Opportunity Knocks, and Kills

(Proverbs 7:15 KJV)  Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

I believe there is a Shakespeare quote that has something to do with the tide in the affairs of men.  The point he makes is that when opportunity knocks you should grab it because it may not come again.  There is another quote about all that glitters not being gold.  The two ideas need to be bundled.  Just because we seem to have a natural opportunity does not mean that it is best for us to grab hold and go with it.

The context here is the opportunity for sexual sin.  It is amazing how many would claim that they could not help themselves and they were helpless pawns in the hands of fate.  That may work when you are explaining it to your friends but it won’t work when you are looking into the face of a holy God.  Keep in mind that you are surrounded by people who would relish the chance to drag you down.  God always provides us with a way out.

(1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

It is interesting to note that just after Paul gives this bit of hope in the next verse he gets even more practical.

(1 Corinthians 10:14 KJV)  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

So?  Temptation will come.  Situations will arise.  Pressure will mount.  Flee.  That is a way out but it probably isn’t the direction you were going before.

No More Warnings

(Proverbs 6:15 KJV)  Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Today there is no warm word of support.  There is no blazing hope.  Today there is a word of warning.  I would like to think it is just to those in the world.  If you look at the previous verses you can see that there are some people who are committed to evil.  It is a part of their life.  They thrive on it.  When the end comes there will be no new warning.  They have heard it all.

Think of the rich man who died and went to hell.  He got into a conversation with Abraham in Luke 16 and asked that they send someone to warn his brothers.  The answer was that if they would not listen to the prophets they would not believe someone returned from the dead.  We may not know when someone reaches that point, but God does.

So?  Keep being salt and light.  Witness.  Leave the results to God.  And always do a little self examination to make sure that you are not drifting into the area of the hopeless. 

Sharing Is Not for Everyone

(Proverbs 5:17 KJV)  Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

As this is posted the holidays that are distinctly Christian are on the horizon.  Thanksgiving is days away.  Christmas is weeks.  These are times of great celebration, reflection and sharing.  This verse is about sharing and the context is sexual.  We are to be faithful.  Some things are not to be shared.  That is an unchanging standard, part of that “middle class morality” that America used to be hung up on.

But another aspect of holidays and sharing came to me as I read this.  We will have family members traveling across the country to be together.  We will be pulling together to spend time blessing the tie that binds.  While this is also a time of year to reach out to those less blessed it is also a time to find ways to spend time alone together.  It is possible to ruin a special time by the injudicious inclusion of people who are nothing but a disruption.  Make sure that there are times when it is just the family.  Listen and share in the ways you cannot do when outsiders are with you.  Glory in the blessings God has given you.

So?  Does that mean never include others?  No.  It means have enough common sense to give your family the priority it needs to stay a strong unit.  Then reach out. 

Roots and Education

(Proverbs 4:13 KJV)  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

We live in a day of universal public education.  It is available to anyone in this country.  It would be natural for us to see an admonition about “instruction” (4148) and think of going to school.  If we go that route then we should think more in terms of the one room school house with a stern taskmaster than the modern version based on self esteem, recess and special education. Those are all modern adaptations of that it means to go to school. 

The essence of the word is grounded in discipline and correction, not reading and writing.  The way to a productive and successful life is rooted in getting yourself under control.  Yes, it also will involve a body of knowledge and skill but those are useless unless our mind and will are brought into submission.

So?  Start with the law of God.  That law is not a matter of proper spelling or accurate addition.  It is a matter of solid values and impeccable morals.  With that foundation the book learning provides the tools for life.  Without them we are just fooling ourselves.

Neighbor Love

(Proverbs 3:28 KJV)  Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Have you ever hid behind the Holy Spirit?  Do you ever know what is the right thing to do, what God wants from you and you still say, “Let me pray about it.”  It is a common ploy among those of us that are tight fisted. 

I think we need to take into consideration the way Jesus used “neighbor” (7453).  Remember the question that brought about the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?”  Most people don’t realize He was quoting the Old Testament.

(Leviticus 19:18 KJV)  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Jesus included our worst enemies.

So?  Be on the alert for ways in which you can help people in need, even if they are not on your wedding invitation list.

Faithfulness

(Proverbs 2:17 KJV)  Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

Here in the midst of a discussion of adultery we find a phrase that reminds us about a quality of marriage.  In this verse it comes from the perspective of the wife and the “guide” (companion
NASB) (441a) of her “youth” (5271).  In Proverbs 5:18 and Malachi 2:14 it comes from the man’s perspective.  The picture is portrayed in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” when Tevye and Golde, sending their children off into a new world that talks of love, “Do you love me?”

How do they decide that they love each other?  Because they had lived together and cared for each other and served each other though the years.  They were faithful to the companion of their youth.  Marriage is a life long commitment.  It is based on years of common experience, struggle, pain, joy and laughter.

So?  Marriage is a “covenant” (1285).  It is for life.  That is part of what some deride as “middle class morality” that is based in the word of God. 

Time to Learn

(Proverbs 1:5 KJV)  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

I tend to think of the “wise” (2450) man as the one who dispenses.  This says he will “hear” (8085).  He will listen.  The wise man is one who receives.  But have you noticed how two people can sit in the same learning situation and only one gets anything out of it?  They could both match up on demographics and still come out different. 

Part of wisdom is in moving beyond accumulating knowledge and putting it together into a meaningful pattern.  I have known people who follow a disciplined pattern of daily Bible reading and a rigorous schedule and yet don’t seem to be able to put that together in how they are to treat the person walking their dog in front of the house.

Perhaps the emphasis should be on meditating and thinking about what has been read instead of checking off the chapters.  I know that in writing these posts it is very easy to get into just producing something.  My goal is to dwell on what I say so it isn’t just nice words.

So?  Give the Lord that extra time that He deserves.