Timely Word

Proverbs 31:7 (KJV) Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

It is somewhat amusing the way God brings certain verses in front of you on certain occasions.  I’m assuming this will be posted on December 31.  That means it’s New Year’s Eve.  I’m at the point in life where I’ll probably be in bed about the same time, as I usually am, hopefully by 9 o’clock.  I’m not too much into celebrating the new year anymore.

One of the ways many people celebrate is to drink too much.  I don’t drink at all.  I’ve tasted a few things, but don’t like it.  I also have moral issues with it.  I’ve often wondered why people think it is so much fun to get drunk and do stupid things, and often not even remember how stupid they were.

I think there is a point where people who drink too much notice that it says to forget and remember no more.  They are trying to forget part of their life that they don’t like.  I tend to think you use it as an escape.  I’m sure this doesn’t apply to people who have a glass of wine at dinner or might feel like a cocktail when they get home from work is relaxing.  I’m sure they have self control and don’t have to deal with this.  For them it’s just recreation.  But for others they’re trying to escape.

So?  If you’re one of those that likes to get drunk on New Year’s Eve then I would invite you to stop and seriously think about what your motivation is.  It’s easy for me to get judgmental since I don’t drink.  I am aware of that.  I have other things I have to meditate on and look at.  Too bad you don’t have a blog to advise me.

Add Not

Proverbs 30:6 (KJV) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

I occasionally get the opportunity to preach.  Sometimes I am asked to fill in a Sunday school class and I get to teach.  This verse points out a hard line to walk and yet it must be done.  The challenge in communicating truth is to open up what God says without adding your own personal opinions.

There are times when I’m not sure that is possible.

At the same time it is necessary.  How do I go about this?  One thing I do is constantly question myself to ask if this my opinion or is just accurately stating what God has for us?  The only way to really discern that is by careful study of the scripture and comparing what you’re looking at with what it says in other places.  The knowledge that has accumulated over the years of study is one reason why older people have the potential of being better teachers.  It doesn’t always work out.  We tend to be human and like our own opinions, but the longer you read the scripture the better chance you have for feeling the totality of scripture.

So?  Now is a good time to get started.  A new year starts very soon.  Make it a commitment to keep reading the scripture.  Keep thinking about what you’ve read.  Compare different spots.  Work out what seem to be inconsistencies.  But be careful not to add beyond what God has given us.  Happy new year. 

Always Good Advice

(Pro 29:26 KJV)  Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.

As we come to the end of one year and the beginning of the other we always have hopes that things will get better.  Unfortunately way too often we put our hopes on political figures, business deals, personal relationships, and such. When we do that, we have a certain percentage of success and fulfillment.  We also open ourselves up for total futility.

This is to remind us that our hope for the next year and for the long future is in God himself.  We have voted for a new president and the new Congress.  That is all for the good.  Those who won, feel like God is moving.  Those who lost, if they care what God thinks, feel the God has turned his back on them.  Focus.  Trust God.  Live a life of obedience and then you know the future is secure.

So?  There’s nothing new here.  This is what we should be doing all the time.  Just like Thanksgiving, it is a reminder.  New Year’s resolutions usually don’t make any difference in reality, but get us to focus on things that we need to focus on instead of just merrily going on our way. 

Get a Job

Proverbs 28:19 (KJV) He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

One of the traditions of the Jews was that a rabbi had to have training in some trade.  I’m not sure if that’s an actual part of the law or just tradition, but you think of how even the apostle Paul had the trade of a tent maker.  This was so they could support themselves if it came down to it.

I wonder if this verse in the book of Proverbs is leading us in that direction.  There are so many things that we think are wonderful.  The problem is they don’t pay the bills.  The CSB makes us a little more clear,

Proverbs 28:19 (CSB) The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

I have known men in the ministry who are this way.  They are called by God.  They are going to change the world.  So they put their wives to work and let their children go hungry.  It is very noble.  It is chasing fantasies.

