Reach Out

(Pro 8:34 NAS77) "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

The Living Bible phrases this in an interesting way.  For doorposts it says, “waits for me outside my home!”  

As an introvert I am generally willing to let people come to me.  I can handle social contact when it confronts me but I would rather sit in my Lazy Boy with a good book.  As much as I try to get myself to reach out I find it very hard to pick up the telephone.  In my daily social activities it is just a blip of my personality.

In relation to God we need to overcome this.  While it is true that God reaches out to us and sent His Son to die for us there is still an aspect of growing that requires us to seek His face, or as it says here, His doorpost.

So?  I know it gets monotonous but this needs to be a daily priority.  Notice the word “daily”.  That is not just filler.  

Ancient Alarm Systems

(Psa 123:2 KJV)  Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

(Proverbs 5 also read)

This describes a mental attitude that is totally foreign to us.  The word “servants” (5650) is sometimes translated “slave”.  That is because in ancient times there was a social position that did not have much difference.  The power of the masters was almost absolute.  

Why would the “maiden” (8198) be fixed on the hand of her mistress?  Because she was expected to understand that her place in society demanded subservience and instant obedience.  If the boss-lady picked up her coffee cup and looked inside the servant should already be on her way with a refill or fresh cup.  In the process the servant was not allowed to express any annoyance or sloth.  The signals were clear.

So?  We should be attuned to what God has to say to us.  That may come obviously in a sermon or a Bible verse.  It may also come from that inner voice that becomes alert when we see something that sets off an alarm in our soul.  

Does He Need to Shout?

(Pro 1:15 KJV)  My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Today I begin reading through Proverbs in the Living Bible.  Not the NLT, but the original.  I always enjoyed it and, because it admits it is a paraphrase, feel it has a place on my Bible shelf.  

Today the phrasing is slightly different.  It starts with a plea, not an order.  “Don’t do it, son!”  This tells me that God is addressing us here as adults, or at least older children, and not toddlers.  If a two year old reaches for a hot stove you might move quickly to slap his hand away or scream bloody murder to get him to stop.  If he is 25 a simple reminder that the stove has been on might be enough.

How does God talk to you?  Does He need to shout or is the still small voice enough to get your attention?

So?  Listen and apply in whatever way is necessary.  

Big Ears

(Pro 30:14 KJV)  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Personally I think we have too many people with the gift of mercy and not enough with the gift of discernment.  Part of that is because people lather on the mercy without the gift and then attack those who have discernment.  The other part is that discernment knows when to speak out and when to stay silent.  Discernment knows how to express itself to the “poor” (6041) and “needy” (34).  When someone is struggling in the mud you don’t jump on their shoulders.  You give them a hand and then help them wash.

We stand for righteousness.  We must never compromise.  We must speak truth.  Sometimes the tone of voice can destroy the message.  Sometimes refusing to listen can totally distort what the afflicted are saying.

So?  Stand tall but develop big ears to hear.  Truth spoken gently can sometimes be more powerful than a loud voice.  

The Other Fingers

(Psa 120:2 KJV)  Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

(Proverbs 23 also read)

When I started reading this verse I was thinking this involved “lying” (8267) lips of other people.   That would certainly be a good reason for God to “deliver” (5337) me, but I kept reading.

There is just as much evidence that the author is talking about his own lying lips.  That perspective is the one we should be most concerned about.  

We tend to focus on the shortcomings of others and ignore our own weaknesses.  You have heard the illustration of how when you point your finger at someone there are three more pointing back at you.  That applies here.

So?  The Bible is written for you to read to see what God wants you to hear.  Listen.  

The Price of Truth

(Pro 9:14 KJV)  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

You think you have problems.  You do.  The problems you have are nothing new.  One of my problems is trying to find a news source that will actually tell me the truth without the spin.  You all know how hard that is.  Consider this chapter in Proverbs.

We have two women depicted in this chapter.  Much of the descriptions are identical.  They are both sitting calling people to come and partake of their “wisdom”.  They are not the same in spite of the similarities.  The first one’s advice leads to understanding.  This one will lead you to hell.

How do you tell the difference?  The first leads you to greater wisdom.  The second uses the theft.  What did Jesus say?  “By their fruits you shall know them.”

So?  We may not be able to listen to someone short term and know if they speak truth.  The insight comes over time as we watch their patterns and reliability.  This is true of news.  It is true of political leaders.  It is true of Bible teachers.  We can’t get away from paying attention. 

The Pebbles of Tradition

(Pro 1:30 KJV)  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

I have been listening to a lot of debates in the last month.  Two areas have predominated.  One was between Christians and Muslims.  The other was between Arminians and Calvinists.  Setting aside the reality that I am also guilty, it amazes me how often people refuse to acknowledge clear statements.  I was going to say “clear truth” but that is me making an assumption that I am right.  I would hope that I am but I need to be open to the “counsel” (6098) that the Holy Spirit tries to throw my way.

