May 1
Submission Power
Submission is the model of the Christian life.
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
The Scriptures admonishes wives to submit to their husbands. These observations should be made before we discuss the subject any further:
Submission is the challenge to all believers. In the preceding verse of this passage the believers are told to submit to one another. We have already discussed this topic by saying that a.) Submission means to undergird and lift up and b.) Submission is a position of power and authority because the one who supports another is considered strong and gains dignity by so doing.
Submission is an action undertaken by men when they love their wives as Christ loves the church because Christ submitted himself to God and earthly authorities. Likewise, women are to love their husbands because that is the true meaning of respect.
Submission is the model of the Christian life. This is the attitude that makes the believer believable.
Just as the man is to take responsibility to model to the family a self-less love so the woman is called here to model the spirit of submission to the family. Thus together they demonstrate images of initiative (love) and response (submission.)
Jesus acknowledged the dignity of women and elevated them to the status of sharers in the life of the family. This was not true in the Hebraic or Roman worlds. When Paul brings the admonitions of Ephesians Chapter 5 he is laying out a new schema for the family. It is nothing less than co-equality with differences in function.
It is not always easy to practice the spirit of submission when the people to whom we submit are not sensitive or responsive to their obligations and responsibility. However, this is when we see beyond to the one who has ultimate authority – the Lord Himself. As Jesus recognized the authority of Pilate he did remind Pilate he would have no authority at all if it were not given by His Father in heaven. Submission is after all, an attitude which can gracefully with without rancor speak the truth without bowing to pride.
The believer stands on surer footing with God when they accept their call and responsibility. In the end, we will find our spiritual development enhanced or hindered by the way in which we do stand on the tried and true words of the scriptures.
May 2
Winning Souls
We are spiritual beings with an opportunity to realize the character of God’s original intent.
Proverbs 11
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
We often take this matter of winning souls as some form of evangelism. It may well be that but it means more. It pertains to those who place a value upon the instruction of those things that lead to a transcendent life. It recognizes that we are driven by more than our animal appetites. We are spiritual beings with an opportunity to realize the character of God’s original intent. That is simply that we are made to have fellowship with Him. We are winning souls by encouraging spiritually sensitive living.
May 3
A Fruitless Exercise
Don’t compare yourself with others. It is a fruitless and unnecessary effort. Just realize you will stand in His presence and whatever you know here will pass away and transform into the real life…
Proverbs 11
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
Do you feel you sometimes are getting the short end of the stick? Do you feel that you cannot get away with as much as others? Do you sense at times that you must deserve the “embarrassments, judgments and humiliation that sometimes follows your behavior? Cheer up! You are on the fast track to development in godliness because those whom the Lord loves he also disciplines. Also, we are reminded in the proverb that if we think we are getting the heat how much more the ungodly and the sinner will get their due. Don’t compare yourself with others. It is a fruitless and unnecessary effort. Just realize you will stand in His presence and whatever you know here will pass away and transform into the real life unfettered either by your own ineptness and the judgments meant to make you transcend into godliness.
May 4
Commit to Learn
…commit yourself to learn something good from every difficult circumstance.
Proverbs 12
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
Surely when the scriptures speak of loving discipline it is not speaking of an emotional passion for correction!? That would be masochistic. In a feeling culture we are likely to always think of love as passion. However, it is not always. Love as used here is more like commitment. One chooses to embrace discipline. It is an act of will to be committed to learn from hard lessons in life. Anyone who pushes it away as implied in the word “hates” is ignorant of how life works. The scripture is even more direct by saying such a person is stupid. However, even here one is not stupid by merely because they are called stupid but they are stupid in the ability to act wisely. So- don’t apply your feelings and biases to this proverb. That would not be wise. Instead, commit yourself to learn something good from every difficult circumstance.
May 5
The Long Run
…it is wise to believe the favor of God is the most important thing we can obtain.
Proverbs 12
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man.
3 A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
The contrast between those who are “good” and those who are “perverse” is often noted in the scriptures. It is also a fact that the scriptures say that the “rain falls on the just and the unjust alike.” Yet, the scriptures say good is blessed and evil is cursed. So – what is it?
