Bragging On Jesus: Recent Episodes
Podcast startup by Robin Aylor
Audio Articles, Scripture Songs, 5 minute Sermons, Tag Team Sermons and more. Full chapters in psalms set to ambient music and song.
The story of Jonah and overcoming prejudiced and anti-antisemitism and sin and learning to forgive and seeing Jesus and the Gospel in the story of Jonah
From Prison the Apostle Paul writes to Philemon to take back his runaway slave Onesimus and accept him not as a slave but a brother in Christ.
Heroes of the faith from Hebrews Chapter 11 who walk by faith and not by sight and are justified by faith and not by works.
This title is a direct reference to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6. Here, Jesus cautions against doing charitable deeds purely for public praise, instructing: 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
My Dad had a great attitude about life… even when he was sick not long before he passed he would jokingly tell us and others he was no going to be buying any green bananas because the Lord might take him any day. That’s where I got the ideal for this song.
Old Negro Spiritual Gospel lyrics and feel with pleas to join the journey to our homeland
John 19 Jesus is Crucified- was paid the wages of our sin - For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21
(Gerri Aylor Original Lyrics) with Robin Aylors influence in vocals, instruments, genre's and more but engeneered, organized and mastered with instruments and vocals by by Suno AI Music App
from John 18 where Jesus was betrayed and arrested. They came with torches and weapons like in the old black and white frankenstien movie but Jesus was not the monster. Jesus died in Barabbas place on the Cross... We are Barabbas.
Jesus gives thanks, feeds 5000, The eternal, invisible, spiritual kingdom of God intersects with the physical - New Testament and Old Testament Blitz Examples
Here's a number of songs we might look at for possible Evening Singing at Blackburn Chapel
Timeline of the Offspring of the Woman in the Old Testament who would be King of the true Spiritual Israel and how he would offer forgiveness for rejecting him as King and be our King forever.
A Song about a groovy thrift store done with a Deering Americana 12" open back banjo clawhammer style
In Mark 10 the Rich Young Ruler kept what he treasured most but still went away sorrowful. (6 verses)
"Ode To Marigolds"; song #1 of a series of fun quirky whimsical songs I plan on writing possibly weekly to place on My Sisters and my Thrift Store called Marigold Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/marigoldsresale
What foundation do you build on? Your love for Jesus or his love for you? Internalize daily that you are the disciple Jesus loves. His love is the Gospel... his mercy and grace through faith and not of ourselves.
2nd Kings 4:8-37 is an amazing story from the life of Elisha the Prophet. A true story of grace and joy and heartache with bitter distress for a woman from Shunem who held on to Gods promise and was able to say "all is well", and never quit believing even in the face of death. Gods promise overcame death. Trust his word for every one of the troubles we face... from the small to the great.
Philippians 3, 4 & More! A message with two points accented by two songs: Boston's "Don't Look Back" and Dylan's "Pressing On". This is a sermon from Mutual Community Church 01/28/2024.
Galatians 6:11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Galatians 6:6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who doe such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:11 But if I, brothers,b still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
Galatians 4:8-20 (ESV) 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Galatians 4 part 1 verses 1-7 1I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,a though he is the owner of everything, 2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principlesb of the world. 4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Ukulele rhythm Practice List - some full songs, some partial... songs that to do without picking recorded on iPhone in voice memos with heater coming on from time to time in background at Marigolds thrift store with no instrument / voice mix / most in key of C; one in G. / Robin
5 of us guys get together from time to time and brag on Jesus live on Social Media. This is our Christmas Brag.
The Law (only when connected to faith) served as a temporary mediator and pointer to the promised offspring (Jesus), until he arrived, lived the perfect life we would not, died the sinners death we deserved and defeated the power our sin held through the law by rising again to give all believers new victorious life in this world and life eternal with him.
What is that celebration thread that should run through every holiday (even answer your cats questions day) and in every day hour and breath of our life?
It's elementary dear Watson. "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse;…" Galatians 3:10 but ...“The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11
Galatians 3 Part 2, Verses 5-9 / Abraham, Noah, the Romans, the Galatians, all, even you & I are counted righteous when we believe Gods word, his promise of guaranteed hope.
Self made man gutteral fortitude to love God verses God loving us.
Romans 11: 18 …remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
1st John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. His love is the root.
He also quoted Jesus in John 3:16 For God so loved the world... that came first.
Here’s another (very insightful). 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The Galatians were being bewitched, enchanted, hypnotized, captivated, charmed, seduced, held spellbound and mesmerized; they were transfixed by satans tricks to get them to forget the biggest and best and loudest news ever to enter the world. Nothing else should ever be allowed to drown out the beauty and awesome glory of Jesus and the Cross.
Does every sin distort the Gospel to ourselves and the world? Paul called out Peter publicly for his sin of partiality in preferring the Jewish circumcision party over the Gentile believers. Paul does damage control reguarding Peters sin by boldly and forcefully preaching the foundational message of the Gospel to believers. The Gospel is for every day. It helps us combat sin and keeps us from distorting the Gospel to ourselves and the onlooking world.
This message is Galatians chapter 1... however for some reason I excluded the last three verses which goes along with the text above it showing the developing of Paul's ongoing personal dependence on the Lord after his salvation. Christ is the vine that would supply Paul and all the other the branches(all believers)bringing strength, purpose, unity and community. But the Lord is our source... we look to Jesus; not man and not our-self.
The top of the notes on my phone says: "Jesus can fix this" That's a reminder for me to look to Jesus and point others to do the same. This is the end goal of every Christian counselor's session with someone who is struggling... If you know Christ keep developing the personal part of your relationship with him. If you don't know him, Look to Jesus and keep looking. This is mankind's only hope and joy.
Here's the omitted verses I also mis-referenced in the message. Paul is speaking: Galatians 1:22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me
Matthew 28:1 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Ephesians 1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead…
Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
Mark 10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Psalm 139:5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
1st Corinthians 15 - 5 Stingers of Death - They all Hurt and Resurrection is associated with each one.
1 Corinthians 15:54 ...“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. 8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Psalm 116: 12 What shall I render to the LORD, for all his benefits to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, ... 17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.
There Is A Balm In Gilead Arrangement & lyric changes C @ Robin Aylor Nov 2021 Chorus: G C G f# g G/B C G D D7 There is a balm, in Gilead, to make, the wounded whole; G D/F# Em G/B D G The precious blood that Jesus shed, heals the sin-sick soul.
Em C G/B D/F# Em C D D7 I hear the Great Physician, whom among you are in need Em Bm C Bm7 C D7 G D From his wounds, came forth, our only remedy
Repeat Chorus
Em C G/B D/F# Em C D D7 So come ye shattered, broken, to him who was stricken for you Em Bm C Bm7 C D7 G D Jesus was paid, our sins deadly wage and raised to make all things new
Repeat Chorus
Em C G/B D/F# Em C D D7 You may not preach like Peter, you may not pray like Paul Em Bm C Bm7 C D7 G (D) But you can tell your neigh-bor, how Jesus died for all.
Repeat Last Verse
Tag there is a balm in Gilead
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Matthew 26:67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, ... Matthew 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:16-18
The Spirit Gives Us Assurance: 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Suffering Within the Family Gives Us Assurance: 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Future Glory: 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers,e we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8, ESV, Session 1, No Condemnation
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For many years I was plagued with this question: Am I a child of God? If you can identify with me, I think this has the potential to be a great help to you for your peace and joy.
Jesus sees us in our wilderness. He seeks us out and shows his glory to all who turn away from hoping in sin and look to him with delight.
1st Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Noble Birth... Shamed! To Seek After Power... Shamed! To Treasure Worldly Pleasure... Shamed! Silver, Gold, Money, Nice Houses and Cars... Shamed! Obsessions with sex, long life, good looks, TV... Shamed!
1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. 72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Awesome truth for a broken world!
Bragging on Jesus, Tag Team Preaching... 4 speakers... Gary Babb, Brad Chase, Robin Aylor and Daniel Castor. John chapter 9 Jesus heals a man born blind.
Solomon gives a straightforward simple truth statement; then, like a professor lecturing his students he seems to give a complex problem for his son to think through where that truth is needed for discerning the proper judgment or action.
Todays devotion answers the question: Where do I go or where should I go to satisfy the various kinds of hunger in this life. We will be looking at Proverbs 27:7-10 and... we'll breifly look at one verse at a time and then a consise summery at the end.
Proverbs 27:7 One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. Ok, well... first I'm thinking that in this proverb Solomon is counting honey as something that is good... I think he is using it as a metaphor and holding it up as the “prize” you might say... something we can look forward to and delight in... as the best thing. Truth is... honey is delightfully sweet and we know it is full of nourishing minerals... It's a great gift from God and it makes a wonderful dessert.. better than your typical candy bar. But if we're already stuffed full of other stuff... bad greasy food or we might even be stuffed full of good food... The point I think is that if we're already stuffed we miss out... in Solomons example we miss out on the joys of the amazing, sweet, nourishing honey.
And the application... I think we could say its easy to fill our life up with all kinds of stuff,... junk or even things that have potential benefit to ourselves and others... we can take in all that but if we do not have room throughout the day for what is the sweetest and most nourishing thing in the Universe... That is delighting in Gods word and prayer... even time in fellowship with our family in the Lord... If we put those things last, then... in a sense they are like the honey to a man thats already stuffed full... they become detestable to us. And it may be that the very thing that brings this on... this filling up our life with junk is because our soul is hungry and we see the world as the answer to sweeten our soul instead of Jesus.
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. This seems to be speaking of a man who in a way has a hunger sickness as well... and it drives him away from saftey... He goes off into the world looking for satisfaction... away from everything that is good and nourishing... he even leaves the sweetness and goodness of the honey in his home like the man we just read about. So I think this verse syncs nicely with verse 7. Know what is or who is best... Jesus; and fill yourself with his sweetness... Take his mercy and grace.
9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. So... the sweetness of a friend, I think is good right? It's like the sweetness and nourishment of the honey from verse 7 and the saftey close to home in verse 8... I mean, look... don't go to the world looking for not only satisfaction like we talked about but also counsel. Discern what is good... Discern who is a good godly friend that can provide sweetness and sincerety and honesty. Don't fill up on the junk counsil of the world so that you loathe what is good... We all need help and we all need accountability. It's not found in the ways of the world. And like perfume that Solomon talks here about or comparably maybe those sented wax melts change the apmosphere in your home... they can encrourage or lighten your spirit... So will good counsil and nourishment from a godly friend encourage your soul.
Here's the last verse in today's passage: 10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. Listen for full transcript
CS Lewis said: If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
In John 6:35 Jesus said this: …“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,…
And in John 7:37 he said this: …“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
2nd Corinthians overview. Theme and exposition is keep looking to Jesus in faith. Just as in our initial salvation we are to live by grace through faith. We are to count on Gods grace every second with every heartbeat as we walk in faith on our new mission in Christ
Proverbs 13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.
I have like most people appetites mostly related to food. How many times a day do I replace whatever I was doing or thinking about with thoughts of a meal, a snack, that leftover dessert, drink, or just something sweet or salty. Our appetite for food is a powerful basic need that is never completely satisfied. Like our need for food, we have other appetites including: comfort, safety, power, control, security, relationship, rest, adventure, fun, and love. I find that those appetites are never completely satisfying either. My comfortable chair seems too high or too low. That adventure I really want to do may cause physical injury, wanting more power or control may come at a high price of sacrifice, and loss of control may lead to feelings of insecurity or desperation. Maybe the goal is to live somewhere in the middle of each of these appetites? But even that seems like we might be missing out on something greater that we might obtain or experience. When we focus on fulfilling one of these appetites to complete satisfaction, it seems to always result in sin. Affection for comfort neglects the power of the comforter. Longing for safety places my protector on the the sideline. Seeking power turns my thoughts inward and chips away at my soul leaving no room for true peace. Seeking any of these natural appetites to be filled exclusively always leads to more longing, disappointment, and dissatisfaction.
Why can my appetites not be satisfied? And Why does God’s food or provision for an appetite many times seem undesirable?
I see one example of appetite in the people of Israel in the desert after being lead out of captivity from Egypt.
Numbers 11:4–6 ...
Later in this chapter we see how God responded to their dissatisfaction and unthankful hearts.
He sent an enormous amount of quail to eat and with it a plaque that made many die because of their “craving.”
It is interesting the name they gave that place where these events happened.
Numbers 11:34 ...
Ecclesiastes 6:7 ...
In Proverbs 13:25 it tells us that the righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,....
Matthew 5:6 ...
John 6:35 (ESV): 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
“Life”. We find our satisfaction in pursuit of Jesus for he tells us that he is the bread of all our appetites like comfort, adventure,safety, fun, love...
Truth: Our satisfaction then proves connected to our efforts in pursuit of knowing Jesus.
Proverbs 13:25 ...
The second part of this verse addresses what happens to those who are not connected to Jesus or “the bread of life.”
They experience a spiritual famine and continue to have a deep need for the “Bread of Life”. They will continue in anger, selfishness, lust, pride, and hunger with appetites that will never be satisfied.
We should be content and satisfied with Jesus above all else. Every other appetite unchecked will not satisfy. These appetites leave us longing for more or worse destroy our lives.
1 Timothy 6:6–8 ...
1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
God help us pursue Jesus. Forgive us when we forget the richness that is found in Christ. Thank you for your grace and mercy that we experience every day without a second thought. Your Son, Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies our every appetite when nothing else can. You are good and I pray that we will be content and remember always that we are rich when we are found in Christ no matter our circumstances and that Jesus is the bread of life that can satisfy our every appetite.
This is a devotion about Jesus in the Old Testament and specifically Proverbs chapter 8. Also a poem about Proverbs chapter 8 by robin aylor.
Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. 32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, 36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
Proverbs 26:6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 7 Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. 9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10 Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. 12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
I like the extreme metaphors he uses in these verses... and just when you think the passage is all about being a fool and maybe the readers are saying... yeah thats right!... and they start thinking of people like those Solomon has referenced... then like a clever hunter he springs the trap that lets us see our own selves and should bring us to our knees...
Ok... 6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
A fool will not deliver the message right?... At least not in a timely fashion. You might as well be sending a message by a man who has no feet or maybe one who stops by a pub on the way to his destination and gets into a fight and is thrown in jail... The messenger is not trustworthy.
7 Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Now Solomon says how all these things that a proverb can show a man are like lame legs... they are just there.
8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool.
Imagine a fool receiving a reward from a President with great honor before men and then continuing on with his foolish ways... How will people react when they see this honored man living out his life in wickedness? He will still be known as a fool. The true honor intended for him remains tied in the sling.
9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Here's another verse similar to verse 7. Not only is it just there like legs that are lame but its also like a thorn stuck in someones hand. It should bring attention to the fact that something is wrong... A proverb says how Sin needs to be addressed in the life of a man drunk on foolishness but he does not feel the sting of reproof.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.
Now we see how a fool is not trustworthy to use a weapon. No! Dont bring a fool with you hunting. Don't give him a weapon in battle... Dont let him preform surgery on you.
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.
Its quite gross to see a dog licking up his vomit.. right? We'll it's repulsive when a fool keeps on wounding people with arrows and is numb to his sin and how it destroys. It's gross to see him elevated to honor only to return to eating his own vomit. Why does he keep letting his legs hang as though they are dead or his feet cut off? These pictures of a fool are disgusting and may even bring a bit of nausea to our stomach.
But you know what... After all this talk of a fool Solomon says this:
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Look, there is hope for both the prideful and the fool... just more hope for the fool... Pride is a killer... it is in us all. If you are a believer God is at work eliminating pride from your heart. If foolishness causes us nausea, pride should bring us too our knees within our heart. In our heart we should be living in sackcloth and ashes, while at the same time going forth with joy and love and confidence in Jesus who humbled himself for us... even dying for us and giving us his righteousness. We should humble ourselves and love others as he did. He will one day raise us up with him in glory with an inheritance we cant even imagine.
Pray
Missions to the moon,
1 - 1st Manned Mission: Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,... 28 ...And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,...
2 - Man made his own mission sharing the image of his own brokenness: Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
3 - 1st God-Man Mission: He lived the perfect life Adam and we did not. He was paid the wages of sin we deserve with his own death. He was raised from the dead. Believers receive his righteousness & resurrection power over sin in life and death. *Only believers share this testimony in baptism and then with our life.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
4 - Re-commission - Great Commission, sharing Gods glory in the world. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The 1st manned mission to Earth, the Moon, an Asteroid, Mars... also the first God-man mission, We take a look at Adam and Eve, Neil Armstrong, NASA, Jesus, you and I as well as how Gods first mission for Adam and Eve is the same mission for all believers.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,... 28 ...And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,...
For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 27:23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? 25 When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, 26 the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. 27 There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.
Today's passasge finishes up chapter 27. These few verses have been quite interesting to me for a long time. But before we focus lets think about the placement. Throughout the chapter Solomon speak of vairied matters of the heart of mankind. How the hearts of man can sharpen one another in good discourse... He speaks of how the eyes of man are never satisfied which surly references the state of his heart. He talks of how a mans heart reflects who he is like water reflects his face and Solomon speaks of how praise can purify the hearts of some while crush others which seems to relate humility and pride in the heart.
So lets look closer at todays text and see if theres a link to the heart. Well, the first part of the passage talks about how nothing last forever.
Proverbs 27:23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?
So take care of what God blesses you with... be responsible... Whether you are a king or a farmer. No matter your station in life use wisdom.
James 4: reminds of of this same finite existance: 14 ...What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
1 Peter 1:24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
So yes, life is short... and we have numerous kinds of riches God has blessed us with. We are not to squander them on self centered things. We are not to use Gods blessings to promote our own false sense of glory. Theres just no true joy or peace or victory in that and that was our old mission... satisfy ourself with the promises of the world and promote ourselves to others. Spending on self glory causes any riches to be wasted and eventually circles the drain or as the Bible indicates it is burned up as stubble.
One of many cool things about the riches of God is that as we spend them on seeing and sharing more of the glory of God instead of self he lavishes us with more riches in him.
You know... it seems to me that in Solomon telling us life is short and we should give attention to our herds and then how riches dissapear and a crown does not endure to all generations. He just might be pointing to what he has been throughout the chapter... our heart.
Pay attention to your heart. Guard it with wisdom... This is where your greatest riches riches are kept. May the riches God bless you with be so great that you can pass them down to as many generations as possible. That would be our legacy in Christ for his glory.
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Now in closing read 25-27
This is the part of the passage is beautiful in the way its written... I think it flows like poetry. But to what does it refer?
I can't say I have all the answers to this but if Solomon is continuing with the theme it seems he is pointing to the blessings of God in a physical sense again and that there is a parallel spiritually for us.
The extreme example he gives is with a person who has nothing but what God has given him in creation. If this person has a heart for God and glorifies him with the blessings God has given him instead of squandering them for his own glory... then he and his household are rich... They are fed and clothed and maintained and satisfied wanting nothing.
Proverbs 25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. 2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, 7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble…
Rewards of the Heart Proverbs 27:18-20 18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. 19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
So, right away when looking at this passage, I find myself asking “What on earth is a fig tree anyways?” Which led me down a rabbit hole of Googling pictures of fig trees that eventually led to threads on how to care for them. As it turns out, fig trees are pretty temperamental. In fact, they need tons of sunlight in order to produce healthy fruit. But why is this verse coupled with something that has to do with protecting one’s master? And then it skips on to talk about water and then these random places that are “never satisfied”. In order to properly how this passage can apply to us, I think it would be best to digest each verse on its own, and then weave them together to help illustrate how these verses can help us best live out our lives as followers of Christ. We’ll start with verse 18:
18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.
For the full article with audio go to braggingonjesus.com and click on the Proverbs tab.
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Proverbs 13:24
“Son I’m doing this because I love you”,The father says as he slips off his belt and draws it back as he prepares to swat his child’s rear end. Yeah right the son thinks as his body tenses up and he gets himself ready for the impact. In the next few moments that child is going to feel lots of things. A bit of anger and frustration, a little bit of sadness and sorrow and a whole lot of pain on his backside. But he is not expecting to feel loved in that moment.
Was his father lying? Did we just find a typo in the Bible? Maybe his father and the Bible are wrong. Not at all, Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, realizes that discipline done right is motivated by love.
When a father sees something ugly, destructive, or damaging coming out of his son he knows that the most loving thing he can do is address it. He must take action. And when the thing is ugly enough and serious enough that action may even need to be physical. The pain that comes with the swat is is a real and tangible reminder of where all sin leads. Sins may promise big pleases but they always bring sharp pains.
The father that is diligent with loving discipline teaches his son to flee from all of these destructive and damaging things that lead to certain pain and misery.
God is no different when it comes to dealing with his kids.
Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV says, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
There are times when God’s children wonder into sin. Hard hearts and selfish attitudes that linger may demand the fathers attention. And wile our earthly fathers may mishandle the rod from time to time our Heavenly Father never does. When he disciplines he does it with perfect wisdom and care.
And if you find yourself under God the fathers discipline consider these two things.
1 Do not take His discipline lightly. God is not careless with His discipline. So if he finds reason to correct you, pay attention and respond with repentance. Chances are that you are headed in a dangerous direction.
2 Count your self blessed - The Lord disciplines those whom He loves. Know that The very thing driving His discipline is the love He has for you as His child.
Proverbs 27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. 22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.
This passage is compelling to me… Of course a crucible is a hopper that metals are placed into and then heated until they melt and then pour into molds in order to form them into useful tools.
Alright, what might we gain from these words of Solomon? Well, when the heat is on… impurities are separated from precious metals which makes them worth something when they were of no use before. I think this is the parallel that applies spiritually in our life. Troubles and trials have the potential to make us more pure and holy and in tune with the Lord. We saw this on a National scale with the 911 terrorist attack. The US found itself in a kind of crucible… people were scared and many turned to God… Many churches were packed with people.
So brokenness points us to the Lord… Now, as he often does, Solomon adds something to this truth that I would not expect. He says a man is tested by his praise. I would have thought a man is tested by the troubles he faces… as we said… when the heat is on… when he’s in the crucible… So I think there is truth in that… but the test can begin long before the trouble arrives.
As gold and silver even before the crucible and furnace… with their impurities… they stir up lust and greed don’t they? Then they are sent to the fire and the impurities can be removed.
In a similar way, when a man receives praise the test is on. If he is a man with prideful impurities in his life, he will receive that glory gladly. His lust for popularity will cause him to fail the test. And what does Solomon tell us about pride?
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Remember King Nebuchadnezzar?… Daniel 4:28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar...
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; … 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
So, yes, Solomon is right… a man is tested by his praise. For some the praise and the crucible that follows brings humility and holiness. For others reread today's passage in verse 22.
Thankfully, all who look away from their own pride to Jesus receive his purity imputed to them. Ultimately, he took the crucible for us when he was crucified on the Cross… We are made pure by Jesus and practically we are his work in progress while in this body.
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Proverbs 25:7 …What your eyes have seen 8 do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, 10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. 15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.
In todays text Solomon uses some great metaphors like red apples in a silver setting… this one makes me think of a painting… one that seems fitting and balanced and fits the occasion; I don’t know maybe like lights and a tree and children in their pajamas at Christmas or fall decorations at Thanksgiving with turkey and dressing and 3-4 families trying to scoot up to one table for dinner… Its a picture that is just… right! Let’s see… he says that someone who listens to wise reproof is like a ring or ornament of gold. It’s the perfect accent right! We may not always think so but repentance looks good and right on all of us. Humility is fitting for sinners. Solomon then talks about a faithful messenger being like I would say… a refreshing snow. Of course we don’t use messengers as often as they did in that day. But when the message senders we use like text and email work flawlessly it is just as refreshing to us. These are ways we communicate today right? So, this is one place we should use apt speech. Think about some of the social media formats we use like FB and twit... How many people use words fitly spoken in these things?
I tried to post a message on FB just yesterday that I thought was formed very aptly. In the post I explained that every morning I read both liberal and conservative news to help me discern the bias in the media and I found two conservative newsletters had been tagged as spam by google. Still, I was not certain any malignant intent had been done in my case. The post was asking if anyone else had noticed any of their conservative newsletter being sent to spam. However FB would not let me post it because they said it went against community standards.
So yes, in this case I thought mine was a word fitly spoken; but unfortunately the metaphor of refreshing snow did not apply because the messenger was not faithful.
I think a good spiritual application for what Solomon wrote can be seen in Colossians 4:
Paul is speaking in Colossians 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Look, we need clarity as we share the love of Christ; a word fitly spoken… We need to speak aptly… and not only that but we need boldness. These are things Paul desperately wanted in his own life. If we have accepted this new mission in Christ then we need as for the same thing as Paul so we can messengers who deliver the clear message of good news. When we do this… like Solomon said about a faithful messenger refreshing his master I believe our Master smiles as well.
Next vs 14 uses some other weather metaphors like clouds and wind making promises of a rain that never comes. So sometimes the words seem fitting and apt but they are lies. We must be true witnesses of Christ.
In John 3 Jesus told Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
Finally verse 15 of todays text says: 15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.
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1st Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. 23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
Alright… you know, some may thing that here in verse 21 Solomon is saying that if you’ve always wanted to burn your enemies or get back at them… well, this is the best way to do it without sinning. Hold on to your horses partner... The Apostle Paul gives us some help on this and actually mentions this verse in Romans 12.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.h Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave iti to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Now Paul’s exposition of Solomons words indicate no evil intent but rather to bless those who are against us and do not curse them. Seek peace, don’t avenge… do not repay evil for evil… don’t be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good. If there is any vengeance deserved, Paul says that’s God’s business; ya see, it’s above our pay grade… leave it in the Lords hand… don’t let vengeance steal your joy… keep loving and doing good to your enemies… It will drive away evil and show them that the Lord is glorious.
You know… the truth is that fighting evil with evil only feeds wickedness in both parties. It breaks down the walls of our own hearts to let more evil in. Verse 23 says: The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. So if we fight evil with evil there will be more evil… it is an unending circle until one decides to forgive and love.
So what might be the context of doing good is like heaping burning coals on your enemies head. Well, what we know for sure and have verified with Paul is the main call to action from the verse and that is… love your enemies; right?
The first thing that comes to my mind about putting coals of fire on someones head is that it’s gonna hurt… This is gonna hurt your enemy. If coals of fire are poured on someones head it is likely to kill them. If this is the context of the metaphor Solomon uses I am wondering what is the spiritual truth of coals of fire… So I keep thinking about this… Now showing the love of God to others who are hurting us defiantly will confuse them. In some countries of the world this kind of forgiveness is very foreign to people. I asked a missionary friend in a Muslim country about this and he indicated that many are taught that offenses are to be met with retribution. So when they are shown this forgiving love it opens their eyes to something they’ve never known or even considered. Love that is given in the name of Jesus has a way of killing sin and death whether physical or possibly in this case spiritually… hurts as though coals of fire are poured on us. This is a purifying fire.
The reference Solomon makes with the coals of fire may also connect to Leviticus 16:12 where the high priest brought a censer filled with coals of fire to burn incense on the Day of Atonement. Solomon and Paul both may have been associating this as a symbol for the purifying or driving away of sin.
So in conclusion I would say godly love in action is inexpressibly better than trying to defeat evil with evil. Love is better both for ourselves and our enemies as we show it to them.
Broken World Series Luke 13:20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
Matthew 16: ...12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
4 mini messages from HPOC Homeless Shelter Woodward Oklahoma. Elevated sound may be distracting with passing trains and heater. Christmas Theme
How did David persevere through this broken world with purpose and joy and victory?... and how do we?
Countdown to Christmas began before the ages.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Christmas Reading, Luke 2, about a 5 minute word and lots of songs / with a few silly songs toward the end.
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. 26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice. 27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.
Fear, Love, Trust and Purpose...
For a full transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir. 22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. 23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
He (G)leadeth me, O (C)blessed thought For (G)good like (Em)Jo-s-eph, in (G)trouble (D)wrought And (G)Is-ra-el through (C)the Red (Cm)Sea Tis (G)God's own (Em)hand that (G)lead(D)eth(G) me
Chorus: G D Em C G He lead-eth me, He leadeth me C G Em G D His own, foreknown, we, who believe G D Em C G His grace and calling He guarentees C G Em G D G To share in his glory for ete-rn-ity
G C Sometimes mid scenes of deepest woe G Em G D In pain, dis-tress and much sor-row G C Cm Though billows wave ore troubled sea G Em G D G I rest in Him who lead-eth me
Chorus: G D Em C G He lead-eth me, He leadeth me C G Em G D His own, foreknown, we, who believe G D Em C G His grace and calling He guarentees C G Em G D G To share in his glory for ete-rn-ity
G C Full-ness of joy, waits in store G Em G D At Your right hand pleasures ever-more G C Cm Please show us more of You're glor-y G Em G D G And thank You Lord for lead-ing me
Chorus: G D Em C G He lead-eth me, He leadeth me C G Em G D His own, foreknown, we, who believe G D Em C G His grace and calling He guarentees C G Em G D G To share in his glory for ete-rn-ity
G C Now when my task on earth is through G Em G D And this brokenness ushers me to You G C Cm My Savior, Raiser, dead though I be G Em G D G In-to Your presence lead-eth me
Chorus: G D Em C G He lead-eth me, He leadeth me C G Em G D His own, foreknown, we, who believe G D Em C G His grace and calling He guarentees C G Em G D G To share in his glory for ete-rn-ity
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,b lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
One song... I'm pressing on... I'm going forward... I will not give up I will not sit down, back down or turn around If I fall down I will not lay down or stay down, I'll get back up and go and not slow down
The enemy says: you're a failure, right? Not just once a month or a few times a year... But... Every day... I hear him say: You're worthless, you haven't got a clue, what to do, where to go, how to lead, who to fol-low You're not smart, you don't finish, you don't have heart, you don't even know where to start Your foot's not big enough to stop up your own mouth But your lips still speak, and your heart betrays, All the ways, you're weak You're a fiasco, a disaster, a fouled up screwball dead duck failure. You lag behind, you'll never reach the finish line... You cry out "someone give me my inhaler!"
That's what I hear the enemy say. But... in our weakness we're strong. The light, of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Shines through the cracks in the darkest of nights, As we erupt in joyous song...
Still, you pray every day, and you wont retreat, or surrender defeat You put on your veil, to the enemies wail, his threats to Impale and doom you to hell You ignore all his lies, for your eminent demise, you welcome the pain Not trusting your eyes, you run not in vain through the wind and the rain
So you press on for the prize... You know what lies through the sunrise, Where you'll sing of your king and never more die, to this one who all your needs supply
And now, all along the way... You cant help but proclaim, The breadth of his story, in this blood bought domain So onward you strain, to the death for his glory, his promise to obtain Yes... it's his promise I said, which you hold till your dead Its not your word or your work that secures your stead As faithfulness shows faith, running says... you've joined the race Against the old mans skin, the sin within, As you rest in who's best, to the praise of his grace
Still, we are not our own... And so... his pledge to obtain, we press to make our own But only since Jesus has already made us his own So then, we are Gods work in progress, and not our own Created in Christ Jesus for good works to his glory and not our own
And I am sure that God will finish this work which he has started Before the world, his thoughts, his words, all the plans he chartered So don't be discouraged, press on undismayed, Sing out God's praise all your days We have good reason to sing and dance, Through faith we shall claim our inheritance
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Preached At Providence Place Assisted Living via video in Woodward Oklahoma November 2020
Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. 18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,c but blessed is he who keeps the law. 19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.
Today’s verses address reproof and the lack thereof in our children as well as society. Here he says how for the child… a whipping accompanied with a good talking is so they will gain wisdom but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother… Of course this “hands off and no reproof” way of child rearing is quite common in our culture today. So many people say “well I don’t want to influence my children about God or right or wrong or truth but let them make up their own mind.” Look, the devil and the world will be super happy with your way of thinking because while you are leaving your children to themselves they will be teaching and brainwashing and promising them all kinds of treasures which are all lies that will bring them pain and misery and bitterness and an unfulfilled life with little or no good benefit to others.
If we raise our children and discipline them properly and point them towards truth it will bring delight to our heart. How so?
For a full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
Well, Solomon also tells us how this apathy in standing up for what is right works in a similar way in relation to our country and our world. When a people begin forgetting Gods law; that is, all his promises and all the truths and commands which are actually for our good in his word… When wickedness is rewarded then lawlessness is seen as the answer to society’s problems. That is not the answer in families, businesses or nations.
When there is no prophetic vision of the people they cast off restraint and reject Gods law… That makes sense to me. If people do not believe Gods word or the prophecies about Jesus, how he came and lived and died for us and rose again… If the people do not believe the prophecies of how he will return then they have no hope in this broken world full of wickedness. They are not going to believe Gods word or follow his laws… They will cast off restraint like a child left to his own self centered ways of thinking.
Theres a day coming when we all stand before God and those who have been given the righteousness of Jesus will like Solomon says, will look on the downfall of the wicked or those who did not accept the righteousness that Jesus lived out in his own life on earth. Solomon says blessed is he who keeps the law and the cool thing is that Jesus lived a perfect live and kept the law for us and applies it to all who believe. You know, the wages is sin is death but Jesus died the death we deserve and for all who delight in him he gives his righteousness and begins doing a work of motivating and quickening good works in our life or causing real and practical righteousness to come out of our life… Its nothing we can brag about but it’s him working in us. Jesus also rose from the dead and he gives us that same resurrection power to have victory over sin in this life as we walk with him. And as Jesus was raised we will one day be raised incorruptible no longer subject to the bondage and entropy related to sin… no more arthritis, Covid-19, no more hate, sorrow, tears… no more death. Thank you Father for this great gift through your Son Jesus Christ.
This is part three of our series of devotions from Proverbs 17 and today we are looking at the always controversial subject of money. Is it okay for followers of Christ to be rich? Is it okay to have nice things? Is it okay to want to work hard and make more money? These are all questions I have personally wrestled with in my journey with Christ and thankfully, Proverbs 17 provides us with some clear advice regarding our pocket books. In this devotional, I will share five quick observations with you about money and its role in our obedience to God from Proverbs 17.#1 - Hard work is nothing to be ashamed of.A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers. -Proverbs 17:2 (CSB)Here we see that the prudent servant will share in the inheritance before the disgraced son. This is one of many verses throughout the Proverbs and scriptures as a whole that encourages us to be people who work. There is no place for retirement (as most Americans would define it) in the Biblical worldview. We must work unto the Lord in all that we do. Work is good as long as we remember that it is not God.#2 - Money is powerful, how will you use it?A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds. - Proverbs 17:8 (CSB)We all know that the one with money tends to have the power. As an American I must be aware that I am rich. I may not feel rich when I compare myself with other Americans, but in global terms I am in the top 10% wealthiest on the planet. That is a sobering and wild thought. The question is how will I use it? Will I seek to buy the latest phone and keep up with those around me? Or will I invest my money in important Kingdom work and share with the less fortunate around me and throughout the world? The choice is mine. The choice is yours. Money carries with it power and we all get to decide how and for whom we will use that power.#3 - Wisdom is worth more than money.Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? - Proverbs 17:16 (CSB)We’ve all seen the lottery winner who blows it all. Without wisdom money just makes you a dangerous fool. If you want to improve your quality of life and the impact you make on others, search for wisdom instead of money. The one who has wisdom without money will be far better off than the foolish rich man in the end.
4 - Dave Ramsey would be proud.One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend. - Proverbs 17:18 (CSB)Long before Financial Peace University, Proverbs 17 told us not to cosign on a loan for our family and friends. It never works out well and as Dave Ramsey says it makes Thanksgiving dinner taste different when the person across the table owes you money. I know you are trying to help by cosigning with someone you love, but the best way to love somebody is to tell them the truth when they can’t afford something. Don’t buy stuff you can’t afford and don’t aid others in buying stuff they can’t afford. Just because the bank will loan you the money doesn’t mean you should take the money.The wise have the self control necessary to live within their means while fools look for shortcuts to get what they can’t afford.#5 - If you must be bought, be bought by Christ.A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice. - Proverbs 17:23 (CSB)Money has tainted many good men (and women). Don’t allow your principles and values to be bought. Turn down money that goes against your conscience. Why? Because if you are in Christ you have already been bought and there isn’t room for two masters.
For a full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
This is the second in our series of devotions from the 17th chapter of Proverbs. I have titled this devotion, “Don’t be a dolt... people are your legacy” and as with the first devotion this comes from a collection of various verses in the chapter.Oh, how we must pity fools or as we are calling them for this series “dolts” based upon a reading of verse 21 in the message paraphrase. In these selected verses today we see perhaps the most relevant of all the devotions in this short series. We rarely think of legacy. This is probably due to the fact that to think of one's legacy is to think of one's death. It seems that for most, legacy or the mark that will be left behind after us isn’t thought of until it's too late. Legacy is not something that is built overnight - legacy comes from a lifetime of action. By the time we are faced with the question, “What will people remember of me when I'm gone?” it is usually too late to change that perception. You maybe thinking this doesn’t really matter does it? But, I would argue that it does! Your family tree can be changed for better or for worse depending upon who you were and the legacy you left.The reason I said this might be the most relevant devotion in the series is because most of us spend our time on work when in reality Proverbs 17 seems to point to the fact that in the end it will be people, not work, that defines our legacy. In fact, I am going to argue that through the way we live we can build the legacies of those who came before us and it is through investing in those who come after us that our own legacies will be established. My encouragement to you is simple: You will leave a legacy, you get to decide whether it is intentional or accidental. Make it intentional friends. An intentional legacy honors God and honors those who come before and after you.#1 - How The Lives We Live Build The Legacies of Others Before starting Ascent Church I spent a year as a church planting intern under one of the most Godly men I’ve ever known - Steven Earp. Of the many lessons I learned from Steven this one stood out tome in a profound way. He said something like, “Blake, my goal is to be a small part in as many big stories as possible.” For Steven, he didn’t necessarily want to be the guy who started the big movement, or wrote the book that led thousands to Christ, or become the next great preacher. No, he wanted to be one of the men who invested in the men that would do great things for Christ’s Kingdom. Steven knew that it was the successes of those whom he had invested in that would ultimately define his legacy. Everyone who has been helped by any of my sermons or maybe even this devotional has Steven to thank in part. His legacy goes on through me and the other men and women who have interested in me also are reflected in my work for Christ. This is a great responsibility for me! Because I know that my actions aren’t just reflective of me, but also of Steven and the many others who have invested in me. This means my sin and foolishness isn’t just a grief tome, but also to those who have a part in making me into who I am. Look at the following verses from Proverbs 17.A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. - Proverbs 17:21 (CSB)A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. - Proverbs 17:25 (CSB) The message is clear. Don’t be a dolt! Your life will either honor or dishonor those who came before you. #2 - How The Lives We Invest In Become Our Legacy My grandfather in law (Junior Zollinger) is an amazing man and role model. I love going to his house for Christmas and family get-togethers because I get to see the fruit of a man who prioritized investing in his family and leading them with Christ centered values. At his house, I see legacy in action.
For a complete transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. 13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. 14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.
Verse 12 makes sense right? A wicked ruler does not want some righteous person looking over his shoulder and reporting his misdeeds.
Proverbs 29:13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
This makes me think of how we all originate from God… He is the one who gives our eyes the ability to take in light and discern images and truths in the wondrous beautiful world around us. But even more so, it is God who opens our spiritual eyes to see Jesus the Messiah as beautiful… as good news… as the greatest treasure in the Universe.
Proverbs 29:14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.
Ok, so first Solomon spoke about a wicked king and wicked officials and now in this verse he says there is also a faithful king…. so we have two kings. The faithful is one who judges the poor fairly and the wicked king and his officials could care less about justice but seeks his own glory. So these are the two contrasting kings in the passage but I think it’s the middle verse 13 that ties them together in a very insightful and doctrinal way.
So God gives light to the eyes of people... but why? He gives light to the eyes of people in all Nations and people groups of the world to so they can see the glory of God in his creation that they might find and delight in him.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
So the heavens for example are not Gods glory but they declare attributes of his character that point us in his direction. His beauty, his power, his blessings in rain, his power in monsoon rains… his holding back of rain… all these things give us glimpses of characteristics of his holiness which includes justice and mercy both. Not that we should watch creation to see if God is angry or pleased with us but rather we can glimpse his ways. For example: Is a hurricane necessarily his judgment for sin? Is a beautiful sunshiny day necessarily a reward for righteousness. I think not, but these do direct us to align ourselves with our Creator and realize that in our sin we should go to him for mercy. But the heavens do declare his glory right? We might think about his wisdom and knowledge as we look up at the stars or a million other things in his creation… We cannot help but know he is amazing and the filthy rags of broken glory in ourselves cannot be compared to his beauty. And the thing is… God has given mankind eyes to see his creation that we might feel our way towards him.
Acts 17:26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
So then God gives us eyes to see the beauty of his creation which makes him look good which he is.
So what I think links the verses about the wicked king and the faithful king is that they are both given eyes to see Gods Creation so they have no excuse for not seeking him and knowing him. The wicked king sees his own glory but rejects the light of the glory of God in the Messiah. The faithful king sees how amazing God is and seeks to know him better and God opens his eyes to see more and more of his beauty.