So?  God calls us to many things, but in the process of calling us does not abandon the basic responsibilities of life.  Don’t allow infatuation with grace and glory to make you abandon the basics of the law.

Be Alert

(Pro 27:12 KJV)  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

We live in times that are full of opportunities to mess up.  There are evil people out there.  We all keep hearing about the illegal immigrants who are ex-cons from other countries, imported into our country and turn loose on our people.  I have not personally experienced it, but I read about it almost every day.  It’s not an experience I want to have.

We live in dangerous times.  Of course if you want to think about it, people have always lived in dangerous times.  There have always been neighborhoods that you don’t go into after dark.  There have always been streets you don’t go down.  There have always been times to keep your mouth shut.  It can be very dangerous, talking back to certain people.

God has promised his providential protection upon His people.  I personally think that there is an aspect of that protection which depends upon us.  If you jump off a cliff, there’s no promise that God will protect you from your foolishness.  Think of Satan trying to get Jesus to jump off the temple.  There’s a time for caution.  There’s always a time for trust.

So, we are approaching the new year.  We don’t know what’s in store for us.  We have the potential for chaos politically.  We have the potential for international war.  And of course your sewer my back up.  Keep your eyes open for evil.  Avoid it.

Rejoice

Luke 2:20 (KJV) And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

(Proverbs 26 also read)

I hear that the Christmas and New Year’s holidays are time when a lot of people get depressed and suicides surge.  I don’t know the statistics on it, but I can understand it.  Part of it starts before Christmas, even at Thanksgiving, among people who are lonely and isolated.  What strikes me is that often these people are lonely and isolated because they have chosen to live that way.  They have refused to involve themselves with other people and give of themselves.  It’s natural to assume that they would be depressed when others are rejoicing.  I can remember a time when I was in graduate school walking through the snow and looking at the houses with the warm windows and the lights glowing out as families were gathering for the holidays.

Then you have what is almost in the natural letdown on the day after.  This is almost a physical reaction.  Your mind your emotions, your actual physical body, get in a state of elevated enthusiasm, shall we say.  When the stimulation is removed often there is a downtime.  The day after Christmas can be that way.  Just turning off the Christmas music can take me into a spin.

So it’s time to be like the shepherds.  It’s time to consciously decide to focus on the blessings of Christmas.  We are celebrating, we did celebrate, the incarnation.  This is where we look at and focus on the fact that God became man and dwelt among us.  We now have a choice.  We can even make this a second Thanksgiving day with a focus on God, becoming man, or we can let ourselves naturally decline.

So?  Take a moment and remember what you were celebrating yesterday.  Forget the focus on family for a moment, and bring to mind that Jesus came to earth as a baby, as the beginning of the march toward the Cross, and the forgiveness of your sins. Rejoice. 

Pondering

Luke 2:19 (KJV) But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

(Proverbs 25 also read)

We are so used to looking back at all the things mentioned in Matthew and Luke about the birth of Jesus.  We have Christmas pageants.  Our pastors preach on the Christmas story.  Paul wrote about the incarnation.  There is so much that we have to meditate on, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.

What did Mary have to ponder?  Not as much as we do, but she had much to think about.  For Mary it goes back to that angel, appearing to her and talking about having a child without having a husband and what this would mean to the world.  Then you have her meeting with Elizabeth, and the testimony that Elizabeth gave to her.  Do you have her thinking about how God intervened with Joseph to keep her from being set aside as an immoral woman?  And all the movies and Christmas cards, we see all kinds of magical things going on around the nativity.  The Bible gives no record of angels appearing over the manger.  We don’t know about any strange lights radiating from the head of the baby.  Mary had much to think about, and then the shepherds showed up and shared even more.

I think her pondering just began to blossom at this point.  I think she spent years meditating on the meaning of all this and it’s still didn’t come through to her until after the resurrection.

We also have much to ponder.  We can add the writings of Paul about the incarnation, about giving up equality with God, and becoming a man, about the resurrection, about all the things involved in becoming sin in our behalf.

