September 1

Good Cheer

Jesus said many times that we are to be of good cheer or to take heart. .. This simply a matter of faith in the benevolent creator interacting with us in a world that would otherwise be a hopeless pit


Proverbs 17
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Who doesn’t know that “a cheerful heart is good medicine that that a crushed spirit dries up the bones?” The answer is that on any day of the week any one of us may forget it. We forget it anytime we allow ourselves to fall prey to too much analysis of the negative kind, or start remembering only the painful times, or focus on our feelings, or forget the blessings of our God in times when we saw no alternative to past pains.

Cheerfulness is more of a choice than we are often willing to believe. We may be depressed without knowing why but we can also choose to not allow such feelings stifle joy. Joy is a core gift of God. It comes from knowing through faith that God has ultimately given us reasons to hope and promises of resolution that will exceed any happy moment we have known. Joy is the awareness of a benevolent guide who will bring us through to greener pastures and into more profound delights because we have experienced and will experience his deliverance. In what we have experienced we need to give thanks. In what we hope for we need to remember that what God has done he can do again. That is why faith in the resurrection and words spoken to the disciples of the resurrected Lord are so powerful.

Jesus said many times that we are to be of good cheer or to take heart. Therefore, being of good cheer is a matter of the will and not of following our feelings in whatever direction they take us. When we do this we are simply exercising faith a matter of faith in the benevolent creator interacting with us in a world that would otherwise be a hopeless pit. It is not superficial happiness; it is receiving a gift that brings joy. Then it becomes a matter of tapping into that joy by a decision. How are you going to receive this day and respond to it?

John 16:33 (New King James Version)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (New International Version)
33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

August 31, 2010

Real Peace


Biblical peace is not an invocative prayer for wealth but a prayer for fulfillment and a balanced life.



Proverbs 17
20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

I have learned long ago not to think of prosperity merely in terms of material prosperity. The Bible wishes this for our success:

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. I Thessalonians 5:23

The Hebrew language has a word for prosperity but it is often translated as “peace.” The word is shalom. It is given as a greeting to those to whom we wish the best. It means “may you have all that is necessary for full contentment. “ Biblical peace is not an invocative prayer for wealth but a prayer for fulfillment and a balanced life. That is what prosperity is and it is denied those with a perverse heart who think only of themselves as they lie and cheat themselves into a life of chaos, conflict and consequences.

August 30

Visible Sorrow

The best thing a parent can do is show their expectations of goodness, unconditional love and sorrow over the failures of their children.


Proverbs 17
21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.

Here we have another sketch of sorrows. I see the faces of many whose sons or daughters have brought shame on themselves and grief to their families. In some cases the pain is so great for families that their social lives and general happiness are destroyed forever. Purviews of the families of multiple criminals of our times are cases in point. In a modern society a shamed family may move away from their communities and perhaps develop a low profile in a large city. In ancient times the shame went through generations and was not so easily escaped.

How many of us know that Adolph Hitler has family members who live in the United States? Few of us do. They have altered their names. How many of us are aware that once a name is smeared it dribbles down, if not socially at least in shame, to even extended members of families?

What a family member does is not necessarily a reflection of failed responsibility of the family. People can do their best and still find one of their numbers choose to let in the demons that oppress the human soul. However, as long as they have breath, parents can work hard on developing a sense of empathy in their children. This is done with instruction, demonstration and appeal.

When I was very young I began to associate with and seek to please the wrong crowd. When I got caught I noticed two things. Getting caught brought ridicule from the crowd I was trying to please. I also noticed that no one took responsibility for their part in assisting me in my small but shameful deed. I tried to cover it up but my mother found out and the thing I remember was that she did not deal with me as harshly as I expected. Instead, she cried. When I saw her tears I remember making a resolve to stand against the crowd that had encouraged me in my misdemeanor. As a result it took a few months to rebuild my associations but in time I found a new set of compatriots. I learned how to live without the approval of anything but my conscience and the desire never to bring sorrow to another whom I loved.

