It’s His Fault

(Proverbs 7:20 KJV)  He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

We have here a man who is being betrayed by his wife.  Has he done anything to deserve it?  There is no indication that he has.  Of course that brings up the point that our behavior is not excused by the behavior of others.  As Christians we are called to follow the Highway of Holiness.  We are called to be salt and light.  We are to stand out.

(Philippians 2:15 KJV)  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Flip Wilson used to have a routine about how “the devil made me do it”.  We have our own routines.  We blame parents, children, society and even God.  I know that when I eat too much I usually have some good excuse for my lack of discipline.

So?  We will be judged on our response to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  God already knows our excuses, what He wants is our obedience.  Seek and find.

All, or Most, for Naught

(Proverbs 6:12 KJV)  A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

The KJV has “naughty” (1100) and the NASB “worthless”.  The English language has changed because they used to be synonyms.  I found it interesting to look at how my collection of translations handle the Hebrew.  The Basic Bible in English uses “good-for-nothing”.  Douay-Rheims has “apostate”.  The Geneva Bible has “unthrifty”.  The Jewish Publication Society says “base person”.  That is an interesting selection.

A transliteration is used frequently in the KJV as the name “Belial”.  In this chapter there are a lot of characteristics used to describe this type of person from being lazy to telling lies.  It is interesting how often this comes up.  Contrary to the teachings of our schools and media, man is not a benevolent creature.  We are prone to evil and too many have not been touched by the grace of God.

So?  Again, accept that those around you are serving the devil by serving themselves.  Make sure you are the exception but don’t expect to be loved because of it. 

The Mouth Sword

(Proverbs 5:4 KJV)  But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

If you look up the uses of “two-edged” (6310) “sword” (2719) you will find it is only used twice in the OT and three times in the NT.  That doesn’t seem like much for such a well known term.  Even more startling is that a literal translation is “mouth sword”.  In context here that seems very appropriate because the woman portrayed here is doing much of her damage with her mouth.  In the end it might be said that her mouth is sending her to hell.

So?  I guess it is simple:  Watch your mouth.  As believers we are readily tempted into gossip and idle chatter.  In a world of declining politeness we are also desensitized to the growing vulgarity and crudeness of speech.  I am not sure that an occasional four letter word will send us to hell but it is an indication of our focus.  So, watch your mouth. 

Insomnia

(Proverbs 4:16 KJV)  For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Have you ever had nights when you just could not get to sleep?  I know I have.  I can be tired and yawning.  I can’t focus.  I sit in my chair and have a hard time staying awake but when I go to bed, sleep will not come.  Often it is because something is on my mind that keeps me from relaxing.  It might have been a confrontation that took place and continually does a re-run.  I can’t let it go.

There are people like that in regard to “mischief” (evil NASB) (7489a).  This is totally alien to us but it normal for them.  They think of a chance they had to damage someone and how they missed it.  They pine for that lost opportunity and relive the moment.  They are beyond what we would consider the borders of normalcy.  I am not talking about the clinical sociopath.  I am talking about masses of people who know what is right and wrong and rejoice in doing the wrong.

So?  Part of growing up is knowing that the battle we fight is not just apologetics, reason or knowledge.  You cannot convince someone of a truth they admit and reject.  Think of the people who saw Jesus call Lazarus from the grave (John 11:43) and then went away to plot his death.  Think of the crowds who saw Him heal and went back to life as normal.  That is the normal state of mankind.

Salt Dreams

(Proverbs 3:24 KJV)  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

There are many ways that fear can rob us of rest and peace of mind.  I am long past worrying about monsters under my bed.  Now I worry about the government listening through my computer microphone.  One was childish, the other is very possible.  Both are real at the time.  We are in a season when it is time to nominate a new justice to the Supreme Court.  People on the left are having a melt-down.  They are talking about concentration camps and the end of freedom.  That is probably as much an exaggeration as the fears people on the right had when Obama was elected.  These things make a difference.  They are real.  Don’t let them rob you of your sleep.

Our confidence is not in the government or even the church.  Our hope is in what Romans 16:27 calls The Only Wise God.  If you are having trouble putting that in perspective then read back through this chapter and grab hold.

So?  Will there be hard time ahead?  Of course.  This is a world inhabited by sinful creatures called humans.  Sleep well.  You may be called on to be salt and light tomorrow. 

The Right Stance

(Proverbs 2:2 KJV)  So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

I hear better out of one ear than I do the other.  If you know me well enough you can tell if I am really trying to listen because I “make attentive” (7181) the ear that hears better.  It is getting so it is automatic.  When I am in a restaurant I try to sit with my good ear toward the conversation.  How much I understand depends on how I situate myself.

Did you take your Bible to church with you?  I won’t bother asking if you went to church.  It should be obvious that you can’t hear the preached word if you are not in attendance.  But do you go with the idea you are going to hear something that could change your life?  I remember one famous church we visited.  I saw things that made me feel it was more of a social club rather than an institution of higher worship.  One indication was the obvious way we stood out as visitors:  We were carrying Bibles.  They had their coffee cups and water bottles but obviously figured they did not need a Bible.

So?  What is your worship stance?  Could a casual observer tell that you were really expecting to deal with eternal truth?  Make yourself attentive. 

Cause and Effect

(Proverbs 1:18 KJV)  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

I have been thinking about my blessings and, as often happens, I ask, “Why me, Lord?”  Why do I have the minor aches of age when people younger than me shovel in pills to keep the pain at bay?  I could go on in that mode but the key questions is, “Why me, Lord?”  I don’t have an answer that I can spread like a blanket.  Actually it might be like a blanket at a picnic.  My facade looks good in some ways but when you try to set your glass down you find that the uneven ground is still there. 

I will tell you what I would like to think.  I would like to think I am blessed because I have not followed the path in the previous verses.  I would like to think that I have been more pure at heart and more faithful.  The problem is that I know my heart and I know my actions.  That does not wash.  Yet I am truly blessed.

So?  I don’t have an easy answer.  I do know that God promises to see us through and we are to be careful about laying sin at the feet of others.  I do know that God makes it clear that rebellion and disobedience will have a price.  I am thankful for grace and the blood of Jesus.