The contrast still stands. Over a lifetime the pattern becomes clearer. The good man or woman will prove to have God’s favor and their stability will be unquestioned. We cannot tell the health of everything by a quick check with a thermometer or a poll. We cannot expect to see this merely by a given moment of time. God’s ways are thorough and they are true. His justice is long in coming but it eventually comes suddenly. That is why, if we want to live a prosperous and fulfilled life, it is wise to believe the favor of God is the most important thing we can obtain. And, that promise is easily fulfilled by a simple act of faith in believing in the imputed righteousness of Christ.
May 6
His Will and Wisdom
…the will of the Lord is clearly stated in the scripture in general terms.
Ephesians 5
17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
It is not vogue to speak of knowing the will of the Lord. Yet, the will of the Lord is clearly stated in the scripture in general terms but it will take wisdom to apply it. Even more, it may not be fashionable to believe that the Lord also reveals his will to us. That is probably because not many have the wisdom of God with knowledge. However, I can attest to the fact that he often speaks of things very clearly and even foretells when He deems we need to know it. In my life He has spoken so precisely that I am still amazed as the years have past that he spoke so clearly. These concepts of God revealing his will are illustrated many times in scripture. If it was true of him and the believer in ancient times why would He not speak to his servants today just as clearly? After all, we who believe today are His children too.
We do not have to act strangely when the Lord reveals his will. Understanding is probably the most common gift through revelation. That is perhaps the most comfortable way to hear the will of the Lord and therefore a good place to begin. Can you trust God to give you understanding? Can you not pray for enlightenment? When you act in faith by making your requests known to God you will begin a wonderful adventure of hearing God. It is the thing that excites poets and develops the prophets of our generation.
May 7
The Most Important Thing
Nothing is more important to the believer than growing in the understanding and knowledge of Christ and his will.
Philippians 1
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Nothing is more important to the believer than growing in the understanding and knowledge of Christ and his will. He is basic enough to be comprehended by the simple and profound enough to tax our brains forever. Understanding and knowledge of God is more important than miracles. It is more important than knowing how to win at Trivial Pursuit. It is more important than anything pertaining to human life because in the end our love and knowledge of Christ and His ways will get us through life and beyond.
The results of real understanding and knowledge of God leads us to long for the pure and blameless life with the fullness of righteousness through Jesus because to see Him is to see the supreme purpose of our lives. He is the shining model of what we were created to be like and the dazzling fullness of what we shall become because of Him.
May 8
The Empty Vessel
The godly know how to empty themselves of all purposes but the purpose of blessing others with what is good.
Proverbs 12
5 The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
The godly know how to empty themselves of all purposes but the purpose of blessing others with what is good. However, the ways of wicked schemers are filled with the methods of deceit: euphemisms, goals that appeal to personal greed, shading the truth, exaggerations, diversion from the facts and deceiving the innocent. We will do well to choose our leaders and advisors from among those who have no “dog in the hunt” but who say what they mean and mean what they say. Anything less than this indicates flirtation with wickedness.
May 9
To Thine Own Self be True
Looking good is not as worthy a purpose as being true to who you are.
Proverbs 12
9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
Here is a bit of wit that would lend itself very well to a movie script as a fundamental thesis about the leading character. He is someone who pretends to be important but lives privately in absolute want. In the morning he dresses, packs a meager lunch in a briefcase and goes off to “work” in Central Park. His day is spent in trying to find ways of conning people of their hard earned cash but meets someone along the way who sits on the bench every day. He befriends someone who is a millionaire street person who lives in the park to find genuine needy people to help and goes home every night to live in the warmth of a simple home in Jersey. Looking good is not as worthy a purpose as being true to who you are.
May 10
Reverence of Life
It is part of our higher nature to take no life for granted.
Proverbs 12
10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
It is no accident that many serial killers, rapists and sadists begin their deviant lives demonstrating cruelty to animals. Pets are ways we teach children empathy. If they are taught to be kind to their pets they have begun to learn what suffering is like. They are also well on the road to caring for the pains of other people.