The context here is people who make it a habit to reject what God is telling them.  They start off with the concrete foundations and must warp everything into that.  We need foundations.  We need rocks to stand on.  The place we fail is when we make those rocks traditions instead of the clear teaching of scripture.

So?  My goal is to listen to what God says.  I need to recognize that sometimes that comes from people I disagree with and not reject everything they say.  Always I need to go back to the clear teachings instead of the loud voices.  

Pit Stops Win Races

(Pro 28:9 KJV)  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

This is not about keeping the law.  This is a foundation for disobedience.  This talks about not even listening.  Extend it to your personal spiritual discipline.  Do you spend time reading the word?  Do you spend daily time reading the word?  How can you know anything about the God you claim to worship if you are not paying attention?

In my worst moments I think about pastors who preach without studying and praying about what they are going to say.  I realize there are times when life rears up and absorbs all your time but if there is no specific goal to seek truth in the word, it will never happen.

And we as layman have a similar struggle.  How will you know if what your pastor tells you is valid unless you have your Bible open during the sermon and go to it during the week?  The obvious answer is you can’t.

So?  Pay attention to the second part.  If you are not listening your speaking becomes evil.  Lay the groundwork.  

Constant Adjustment

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

There are two levels of thought here that we need to consider.  The first level of thought is that God through the power of His Holy Spirit helps our heart devise its way.  We should be constantly listening to what God is saying to us, considering what scripture has told us, perhaps looking back to something we heard in a sermon in the past week.  Our heart is directing us, but it needs to be a heart that’s listening.

The second level is that as we go there may be constant course corrections as we get off track.  I’ve never flown an airplane, but I have driven a car, and I know that there are constant adjustments that go on when you’re driving a car.  If you’re ever out on the road and there’s no one else visible sometime, try not moving your steering wheel at all and see how far you get down the road before you start to runoff into the ditch.  You’re constantly making adjustments.  You may not think about it but, you’re doing it.

And then on the big scale if you’ve got your GPS on and you are consulting what the phone tells you, you may find that there is an obstruction ahead.  In fact, I don’t know how many times when I’m driving somewhere and listening for directions they will offer an alternate route based on current conditions.  That’s kind of useless because I can’t really read what they have to say and watch traffic at the same time but it’s a nice gesture.  However, if you do have the time to consult, you may find that you want to go a different way when you’re halfway there.

So?  Be sensitive and listen.  Never stop being sensitive and listening.  Bon voyage.  

Defining Wisdom

Proverbs 17:28 (KJV) Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

It would seem that silence is wisdom.  This can be interpreted as a deception to observers.  It assumes that people have not been paying attention and so think the person in question is thinking deep thoughts.

It might also be a recommended course of action.  I think we would all concede that people talk too much and often have nothing to say.  I know that often when I am fooled into watching some click bait on the internet I quickly realize that if they have something to say they are not saying it.  You know how the video is fifteen minutes long, which I figure I can endure, and after five minutes they have said nothing that reflects the topic.  Often our conversation is that way.

So?  I am looking at this as a recommendation for me today rather than an observation about others.  It would be beneficial if I took more lessons that way. 

Turn off the Radar

Proverbs 5:6 (KJV) Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

There is an aspect of this verse that some translations do not bring out.  It is found in that first word, “Lest”.  Many, possibly most, people have a built in avoidance technique that keeps them from encountering uncomfortable truths.  Think of the ways in which modern automobiles have built in guidance systems.  My son has a new car that wants to do the driving for him.  When he is in his geek mode he delights in a car that slows down automatically when he comes up behind another vehicle.  He gets a kick out of how it will stay between the lines.

Then life intervenes and he is forced to admit that he is responsible.  When it follows the off ramp that he did not want to use it presents a problem.  When it jams on the breaks for no discernible reason he ends up in panic mode.  There is a price to be paid for going on automatic.

Too often people prefer to turn off the sensitivity they have built in to the things of God.  In this verse we have someone who is working to avoid thinking about the consequences that her choices deliver.  She doesn’t want to know.  That will not remove the wall she is heading for.

So?  Pay attention.  God offers guidance but you have the ability to ignore it.  Remember that there are results you can expect depending on your choices.  You can label them rewards or consequences but they will come.  

And God Said

Psalm 29:9 (KJV) The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

(Proverbs 26 also read)

I got almost all the way through this chapter before I got the connection.  I think it was the idea of the “hinds”, or deer”, calving that brought it to me.  Remember in Genesis how God spoke things into existence.  He would say things like “let there be light”.  That’s all it took, then we take the passage I believe in Colossians that talks about how Jesus holds everything together and you get this picture of God declaring what things are going to happen and they happen.