There is nothing that surpasses the power of unconditional love and seeing the disappointment in the face of a parent. The best thing a parent can do is show their expectations of goodness, unconditional love and sorrow over the failures of their children. In that, they identify in the sorrows of our loving Father in heaven for fallen humanity. Like Him, such parents must recognize that having done all each of us are responsible for the foolishness of our own nature and our children must walk the path of the discovery of the consequences that result from the willful wastefulness of obstinacy.

Proverbs 17
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

August 29

Beyond Quarreling

…to receive a mutual enrichment each must listen in turn as if seeking something of which to approve.

Proverbs 17
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

There are those who get their adrenalin rushes from arguing. They are like sharks on the prowl who are excited when blood is drawn. They seek to dominate, not explain; to win, not find common ground; to create confusion, not to resolve. There is a way to disagree. However, to receive a mutual enrichment each must listen in turn as if seeking something of which to approve. A nugget here and a nugget there all add up to gold bars.

There is also another type of behavior that invites assault. It is the building of walls. When we constantly divert and resist we offer ourselves as victims and eventually someone will come along who will take us up on the invitation. They will overpower us and break down all walls of resistance. Or, occasionally we will find someone with the power of grace and love who will knock until we open the gate to our hearts. Only when we have open hearts will we grow in truth.

August 28

Friends

Families say they love us because the “have to.” Friends love us because they “choose to.”


Proverbs 17
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Blood may naturally bind us and brothers may be “born for adversity” but unfortunately family is not always faithful to love us. A friend, on the other hand, becomes a friend by decision. One chooses one’s friends not because of feelings alone but by evaluating whether or not that friend is of like mind, walking in the same direction and has the potential for loyalty. Thus we have something in friendships which surpasses blood relationships. Families say they love us because the “have to.” Friends love us because they “choose to.” Hopefully, we can make friends of our family members but friendship, after all, grows out of sharing values, faith, goals, experiences, and clarified commitments that families often do not share. First, seek to be a friend. Then, pray for guidance to find a friend.

Proverbs 17
18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands. [1]
17 A friend in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

[1] This means to perform an act of solidarity without thought.

August 27

August 27

Freely Give

The most advantageous use of wealth is to give what has been given us as freely and liberally as it was given to us by the hand our Great and Providential Sower.


Proverbs 17
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?

The wise show their wisdom by the way they spend money. They understand the use of resources, the laws of economics and that all things belong to God and not to themselves. Resources have a limit and they teach us how to walk in practical ways if we are wisdom hunters.

The Bible is not silent on matters of money because the use of it defines our character. It is an indicator of stewardship, of priorities and of whether or not we use wealth as a means of spiritual transcendence or of personal empowerment.

When we study the giving habits of various groups it is clear that the more wealth we gain the less we are likely to give. However, history is likewise replete with the stories of those who have gained great wealth and even enlarged their giving habits.

The most advantageous use of wealth is to give to God and to the needy what has been given us as freely and liberally as it was given to us by the hand our Great and Providential Sower. The gift is to be freely given. It is One who does this knows the greatest of wealth through a legacy of benevolent influence. The wise understand this.

August 26

August 26


God’s Justice Prevails

History has shown that under God’s providential hand the pendulum of powers will be nudged to the side of true justice.

Proverbs 17
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both.

There are times in the affairs of humankind that the pendulum of “justice” swings. Those are often times of the decay of values and the law. We speak of the times when the guilty are acquitted at the expense of the innocent.
In this American culture we seem to be living in such times. The lawless are on the ascendency and those who are law abiding find themselves wondering what has happened. In such times we need to take comfort. While we may be tempted to be fighting mad we must restrain ourselves. We learn what we can about what we have done to bring on the resurgence of lawlessness. We express our views. We exercise lawful actions. We become active in doing what we can without rancor to speak the truth. However, in the end we rest our case with God because He detests injustice more than we. History has shown that under God’s providential hand the pendulum of powers will be nudged to the side of true justice.