So?  Merry Christmas.  And happy pondering day.  Try to find some time to sit and think about what all this means and how it’s going to change your future.  The birth changed Mary’s life.  It change the world.  How could you expect less for yourself? 

Herding Cats

(Luk 2:4 KJV)  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

(Proverbs 24 also read)

I would imagine that this was very inconvenient for Mary and Joseph, but it was necessary.  The Messianic prophecies said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  David and Mary were living in Nazareth.  The demands of God imposed on their life.  They may not have understood but they obeyed.

Have you ever had the experience of being inconvenienced by something God demanded of you?  You may have later found out why.  You may never know until after the resurrection but then it will be a question of whether you remember to ask.

So?  God does not make life difficult just to see us squirm.  He has a reason and keep in mind how many cats He has to herd to get where we are going. 

Surprise

Luke 1:24-5 (KJV) And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

(Proverbs 23 also read)

Daily, when I am being thankful, my mind goes to the incarnation.  I think about how Jesus gave up his spot in heaven and became a man.  I think of what that sacrifice meant to Him.  There were other people who had their lives disrupted by the coming of Jesus.  It wasn’t expected.  It probably created some serious doubts.  But it brought rejoicing.

Here we are looking at Elizabeth.  She is well advanced in years, far beyond the age where women bore children.  Yet here she is getting a nursery ready.  I would imagine that the preparations going on in the birth of John before the coming of Jesus were a bit disruptive to her life.  God has a way of doing that when He wants to use you.  We might have all kinds of glorious ideas about what it means to be a minister of God.  We might think of all the wonderful things God wants us to do.  The plane fact is that in order to use us God often has to disrupt the stability in our life.

It happens here to Elizabeth.  In the next few verses, it happens to Mary.  Joseph and Zachariah to a lesser degree also found their worlds disrupted.

So?  Why should today be any different?  We are anticipating the celebration of Christmas.  That in itself is disruptive for our regular routine, but if we really allow the incarnate one to into our lives, we will probably see even more disruption.  Pray for it.  Expected it.  Be ready for it.  We are celebrating an earthshaking event. 

Pre-Christmas

Luke 1:18 (KJV) And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

(Proverbs 22 also read)

When I was young we used to have a Christmas pageant every year.  There was always great anticipation of who would get to be Joseph and who would get to be Mary.  The little kids were always sheep, or lambs.  There was a time when I was glad to take the position of the prophet Isaiah reading from the scroll forecasting the coming of John the Baptist and, through his preaching, the Messiah.

I’m not sure that Christmas pageants are as common as they used to be.  I think many churches skip over them and do other things.  One of the things that’s gone, that we have lost, in this change is the prophecy dealing with Zachariah and his wife in the birth of John the Baptist.  What is the miracle that we missed by skipping over?  The miracle of Elizabeth giving birth.  While Mary gives us the miracle of the virgin birth, Elizabeth gives us the miracle of someone who is past childbearing age bringing forth a baby.  We read about it with Sarah.  Now we have the same thing happening with Elizabeth.

The Christmas story can remind us of the possible miracles that can take place when God steps in.  God’s intervention is one of the things that we constantly pray for.  We just went through an election where we were praying fervently for God’s intervention.  We think He did so.  We continue praying that God’s hand will be upon the direction of the United States of America.  I personally pray as much for the church as a whole as I do for the country because I know that there will be no real permanent changes unless we have revival.  And revival involves the church becoming the church again.

So?  Will the church stand up?  There’s no way of knowing.  We know God would like it to stand up, but we don’t know if it will.  We don’t know how pastors and layman will respond to the spirit of God during this Christmas season.  If all they do is make sure that they check their list and bought gifts for everybody on it we will fail.  If they look to God as intervening in history, we may see dramatic changes.

Merry Christmas and hopefully many happy New Year’s to come. 

God Has Priorities

Proverbs 21:3 (KJV) To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

In my personal worship and study one of the things that I am pursuing is to understand the law.  I’m not out to become an expert on the law.  What I’m looking at is the conflict between David’s praise of the law and Paul’s rejection of the law.  They seem to be total opposites.

