Say Cheese

Proverbs 31:25 (KJV) Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

When you hear the news does it drive you to despair?  When you think of your children or grandchildren and what’s ahead of them, do you spend a lot of time in worry?  Will you have enough for retirement?  Will the tires last another six months?  Life is so full of things to worry about.

I sympathize.  I do my share of worrying.  I tell myself I shouldn’t, but I do it anyway.  What alleviates the concern ,though, is my trust in Almighty God.  I love the term Providence. It reminds me that God is in charge and it helps me to look back and focus on all the blessings that encompass my life.

So?  With that in mind, I can look to the future and I can rejoice.  Trust God.  Live with enthusiasm.  Rejoice.  

Running on Empty

Proverbs 30:8 (KJV) Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

These couple of verses are really powerful as a basis for our prayer requests.  We spent so much time on long list of concerns or desires.  We pray for friends and relatives.  We pray for the nation.  All that is good, but there’s a basis that we need to start with and that’s found here.

The first thing mentions here in the KV is “vanity”.  Other translations use words that have to do with deception and lies.  The basic idea behind it is emptiness.  A lie can be a statement of truth that has no truth.  Deception is giving the appearance of something that is not shown.  This is a basic call to honesty.  It’s a call for us to rely on truth and reality and not just what we want.

So?  Make it a request maybe each morning.  Make it a conscious desire of your life.  Strive to get rid of the emptiness of vanity and fill your life with the substance of truth.  Of course the place to start with that is in reading your Bible and seeing what God has to say about life.  

Hold to the Vision

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

This is one of those verses where we really need to compare the translations.  The King James says that people will perish when they have no vision.  The modern translations have more of the idea of losing all restraint, and casting off any kind of standards.  When we stop looking at the word, and considering what God tells us, we come up with all kinds of wild and crazy ideas. 

Here in Proverbs, the concentration is on the law.  I think that you could almost confine this to the 10 Commandments.  Any culture or society that focuses upon these basic values of God will find itself doing very well.  When you look away, anything goes.  If you’ve ever tried to drive a car while watching a bunch of teenagers do stupid stuff on the sidewalk you’ll often find that your options break quickly or different.

So?  In the end, the life that is lived paying attention to the road signs and the lines on the road will be much happier than the person who falls asleep at the wheel.  Stay awake.  Stay focused.  Live in righteousness.  

Open Eyes

Proverbs 28:14 (KJV) Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Fear makes us flexible and helps us adapt when we understand it correctly.  Keep in mind that this kind of fear that is being talked about is not the craven, quivering phobias that everybody likes to accuse you of.  This is the fear and respect that we have for things of great power and dominance.  Ultimately, this is talking about fear of God.

Fear can bring happiness.  That is the statement that is made here.  Actually, it’s the results of the fear that seem to be so beneficial.  When I am afraid to sit on a fire-ant nest, I find that I am a happier person.  In fact, I don’t even have to sit on it.  All I have to do is stand not moving when someone else is yelling, “Get away from the fire ants.”  That will rapidly make me unhappy.  A healthy fear will make my lunch go down better.

So?  Don’t try to pull a John Wayne when you’re surrounded by Indians and you have a back door to get out of.  Show intelligent, healthy fear.  Be aware of who God is and the fact that He loved you enough to send Jesus to die for you.  

Observing Curfew

Proverbs 27:14 (KJV) He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

I must confess that this verse mystifies me.  I can’t ever think of a time where I got up early in the morning to shout blessings across the lawn at my neighbor.  Rarely do I see my neighbor early in the morning and when I do he’s inside a car with his stereo on, and his windows rolled up.  I do wave, but I don’t shout.

I think part of the issue here is us wanting attention when we do things that are correct.  I think we should be asking God’s blessing upon our neighbors.  We should double that if they are our friends.  Triple it if they are family.  We should be willing to offer up prayers for people around us without calling attention to ourselves.

So?  Just as our giving to charity and the needy should be done in a quiet way that does not embarrass them, so our blessings should also be restrained.  Let God be the one that hears.  

