(Pro 21:17 KJV) He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
Here is part of the formula for failure. If “pleasure” (8057) is a priority you will be a loser. I think we see a version of the Millionaire Mind here. Those who accumulate wealth do not need to show it off. The one who looks richest, probably isn’t. I think of an economics quote I once heard, “It isn’t how much you make that counts, but how much you keep.”
Notice the targets of wealth in this verse. The first, “pleasure” (8057), is a concept we can relate to. “Wine” (3196) we understand. But what is this about “oil” (8081)? In our culture we hear the oil industry vilified. We put oil in our frying pans and salad dressing. We do not understand the place of oil in less advanced cultures.
Oil would have been considered a lotion to soften and smooth the body. It would be applied to reduce body odor. It was used for medicinal applications. Modern chemicals and cosmetics were still a long way in the future.
So? What are you investing your life in? Are you focused on the common targets of our culture or are you going after the strange? The point we are to get is that the focus of our lives is not supposed to be the focus of our culture. Jesus is not available in diet form nor is He listed on the Stock Exchange.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
True Grits
(Pro 20:21 KJV) An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
I have gone through a phase in life of exploring the world of grits. At one end you have instant grits. Boil water. Pour and stir. Eat. At the other end is a product I saw on some cooking show that required the grits to be soaked over night and cooked for a couple of hours the next day. My son related a TV program where one of the characters said, “If it hasn’t cooked thirty minutes it isn’t grits.”
Often good things develop slowly. We want it now. That is the point of this verse. Quick solutions usually aren’t. God expects us to build toward wisdom and understanding, not the quick fix.
So? Patience is not just a character trait or an aspect of love. Patience is a building tool. Get into the walk with Jesus for the long haul not the temporary high.
I have gone through a phase in life of exploring the world of grits. At one end you have instant grits. Boil water. Pour and stir. Eat. At the other end is a product I saw on some cooking show that required the grits to be soaked over night and cooked for a couple of hours the next day. My son related a TV program where one of the characters said, “If it hasn’t cooked thirty minutes it isn’t grits.”
Often good things develop slowly. We want it now. That is the point of this verse. Quick solutions usually aren’t. God expects us to build toward wisdom and understanding, not the quick fix.
So? Patience is not just a character trait or an aspect of love. Patience is a building tool. Get into the walk with Jesus for the long haul not the temporary high.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Fix What Is Broken
(Pro 19:19 KJV) A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.
“Wrath” (anger”NASB) (2534) is one of those emotions that is a mixed blessing. It is not condemned out of hand. Here the problem is “great” (1419) anger.
“Great” (1419) “anger” (2534) is a “great” problem. It leaves scars. It does damage. It burns bridges. This is a warning to two types of people. The rescuer is wasting time. The brat in the temper tamper is risking the hammer of life on his head. I will concede that there are times when we all lose it. Some do so with great regularity and blame it on their Irish blood or some such thing. The message here is that there will be a price to pay if you let blood rule.
So? Temper is just another in a long list of character flaws that God is in the business of fixing. Call on Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you grow up. You don’t have a temper? I am sure there is another area you can be working on. I have a real lack of kindness.
“Wrath” (anger”NASB) (2534) is one of those emotions that is a mixed blessing. It is not condemned out of hand. Here the problem is “great” (1419) anger.
“Great” (1419) “anger” (2534) is a “great” problem. It leaves scars. It does damage. It burns bridges. This is a warning to two types of people. The rescuer is wasting time. The brat in the temper tamper is risking the hammer of life on his head. I will concede that there are times when we all lose it. Some do so with great regularity and blame it on their Irish blood or some such thing. The message here is that there will be a price to pay if you let blood rule.
So? Temper is just another in a long list of character flaws that God is in the business of fixing. Call on Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you grow up. You don’t have a temper? I am sure there is another area you can be working on. I have a real lack of kindness.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Friendly Advice
(Pro 18:24 KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
We all want friends. We assume this is a good thing. The first part of this verse seems to take a different point of view. The two translations are different. It is more clear in the NASB than the KJV but being consumed with friends can be destructive. The implication of the KJV is that friendships can dominate your life and usurp all our energy. The NASB says it can ruin you.
Friends can keep you away from church. Friends can make you neglect your family. Friends can make you late to work. Too much of anything is not a good thing.
So? Have friends but like everything else keep your balance.
We all want friends. We assume this is a good thing. The first part of this verse seems to take a different point of view. The two translations are different. It is more clear in the NASB than the KJV but being consumed with friends can be destructive. The implication of the KJV is that friendships can dominate your life and usurp all our energy. The NASB says it can ruin you.
Friends can keep you away from church. Friends can make you neglect your family. Friends can make you late to work. Too much of anything is not a good thing.
