Two Wishes Instead of Three

(Proverbs 30:7 KJV)  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

We are all familiar with the stories of genies or some other supernatural creature offering someone three wishes.  Here we would be limited to two.  Assume you have not read ahead or remember from the last time you read Proverbs.  What two things would you ask of God?  Notice from the beginning of the chapter that this is not Solomon writing.  We already know Solomon’s choice. 

(1 Kings 3:5 KJV)  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

(1 Kings 3:9 KJV)  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Solomon was looking at it from the point of view of a leader.  Agur is speaking as an individual.  I am guessing that we might ask different things at different times in our life.  

So?  Something to think about for the day.  What two things would you ask for to deal with the day?  How about the year or the rest of life?  It calls for looking at priorities.  (Posted November 30, 2018, PP)

Be Repressed

(Proverbs 29:11 KJV)  A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

In comparing translations I find that the KJV comes close but the English Standard Version gets this one best,

(Proverbs 29:11 ESV)  A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

If we were looking at schools of philosophy we might find this idea in the Stoics.  It should be a common understanding among Christians but because we listen to pagan psychologists we tend to call this kind of person repressed. 

It is not Christian to “let it all out”.  It is not Biblical to “speak your mind”.  It is foolish.  Now I admit that many who call themselves Christians are foolish, but that is not the standard that God has set for us.

So?  Don’t say what you think.  At least wait until the Holy Spirit has a chance to refine your words to express truth through love.  The object is not to defend yourself but to glorify God. 

Danger on Defense

(Proverbs 28:14 KJV)  Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

A very real threat to my eternal soul is a tendency to “harden” (7185) my “heart” (3820).  It is the natural result of raising our defenses to attack.  On one level having defenses is good, on another it is destructive.  This is referring to the destructive way in which a healthy defense can morph into a rigid rejection.

We see this demonstrated in our personal relationships.  Someone criticizes us.  It could be a spouse or a co-worker.  The person criticizing may genuinely not think of it as criticism, but we feel it in our gut.  The first level is to grab hold of our emotions.  It is the second step that causes the benefit or harm.  We can take what is said and prayerfully consider it.  That involves setting the emotional soup aside and looking for truth.  That enables us to learn and grow.  Or we can automatically reject what is said, put up unsurmountable walls and go on the attack.

That leads to “calamity” (7463a).

So?  When you feel that inner defense rising it is time to grab hold, step back and look for the nugget of truth that might be hiding in the mud.  Hard but important. 

Start a Honey Don’t List

(Proverbs 27:7 KJV)  The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Three out of the last four chapters have referred to “honey” (5317).  The approach has been varied.  It is good to eat.  You can eat too much.  You can get to where it does not appeal to you.  I have been going figurative and looking at honey as the good things in life.  Here we are warned that we can have so much that we are no longer drawn to the good things.  We already looked at moderation and balance.  Here the idea is focus and priorities. 

What kind of things can bring me to the point where the honey of life no longer appeals?  I have a lot of unread books on my shelf.  I am part way through many of them.  They range from ancient philosophy to modern politics.  It would be good to get to reading them but I find that the science fiction and mysteries call so loud that the others have a muted appeal. 

So?  Maybe the only way I can get back to enjoying the really good things is to deny myself some of the distractions that are so easy to “eat”. 

Choice of Fools

(Proverbs 26:1 KJV)  As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

Half of this chapter is about fools.  The “fool” (3684) is a very frequent theme in the book of Proverbs.  It is interesting that Wisdom Literature spends so much time talking about people who are the antithesis of wise.  That is probably because we are surrounded by them.  My hope is that I will not become one of them.

As I look at the comments about fools and the other types of people such as sluggards and gossips in this chapter, I find that the concept of choice keeps coming up.  Obviously the point is made that fools, sluggards, gossips and haters are that way by choice.  What is easy to miss is that fools are given opportunities by those of us who chose to use them.  We listen to them, hire them, trust them.  We become enablers.

So?  Maybe a part of wisdom we need to pay attention to is identifying fools and avoiding them.

Sweet Decay

(Proverbs 25:16 KJV)  Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

Yesterday I was noticing that we are told to enjoy the good things.  Now, just a few verses later the word switches from “enjoy” to “moderation”.  Keep in mind the danger of proof-texting and the importance of context. 

Often moderation is a matter of acceptance.  Proverbs warns about being consumed with getting rich or getting an inheritance too quickly.  The Christian life has goals and ambition but the underlying motivation is to bring glory to God.  It is bound by a belief in Providence and walking in faith.  There will be lean times and times of plenty.  We practice moderation by accepting what is while we work for the better.

Often moderation is a matter of following the directions.  Medication is a good example.  Even simple things like over the counter pain killers will tell you to only take so many pills in 24 hours and not to go over a certain number of days.  Just because one is good it does not mean that 10 will be ten times as good.  Too much of a “good” thing can kill you.

So?  Enjoy the good stuff but don’t overdo it.  Don’t lose your sense of priorities.  God has allowed for variety and the appetite that enjoys more when motivated by hunger. 

Sweet Talk

(Proverbs 24:13 KJV)  My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

I am a cheapskate, a skinflint, a tightwad.  It is my nature to look for the lowest price.  I want what is on sale.  I eat off the Dollar Menu.  That can be a healthy trait that we could call “thrifty” if we are in a good mood but, in reality, “cheap” is a better description.  As I read this verse it jumps out and stares me in the eye.  It dares me to make something of it. 

This is a wake-up call to enjoy the quality that is available in life.  If I can only afford to shop at the 99 Cent Store, then well and good.  I should feel no guilt.  At the same time I think I can find honey on those shelves.  This is a reminder that there is no glory in eating instant, generic oatmeal if the thick cut that requires 10 minutes to cook is available.  Eating garbage is not a virtue.  Of course the opposite extreme of gluttony is not good either.  Consider the next chapter,

(Proverbs 25:16 KJV)  Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

So?  I will always squirrel away spare change and have a secret stash.  What I need to understand is that if I can afford the good coffee, then I am free to enjoy the good coffee.  If I can afford quality tools, buy quality tools.  God is not the enemy of quality.  Often that is the best stewardship.