So as I read this morning, I found myself seeing that even God has priorities in what He wants to see in our lives.  The idea of sacrifice is certainly part of the law.  We know that Jesus died on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God, and shed His blood so that we could know forgiveness of sins.  That is the end of the process of sacrifice.  Jesus did it for us.

With that in mind, we are to live righteous lives.  We are to live the way Jesus would want us to.  That I would think is obvious, but here we are seeing that kind of concept unfolding in the days of Solomon.  Here it says God wants us to “do”.  This reflects other places in the prophets.  The idea is that we are to live the life not just follow the ritual.

So?  Jesus paid the price that I could not afford.  It just wasn’t in my budget, so to speak.  In response to that, I am going to take the grace that is given to me and apply it to doing justice and showing good judgment.

Listen to the Gambler

Proverbs 20:3 (KJV) It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

I hope you are familiar with that song, which I think is called, “The Gambler”.  It goes to the effect that you got to know when to hold, know when to fold.  In my mind, it’s Kenny Rogers doing the singing, but since I’m not a big consumer of country or western music, that is just a guess.  It brings a great deal of wisdom to life and it’s almost as if the writer of the song had been reading Proverbs 20.

I find that the CSB brings a bit of a different slant and it’s language.

Proverbs 20:3 (CSB) Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.

How often have you found yourself in a disagreement, realizing that the other person is getting more and more angry, knowing that the angrier they get the less they listen, and knowing that they didn’t have a great amount of reasoning ability to start with, and you’re going to lose.  Maybe you won’t lose, but you know you won’t win.  It’s at that point that wisdom kicks in and you need to take the high road.

Taking the highroad can be dangerous because too many times it makes you abandon things which are important, to compromise truth, and walk away from what is right.  The honor here is to find a way to back up and restate things in an acceptable way that in important areas is a valid compromise, but does not desert the truth.

So?  I guess real wisdom will keep you from getting in the dispute in the first place.  Know when to back off.  Know what the real issues are.  Know whom you’re arguing with. 

Break the Eggs

Psalms 88:14 (KJV) LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

(Proverbs 19 also read)

This might qualify as the most depressing passage of scripture in the entire Bible. The author is going through great difficulty.  He is suffering.  He feels totally abandoned.  He calls upon God again and again.

Is God listening?  I think he asked that question earlier.  Is God going to answer?  To be honest, I don’t think so.  I see in this entire Psalm there is one thing that is missing.  There is one ingredient that does not show up.  He mentions God’s love and kindness.  He mentions great things about God, but he leaves out the key ingredient.

Have you heard the proverb that you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.  I think we could apply that here and say that you can’t expect answers to prayer without repentance.  Maybe I’m being too harsh.  I see this in the number of the Psalms.  The writers cry out to God, as if it’s a problem with God.  At the same time, they never admit sin in their own lives.

So?  There are several places where the Bible points out God does not answer the prayer of sinners, the unrepentant.  We’re not saying that you have to get all your act gather.  I’m not claiming that you have to be perfect.  What I am saying is that God is expecting you with confession of sin, and an attitude of repentance.

Caution, Ego Ahead.

Proverbs 18:2 (KJV) A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

This verse speaks to me even in the KJV.  When I looked at the CSB, it gave me an even better insight.

Proverbs 18:2 (CSB) A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.

As someone who occasionally gets a chance to preach or teach Sunday school, this advice struck home.  When I was preaching regularly, one of the temptations I always had was to allow my pet peeves to become the center of the sermon.  I don’t know how many times I had to stop, look at what I have written so far, get honest about the scripture, and go back and start over again.

To be honest I wish that more pastors and teachers took this to heart.  When you get up to preach on a text you’re supposed to preach on the text.  You’re not supposed to, at worst, just give your personal opinions.  You’re not supposed to, at second worst, talk about things that are in the Bible somewhere, but not in the text you are preaching on.