Many people who suffer also find animals a great comfort. While animals should not be the only creature presence in their lives they can find love of a kind in God’s creatures. In fact, animals teach us many things like loyalty, caring, empathy, responsibility and how to survive grief. No one ever attains righteousness without learning these traits of virtue.
Even those creatures that supply the human race with food have a soul life and the farmer treats his livestock with appreciation and reverence. It is part of our higher nature to take no life for granted. We all should appreciate that everything lives upon which something else feeds. Something always dies to give life. This is a fact that is behind every sacrificial system. This is not extreme thinking. It is natural thinking. Therefore, it is humane and a godly gratitude to care for the needs of all creatures. By so doing we reverence our own lives as we reverence life even in the beasts.
The Bible does not forbid the eating of meat or the slaughter of animals for food. However, it does hold all life in regard and admonishes us to take creature life with gratitude and thanksgiving. It is the order of things that God has provided for the perpetuation of the race both physically and spiritually.
The Christian has reverence of life not reverence for life. There is a distinction between seeing the life of creatures as serving one another rather than worshipping them. That worship is reserved for the giver of life.
Modern Pharisees “Psychologists Nina Mazar and Chen-Bo Zhong of Toronto University recently reported a startling discovery in the journal Psychological Science: those who purchased a “morally virtuous” product, like organic baby food, were less likely to be charitable and more likely to lie and steal than those who purchased conventional products.The Guardian summarized the findings: “[T]hose . . . who bought green products appeared less willing to share with others a set amount of money than those who bought conventional products. When the green consumers were given the chance to boost their money by cheating on a computer game and then given the opportunity to lie about it – in other words, steal – they did, while the conventional consumers did not.” Those findings confirmed previous observations of patterns of “moral balancing,” whereby people who have proven their credentials as moral people in one area allow themselves to stray in other areas. Apparently, relatively minor acts that confer some sort of “moral halo” have the effect of licensing subsequent asocial and unethical behavior.Word that a “moral halo” often rests uneasily on the heads of those who claim it is not by itself big news. Historian Paul Johnson’s The Intellectuals details at great length the sordid private lives of many figures who presented themselves as paragons of the most advanced morality – such as Karl Marx, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Bertolt Brecht, Jean-Paul Sartre, Noam Chomsky.
… Hypocrisy is well-represented across the political and religious spectrum. “ Think Again: Beware of the Goodists, Jonathan Rosenblaum
May 11
Fields of Grain
A field of dreams may be well and good for entertainment but when we let our opportunities pass by to use our resources we will suffer.
Proverbs 12
11 He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.
The Bible is full of agrarian illustrations and admonitions. The most basic lessons of life, however, come from the way things grow and the laws which God which vested creation which govern not only our natural lives but our spiritual lives. There is a saying. “We learn in the natural and that is translated into the supernatural.” Jesus taught this way this many times and especially in the story of the sower and the seeds.
What is the point of this admonition? It is the counsel to use the resources we have. If we use them wisely and diligently we will have abundance. A field of dreams may be well and good for entertainment but when we let our opportunities pass by to use our resources we will suffer. To have a cow is one thing. To milk it is another. To have resources is good. But if we think we can leave them to dream Utopian dreams we fool ourselves.
God will favor those who creatively use the resources and talents at hand. Even the early church known for its charity deemed a person who enjoyed the hospitality of others for more than three days to be a deadbeat. The scriptures say, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” We are to be accountable for every gift and opportunity we have and everyone can find a way to contribute in work.
2 Thessalonians 3
6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
May 12
Earning Your Reputation
The godly will not desire anything others have “gained” by fraud or deviance.
Proverbs 12
12 The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.
Law enforcement has coined the phrase “copy cat criminal” to describe a trend. One person commits a crime. Others admire that person and go out to copy the crime.