Dawning on Me

1 John 1:5 (NASB95) This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

(Proverbs 26 also read)

This morning I was reading in Psalm 27 and it talked about God being my light and my salvation.  In thinking about that and following the train I came to this passage.  Light is one of God’s attributes.  Sitting on the porch in the early morning, you see different contributions that light makes to your life.

Light as it grows pushes back the vagueness and the unknown qualities of the world around you.  In the predawn darkness, I can make out blobs and vague shapes and light spots, you know all those vague qualities of the dark.  As the light grows the dark spots become rocks.  The big plateau in front of me becomes a lawn with weeds, showing up and obviously in need of mowing.  The colors begin to nuance.  What was once a cross between gray and black becomes multiple shades of green.

I think of the light bringing photosynthesis into play.  It contributes its energy in that mysterious way, so that the plants start changing carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Light also has an effect on our emotions.  It’s easier to be optimistic in the daylight than it is at night.  Energy levels may increase.  All by simply increasing the light around us.

So?  May your day be filled with light.  May you enjoy the details and the variety that surrounds.   Rejoice.  

Vistas of Worship

Psalms 26:8 (KJV) LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

(Proverbs 25 also read)

We hear people talk about how they don’t need to go to church in order to worship.  That is one of those statements that is totally correct in it’s details and facts and yet totally wrong in it’s intent and attitude.  When I’ve heard people say this, they generally are people who do not want to submit themselves to any other spiritual authority and so they avoid the church.  Sometimes the problem is that the church has gotten so culturally compliant that it no longer seems to be a place to worship.  I can understand that.

Here we have David who does not yet have a temple to worship in but he does have a location which is looked at as being the house of God.  He loved that location and you pick up part of the reason in the second part of the verse.  He talks about the place where God’s honor dwells.  The modern translation says glory instead of honor.  When we go to church to worship, we should understand that we are going there because it is a place that God has ordained to meet Him.  His honor dwells there.

But I think there’s a second thought here, which goes along with the original people we were talking about.  There are many places there you can go and recognize God’s glory as being there.  I think of my front porch in the morning as I worship before dawn.  I can think of many other locations where I’ve been where it is easy to worship God.  Often that is out in nature somewhere.  Sometimes it’s the most unexpected places, but God is there.

So?  Realize that you can honor God almost anywhere by focusing on Him.  His radiance and glory are powerful enough to overcome any obstacles.  

Basics

Proverbs 24:14 (KJV) So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. 

You can’t read far in Proverbs without coming across a mention of wisdom.  It is a goal.  It is a method.  It is a personality trait.  It is a necessity.  I was interested today with this final phrase where it talks about being cut off if we don’t have wisdom. 

That could mean different things.  It could have to do with eternal life.  It could mean just that you are looking forward as you go down the road of life.  That’s the part I want to think about today. 

The word “expectation” in King James is usually translated hope not only in this translation but in others.  We have certain ideas about the future that we want to achieve.  We call them hopes.  You might call them plans or expectations.  If you read down through this chapter or really any chapter in Proverbs, you’ll find many suggestions on how you should be living your life that are based in wisdom.  It talks about priorities.  It talks about attitudes.  All of these are involved in achieving the hopes we have in life. 

So?  Knowledge is attainable.  Wisdom is attainable.  They are avenues of achieving the hopes that we have in this life, and of course, eternity.  

Principle Payoff

Proverbs 23:15 (KJV) My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 

My children are grown and advancing in their lives.  My son is doing well in his profession.  My daughter did well professionally until she married and now she is fully committed to being a wife and mother.  They are doing what I wanted them to do, and that was be upright citizens, making a contribution and being part of the solution.  Of course, I also wanted them to serve the Lord.  My only regret is that they both worked for a time in the security industry and won’t let me brag about them. 

Finally, as I get into my eighth year of retirement and I am looking down the hill, I know that the end is coming.  I can also look back and realize that my life has been a success.  As Proverbs says my heart rejoices because I can see the wisdom in the hearts of my children. 

So?  At this point, I have to say that my life was a success.  If you were reading about successful people I would not be on the list.  Of course the successful people either have no children or their children are usually a mess.  They are successful, but it was something confined to them.  I can only claim to be blessed by God by following His principles.  I hope you can say the same.  

