The Best Witness

Proverbs 31:31 (KJV) Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The world would certainly be a better place if all women used chapter 31 as a model.  It would be even better if men would take the lessons that are here and apply them to their lives.

This final verse could be looked at as saying that the laborer is worthy of her hire, but I want to look at the second part.  It’s an interesting statement that her “works” are going to be what “praises” her.  So often we think that what we say is what people should be listening to, but how often do we listen to what other people tell us?  We’ve heard the platitudes about how actions speak louder than words, this makes it more than a platitude.

I don’t think that this model woman is going out each day asking herself, “What can I do today to make myself look good?”  I think she goes out each day simply committed to living an upright and righteous life, to working hard, to be honest and fair in all her dealings.  People notice.

So?  I would suggest that we continually check our motivation and make sure that it is pure.  When you compliment the pastor on a sermon either make it an honest statement of how you feel or simply find someone else to talk to.  Apply that liberally to the rest of life.  

What Is Meditation?

Psalm 4:4 (KJV) Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

(Proverbs 30 also read)

I first read this today in the NASB.  I noticed that it has the word “meditate”.  That made me think that perhaps there is something here having to do with the definition of what it means to meditate.

I looked over and saw that the KJV had a different word.  The Hebrew seems to mean “talk or speak”.  So what does meditation mean?  What does it mean to commune with your heart?  I would suggest that there’s an element here of talking to yourself.  It doesn’t mean you’re crazy.  It means you’re throwing around ideas.  You can even involve talking to God or to the Holy Spirit, who lives within you.

So meditation in the Christian world is not emptying your mind and humming a mantra like the eastern religions do.  It is a matter of taking a truth and wrestling with it.  Argue with it.  Give it a piece of your mind.  Get closer to truth.

So?  That gives you something to do when you can’t sleep at night if nothing else.  Meditate.  Think about the things of God.  Talk them over even when no one else is around.  

Façades

Proverbs 29:24 (KJV) Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

This verse brought to mind a podcast I was watching where a woman was expressing how happy she was to be unmarried, childless, living alone, and approaching middle age.  I heard the words.  I’m afraid I didn’t believe them.  Certain types of people are expressed in this verse as hating their own souls.

We see people around us, smiling, and laughing.  I don’t know how many times they have to make some commercials in order to get the exact proper effect.  I still remember a billboard for some beer, where the waitress was walking along with a whole bunch of bottles, and this glowing look of happiness on her face.  I wonder how many models they had to interview in order to find the expression they were looking for.

We need to understand that just because people look happy doesn’t mean that they are.  What’s somewhat amusing is that in the church the opposite can also be true.  Just because someone looks like a sour puss doesn’t mean that they are.  Engage them in conversation and you’ll find out that there is an inner joy.  They can’t help it if their face is sagging.

So?  Always focus on the inner man both in those around you and within yourself.  Rejoice in the God of your salvation.  Notice that the root word in rejoice is joy.  

Putting It All in Perspective

Proverbs 28:5 (KJV) Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

We like to find categories such as wisdom, the law and righteousness.  We like terms and theological concepts, such as grace and justification.  Most of these concepts get watered down and lose their meeting when we start trying to deal with the world around us.  That’s because we forget what our real focus and our real target should be.

Notice here our understanding is dependent upon us seeking the Lord.  I haven’t looked at the Hebrew tenses and I’m not that good at Hebrew, but I have a feeling that this concept here is a continual, ongoing, unrelenting seeking of the Lord.  When we have a situation that we do not understand, when we have to make a judgment, if we’re just going on our college classes or our articles of faith, we are doomed to failure.  Everything is to be based on us continually seeking the Lord.

So?  There are the subjective aspects of the seeking such as prayer and meditation.  There’s more important the objective foundations of the seeking in the word of God and our study of the word.  Seek God on all fronts and He will grant us understanding.  

Preserving Riches

Proverbs 27:24 (KJV) For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

Don’t be distracted by the word “riches”.  The immediate context here is the obvious meaning of the word.  The connotation has to do with David and his descendants.  It applies to us in our daily life.