DEFINITION OF A PROGRESSIVE

Someone who goes forward by going backwards by means of the politics of power. If power is what we worship what differentiates us from the Neanderthal?



G.K. Chesterton

“…what I complain of is the shallowness of people who only do things for a change, and then actually talk as if the changer were unchangeable. That is the weakness of a purely progressive theory, in literature as in science. The very latest opinion is always infallibly right and always inevitable wrong. It is right because a new generation of young people are tired of things and wrong because another generation of young people will be tired of them.”

“Progress may be relative, but it must be relative to a direction, and cannot count on all the steps it has taken in the opposite direction. “

August 25

August 25

Balancing the Books

We should neither return evil for good, nor take revenge for the trespasses of others.


Proverbs 17

13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

This proverb must be viewed by the believer by other words from the Bible:

19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Ro 12:19 NIV)

29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:30 NIV)

35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."
(Deut 32:35)

The tenor of these words is that all of us are partakers of God’s mercy and it is His work, not ours, to repay or to compensate. We should neither return evil for good, nor take revenge for the trespasses of others. It is God’s work and his alone to balance the scales of justice.

The truth is that people who return evil for good are those who have lost perspective by not taking habitually practicing kindness, mercy, forgiveness and grace. Those who do evil for good are the same people who return evil for evil. They have seared consciences. People do simply do not come to the place of “returning evil for good” in a vacuum. It is because they have lost perception of the impact of their attitudes toward others. They have become God players and made themselves the center of their own universes.

The truth is, dear reader, if we do not take on the nature of God’s love and revere Him we bring a curse upon ourselves and our households for generations. In that sense, evil will never leave (our) houses. We must never see ourselves as “repaying” anything. Instead, we are to give the gift of kindness and let it do its perfect work in bringing others to repentance before God. Let us do good that He may get glory and others may catch a glimmer of the mercies under which we live.

August 24

Histories of Havoc

One is wise to look at the history of one whom they follow.


Proverbs 17
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

This very day, as I write this, there is a story on the news wire of two people who were killed by a large black bear because her cubs were hungry. At other times, we have heard of the mauling and deaths of hikers who have encountered bear cubs and were attacked by a she bear. As ancient as this proverb is the facts of nature are steadfast. It is also the same with the latter part of the proverb comparing a fool in his folly. A fool, as used here, is someone who refuses to listen and learn. They are the type of person who has the capability of knowing better. That is what is so illusive about them. Fools can talk a good game and they have the capability of convincing others. However, their record is of one who does not listen, will not change their self-centered ends and plow on leaving havoc behind them. One is wise to look at the history of one whom they follow. If their history does not measure up to their words find another path and another leader! Or, go chase a bear cub in the woods. The results of catching one will be better than following a misguided, unprincipled and failed record of a fool.

August 22

August 23

The Great Come-around

In due time rebels will run up against an authority they cannot resist and their fall, God promises, will be at the hand of the merciless – one more merciless than they.


Proverbs 17
11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.

The term rebellion is seldom used in our culture but there are many dissidents who are rebels. They are usually those who bear false witness, advocate change of the status quo or impugning false motives to the actions of others of peace loving nature. Such people also seem to be uneasy with the truth and quickly work to get people around them who agree with them. They are not open to discussion, hearing the explanations or views of others and above all place their opinions above the word of God. In due time rebels will run up against an authority they cannot resist and their fall, God warns, will be at the hand of the merciless – one perhaps more merciless than they. This is the law of cause and effect in human affairs.

August 22

August 22

Covering Offenders

Keeping offenses between us and the person offending is a way to be a peace maker instead of unwittingly becoming divisive.