Abandoned

Proverbs 22:14 (KJV) The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

It seems to be saying here that some people have been abandoned by God.  In the NASB "cursed" is the word.  This would imply that before the temptation is even in front of us God has already given up on us.

What would cause that to happen?  We know that when we watch His patience with Israel that it takes a lot to make God turn against you.  Is it possible that some people, like Israel, think they can take advantage of their specialness, and flout God?

I repeat a thought I had a while back, and that is that when God chooses to curse someone, it isn’t necessarily an active curse as much as the removal of the protections that He has in place around His people.  So when a person who is defying God comes up to a situation where they would normally be used to having divine assistance, God has withdrawn His Holy Spirit and they fall into the trap.

So?  God is long-suffering.  He puts up with a lot of nonsense from us.  In spite of that, or because of it, I would suggest that we not get in the habit of pressing our luck.  

You Can Do It

Proverbs 21:27 (KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

This morning as I was glancing through some Clickbait, I saw a question asking what the Bible means by abomination.  I didn’t bother listening to the video.  I don’t need some self appointed expert, defining simple terms from the Bible for me.  I can do it myself.

I start by just thinking about what it means to me and my understanding of the English language.  That’s bad enough.  I certainly wouldn’t want the Lord considering anything I do, say, or think to be an abomination.  I could then go to a dictionary and see what the secular world has to say.  I have not done that to be honest, but I could.  If that wasn’t enough, I could get out my concordance, look up the word and see what the Bible has to say about it and it’s different references.  I could also do that on my software.

Knowing what words mean in the Bible starts with a desire to know.  You can ignore any definition if that’s your choice

So?  Ask questions, and I would venture to guess answer them.  

The Picture of Clean

Acts 15:9 (KJV) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

(Proverbs 20 also read)

I started my journey today in Psalm 24 where David is talking about lifting up clean hands and a pure heart.  I got to thinking about how people keep telling us that we are dirty rotten sinners, and that we are unworthy and so forth.  And yet I keep reading references like this, that say it is possible for us to come into His presence, with clean hands, and pure hearts. I looked up the word “pure” in the Hebrew and then went to the Greek.  When I went to the Greek and the New Testament, my mind went to this verse.

As I looked up the word purify in the King James, which is “cleans” in the New American Standard, I saw that its usage in the gospels was repeatedly used in being cleansed from leprosy.  Paul, Hebrews and James get into deeper applications, but I thought it was interesting that the idea of cleansing from leprosy is how Jesus use the word.

I think sometimes leprosy is used as a type for sin.  We don’t see much of it anymore although the disease is still around.  It’s a condition that deadens your nerves, and make your flesh susceptible to damage.  In effect your body starts to rot away because of this disease.

So?  Is this verse talking about the work of the Holy Spirit?  The point is that the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit is capable of changing a heart, and making it possible to come into the presence of God with clean hands in a pure heart.  That is reason to rejoice. 

Why Do We resist?

Romans 1:7 (KJV) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Proverbs 19 also read)

There’s a phrase that I hear, and in my circles it’s usually offered tongue-in-cheek.  The phrase is, “dirty rotten, no good sinner".  What is amazing to me is that this is usually offered as a reference to people who have been born again, and are followers of Jesus Christ.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used to refer to the pagans of the world that reject the word of God.

That’s not how I read my Bible.  Take another look at this verse if you didn’t read it closely.  Notice that it does not say that we are called as sinners, but that we are called as saints (40).  The word means exactly what it says.  It could also be translated. “holy ones”.  God did not call us to continue in our life of sin.  He called us to be transformed in His image and live lives of holiness.

That’s not what I say. That’s what God says.

So?  Don’t feel comfortable rejecting it and going with the traditional theology you’ve heard. The Bible calls you to live above the world.  Yes, we will have our struggles and our times of failure.  That’s what first John 1:9 is all about.  But we are not called to just kick back and say, “Oh well. I guess I’m just a dirty rotten sinner.”  That doesn’t play well in Peoria.  