So? Have friends but like everything else keep your balance.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Take Your Medicine
(Pro 17:22 KJV) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
When I accepted that I had diabetes I did some research. One of the things that I found surprising was a statement that large numbers of people with diabetes do not take their medications, even people who are on insulin. I shared this with an EMT and he told me that is true of all illnesses, not just diabetes. People who know they have a problem, see a doctor, get a prescription and leave the medication on the shelf are a mystery to me.
What about people who refuse their spiritual “medicine” (1456)? I know that there are times when I allow my moods to effect my trust. There are times when I seem to prefer focusing on fear than leaning on hope. I refuse to accept the cure that is offered.
So? Trust is the keel that keeps our ship of life from drifting to every little wind that hits us. In this case taking your medicine is a good thing.
When I accepted that I had diabetes I did some research. One of the things that I found surprising was a statement that large numbers of people with diabetes do not take their medications, even people who are on insulin. I shared this with an EMT and he told me that is true of all illnesses, not just diabetes. People who know they have a problem, see a doctor, get a prescription and leave the medication on the shelf are a mystery to me.
What about people who refuse their spiritual “medicine” (1456)? I know that there are times when I allow my moods to effect my trust. There are times when I seem to prefer focusing on fear than leaning on hope. I refuse to accept the cure that is offered.
So? Trust is the keel that keeps our ship of life from drifting to every little wind that hits us. In this case taking your medicine is a good thing.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Part B into Slot 37
(Pro 16:20 KJV) He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
Do you want to “find” (4672) “good” (2896b)? In my post yesterday I looked at the word “better” (2896a). In the KJV reference tools the two words are the same. The NASB tools mark them “a” and “b”. I can tell that one form is a masculine noun and one feminine. I can’t tell the difference with the tools I have available.
So lets look at finding. This has the idea of attaining a worthy goal, not just recovering something lost. We all have dreams. We have goals. What will it take to make you feel that life has been well lived when you are looking at the grave? The suggestion here is that you need to ground your search in the “word” (1697). The NASB takes a complicated phrase of three words and breaks it down where the KJV puts it all into the word “wisely”. If you start your finding anywhere else but in the eternal word you are doomed to failure.
So? Get out the instruction manual. You won’t know how to put part b into slot 37 if you don’t. You might not even know there is a part b or a slot 37. Picture a car put together with the direction signals reversed.
Do you want to “find” (4672) “good” (2896b)? In my post yesterday I looked at the word “better” (2896a). In the KJV reference tools the two words are the same. The NASB tools mark them “a” and “b”. I can tell that one form is a masculine noun and one feminine. I can’t tell the difference with the tools I have available.
So lets look at finding. This has the idea of attaining a worthy goal, not just recovering something lost. We all have dreams. We have goals. What will it take to make you feel that life has been well lived when you are looking at the grave? The suggestion here is that you need to ground your search in the “word” (1697). The NASB takes a complicated phrase of three words and breaks it down where the KJV puts it all into the word “wisely”. If you start your finding anywhere else but in the eternal word you are doomed to failure.
So? Get out the instruction manual. You won’t know how to put part b into slot 37 if you don’t. You might not even know there is a part b or a slot 37. Picture a car put together with the direction signals reversed.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A Better Choice
(Pro 15:17 KJV) Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
Are you satisfied with “better” (2896a) or do you settle for nothing less than the best? At times they are the same thing. Other times they are totally different. Better means you have two choices, best means many. What are you faced with today?
This is a reminder to be realistic in what we wait for. If you want to go east and the street you are on comes to a “T” junction you cannot going east. Your choices are north and south. Pick the one you think is better and keep looking for a chance to turn.
Are you unhappy with the choices you face today? Quitting your job and setting out on your quest to be a professional gambler may not be the wisest of choices. Getting to work a little early and being ready to go on time might be.
So? Dream about the best but be realistic in what you can achieve today. Perhaps planning, discipline and delayed gratification can bring the best within reach tomorrow.
Are you satisfied with “better” (2896a) or do you settle for nothing less than the best? At times they are the same thing. Other times they are totally different. Better means you have two choices, best means many. What are you faced with today?
This is a reminder to be realistic in what we wait for. If you want to go east and the street you are on comes to a “T” junction you cannot going east. Your choices are north and south. Pick the one you think is better and keep looking for a chance to turn.
Are you unhappy with the choices you face today? Quitting your job and setting out on your quest to be a professional gambler may not be the wisest of choices. Getting to work a little early and being ready to go on time might be.
So? Dream about the best but be realistic in what you can achieve today. Perhaps planning, discipline and delayed gratification can bring the best within reach tomorrow.
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