A parallel of the Gospel in the Old Testament that points us to Jesus and the promise of a guaranteed hope for sinners obtained through faith.
For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 29:5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. 6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. 7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. 8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. 10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. 11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
I believe there are a number of things we could gain from today's reading. However; there is a thread that runs through it all which is mentioned in verse 6. This I what I’d like us to consider today. ...
So as always there are two paths mentioned here the path of the evil and the path of the righteous.
Let’s look at a kind of time line or maybe a heart-line for the wicked person in these verses and then we’ll come back to the righteous man in verse 6.
Verse 5 begins with an ungodly man… not singing… not rejoicing but rather something else is coming out of his mouth… It is flattery towards his neighbor… not for their good to build them up… but for his own benefit. Solomon says he is spreading a net for his own feet. Verse 6 says sin catches the evil person in a trap echoing verse 5. Verse 7 talks about how the wicked man lacks understanding of justice for the poor, (I suspect that is because he is consumed in his own self-centeredness) and in verse 8 we see the scoffer (also wicked) is full of wrath setting a city on fire. Next the fool (again also evil) when arguing rages and laughs… apparently in place of making a good case. Verse 10 speaks of bloodthirsty men hating the blameless seeking the life of the upright… Then finally verse 11 says how the fool gives full vent… It seems he lets out his frustrations on the world.
Can you see the heart-line of the wicked man? He is not a happy person… not really. He’s looking for happiness in all the wrong places… He’s going about it his way and not Gods way. He’s using some and flattering others. He’s taking advantage of the poor, he’s scoffing and putting down some and burning the city to get peoples attention making his statement by destroying other peoples property. (No, he didn’t burn his own house)… He laughs and rages on and on giving full vent to the discontentment within his heart. That’s his heart-line.
I love the second half of verse 6.
6 ...but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
While the city is burning and Covid-19 is sweeping the globe the righteous man sings and rejoices.
For one thing this one who is rejoicing… Something has radically changed his perspective on life…
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
What on earth can do that? What can cause the righteous to sing when others spread evil, false gossip about him? What can keep him smiling when he is sick or on his death bed or sitting in a prison cell like John Bunyan who wrote Pilgrims Progress or the Apostle Paul who wrote so much of the New Testament?
Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
What’s the heart-line that runs through Paul and Silas and so many Believers around the globe who’s homes are being burned… who are being tortured and killed because they rejoice in Jesus?
Acts 5:41 speaking of Peter and other Apostles after they were beaten says this: Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
It’s because Jesus is the good news of great joy for the sinful soul. He’s the pearl of great price for the spiritually bankrupt, He is the great treasure worth leaving all for. He is our righteousness, peace, victory, inheritance our guaranteed hope and so much more now and for eternity.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 13:20-21 20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.
Bill and George (Brad Chase)
Gather around little children. I want to tell you a story. Are you ready? Ok. Here we go.
Once upon a time there were two little boys. Bill and George. They went to the same school and were in the same class together. They had the same interest and liked to play the same games. They traded lunches like playing cards and even spent the night at each other’s houses. For a time, you might have thought they were brothers. They were inseparable. They were 2 happy boys who enjoyed each other’s friendship.
As the boys got older, some things began to change. Bill’s parents fought. A lot. And eventually they split up. George’s mom and dad ( who were already married) began dating each other! How funny is that?
Bill’s brothers and sisters were never around and didn’t want to play with Bill. They thought he was a baby. George’s brothers and sisters all made it a point to be together and were sure to show their love for each other. They even told each other they loved each other!
After a while, even school changed for the boys. Bill made friends with the “rough” crowd while George hung out with a variety of people. But, Georg’s new friends weren’t trouble makers. See, Bill felt love and acceptance from his new friends. Even though the friends didn’t always do what was right.
High school was crazy for the boys. They had drifted apart and hardly knew each other anymore. Bill started doing what his new friends did instead of doing what was right. Half way through Bills sophomore year, he was arrested and ended up in jail. His friends had talked him into doing some really bad things. George was doing well though. He had lots of friends and was doing well in school. He was even going to church and telling people about Jesus.
Let’s jump ahead in our story. Where are the boys now 10 years after school. First, George. He has strong family ties. He is rooted in God’s word and has many Godly friends. He has a high school diploma and a career he loves.
But Bill. Bill has recently been released from prison for the 3rd time. He has no degree, no family and his so called friends are only there for him when he is doing bad things.
Bill made poor decisions for friends. While some of it was personal choice, there is also an element of influenced decision making. Look at the family life of the two boys. A strong, loving and present family produced a well rounded positive adult with direction. A difunctional family where Bill thought no one cared sent him racing into the arms of a rough crowd that ultimately destroyed is life.
Up till now...
Our passage for the day says...
Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. - Proverbs 13:20-21
The reality is that we are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Disaster peruses each and every one of us. But, God in his love and mercy sent his only son, Jesus, to die on a cross so that through his shed blood, God would be able to look down on us and see us as righteous.
So, what does this mean for our friend Bill? Is it too late for him? No! As long as he is alive, he has an opportunity to make new friends. Better friends. To become a friend of Jesus and therefore being seen as righteous in the eyes of God.
The same is true for you. If you’re listening to this or reading this, and have not yet done so, you still have an opportunity to accept the friendship God is extending through his son and be declared as righteous. Today’s the day the this is the hour to make new friends.
Trust / Gerri Aylor C @ 09/28/20
Today I trusted in myself, It didn't work I see I planned the day, just what I'd do, Twas all in vain for me I've learned I cannot trust in man, God's word proved that is true And you can't trust your feelings; Hey, that is nothing new
Well, I recalled what must come first In early morning light The worship of my Lord my God, Who makes my day alright The world will always trick you; It's ok, “just have your way” But if you sin, what's coming is A dark and heavy day
We'll never have the energy To change our way of life Until we call on Jesus; He'll save us from the strife We often plan our lives so sure; This is what we all do But truly God, it's in Your hands, It's totally up to you!
Gerri
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Proverbs 29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. 2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. 4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.
Today Solomon takes a look at some commonalities between a wicked person and a wicked Nation.
First let’s consider the individual that is prideful… that's what the metaphor of having a stiff neck indicates. He is set in looking at life the way he wants to in his heart and will not turn his head towards the truth. You know when you stiffen your neck or any joint in your body and you hold it tight as heavy stress is placed against it… there is a possibility of injury.
And the thing is… truth will not back down. It presses down hard against every lie and every worldly promise of satisfaction. It eventually breaks every person who holds a stiff neck because truth always persevere and is always proved right. We see it individually here on earth in the course of our life as we follow false pursuits and if we keep a stiff neck we will see it on judgment day and on into eternity.
So just as wickedness brings pain and brokenness to individuals it also breaks Nations. We see it over and over through recorded history in the Bible with Nations like Egypt and so many of the evil Nations they encountered in their wilderness travels and not only them but all along the way Israel also experienced much neck trouble when they stiffened their neck to the ways of God. Even students of modern history look back and see these same consistencies among nations who have turned away from God and embraced self serving ways. Solomon says how when the wicked are calling the shots for a whole Nation it causes the people to groan.
And you know what?… real bodily neck trouble can cause a person to really groan... Am I saying truth? If you’re like me you know the answer to that. Ive had lots of neck problems in my life.; first as a young boy and then again and again many times. You may know how hard it is to find the right spot to hold your head and you have to wear a brace especially when you lay down and you can hardly drive because you have to move your whole body to look to the right or the left. Just as it is with an individual... A nations neck begins to stiffen its a sign that lots of groaning is in their future.
In closing lets look at what Solomon goes on to say about an individual and nations both in regards to those without a stiff neck to God: 3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,… 4 By justice a king builds up the land,…
So… then there are some who have a neck that is not fixed in cement to go their own way… Instead, they hear God’s word, turn away from wickedness and trust in God…
(turning from sin is called repentance and trusting God is faith).
That’s cool right?
Even in Solomon's day one can see how wickedness and trusting in self brings brokenness beyond healing and looking away from the promises of sin and to God with faith brings salvation.
We see the Gospel in the Old Testament over and over.
As for the individual... Solomon says how if his son loves this kind of wisdom it makes his father or him... glad…
Receiving the Gospel manned our Father in heaven glad as well.
As for a nation that trusts God… they give truth its place of honor and therefore justice… Solomon says how this does not break the nation beyond healing but rather builds up the land.
Pray
Proverbs 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”
Alright, remember in the last session Solomon focused on the misuse of alcohol, food and women… We talked about how what we take into our bodies and what we do and our relationships should all be for the glory of God. Today Solomon is quite pointed to what sin he is referring to and spends many words focusing specifically on the misuse of alcoholic beverages. I think this passage can provide us some more touchstones for discernment in all things on our journey through life… Lets look a bit closer…
Solomon lists a number of side effects or repercussions of drinking alcohol in excess. He accentuates the pains it can bring with words like sorrow, woe and strife. He asks: “Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?” Then he gives an answer to his own questions and I believe that what he says has applications which we can add to the lists of touchstones for discernment that we looked at in the last devotion.
So Solomon has posed questions about who it might be who experiences all the miseries he raised. He says it’s “Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine”.
If he was speaking of food as he did in the last session he might have said: It is those who tarry long at the table… those who overindulge in rich, greasy foods and sweet desserts…
Solomon's words on drink parallel with an obsession with sex that led to the adulterous woman earlier in the chapter. There is a symbiotic seed that is shared between all sin and Solomon is showing us how to see it before it devours us.
Last time we talked about how what leads or motivates a man will determine what he walks towards as he seeks satisfaction. One verse we looked at was Galatians 5:16 which says: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
We talked about how the Spirit of God is good and there is a context in which the flesh is good but one or the other have to lead us and have the final say in what we do through life.
Like food, and all the things that appeal to the flesh… drink also promises satisfaction. Every thing the world offers can claim our worship. Tarrying long over anything can be a red flag for us to ponder. Whether its long hours away from family at the office or the golf course or way too many girls night outs… even the physical blessings God gives his people can become something our heart tarries long over… sometimes even before we get them… its called lust and is the dark word we might use for worship.
Solomon also mentions mixed wine… This makes me think that for some people simple wine is just not enough. And so they push the envelope of a particular sin. Take pornogrophy for example… after a while a particular type of image may not excite someone like before so they mix other genres of porn in their cup. Because sin does not actually satisfy, all sin that is tarried over long will likely lead to mixed sin.
So Solomon goes on and describes a person who does not know where his bruises came from… His own mind and heart plays tricks on him... he’s paranoid. He is blind to his purpose in life. His life is a heavy fog. He’s numb to the joy of true life. He has all of the fallout Solomon spoke of… sorrows, woe and strife… and yet at the end of the day he says: “I must have another drink.”
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For a full transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. 25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. 27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. 28 She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. 4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. 5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. 6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, 7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.c “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. 8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.
It seems to me that in these verses Solomon is counseling us against appealing to man for our welfare in life… that is trusting others instead of God. Men make promises for money and good things to those who they can use for pawns and I think Solomon is saying don’t get caught in that trap. Dont succumb to the pressures of others to do things that go against your God given conscious or His word. Don’t get caught up in the rat race of the world searching for treasures like there is any chance that they might satisfy you… they won’t. That extra money you earn driving the get away car is not going to pay your family doctor bills. Gods way is the best way!
... For full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
So in closing, everything Solomon has mentioned here is not only about a man trying to use you… It is about much more. Satan offers us… you and I his delicacies, but they too are deceptive food. He keeps on keeping on as he tempts us to work for him throughout our lifetime. He knows that if we get a taste for sin… we will want more… and we will say “yes sir” and “thank you sir”. He may promise us good times, riches and power but once our eye sets on it… we find we can never get enough to make us happy… then one day we find that all along satan was leading us to our own destruction and we vomit up his delicacies. Satan never wanted good for us… He is the stingy man Solomon spoke of… he sought his own glory and it led to his downfall… and he has tempted mankind with the same even from the days of Adam and Eve and we know how that turned out.
But God who is not stingy so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son who lived the perfect life that no one else would and he died the wicked sinners death everyone deserves and defeated the wages of sin which is death that no one could. And whoever delights in him is given Jesus righteousness and power over sin and will be raised up no longer a slave to the entropy of sin… no more sickness, pain, covid-19 or even death and will be with the Lord forever.
For full transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 22:26 Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? 28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. 29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Today we look at three obvious examples of how men strive to get ahead in life.
I want to focus mostly on the first thing Solomon mentions and then we will touch on the other two.
Solomon tells us how we should not be one of those kind of people who put up security for loans and then make promises to pay. Is Solomon saying never take out a loan? I don’t believe so because there are times borrowing and loaning is mentioned in the Bible with no seeming implication of wrong doing by either party. However there is a heart behind some borrowing which is obsessive and self centered and can ruin a persons life.
Every day in the world people see things and their heart begins pounding for them… not out of necessity but out of lust… Credit Cards hit their limit over and over…. and people become poorer and poorer in money and in their heart towards God. ...
And for believers, satan gets what he wants… he ties our hands and keeps us working day in and day out to pay debts and so we have little extra time for our new mission in Christ… ...
So we have touched on three things that mess our life up when we become slaves to the loans we have taken out.
One is that our worship begins shifting from God to the things of the world.
Secondly, our incoming money shifts from our new mission in Christ to paying for things.
Thirdly, our time is taken away from us. We spend it not only paying for those things we’ve given our life to… but also spending time with them and taking care of them. that is… dusting, storing, repairing, even using in an effort to find satisfaction because we believed the promises of the world over the promises of God.
Solomon also gives us a couple more examples of how people get ahead in life. I’ll read the last two verses again and then briefly touch on them.
28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. 29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Some get ahead by reinterpreting truths to suit their own interests. They take advantage of others by making a case based on passion and smooth talk. They take things out of context and manipulate the poor and helpless.
Then in closing Solomon tells us a better way. That is dependable and skillful workmanship. This is glorifying to God.
Ecclesiastics 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,…
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
When we fervently glorify God by honest and good work, we are emulating him…
Actually, if the Lord is our worship then It is Him who is at work in us… and he will not let up or quit… he will not turn back but he, like an artist, a potter… greater than any expert craftsman is making us into an amazing vessel that will mightily glorify himself and in doing he brings great joy to us.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Proverbs 22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23 for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. 24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, 25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
Solomon teaches us not to selfishly take advantage of the vulnerable and easy targets in society. ... And then Solomon says not to enjoy friendship with an angry person or a person who takes out their frustrations on others; or else we may become like him.
So in these verses we find a few villains. One robs the poor; one subdues the afflicted; another is full of anger and the last mentioned is a wrathful man. These are all brothers… or at the least close relatives in the family of villains.
For those who take advantage of the poor and afflicted… Gods word is clear… God will deal with them firmly. Believe it.
Small clip of Gods related word to Israel: Exodus 22:22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
So yes, God is serious about taking advantage of others.
What about the angry and wrathful man? ... God will deal with the angry and wrathful person.
Colossians 3:6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
So God will deal with the one full of anger and the one who shows his anger practically with wrath. The believer will receive discipline with the love of a Father toward his children while one who rejects the free gift of the love of God in his only Son Jesus… will actually receive the full force of the anger and wrath of God.
Romans 2:8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
In closing Solomon tells us how we become like those we love to fellowship with and admire… This is the dark side of the principal of associated glory.
Proverbs 13:20 says: Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
And the Apostle Paul agrees in 1st Corinthians 15:33 saying: Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Even as believers we may tend to think that if we do not hang out with the major sins that plague mankind like murder and adultery or theft… if these are not our friends… we are good. WRONG!
In the letter to the church in Laodicea John writes this from Jesus: Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
I think a good thing to ponder is this: Who do you make your friendships with? Not only speaking of people but passions… Who did you hang out with last night? What movies did you watch? Where did you go on your smart phone? What sites did you ponder on the internet? Who are you making friendships with? The Bible has clearly shown us that we will become like these.
Moses ask of God in Exodus 33:18 ... “Please show me your glory.”
Paul connects how God showed Moses his glory in the next chapters to 2nd Corinthians 3:18 which says: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For a full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 22:17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. 20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, 21 to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
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Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
We are blind; he is the eye opener.
We are deaf to his words; he gives us ears to hear.
We have no understanding or awareness until God let’s us know Jesus is the greatest treasure in the Universe.
We are dead spiritually like Lazarus was physically until God says come forth.
We are without form and void, and darkness is over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God hovers over our heart. And God says let there be light and we become a new creation in Christ Jesus.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The good news is how Jesus is the promised one from Genesis 3 after mankind fell into sin. He would come and do what mankind did not do and that is obey Gods commandments and keep his word perfectly as a man. He gives his righteousness to all who believe God concerning Jesus, looking to him as the promised one for their unrighteousness. Jesus came and lived a perfect life and died the wicked sinners death we deserve. He was paid the wages of our sin. Then, on the third day he defeated the hold sin had in death through the law (the wages of sin is death… the soul that sinners it shall die); and God gives us that same power over the hold sin has in life to have victory over temptation as we walk with him. God will raise us as Jesus was raised no longer subject to the entropy connected with sin to be with him forever.
So back to the text… again; the first reason Solomon wrote about the truths he says is “to make you know what is right and true”. He wants our eyes and ears and heart to be awakened to Gods truths. Thats what happens when we see Jesus as good news.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2ndly Solomon says he writes these things “that you may give a true answer to those who sent you”.
So yes this goes perfectly with the Gospel through all of scripture. #1 see, #2 share. We usually do this automatically even when we are passionate about things of this world. Football and all sports... other hobbies... our favorite food, music.... we see, we hear, we taste and if we like... then we share.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
In today’s passage we find that Solomon wants us to discipline our children. And apparently there is even a time when it is appropriate to use a rod on them. I suspect some have used this verse as an excuse to take out their frustrations on their children… maybe even beat them so that they could hardly move. Please do not read this into the verse!!! It is not there. In fact the very next verse which we read says how we should not to oppress the poor to benefit ourselves. You see… God does not approve of oppressing others not the poor as his word says and certainly not our children.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
So we cannot provoke to oppress our children and yet at the same time Paul and Solomon both say we must discipline them. In Ephesians Paul helps us even more saying how the discipline we give should point them to the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 says: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
So then spankings… I received my share growing up… with a belt, a paddle and a switch come to mind… also the bare hand… …spankings have their place and there is a time when they are the best possible tool. We need to be good at using discernment… not only for the appropriate measures but also in knowing our child’s heart and what type of discipline points them to the ways of the Lord the best. And thats not all… we must check our own heart and if we are responding to them in hot anger simply wait. We must do all things with love for our children good and to the glory of God.
As far as verse 16 speaking of oppressing the poor or giving bribes to the rich… all for our own benefit. I believe we have spoken on this in a number of Proverb devotions. But let me say this. Whether it’s our relationship with our children or our spouse or our friends or if its how we relate to the rich or poor. We need to look out for their eternal good. Let them see us living lives of love and always pointing them to the awesomeness of Jesus and how he is good news of great joy and the greatest treasure in the Universe. How he lived a perfect righteous live and died a wicked sinners death… a death meant for us… How when he rose from the dead he defeated the hold that sin had through the law (the wages of sin is death) and God gives us that same power over the hold sin had over us in life so we are not slaves to sin as we walk with Him. And one day God will raise us no longer subject to the entropy associated with sin… no more pain, sickness, arthritis, covid-19… no more death and with him forever.
Pray
Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” 14 The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
It’s interesting to me how these two verses fit together so well… ... For one we human beings rationalize and make excuses when we don’t want to do something claiming it is dangerous or will cause pain or suffering in some way; … While with open arms a man will run towards the arms of a forbidden woman which can ruin his life. The forbidden woman is a thousand times worse than a lion for sure! I believe we can see the spiritual parallel of how the forbidden woman not only represents adultery and fornication but also the forsaking of our Creator and making all kinds of sin into god’s rather than the Lord. So this forbidden woman can lead a man to eternal destruction while a lion can only kill our physical body.
Something else… When I come to this verse a “take notice” flag pop up as if to say slow down, something seems different here. Let me read verse 14 again. ...
Then I notice what seems off... the verse is written backwards as to how I normally think. I would expect it to say something like whoever falls to a forbidden woman will evoke the LORD to become angry. However, it seems to say here that the LORD is angry before this person ever falls for the sweet sounding words of the forbidden woman. The word that stems from the Hebrew for “angry” is also sometimes translated enraged or abhorred.
This shouldn’t be surprising to me… its easy to see how a man will lust and ponder after a woman… even fantasizing in his mind… before he ever approaches the forbidden woman. The LORD is not happy with him for all his evil pondering of sin. I think that is the definition of worship… but it is not the worship of God but of sin. The LORD has good reason to be angry… And this man who may have purposed in his heart not to approach the forbidden woman in the real world… (only in his mind)… he cannot overpower the LORD and how he is angry because of his heart of sin… and what happens? ...the man falls. This senerio plays out so many times every day in the world.
