is in allowing the Holy Spirit to read it into them.

So?  Do your homework in life but don’t forget to ask for God to make the knowledge useful.  Seek wisdom. 

The Way to Hell

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

Why should we avoid adultery and fornication?  Because they lead to hell and “death” (4194).  They are not expressions of love, they are actions of sin.  Sin leads to death.

It is assumed that the woman is condemned just as it is assumed that the man could have avoided this.  When this man stands before the judgement seat it will not do him any good to point a finger at the woman who dragged him down.  We are responsible for our own lives and our own decisions.  It is possible that the man here could have repented.  That is always available.  But that is not mentioned here and is not the point of this story. 

So?  The standard is rejected by our world.  It is still God’s.  Stay sexually pure.  That is not celibacy, it is chastity.  Live it.

Pay Back Time

(Proverbs 6:31 KJV)  But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Financial responsibility is a Christian standard.  It applies even to the poor.  The context here is a man who is driven by hunger to steal.  The community is to be understanding but there is still a penalty to be paid.

First, the debt must be repaid.  To make the necessity more clear it is to be repaid “sevenfold” (7659).  It doesn’t say it but I feel like he is stealing from other people who are not rich.  We often overlook the fact that much of the crime around us impacts the poor, not the rich.  Being poor is no excuse.

Second, the debt must be repaid.  The same, I know, but the emphasis here is that you cannot keep back that antique your grandmother left you.  To pay the debt he is to “give” (5414) “all” (3605) his “substance” (1952).  Modern bankruptcy allows withholding certain items.  God says we are responsible.

So?  Our standard of accountability is God’s, not society’s.  Live your day with honor.

Giving Lip

(Proverbs 5:3 KJV)  For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

“Honeycomb” (honey NASB) (5317) and “oil” (8081).  Good stuff, at least Biblically, yet in the context they have a negative connotation. 

There are many good things in life.  Paul makes a point of believers living in liberty.  We have been set free.

(1 Corinthians 6:12 KJV)  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

But we are to watch for allowing even the good things to put us back in bondage to sin.

So?  Attitude and motivation are so important.  Be aware of why you do things not just what you do.  How could today’s activities go two different ways depending on your reasons? 

Promises, Promises

(Proverbs 4:10 KJV)  Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

This reminds me of the “first commandment with a promise”, obeying your parents. 

(Ephesians 6:2 KJV)  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Here we have a similar saying.  Solomon is speaking but through the inspiration of the word we are being given a promise.

There are consequences for obedience.  This is one of the good ones.  Accepting  and living by the wisdom of God will increase your years.  I think part of that also is that the years will be better.

Think of it as a two-fer.  Longer life is granted to us with an assurance that it will be quality as well as quantity. 

So?  Take the long range view.  Remember that with wisdom it will be a longer range view.

Advertise

(Proverbs 3:22 KJV)  So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

We are to keep the teachings of God in front of us at all times.  That was the point of the previous verse.  This verse points out that we are to be changed by them.

Do you remember the cartoon picture of the guy walking around with a sandwich board on, advertising something?  We see the modern version expressed by people standing on corners with big arrows, waving them around to get attention and direct people to a house for sale or a new store opened down the street.  In that way the wisdom of God becomes a “grace” (adornment NASB) (2580) on our lives.

We are different and we wear the difference. 

So?  Jesus saves.  Salvation makes a difference.  Be a good advertisement today. 

Guard Duty

(Proverbs 2:8 KJV)  He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

The KJV makes this more clear as a stand alone verse.  It points out that “He” is the one who “keepeth” (guarding NASB) (5341).  This is one of those simple truths that can make your day if you will let it.

We are not the moral police of our culture.  I am not expected to fight every step of the way through life.  By that I mean take a head-on, confrontational approach to the moral issues I must deal with.  I don’t back down.  I don’t compromise on truth, but it is not my place to think it all depends on me.  The “He” in this verse is God.

We are to witness and speak up.  A good summary of that comes from Peter

(1 Peter 3:15 KJV)  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

That should give you enough to do to keep you busy and be a high enough standard to make you feel guilty.

So?  Relax.  Prepare.  Let God run the show. 

Street Wise

(Proverbs 1:20 KJV)  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

It is possible to know truth and “wisdom” (2451).  Wisdom “shouts” (7442) in the streets.  It is not hidden if we are willing to listen.  That is important; listening.  The problem is not a lack of answers but a lack of willingness to hear them.

The point here is that wisdom is available.  It does not hide.  At the same time if you were picturing the “street” (2351) pictured here you would notice it was not the only “voice” (6963).  It is one of many competing for our attention. 

What are you listening for?  Where are you listening?  Do you expect to hear through your ear-buds?

So?  Don’t force God to get a club to get your attention.  Spend a little time trying to sort out what he is saying from the cacophony of life.