In some cases the copy cat is trying to cast blame for the crime on the original criminal. However, most often it is merely the outworking of greed and envy. This phenomenon also illustrates that there are many among us who admire what evil people have the imagination and lust to do. Thus, all wickedness is a matter of the heart. The godly will not desire anything others have “gained” by fraud or deviance. That is the first point of the proverb.
There is a second point. It is that the “root of the righteous flourishes.” The term is interesting because it implies that righteousness not only comes from a root but also that the righteous perpetuate a “root.”
Whenever we do the righteous thing we benefit generations. Even an evil of the past can be eradicated by a righteous person who changes the trend of a familial direction. The curse can be broken. Therefore, we should take hope if we have anything of shame in our family past. Good overcomes evil.
May 13
Stupid is Stupid
The loss of perspective can be a serious thing.
Proverbs 12
13 An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble.
We have a tendency to enjoy telling tales of the things we do that are not so nice. Practical jokers do it. Drunks do it. Delinquents do it. Comics do it. And, many a criminal has been trapped by telling of their crimes in jail house confessions. In time, we come to think of deviant behavior as something to be praiseworthy. We lose a sense of perspective. The foibles of “normal people” can quickly spin off into actual evil acts if we do not keep a check on what is shameful. The loss of perspective can be a serious thing.
When something that is truly harmful is seen as fun we cross the line between righteousness and vice. We are then set up by habit of getting into real trouble. However, the righteous are ever vigilant to avoid even the possibility of trouble from the loss of humanness and sensitivity. It takes wisdom and vigilance to keep ourselves from complications that will eventually lead to irreconcilable conflicts between us and gentile society. Such wisdom is something for which we should pray daily.
Ephesians 5
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
May 14
“Speak Power”
Our lives are built upon what we believe and what we affirm.
Proverbs 12
14 From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.
It is said that when we repeat something 28 times we begin to set that concept into motion in our lives. In other words, the affirmation of our lips translates into behavioral change. That is essentially why scripture tells us to speak what is praiseworthy and noble. It is why we are admonished to meditate (memorize and mutter to ourselves) the godly words of scripture. It may actually take more than 28 affirmations but that is at least a good start to translate into works that will bring us prosperity and godly change.
Our lives are built upon what we believe and what we affirm. That is a fact.
Ephesians 5
19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May 15
Good Advice
We will do well to pray that God give us friends who share in His purposes and who are committed to us in our efforts to seek His will.
Proverbs 12
15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Advice is sometimes easy to come by. Advisors are many but those committed to walk with you are few. When one finds such friends they are wise to listen to such counsel. The Bible does not counsel us to take advice from those who are not aligned with us in purpose. In fact, in Amos 3 we find these words:
3 Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?
The giving of advice requires accountability to vision and purpose on the part of those who give it. Likewise, it requires accountability on the part of those who listen to it.
The scriptures are very clear that we are to value the counsel of fellow Pilgrims in living our lives. In fact, we are fools to do otherwise.
We will do well to pray that God give us friends who share in His purposes and who are committed to us in our efforts to seek His will. When we do find such companions we will discover those who are not only ready to pray with us but who are willing to stand with us when we engage difficult challenges. Their loyalty will not just be to us but to a common vision and direction. When we find such friends we have found worthy advisors.
May 16
Distinctly Different
Jesus was not distinct because he was externally different but because he demonstrated the character of God: truth and love.
1 Peter 1
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
We are called to holiness. This is a word which has created a lot of consternation in Christian circles. Some believe holiness involves distinct styles of behavior and living. They are the “touch not, taste not crowd” which confuses externalism with the reality of holiness.
Holiness is a word that means “distinctly different” but not just different. It means possessing the character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus was not distinct because he was externally different but because he demonstrated the character of God: truth and love. His whole purpose was to “do the will of the Father.” As a result, he was often accused of mingling with “sinners” and people of low standing and reputation. His holiness was so clear to them that they were convicted, repented and followed Him.