So?  OK, you are not the preacher.  Spend some time praying for the preacher.  Pray that your pastor would actually focus on the lessons that the Bible has to offer to make it possible for you to live a more holy life. 

An Angel of Another Color

Proverbs 17:11 (KJV) An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

It is interesting the use of the word “messenger” here. The actual Hebrew word is usually translated as “angel.”  I know an angel is a messenger, one sent on assignment for a superior.  The quality of the angel is in the adjective and in the assignment.  Here the adjective is “cruel”.  I would assume that God has many angels to pick from.  I don’t know if they have personalities or whether they are assigned an attitude de jour.

Who is this angel?  Someone with an attitude that enjoys inflicting punishment?  Was he assigned the task and told this is the way you will behave?  We don’t know.  What we do know is that he had an assignment to go against the rebel.

At Christmas time we see angels in other roles.  They appear to Mary and to Joseph.  They made the announcement to the shepherds in the field.  I don’t know about you, but if I were an angel, I would prefer those tasks.

So?  Try to pick what kind of messenger you’re going to be.  God may choose you to be one who is tasked to deliver a stern warning to someone or a rebuke.  We know we would rather be the one bringing the Christmas presents but our job is to be obedient to our calling.

OT Grace

Psalms 85:7 (KJV) Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

(Proverbs 16 also read)

These words are so full of the character of God that they could have come from the mouth of Jesus.  We see my favorite word in the Old Testament chesed, translated as either “loving kindness”, or “mercy”.  This is God extending towards us His undeserved love and yes, grace.  This is God giving us what some call undeserved mercy but really it’s just an example of God‘s love in action.

Thus the result of this is the desired goal:  salvation.  Noticed that it is going to be granted and not earned.  Notice there is no mention of the sacrificial system or offerings.  There is no mention of anything other than God’s mercy extended toward us.

So?  Everywhere you look the Bible exudes the love of God towards His people. Yes, that includes us.  Rejoice.

Backwards

Psalms 80:18 (KJV) So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

(Proverbs 15 also read)

Asaph has a definite view of God and Israel.  I would say that his perspective is at the heart of why God allowed Israel to be deported and debased.  If my memory serves me correctly, you never have Asaph speaking of repentance.  He seems totally unaware of why God was allowing His people to suffer.  It’s very clear to the prophets.  It’s clear in the history’s.  It makes me wonder why he couldn’t see, but he misses it.

Even here we see a reversal of the order of how things should be.  He reminds me of Wimpy saying that he would be glad to pay you on Tuesday if you would buy him a hamburger today.  Here we see a typical way to try and get around repentance.  Asaph says if you revive us, if you touch us, if you pull us out of our difficult situation, then we will call upon Your name.

So?  It doesn’t work that way when we call upon God.  We approach Him with repentance.  We confess our sin.  We believe in Jesus.  In a word, we call upon His name.  And then He will “quicken us”.

I Don’t Understand

Proverbs 14:6 (KJV) A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

I’m sure we have all run into a situation where we carefully explain some thing and make it perfectly obvious and the person we’re talking to will get a puzzled look on their face and say, “I don’t understand.”  Sometimes you can take a look at what you were saying and find a little bit better way to clarify it, but often all you can do is kind of shake your head and wonder what part of clear facts don’t you understand?

I think that the CSB gives us an insight here,

Proverbs 14:6 (CSB) A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive.

The use of the word “perceptive” is a good choice.  When I look up the word in my software, part of the definition of being perceptive, having understanding, involves paying attention.  One of the great ways to understand some thing is to actually pay attention.

So?  Read.  Listen.  Contemplate.  And of course, that leads to a better chance of understanding.  Also include the assumption that you really want to understand.  Keep in mind that claiming you don’t understand on judgment day won’t carry a lot of weight. 

Right of Way

(Pro 13:6 KJV)  Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

The concept of “righteousness” (6666) is something that, for some reason, is controversial.  There are those who love to quote Paul’s statement that “there is none righteous…”  The sad part is that they usually quote this out of context, and use it incorrectly.

As I read this today in the CSB I got a little bit of a different spin on it.