Think of the holidays that are just past.  Think of the gatherings to come.  In your mind look around the table and see all the people that you have influenced over the years.  The point here is that you continue to influence them.  They’re still watching.  You may not think they’re listening, and it’s true.  They may not actually hear the words you say, but they hear the words you live.  Your influence over your children and your extended family never ends.

I know that, especially when you get older, you feel like no one cares and that you have nothing else to give.  That is not true.  Even your neighbors watch how you respond to things.  People in the car next to you watch how you drive.  When you pray over your meal in a restaurant, other diners, watch how you treat servers.

So?  We always have to maintain our spiritual and social accounts.  Live is God designed you to live and the investment will pay off.  

Be Careful What You Ask For

Psalm 3:1-2 (KJV) 1 [[A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.]] LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

(Proverbs 26 also read)

You’re looking at the situation where we see God stepping in to save David’s life.  When it comes right down to it, that’s not really what David wanted God to do.  Yes, David wanted to be removed from the threat that his son was presenting him.  The problem is that David wanted to be rescued without harming his son.  In fact, when victory seemed to be within reach his instructions were to not harm the poor boy.

God had a different salvation in mind.  Absolom would’ve been the next king if he’d won or if he’d been preserved.  God did not want that to happen.  He planned on preserving David’s life, but He did not plan on doing it at the cost of having this narcissistic, spoiled, power hungry, young man given the throne.

So?  David got what he was wanting in the sense of being preserved, but not in the way in which he wanted it to happen.  Be aware that God has our best interest in mind, but He also has His plans and His priorities.  Be careful what you ask for.  

A Timely Request

Psalm 147:6 (KJV) The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

(Proverbs 25 also read)

As we look at the things happening in the world, we see a lot of evil.  We see a lot of wickedness and wicked individuals who are pushing their agenda.  At times it seems like the country is on the verge of breaking out in violence from both sides not just from one.  People feel like sometimes the only way they can defend themselves is to get a bigger club and start swinging.

We should be doing something else.  We should be seeking God to be casting the wicked down.  We have evidence in Psalms that God deals harshly with those who live in rebellion and who support evil.  We need to make this a focus of our prayers.  Of course we would pray for their redemption.  The ultimate answer is for them to get saved and get their life together.  Along with that, though, we need to ask God to step in and work as well on these people that are spitting in His face and on His people.

So?  Don’t wait until the last minute.  Prayer is not our last resort, or it shouldn’t be.  We should be starting on this now.  Pray for a victory of justice and righteousness, and the destruction of evil.   

Common Fallacy

Proverbs 24:29 (KJV) Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

There are several things going on in this verse, but I want to point out that it’s easy to misunderstand the second part.  Other places in Proverbs, we are told not to respond to a fool in the same way that he acts, but in the next verse, we are told to respond in a way that his acts deserve.  I think that’s part of what’s going on here.

We are not to respond in the sense of seeking vengeance or even justice for ourselves.  That’s what this is about.  Other places it tells us that we have a responsibility to rebuke and correct.  It’s our motive and our goal that is in question. we have a responsibility to try and bring people to the right decisions, but we have a command of God not to use the law just to advance our own agenda.

So?  It might be hard to know the difference sometimes.  We always need to start by examining our own hearts.  We need to not respond from emotion, but reason.  The Holy Spirit will help us make these choices.  

It Sure Looks Good

Proverbs 23:31 (KJV) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

This reminds me of how as a kid I often thought the beer in the commercials looked really good.  It looked like it had a a rich warm taste kind of like cream soda only deeper.  Here it is talking about wine and it can certainly look good on TV.  Then came the day when I actually tasted beer.  I think I was able to control myself and I didn’t spit it in anybody’s face.  It was disgusting.  I wondered how anybody could drink it.  My brother pointed it out to me that I learned to drink coffee, so I guess there is a way in which you can get used to anything.

This is the danger of advertising.  Advertising works because we look around us and take things at the surface level.  I remember looking at the Clickbait about some famous Hollywood star and they commented on how good she looked at her age.  I agree.  She looks good at her age.  It might be more appropriate to say that she had a marvelous make up artist on her payroll.  I would venture a guess that her make up looks good at her age, but she, not so much.