The early Christians were known as the people of the Way. They lived another way of life that was very appealing: they were honest, hardworking, charitable, people of faith, moral, and supportive of law and order. Their families were cohesive, their children virtuous and respectable, and they sought to live in peace with all people. In fact, their “holiness” (distinctiveness) was so appealing that they attracted the masses. Holiness is that way. When the character of God is made apparent believers become a “city set on a hill.” They bring savor to the societies of humanity. In this way, they become not only a threat to the unrighteous but desirable to those who know power, possessions, position and winning are not everything. This explains the Christians unpopularity in some circles and their drawing power to those looking for a true path of life.
1 Peter 1
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.
May 17
Wasted Energy
Reactions to those who insult us are a waste of energy.
Proverbs 12
16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Reactions to those who insult us are a waste of energy. Anyone who deliberately insults another is usually only looking for a war of words. That means they are not even considering rationality. They are usually not interested in being correct. Such people are the masters of diversion and projection. If they get an annoyed response they are satisfied.
The wise person on the other hand is someone who can discern what is important. They are concerned with doing what is right and they usually have a grasp of truth. Thus they are not diverted by the distractions of personal insult. Instead, they seize upon the kernel of truth in the insult and shape their actions accordingly. Such actions usually means they amend seize upon what is helpful in the insult and save their energy to apply themselves to learning from their detractors. Sometimes such amendment means they find new ways of appeal. At other times they use the insult to recognize where their own behavior may be changed. At still other times they see that the person who is provoking them has a problem and cannot be depended upon to work toward a common goal.
When Jesus sent out his disciples he addressed the issue of those who would not be receptive to them or their values. He said,
11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." Mark 6
In effect, Jesus is saying, “don’t waste your time when you are not received. Move on and leave the memory of that place behind. People who insult you have chosen their own path.”
May 18
Truth is Life
…let us be completely committed to the truth and knowing the truth in all things whether in doctrine, conversation, fellowship or self-examination.
Proverbs 12
17 A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Here we have a good proverbial sandwich. In the middle we have a wonderful nugget that speaks of reckless words. What are reckless words? They are words that offend, are usually thoughtless, propound half-truths and which are intended to injure others. The gem of the proverb is that healing is always the effect of the speech to which the wise are committed.
The two Proverbs at the beginning and end speak of truth telling. They cannot be clearer. Honest people speak truth and dishonest people are prone to lies. Only truth endures. And, we might add…heaven is where neither falsehood nor liars have any birthright. The language and reality of heaven is truth. Therefore, let us be completely committed to the truth and knowing the truth in all things whether in doctrine, conversation, fellowship or self-examination. For out of truth comes life eternal.
May 19
Joyful people are the more constructive of people because they are free of the burden of deception.
Proverbs 12
20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
Joy is coupled with freedom. What freedom there is when we experience the spirit of joy! We are never as free as we are then. Joyful people are the more constructive of people because they are free of the burden of deception.
Deceptive people on the other hand spend a lot of useless energy and effort in covering up the devices of their hearts.
There is a story of a man named Joe who was watching some workers build a house. He noticed one man who was walking with a sack of cement on his shoulder. That worker would walk over to a point where other workers had laid a pile of cement sacks. He would drop his sack and pick it up again only to return to the truck, drop the sack, pick up the same sack and carry it back to the terminal pile all over again. After watching this man hard at work, Joe approached him. He said, “I notice that you are carrying the same sack of cement back and forth. Why are you doing that? The worker said, “Shhh— be quiet! I want the foreman to think I am working.” This is the nature of deception. People who deceive have no idea of the toll their deception takes upon them. They deceive even themselves because they are not diligent but delinquent.
Proverbs 12
24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.
27A lazy man does not roast his prey, But the precious possession of a man is diligence. (NASB)
May 20
Ultimate Safety
The fate of the righteous is always blessed naturally and forever. In no sense can any serious harm befall the righteous.
Proverbs 12
21 No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
I must confess, every time I use the word righteous, even when scripture speaks it I cringe. I cringe because I know it is a word that falls heavily on others and bears a sense of judgmentalism. To say we are righteous as Christians is not to speak of “condition now” as some achievement. It is to speak of “condition now” as the way God imputes perfection to believers enough to be in his presence. When God looks upon the believer he recognizes the Christ within. That is who gets us into the presence of the Father. That is what is meant to pray and act n Jesus’ name in full confidence that we enjoy a state of adoption into the family of God. Now to the proverb!