Proverbs 13:6 (CSB) Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner.

This verse to me points out that righteousness is not just a condition, but it is a set of actions.  Although I accept the fact that God can make us righteous, and does, in the context of the wickedness mentioned here I think Solomon is saying that righteous actions reinforce and guard our integrity.  Integrity is based on reputation in many cases.  Moral and ethical behavior, reinforce our reputation as being righteous

So?  Don’t desert the understanding that God actually changes our hearts, but also don’t refuse to move on to applying that change to your daily behavior.  We are to be salt and light.  That means not just having a big smile and a positive attitude, but living a righteous life. 

Eye Opener

Psalms 79:1 (KJV) [[A Psalm of Asaph.]] O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

(Proverbs 12 also read)

When I come to scripture, I come with certain assumptions.  One of the assumptions I have would be that David wrote Psalms and Solomon wrote Proverbs.  That is not a valid assumption, and the Bible itself tells me so.  I don’t know if Sunday school teachers told me this or preachers or I just assumed it.  It is wrong.

As I read this recently, with my eyes open and my brain turned on I noticed what this is describing.  It is describing Jerusalem being destroyed and the Temple being defiled.  That did not happen before Solomon, because Solomon build the temple.  It didn’t happen during Solomon’s life.  In fact, we have to move forward in time past the fall of the northern kingdom, and into the deportation of the southern kingdom.  For this Psalm to have been written with these details it is either prophecy or looking back after the deportation.

I don’t see any evidence of prophecy here, or anything to be prophetic about.  There is no admission of repentance.  There’s simply calling on God to bail them out.

So?  Never turn off your brain.  Never assume that what they told you in Sunday school was totally accurate.  There is no mention of Mary riding a donkey.  There is no statement of how many wise men there were.  Don’t be afraid to learn new things and expand your understanding.  What an adventure. 

First Person Possessive

Matthew 6:9 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

(Proverbs 11 also read)

I have a lot of questions about prayer.  This came up recently when we were touching on the subject in Sunday school and people were talking about making a prayer list.  Most of the items on the prayer list had to do with physical issues.  The problems are very real.  Bringing them before God in prayer is appropriate.  And yet when I read the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus seems to be saying something else to us.

What struck me this morning was not about that.  That is just how I got to where I am thinking now.  I started looking at the words that we use “our” and “which”.  At first, I started wondering why the king James version says, “which” when the NASB says “who”.  As I looked at the Greek, with my limited knowledge, I saw that these were basic words that had to do with mine and me, and not necessarily with God.  At least not with His character.

I saw other translations, which I think put this better, where they said our God in heaven.  But even beyond that, my eyes, and turn to the word “Father”.  I noticed that the reference to father came before the reference to His holy name and His holiness.  So I looked up this phrase.  “Our father in heaven” is a common expression of Jesus.  What is unusual about it is the reference to God as father.  This is not an Old Testament expression.  This is something that Jesus introduced and emphasized.  And we are to call God Father.  This is not the “ABBA” Father, this is just the Greek word where we get the term paternal.

So?  We are to think of God as father.  If you did not have a loving father in your life, then I would encourage you to look into what it means biblically to be a father and embrace God in that way. 

True Wealth

Proverbs 10:22 (KJV) The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Verses like this are easy to misinterpret.  We take them literally when it’s more of a principle or figurative language.  We know this because God has a special place in His heart for the poor, and we know that being rich can drag people into decisions that destroy them.  We know people who live righteous lives who are not rich.  At least that’s true in terms of money.  Here’s where the CSB seems to give us a valuable insight.

Proverbs 10:22 (CSB) The LORD's blessing enriches, and he adds no painful effort to it.

I like this word enriches, because it opens up the vast range of ways in which God makes life better for His people.  This leaves the gate open for people living very close to poverty level.  It points out that the joy of life is not in how shiny your car is but is the people that you carry in it.

