Are You Trippin’?

(Proverbs 7:9 KJV)  In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

This verse is describing a young man on the way to a meeting that will ruin his life.  This takes place at the end of the day, in the “dark” (darkness NASB) (653).  There is something about the dark that changes things.

If you are taking your wife out to dinner, she might like candle lit restaurants.  It is romantic.  True.  It also hides wrinkles and flaws.  It adds to the mystery.

When it comes to moral decisions, we don’t need mystery, we need clarity.  That means staying away from the darkness.  The most careful person will run into things in the dark.  Have you been their?  You were too lazy to turn on a light, or maybe you were just saving energy for the environment.  That didn’t save your toe when it rammed into something you did not see.  It doesn’t take away the bruises from a fall.

Some falls are embarrassing.  Some are fatal.  Most are in between. 

So?  In life walk in the light.  Jesus is the light.  The Word gives us light.  There is plenty of energy for this light so keep it turned on. 

Don’t Sleep on It

(Proverbs 6:4 KJV)  Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

Context.  Context.  Context.

Isolated by itself this would seem to be a condemnation of sleep.  Not so.  This is a command to not use sleep as an excuse to avoid an unpleasant task.  Solomon is saying, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you should do today.”  You have heard that somewhere before.

If you have done a wrong, correct it.  Now.

So?  Don’t read about it.  Do it. 

Steer Clear

(Proverbs 5:8 KJV)  Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

How do we “remove” (keep far NASB) (7368) ourselves from evil?  How do we avoid situations and people that want to drag us down.  Two ways occur to me.  We often ignore one of them.

The first way to avoid something is based on direction.  This is something we can provide for by planning ahead and making choices.  If I live on the west coast, and I do, and I want to avoid the Pacific Ocean I can drive east or north.  If I must drive west or south I can limit how far I go.  Plan ahead. 

But what about the times you can’t plan ahead or the planning is out of your hands.  The second way to avoid something is pacing.  When I am on the highway and I see a drunk driver I can slow down or speed up.  I can avoid evil by pacing myself. 

So?  Assume you will be around evil today.  It is a safe assumption.  Do what you can to avoid it or distance yourself from it.  If neither of these ideas work then put on the armor of God and live in trust.  Victory to you. 

A Crown of Glory

(Proverbs 4:9 KJV)  She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

What motivates you?  Don’t fall into the trap of superficial reading of scripture.  The Bible promises persecution and victory.  Usually we ignore the down and memorize the up.  Most of us are more motivated by a “crown” (5850) than servanthood.

What is the promise here?  Is God saying He is going to make us all beautiful?  Is He going to make us all royalty?  If all you read are the modern translations you might get that idea.  Even the KJV could make you think in those directions.  Here is where the old Good News Bible says it well.  I include verse 8 to give the vital context.

(Proverbs 4:8-9 GNB)  Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will bring you honor.  She will be your crowning glory."

The crown is wisdom.  The glory is hers. 

So?  Live today to bring glory to God, not to magnify yourself.  To lift yourself up makes you a tin-pot dictator of a banana republic.  To lift Him makes you an ambassador of eternity.  Seems simple.

What’s the Harm?

(Proverbs 3:30 KJV)  Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

The first reason to avoid contention is there may be no legitimate reason.  The second gets more specific.  Has this person really “done” (1580) you “harm” (7463).  Remember when we were kids we used to chant,

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.”

As we get older we realize that is not strictly true.  Words can hurt us emotionally.  Words can ruin our reputation.  Words can poison our opportunities.  The question is not, was it just words?  The question is, “Did it do any real damage?”

Even then remember that the standard for believers is forgiveness and turning the other cheek. 

So?  Can we contend with people?  Yes.  But I would suggest you run this double check.  And I would recommend that you forgive and move on, but I am not in your situation.  Pray and listen.

Understanding Fear

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

One of the joys of paying attention to what God is trying to tell us is that we begin to “understand” (995).  We understand the love of God.  It is no longer just a word we hear, it is a gut level understanding.  We understand the grace of God, maybe not in all of its depth, but at a level that makes life livable and faith doable.  And this leads us to understand the “fear” (3374) of the Lord.  Fear is not just something we feel, it involves the mind and discernment.

Do you understand how wonderful this fear is?  Do you still find that a mystery?  Keep listening.  A healthy, well placed fear can give us a sense of security and rightness.  It can open up to us the glory of God in such a way that we realize that there is reason to fear but the reason is tempered by the reality of God’s love.  Remember,

(Romans 5:8 KJV)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So?  Fear and rejoice.  He is worthy of fear.  He is worthy of trust.  He is worthy of obedience. 

Time to Change the Sheets?

(Proverbs 1:31 KJV)  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

This is a sad picture.  It is the same as “You made your bed, now lie in it.”  If you have your Bible, look back a few verses.  We have verse after verse of God attempting to reach and help people.  We have verse after verse of people ignoring and disobeying.  Now it is time to pay the piper.

We are thinking of new beginnings.  New Years Day is totally arbitrary.  It is chosen for convenience by a culture.  Different cultures have different start days.  It is useful, though, because it reminds us to pause and reflect. 

Has it been a year of doing things your “way” (1870)?  Are you happy with the results?  Think seriously about it.  You probably don’t have work today.  Spend part of your leisure in serious thought and prayer.

So?  Do you want another year like the last?  Today you begin to lay the seeds for the “fruit” (6529) of next December.  Happy harvests start with careful preparation.