As I think of my own life… a related question comes to mind… When the LORD is angry with someone; will that person only fall in the same genera of their sin? …Or will they fall into other pits of sin not directly connected to their sin? Is that possible?
Maybe even as a believer you are like me and have committed spiritual adultery in various ways.
It seems to me that there are times in my life when I am re-routed off his path by pursuing a sin and then I have found that God has allowed other areas of my life to suffer.
Most often the pit that I have fell into that stems from some sin seems to be that I become blinded to areas of focus, the purpose God has for my life… ... Sin causes our reality to be distorted... it did that before we came to Christ keeping us from seeing His beauty and sin still causes spiritual fogginess to the beauty of Jesus! ...
When we as Christians prostitute ourselves to the world we seem to begin to make ourselves at home here instead of looking to the kingdom God has prepared for us and we stray from our new mission of seeing more of His glory and sharing his beauty with others. … Sin leads us to more sin… back to our old mission of seeking to glorify self.
Thankfully however, in my own sin, the LORD has been merciful to me personally. After sin sets in… God continues to draw his children back to him… hopefully sin does not keep us in the wilderness for 40 years… but after an undisclosed amount of time, repentance comes and the joy for the good gifts of God return. The fog lifts and my awareness, faith and hope returned when I humbled myself to my Savior.
This stark realization of how sin takes hold should motivate me to stay far away from the slippery slope of sin, and when I do sin to turn back oh so quickly!
Proverbs 22:10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. 11 He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. 12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
Today we find some good words for leaders in various organizations… business owners… governments… even close knit type circles of friendship… Drive out a scoffer…
First who is a scoffer? That would be a person who’s always ridiculing in a scornfully derisive or mocking way. Some people just hold this way of looking at life and relating to others at their core. Its not that they are not capable of change… it does not mean Jesus does not love them or did not die for them… its just that they will cause all kinds of trouble in your business or organization and your group will struggle to accomplish great things. Typically I think the scoffer buddies up and builds up those he is with at the time but then he puts them down when he is around others. He is one who sows discord and division.
Jude 1:18 recounting what the apostles have said puts it like this: …“In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
Look, we all need struggle and we all need our ideals to be challenged… It’s ok to disagree with others and its good to offer constructive criticism. But scoffers seldom meet privately to offer their ideas… They usually tear others down behind their back and if they do so to their face it is usually done in view of others so they will be seen as tough. Dont be that person who is always backbiting and gossiping about someone else. Even a scoffers close friends will likely soon understand that they are being belittled behind their own backs as well. Solomon likely drove out scoffers from his own administration in hopes to prevent an attempted overthrow and secure a godly kingdom.
Then verse 11 encourages us in what seems to be the opposite of scoffing. Solomon says how a godly king will count those as his friend whose speech is gracious (rather than scoffing) and those who love purity of heart.
Finally in verse 12 we find how that in all these things Solomon has been saying God is calling us to emulate himself… that's what its all about... see 2nd Cor 3:18 Gods glory transforms us taking on his character and fruit of the Spirit.
Let me read 12 again: The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
IF we look at this verse as describing two men with opposite natures… one who has knowledge that Proverbs speaks so highly of for the wise man of God. The Lord keeps watch over him. This is the man who loves purity and whose speech is gracious in verse 11. He is the one who will have the king as his friend which I think points to us who have a heart for God… a heart he has changed… we will have him… the King of Kings as our friend.
Solomon then says how the Lord himself will overthrow the traitor. The Lord will drive out the scoffer who claims to be his servant when he is around believers but then like a traitor he sides with darkness and scoffs at godliness. He is a traitor and divider and turns people away from the kingdom. He will be driven out.
In Luke 13:28 Jesus said it like this: “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out”.
Pray
Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. 9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
... Let’s take a brief look at each one in a physical and spiritual context then look for the link between them.
A borrower is slave of the lender right? I mean, we may not think of it like that but the truth is.... if you have a $500 monthly car payment and a $1100 house and you make $100 day... if so then you are really working 16 full 8 hour days every month for your lender... and likely for many years… and if you don’t pay they will take disciplinary actions like someone might do to a slave… Surely not as severe but still the message is clear… borrowers are slaves in some context to lenders.
A spiritual application to borrowing money from a lender to obtain something we desire might be thought of like this. Consider all the different kinds of sinful things that tug on our hearts promising to fulfill our deep spiritual desires. And no, their not for free. They all come with a price want us to be paying them off for the rest of our life. We become slaves to the lender and the products we receive don’t even satisfy but rather lead us to destruction.
Next Solomon says injustice will not win the day. ...
Look, the path of injustice has the same end as every other path. They all end in true justice. So injustice does not have the last say. Even in this life in places where there is at least some kind of justice with laws that protect the vulnerable and those who cannot defend themselves... In these places injustice is short lived. Thats likely how it was in Solomons kingdom. But its not to say that any society does not fall short… we all do. ... But nevertheless, on Judgement Day all injustice will be judged with true justice.
Finally Solomon speaks of a bountiful eye being blessed. A bountiful eye is a cool phrase. Bountiful means generous and openhanded… ...You know, I can see that being related to a persons heart or their deeds but its not everyday that we hear of someone with a bountiful eye.
Solomon gives us a clue to its meaning though… he says the person with a bountiful eye shares his bread with the poor. So I take that to mean that he has an eye for the needy and he already has made up his mind that he is going to lavish them bountifully in some way that will be a great help to them. Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in our own problems as we walk through this broken world that we cant see the needs of those on every side of us. The person who has an eye for the poor and oppressed stays ... on the look out for those who are overlooked by society that they might show them compassion and bless them in the name of the Lord. Solomon says that these people will be blessed.
So all these verses today go hand in hand in pointing us to Jesus. Remember in verse 7 we learned that the borrower is servant of the lender and sin comes with an eternal payment due. In verse 8 we saw how injustice cannot escape judgement day and all sin will face justice. Then finally in verse 9 we looked at how the bountiful eye will be blessed and he shares his bread with the poor.
Well, thats a charge for us sure… but you know… thats what the Lord did for us. He had a bountiful eye towards us and blessed us when we were needy.
In Mark 2:17 Jesus said: …“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
He showed us our need of Him and his beauty as the greatest treasure in the Universe… We looked to him in faith and were blessed In Christ Jesus.
He is the one who sets us free from our debt to the law because of sin. And justice is done in that Jesus is the one who takes the wages due us for our sin… It’s all because of his bountiful eye towards us because of his glorious grace through Christ Jesus.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For transcript go to braggingonjesus.com Click on Proverbs Devotions
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. 2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. 3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.
Alright, as we start Proverbs 22, Solomon begins talking about money or wealth. He mentions riches in three of these four verses, but first he tells us there’s something better than great riches even mentioning silver and gold. This is actually very profound… It’s like in one hand Solomon holds out the greatest most valuable things the world treasures… the things that can be used to obtain any physical thing one might desire. Great riches… And he should know a thing or two about them…
1st Kings chapter 10 is one place you can read all about Solomon's wealth. ... (transcript at braggingonjesus.com)
Great riches are still important to men right? … silver and gold are still at the top of the worlds list even around 3000 years after Solomon wrote these words. So Solomon holds great wealth in one hand and in the other… two things which he says are greater than these… a good name is a better choice than riches; and favor is better than silver and gold.
Solomon also reminds us that the rich and poor all share a common origin. We share the same Maker… the Lord… And he says the rich and poor meet. Somehow this meeting is connected to God making us all.
I was just thinking ... (transcript at braggingonjesus.com)
Man was made in Gods image for worshiping God and loving our neighbor as our self. Not for being obsessed with riches. ... (transcript at braggingonjesus.com)
Next, in verse 3 we see an example of how a prudent person can see danger and removes himself from it. Although this verse does not mention riches this prudent person ... (transcript at braggingonjesus.com)
Finally in verse 4 Solomon says: “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life”.
And Solomon knows this truth on a deep personal level. Remember when he humbled himself in the fear of the Lord and ask God to be the leader God wanted him to be? 2nd Chronicles 1 tells us what God gave Solomon.
2 Chronicles 1:11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”
So God gave Solomon the very things he mentions in verse 4… riches and honor and life.
In closing today my mind goes back to what Solomon said in verse 2 which we looked at. “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.”
We talked about origins and how God is creator of us all… How the rich and poor both came into this world with nothing. You know, we were created for relationship with God. He wants us to neither be obsessed with poverty or riches but pursue and worship him as the greatest treasure in the Universe that he is. We were created in a fashion so that seeing his glory brings us the greatest joy possible and transforms our life.
And the truth is… the rich and poor will meet in some fashion again… even with our Creator on Judgment Day. Once again we will have nothing. We all stand poor before our Maker. If we have turned away from treasuring sin and looked to Christ. If our hope is in him then although we are poor we come before God with the righteousness of Jesus. and we receive life and riches and share in his glory forever.
Pray
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Proverbs 28:23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. 24 Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys. 25 A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. 26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. 27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. 28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.
In our last session, we considered a faithful man verses a man who hastens after riches and we looked at how his worship of money caused him to be an unfaithful man. Today Solomon floods us with a blitz of reasons not to be that wicked stingy unfaithful man who is only out for himself… These passages seem to me to serve as a kind of review for the whole chapter in some ways… I don’t know if Solomon wrote these all in one setting or if the Scribes organized the proverbs in this fashion but… hey it works well.
So in todays verses, as Solomon talks about the wicked rising to leadership roles and being greedy… having apathy towards the poor, not honoring their parents and trusting their own hearts over God… And even as he gives the positive to the negative telling us about the benefits of trusting the Lord… something else stands out strong. It’s in the first verse of the passage.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.
You know... we live in an age where it is politically correct to give a false definition to the term “tolerant”. “Tolerant” does not mean to be a faint hearted paper tiger and hide truth in a sock in your bottom drawer or sweep it under the rug when company comes like it is dirt.
Look… all this wickedness Solomon speaks of needs to be addressed and as early as possible before hearts become hardened. But it has to be addressed in love and I think as believers it is imperative that we do this correctly to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
As I said, it needs to be done in love. In my life I’ve seen three ways believers respond to wickedness in the Church.
- One is by not reaching out in love… not serving with humility the one who is going astray… instead; keeping our mouth shut and doing nothing. And some times the whole church is being led in a way that is unscriptural and believers do not stand up for the Gospel or good theology and we just let the church fall into the lap of satan himself.
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If there is a small fire in your house it is not good to ignore it …is it?… and a big fire… do your best and call the fire department. Look, we are to leave no brother or sister behind. We are our brothers keeper.
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Another way we respond to a pattern of sin in a believer is to start right out by rebuking him publicly not with humility but with a prideful super Christian I’m better than thou attitude. Really? Is that Christian in any way shape or form? We probably all know someone who has left the church because someone who has rebuked them in an unloving prideful way. This could be the arrogant man in verse 26 who trust in his own mind and is a fool. And it may even be the wicked man in verse 28 who when he comes to power every one hides from. I’ve seen this wrong way of rebuking in the Church and I don’t even want to repeat what I heard or how bad it was.
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Thirdly, I’ve seen what Solomon says in verse 23. That is... instead of flattering someone who is walking in sin... rebuking them with a heart of humility. Those who see how sin brings destruction while Jesus brings satisfaction... Those who turn from rejoicing in sin to delighting Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe will look to the one who rebuked them as the one who reminded them of Jesus. They will look to you with favor.
Pray
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. 21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. 22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
In today’s passage Solomon says how a faithful man will be bristling with blessings… overflowing… And then instead of simply giving a one line negative end for the one who is not faithful, he expounds on this truth in more detail than usual.
So one man in the text is faithful. Then, interestingly; without using the word “unfaithful”, Solomon uses other words to show us some of the attributes of this unfaithful man.
- He is one who hastens to be rich.
- He shows partiality towards others.
- He is willing to break laws and take advantage of others to get something he wants or needs.
Then in verse 22 Solomon repeats the fact that hasting after wealth is a bad thing and he uses a curious word… “stingy”. “A stingy man”. The dictionary on my computer says stingy means: “unwilling to give or spend;”
Again, Verse 22 says: ...
So Solomon gives us all these things that relate to a man being obsessed with money and getting rich quick and doing whatever it takes to do it… and somehow he seems to be saying this is the opposite of the faithful man who will abound with blessings.
To be faithful is to be steadfast in the things of God. ... This faithful man will bristle with blessings.
That does not mean money is bad in itself. Like anything else it can be used to bring glory to God. But rather it’s loving money so much that… even though one does not realize it… it has become what they worship and find their delight in.. You know, that is clearly making ourselves other gods that we place before the LORD.
1 Timothy 6:10 says: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
You see, money does not bring delights that rise to even be compared to the joys that come through Jesus. This is where God wants us to find our worship.
So… money is not bad and things are not bad… but loving and delighting in them… being so obsessed with them that we run after them hastily… We put all kinds of things on credit cards that we want right now because we think they will bring us joy. God wants us to walk in his joy and worship every second of every day.
In Deuteronomy 28 Israel is about to go into the promise land and God will overflow them blessings of all kinds of things meant for their good. But in this chapter God gives them a severe warning of around 100 curses that will come upon them if they do not do this one thing when they come into the promised land.
46 They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. 47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,
So there is a practical aspect of being faithful and saving without obsessing… for this world. Proverbs 13:11 says: 11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
But at the end of the day it’s all gonna be long gone, right? So even here on earth whether we have much or little God has promised abundant overflowing blessings to those who have faith in him and in whom his faithfulness is working out in their life practically.
You know, Jesus is the only one who was ever truly faithful in this world. And his righteousness is applied to all who believe in him. On the cross he took the wages due us for our sin and gives us the wages due him for his righteousness… even fellowship and relationship and acceptance by God. In his resurrection we receive the same power he has over the hold sin has in death and in life as we walk in his joy and worship.
Proverbs 28:17 If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him.
From the beginning, intentional premeditated murder is something God has decreed to be an abomination and dealt with severely. We see this first when Adam and Eve’s son Cain killed his brother Abel and then in Gods commandments and the courts of his people and all of mankind. Its even something I believe is imprinted upon our hearts.
I suppose one reason this is so important is because Man was made in the image of God. Today I’d like to ponder that for a bit… What does made in God image mean? For one thing It must mean that unlike the rest of Creation we were created to be compatible with God in a more intimate way. I mean… families share lots of physical characteristics right? They might have the same eyes or chin or a similar walk. These things identify us as family and remind us we were meant to have strong unifying family ties in fellowship and relationship.
So then does being made in Gods image mean we physically look like him?
I do not see that in scripture.
The truth is that Jesus himself who is God the Son, came to earth physically resembling the image of man… And yet there is something else… Jesus; quoting from Colossians 1:15 “is the image of the invisible God”.
So we were made in Gods image but Jesus is that image. Even as a physical man he had the invisible qualities of God. And so it stands to reason that Adam and Eve had something invisible about them that mirrored God.
So as we ponder this… I was just thinking… and this is interesting to me… how that mankind has plenty of invisible qualities at least in some context. …. but animals who where not made in Gods image have these also… so, that being said… I believe none of these things are mirror images of the invisible God which the bible speaks of… rather they seem to point us to their spiritual counterparts which must be awakened by God.
It does make sense that God is invisible because he is spirit… right?
In John 4:24 Jesus said this: God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
And so Gods way of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling is spiritual as well… And when God awakens his Spirit in you and I, all of a sudden our world is…. like full of beautiful colors and music… wonderful smells… We see Jesus as beautiful and savor his word as the best thing we’ve ever tasted.
Look, since Adam and Eve believed in satan over God, the relationship… the fellowship of the invisible image of God upon mankind was broken. Man became image bearers of sin and self and satan. But still, God created us in a fashion so that sweet spiritual camaraderie with God could be restored… even for those who never had experienced fellowship with God before.
...Read text again...
Please verify all my ponderings yourself by going to Gods Word.
Go to braggingonjesus.com for full transcript
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
Rulers Who Lack Understanding R Aylor
I love the metaphors Solomon uses in his writings… Proverbs is full of them. Even in this chapter so far we have encountered a few. In verse one he says how the righteous are bold as a lion and then in verse 3 he gives a scenario where oppressing the poor is like a beating rain.
Here the picture Solomon paints is a wicked ruler coming for the poor people in his land… and he’s attacking in full assault mode like a roaring lion or a charging bear. Thats a pretty graphic picture… the outcome will not be rated G or PG13 but a lot worse… still its a true and honest representation.
The next verse… 16 continues speaking of a ruler who is a cruel oppressor saying he lacks understanding and then Solomon says how one who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
Solomon does this quite often… He starts us with a truth to ponder… say a positive to a negative… something about the wise and righteous and something else about the wicked… Either somehow they are related… or we get to fill in the blanks to the negative or positive truth he is sharing. Many times Solomon seems to want us to finish the thought so we can work it out in our own mind and internalize it for ourself. I think he wants us to know why we believe what we say we believe instead of taking his or anyone else’s word for it.
So verse 16 says how a ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor… We might also consider 15 about a wicked ruler charging at the poor… and therefore as we think through this we can figure that a ruler who has understanding will be compassionate and just toward the poor instead of a beating rain that strips them bare. A understanding leader will work to raise the poor from their poverty for their own good and that of the nation.
Solomon then says the word “but’… “but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days”.
Again this seems to be a positive end for the ruler who has understanding… so what is the negative? Yes, Solomon says how a leader without understanding is a cruel oppressor; Solomon says thats the negative side but he has now added something else for us to ponder. The cruel oppressor must have loved unjust gain… Solomon tells us how this wicked leader oppresses the poor… They unfairly take advantage of those who have no recourse. They unjustly take what they have like the beating rain in verse 3 of this chapter.
Solomon also gives us another nugget to backtrack on. A good just leader will prolong his days. Therefore we can surmise that being an oppressive unjust leader will not wind up being a healthy course for his career or his life.
How does any of this relate to me? I’m not a king or leader of a nation.
We all lead others. Our life, our choices, our faith, our attitude… the way our heart works out into our life actions… even our facial expressions. At the very least even if we stay home and never involve ourselves socially with others there is some kind of butterfly effect that contributes to the heartbeat of the culture.
Fathers, be encouraging leaders in your families. Dont be a roaring lion or charging bear dominating them for your own self centeredness. Dont seek to have your family serve you but rather serve them and work to the end that they have joy in serving God and loving their neighbor… Encourage them… Work for peace and truth that your family might grow out of the things they are weak in and your family might become strong in the Lord for his glory. One benefit this will surly bring is that it will prolong your days as one who is looked to in love as the godly leader God has called you to be.
Pray
Proverbs 28:18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. 19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
Lets start with the second phrase… of vs 18... it says how the crooked “will suddenly fall”. This seems to indicate that there may be at least a season before that when the crooked might appear to be successful. I think we do see the wicked appearing successful often times in life. And that seems to trip up some people in their faith… It plants a seed of doubt.
In Psalm 73, the writer Asaph saw this and it bothered him. Verse 3 says: For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ...
Psalm 37 is a psalm of David and it’s likely just what you need if you don’t understand why God has not stepped in yet. It starts out like this:
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
Solomon also says how those who walk in integrity will be delivered. We’ll look more at that in a minute.
Next in verse 19 he plays off the word “plenty”. It says:
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”
So these are surly the same men he has been telling us about throughout Proverbs. There are various attributes and characteristics of a “righteous” man who has a heart for God . Gods righteousness works out of his life as he grows practically in that righteousness. And then there is the wicked man with his characteristics.
Verse 19 speaks of this one who has a heart for God and righteousness… He is the man of integrity in verse 18… not lazy… he diligently works hard; has plenty of bread. This same righteousness from God also works in him to love his neighbor promotes a ton of other godly traits.
But the man without a heart for God… who in this sub genre of wickedness is lazy to the things of God that have to do with working for a living and providing for his family… Solomon says that they too will have plenty… plenty of poverty.
So in these two verses we see two examples of a wicked man.
One seems to be successful for a time so he is likely not lazy… and he will suddenly fall… It may be here on earth… it may be not come until death… But one thing is for sure… even if God waits until judgment day for the ultimate fall… it will happen.
The other wicked man was different in that he was lazy. It is logical to assume that he too may have seemed to have it good for a while as he lived off of those around him. A righteous government surly does not enable the lazy to remain as unproductive citizens. I suppose in Solomons kingdom it was like this… the lazy had plenty of poverty.
The physical and spirirtual application of todays verses are clear I think. Walk in integrity and not crookedness; be diligent in work and not lazy… there are consequences now and for eternity.