When the Bible speaks of the righteous in this proverb it is doing so in two ways. First, the sage is speaking from a comparative study related to normal life situations. If all things remain equal the righteous simply fare better than the unrighteous over the long term. The wicked, on the other hand, are hounded by troubles.
Second, the proverb has in mind the eternal nature and justice of God. The sage understands that when the righteous die at the hand of the wicked, as it often happens, that there is ultimate life for the believer. The fate of the righteous is always blessed naturally and forever. In no sense can any serious harm befall the righteous.
Luke 12
4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
1 Peter 1
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
May 21
Persecution
We should take note that there is a large difference between saying that persecution serves a purpose and saying that persecution is the will of God.
1 Peter 1
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
It is no small thing for the apostle Peter to address his friends and remind them that their trials serve a purpose. Peter suffered trial himself and according to tradition he was crucified in Rome during the time of Nero. Persecution of those who are outside the prescribed lines of any culture happens whether those lines are defined by morals, mores or ethnic traditions. Usually the greatest persecutions come when there are a people to hold themselves to a higher standard or their teachings begin to win converts. This is certainly true with the early Christians.
We should take note that there is a large difference between saying that persecution serves a purpose and saying that persecution is the will of God. There is no reasonable explanation for one human being to proactively injure or destroy another. It is not in the plan of God. It is the result of people having “free will.” And, when people have free will they do a lot of unreasonable, cruel and foolish things. When the believers are victims of such cruelty they place their confidence upon the ultimate benevolence of God who has secured their ultimate futures and fortunes.
Proverbs 12
28 In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.
May 22
Legal Subterfuge
It is possible to be right by legal interpretations of God’s will and be wrong in the spirit of what God intends.
Proverbs 12
22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.
When one cares and acknowledges the Lord they are never unaware of how their thoughts and actions appear to the Him. They are acutely guided by truthfulness because it is their chief end in life to possess integrity before the Lord. They want to cause the Lord delight because they are wedded in spirit to the Lord and they know their joy is coupled with the joy and approval of their God.
It is possible for something to be legal among men and yet be immoral and deceptive. It is possible to be right by legal interpretations of God’s will and be wrong in the spirit of what God intends. In fact, we may even think we have the approval of our God when we violate the spirit of His will. However, one thing is important to note. When we are legally right but morally wrong we will suffer the lack of God’s blessing, presence and fellowship. It is possible to rationalize but it is never possible to please God with lies. Eventually we will suffer the denial of his blessing. The person of integrity abides in the peace that comes from the knowing the truth.
Proverbs 12
23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
May 23
Cheer with Power
…there are people who are observant and cheerful.
Proverbs 12
25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
There are people who effuse cheerfulness but their particular cheer benefits no one. They are the people who bounce into a situation, bubble over with jollity, and pass on through. When they are gone they leave nothing behind. Their cheerfulness is a cloud that passes overhead and sprinkle a few drops but does nothing for the drought.
Then there are people who are observant and cheerful. They note the areas of need and those who labor under a heavy heart. Such observers engage the anxious. They find kind and honest words to bring cheer and they leave as clouds having soaked the parched earth. What kind of cheer will you bring today?
Proverbs 12
26The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. (NASB)
May 24
Intently Hoping
The future, whether near or far, will reveal the truth and the true ruler of the universe.
1 Peter 1
10Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
It is one thing to see the grand scheme of God and quite another to wait for it. The predicament of the prophets was that they understood the nature and plan of God but circumstances seemed to go another direction. It was in the 8th century before Jesus that the prophets first began to speak clearly of the coming of Christ. During those centuries the nation of Israel from which the Messiah would come went into captivity and exile under three other nations. The land was devastated and trampled over by foreign nations. The temple was destroyed and finally rebuilt under the Romans. Every familiar thing Israel enjoyed and to which they attached their identity was desecrated, destroyed or removed. Finally, under the Romans they got back some semblance of national identity with the Temple in Jerusalem and immediately fell back to the old ways. This was the condition of the nation when Christ was born.