Proverbs 17
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

No doubt some of us have been on the receiving end of having a chill come into a relationship where we knew nothing of an offense against that person. However, we note that the circle of friends surrounding that person has also become socially “cool” to us. We wonder. Who did we offend? What is the reason for this sudden change of friendliness from this cliché? Unfortunately, it is not possible to ferret out the problem because it is hidden to us.

Such an experience may be an example of how offenses take on a social effect. It should be enough to make us aware of what we say and what we share concerning someone who may have been a source of pain to us. Keep it to yourself or confront the person who was guilty of the offense. It may not be an offense at all but a misunderstanding and it would be a sad offense on our part to separate friend from friend who might be sympathetic to us. Keeping offenses between us and the person offending is a way to be a peace maker instead of unwittingly becoming divisive.

August 21

August 21

Emblems of Friendship

We express our friendship with gifts.


Proverbs 17
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

Bribery is a bad term in our culture. However, this is not the same thing as used here. In this case the bribe spoken of is a gift. The giving of gifts to show friendship what I believe is implied. We do that all the time. When we visit someone we take a gift. Business persons give a token or gift when they visit potential customers. We express our friendship with gifts. When we are entertained we take a gift to our host which is often a token of the region from which we are visiting or something representative of the person who is hosting us. This is the sense in which this proverb is being used. It is not speaking of a bribe for reciprocation but a gift of friendship and appreciation. In this sense, this is not manipulation for a special or specific favor. It is an emblematic act symbolizing friendship and opening that door even wider by demonstrating a generous spirit.

August 20

August 20

Unreliables

...leaders who lie lose the ability to lead.


Proverbs 17
7 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

Some things do not ever have to be commented upon and this proverb is certainly no exception. It is a verbal caricature. As we read it stirs up images of those we have known whose faces have been indelibly emblazoned upon our memories. Which of us have not already formed an image of the arrogant ruler like Mussolini dressed in military garb, arms crossed and head tilted back looking down on the world with a haughty gaze? Actually, Mussolini did a few good things for Italy until his arrogance undid him and this intelligent man was shown to be a fool. The image is iconic and no doubt there are many we have known who had some redeeming qualities who destroyed it with their arrogance. Likewise leaders who lie lose the ability to lead. Some have tried to get back to former glories but it never works. No doubt, Solomon, who started well learned this lesson by experience.

August 19

August 19

Children as a Crown

When all else is dimmed to our memory and loses value what we have in our family remains a great encouragement.

Proverbs 17
6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Time and time again my wife, Jan, and I have taken inventory of the past. We have had a good life and one that is full of great times, experiences, and good friends. There are areas where we wish we had done better as we are able now to recognize missed opportunities. Yet, there is that real present encouragement of our families. Our children and grandchildren are the evidence of grace. When all else is dimmed to our memory and loses value what we have in our family remains a great hope. This is, after all, where the fruit is always visible and when there is love in a family we should wear it as a crown of promise. This is where we must concentrate our best efforts as we follow the dictum of priorities: God first, family second, other’s third and self-centeredness never.

August 18

August 18

Unfailing Mercy

…we may trust in the unfailing grace of God to redeem us and help us from even the consequences which we deserve.


Psalm 44
…
9 But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
10 You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
15 My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame
16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.

Ina previous commentary on this Psalm we learned that the Psalmist was going to act in faith trusting God to act in his life as he had in the lives of his ancestors. In our present text we learn the real background to his profession.

In this portion of the Psalmist’s lament we learn he and his nation feel deserted by God. He even had the audacity to say he believed the judgment was undeserved. He says :

17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

However, he says one single thing which must at sometime be on the lips of any one of us, “redeem us because of your unfailing love.”

There are times in the lives of every one of us that we are well aware of the sins and failures of our pasts. However, these are the times when we may trust in the unfailing grace of God to redeem us and help us from even the consequences which we deserve. That is true of individuals, communities and nations.