Because we have the word, the eternal truth, the unchanging standard we are able to look at façades and if we really care see what’s underneath.

So?  Don’t be fooled.  Those people laughing in the commercials are actors.  They were hired because they laugh well and have great smiles.  It says nothing about what’s really going on in their life.  Rejoice in the God of your salvation, not in the cleverness of the ad campaign.  

No Trade Imbalance

Proverbs 22:2 (KJV) The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

One of the core values, or principles, of the kingdom of God is that we all stand on level ground in front of the cross.  There is a sense in which none of us is better than anyone else.  This is one of the core things about Christian culture, it gives humans dignity because we have value in the eyes of God.  We are all made by Him.

At the same time, the Bible acknowledges that there are rich and poor.  It acknowledges that there are kings and nobles, as well as workers and slaves.  We should not get into denying that kind of thing.  The point isn’t that there are not people with different abilities in different positions in society, the point is that we are to treat each other with a dignity that you don’t find in other cultures.

So?  You may be a CEO.  I may be flipping hamburgers.  When we meet in Bible study, we salute each other as brothers and move forward together, each one contributing what is unique in the gifts God has given them.  

The Right Focus

Psalm 143:1 (KJV) [[A Psalm of David.]] Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

(Proverbs 21 also read)

Later on in this Psalm, David will be asking for God’s protection, but even more important he will be asking that God would lead him in the paths of righteousness.  He’s not only concerned about his outward being, but also his inward being.

We need to start with these kinds of requests by the insight that he gives us in this first verse.  Our expectation of God answering us is not based on our eloquence, vocabulary or education.  It is based on His faithfulness.

So?  When you pray a prayer of faith, it’s not so much faith that God is going to answer your prayer but faith in His character.  

Spirit Source

Proverbs 20:27 (KJV) The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

As I was reading this, I was wondering how our spirit would illuminate what goes on inside of us.  One clue might be that this spirit is usually translated breath, and so you could think of it as the breath of God that is implanted in us, and then God uses that to examine us.

That still isn’t clear.  God views what goes on in our life, our actions, our attitudes, our general spiritual health based upon the inner spirit that we have.  That inner spirit determines how God judged us more than our actual behavior.  While behavior is important, I wouldn’t want to belittle that, the reason for what we do is even more important.

So?  When seeking God’s touch always make sure that you focus on your heart, your spirit, that inner core of who you are.  Ask, and expect, God to transform that.  

He Started It

Proverbs 19:26 (KJV) He that wasteth his father, [and] chaseth away his  mother, is  a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

It used to be that the trip home from church was the invitation for war in the backseat.  It was always the other person’s fault.  It seems like the kids always felt like there would be nothing that we as adults could do about what they were doing.  One of the great things about getting older and spending time with your kids is they tell you about things you did as a parent that you don’t remember.

Evidently, there was one day when our kids were acting up in the backseat.  Repeated warnings fell on deaf ears.  The kids felt like since we were on the road there was nothing that could really be done.  Evidently I stopped the car in the middle of the road , got out, opened the back door and got serious about discipline.  I didn’t pull off in a parking lot.  There was no place to pull off.  I dealt with it right there in the middle of the street.  My kids still remember that.

When I look at this verse, I wonder if this is about a family where the father never pulled the car over and got out to deal with a problem.  I wonder if it’s the result of a lack of discipline.  Keep in mind that a lack of discipline is a two-way street.  If the parent doesn’t offer it the child doesn’t receive it, the result is disaster.

So?  Whether you are a parent or a grandparent, you still are molding the younger generation.  I will admit that original sin is real.  I understand that people make choices on their own.  We as responsible adults need to help them make those decisions and learn the consequences.  

Questioning Cultural Norms

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

As I read this this morning in the NASB, I found myself realizing that it is contrary to much popular advice.  I watched some Clickbait recently talking about the five things that caused men to die early.  It was interesting but had a lot of nonsense involved.  I have a suspicion it was generated by AI.  One of their points was that isolation is a major cause of early death in men.  In the course of the discussion they talked about how when you’re younger you have many friends but then when you get older, you might just be down to two involvements.