On the Other Hand

Proverbs 18:14 (KJV) The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

The teaching of this proverb is clear.  I think we understand it.  We know what it is to have the Holy Spirit speaking to our inner man, and taking us through struggles and victory.  But my mind wanted to put a different spin on it this morning.

It occurred to me that one of the times that we tend to really get wonky in our faith is when everything is going sparkles.  When all is well.  When there’s nothing to complain about.  You may never have those times but they do exist and I’m here to tell you that I think people drift away from their faith and their commitment more in times of plenty than they do in times of struggle.  Maybe you haven’t had that experience.

So?  Rejoice in the presence of the Holy Spirit when you’re going through infirmity.  Rejoice even more when the Holy Spirit remains rock solid within you during times of success.  Resist the temptation to pull out a plum and say what a good boy you are.  

Calm Down

Proverbs 17:27 (KJV) He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

As I read this verse in the NET I found a thought that I really liked.

Proverbs 17:27 (NET) The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning.

I like the idea of keeping calm as showing discernment.  I like it because I’m usually pretty good at keeping calm.  When I read the NASB I saw this idea reinforced.

Proverbs 17:27 (NASB95) He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Unfortunately, in this place, the KJV is more accurate in it’s total translation.  I can find the idea of wisdom in the first part of the verse in the sense of keeping my mouth shut, or restraining my words.  That is an all three translations and that is part of the concept but the attractive language of the second part is stretching it a bit.

So?  Look for the true meaning of the verse and what it’s really trying to say.  Here the concept is not being cool it is keeping your mouth shut.  It’s not quite as romantic but it’s more accurate. 

Divine Cultural Appropriation

Proverbs 16:2 (KJV) All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

It might help you to see this expressed in a modern translation, excuse me, paraphrase, to get where I’m coming from.  I read this first today in the NET and the paraphrase got my attention.  When I compared it to the KJV, I could see the same potential but it wasn’t as clear.

Proverbs 16:2 (NET) All a person's ways seem right in his own opinion, but the LORD evaluates the motives.

I begin to wonder if I could also attempt to approach the perspective that God has on discussions I have with other people.  There are times when I get really frustrated trying to communicate with people.  I do my best.  I think I’m being very clear.  In spite of that, they just don’t seem to get what I’m saying.  And that’s where we get to motives.

My tendency is to believe that the other person has some deep hidden motive, an evil motive, a motive to dominate me.  Excuse the theatrics.  Basically, I think they’re deliberately refusing to hear.  While that may be the case that may not be their ulterior motive.  They may refuse to hear what I’m saying because they care so much about me and changing my thinking to their way of looking at things that they are willing to risk driving me away.

So?  Ultimately, their motive may be because they care about me.  The way that it is expressed may not be acceptable and the basic truths that they thought were there aren’t there, but their motive is good.  And of course I need to turn that around and aim the bow at my heart.  It always pays to try and take a God’s eye view of things.  

The Law As Reward

Psalms 19:11 (KJV) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

(Proverbs 15 also read)

We tend to look at the laws Moses as being something that restricts.  They are limitation’s.  There are standards that we need to keep in order to not sin.  All of that is probably true.  But somehow, I don’t think that mixing the fabric in your clothing is on the level with serving only one God.

If this verse David gives us a different perspective on the purpose of the law.  God originally gave the law of Moses to Israel in order to teach Israel how to be civilized and have a culture worth having.  It was to teach them how to treat one another so that they were an example to the rest of the world.  With that in mind, I think that this verse points out to us that keeping the law leads to a better life.  Developing a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness makes life easier to live and more rewarding.

So?  You’re not going to earn your way into heaven.  That is never going to happen because we are not capable of doing that.  However, there are benefits to following the law of God.  Don’t read them and weep, read them and obey.  And then you can rejoice in the rewards.  

Even Birds

Psalms 50:11 (KJV) I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

(Proverbs 14 also read)

I hope you spend some time contemplating the incredible riches of God’s wisdom, and love.  I hope you meditate on the fact that He reaches out to us mere humans.  Yes, we are created in His image but we’ve also far short of the glory of God.