In eternity because truly good works which are motivate by the Holy Spirit in our life are evidence that God has worked his righteousness out through our life.
Spiritually I think our passage speaks loudest in the first phrase.
18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,…
Integrity is a heart thing. It has to do with good character and righteousness but it is foreign to fallen mankind. It can only be received as a gift from the only one who is righteous… that is God and it comes through his son Jesus; the righteous God man.
If you delight in Jesus… the only one who came and lived a righteous life; who died a wicked sinners death… the death we deserve… If you believe in this one who then defeated the hold sin had through the law’s sentence of death… by rising from the grave… If your hope is in him… God will give you 100% of Jesus righteousness and begin working out righteousness and integrity through your life practically… and raise you up for eternity to be with him… all because of Jesus.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 28:11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. 12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
In verse 11 Solomon starts us out today with what appears to be a comparison taking two examples to their reasonable extreme in order to highlight the point he is making. Here we see a rich man and a poor man. But in keeping with the way chapter 28 is written I believe the implication is that these are also a wicked and a righteous man. So using the extreme vastness of the example we see that whether a man is rich or middle class or poor or anywhere in between… If he is wise in his own eyes… if he is prideful… he will be found out by a man of understanding whether he is poor, middle classed or rich or anywhere in between. An extreme example like this shows us the rock solid reliability of this truth across the board.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
So here we can see the person who is found out in verse 11. This man who was wise in his own eyes and concealed his wickedness and true intentions… His ways has come to light and he will not prosper. A man of understanding has found him.
Who is this man of understanding? This one who triumphs and participates in great glory. This is who I want to be. Verse 13 says he is one who confesses and forsakes his transgressions. Thats called repentance. Then in Verse 14 it says:
14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
I think these are the same two people Solomon has been talking about through the chapter.
So this man of understanding is also one who fears the Lord always and does not harden his heart against God or his word.
By the way, this is a good kind of fearing. A child should not harden their heart against a loving parent… No! They should fear the thought of doing so! If they received no correction from their parents it would indicate their parents don’t love them as they should… they don’t care what path they follow or what kind of person they will grow up to be. So this kind of fear is good for the soul and it lets us know we are truly a child who has God as our Father.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
So these righteous who triumph… are those who repent and confess and look to God as Father… Our righteousness comes from Gods Son Jesus… our self righteousness… (todays text indicated this as being wise in our own eyes) The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Jesus did not come to earth to pay us for our sins but rather to take the payment for our sins. He lived a perfect righteous life and died a wicked sinners death… He took the wages of sin we deserve. He gives all who delight in him and his words… all who believe… all who have faith in him… his own righteousness that we might be accepted by God and have fellowship and relationship with him. He defeated the hold sin had through the law by rising from the grave and God gives us that same resurrection power to have victory over sins hold in life as we walk with him.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 28:10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
Solomon does a great job painting a picture of an evil person leading someone in a bad way. It could be this wicked person is simply exalting himself and trying to set himself up as a mentor to a righteous person. Some people thrive on having people like them and think they are cool… It makes them feel good when people see them as a leader… even a rebel who gets what they want and don't take no lip from anyone… and they want approval and acceptance for who they are. So many times they would likely be trying to lead someone down a road they were familiar with… their own territory if you will.. one they have traveled on many times. Evil men tend to exalt their own wickedness as a kind of exalted glory toward others. It could be that kind of leading.
But it also could be that he is leading this righteous person astray into a snare with evil intentions. He could be actually setting a trap and trying to trip up the righteous person. This happens often as well.
I think satan himself combines both of these tactics of leading mankind. Remember, he was the one who fell from Gods favor when he wanted glory equal to God.. and what did he do? He led Adam and Eve down that same path. They were righteous before they sinned… Satan told Eve that God was a liar and if she disobeyed God she would not die but would be like Him.
The path for self glory would be an alluring temptation and it would serve two purposes… It would lead Adam and Eve to be like satan instead of God… And that would bring some kind of a feeling of glory to satan. They and their descendants would be his kindred spirits in a sense. But not only that… It would become their demise… you see… All mankind would would be one day cast into a pit for eternity because they believed satan and his promises for satisfaction instead of believing God.
And the thing is… this trap satan set for these first two righteous ones will one day hold him as well. The devil will be thrown into a pit which God created for him and all the angels who followed him…
Well, after Solomon says how this one who misleads the righteous will fall into his own pit he says “but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.”
So the truth is that we are all wicked, bent towards sin… so, not blameless… we are all bent toward seeking our own glory in some fashion. But although we are not a righteous race, God has made a way for us to obtain a foreign righteousness and then what Solomon says will ring true for us… “the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.”
After Adam and Eve sinned, God said in Genesis 3 how through the offspring of Eve one would come who would bruise or crush the head of the serpent… that is… the devil. So for generations there were men and women who believed God once again and waited for this Messiah to come and do what no one has or ever would do… live a perfect life so he might give his righteousness to all of fallen mankind who believe God with hope and delight. Gods only Son Jesus, the offspring of Mary did this very thing. And he also took the wages of our sin (which is death) by dying on the Cross. Then on the third day he broke the hold sin had through the law and was raised up from the dead. God will one day raise all who joyfully believe in him never to suffer the entropy that is associated with sin again… no pain, no arthritis, no covid-19, no death. And while here in this broken world God gives all who believe the power of the resurrection to have victory over sins power in life as we walk with him.
This is good news to believe in and share with others… I hope you have a great day in the Lord
Proverbs 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. 6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. 8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. 9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. ... ...
Well, Verse 4 starts us out by saying how those who disobey God are not praising him… they are not worshipers of God… ...
Thats a heart issue. We’ve talked a lot about that… ...
When from the heart we forsake Gods word, our praise or… our worship goes to those who are wicked. ...and most of the time to his own self… ... Of course, that was satans sin which caused his fall and that was the temptation he brought to Eve which led to Adam and Eve’s fall and ours as well.
Nest Solomon says how evil men dont understand justice but seekers of God do so completely… then it seems there is an example of this very thing in verse 6.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity...
I believe it’s pretty clear that this evil man who praises the wicked is the same one who does not understand justice. He has decided in his heart that it is just plain better to be dishonest than honest and poor. For him, wickedness seems better than integrity… for him money trumps honesty and good relationships, loving your neighbor as yourself. He looks out for himself and rationalizes his choices. Even when he knows he is in the wrong he thinks it is ok as long as no one else knows of his wrong doing and he can become overly defensive and judgmental against those who question his actions. ...
... another example ...
7 The one who keeps the law ...
The son who is a keeper of the law understands… in keeping with verse 5, he understands justice; while the companion of gluttons brings shame to his father… and according to verse 4 he praises the wicked. ...
8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by...
We actually covered this verse in a Proverbs 13:22-23 devotion called Wealth, Poverty, Injustice and Giving. (https://soundcloud.com/obinylor/proverbs-1322-23-ra-wealth-poverty-injustice) But this is definitely another example of praising wickedness or praising God and obedience to his word.
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
This fits nicely with the rest of the passage. I mean if a person forsakes Gods law and praises the wicked… how can he sincerely pray to God if he is praising someone else? He worships something else… wickedness. He does not understand being just and he does not understand the justice of God.
In Romans 3 Paul talks about Gods justice and how he can show mercy and still be just.
In Romans 3:23-24 he says: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
So Gods justice for those who believe comes by grace through Jesus redeeming us.
Paul goes on to explain how God has reserved his final judgment with 100% justice until after a time when his only Son came to do what no man has ever done… that is to live a perfect righteous life… then to take the wages of sin we deserve in his death…
Finally in verse 26 we can see how Gods righteous justice comes to those who have faith in his Son who was just on our behalf.
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
That’s the justice of God that the wicked persons eyes are closed to… and in so being they are unable to grasp the fullness of how to live a life full of justice practically towards their neighbor and instead are bent on praising the wicked.
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Proverbs 28:3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.
So here is a verse which can also be translated a couple different ways. Listen to the audio for more on this. (out of space)
If this is referring to a leader…. think of this: You know that a good rain is good for growing crops. If a leader as a beating rain… its’ a bad thing; he should be one who brings nourishment and things needed for prospering and growth to the poor and not be as one who takes advantage of them as easy prey.
On the other hand, a poor man who oppresses the poor reminds me of the parable Jesus gave in Matthew 18. A servant owed the king 10,000 talents… that was a ton of money which he could not pay. The king ordered that his wife and children and all that he had be sold and applied to his debt. The servant begged the king for mercy and the king forgave him the debt in full. This was a poor man right? Here’s what he did next:
Matthew 18:28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’
So look, whether rich or poor… we are all like the rain to others around us; either beating or nourishing.
Instead of nourishing and helping the poor we are tempted to take advantage of their need… we offer them less than market value for their houses… We might even go to their garage sales and counter offer an item they have marked at 25 cents… “Will you take a nickel for that?”.
It seems to be ingrained into our culture… We are a brainwashed people to be all out for ourselves… There are plenty of books teaching it…. our culture boldly says it… “You are Number 1” “To look out for yourself is your primary purpose”…
However, if you are a good nourishing rain… then you will come softly upon the weak plants. Your touch will be tender. Your gentleness will nourish them and bring them healthy growth.
How do we do that? If you have ever cared for a garden then you know it means you will have to get dirty. Your hands and knees… well, your whole body. You see, relationships are messy and a simple hand out will not nourish them out of their poverty… If we give money and then with clean hands step away we are enabling them to depend on that very thing and so stay in their poverty.
So helping the poor has always been something Jesus did and charged us to do hand in hand with our primary mission of seeing more of his glory and sharing his beauty with others…
But I want to close with another thing that seems to parallel todays verse. In Ephesians 3:8 the Apostle Paul considered it a privilege… He was humbled to be given the grace to (quote) “preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”.
Look, we are to go into all nations and make disciples… That does not mean we tell them about Jesus and leave them to be washed away by the acid rain of the world. It means getting involved with tenderness and love… getting our hands and knees dirty.
If you are a leader in your church… this is for you… do not keep your congregation poor in the Lord. This goes for leaders in families as well. Encourage them in the Lord; lead them in Bible study, teach them to rightly divide the word of truth and how to dig for the never ending riches of Gods glory in his Word so that they may grow up full of joy to worship him better and share his beauty with the world.
Proverbs 28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.
“When a land transgresses” I think this might be paraphrased as: when the people of a land sin… Solomon says they will have many rulers. That does make sense in my mind because though sin makes a lot of promises, it never satisfies the people of the land. So many times I think that the leadership reflected the sinfulness of the people… and Solomon seems to make that connection because he begins talking about the sin of the people being reflected in the number of rulers and he ends the verse speaking of a man of understanding… i suspect that would be a good ruler… he brings long periods of stability so theres a connection there also.
Anyway, as for the people… since sin does not bring true satisfaction its typical that they might wind up blaming the leadership for all their discontentment instead of their sin. So in times of monarchs oftentimes there would be assassinations or overthrows of the government and new rulers would take their place.
This blaming of our leadership still happens today I believe… when really it’s a sin problem. And the thing is… when those who love wickedness blame discontentment on leadership instead of their sin, they think more wickedness will satisfy them and so we have this bent towards voting with a bent towards a candidate who promises to implement laws that fulfill our lusts like less lawfulness and more free stuff… even saying things like the economy and military strength is more important than righteousness and character. We see wickedness on all sides of the political isle… and so we progressively become more of an evil society with more and more rulers increasing in wickedness.
As for the kings of Israel and Judah… there were times when evil kings reigned long because God decreed it… Manasseh was one and he reigned 55 years. But 4 bad kings only reigned a few months while good kings like David reigned 40 years and Solomon 40, Asa 41, Joash 40, Uzziah 52… Still Solomon did say “When a land transgresses, it has many rulers”, and thats the way it played out overall. If I counted correctly, over the 439 years of kings altogether between Israel and Judah There were 32 wicked kings and only 10 godly kings.
All this being said… Of course much has been my thoughts and trying to wrap my mind around the verse… Let me read it again:
Proverbs 28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.
Again I think we can see a correlation between ourselves and God here.
A wicked man (one without Jesus righteousness applied and working out in his life) is ruled over by sin. He goes from one thing to another in this world seeking to find satisfaction. Like Solomon says about a wicked people… this person also has many rulers. We are slaves to sin… Our free will is restricted to the things this world promises for satisfaction. But as CS Lewis indicated… we were not created for this world. So when the time comes that God opens our eyes to see Jesus as beautiful… when we see his glory… when we see him as the greatest treasure in the Universe, more so than anything the world could ever offer… Then with delight we look to him as our ruler and we become children of his kingdom with peace and satisfaction and eternal stability with him.
I’ll close with Psalm 16:11
Pray
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Here’s a verse that throws in the face of what the wicked person portrays about himself. The wicked man is the one who roars right?. He is the bully at school that picks on the smaller kids. He is the one who pursues others in dark alleys with knives and guns. These may even have admiring followers in school or in gangs or even on the job who back them up and give a sense of credibility… these paint themselves as the king of the jungle, bold and unafraid. But Solomon teaches us that underneath their facade they are not fierce lions at all but scaredy cats.
You see, their lifestyle of wickedness carries with it a long list of bullying and taking from and taking advantage of and using others. Yes, in school and daily life including at work. They are deceivers and manipulators who have learned that by building and puffing themselves up... by being aggressive and domineering their pretense becomes a defensive tool as well as an offensive instrument for intimidation.
So why would they flee even when no one pursues? For one I think it just might be because they always have reason to be looking over their shoulder. They are paranoid and it may be with good reason. Another thing… as we looked at… they use their facade to actually avoid honest confrontation. In other words they cannot make a good case for truth. They hold to the view that no one will argue with them if they carry a big stick and so they run away from honest discourse because it scares them to death. They are scaredy cats with good reason for sure.
You know, before we see Jesus as beautiful we are the same way toward God. We cannot make a good case for our sin… still, we act bold as a lion towards God and continue to sin and we keep on avoiding coming to him in humility and honesty. In John 3 Jesus explained this to Nicodemus: John 3:19 …the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
But thankfully the true Lion of the tribe of Judah who judges the living and the dead doesn’t wait on us in our wickedness to come to him... it would never happen. Instead, He is the one who peruses us.
You know, the wicked man keeps looking over his shoulder even when no one is after him... because he has done so many people wrong.
But Jesus peruses is even as he knows we abide in wickedness... Jesus pursues us not to destroy us or pay us for our sins but to save us from the end of wickedness and show us he is the treasure greater than any wicked sin we might search out. He wants us to find fullness of joy in him.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
If Jesus has sought you out and shown you he is the greatest treasure worth following after for the rest of your life. Thank him joyfully and share this good news of great joy with others.
You can even let me know at braggingonjesus.com@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
I was just thinking… you know, poverty may come to a person for a number of different reasons… Sickness may be the catalyst that brings it on. ... but not necessarily with disgrace attached to it like todays passage mentions. Poverty may overtake someone because they were taken advantage of by another; right? Sometimes people are born into a poor country with few opportunities or they are born blind or deaf which keeps them lacking… So I suppose there are lots of reasons poverty overtakes someone.
Still, I think a case could be made that at least some of these other reasons for poverty are somehow linked with ignoring good instructions around them. Covid-10 might come from ignoring social distancing guidelines… Going broke in business comes quite often to those who ignore good business rules… Even laziness that leads to poverty comes when we ignore instruction that tells us to work.
So today Solomon is telling us this rock solid truth about a genre of Poverty and disgrace which comes upon people for ignoring good instruction and reproof…
Good instruction would include things like: don’t gamble your paycheck on the horses… don’t be a slave to alcohol, food, work, play or shopping. Solomon says those who ignore instruction brings disgrace and poverty while heeding reproof brings honor.
The problem seems to lie in the fact that man’s heart is bent to go our own way instead of listening to God… We are bent to sin.
We come out of the womb and right away we begin learning how to get our way. If I cry Mom will hold me… We keep learning more life hacks for our own advantage as we gain awareness of right and wrong and then into adulthood always being drawn to ignore Gods instruction.
Verse 19: 'to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.'
That’s how bent we are at our core.
And then amid all these things Solomon has spoken of today there is this one little phrase that though true seems so out of place.
“A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul” then… it seems to me must indicate that this relates to the person who will receive instruction and does heed reproof… that is… the wise person… the one Solomon says is honored.
Now Solomon may have been talking about truths he saw in the physical world; and to have our desires met is sweet for sure! Things like… for example paying off a debt. So to accomplish all kinds of good goals in life brings a sweetness to our soul right?
But at our core… or soul, is a hunger that cant be filled by anything in the world. It’s a desire that longs to be fulfilled and when it is… truly, like Solomon says it is sweet to our soul… it is sweeter than anything else.
I mean heeding the instruction God has given us in his word leads to sharing in the glory of God for eternity. That is an honor we don’t deserve by any means but one that will be filled with unsearchable riches and a full inheritance from God…. even to be forgiven and accepted by God… and to… Wow!… to see him in his glory. Thats going to be a desire fulfilled and sweet to our soul… While those who ignore Gods word… his gift of Jesus… his good news of great joy… for them repentance from evil is abomination to their soul while those who accept Gods grace through Jesus receive sweet delight and joy… even peace to our soul for not only now but eternity.
Pray
Proverbs 16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. 22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.
Solomon tells us about two good traits that a wise person might learn or gain in life.
The passage begins with these 4 words: “The wise of heart”. Everything we do in life flows from our heart in some sort or fashion.
“The wise of heart is called discerning” Discernment is using good tools that help us make good decisions and form trustworthy opinions and beliefs. ... For example we use our 5 senses to make many decisions in life right? These are good tools God has given us. With our eyes we see a fire on the stove and with our hand we feel heat resonating from it so we use discernment and decide not to put our hand into the flames… On the other hand, bad discernment would be… That blue flame is pretty! I wonder what it feels like… ...
Good discernment is needed in every area of our life. Every day from the moment we wake up and walk out the door we begin discerning things… Like what are we going to eat… a doughnut or an old fashion breakfast. And our discernment goes deeper… We have to decide what kind of habit or routine or commitment we will make as we eat breakfast on a daily basis.
These are physical examples but discernment is most important when it comes to spiritual matters discerning between good and evil.
And as we touched on, the heart is connected to all we do… and going deeper to the root of the heart… it is connected to the world of the spirit…
1st Corinthians 2:12 says: Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
So the wise heart overflows out and into all that we do… Like the wind the invisible Holy Spirit moves things in the physical world like our hands and our feet and He changes peoples hearts.
So good and bad discernment alike… starts in the heart.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, … and so these would be people without discerning hearts.
...
2nd Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
So in todays two verses Solomon tells us how the wise of heart are discerning so they make good judgments about what is right and wrong and they make a good case about truth with their words so they are sharers of the truth.
If we are wise we have good tools that help us discern… In the previous devotion we learned that the wise person ponders the word of God so that is a foundational tool. Also the Holy Spirit guides us. Just as our 5 senses work together to verify whether what we might smell and feel and taste is an accurate representation of what we see.. The Holy Spirit verifies what we read and feel. The Historical accounts in Gods word and the Prophets… written over a large span of time by different authors, in different languages and from different cultures and locations… they also verify one another so we can trust their words about what is good and what is evil. Even when our conscious is distorted by the world these things can bring us back in sync with Gods standards.
Verse 22 seems to be a short summary of the wise in heart in comparison to the foolish in heart:
A wise heart gains good godly sense with discernment, sweetness of speech and persuasiveness. But then he bluntly sums up what a fool absorbs… that is all the instruction he has gained and Solomon simply calls it folly.
Let me read it again and then I’ll pray:
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Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Alright… well, pride goes before destruction… Maybe you’re like me and have heard this quoted many times. Solomon talks about a proud person in both verses 18 and 19.
First verse 18 speaks of pride going before destruction but also how a haughty spirit goes before a fall. To be haughty is defined as being arrogantly superior and disdainful in your ways and I’m pretty sure that sums up what it means to be prideful. Also haughty is listed as a synonym for pride. So… from verse 18 it seems pride is like… a precursor to both disasters through life but also destruction…
And then in verse 19 Solomon speaks of this person who is apparently also proud but also a companion with others who are proud… and they divide the spoil together. I take that to mean at least all the spoil gained by injustice done in taking advantage of others that Solomon has already spoken of in this chapter.
I mean, even today if we look around in life and see haughty, disdainful, arrogant people seeming to succeed and gain riches and lands and great positions of power… these are people obsessed with a kind of greed that obscures the ability to love others… And we can see them dividing the spoil with others who are proud. So where is their fall and where is their destruction in verse 19?
Well, I think there is a hint of the coming destruction waiting for them in the phrase (quote) “It is better” “It is better to be of a lowly spirit”.