2 Timothy 2:13
(Today's New International Version)
13 …if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

August 17

You Can Experience Providence

It is a very powerful thing to have personally and actually experienced the intervention and providence of God.


Psalm 44
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.
3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah

It is a very powerful thing to have personally and actually experienced the intervention and providence of God. However, the fact is that there are many who cannot point to any single place where they are convinced they have. Such people need to be encouraged to expect such things. One of my early mentors[1] once counseled me:

“Preach what you know if you can. It is always more powerful to speak out of experience. However, you must never shrink from preaching the truth you have not experienced. When you are teaching beyond your personal experience says so. Then pray for the Holy Spirit to confirm the scriptures in your experience.”

By all means the testimony of the ages encourages us. However, we note the Psalmist referenced God’s mercies in the past by also making an appeal for the same thing in his own time. He believes. He declared that it would be God who would push back his enemy. (5) He declared his willingness to act while believing God would enhance his efforts. (5-7) In his own heart he visualizes boasting in God’s goodness and help.

Are you discouraged? Take comfort in the testimony of others. Declare your expectation to see God act in your life. Move forward today in faith he will specifically show his faithfulness. In all things, praise him.

[1] I had the privilege of being counseled and taught through the audio ministry of Paris Reidhead, a gifted teacher and missionary. These were words he gave me on my first meeting with him and I knew then God was speaking. This was probably one of the most life changing counsels I ever got from any man of God because it pressed me to find my own personal ground with God in matters of faith.

August 16

Poor Power

It is mockery and cynicism to assume that all poor people are incapable, stupid, or deserving of a lower station in life.


Proverbs 17
5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

The poor are those who have little in terms of human resources. These days they live in cars, on the street, in dilapidated houses and apartments, under bridges and even in Suburbia where they manage to balance huge credit charges and wait in fear for the foreclosure of business or home.

The crowd of the poor is growing in our country and the latter group is being added daily to their company. Yet, the mockery goes on. It is mockery to assume such people deserve what they got. In some cases, they may deserve it but such an assumption should not cut at our ability to be empathic.

The best help we may give the poor is encouragement and aide them to become self-sufficient. It is mockery and cynicism to assume that all poor people are incapable, stupid, or deserving of a lower station in life. To grant them a blanket handout or depend upon government is mockery as much as it is to ignore or to assume all poor are less than we. It is a fact, that a lot more of the kinder, generous and good things of humanity exist in the community of the poor. Our Lord was such a one.

We need always to keep our hearts and purses open to those who are in hard times. In so doing we may be welcoming and ministering to Christ.

August 15

August 15

Where there is a Will

We are not victims of environment as we are often led to suppose. Environment does not change us as much as we change our environments.


The places where we abide do not change us as much as the company we keep. Environment does not so much change us as we, even as individuals, change environment. Furthermore, when we keep good company we collectively can change the places where we live. The company we keep also determines who we become. People who fellowship with honest and virtuously bent people will assume their affinity for life. Those who listen to evil will find themselves paying attention to spiteful speech:

Proverbs 17
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

We will help ourselves to cleanse ourselves by honest recognition of our own weaknesses, decide that we want to turn from those ways and find the cleansing of forgiveness to ascend into the sphere of life and language (the scriptures) where the Lord abides. To this world the Lord’s is a far country but to the believer it is only a short step.

Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

As we set our hearts by faith we can abide in Christ who keeps us in this state of blamelessness. This place is life to us. It is a practical life which grows from the commitment to do what will keep us near Him by abiding prayerfully in his fellowship whether we walk or bend a knee. Whenever we are enticed to do what unbelievers do, say what they say and live as they live it is likely we will lose the sense of His presence. He is there calling us back:

Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

August 14

August 14


God’s Reflection in Us



When God sees His own reflection in us he is able to fashion a thing of greater beauty in our character.