No doubt many of us can identify with the prophets. Many of us see the condition of the world and cultures around us. We long for better things. We even know that God has promised that in the coming of Christ all things will be set right. We are in good company. It is no airy dream. The prophets who looked for the Messiah on his first coming were vindicated by his appearing just as we who look for his final visitation. That is our hope and it spans centuries of expectation.
Let us be content that that which we hope for, for which we long for our children and grandchildren and all who may come after will come to pass in a moment of time. When? We do not know. However, we look for these things not for ourselves but for others and we need not despair. We live what we know to be true realizing that it is planted in our hearts by our creator to hope and labor for a better today. The future, whether near or far, will reveal the truth and the true ruler of the universe.
May 25
Raising the Wise
…it is good for a parent to press on with what they know is right and good.
Proverbs 13
1 A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
Parents often face the fact that they are giving good instruction and setting wise guidelines for their children only to have those undone by other parents and a society which is ruled by weakness with those in their care. Therefore, it is good for a parent to press on with what they know is right and good. Children may not like it but the parent knows they are laying out a path of wisdom. One of my children, now a parent, recently sent me this article:
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining country and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”
I replied I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drub to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, of if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and , if my mother had ever knowing that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin: and, if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, American would be a better place.
God bless the parents who drugged us.
Submitted to by a concerned citizen for the readers of Avoyelles Parish.
Let us raise our children to submit to wisdom and they will have it. Mockers will suffer walking a different path.
May 26
The Tamed Horse
… every good word I speak reinforces my commitment to the good, the true, the lovely, and what is of good report.
Proverbs 13
2 From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.
3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
O Lord, my mouth is a wild horse! Every personal tendency to violence or disaster begins with what I speak. This is why we have the admonitions against rash, deceitful, hostile, retaliatory rhetoric, and the temperance of words.
Contrariwise, every good word I speak reinforces my commitment to the good, the true, the lovely, and what is of good report. What is it to be for us today? Raging violence and turmoil or dwelling in confidence and quietness. The horses have it.
James 3
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
1 Peter 2
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
May 27
Work and Prudence
Work for anything good is a satisfaction itself.
Proverbs 13
4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Diligence is hard work and prudence. Prudent people look for wisdom in the pursuit of their goals. Diligent persons work for them with persistence. It is one thing to have cravings for a better life. We all have that. However, craving alone will not bring us that for which we crave.
Our desires are not just satisfied by working for something. Work for anything good is a satisfaction itself. It is human to want to do something worthwhile and that alone is enough to satisfy some people even when the financial reward is not forthcoming. The satisfaction that arises from knowing we are spending our days doing something of importance for ourselves and others has been the drive for many selfless people through the ages. Such people are probably the most satisfied because they have found the secret of life. They have found that life is a constructive process whether we build for now, eternity or a universal reward.
In the end we will each have the privilege of accessing the effect of our labors. The ones of us who will enjoy that moment of evaluation will not be the one who has the most toys but the one who has found their labors have had an impact and leave the world a better place because they beneficially contributed to the general welfare and not just themselves.
Proverbs 13
6 Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7 One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
1 Peter 2
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
May 28
Hatred of Evil
Hatred of evil is essentially a repulsion of it and an instructor of where danger lies for our eternal souls.
Proverbs 13
5 The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.
Can a righteous person hate? It seems Jesus did. He hated the abuse of the Temple so much he wrecked the tables of the money changers and of the sellers of sacrifices. He hated sin so much he came to destroy its power over humankind by offering himself to break its power to alienate us from God.
Sometimes Christians find themselves in a dilemma. They find an anger rising within them against lies, deception and hypocrisy within their culture. Then many, schooled in the art of maintaining a sensitive conscience, feel guilty for having anger within their hearts. We need to stop and think that feeling through.
