The Gate-Keeper

(Proverbs 7:2 KJV)  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

The margin tells us that the word “apple” (380) literally means “pupil.”  For those of you who were not listening to your science teacher, the pupil is that black spot in the center of your eye.  It is the gate-keeper for all of the light that enters your life.  The iris adjusts to allow different amounts of light through depending on how bright it is.  The lens focuses the light on the back of the eye, but the pupil is the entry point.

Make the logical jump.  The “law” (teachings NASB) (8451) [torah] is to be the filter for all the information that comes into our lives.  Notice I said “is to be,” I did not say “is.”  Too often we do not filter things through the Word of God. 

Think about the things you hear at work.  As a teacher I hear all kinds of pagan thoughts and plain nonsense spouted by people who should know better.  How do I know better?  Because I filter things through the “apple” (380) of my “eye” (5869).

So?  You can’t tell the difference between wisdom and foolishness is you don’t know Truth.  Get started today before you get any further behind.

Playing Gotcha

(Proverbs 6:2 KJV)  Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Is there a difference between being “snared” (3369) and being “taken” (caught NASB) (3920)?  My quick response is that one we walk into, the other catches us.  One is the immediate result of our current actions.  The other is the long term consequence of our past irresponsibility. 

Our quick and thoughtless speech can get us “taken” (caught NASB) (3920).  Maybe not immediately.  We can often get away with things.  But it will be there.  Recently I pushed a signal.  I was the third car back and before I could get to the crosswalk the light turned orange.  Only after I pushed through did I remember that there are cameras at the intersection.  Was I caught?  Time will tell.

So?  Have you been caught?  Time will tell.  While you wait, try not to push it next time. 

Ponder the Path

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

Compare the KJV and the NASB on this verse. 

(Proverbs 5:6 NAS77)  She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

The basic words seem to be the same but the actors are different.  The NASB seems to be warning us about our actions.  The KJV seems to be warning us about others trying to stunt and kill our spiritual growth.

Which is it?  Again we have a case of both/and rather than either/or.  There is a valuable lesson in each approach and it is the same lesson at heart.  Don’t let anything keep you from the “path (734) of life (2416).”  Make sure you take the time to “ponder” (6424).

Pondering doesn’t just happen but it can be nurtured.  It might mean turning off the radio as you drive or the TV when you are working around the house.  It might mean staying off the phone or ignoring the latest tweet.

So?  As happens so often, the ball is in your court.  What are you going to do with it.  Today. 

Tenderizer

(Proverbs 4:3 KJV)  For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

How do we relearn spiritual flexibility?  I don’t mean to be gullible and naive, that is something we are warned about.

(Ephesians 4:14 KJV)  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

I mean to be willing to listen and change, to embrace wisdom and revival.  We get so set in our ways that it is hard to change.

Usually it is a slow process.  Think of the old process we were taught to go through when we received a new book.  We were to turn back a few pages at a time and press them down.  Think of the process of slowly adding oils and softeners to an old piece of leather.  You don’t just say, “Be flexible!” and start violent movement.

So?  Take the time to grow.  Make the investment.  Usually we can start with small steps, but start. 

Evil Is As Evil Doesn’t

(Proverbs 3:29 KJV)  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

This seems to be a no-brainer but if that were true it would not be included in Proverbs.

What kind of excuses do we make for the way we treat people?  Do we claim they deserve it, or that it is their fault or that we could not help how things turned out?  We have a million lines but they all ignore a clear command. 

“Devise” (2790a) has the implication of deliberation.  Notice that the number has an “a” after it.  There seem to be two Hebrew words that are homonyms but have totally different meanings.  This one has the idea of cutting into and is used either artistically, as to engrave, or as labor, as in plowing a field. 

So?  Spend some time reflecting on how you look at the people around you.  What are you planning for their lives?  Nothing, you say?  Maybe doing nothing is a lower standard than God would have of His ambassadors. 

Learning to Lean

(Proverbs 2:2 KJV)  So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Here it is again.  The goals are “wisdom” (2451) and “understanding” (8394).  Actually we should say, “if” those are the goals because we show our goals by our focus and action.  We show those are our goals when we chose to “incline” (make attentive NASB) (7181) and to“apply” (incline NASB) (5186).

Have you ever tried to walk forward when leaning backwards?  Try it some time.  Maybe you will have more luck than I do, but the direction you lean determines the way you go.  The reason you can ride a bike with no hands is because you learn to lean.

So?  Learn to lean or learn to incline.  You may have your hands full but you can still signal the direction you want to go.

The Ball Is in Your Court

(Proverbs 1:29 KJV)  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Human beings like to make a lot of noise about emotions.  We claim our animals love us.  We want the government to care about us.  We get enraged by the actions of a TV star.  We feel victorious when a football team wins a game.  We are emotional creatures.  God made us that way. 

He also made us creatures of the mind.  Just as God is a God of emotion, He is a God of reason and rationality.  He made us in His image.  We need to remember that when we look at the important focal points of life. 

This verse is explaining why some people will be eternally separated from God.  It is explaining why there will come a time when it is too late to call on God.  It will not because we feel.  It will be because we “choose” (977).

So?  What do you chose today?  It is not a new question.

(Joshua 24:15 KJV)  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

It is not new but it is asked every day.