This verse gives a little more insight into the majesty of God.  Not only is He aware of us but He knows all the fields in the mountains and all the birds.  The word “know” here is the Hebrew word yada, which means to know very well.  God is involved in His creation.

So?  If God has time for the birds, then I would suggest that He has time for you. Take advantage of that.  

An Interesting Proof Text

Psalms 48:3 (KJV) God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

(Proverbs 13 also read)

I was worshiping with the first two verses, which go along with one of the choruses that I have ingrained in my heart.  In the process I read through this verse several times, and the last time I read it, I kind of backed off and said, “What?”  I recognized a proof text when I saw it.  What a great place this would be if I were a feminist or a progressive Christian or a scholar looking for a paper to publish.  You could read this, if you wanted to say that God is a her.

You don’t believe me?  Just back up and read that verse in isolation.  Of course, since we know our Bible, when I call gestalt, we know that it can’t be true . Of course what we do is we read the context.  In the process we realize that the “her” refer to here is Jerusalem.  It is Zion.  It is the city of our God, not God Himself.

So?  Make sure that your brain is always turn on.  When you see something that just jars you with it strangeness that could mean one of two things.  First, it might mean that God is trying to get your attention and teach you a new truth.  I love it when that happens.  Second, it may be that you’re not paying attention and you’re living in dumb dumb land.  It’s also a wake up call.  So wake up read.  Learn.  Apply. 

Service Please

(Pro 12:9 KJV)  He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

Most Americans will never have a servant, at least the kind talked about here.  For a prosperous nation that is unusual in history.  Most people are familiar with the scenes from Mary Poppins in which there was a crew of servants upstairs and another down stairs.  Of course the banker was not a middle class individual but it would not have been out of the question for a person of lesser means to have help running the house or caring for the children.

Of course we do actually have servants.  We just don’t think of them that way.  When you go to an eating establishment you have servants.  Some are cooks.  Some are servers.  Some wash dishes.  Do you have someone mow your lawn or clean your pool?  You have servants.  

So?  The point here is not that servants are a mark of status but that we should be living in humility.  

The Big Picture

Psalms 18:20-21 (KJV) 20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

(Proverbs 11 also read)

If you know anything about the life of David, you know that he does not have clean hands, at least in the way we look at it.  We also know that David was aware of the sin in his life.  And yet he makes this statement.

There are a couple things we need to consider that David was also aware of.  First of all, he was aware of the fact that he never violated what seems to be God’s biggest concern.  David never worshiped other gods.  He never made sacrifices to other gods.  He maintained the Lord God as his Lord.

David is also aware of the process of repentance, confession, and forgiveness.  He knew that God would respond to his openness and contrition.

So?  You can get hung up on literal understandings of this verse or you can look at the entire scripture and understand what David is really trusting.  He’s not trusting in his righteousness, he’s trusting in God’s mercy.  

Stewardship of Wisdom

Proverbs 10:14 (KJV) Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

The NET is a paraphrase.  I don’t care if the letter “T” stands for translation, it isn’t.  And sometimes a paraphrase gives you an insight or at least shakes your brain up so you see what’s really there.  I had that experience in this verse.

Proverbs 10:14 (NET) Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction.

Storing up, hit me a little harder than laying up.  When I checked other translations, the idea of storage was common, so the NET is not unique.  That got me to thinking about not sharing everything I know.  That’s probably a good idea.  I don’t think there is a spreadsheet that keeps track of how much wisdom we have stored up in the archives of our mind.  There must be something there.  But the idea here is to build up a reserve.

One of the great qualities of knowledge is that just because you share it doesn’t mean that you loose it.  In fact, it may be that by sharing certain ideas, it causes you to think deeper, and thus increase your understanding of what God has to say to you.

So?  Take in as much as you can.  Review it on a regular basis.  If you get a chance to share it when someone will listen, then feel free.  

Overlooked Patience

Jeremiah 26:3 (KJV) If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

(Proverbs 9 also read)

I am currently reading in Jeremiah and just worked through chapter 26.  One of the things that strikes me as I read Jeremiah is not that Jeremiah is the weeping prophet or that God is threatening to destroy Israel.  What impresses me is the constant effort of forgiveness and restoration that God offers.