So it is better to be humble and meek than to be rich and proud. And Solomon even adds an extra multiplying factor to highlight how much better it is. He basically says it’s better to be humble even when you live with the poor than rich and companions of the proud. That does not mean that all people of lowly heart are poor… but it does show dramatically how much better Solomon indicates that it is to be humble than prideful.
Still, this does not expound on why it is better to be humble than rich and prideful dividing the spoil.
So we turn to verse 20 which says:
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
So in these few verses Solomon does not give us all the details of how the prideful and haughty who we see all around us dividing the spoil will come to an end… But he has said it is better to be humble and now he says how it is better if these who are humble meditate on Gods word and trust in the Lord… they will be blessed and discover good.
It takes humility to say we have failed… and in actuality the prideful have already experienced some of their falling. By not finding their hope in the Messiah all they have to keep them from a bad end on Judgment day is their own righteousness to hope in and that will lead them to destruction.
In that sense its the same today as it was in Solomons day. They were to believe and be joyful in the coming of the Messiah and we believe and find our delight in Jesus who came, lived a righteous life, was paid the wages of my sin with his death on the Cross and rose again giving us power and victory over sins hold in life and death.
Thank You Father for this amazing gift of grace for all who look in delight to Your Son Jesus Christ.
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Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.
The Real Rock Is The Greatest Treasure
Today Solomon begins comparing wisdom with gold and understanding with silver. He is not using these as metaphors but as actual comparisons. It’s kind of like comparing fake cookies with real cookies.
A few days ago my mother, my two sisters and a friend got together for rock painting. They are quite silly especially when they’re all together. On this day they painted pictures and saying on common rocks and one of my sisters and her friend were going to place them in rural out of the way places in the mountains of Colorado where they are on vacation today. One here, one there… etc. They talked about making a website where people could register the rock they found and the date. My friend Laura found a rock that looked like someone took a bite out of it and she painted it to look like a cookie.
Thats similar to what Solomon is saying. How much better is a real cookie than a rock cookie! A chocolate chip cookie loaded with pecans is to be chosen rather than a painted rock cookie.
Verse 17 in todays passage says: The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.
Look… wisdom is better than gold!… understanding is better than silver! Dont be obsessed with seeking out the promises that the wicked world makes for satisfaction. It will cause you to ignore wisdom and understanding… you will begin using and taking advantage of others to gain your treasure. You will travel the path of evil to satisfy your lusts and die with clenched fists of whatever treasure you gained if any.
In Mathew 13:44 Jesus does use treasure as a metaphor. He said: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
I have a new hobby… I’m a few months into it. It’s metal detecting. A couple brothers and I go out on Saturdays to hunt for treasure… mostly silver and gold. Oh, I don’t see myself making enough to even pay for my detector… at least for a good while… But its fun to search and the best part is to fellowship with other brothers in Christ. Thats where the real treasure lies. It’s the kingdom of heaven that Jesus spoke of… it’s traveling on a journey with a real family of believers… a journey through a broken world where we look out for one another on the way to a new homeland where a full inheritance awaits us. And the thing is… We have been given a earnest down payment of that inheritance while we’re just a passing through this place. And as the song says: “our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue and I just can’t feel at home in this world anymore!”.
Father, thank you for giving us eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe. Turn our eyes away from seeking worthless things… obsessed with silver, gold, … seeking wicked treasures on the internet like porn… taking advantage of other to satisfy our lusts… Lord you opened our eyes to the beauty and good news of your Son Jesus and in joy we unclench our fists and receive him who with his death on the Cross was paid the wages of our sin and now all who delight in him are given his righteousness making peace with God… And as he was raised up from the hold sin had in death we are given that same power over sins hold in life as we walk with him and he will one day raise us up no longer subject to the entropy connected to sin. Father thank you for this gift of grace and faith through your Son for your glory.
Proverbs 16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
Solomon has been talking a lot lately about the connection between our heart and our actions and has been honing in on our words. Today he tells us what a king loves and what a king hates.
He says a king loves righteous lips… but he reserves wrath for others, right?
… that is apparently those with a wicked heart and words who do not delight in his ways and ignore his words.
This is a truth Solomon has known personally. It likely does not apply to every king on earth. Some leaders back then and still today want people close to them who hide truths from the people and so are allies with him in deceit.
So in the context of what Solomon is saying about how a king loves him who speaks what is right. He says how a wise person keeps himself in a good relationship with the king. That is, I think… by his speech, his actions… his heart.
When your king loves righteousness… and he is a king who loves his people, stands for justice… he wants good things for the nation. And then he invites you into his presence and looks on you with favor… verse 15 says there is life in the light of his face. Its as though his countenance strengthens and gives you encouragement and life. Solomon says his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
Have you noticed how everyone seems happier when a spring rain comes and green grass sprouts and trees bud... you notice birds singing which you didn’t before? Everything has a life giving glow to our eyes… and it gives us joy.
That's the way a good leader should relate to their employees who do what is good and right… Their countenance and words should bring life giving encouragement.
You know there’s a parable Jesus gave about the kingdom of God where a man who was going on a journey entrusted his servants with his property according to their ability. The one given 5 talents made 5 more and in Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
These are the words that I think everyone desires to hear from their Creator. I’m reminded of a Star Trek The Next Generation episode where the Android Data wanted to meet his maker Dr. Noonien Soong in who’s image he was made. Data wanted to know if he was fulfilling the purpose he was created for. Essentially, he wanted Dr. Soong to say “Well done”. I think most of us want to hear that, but we want to accomplish it in our own way and not in the way or with the character and instruction of the true King. Men seek riches for personal satisfaction and then give money in hopes to somehow earn hearing these words. Some rationalize their wicked heart with all its lusts and desires telling themselves God made me this way… They say doing things the way they want is not evil while not admitting we are all broken because of sin and need the righteousness of Jesus applied to and working out of our hearts.
In closing remember that verse 15 in todays text says: In the light of a king’s face there is life, …
When I hear that my mind goes to 2nd Corinthians 4:6 which says that God (quote) “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.
We may not have seen the face of Jesus physically like his disciples did… but Spiritually God shows us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in his face… Its in Jesus that we find true life. And its only because of his righteousness applied to and working out of our life that he will smile and say …‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:21)
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Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. 10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
When Injustice Receives Justice R Aylor Verse 8 is interesting to me… It starts out: Better is a little with righteousness than… and then I would expect it to say something like… great riches with wickedness… but instead Solomon says: Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
And so he highlights one of the attributes of wickedness which he seems to want us to focus in on… that is injustice.
Injustice takes advantage of and uses others… many times its those who cannot stand up or defend themselves. Its those who don’t have a legal course of action to pursue through the courts… The laws are stacked against them.
Those who are treated unjustly many times throughout history have endured great and horrific troubles… But here Solomon is saying… these people who treat others unjustly for their own gain are worse off than those who practice righteousness and have little… I wonder why that might be…
Lets continue with verse 9 of the text… 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
In chapter 15 how the heart is linked to the actions we take in the body… But here Solomon says the heart plans but it is the Lord who establishes his steps. Can both be right? Yes! A wicked unjust mans heart plans and as we just read he can receive great revenues with his injustice…
But lets think about this mans heart that motivated his injustice to take advantage of others? What was the root of his hearts desire? He wanted happiness and satisfaction from his gain. Did the Lord establish desires for fulfillment? No. But the Lord did establish his steps didn’t he?… He made sure his wicked steps did not bring him satisfaction. The man planed for his own exaltation but the Lord established his steps for his own glory to prove that his wickedness would not bring him true joy.
We finish up today's devotion with verse 10 and 11:
10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
Of course God had made Solomon king and he had the last word from the standpoint of the people. They had to abide by his judgments.
This points us to the King of every king… the one who always judges family with righteousness and justice… and that is Jesus. He created all the weights in the bag… he makes the rules…
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
So think back to the man who practices injustice in today's text. Although he was unjust to others he will be judged justly by God. This is not something for him to look forward to. I think we can learn this from today's passage: Even if we have very little, it truly is better to have the righteousness of Christ working in our life... being full of joy and loving others and sharing the good news of his forgiveness and peace… That is much better than great revenues with injustice… not only in the present, but in eternity.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For a transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Ok, lets touch on each proverbs here and see how they compliment one another.
Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
Alright well, this verse reminds me of the last four words in chapter 15: “humility comes before honor”. As we talked about in that devotion, humility is needed to gain wisdom… If we are going to have an ear for this kind of reproof from the Lord which is given with great love and if we will acknowledge when we are in the wrong it’s going to take humility on our part for sure.
Solomon speaks of the arrogant in heart as being an abomination to the Lord. You may remember that throughout chapter 15 we learned about the connection between the heart and all of our actions… they are synced together. Our heart always finds a way to betray itself in our body. That goes for the wicked person who’s heart has not been transformed (Solomon says they will not go unpunished).
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
Of course there is only one who has and who could have atoned for our sin. It would take a sinless person to do that… they would have to willingly take the wages of our sin… That is Jesus, and his atonement is applied to all who believe in him. Verse 6 speaks of steadfast love and faithfulness as a way to atone for our sin… Again, only Jesus has a perfect unfailing love; only he is 100% faithful… the world lies, we fail… everyone fall short of the glory of God… And the sinless righteousness of Jesus is given to all who delight in him.
Solomon speaks of turning away from evil. This is called repentance. In Mark 1:15 Jesus himself said: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The atonement for our sins was provided by Jesus with his death on the Cross and as he defeated the hold sin had over all people… its penalty, its wages due, its sentence. he gives all who believe this same power over sins hold in death for victory over sins power in life. This is the Gospel Jesus commands us to find our delight in and share with others.
(read vs 7)
What pleases the Lord? Letting God have mercy on us so our heart is changed. In this way it is Gods love and his faithfulness and his goodness… all these things in this verse applied to us and also at work in us and thats how we please the Lord. Its his work in us so he gets the glory.
...he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
This verse may seem a little difficult… But it is likely something Solomon witnessed and even experienced in his life so there is a hidden truth in it.
Speaking of Solomon 1st Kings 4:24 says: …And he had peace on all sides around him.
On the other side of that, things come to mind like how Jesus enemies killed him… and so many of the disciples were martyrs and early Christians tortured and killed by Nero and even today Christian persecution is harsh and widespread.
It seems to direct my thoughts to two powerful enemies.
Before we come to Christ, death was our enemy right? I mean people dont want to think about it and dread it… That’s one enemy; but before we came to Christ we had another enemy and that is the Lord.
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
As believers we are no longer Gods enemies… and no longer do we fear death… ... ... ... ...
Proverbs 15:31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
What Type Of Ears Do You Have?
You know there’s different kinds of ears right? In the fantasy world there are elf and dwarf and human ears and what… fairy and troll ears...
In the real world our ears may be very similar physically but they can be dissimilar in other ways.
Some people have an ear for music… they can sit down at a piano for the first time and pick out a beautiful melody. I would say that the amazing guitarist Jimi Hendrex had an ear for music… it has been said that the guitar was like an extension of who he was. it was as though he could hear it in his mind, and then it just happened… He had a heart and an ear for music and somehow this passion was connected to the tips of his fingers.
In chapter 15 Solomon has been showing us something similar on a spiritual level. How things that comes out of a person are an extension of the spiritual condition of our heart. In previous devotions we talked about how the mouth is an extension of the heart but today Solomon mentions another body part that is motivated by the heart… the ear; and I think it is actually a precursor to the mouth… it comes first… The action of the ear may just be the first sign of a person who has been given a heart for God.
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You know, we’re all drawn to various kinds of information throughout that life. Some turn their heads when they hear someone mention fishing or hunting, lifting weights, or a author you love to read… Whatever it is, your heart has tagged these things as important to you and whenever your ear picks up a hint of those things it zones in on them and you turn and listen and spark up in conversation with that person to share experiences and learn more about this thing you love.
As a Believer, these new things we now love, these things about the awesomeness of God… they are tagged and our ears are on the look out for more and more of the treasures that can be found in Jesus… Those with ears like this will dwell among the wise. Solomon mentions this as one who “listens to life-giving reproof”… What does that mean? It is not saying God is always mad at us or an evil dictator over us…. But God is always directing us in his way for our joy… and when we have an ear for what he is telling us, it is going to be for our good and his glory.
Solomon says those who don't have an ear for him actually despise their own selves.
As Believers, our heart is not only synced to our ears but to our legs and our feet and hands… Our heart no longer longs to fellowship with people who want to exalt themselves instead of God… We now love to hang with those who are wise in the Lord… Those who love the Lord. Solomon indicates that it is the humble who receive instruction… It is the humble who admit their sinfulness and call to the Lord with a heart of faith in him and his word. These are the wise people with a beautiful approachable engaging gift of humility. And if we have an ear like todays passages speaks of, we will want to be around these kind of people.
We are so thankful that God gave us Spiritual ears to hear how Jesus is the best news we could ever know. How he willingly took our place fulfilling our sentence by penalty of the death we deserve when he died on the Cross.
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And 2nd Corinthians 5:21 says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Then on the third day he rose from the dead and conquered the wages of sin… with victory over the hold it had… the spiritual death or separation from God and the physical death because God will give us a new body like he has with his resurrection.
Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.
In chapter 15 Solomon has been giving us some great insight into the connection between our mouth and our heart. It’s true, the mouth bone is connected to the heart bone. And we talked about how God is the heart changer… not us. A wicked person will not change his wicked heart. His wickedness prevents him from doing so. But when God opens our eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure worth leaving all for… we realize there is something better than all the options the world has shown us all our life and we when turn from sin and delight in Jesus with faith, he gives us a new heart… and since our mouth bone is still connected to our heart bone the words we speak begin to change as God does a work in us practically.
Now Solomon is diving deeper into the root issues of the heart. Look, positionally we are given Jesus righteousness when God gives us a new heart… but practically we are a work in progress as God does a life long work in our heart. ...
Todays passage begins by saying: The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
I suppose if God was finished working on our heart and we were practically perfect we would not need to ponder much before answering others. But as long as we are in this broken world and in these broken bodies, we still have brokenness tugging at our heart… wanting to mold it back to the old form.
So when we are tempted to gossip... we ponder. When there is a pull to seek our own glory or exalt ourselves… we ponder.
And to ponder means to give thought to something before committing to it. It means running something by a set of foundational truths that you know are unmovable. We all need trustworthy checks and balances to discern between all the lies being shared in the world. If something sounds good from only one angle or way of looking at it… thats not criteria worth committing to as truth. If something feels good or right it holds no real evidence for a unmovable truth. What is our go to for truth? It is Gods word. It is the Holy Spirit at work in us connecting the dots in his word and opening our eyes to truth in amazing and undeniable ways.
So even though you may be a righteous person, Solomon says to ponder before you answer. And so even though the mouth bone is connected to the heart bone… the heart bone is connected is also connected to the brain.
Solomon goes on to say how the mouth of the wicked pour out evil things and the Lord is far from them. Then todays passage finishes with some good news.
Solomon says: he hears the prayer of the righteous.
So God is not far from the righteous… I suppose we might say he is working in our lives practically because he actually lives in us… But God hears our prayers… I hope I don’t ever take that for granted… It is amazing that the Creator of the Universe hears my individual and specific prayers to him… all of them! And so prayer is another gift God has given us that is actually included in our pondering. I am sure there have been plenty of times I should have prayed to the Lord before giving an answer to others.
Verse 30 says: The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.
For the heart that has been changed… the heart that is walking in the Holy Spirit… the heart that ponders its thoughts and runs them by the word of God… I believe the Lord quickens all our bones for joy and his mission. Our mission is no longer to let everyone else see how great we think we are… but we want to see more of the glory of God and share him. So the light of the glory of God living in us as we walk with Christ will be seen in our eyes and heard in the good news which we bring to others.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. 27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.
Todays passage begins with a promise of life for the prudent... that is, one who is thoughtful about the future and follows the path of wisdom. Solomon then points out some attributes of the person on the other path that leads to death. It is pretty clear that these three fit that category; the proud, the wicked and the one who is greedy for unjust gain. Clearly we all die, right? But for these who do not turn away from this path… a death awaits at which point there will be no turning back… no rescue… no resurrection to a spiritual incorruptible body as did Jesus and all who find their hope in his righteousness.
We can see from the text that wickedness cannot change the outcome of that end no matter how hard they try or how much they spend… Actually a wicked heart is what insures that kind of death. And only God is the heart changer.
And God rules in life and in death… He is the Judge. He tears down the house of the proud but protects the widow’s boundaries. One day the widow who has a heart that loves the Lord… she will have a mansion with a full inheritance in Heaven. God will protect her boundaries. But the mansion of the proud will be turned to rubble. For the prideful and greedy… Instead of blessings he brings trouble on their household… we see this clearly in this live. Solomon says even their thoughts are an abomination to the Lord. On the other hand those who hate bribes will live… That brings us full circle to the path of life todays passage began with which God promises for the prudent.
This is a path that is accompanied with words that glorify God… And as we looked at in the last devotion these words are synced to a heart that has been changed by God.
Look, all these wicked things todays passage mentions is all about making this world our home… But there is a better path that leads to a better home with a full inheritance and life.
All the promises of satan and the world are all broken promises… they are broken and cracked and they are not all their cracked up to be… They do not bring the satisfaction, peace or confidence which they promise… no real power, no real glory. It’s all a scam and it ends in a spiritual death from which there is no going back.
There’s an old spiritual song that says this world is not my home, I’m only passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.
Do you think of this world as your home with all the brokenness… things like arthritis and covid-19 and think “Ahh its great to be home!”? Do you watch the news where the world is full of hypocrisy, greed, hate and riots and say “Ah, I love this place… It’s my heaven?” Do you come home after a hard day at work and turn on the tv and watch shows that glorify sin and you say “Yes, this is what I have been looking for?” Does a relaxing evening watching porn on your desktop or phone make your house a home? Does gossip feed your soul like food? Do you walk a path filled with wickedness, greed and pride along with impure words like today's text indicates? I hope this is not the ideal home you have pictured in your mind. It has stayed like this for many since Adam and Eve and Noah and the flood and so on. Its been home sweet home to so many throughout all generations.
Or have you been given an earnest down payment of the Holy Spirit and await the inheritance God has waiting for you?
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Proverbs 15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
You know, that's something I truly long for. To have a fitting response and be a better communicator… a better relationship type person. Sometimes I say the right thing but it is in the wrong season. Do you know what I mean? Like, “I feel sorry for you in this difficulty you’re going through… and here’s what you need to do”. Or if I try to cheer someone up in too chipper of a way when they really need to morn… maybe after the loss of a loved one.
Or how about Proverbs 27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.
My mother used to wake us kids up in the morning with singing or something like “hurry kids and get up… it’s snowing outside” or “hurry or you’ll miss it… there’s a jackalope in the back yard”.
Oh, for me, I would have preferred to be awakened from sleep in a more apt manner… I had to fight against begrudging her words even though they were intended for good and I knew it.
But yes, I want this ability to say the right and best thing at the right time.
Solomon seems to really think this thing about words and speaking is a big deal and I agree.
In Proverbs 25:11 he says: A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Saying the right thing at the right time is like an amazing painting that mesmerizes you and settles you… something that is beautiful and all you can say is “Yes, Yes” “Thanks for that”.
In Proverbs 24:26 Solomon says this: Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.
We desperately need honesty in our world today… and I think with covid-19 and social distancing these days honesty with love when given aptly in season is better than a kiss any day of the week.
James chapter 3 gives us some troubling words about the tongue. Heres a part of that:
James 3:7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James says how all kinds of animals have been tamed… sure it may be difficult for some and take many years… It is a scary thought to try and tame some wild animals… bears or lions… Even the more gentle animals are difficult to train. Have you ever tried to housebreak a pig or wild raccoon… but he says the tongue is untamable by man. It makes messes everywhere it goes… and they are very difficult to clean up!
So although it is impossible for man to tame the tongue there is good news… God can do it… and we can actually speak these apt and timely good words Solomon tells us about. You see, the tongue is synced up with the heart and the Lord is the heart changer. He gives those who look to him in faith the righteousness of his only Son Jesus and and he gives them a heart for God… the tongue simply follows suit.
Again Luke 6:45 is apt and timely for todays text. Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Pray
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Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man!
Acceptable Sacrifice R Aylor
Today Solomon names some things that the Lord detests and some things the Lord loves. He just told us in verse 5 how we should heed our fathers instructions and now Solomon tells us what awaits those who hate reproof. Today's passage concludes by saying how the abode of the dead as well as Hell itself cannot hide itself from the Lord… therefore why should any man think they might hide the intentions or the true desires of their heart from him?
So what is it that is an abomination the the Lord? Verse 8 says it is the sacrifice of the wicked. So, that was Cain in Genesis 4 who brought an offering to the Lord that was not accepted by him right?