There is something wrong with the person who does not hate falsehood. Wickedness which builds upon deception is no tame house pet. It is like a pit bull trained to tear its opponent apart and it will even turn on the family that cared for it. Hatred of evil is essentially a repulsion of it and an instructor of where danger lies for our eternal souls. Contrariwise wickedness leads us into danger and eventual destruction. There is nothing wrong with hating the false. However, we need to identify it and turn away from it fighting it with its opposite – love.
Proverbs 13
9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
***
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
May 29
Constant Measures
Remove a constant and nothing is trustworthy.
1 Peter 2
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Everything we build is built from measures established upon constants. A ruler is a measure. It may have constants of metrics or of inches. It may even have constants using other distances. However, the point is that we begin with a constant, measure by a constant and build by a constant. Remove a constant and nothing is trustworthy.
The Ten Commandments are constants. A constitution lays out constants. Rules, laws and customs are built from the constant of essential principles. Violate the principles and we end up with unreliable measures, social chaos, injustice and destruction.
The key for the constant of life was given by Jesus when he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22: 38-40) The Bible even further simplifies the true constant of human society when it says Jesus is the cornerstone of any society emulating the City of God. It most especially describes the believing community spoken of as the church.
Do we need a constant? There is none better than Christ. He is not the Christ of history. He is not the Christ of our personal interpretation. He is not the Christ of an individualistic pilgrimage. He is the Christ who lives, who lives within, who brings us into submission to the will of God, and who brings us to community where we endeavor to help one another remain true to the cornerstone which is Christ.
We should despair until we find a community that is serious about being a community of faith. We need to week for a fellowship of mutual accountability and instruction. We should long to find a people who want to pray, worship and serve the living Lord. When we find such a community, and they do exist, we need to align ourselves with them and grow as much as we may into a spiritual house. Such congregations need not be perfect. They need only to be serious about Christ, about His truth, about witnessing, about serving, and about living as a light to the world.
Christ is the constant and we need to align ourselves as community living by that constant until we can lay a straight line building by his grace.
May 30
Jesus the Measure
There can be no relativism, no wavering, and no interpretations of Christ that do not take on the whole of what He said he was.
1 Peter 2
6For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
There can be no relativism, no wavering, and no interpretations of Christ that do not take on the whole of what He said he was. Jesus is not a relative leader. That is to say He is not merely a superior leader among other religious figures or historical leaders. He is the supreme son of God. We cannot talk half of what he says and reject what we do not like. He is the Way of life and there is no other who offers us eternal security. We cannot take his teachings and soften them. What he says is radical and demanding. If we think we can modify them we fall short of God’s intended purpose for our lives.
All of this is to say why Jesus is “a stone that causes men to stumble, a rock that causes them to fall.” Jesus came to intersect our human opinions and cause us to rise up out of the dust after stumbling wondering how we got off of the trail. Then, he offers us the true measure in himself as “a chosen and precious cornerstone” as the constant from which we measure the direction of our lives.
If we want to live in the safety of God’s “house” and His benevolent dwelling we will begin to build our lives with Christ as our only measure. How other people live is not our concern. The opinions of those who speak contrarily of him are to be rejected. We will put our trust entirely in Christ even when we do not fully understand why we have to walk the difficult path of righteousness. When we do stumble we will realign ourselves with the true cornerstone.
May 31
True Value
In the context of real life, we …place value on what is really important.
Proverbs 13
8 A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.
This is another bit of scripture which I am supposing may be a bit of humor. It sounds like something a Semitic stand up comic might say.
The point is obvious. The rich have many troubles beginning the building of “fences” to keep the thieves out. Then, they have the trouble of watching their backs at all times to keep kidnappers and other villains from spoiling their tranquility. The poor man, however, has no such troubles. He is free to live a simpler life, to enjoy the ordinary things that make one happy, and to even take time to be grateful, enjoy the gift of empathy and generosity.
The simple lesson of this proverb should bring a smile. It could just as well remind us that any loss of material things is not a real loss at all. After all we will leave them behind in the end. Perhaps it can calm our anxious hearts when we begin to fret too much over the losses that will certainly occur from time to time. In the context of real life, we can place value on what is really important.