A note was the two involvement they chose.  First was family and second was yourself.  In some families, I could see how a person in that situation might be very isolated.  In some families, there is no contact, no bonding, in a word no love.  Most of the families I know are interacting enough that no one person would consider himself isolated.  As for the second thing, counting yourself as an involvement is rather strange.  I noted that they left out the church.  They obviously had no sense of contact with God himself.  It was rather a short list.

But my point is that what Proverbs is saying here is there’s a real danger in having too many friends.  That’s counterintuitive in our culture.  We are told we need to get out and relate to people.  I’ve always wondered when popular figures talk about how this person was their good friend and then a few paragraphs later, they’ll talk about someone else who was their good friend.  When you read through everything they have to say it seems like they have more really good friends than it’s possible to spend time with.

So?  Don’t feel like you have to keep up with your friendly local counselors advice about finding new friends.  If you have a few good friends that will probably take up all the extra energy you have.  If you have family, they qualify.  Build your standards on what the Bible says not on psychology advocates.  

Character over Class

Proverbs 17:2 (KJV) A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

One of the characteristics of human society is that we tend to arrange ourselves in a hierarchy.  It may start as a ladder of ability, but eventually because of family ties or personal ambitions it reverts to a class system built on genetics.  This is a subtle reminder that what God is looking for is not people with the right blood, but people with the right attitude.

It always helps to be a son.  You start with one foot up on the climb of the ladder of life.  You have benefits that other people might not have.  The point here though is that God looks at whether we grasp the wisdom available to us and act on it or whether we just rest on our laurels.

The plan that God has for mankind is that the cream will rise to the top.  This of course is in addition to the concept of grace and faith, God is the one who does the saving and the redeeming.  In spite of that basic truth, there is still the idea that God will honor those who honor him.

So?  Get the basic business done.  Make Jesus your Lord and Savior.  And then apply the wisdom that He gives you to live an upright life.  Keep in mind that the church secretary may be higher at
the Lord’s dining table than the pastor son.  

Spiritual Spelunking

Psalm 142:1 (KJV) [[Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.]] I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

I don’t know if this first comment is part of the actual scripture or was added by an editor somewhere along the way, but for today’s purposes, let’s just take it as belonging here.  Notice that David is hiding in a cave and at the same time praying to God.  While he cowers in the cave, he declares his trust in God.  How often do we duplicate that scenario?

I’m not trying to point fingers here.  I have my share of times when I’m afraid to let my head come up about the berm.  I’m not always the boldest advocate on the block.  At the same time, there is a real lack of confidence that we display at times because we are not willing to step out and trust God to be in charge.

So?  Is this the day to emerge out of the cabin?  Is this the day you see yourself being a troglodyte?  God is ready.  I trust I am ready.  Let’s get about changing our world and let the chips fall, not where they may, but where God declares them to fall. 

Insomnia

Psalm 132:4-5 (KJV) 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

(Proverbs 15 also read)

I must say David went a long time without sleeping if we take this literally.  People who do take this literally assume that David is talking about the building of the temple.  David himself may have been speaking of the temple, but was using hyperbole.  I would say that David himself knew that he was speaking figuratively and not literally .

Later, God will tell David that he is not going to be able to build the temple because he has shed blood.  He’s assured that his son will do so.  That’s enough for him to know that the job is going to be done.  At that time he probably forgot writing this psalm.

Of course, with the full scripture in front of us and contemplating everything it says about the temple, we began to realize that the church and believers will become the temple of God.  We read Revelation and see that there will be no temple in the New Jerusalem because God will be the temple there.

So?  Look for the promises and the joy in verses that use hyperbole and other forms of figurative language.  God is even more creative than we are.  I assume that extends to His ability to write

Leaning

Psalm 131:2 (KJV) Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

(Proverbs 14 also read)

I can’t remember this period in my life.  I wonder if David actually remembers or if he is just observant.  I’m not sure that every baby is this way.  My mother tells me I kept giving her hugs until I was about 11 years old.  Shame on me for turning 12, but there wasn’t much I could do about it.