This was the Cain who would kill his brother and responded to God “Am I my brothers keeper?”.
Hebrews 11:4 tells us “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous,”.
In the Old Testament it was those who brought sacrifices from a heart that trusted and delighted in God who would be accepted. These pointed to the coming Messiah… the perfect sacrifice for their and our sin. Whenever the wicked brought sacrifices it was a horrible taste to the Lord… It was rottenness… a detestable abomination to him.
Today many still bring gifts to God by giving to organizations or churches in hopes that God will accept them. They may do good works or try not to do bad works so the good might possibly weigh out heavier than their sins and they might be accepted. The problem with that is that same wicked heart that has not been changed by God. It poisons all the works they do because none of the works are motivated or quickened by the Holy Spirit but by their own broken efforts.
Only the works of Jesus are pure… We need his righteousness applied to us in order to be accepted by God. Our text says the Lord loves him who pursues righteousness… it takes a heart for that very thing… and it begins with pursuing not our own self righteousness but the righteousness of Jesus. The Lord will hear the prayer of this person and he will impute his righteousness to him and begin a work of righteousness in him practically.
Our text says how death awaits the wicked and that was all of us… the good news is that Jesus died for us… and he gives his righteousness to all who turn away from delighting in sin and delight in him and his death or his sacrifice for us and his resurrection.
Pray
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Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
So Solomon cares about his own sons… much of Proverbs is addressed to them. He seems to be telling them “Don’t despise my words… Don’t be a fool! Be discerning with the things you hear in the world… where you go, who you hang out with… what you are drawn to… He shows them the outcome of the two paths they have to discern between… One results in much treasure and the other speaks of income as well but with much trouble.
Then finally verse 7… let me read that one again. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
Did you notice that Solomon speaks of the wise spreading knowledge with their lips but when talking about the fools he emphasizes not the lips but says not so the hearts of fools… This seems to equate lips and the heart as being interchangeable or at the very least they are linked somehow. I believe not only our mouth but actually all of our body are synced and linked to our heart… Its just that the words that we speak are many times the first and quickest view to the true estate of our heart.
In Matthew 12 Jesus addressed this very thing. In verse 34 he said: …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Thats the way it works… we can try to hide our heart but it always finds a way to surface through our lips… Many times our heart is clearly implicated even in the inflection or emphasis of our words.
Solomon says how it is the wise who spreads knowledge and not the fool… Look we are all spreaders of some sort. It may be gossip or it may be good news… The Pharisees of Jesus day were spreaders of burdens to the people… calling them to legalism to keep the letter of the law not motivated out of a heart for the ways of God; but we are called to spread the freedom from that burden and the ability to keep the law of God with great joy.
The treasures of the Pharisees were found in the praise of men… like our text indicates, it was accompanied by trouble… a strict, burdened, bitter, prideful, ungrateful heart not happy in the Lord. But those who love their fathers instruction… and for us our Father in heavens word… a house laid up with much good Spiritual treasure in Christ which we spread and share with others as we go.
Pray
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Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
The Truth About Truth R Aylor Today Solomon is talking about the way we speak to one another and how God knows about every good and bad thing we say.
He mentions a soft answer and a gentle tongue…This comes out from a person of wisdom. Solomon says the tongue of the wise commends knowledge. To commend is to praise something or recommend something for approval. So truth is to be held up high in our own life and to others.
You know… truth cannot be toyed with or manipulated to our own liking… it cannot be juggled about to give us a false sense of justifucation on a particular day. Somehow… somewhere truth is set, unmovable forever. Truth is resolute and uncompromising and we should encourage others to walk its path with us…
Why is truth so commendable? Well, let me tell you the truth about truth… Here it is: Truth brings freedom from true bondage. and truth brings true life. That likely sounds pretty vague right? Let’s look at it.
In John 8:32 Jesus said this: …you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
So first off, how can the realization of truth bring freedom?… And freedom from what?
Well, all our life we seek out things that might make us happy. Thats what we do. These are things which claim that they will bring us some measure of happiness or satisfaction to our soul. They commend themselves as being truth.
The problem is… In all our seeking, these things of the physical world are all we have to choose from and so we try many things as we search out for the greatest treasure the world has to offer. And another thing… there is a long line of historical documented case studies that indicate no amount of wealth or lands or popularity has ever brought a person true contentment or lasting fulfillment.
But at that time when God reveals the truth of his only Son to you…. When you see him as the greatest treasure in the Universe… When he gives us eyes to see him for who he is… as beautiful… the good news of great joy… only hope for sinful man… promised one to set things right even from when our ancient parents Adam and Eve first sinned… When we see he is the true satisfier… the true way maker… the true sin bearer and sin slayer… When we see the truth of his resurrection over sins long time leverage through death and how God gives us his resurrection power over sin in life and will raise us up incorruptible… When we see the truth of Jesus as this great treasure.. All of a sudden, we are no longer bound to the options of the world for truth and our will is set free… we choose him. The truth sets us free!
And the thing is… He is the truth. In John 14:6 Jesus said it like this: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
We live in a world where so many believe that truth is relative and everyone can have their own... We see it in the news and in our lives every day. In todays passage Solomon talks about these as people who speak with tongues of anger and their mouths poor out folly. They go about spreading perverseness and not truth.
Are knowledge and truth things you promote and encourage? If so they should naturally point others to the knowledge and truth that brings freedom from sin and true life… That is the promised offspring of the woman… the Son Of Man.. Jesus Christ.
Pray
Don't Be A Dolt Blake Farley
This is part one of a 5 part series on Proverbs chapter 17. For a full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com. Click on PROVERBS and you will see it there.
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Proverbs 14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. 35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Solomon gives us three situations to examine. Let’s take a look at them briefly and then consider their similarities and application.
In the first Solomon says Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding… that makes sense right? But the question that comes to my mind is how did it get there in the first place? At some point this person was not a man of understanding... So then... wisdom must have been somewhere close enough for him to have found her. Wisdom has a way of getting her point across even in the midst of fools. I think we see over and over when we act foolishly and don’t listen to her words… and our foolish choices causes much misery to us and those around us.
You may remember back in Proverbs chapter 1...
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
In fact, that was each one of us... when we were entangled in our own sin Wisdom was close by calling out to us. We heard and responded in repentance with faith. That's how we come to be people of understanding.
Next Solomon says: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
So righteousness is wisdom in the previous verse right? And sin is for the foolish.
So as we considered... the wise person at one time was foolish... he had to humble himself and admit his folly in order to respond to wisdom's call and turn to righteousness.
Solomon says how righteousness exalts a nation, and so we can see how humbling ones self to wisdom exalts a person as well as a nation.
Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 29:23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
Finally in verse 35 Solomon says:
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
As the wisest of kings Solomon was likely speaking from experience. He favored those in his kingdom who dealt wisely and those who dealt with others with evil intent received his wrath.
All of these observations that Solomon made as he looked into the world and received wisdom… He did not exclude looking into his own heart and ways… and observing. That seems to be what is going on in this verse. And as all of his other observations in life… so it is with this one… This pointed to the one who is the truth. Jesus… the way, truth and life.
All these verses in fact point to Jesus. As wisdom called out to the foolish, so Jesus calls to us. If we humble ourselves and turn to him he gives us understanding and righteousness like verses 33 and 34 in todays passage speak of… and he gives us the power to live righteous lives in this broken world as we walk with him. And then in verse 34 we see how he gives us his favor instead of his wrath which we all deserve.
Father God, thank you for sending your only Son Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died a sinners death and gives his righteousness to all who delight in him. Thank you for raising him from the dead and giving us that same power to live righteous lives practically as we walk in your Holy Spirit. Thank You for raising us up one day no longer subject to sin with all its lusts of the flesh… no more plagued by disease and death. Thank you for this great gift for all who joyfully turn away from sin and find their only hope in the promised Messiah Jesus Christ. In his name amen.
Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. 32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
What if you crafted a unique magnificat guitar. You spent a lot of thought into it before you ever began making it. And then you crafted it with great precision and supreme workmanship and there was never ever another quite like this guitar. Being a one of a kind and different than all the others, it was stolen. Over a period of time it was sold to many and given away to others… Because it was different than other guitars people began making fun of it… they strummed it harshly… they never put it back into its case… Once it spent a summer in a traveling carnival act where a clown juggled it along with 3 balls and strummed the guitar every time he caught it. It made its way to others… it was the guitar one took with them on the canoe ride down the river and another in their backpack to the mountains while keeping their favorite guitars under the perfect temperature and humidity safe at home. It was used and taken advantage of time and time again.
And something else… although no one ever knew, the creator had placed a small pinhole camera and tracking device in the headstock and so online he followed its journey. Do you think the master craftsman was insulted by what was done to his masterpiece that he created for good?
Solomon tells us: Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
Look, God made the rich and poor alike… He made the red, yellow, black and white and they are precious in his sight. We are each one unique creations of God made to be fruitful and fill the world with his image in which mankind was created. Although that image was corrupted by sin, that gives us no right to engage in wickedness and oppress others whom God created. In so doing we insult God himself.
God has a different plan. Verse 32 in todays passage says: The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
You see, God made a way for man to be righteous… a way for the image of God to be restored… a way for man to have fellowship with God as we were created to do.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 says: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This new creation comes to us when our eyes are opened to see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe… worth leaving all for.
Jesus takes our sin gives us a heart infused with His righteousness… one that no longer wants to oppress the poor, no longer using people that our culture or standing gives us influence over for our own advantage. As God works in our life that positional righteousness becomes a practical righteousness throughout our life. And because of Jesus righteousness upon our life as todays text says: “but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
Father thank you for the righteousness of Jesus upon all who delight in him. For him living a perfect life, dying a sinners death and raising from the grave giving us that same power to love others, be generous to the poor and share with the world the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 28 In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.
Good Fear Brings Confidence R Aylor
What is the context that surrounds this kind of fear we should have toward the Lord?
Should we fear him like people fear a ruthless dictator? No. God is not like that. Like an abused child fears their father? No.
What about the child who has a good loving father? Do they fear their father in any way? Sure they do. As a child grows and their character changes there is potential for them to mature and take on attributes of their good loving father. Throughout that journey they are going to have times of disobedience, right? But when they are thinking about doing wrong, the fear a spanking from their father sometimes motivates them to choose obedience instead. Solomon says that the children of a man who fears the LORD will have a refuge. I think that fear is building a safe perimeter in the middle of a dangerous jungle. This good kind of fear towards their father is drawing a map that highlights the traps and danger areas in this broken world.
So what is the difference in fearing a evil dictator and a good loving father? It may be that a child who knows their father loves them so much helps awaken them to the fact that his discipline is to turn them away from the pitfalls of troubled world. The LORD loves us much more than any earthly father ever could. And being all knowing, he knows exactly what is best for us more than any person has the ability to know. When he speaks, it is in love and for our good.
So I think that Gods commands in being for our good and given out of love… That is one of the big differences in fearing the LORD over fearing a ruthless dictator or a father who abuses his child.
Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Solomon says in the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence. Confidence comes from God’s word backing us up. So that does not include us turning back to walk in disobedience… We have no confidence in our old default mission in life… seeking our own glory… looking for freedom and happiness by rebelling against God like a child that has contempt toward their earthly father. Our new mission is seeing and sharing the glory of our Father in heaven. That gives us joy… Solomon says fearing God in the right way is a fountain of life and thats where our confidence soars.
2nd Timothy 1:7 talks about this confidence and our new mission: for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Verse 8: Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,… Then he goes on to talk about this good news we are to share.
Finally, verse 28 says: In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.
Look, every ruthless dictator that rules out of a heart of disobedience towards God does not have a multitude of people who truly support him from the heart. He does not love them and they do not love their leader.
Pray
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
Proverbs 14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. 3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Today's passage talks about walking and talking and overall ways of people.
Solomon speaks of one who walks in uprightness. Now, I know that means being holy and righteous… loving our neighbor as ourselves and God supremely… However in my mind I see this picture of a man standing upright along side of a man crawling on all fours like an animal.
I think there might be a correlation between this picture of a man crawling on all fours… debase, feeding the desires of the flesh, following after his senses… not contemplating his life and purpose… one with a degraded sense of morality who has a corrupted discernment between right and wrong… no capacity for love… the kind that shares experiences, goals, dreams, hopes or aspirations. This man is not walking upright and does not fear the Lord but despises him and rejects the purposes God had for man in creating him.
On the other hand, the one who is walking upright as a man the way God created… made in his image… is able to worship and fellowship with God… and not because of his own uprightness, but because of the righteousness of Gods Son who walked upright and lived a perfect life that he might impute his righteousness to all who delight in him… Yes God has created in him a new heart… one that has a desire to walk in uprightness in the image of God, mirroring his character. And of course, he still sins but now his new heart turns back to the Lord in repentance and grows in his practical uprightness from day to day.
Finally Solomon says: 3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
The truth is that our actions come out from the type of heart we have… one that walks and talks from the perspective of the flesh broken by sin or one that is motivated by the Spirit of God. Justice comes to both. The analogy here indicates that the fool will receive a rod to his back and the upright heart will be preserved.
Look, God created man in his image not only for his glory but for our good. He created us in a fashion so that we would have great joy in seeing his glory in Jesus and walking in his ways.
Jesus is good news for those who do not walk upright. He calls you to look to him in faith… in delight… He will give you a new heart that will have victory over sin as you walk with him.
Father God, thank you for sending your only Son to live a perfect life, then to die for unperfected people. Thank you for giving all who look to you with faith a new heart with the righteousness of Jesus… Thank you for raising Jesus from the grave incorruptible and giving us a new heart that can have victory over sin in this broken world with that same power that raised your Son up… And thank you that you will raise us up one day incorruptible no longer subjects to sin, pain, depression, sickness, disease, hate or death… forever with You, In Jesus name amen.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.
The Witness We Breathe Out R Aylor
It is quite unusual to see a guilty person who takes the witness stand begin by being truthful and making a confession. Most seem to lie and deceive and manufacture stories and tell half truths that point the finger of guilt at others instead of themselves.
But deceit doesn’t wait to get on the witness stand before it winds up destroying other people’s lives… The thing is... this deceit in the hearts of man... it usually begins like a cancer eating away in the very families of the one who spirts out lies. This cancer doesn’t pause or go into remission. Although sometimes the lies seem harmless and benign they are in fact malignant. They hurt a lot of people… including our loved ones and close friends… and wind up destroying our own selves in the worst way possible for eternity away from all that is good.
But on the other hand, Solomon says a truthful witness saves lives.
Of course, if we look back a ways to the garden of Eden… it was satan who first lied… right? ...and it is he who did the opposite of saving lives… He is a destroyer of lives for sure.
Genesis 3:4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
And yet it was that lie that led to Adam and Eve’s sin and the physical and spiritual death of every person.
And speaking of satan, Jesus said this in John 8:44 …He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
So Jesus says satan was a murderer from the beginning… satan did not come to man as a trustworthy witness proclaiming truth… He did not come to save lives like our text in Proverbs speaks about a truthful witness, but satan came to murder.
Jesus speaking again but this time he contrast’s what satan came to do with what he came to do.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
What application for action does that bring for us today?
You know, there’s a lot of truth proclaimers in the world today. The left, the right and many in the middle vocalize their opinions of what is right and wrong as though it is gospel. In John 14:6 Jesus said: …“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He is the life changer! He is the way maker! He is the heart transformer! God is the one who gives us eyes to see the truth in Jesus. Let’s ask the Lord to make us true witnesses of Him. In order to do that we will need to know him… and after that… if we do… then to know him better and better for the rest of our lives that we might be transformed ourselves to be more like him… and that we might be a true witness of his glory to others of all that we have seen and heard.
Pray
Today's reading is a sermon from the Anglican Preacher George Whitefield (1714-1770) He was blessed with some unique talents in communication and vocalization as well as spiritual insights which he used for the glory of God.
He was surly not a perfect man... Whitefield publicly renounced slavery early on. However, he participated in this horrible practice after he won plantation owners to the Lord and they entrusted him slaves. He advocated for legalization of slavery in Georgia possibly that they might help him maintain and operate his orphanage. He vocalized the good treatment of slaves and evangelized them. Beware reader... the end does not justify the means and we all have to give account to the Lord for how we rationalize the morals that come out of our brokenness. Whitefield's connection to slavery stands out as possibly being his most grievous sin .
With that being said, history is a difficult thing to judge generally much less and yet more dangerously the intents of a heart individually... with the limited information we have and hundreds of years after the fact... And ultimately, that is one thing I cannot do to Whitefield or any other of our forefathers with good conscious. Only God knows the core of each of our hearts with its motives. I have enough trouble discerning my own heart in the present. God is judge. And knowing this... All sin is appalling and horrific and though some like slavery may seem much worse than others all sin hurts not only ourselves but others and probably more than we will ever know. In relation to God, sin puts each one of us on common ground, does it not? Like the song says: "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?". Jesus is the answer you yours and my brokenness. He is the good news... He is where I want to focus and find my delight in... He is the one I want to share with others.
I do believe it is good to know and learn about both the good and the bad things in those who went before us. We cannot throw out the baby with the bath water or we would never gain good from those who went before us nor would others listen to us. That is one of the things about the Bible... it does not hide the mistakes of Abraham, Issac, Jacob... on and on in the Old Testament as well as Christ's disciples in the New Testament we see their faults along with Gods mercy and grace upon them as a work in progress. You see its all about the Lord and his glory in his mercy and grace and his working in our life for our good!
So learn more about George Whitefield... and all of our forefathers in the faith with all their faults and all the amazing grace that God bestowed upon them for his glory... It will surly amaze and encourage you to read a biography about George Whitefield or listen to a sermon John Piper preached about him at desiringgod.org/
R Aylor
The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent
This is an amazing sermon that gets better and better the more he dives deep into the text.
The focal passage is: Genesis 3:15 -- "And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed, it shall bruise thy Head, and thou shalt bruise his Heel."
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. 30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
What's Your Go To? R Aylor
Do you have a “go to” in any area of life? I think most people do. Even when someone is asked a soft question like “How are you?” or “Whats been going on?”… or a something about the weather we usually choose from a few basic quips in our bag to respond with like:”I’m doing well, how are you?” or “Not much”, “same old same old”. If it’s been windy I usually comment how today I’ve had a bad hair day… (even though I am bald)… LOL. When I ask my brother what he’s been up to… I don’t know how many times… a lot!… he has answered me “about 5 10 1/2”. We have “go to’s” for clothes we wear… where and what we eat… who we seek counsel with… even things like were we go to first on line to get answers for various questions.
The thing is… we also have “go to’s” when we are agitated. Unfortunately our “go to’s” in this area are more like “jump to’s”…
And what jumps out from our text today is that at the first sign of agitation we should not jump to anger... we should not to have a hasty temper but rather quickly jump to a tranquil heart.
You know, there’s a time and place, a reason and a way to be angry in a good context but there are like a million ways to do it wrongly.
The problem is… (being descendants of Adam and Eve); we are all born hard wired with “go to’s” that are contrary to the plans for joy that God has for us.
Yes God does want us to have great joy; and yet we jump to crossness, crankiness and crabbiness… with huffiness, hate and hissy fits filled full of anger.
Our default “jump to’s” used to be things like judging the hearts and intentions of others towards us… As believers it doesn’t have to be that way any more. The Lord is our defense… with a tranquil heart resting in Christ we are to show others his love and how Jesus is good news for their brokenness. Even if our heart gets it right our jumping to make judgments as a way to exalt ourselves makes it all wrong.
Verse 30 says “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot”.
I suppose we all know the horrible feeling that not forgiving someone brings back on us. That and other evils that go along with relationships like envy and hate… they bring a tightness to the heart… This takes away our zeal for life and is definitely not good for our health. But not everyone knows the sweet peace that comes from resting in Christ… and not everyone knows the ability which he gives us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Pray
Father please keep working on us to remake our default to rest in you and love our neighbor as ourselves. And for those who don’t know how to rest in you or love with that kind of love… please open their eyes to see your son Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe over and above anything the world can offer and worth leaving all for. He who lived a perfect life, was paid the wages of our sins with his death on the Cross and on the third day rose from the grave… and all that means for us who believe… us who delight and rest in him as our only hope.
Father I will close with words from your Son Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
At first glance it may seem a bit discouraging that Solomon says the wicked get to live in a house while the upright only live in a tent. Well, that doesn’t seem fair… but hey… the thing is… the possessions of the upright consist of a little bit more than a tent. See, those who have been given the righteousness of Christ and so are upright… they don’t really live here… Maybe we could put a bumper sticker on our tent that says “my other house is a mansion” because we’re just passing through and will soon come to the place that Jesus went to prepare for us. Its the Spiritual Kingdom of God…Thats our homeland now. If you know Christ there is a sense in which you were actually born in that kingdom… It is your birthplace and homeland. Look, there is a full inheritance waiting for us there and most importantly we will be with the Lord.