So?  Be careful when you listen to the prosperity folks.  They have such a limited understanding of what the riches of God are.  God is not always in your bank balance.  One reason is that when our bank balance gets padded, our sensitivity to God becomes calloused. 

Pick a Card

Proverbs 9:6 (KJV) Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

In the sense, we are all born “foolish” (6612a). They are different words used for this.  You can say “simple”, you can say “naive”, here it is “foolish”.  The CSB uses it’s own word,

    Proverbs 9:6 (CSB) “Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding.

This translation prefers the word “inexperienced”.  Regardless of the words you choose.  There’s a thought here that needs to be reinforced.  This kind of handicapped mentality is a choice.  You may not have chosen to be there in the first place, after all, we are all born at a very young age.  You have the choice of staying there.  You have the choice of leaving.

This is one of the reasons we encourage people to read their Bibles on a regular basis.  It’s one of the expectations we have from attending worship service and hearing the preaching that comes from the pulpit.  That’s why we attend Sunday school and hear the insights shared by other believers.  We were given constant opportunities to grow.

So?  The choice is up to you.  Pick a card.  Any card.  If you’re looking to get the right one, keep in mind that the dealer has a way of getting you to pick the one he wants.

Why Not?

(Mat 3:9 KJV)  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

(Proverbs 8 also read)

Jesus himself says God the Father can do things which makes no sense to us.  I mean you could make creatures and call them children of Abraham, but you would also need to have a family tree.  They would need to be traced all the way back to Abraham to look genuine.

God could do this.  Jesus says so.  A question that occurred to me as I was thinking about the power of God, and how He worked in history was, “Why didn’t He?”

Think of all the things that God could have done just by proclamation.  Did Jesus really have to put up with the thick skulls of the disciples as He tried to pound His truth into their heads and hearts?  Did Israel really need to wander around in the wilderness for 40 years?  For that matter, did He really need to create the world in seven days?  Why not one day?  Why not instantaneously?

It seems to me that God works through processes.  He called Abraham.  Eventually He established the covenant.  He could have done that from the beginning.  He didn’t.  And the whole purpose of calling Abraham was to create the people that would give the historical background needed with the coming of the perfect Lamb of God.

So?  We tend to think that God is going to work overnight miracles.  He has.  People will testify to it, and we have a record of it.  But He tends to work more in a long process of development.  Note that the higher animals such as human beings take years and years to develop.  A turtle can break out of its shell and head for the sea immediately.  It takes a baby weeks to realize that that thing waving front of his face is his hand.  Be patient.  Let God do it his way. 

Matching Verses

(Psa 71:15 KJV)  My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

(Proverbs 7 also read)

I don’t know why it still surprises me, but there are those days when you have some thoughts running through your head and you read a few verses of scripture and it’s like someone had an arrow right at your target.  This morning as I was contemplating the attributes of God, and how difficult it is for us to even grasp His reality, I was humbled by the limitations of my vocabulary, let alone my understanding.

And then I come across this verse, which points out to me that even David, or whoever was the author of this Psalm, couldn’t begin to approach, understanding God’s righteousness, or our salvation.  It is good to be in such company.  It is good to be reminded that in one small part of His awareness God is paying attention to what’s going through my mind.

So?  I certainly can’t guarantee it every day, but the Bible speaks to us where we are and where we’re going. 

David Insight

Psalms 69:5 (KJV) O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

(Proverbs 6 also read)

Reading the Psalms opens up the heart of David as he worships God.  Some of his writing is very political and figurative.  If you look at the beginning of this chapter, you see him talking about being stuck in the mud and different things like that.  I don’t think those are literal.  I think he’s sharing where his heart is and what he’s feeling.

One of the things that we hear frequently about David is that he was a man after God’s own heart.  I think this verse points out why that is true.  God is listening as David confesses his “foolishness” (200) (folly NASB). Then he confesses an awareness that he doesn’t try to hide his sins from God.  He openly confesses them.  He is deeply repentant.

He is a man after God’s own heart.