This speaks to me today because I tend to be an introvert who is a loner.  As a general rule, I don’t find my satisfaction in life from deep sharing with other people.  That could be a real problem because we can become so isolated and out of touch that damages who we are and what we do.

I think the point of this verse has been my salvation.  In a very real since the Lord has become the One that I have leaned on.  Some might think that is unhealthy.  I don’t think so. I t might be nice if we have others that we can depend on, but it has to start with our relationship with the living God.

So?  All you extroverts may not know what I’m talking about.  We need to start to learn to trust by trusting in God.  To be honest, everyone else will probably let us down at some point, but we can count on Him.  

A Psalm for Today

Psalm 43:1 (NASB95) Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

(Proverbs 13 also read)

As I read this first verse today, I thought, “This is me. This is now.”  Have you ever felt that way?  If you look at things statistically in any culture, any time in history, anywhere in the world the number of godly people has always been a minority.  So in a sense, it’s always appropriate to feel like the world is against you.  It is.  It is against you because you are a follower of Jesus Christ, attempting to live a righteous and upright life.

That is the situation.  But we are also given the word of hope.  If you continue reading you find that David understands which side of the bread his butter is on.

Psalm 43:3 (NASB95) O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.

We don’t base our confidence in the future on the statistics of people who are following the Lord.  Read the history of Israel.  There might’ve been a few times right after a big miracle when Moses or Gideon or David had a majority of the people willing to follow God, but it didn’t last long.

So?  Be grateful that God is patient. That He is your God and that you are His child.  Watch for His light and truth and let those lead you and not the latest Gallup poll.  

Be Careful Whom You Quote

Proverbs 12:5 (KJV) The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

Everywhere you look there is some kind of a DIY waiting to show you how to do something.  It used to be that we had entire shelves of the library or the bookstore.  Now we see them in YouTube videos.  I’m sure you’ve noticed that sometimes a YouTube video is very helpful, other times not so much.

I remember in the past year I was working to fix the steering mechanism on a riding mower that I bought used.  I watched several videos and as a general rule, they made it look pretty easy.  What was interesting in watching multiple videos was that some advised you to be careful in a certain area while others advised you to be careful in another area.  All of them seem to leave out some essential knowledge that I found I needed when I got into the project.  And all of them also were totally out to lunch on what my real problem was.

Be careful whom you use as a source.  I’m reading a number of books on different topics and I find that the secular authors who come from a liberal background tend to be rather unreliable at times.  I think I know enough, have enough background, I’ve been down the road to enough times, to discern what to listen to and what to ignore.  I get that discernment from a solid foundation of God’s word.

So as this first tells you, be careful who you listen to.  There are those out there who are not just making mistakes, but are deliberately deceiving.  Have a good year.

Bedrock Economic Principle

Proverbs 11:24 (KJV) There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

I don’t know if you would call it a principle of capitalism or laissez-faire economics, but there is an important foundation here for why some cultures work and prosper and others stagnate.  The so-called robber baron understood this.  For all of the criticism they receive the overall effect of what they did benefited the nation and mankind.

Why is it important to pay your employees an adequate salary?  The God-given principle is that when you distribute profits fairly it will benefit everybody including yourself.  An example of that it would be that a person like Henry Ford knew that if his employees could not afford to buy his car, then he wouldn’t sell many cars.

One of the features of Third World countries and one of the results of socialism is that most of the wealth ends up in just a few hands and everybody else lives in the gutter.  In free enterprise you still have the wealthy but everyone benefits.

So?  You may not run a big company, but you might employ someone to do some house work for you, to mow your lawn, to wait on you in a restaurant.  Make sure that you are sharing the wealth that God has blessed you with.  It will benefit everyone, including yourself.  

Lock Us Out

Psalm 126:4 (KJV) Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

(Proverbs 10 also read)

In the King James Version this is a bit confusing.  How do you turn captivity?  In looking at different translations and the original Hebrew it seems like the consensus is that this somehow means to take them out of their captivity.  That’s a good prayer.  I think there’s a nuance, though that we need to consider.