God has made it clear what the consequences are of their rebellion and refusal to follow along.  He is condemning them.  Keep in mind that when it talks about refusing to obey the law, it’s not talking about plowing with an ox and a donkey it’s talking about worshiping other gods.  They were sacrificing their children in the fire to Molock.  This is serious stuff and they are incredibly guilty.

In spite of that God offers to set aside that disobedience, to forgive and restore them.

So?  We need to bask in the love of God.  We can’t presume.  We can’t assume.  But we can be honest with Him and repent.  He waits to forgive.  He longs to forgive.  The ball is in our court.  

Don’t Drop the Adjectives

Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Or maybe it’s an adverb, it depends I guess on how you translate it.  When you look at the King James, you see how the word “seek” is modified by “early”.  That is legitimate.  I think I’ve written about getting up in the morning and making it your first priority of the day.  That’s a good way to interpret this.

But as I was reading today in the NET and comparing it to the KJV, I noticed that the modern translation left out the modifier.  It just had “seek”.  Seeking wisdom is always a good thing, but the modifier is what makes it powerful.

    Proverbs 8:17 (NET) I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

A quick look over the other translations shows that they modify it different ways.  The NASB uses “diligently”.  Either way you look at it you need to take your seeking and find a way to make it more powerful.

So?  Sometimes the power of a statement is in the modifiers, rather than the basic statement itself.  Lean into those modifiers.  Listen to what they have to say.  Enjoy the full power of allowing wisdom to be a part of your life.  

Strong Foundations

Psalms 11:3 (KJV) If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

(Proverbs 7 also read)

When I was still working with my father in construction, I remember a particular house that we went to that was slowly fading into the ground.  It was built on a foundation of redwood.  When it was built, the thinking was that redwood would last a long time, and the results worked just fine, until… Over a period of time the optimism of redwood foundations faded very quickly.  It was learned that wood does not make a good foundation.

What kind of foundation are the righteous supposed to have?  Unfortunately many of them build their foundation on their sectarian theology.  I’ve been there.  I’m not sure that I am not still there, although I am working on it.  Sectarian theology is great for short periods of time or until the wind blows too hard.  Then it begins to crumble.  And that is when we have a choice to make.  Do we continue shoring up the crumbling redwood or do we invest in allowing the cosmic construction expert to replace it with eternal concrete?

Obviously, I’m talking about what Jesus meant when He condemned the Pharisees for following the traditions of men instead of the law of God.

So?  It’s a daily journey.  We regularly need to keep looking back at the word of God and listening to what the Holy Spirit is telling us.  Many of our foundations are man-made and rotten.  They need to be replaced.  

A Sure Thing

Proverbs 6:21 (KJV) Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

One of the reasons that people will go to church is to hear the sermon.  They might go to Sunday school to listen to the lesson.  One of the mindsets of these ideas is that you are going someplace where someone else will share the results of their study, prayer, and meditation.  Someone else spends the time preparing, and we benefit from it.

That in itself that’s not a bad thing.  The problem comes when we allow that to become a substitute for our own personal focus and study.  Notice the first word of this proverb, “bind”.  That is an action that requires focus and coordination.  It doesn’t happen by osmosis, or any other type of automatic absorption.  It is a conscious attempt to attach yourself, in this case to a truth.

So?  Accept the responsibility for spiritual growth.  Ultimately it’s up to the Holy Spirit to teach us, impress us and change us, but there is that element where we consciously open ourselves for him to work.  

Cultural Erosion

Psalms 9:5 (KJV) Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

(Proverbs 5 also read)

When I first read this, I started thinking about the pyramids of Egypt, the gates of Babylon, the aqueducts of Rome, and I wondered how this was applied.  Then I did what we should always do when I read things in the Bible, I started thinking about the context.

If you go back to the beginning of this Psalm, you’ll find that it’s written by David.  If you know much about David’s history he was constantly fighting wars against the “nations” around him.  I would literally guess that most of them you have never heard of outside the Bible.  Even in the Bible, when you read the names on a list of enemies of God, you ask yourself, “Who is that?”  How many are names for cities we have no historical reference for outside of the Bible?  The list is long.  If you think about it and do any reading, you’ll even find that mention of David is just about nonexistent outside the Bible.