Proverbs 17
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

The artisan of gold and silver bends over the crucible in which there is molten metal from which the dross has already been skimmed. The heat enlightens his face and he looks for his own image reflected back at him. When he sees it he knows the metal is ready to be poured and fashioned into a form useful to him. So it is with the Lord. He looks for his image in us in every trying circumstance. When he sees Himself reflected back he is able to fashion us into a thing of greater beauty.

August 13

August 13

Rewards of the Wise

God rewards such as use His wisdom and gifts.


Proverbs 17
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

We may have difficulty relating to scriptures referring to servants. It may help to substitute the word “employee” or something similar.

We are all aware that some serve and others control no matter what the contractual arrangement. So the proverb sticks. The diligence person may expect to find them selves replacing those who are not trustworthy.

Often, a trusted employee gets the business which a family member shuns, disdains or abuses. Likewise, the wise and faithful employee can be assured that faithfulness pays off in satisfaction and influence. Sometimes those who continue to be diligent will be eventually invited up to the places of authority and responsibility. If not they may still have a great place of influence in giving direction that would otherwise be disastrous. This can apply to business, politics or life in general.

The wise eventually find that doors open to them. Let us use what influence we have to “rule” and direct the affairs in whatever dysfunctional situation in which we find ourselves engaged. So – keep at it faithful servant! Be wise. Be diligent. Your day is coming! God rewards such as use His wisdom and gifts. Your inheritance is already bought and paid for through Christ.

Romans 8:17
17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

August 11

August 11

Contagious Ways

Violence is contagious. Love is more contagious.


Proverbs 16
29 A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Numerous studies in crime indicate that criminals are often otherwise mild persons who are led astray by association with a violent and dominate individual. While some criminals are private loners most of them even get a start in crime by being associated with some abusive behavior of another. Thus criminals most often follow the example of the violent or in the company of the violent.

Once again, the scriptures are contemporarily applicable. (Who ever doubted?) Violence is contagious. It must be dealt with by winning the attention, the shame and repentance of the violent. This can only happen in a community where love, even more contagious, will address honestly and compassionately those who have had no godly mentors.

Proverbs 16

32 Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

It might be added that many violent people do not live long. They are on a path of self-destruction. So if they attain a long life it may be said:

Proverbs 16
31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

August 10

August 10

Perversity

One who has a history of dissension is usually perverse to the core.


Proverbs 16
28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Perversity is habitual. We can tell a lot when we observe the record of other people. Do they have a history of encouragement or a record of destruction? Do they habitually support and affirm or are they customarily gossips? Are they generally constructive or destructive in the communities to which they belong? It is one thing to be caught in an act of carrying tales and being critical and it is another to have a habit of it. One who has a history of dissension is usually perverse to the core.

More than once good people are taken in by those who gossip or stir up dissension. Such good people often give the benefit of the doubt to the destroyer. However, do not be fooled, the scripture warns, a habitual “gossip separates close friends.” Confront such a one and withdraw at once until they show sorrow over their tendencies of destructiveness. If you do not they will take you down with them and separate you from good friends.

Proverbs 16
30 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

August 9

August 9
Scorching Speech

The effect of the scoundrel’s lies, innuendos, exaggerations and misrepresentations is scorching speech.


Proverbs 16
27 A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

We must remember that a scorching fire is not necessarily a blazing one. It can be a slow and steady burning fire which continues to ravage the earth slowly and surely get at the roots of things.

Considering our text we cannot, therefore, always identify a scoundrel by what one would call blazing inflammatory speech. It is rather as if every word is calculated to destroy something in order to gain the advantage the rogue wants. The effect of the scoundrel’s lies, innuendos, exaggerations, half truths and misrepresentations is scorching speech. If not stopped or confronted he will gain advantage by the pathway of destruction. Let us not ever wait to confront the scoundrel’s methods or we will be consumed. That is the painful cost of vigilance and the only way personal freedoms may be maintained.

August 8

August 8

The Advantage of Hunger

Each of us needs to learn to be responsible and accountable for what we gain. If we never have a need we will not develop a sense of accountability for ourselves or for others.