If you look at the New American Standard, it says, “Restore our captivity”.  The Hebrew doesn’t change, but these words have so many ways of being translated that this is not totally out of line.  I like the idea when it comes to revival and us being servants of the living God.  One of the problems we have is we keep wanting to break out and do our own thing.  Our self rationalizes  and we head off into the sunset leaving God behind, but claiming to be obedient.

It’s very possible that what the psalmist is calling for here is for us to reestablish the fact that He is God, the Creator, and we are men, the created.  There’s a word that’s translated, sometimes servant and sometimes slave, but the concept is that we are to live in submission to the living God.

So?  Repent, return, restore, take your pick.  The point is let God be God.  Let Jesus be Lord. And let’s get on the business of holy living.  

Missed It

Proverbs 9:12 (KJV) If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

I recently had the opportunity to preach.  One of the great benefits of preaching is that it forces me to study more, to contemplate what the word is actually saying, to dig into the Greek and Hebrew as much as my limited education will allow.  I treasure the times that I’m able to do that.

One of the other benefits of preaching is that you never know when you’re going to say something that comes home in your own heart and mind.  That’s the focus of this verse.  I would hope that when I’m teaching or preaching, I’m dispensing some kind of wisdom that I’ve gleaned from the scripture.  The point here is that much if not all of what I glean needs to be applied to myself.

It’s always easy to decide what someone else needs to hear.  It’s always hard to listen to it ourselves.

So?  What is God saying to other people?  Keep in mind he probably is saying it to you first.  I guess I need to listen to that don’t I?  

Memories

Jeremiah 31:20 (NASB95) “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the LORD.

(Proverbs 8 also read)

I started in the eighth chapter of Proverbs, and I got down to a verse where it talked about how God delighted in things, especially delighting in wisdom.  As I look through the different verses where this word “delight” was used, I came across this reference in Jeremiah. I printed out the translation from the NASB because I really didn’t want to use the KGV word “bowels”.

What struck me with this is how God is sometimes like a grandfather or a parent whose children have grown up.  In this verse, it seems like He is remembering the good times.  He’s remembering all those warm fuzzy times where things were going well.  Because of that He is willing to go the extra mile.  Because of that there are times when we can just expect Him to be merciful for our weaknesses.

So?  Just rejoice in the fact that God remembers, not just your sin, but also the joy of your love and your adoration.  I trust that today you are still living in that, if not, I would urge you to turn back to Him.  

Theology Buster

Psalm 125:4 (KJV) Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

(Proverbs 7 also read)

If you are one of those who belong to the group of people who like to think of yourself as a “no good, dirty rotten sinner”, then this verse should be read by you as a rampant heresy.  It speaks about those who are good and those who are upright.  There are theological systems today who tell you that such people do not exist.

Unfortunately for them, the Bible disagrees.

These were people who lived under the law.  Although grace was in at work, they didn’t think of it in those terms.  These are not New Testament Christians.  We believe in Jesus.  In spite of the fact that they were under the law, the Bible tells them that some of them are good and some are upright.  Are you going to argue with the Bible?  If it’s possible to be upright under the law, it would certainly be possible to be upright under grace.

So?  Take your excuses and put them away in a folder somewhere in your file cabinet in case you need them someday.  Set your heart to live an obedient life and to be what this Psalm talks about as “good,” upright.  Walk in righteousness.  

Planning Your Trip

Proverbs 6:23 (KJV) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Generally, when I’m going on a long trip, I will get out my paper maps and consult them along with my electronic gadgets.  I find between the two I can get a feel for where I’m going to go.  One of the places where the local GPS is very helpful is telling me where the obstructions to traffic are.  Those little red lines instead of the green tell me to go another way.

That’s how the law still affects our lives.  We are saved because God recognizes our faith and extends His grace toward us.  Our sin is so drastic that there’s no way we can earn our salvation through our efforts or by following the rules.  That doesn’t mean we ignore the rules, because they are there for our benefit.

