A Bitter Heart

(Pro 14:10 KJV)  The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

Didn’t a famous politician say something to the effect, “I feel your pain”?  He lied.  It was just a sound bite.  Pain can handicap our lives.  Even worse is “bitterness” (4787a).  Bitterness can destroy.

This is the only place this specific word is used in the Bible but there are forms of it that appear at other places.  One well known place is in the book of Ruth.

(Rth 1:20 KJV)  And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

“Mara” is another form of this word.  It gives us an insight into what “bitterness” means to a life.  Naomi had lost all she loved.  She was totally defeated.  We was giving up on life and hope.  Eventually Ruth helps her out of this but it could have been the end of her.

Our answer to bitterness is rooted in a living faith in a living God.  It is founded on a trust that God is active even when we don’t see or feel it.

So?  It may be a bad day.  It could have been a bad year.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and your hope alive.  Don’t give in to a poisoned heart. 

Plan on a Payoff

(Pro 13:21 KJV)  Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

Is this an unbreakable rule or a Biblical Principle?  A rule would be something like

(Rom 6:23 KJV)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A general principle would be something like “honesty is the best policy.”  You can see how it might not be a good policy if your wife asks, “Does this dress make me look fat?”

It is also an often repeated truth in the Proverbs.  Sin brings negative results.  Righteousness brings positive results.  This is true both this afternoon and in eternity.  Biblical principles make life better for everyone involved.  Biblical truth shares the only way to have eternal life.

So?  Keep the faith.  Stay on the Highway of Holiness.  There may be an occasional bump but it beats the dirt road with the lion lurking in a bush. 

Be a Lip of Truth

(Pro 12:19 KJV)  The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

I like way the KJV puts this.  While the NASB says “truthful” (571) “lips” (8193) the KJV phrases it “the lip of truth.”  This speaks of the reputation that we have.  People can either take what we say to the bank or thy can doubt everything we utter. 

How they feel about us will effect how they feel about our God.  If people who call themselves “Christians” are liars, what does that say about the One who called Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)?  How can they trust Him for eternity if they cannot trust us about what time we got to work

So?  As someone once pointed out, you may be the only Bible some people ever read.  Make sure you are an accurate translation.

Informed Righteousness

(Pro 11:10 KJV)  When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

This is one of those verses that get me scratching my head and saying, “Really?”  I have more trouble with this than the parting of the Red Sea or Jesus walking on water.  This verse does not match up with what I see in the headlines.

People are sometimes confused.  They are only given half truths.  They get the teams wrong.  For instance, we are seeing a push to legalize drugs.  The camel’s nose is marijuana.  The mantra goes that it is harmless.  It is no worse than alcohol and more benign than tobacco.  It is just the hung up old dinosaurs that don’t want the young to have their fun.   So goes the mantra.  People seem to rejoice every time the drug laws are relaxed.  Where is the righteousness?

People are not informed.  There are more cancer causing chemicals in marijuana than tobacco.  Traffic deaths from marijuana are dramatically increasing.  It can damage your ability to think.  All of this is ignored.

So?  Work to be informed.  That obviously starts with things the Bible talks about.  Sometimes the areas that are not directly referenced in the Bible require a bit more thought and digging.  Get a shovel and get to work. 

Works Is Another Word for Obedience

(Pro 10:16 KJV)  The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

One of the struggles some people have with the Christian life is the juxtaposition of faith and obedience.  Some might choose the words grace and works.  Faith and grace emphasize the inability of sinful humans to pay the price for their sins.  Obedience and works remind us that we are to be “righteous” (6662).  Glorification of one side or the other tends to push some into accepting sin and others into legalism.  Both are taught.  Both are required.

The emphasis in this verse is on obedience.  How do you live?  If you are walking the walk then you are called “righteous” and have the promise of “life” (2425b).   Don’t like me saying that from the Old Testament?  How about the words of Jesus.

(Joh 15:10 KJV)  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Or how about an even stronger statement?

(1Jn 2:4 KJV)  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

So?  Believe.  Trust.  Glory in His grace.  And walk in righteousness.  It is not an option.

Simple Answers

(Pro 9:4 KJV)  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

We are surrounded by people who want to give us advice.  If you have your Bible, compare this verse to verse 16.  You will find they are exactly the same.  Both are pointing out our need and both are offering a solution.  One leads to heaven and one to hell.

How are we to know which advice is better?  Sometimes it is obvious.  Often it requires some thinking on out part.  On some occasions we might need to ask the advice of someone we trust.  Be careful where you “turn” (5493).  Ultimately we are responsible for our choices. 

So?  God has given us all the resources we need to make wise, informed choices.  The weakness is usually that we are too lazy to do the research.  Read the instruction manual. 

Flights of Fancy?

(Pro 8:30 KJV)  Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

We seem to be talking about creation.  It would almost seem here that Wisdom is a reference to Christ.  It isn’t clear.  This is one of those places where I look for the thoughts of others I trust.  Adam Clarke, a scholar from the days of John Wesley, gives this caution.

“This is poetical and highly figurative; and they who think they find the deity of Jesus Christ in these metaphors should be very cautious how they apply such terms as these; so that while they are endeavoring to defend the truth, they may do nothing against the truth, in which most of them unhappily fail.”

Do I see indications here of the joyful relationship inside the trinity?  Yes.  Am I willing to make a doctrinal statement out of it?  No.

So?  There are times when we need to think for ourselves.  There are times we need to seek the wisdom of others.  Always look for insights into the things of God.  Sometimes they are a main course, sometimes a condiment.