Proverbs 16
26 The laborer's appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.

Many parents have made the mistake of making life too easy for their children. A good parent will let their child’s desires to drive them to achieve. It is something like gardening. When a plant is deprived of water for awhile it begins to develop roots as it reaches out for moisture in the surrounding soil. Too much watering will kill a plant or make it less healthy.

Each of us needs to learn to be responsible and accountable for what we gain. If we never have a need we will not develop a sense of accountability for ourselves or for others. This is the way the Lord works with us and it is the way we need to disciple those in our charge. When the basic hungers of life remain unrequited people will eventually get up on their two feet and find solutions for themselves. Thus unrequited appetite will lead the fledgling soul to learn how to survive and to thrive.

Understanding

August 7

Get Understanding

The sure safeguard against making disastrous decisions is to know the word of God and to develop a prayerful understanding of it.



Proverbs 16
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

The sure safeguard against making disastrous decisions is to know the word of God and to develop a prayerful understanding of it. We should never assume understanding we have read it and can make some sense of it. Instead, we need to pray for the great teacher, the Holy Spirit, to lead us into the truth of it.

The scriptures are not only the map of life but they contain the stories that give us vital clues on how we may get off the path by compromising a principle or forgetting to inquire regarding the will of the Lord. When we are prayerfully and sincerely connected to Him we can be assured He will even make our mistakes small missteps and deliver us from the foolishness of which we are prone. He will read our heart and save us from our deadly courses.

Honeyed Words

August 6

Proverbs 16

Honeyed Words

One could not do better than be a keeper of bees and a distributor of honey.


24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

One could not do better than be a keeper of bees and a distributor of honey. In all of my years the high water marks of life is punctuated by comments people made to me that encouraged me and gave me that boost to find purpose and direction with a new enthusiasm. I can point to some encouragements that actually redirected my life. Reflection confirms that those encouragements were calculated and deliberately spoken to me when someone saw I needed the boost.

Through the years I found myself at various places where I doubted my own worth, or had a personal identity crisis. I remember one such period when I was as probably as discouraged as I had ever been. It was at that time that I faced my limitations squarely and prayed for enlightenment. It was then that the Lord gave me this insight: “If you do nothing else well, or even if you fail in all of your endeavors, you can always bring healing words to those who need them. Your call in life, above all, is to be an encourager.” Isn’t this taking the good news in a practical way?

August 5

August 5

Wise Discerning

We learn best when instruction is compassionately and sensitively given.


Proverbs 16
21 The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.
We make much of wisdom as being simply a matter of thought. However, wisdom is not formed in the cold logic of the intellect. It is formed by uniting the two aspects of our nature that are often disjointed: intellectual/ emotional maturity and a vital connection with the mind and heart of God.

We learn best when instruction is compassionately and sensitively given. When I was taking private pilot instruction I had a number of instructors. Each of them had different methods of teaching, emphasized different things and most of them expected different things regarding various tasks from me the student. Most of them were focused on getting the student to conform to their personal requirements instead of identifying the student’s weaknesses and tailoring their approach and methods to the student. Needless to say learning to fly was made more difficult for me because of the lack of uniformity and sensitivity of my instructors.
At first I thought the problem of learning was mine alone. Then a veteran pilot told me that if the student is having a difficulty a maneuver is just as much the fault of the instructor as with the student. He said, “If a student is not learning is usually because the instructor is not watching the student.”

Another pilot friend of mine introduced me to a proven instructor who studied me and not just what I was doing. When, for example, I failed repeatedly to execute a maneuver well he recognized that I was trying too hard and would make a joke, or break off in the practice of a maneuver and help me relax. Instead of just criticizing my failures or shouting at me with obvious irritation he identified my positive responses and took me back through each maneuver until I mastered them. His pleasant words and amiable, sensitive approach made all the difference.