So?  We also can be men and women after God’s own heart.  We can confess our foolishness.  We can confess our sins.  We can be open with God about our failures.  We can live with an attitude of repentance and a desire for obedience.  And then, if your heart isn’t right, God will make it so. 

What Was That?

Psalm 65:8 (KJV) They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

(Proverbs 5 also read)

It was still dark as I read this, sitting on the front porch.  I’m enjoying the fellowship with the Lord in the morning.  There’s not even a glimmer that the sun is coming up.  And yet here, God reminds me of what I experience emotionally and spiritually in those times when it begins to get light, and the colors begin to emerge from the darkness.  I was reading the Legacy Standard Bible when this jumped out at me.  Here’s what it says,

Psalm 65:8 (LSB) They who inhabit the ends of the earth are in fear on account of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

So?  That means that not only do the morning and the evening shout for joy, but I, a believer, and one who knows the Maker of the sunrise, can also shout for joy. 

Top Dog

(Pro 4:7 KJV)  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Let me misread this a little bit.  Let me use a different word for “principal” (7225).  Let me substitute the other word that we often misspell, principle.  One, which is used here means primary or top dog.  This is the principal of your school.  The other has to do with the rules you run by.  And this is saying not only is wisdom top dog, but it is also a set of principles that we run by.  That is my interpretation.

Take a look at how this other translation puts it,

Proverbs 4:7 (CSB) “Wisdom is supreme -- so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding.

Actually, this is not the place to start.  Keep in mind that wisdom starts with the fear of God.  Then you can go on to collect the principles and apply them.

So?  Follow the pattern that God has given you follow the principal principles. 

A House Is Not a Home

(Pro 3:33 KJV)  The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

As I said, I am reading the Christian Standard Bible this month in Proverbs.  As I read it, I noticed that in the second part of this verse, instead of “habitation” (5116), it has “home”.  I think that is a valuable insight.

When I was a kid I remember a lady who would read a poem every year, I think on Mother’s Day, and the only thing I remember is “It takes I heap-a lot of livin’, to make a house a home”.  Our house, or habitation, is simply a building.  It can be finished, painted, the doors mounted, the roof covered and still not be a home.  It takes that added application of people.  Even then you can have a habitation full of people who don’t really live there because their lives are centered other places.

So?  Is your house a home?  Is it just a place to hang your hat and lay your body down to sleep?  I would suggest if that’s the case that you start by making a place where you worship.  And make it a place where family becomes important.  The place where you study.  The place that becomes your home, or as the gospel of John would talk about, your abode. 

The Primacy of Fear

Proverbs 2:5 (KJV) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Fear really gets a bad rap in our culture.  We overlook the fact that a reasonable fear is what keeps us out of a lot of tragic situations.  And on a more superficial level, I wonder how many traffic tickets I have not gotten simply because I’m afraid of getting a traffic ticket.  But this fear is on a higher level.

This fear involves a relatively accurate assessment of who God is and what He expects.  It involves the love which is in his character.  It is a key factor and that is why time and time again in Proverbs we find the fact that so much is dependent upon the fear of God.  Substitute what you want.  Call it awe.  Call reverence.  Call respect.  Most Bible translators like the word fear

So?  Fear God.  Define it anyway you want.  But in the mist of your fear, don’t forget that God is love, God is light, God is a spirit, and Jesus died for you.

More Than a Quote

Proverbs 1:2 (KJV) To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

I have recently been looking at some of the old Charlie Chan movies.  It makes me want to say occasionally “Confucius say….”  Sometimes when Charlie shared some great bit of wisdom from the past, it’s very cloudy as to what it really means.  It isn’t enough to just be able to quote the elders.  Scripture, well known for cliches, does points out is that wisdom doesn’t come from knowing the quotations word for word, it comes from knowing what the words mean.

This book is going to try and teach us wisdom.  This month I’ll be reading the Christian Standard Bible, CSB.

So? If I don’t have anything to say that you find of value, then I encourage you to go beyond me and read the scripture yourself and see what God tells you.  He’s waiting in the wings.  He is speaking to you.  Your job is to listen.