No Excuses Allowed

(Pro 7:2 KJV)  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Is there a difference between “commandments” (4687) [mistvah] and “law” (8451) [torah]?  In this verse I think it is just repetition for emphasis.  In other places it might be significant.  This is a reminder for all those who think grace negates the need for obedience.  Grace reflects the fact that we are unable to do enough good things to pay for our sins.  That was as true in the Old Testament as the New.  It does not give you permission to take your scissors and cut out all the references to living the way God wants you to live.

So?  Don’t get hung up in the letter of the law but embrace the spirit of obedience.

Life Saver Theology

(Pro 6:27 KJV)  Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

It would seem to me the obvious answer to this is, “No.”  Obvious does not always mean applied.  There are so many things we know are true but we act like they are not.  Keep in mind that every potato chip you eat adds calories.  You may have the willpower to stop at one but it still adds up.  Just yesterday I succumbed to temptation as I walked by an open jar of cookies.  I will pay.  I may never feel any pay but it will make a difference.  

A fun fact for those who cheat on their diets.  If you add one life saver a day, not the whole roll, just one lifesaver, it will add one pound over a year.  Think of the un-fun facts.  Every thought that is not taken captive will make a difference.  Saying “no” to God today will make tomorrow different.  It may make eternity different.

So.  Live each day like it make a difference.  Make each decision the same way. 

Double Vision

(Pro 5:21 KJV)  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

It is easy to forget that God “pondereth” (watches NASB) (6424) all that we do in life.  That has its good side and its bad side.  On the good side it is reassuring.  God sees what is over the next hill.  He sees that microbe that thinks it has your name written on it.  He knows the temptation that is waiting for you.  So He can prepare you.

On the bad side, he sees everything you do.  I guess I should say “we.”  He knows every thought.  And he is paying attention.

And in the center of this is your free will.  You make choices.  Sometimes God overrules them.  Sometimes He lets them stand.

So?  Work on the right choices.  It will make a difference. 

Multiples of Ten

(Pro 4:22 KJV)  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

“I have the strength of ten because my heart is pure.”  That is a modern paraphrase of a line from a poem by Tennyson.  I have not read the poem but I know the line.  It sometimes shocks me the different physical issues people around me have had.  I sometimes wonder why I have not suffered more.  I don’t have an answer but there is a part of me that really likes this verse.  

There is a principle here but we need to be careful how we use it.  The principle is that if we live according to God’s standards we will be healthier than if we don’t.  Keep in mind that this compares you to you, not you to your neighbor.  Even a person with cancer may be healthier than he would be if he were living in debauchery.  God’s promises are true even if we apply them incorrectly.

So?  Live in righteousness.  That brings to mind things like gluttony and drunkenness, as it should.  It should also bring to mind gossip and dishonest business practices.  They are all mentioned in Proverbs.

“Seeker Friendly” Mode

(Pro 3:31 KJV)  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

We are drawn to those who are successful.  This is true whether it is to business seminars, churches or football teams.  What we don’t like to do is look below the surface.  I remember hearing a guaranteed way to fill your church every Sunday:  Give away a free car.  In business one way to be successful, at least over the short term, is to find suckers and take advantage of them.  In churches you have the “seeker friendly” mode which distorts the gospel and makes it easy to swallow.  Keep in mind that calling lemon drops a “fat free food” does not make them healthy.

So?  Be careful in your choice of gurus.  The best choice is to have none.  Do your own reading and your own studying.  Weed out reading that is from fools and frauds.  Make the right choices.

Antidote to Fake

(Pro 2:6 KJV)  For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

We live in the age of Fake News.  Actually it has probably always been that way.  A previous generation came up with the idea of propaganda.  Last century the problem was Yellow Journalism.  Go back to the early church and you will find things like the Gospel of Thomas.  The difference is that the voices that used to call for truth and accuracy are now part of the Chorus of Deceit.  

Part of the problem is the vast sea of information and the hailstorm of voices.  It is hard to keep up and sort out what is fact.  We often don’t try very hard.  Do you still watch the weather for more than a general idea of what might happen?  They depend on ratings just like Saturday Night Live.  Do you listen to the pastor without having your Bible open?  Is he the kind of preacher that never makes you need your Bible?  Are you Charlie Brown and you are surrounded by footballs, each with its own Lucy?  How many times does someone need to lie to you before you get the point.

So?  The only source you can depend on is the word of God and even there you need to make sure that it is an accurate translation not a project of ego projection.  Stay alert and find the truth.

Plumbers

(Pro 1:10 KJV)  My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

If you read on past verse 10 you find quite a list of activities that people will invite you to participate in.  The list given here would not be hard for me to resist but I don’t think this is a complete listing.  Satan is really good at getting us moving in the wrong direction with mild proposals that might generate a simple, “What can it hurt?”

It can hurt a lot.  If the people tempting us are sinners then that means that we are not.  It means that we march on the Highway of Holiness and their main desire is to get us off.  

So?  Beware.  Keep it pure.  Keep it righteous.  Develop a spiritual level.  The Bible is more familiar with the plumbline (KJV) or plumb line (NASB).

(Amo 7:7 KJV)  Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.

Either way.  God wants us standing tall and straight.