Proverbs 16
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools.
23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.

August 4

August 4

Golden Eggs

Wisdom can only be found by pursuing what is proven, universally applicable, and results in spiritual and material prosperity.


Proverbs 16
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!
Wisdom is the goose that lays the golden egg. Kill wisdom and you get brass eggs. I think most of us know that to say one has a lot of brass is to think of them as producing an imitation of the real thing. And, that is what we usually get from those who are putting more emphasis on form than on substance.

There are places where wisdom is valued. They are usually cultures who have not bought into the idea that all change is progress. In fact, how can there be progress if one is reaching for something that is undefined? What you get is change but not progress. Progress can only be achieved by knowing what is true, where you want truth to take you and how you are going to get there. Anyone who works from any definition other than truth will end up with a reality that has no foundation in substance or reality. Wisdom can only be found by pursuing what is proven, universally applicable, and results in spiritual and material prosperity. That is where relativism can never take us. . It is where the Word of God does take us.


Life Instructions from the Past
Proverbs 16
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

August 3

The King’s Favor

When God favors our lives we enjoy the refreshing of His presence.


August 3

Proverbs 16
14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will appease it.
15 When a king's face brightens, it means life;
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

It is difficult for an American to appreciate the language of “kings and kingdoms.” Yet, much of the world is ruled by those who are dictators, kings or some modification thereof. Much of the world still thinks in terms of a dominant individual or class and has little appreciation of our system of a democratic republic. Therefore, to appreciate the Bible we must make some alteration in our thinking.

The Bible only understands and speaks about monarchies. However, it is clear that the Lord wanted his people led by spiritually sensitive people and “mouthpieces” called elders, judges or prophets. (I Samuel 8) As spiritually sensitive people they understood that God was the only one worthy of the title, King . At their best they sought to know His will and to rule accordingly. The paramount Kings of Israel were the ones who understood this concept and led accordingly. (Dare we say that believers understand that the best leaders of any age or place are those who bow before the Lord as Sovereign and honor his Christ and His word?!)

When all of this is understood we can step back from Proverbs and understand that apart from the practical aspects of human power that ultimately it is good to please God and to look to His “face” for approval. When he is displeased as described by the long list of abominations mentioned in the Bible we are walking in a danger zone of life. His “wrath” simply means we are rapidly moving away from Him where we will discover great pain and alienation from blessing. When God favors our lives we enjoy the refreshing of His presence.

August 2

August 2

Fair Measures

The drive to fairness is the seed of God’s nature in us which is always evenhanded.



Proverbs 16
11 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.

We have said it before. We make great effort to be fair by using weights and balances, measures and merits because we share the divine spark that seeks justice and evenhandedness. When we consider the human drive to compete and to win we should think it amazing that anyone even wants to be fair. Yet, there is this “anger” that rises us in us when someone is unfairly treated, or cheated, or depleted of their just portion. We know intrinsically that there has to be something trustworthy and reliable if we are to exist. Thus God has given us this urge to make “weights.” The portions are of our doing but the urgency for the weights is given by the Lord. The drive to fairness is the seed of God’s nature in us which is always evenhanded.

Wise Leaders (Kings?)
Proverbs 16
12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth.

August 1

August 1

Words of Injustice

…we need leaders who are measured in their speech.


Proverbs 16
10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth should not betray justice.

The words of a king, as with any authority bear fearsome weight. In moments of madness many of them have been guilty of setting terrible injustices into motion. That is why we need leaders who are measured in their speech.
In 12th Century England King Henry II was responsible for the death of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a bitter cold winter December evening when lackeys of the king entered the cathedral where Becket was preparing for services. In unison, they stabbed him and left him bleeding on the altar steps. It all happened because of a few words not “fitly spoken.” It all happened because Henry in a fit of rage was heard to exclaim, "What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

Words spoken in haste and anger can affect the fate of nations and of human lives. They can destroy.