So you see this is not just a figure of speech, there is a literal element to it.  If you think about some of the creation accounts of pagan religions, and how to gods would be fighting and one would cut off the others head and man and woman would jump out.  In the Bible is simply a matter of God declaring.  What a difference.

So?  What is God declaring for you today?  Listen carefully or you might miss it.

The Unexpected

Proverbs 2:4 (KJV) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

On my other blog where I write longer essays, I find that almost all roads lead to hidden treasures.  It doesn’t matter where I start, I end up getting back to making spiritual points.  Biblical principles and applications show up in the strangest places, but usually only if you are searching for them.

Searching for God’s hidden treasure is a mindset.  You can actually be reading the Bible and getting nothing out of it.  The Bible is useful as a tool of history.  Over the years in spite of claims that it is just fiction, it is amazing how often when the archaeologist and historians start looking, they find that the Bible is incredibly accurate.  They have found cities and civilizations that were listed no other place.  They found historical political positions that no one ever knew about outside of the Bible, until they dug a little deeper in the ruins and found evidence.

So?  Is the old saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.  There are some real truths in that but most horses are smart enough to know when they need to drink, and when there is water in front of them.  Be like a smart horse.  

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?  

The Reminders Keep Coming

Proverbs 18:2 (KJV) A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

I shouldn’t need to be reminded of this on such a regular basis, but it seems to be true.  The basic concept here is that a fool likes to talk, but doesn’t want to listen.

I find myself in this position on a regular basis.  When I’m not a teacher or the speaker and discussion is the mode of the day I am really good at nitpicking.  Many times my insights are accurate, but even when they’re accurate, they are probably not necessary for the discussion at hand.

So?  I need to learn to apply that old saying about why we have two ears in one mouth.  It would probably even be better if we had six or eight ears and one mouth.  We need to listen, not pontificate.  

I’ll Take It

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

This chapter is full of a lot of gloom and doom.  It has a lot of warnings and cautions.  But right here in the middle you find this reminder about how important it is to have a merry heart.

I think the reason it stood out to me was because when I read this, I had spent already an hour on the porch in the dark of the morning, and the Lord had been dealing with me.  Sometimes it was a gentle reminder.  Other times it was like being hit upside the head.  But He kept working on me until I started listening.

What a joy it is to know the living God.  What a joy it is to be reminded that although He is dealing with billions of people at the same time, I still consider it a one on one conversation.  And I’m not wrong. That’s part of the glory of who God is.

So? Focus on Him. Listen to what He has to say. And let your heart be made merry.  

What Was That?

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

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

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

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

Keep Your Lips Tight

Proverbs 12:23 (KJV) A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

This verse spoke to me this morning because of recent conversations.  I had a long “conversation” with someone and I found that my opinions were not really desired, nor were they listen to.  I was there to be an ear, not a mouth.  You may have been in a situation like that.

There are times when you don’t need to share your knowledge or your wisdom.  A large part of that is based upon the fact that other people are not usually willing to listen.  Keep in mind that’s not on you, it’s on them.

So?  I guess a blunt way to say it is to keep your mouth shut.  Keep it shut more often.  It won’t hurt you.  He won’t explode.  And there may come a time to share.  

Another Chance to Listen

Proverbs 18:17 (KJV) He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

I know this verse is meant in a way to caution us.  The idea is that we can be really cocky until someone confronts with our errors.  That doesn’t have to be negative.

As I’m looking at this this morning and thinking about some of the good discussions I’ve had with people, I find that one of the helpful aspects of these discussions is the way in which I run into different opinions.  Even better than different opinions I may find someone who has been reading a different portion of scripture and bring something to the light that I had not considered before.

There are so many things that I either have not considered at all or have forgotten about.  There are so many verses that I’ve read, but the spirit was directing me in another direction and so they just slipped past my radar.  We are constantly in need of input from other sources.  Sometimes we can get that from reading.  Sometimes we can get that from listening to recordings.  Sometimes it takes a “neighbor”.

So?  Listen when people talk.  There’s a chance they might actually have something to say. 

Parallel Thoughts

Psalms 65:1 (KJV) [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.]] Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

(Proverbs 16 also read)

It doesn’t come across very clearly in the KJV.  That translation says that praise waits for God.  The idea that comes through in other translations is that it is a wait of silence. That reminds me of this Psalm from the KJV,

Psalms 46:10 (KJV) Be still, and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

We went to praise God. We have Joy in our hearts that we went to express.  There are times when God wants us to sit and listen quietly to what He wants to whisper. That’s probably a double truth when we have a burden on our heart and want to share a prayer request.

God says wait quietly.

So?  Is there another way to say it?  Spend more time, listening to what God might be whispering into your ear, or causing to bubble up from your heart.