Here we have three different words.  They all amount to the same concept.  The law is not about salvation.  The law is about avoiding the red lines on the GPS.  It’s about helping us to plan our trip and to avoid delays.

So?  Don’t get caught up in the law in the sense of salvation, but be aware that God has given us guidelines for living a good life.  Keep in mind that we are the ones who benefit the most from following the rules.  

Our Source

Psalm 124:8 (KJV) Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

(Proverbs 5 also read)

I’ve been having a great time this morning just thinking about all of the ramifications of worshiping a God who is the great “I AM”.  The One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The One that we keep trying to put in a box, but He keeps His box cutter handy or just teleports out.  And then I came across this.

This God who was capable of making the entire universe is our help.  Stop and think about that a moment.  I remember the big fancy theological words of “imminent” and “transcendent”.  Those are fancy words.  What they mean is that God is both out there and in here.

So?  Relax and rejoice in the knowledge that even though the creator of the universe is beyond our comprehension and our touch, we are not beyond His.  He has reached out to us.  (Posted, January 5, 2026, PP)

Hillbilly Meditation

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

They’re all kinds of different words you can use for those times when you pause from frantic activity and delve deep into your thinking and your mind.  This verse in the KJV throws out another one.  I’m not sure I thought of it before, but the word is “ponder”.  In essence I think it means the same thing is to meditate or to contemplate.  It means to stop and think.

I think perhaps this could be an important part of your daily worship.  I know every morning I try to think about the attributes of God and his blessings on my life.  I try to think about changes I might need to make and sometimes even about things I’m doing right.  I ponder my path.

So?  Use the fancy words or the simple ones but make sure you apply them.  Make sure that they’re not just slogans on the wall but activities of your heart.  

Easy to Say

Proverbs 3:24 (KJV) When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

When you take this verse out of context, it almost sounds like it ought to fit into the 10 Commandments.  Notice, “thou shall not”, “thou shalt….”

Taken in context there are a lot of things going on here, but the ultimate reminder for us as we start this new year is to fear not.  I will grant you that there are times when fear is appropriate.  When my grandchildren sneak up on me and make hideous noises I jump.  I admit it.  The thing is it doesn’t work if I see them coming.  I see them coming if I’m expecting them.  Of course a large part of that is that I remember that they’re coming because if I get distracted and focus on other things then fear becomes a natural reaction

So?  Keep your focus on the Lord.  Keep His glory and power and love in the front of your mind.  Sure your mind will wander but keep calling it back.  And being not afraid in spite of what your YouTube channel tells you.  

Those Pesky Conditions

Proverbs 2:1 (KJV) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

Proverbs 2:5 (KJV) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

The Bible is full of promises.  It has a lot of predictions.  We can bask in the blessings that are given.  What we don’t like is the fact that so many of these things are conditional.  I would say all or conditional, but I have not gone through the entire Bible, checking it out.  Notice here when you start in verse one it has the magic word “If”.  Then it gives a number of requirements and comes to verse five where it says, “Then”.

We like the promises.  We tend to ignore the conditions.  We can live this year in a time of knowing God, but keep in mind that that starts with the Biblical concept of fearing God.  Those conditions keep getting in the way.

So?  The promises are there.  God wants to bless us and give us a sense of inner peace and security.  What He expects from us to listen to what He has to say and consider it carefully.  Happy new year.  Make it a blessed new year.  

Another Chance

Proverbs 1:24 (KJV) Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

This verse reflects the fact that God in His wisdom has been calling out to us.  I’m sure there are times when we have listened, but this reflects the times that we have not.  I hope you had a great year but now it’s time to start a new one and to think about the directions we’re going to go.

God has called.  He is calling again.  We have a chance to take His hand to move forward.  If you have time to read the rest of this chapter, you’ll find that He does have an end to His patience.  Later on there are some scary moments where it says that He will not respond.

So?  Let’s begin the new year determined to listen and respond.  What have you got to lose?  Actually quite a lot.  What have you got to gain?  Possibly even more than you have to lose.  Happy new year.