So?  Yes, these nations have been forgotten.  Some may be dug up because the Bible references and we may learn something about them but for all intents and purposes they are gone.  God’s promises, and his threats, are very real.  Keep that in mind today as you decide what your priorities are.  

Beyond Application

Proverbs 4:4 (KJV) He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

My mind focused a bit on the phrase. “keep my commandments”.  The obvious meaning of this is to follow the rules.  We are to do the things that God has given us, or in this case, the father.  A good place to start.

Or maybe it’s not a good place to start but a good way to apply.  I think perhaps a side thinking on this is to treasure those commandments.  As I wrote that I wondered if the root meaning of the word “keep” was a word that we often see translated as “guard”.  So I went to my Blue Letter Bible, and did a little research and, yes, one of the definitions of this word is to “guard”.

So?  Before you apply, understand.  Before you act, build a foundation.  Guard the commandments as a part of who you are.  Internalize them.  Of course that means you still have to apply them, but do so knowing what you’re applying.  

On the Other Hand

Proverbs 3:16 (KJV) Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Don’t you love it when your choices are between two great options?  So much of life is a matter of life and death.  So many decisions carry tremendous consequences if we make the wrong one.  Often we can’t even tell the difference.  I never had the option of trying to figure out which of two wonderful women to marry.  I had to choose from a field of one.  I was good with that.  What would I have done if they were two women that I found fascinating?  Most of our decisions or not that way.

I am thinking of an old commercial back when television was still something that we actually watched.  It was a commercial for oil filters.  The actor made the proposal of “Pay me now, or pay me later.”  He held up an oil filter in one hand, and a piston in the other.  The point was clear.  Which direction do you want to go?  Wisdom on the other hand, if we will follow it, gives us the best of both worlds.

So?  Which will it be, long life or riches?  I guess the greatest blessing is that in cases where God is making an offer like this it is both not either.  

Again, Salvation

Psalms 6:4 (NKJV) Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

(Proverbs 2 also read)

I did not do a word search to find references to salvation.  I did not do a word search to find references to the mercy of God.  It just seems to come up in Psalm after Psalm.  Here we see it again.  What strikes me about this is that there is no mention of the law in the sixth Psalm.  There is mention of salvation, and there is mention of mercy.

Need I point out that this word in the KJV of “mercy” is the “loving kindness” of the NASB, and is the Hebrew word chesed?  Whether I need to point it out or not, I’m doing so because I think we forget that.  Salvation is linked to God’s mercy not to the law, even in the OT.

Does this mean the law is unimportant?  It is important to David.  You read this again and again, how he loves the law and how wonderful the law is.  But the purpose of the law is to give an outline of how to live, and please God in your lifestyle.  Ultimately, it is a promise to the nation to bless them in the land, in this world, among hostile neighbors.  It is not so much focused on the individual’s salvation.  That is what this Psalm is looking at.

So?  God is giving you plenty of indications on how you should be structuring your life.  Keep in mind those are all wonderful ideas and are very important, but your salvation comes from the mercy of God as you call up on Him, one on one.  

Another Opinion

Proverbs 1:1 (KJV) The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

I allowed my curiosity to draw me past the Clickbait into the actual video on YouTube.  Some guy I’ve never heard of, and may never hear again, claimed to have chosen the three best translations of the Bible.  I’ve seen these titles before, but for some reason this time I actually clicked.  His first choice was the King James, his second was the Legacy Standard Bible, and his third, to my surprise, was something he called the NET.  I’ve seen the initials, I found that it was available on the Blue Letter Bible and so I download it.  I’m now going to read it this month as I work through Proverbs.

I don’t know that you need to read the NET.  I would, however, recommend that you read Proverbs in some translation.  This month I will be reading it in the NET and looking for any new insights that might come from this translation.

So?  If you haven’t read through Proverbs recently, this might be a good time to start.  Allow God to speak to you.  I’m sure He has something to say.