Heart Burn or a Sick Heart

(Proverbs 13:12 KJV)  Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

In this verse it might help to look at it from the New Testament point of view.  Think of the fact that the hope of the Christian is Jesus.  How often have you met people in misery yet they refuse to acknowledge that sin is the problem and Jesus is the cure.  They have a desire for peace, but they want it on their own terms.  Hope is offered to them but they reject what is offered.

 If we put off coming to Jesus, then we have sick hearts. 

A verse from the KJV that came to mind was,

(Haggai 2:7 KJV)  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Hebrew word for “desire” is different than in Proverbs but has the same general idea.

So?  Is there something in you saying you are without hope?  It could be hormones, I guess, but it also could be the Holy Spirit offering you hope.  Don’t defer.  It might end up worse than a sick heart. 

Vain Is Void

(Proverbs 12:11 KJV)  He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Too often we spend our time on the “vain” (7386) things of life.  The idea of being vain is translated “empty” and “worthless” other places in the Old Testament.  Notice the italics in both the KJV and NASB.  That signifies the words are not in the Hebrew.  Thus to correctly translate this “vain” becomes a noun instead of an adjective.  Thus you would be following “the vain” or “the empty.” 

There are some things in life that are worthwhile, others are pointless.  Think about all the things we do because we are tired, bored or too lazy to turn off the TV and get out a book. 

Are sports always worthless?  No, you could look at the exercise, fellowship and learning of teamwork.  Is TV always worthless?  My inclination is to say yes but I am honest enough to admit that there might be something worth watching.

So?  The time we waste will not come back to us.  Make it count.  Make it count for you and God, not for me. 

The Seventh Deadly Sin

(Proverbs 11:2 KJV)  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

“Pride” (2087) is one of what are called the Seven Deadly Sins.  The early church recognized the problem with pride and thus labeled it as being a cause of much destruction.  Here the consequence is “dishonor” (7036) which seems to be the opposite of what is desired.

How often do we take actions with a goal in mind and end up getting the opposite response?  Have you ever been joking and someone took you seriously?  I have this problem but the problem is not what I think it is.  When I examine my motives I often find that it wasn’t just being funny but masking something else in my attitude.  Have you ever tried to help and had your motives questioned?

The same issues come up with pride.  It is always a good thing to look carefully and honestly into our own hearts and see what our motivations are.

So?  Watch people as they respond.  If they don’t respond the way you expect, seriously ask yourself if the Holy Spirit is speaking through them.  Use it as an opportunity to listen. 

The Solomon Gift

(Proverbs 10:8 KJV)  The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

Is there a difference between a “wise” (2450) “heart” (3820) and a wise mind?  I did a search for “wise mind” in the NASB and only found it used once.  “Wise heart” was more common.  Two verses stood out.  The first was God explaining to Solomon the gift of wisdom He was giving.

(1 Kings 3:12 NAS77)  behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

The second was in Job and describes God himself.

(Job 9:4 NAS77)  "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

It would seem that the “wise heart” is a gift from God, possibly the spiritual gift of wisdom.  Like all gifts there is an application on a different level for all of us. 

Solomon sought wisdom.  God granted wisdom.

So?  Seek wisdom from God instead of a shiny new toy.  Pray for the gift of wisdom in others instead of self-esteem.  Let’s do this God’s way.  It might work out better. 

Low Lifes in High Places

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

This verse is talking about the woman of folly (verse 13) rather than wisdom (verse 1).  It is pointing out that those who would drag you down know how to trap you.  They deliberately try to look like the real thing.  They may even mix with the real thing. 

I don’t know if you ever go into one of the dollar stores around town.  Most of the merchandise is obviously junk.  Brand names are often at or beyond their expiration dates.  Some is totally good stuff.  One of the things I have noticed is that much of the junk goes out of its way to imitate the packaging of the brand name.  They will have similar color schemes and pick names that are similar.  If you don’t know what you are looking for you could be fooled.

How do you tell the difference?  The same principle applies in shopping as in life.  Read the label carefully and pay attention.  Getting a cheap brand of dish washing liquid will not ruin your life.  Getting folly instead of wisdom will.

So?  Read, think, study, pray.  Wisdom is available. 

Eyes for Evil

(Proverbs 8:13 KJV)  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Why do we have such a hard time recognizing and labeling “evil” (7451b)?  I think that part of the problem is that we have absorbed the values and standards of the world and the world does not want to admit that evil exists.  The world will accept that Hitler was evil but for some reason they don’t see Stalin or Mao in the same boat.  Much of this is because the people on the political left identify Stalin and Mao with the political left and Hitler with the political right.  The standard of evil is relative, based on political considerations. 

For us evil is really anything that is outside the will of God and contrary to His plans.  We are surrounded by evil.  Much evil masquerades as good.  Much good is labeled as evil.  There are too many cases of this to start listing and I am not sure that my thinking is unbiased enough to see clearly, but we need to learn to define evil based on what the Bible says.  We cannot accept without careful consideration any guru’s list.  Know the word.

So?  Keep your eyes open.  Make your own evaluations as far as possible.  When you can’t know enough be careful whom you trust for their opinions.  God will supply the input we need. 

Choices Have Consequences

(Proverbs 7:10 KJV)  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

We are surrounded by people who have plans for us.  Some are well meaning and possibly sent by God, others are harlots.  Some might even be a combination of the two.  We need to learn to discern and make decisions based on the leadership of the Holy Spirit and on the foundation of the written word.

We all had someone in our youth trying to talk us into smoking a cigarette or taking a drink.  Some resisted, some caved.  In many cases it was a one time or short term thing.  In other lives it was the first step to destruction and futility.  We can’t know at the time.  God is merciful and forgiving, our friends my not be.

So?  Understand that there are people who want to drag you down so that they are not alone in the gutter.  Try to ask yourself what will be the result if you follow and keep following the advice given.