So we are not called to get comfortable here as though we have arrived in the land our hearts have longed for. We are not to seek peace or solitude in what this place has to offer. Dont settle down and grab up everything as though this is to be desired above all… Sometimes we use the phrase “to die for” as something extremely desirable… But thats exactly what happens for those who make this world their home… Solomon says:
“The house of the wicked will be destroyed”
Verse 12 goes right along with it: 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
What seems right is different from what is actually right and is relative to each persons own rationalization to have whatever they desire… The end of that wickedness ends in death… And its a horrible death not only separated from their body but from the Spirit of God and everything good.
But the second part of verse 11 is encouraging for believers.
“the tent of the upright will flourish”
That goes along with the rest of the Bible for sure; and its not the kind of flourishing that goes with making this world our home or success by their standards… We flourish on the mission which we are here for… as we are passing through… living in tents… not making this our home.
We’ve talked about 2nd Corinthians 8 and 9 before which is very clear how even those believers who are poor and oppressed will flourish in every good work and overflow with joy. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says: You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Old mission: This world is our home… We seek and proclaim our own glory and get bitterness and death.
New mission: We seek to see and share more of Gods glory and get loads of joy.
Thats how it works… God created us that way.
Do you want to flourish while living in a tent or do you want to make this world your home and never find satisfaction or joy?
I really love Psalm chapter 1… it tells the same truth as todays verses. I’d like to read it as an outro and in so doing let God have the last word in todays devotion.
Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
In todays verse I think we see another truth Solomon has witnessed in his… well, study of human behavior… and likely experienced in his own life. As usual, the obvious truth he sees carries underlying principals that can be used for application in other areas of life.
First, he mentions the personal bitterness unique to each persons heart.
Of course physical trials can be bitter in the way a cold wind is bitter upon the face. An accident that one never fully recovers from is a difficult ordeal. A long bout with cancer that ends in death can be a strenuous hardship on the one who is sick as well as many family members. Each one of us has their own unique experience of bitter troubles in the body that can be as distinct as a fingerprint.
However; I really don’t think Solomon is referring to these kinds of physical things... at least not detached from another kind… And the reason I say that is because he says how its a bitterness in heart… and he contrasts it to joy in the heart. These resonate with the spirit of man and are spiritual in nature… still they are connected with the brokenness of the physical world we live in.
So then… a dissatisfied heart could be aggravated into bitterness by bad life choices… right? It could be associated with the accident or cancer we spoke of. It might be awakened when one becomes a victim of domestic violence or racial injustice… or maybe you’re one who has been making yourself out as a victim… Someone looked at you wrong or maybe didn’t look at you at all. The mind has a way of conjuring imaginary assailants which can cause our hearts to go sour. But still, sometimes the mind gets it right…
Either way… what Solomon says is true… it’s a personal pain… because our sin is personal and it’s the culprit. Our heart is broken and open to bitterness from the start… you see, no one can know it like we do because sin is so connected to who we are at the core of our being.
However, at the opposite extreme of the spectrum is joy, and its different than happiness that comes from the hap-pen-ings which touch us in the physical world. Actually “happenings” are the same things that cause bitter things in our body… they stir up the bitterness in our soul which we have been talking about.
But joy comes to us when… not sin but righteousness comes in our heart. Speaking of the heart, Solomon ends todays verse with: “and no stranger shares its joy.“ If today your faith in in Jesus, then you know joy came to you when Jesus gave you his righteousness. He was the only one who ever lived a righteous life. He willingly took the payment for what was due you for your sin with his death on the Cross. (The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23) He imputes his righteousness to all who believe him and look to him in faith. Three days afterJesus died he defeated death and God gives that same power to all who believe that we might live victorious lives over sin as we walk with him… And one day he will raise us up incorruptible, no more subject to the entropy and death associated with sin.
Father God thank you for your word and these obvious truths which are so profound when you open our eyes to them. How the heart knows its own bitterness and spiritual bitterness of heart is from our sin… and how no stranger shares its joy… Lord as believers in your family and not strangers we do share joy that comes from you because of the righteousness of Jesus upon our life… and still it is a personal relationship. Thank you for sending your Son who lived a perfect life, took the wages of our sin, and defeated death on the third day and all that means… Please continue to show us more of your glory, in Jesus name amen.
Proverbs 14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. 7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. 9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.
These verses give a number of insights about two different kinds of people… two different hearts. Solomon shows us the contrasts between the knowledge that comes from God and the arrogance of the foolish person…
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, ...
Why can’t the scoffer find wisdom? I suppose it is because he never admits he’s wrong about anything....
Then the last part of this verse; for a man of understanding… a man who knows he is broken and lacking. ... it’s an easy thing to seek godly knowledge... he hungers for it...
7 Leave the presence of a fool,...
This one is pretty clear… the understanding person sees how a foolish person doesn't have good council to give and neither are they open to it.
You know we become like those that we choose to and enjoy fellowship with. So we leave off from their companionship.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, ...
The prudent person is wise in that he discerns his own way... he sees his brokenness and need... he does not seek out fellowship with the foolish.
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.
The guilt offering that the Jewish people gave to the Lord in Solomon’s day was a lamb without blemishes. It pointed to the promised Messiah...
Leviticus 5:17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. 18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.”
When God opened the eyes of people to realize they were sinners… for example they now see how years before they had treated someone without love and were to offer an unblemished lamb as a guilt offering to the Lord.
John the Baptist said this: John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Some people thought this the guilt offering was a foolish practice... but it pointed to the one who offered the only hope for the sins of mankind…
We see a lot of people today that mock believers saying believing in Jesus has always been for weak people. They are right!
We are utter weaklings in that we are pushovers for sin. ... Well, the father of lies, satan himself who first tempted Eve… he has made us slaves to sin. We are weaklings to the furthest extent.
The good news is that as Romans 5:6 says: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Why is that awesome? The guilt offering has been paid!!! Jesus the Lamb Of God who never sinned and is without spot or blemish freely laid down his life on the Cross and was paid the wages of our sin. God imputes his righteousness to all who look to him in faith… to all who with joy turn away from delight in sin to delight in him. Thats our initial repentance. We, who once treasured various promises of sin as we sought after the next possibility for satisfaction… Now God has given us eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure worth leaving all to follow the rest of our life. As believers, God gives us the same power that raised up Jesus from the grave to live victorious lives over sin. And so we live lives in circles of repentance as we grow in Christ the rest of our lives. When we fall we humbly look back to the offering of Jesus on the Cross who has already paid the wages of our sin. In joy we take up our cross and follow him.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
People bear some kind of witness with their life. They proclaim something about who they are to others. We could even think about satan himself. He proclaims his own glory… He says his way is best for us. He says sin satisfies. In the Garden of Eden he told Eve God was a liar… and that the fruit of the tree God said would bring death would actually make her like God. But satan is a false witness. Solomon says that a false witness breathes out lies. In John 8:44, speaking of satan Jesus said this:
…When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
That’s who satan is… even when he tried his hand at quoting scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness his intent was deceit and he came to Jesus as a liar.
What about us? Are we a faithful witness or a false witness? Of course a witness is someone who has actually saw something. They were there and can testify because they experienced something.
But as broken people in a broken world… and speaking practically that includes Christians because although we are 100% righteous positionally… practically we are still a work in progress as the Lord is conforming us to his image… As broken people then… we have to fight against the temptation to say we are more than we are. I mean, no one wants to be thought of as less than others… not smart, not clever… We rather want to be looked up to and sought out for council… We even want to look good while we stand in the spotlight.
But we have to fight against that because it is a false witness of who we really are.
Even in the church there are so many I fear that claim to walk close to the Lord and want to be seen as leaders or role models… The Apostle John talks about this very thing:
1st John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
So if we stray from walking close to the Lord, (which we all do in some fashion from time to time) we are tempted to put on a self righteous front instead of humbling ourselves to the Lord in repentance.
Not only are we tempted to bear a false witness to others but we can lie to ourselves also.
1st John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
All this lying is something we should flee from… If we truly know the Lord… and we do not call our sin what it is… rebellion against our Creator and Lord… our hearts can be seared hard like a stone so that our sweet fellowship with the Lord disappears… And that is a scary place to be… It is a red flag as to whether we have ever turned away from sin towards Jesus in the first place.
But for those who will turn… there is some amazing good news. John continues:
1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So in closing… #1; don’t trust the lies of satan. Dont believe the promises for satisfaction and life he spurts out of his mouth. And #2; don’t live your life bearing a false witness of who your are. Even as believers we must humble ourselves instead of seeking our own false exaltation. James 5:16 says: …confess your sins to one another… #3; don’t rationalize your own sin… call it what it is. #4 Always keep returning to the Lord… Confess your sin to him and trust him for 100% forgiveness because of Jesus. Finally #5; get up and walk in the sweet joy of the Lord as a faithful witness on the mission of sharing not our own glory; but the glory of God in Jesus to a broken world.
For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
This has been a fascinating verse to me for many years. Maybe because it seems that Solomon is just stating the obvious and somehow he must have believed that with every truth he observed in life no matter how apparent there must be something in it for him to learn… a foundational principal that he could carry with him into other areas of life for application.
As for this verse, I think we’ve all seen some form of what Solomon is describing here. Right?
I mean... if there are no tools in your workshop, it is likely clean and without clutter, but many engines can be repaired by the use of tools, and with that there is going to be a lot of grease and grime… theres just no getting around it. It’s proof that you have been working to accomplish something.
Whether your desk is clean or dirty… your house… your clothes… they all tell a story. And to achieve something great in life means that whatever the normal order of your life is for you, it’s going to have to change… the old order is going to be disrupted. If you’re a farmer harvesting a crop, a worker putting up a fence, a carpenter building a house… an oilfield worker… a geologist or an archeologist… something’s going to have to get dirty or at least out of its normal order to realize anything worthwhile. The world is usually not changed for the better from a recliner.
Many people do like to keep a clean house though… and thats cool! I get it. It’s a good thing. But if you’re not ever letting your family live in your home then you have made up your mind it’s for something besides living… Its for sitting there and looking nice and clean. So live in it and then clean it and then live in it again and again.
In todays verse Solomon shares how a clean manger with no oxen does not have the power to accomplish the purpose of a manger. The oxen are not eating to maintain strength to plow the fields… neither are they being birthed in the manger area… nor are they pooping and stinking up the place. The owners have no need to hire workers to maintain all the workings of the manger… Sure it’s clean and comfortable there… It would make a great play house for the kids… But no oxen may mean no crops and no food on the table… poverty for the family or worse.
As for us… as for me… Not getting my hands dirty… always trying to be comfortable will not accomplish anything great. It will not fulfill my purpose in life. Sure I will be clean and well rested but whats the good of a clean healthy life for the soul purpose of existing? A tool with no purpose is not really a tool. It is just a stick or a piece of metal.
God created us with a purpose. That is to see more and more of his glory and come to mirror the image of his character We were created to worship him for who he is and find extreme joy in doing so… and then go forth and share his glory with others.
Man was made in Gods image and was commanded to multiply and fill the earth. That would be us multiplying images of God. But Gods image in man was corrupted by sin. However, the good news is that God shows us his glory in his only Son Jesus. He lived a perfect life, was paid the wages for our sin with his death… He gives his righteousness to all who find their hope in him.
Jesus rose from the grave and God gives us the same power that raised him to be victorious over sin as we walk with him. And he will raise us up one day no longer corrupted by sin and death. Now, because we have seen the glory of God and have been changed, we can fulfill Gods command… multiply and fill the earth sharing how the image of God in Jesus changes hearts.
And so we are called to get up off the couch… to tend the oxen… to plow and plant seeds of the good news of Jesus… and to help gather the fields that are ready for harvest… to be willing to get dirty and be about the mission God has for us. Pray
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. 20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.
For the full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com and click on Proverbs in 365 Devotions. Thanks!
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. 23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
It looks like both of these verses speak of some kind of increase or the lack thereof in a mans life. It seems Solomon is mentioning some of the insights he gained about people as he observed their everyday life in his kingdom. Maybe when he looked out his window or when he sat in judgment before individuals and heard their stories… You know… underlying every observation we make in life there is a truth where we can gain insight. But like Solomon, we must make our deductions with discernment. We need the Lords help with that.
So let’s think about what Solomon has said…
He tells us how a good man leaves some kind of inheritance to his children’s children… Inheritances usually consist of things like houses, money and land. He likely witnessed men who did this very thing. They were honest men who were not lazy… they worked hard and treated their neighbor justly… He watched how they didn’t spend their paychecks on wine and women or the home shopping network of their day (traveling merchant caravans).... but rather they worshiped the true God of Israel. They provided for their family, they helped those in need, they invested wisely and saved for their children… These were good men (not perfect) but they made good choices with their life and with their income. Solomon saw a truth… a principal we can adopt for our good in the lives of these kinds of men.
But then in the same verse Solomon shares something which at first glance is kind of strange to me… He says that the wealth of sinners makes its way to them who are righteous. How might this happen?
Proverbs 28:8 says: Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
This goes along with the point Solomon is making in todays verse but it extends the benefits that come to the good man beyond his children’s children to the poor. Somehow the hard working wise righteous man is always blessed enough to provide for his family and to help the needy.
Solomon probably witnessed these men giving freely to the poor and yet by some miracle God always refilled their life with blessings so they could keep giving. Gods math works differently than mans.
2nd Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Is this the health and wealth gospel we sometimes hear preached? No, that is a false gospel… this is different. It’s something different… It’s real and amazing and for the glory of God.
In 2nd Corinthians Paul is of course writing to the church in Corinth but he has been presenting the churches of Macedonia to them as an example of how God wants to work in their lives which goes along with our Proverbs passage.
In chapter 8 Paul writes this: 1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
These were poor people… poor but good people because of the righteousness of Jesus upon their life. God uses his miracle math to keep blessing them enough to give to help the believers who were hurting in Jerusalem.
Did God make them rich physically? No, there is no indication of that. He just kept blessing them over and over in whatever way he decides so they could abound in every good work.
...
To see the full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com
2nd Corinthians 9:11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 13:1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
You know… there are two kinds of listening. And today it seems that Solomon really wants his sons to listen to his words of wisdom with the right kind of hearing.
One kind is not sincere… This person may listen for a number of reasons but it is not genuine. If you have children then you surly know it’s possible for your instructions or scoldings to go on deaf ears… maybe hearing your words ever so faintly as background noise. A child may only listen to make a case against the rebuker and defend their own position either openly or as a way to rationalize in their heart. They’re really not interested in understanding why their father wants them to do this or that. They only care about justifying the argument for what they want in their heart. This is the scoffer whom Solomon says does not listen to rebuke. It makes since that the person who does not actually hear truth will not obey it but will go on seeking to do their own will.
The second kind of listener is sincere. They want to understand why their father instructs them in this way and how it is that his words are right. They want what is true to make sense to them. Now in this case the listeners ears not only hear the words their father speaks but their heart makes a connection to the truth in his words and it is internalized within them. Then they can be joyfully obedient to their fathers words from the heart.
When our Father in heaven speaks in his word, again there are two kinds of listeners.
One kind listens but does not hear. In Matthew 13 Jesus said this:
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
As for the other kind of listeners… God opens their ears: David said this in Psalm 40:6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
You may be aware that Jesus read from this very passage in the Temple and it is speaking of himself. David said how God gave him an open ear to listen to his truth about giving sacrifices. This passage pointed directly to Jesus the perfect sacrifice. He willingly gave himself that we might be given his righteousness and be accepted by God.
Maybe today God is opening your ears to hear how Jesus is the good news of Great joy the angel spoke of to the shepherds. Maybe he is giving you eyes to see why Jesus is beautiful and how he is the greatest treasure in the Universe worth leaving all for. He was paid the wages of your sin on the Cross and he will give his righteousness to all who believe in him. To all who delight in him… call on him, draw nigh to him, look to him in faith, rejoice in him.. to all who turn their face away from the promised treasures of the world and come to him. Can you hear the Spirit call you?
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Pray
Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.
What could Solomon be trying to tell us today? Well, I think we see Solomon giving an example of how discipline is to be used for the good in a person who is caught up in crime or and evil heart… sinful actions. We’ve touched on how one of the qualities of a good king should be mercy… but here the most merciful thing is discipline. We can see how this works when a child gets in a pattern of disobeying their parents. They don’t come to their parents and confess when they’ve messed up but they wait until they get caught to apologize... and then they disobey again and instead of repenting and confessing they hide their sin again until once again they are caught. These times clearly call for a spanking… but it’s a spanking for their good.
Solomon may be alluding to criminals in Israel... thieves and murderers who break laws of the land… but this principle of discipline extends to others… for example we looked at how children need a firm hand at times… and likely it will be various discerning measures of discipline that can work for their good… But what about the people who don’t live under the authority of parents any longer… and they don’t actually break the laws of the land… Of course laws can’t regulate all the actions that flow from the heart… things like of not loving our neighbor or going about lying and cheating and gossiping...
And these people are actually us sometimes… right? We can easily become cold and blind and dull of hearing… And we too need help and correction… an attitude adjustment if you will, for our good… our growth… But who will give us this discipline we need?
Well, first off it’s interesting to ponder how kings and parents and others may use the same tools used by broken people like strokes (which might include spankings)… and they use them to cure brokenness. But the thing is… physical brokenness can be for our spiritual good. After Adam and Eve sinned and thus were broken spiritually God broke the world in that sickness and disease and depression and pain… so much more… all kinds of entropy and even death…
God could have made things easy and removed all sickness and disease… He could have made a way for all to be rich and want for nothing physically… But of course that would not have helped the brokenness that our sin caused between man and God.
But the brokenness of the world… every trouble we might face reminds us of our spiritual brokenness. Mans sin which brought about our separation from the fellowship of our Creator.
And so yes, although we have the righteousness of Christ positionally, a broken world still works for our good practically… He is doing a work in us and so the brokenness still works for our good. And not only that but because he loves us personally, he corrects us individually… He knows what strokes and prods of love we need and even the blows that wound and leave scars that will be for our good.
Hebrews 12:5 …“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
You know… although physical brokenness like pain and difficulty can point us to the cure for our spiritual brokenness in the promised Messiah, (this is important) one cannot fight spiritual brokenness with spiritual brokenness. For example when racial crimes as horrible as they can be are committed it does no good to fight hate with hate. Proclaiming truth with free speech is good but rioting and beating and destroying property… plundering and stealing… That is hate speech in action. This is not the discipline we’ve been speaking of today that is given out of a heart of love but bitterness. Though they may not know it, those who have hearts for these kinds of things have kindred spirits with those who’s hearts are racially charged with prejudice.
Pray
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
Glory is something that defines us… it tells a story about not only people but also things. Paul tells us that the sun, moon and stars have glory.
1st Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
Jesus said Solomon had glory when he compared him with the lilies of the field.
Matthew 6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
In todays proverb we see how the glory of young mens strength sets them apart from old men who get grey hair. These differences tell a story that gives us clues that go into the make up of who these are. Solomon speaks generally about certain aspects that are common in both groups of individuals. These are only small parts of knowing a young or an old man. For us to know them better we would need to look at their glories close up, one one one at on an individual level…
Solomon ends todays proverb by saying “but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” You know, this is what becomes of the young men who were once known for their strength… they are now known for something else. This time he uses a different word besides glory to describe it… Splendor. But this is like glory…in fact its sometimes translated as glory instead of splendor. But splendor in the Hebrew seems to me to carriy with it the ideal of wearing that glory… It shines out from your life. In some way this God given glory exceeds the strength which you had as a young man. Of course every grey head tells a story of a life of experience, but I expect Solomon is thinking of a man who has grown in wisdom and knowledge and prudence and discernment, peace and joy… His heart is steady and anchored in the Lord. Instead of using his physical strength to build a fence or help a neighbor he now moves whole mountains in peoples lives by counseling them with love and wisdom.
Earlier we looked at how we get to know someone better by reading the stories that their glories tell close up and one on one. That’s the same way we get to really know the Lord. As we see more and more of his glory we know him better and better.
In Exodus 33:18 Moses ask God for this very thing: Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
And the next day Moses went upon the Mountain and God began doing that very thing. Check it out in Exodus 33 and 34. God began showing Moses who he was. He told him about his character and the different attributes that set him apart from everything and everyone else. It changed Moses... I think for the benefit of the Children of Israel and us… From then on when Moses removed his veil and went before God the skin of his face would glow after being in the presence of Gods glory. But I think the biggest change was his heart. Looking back to this very event the Apostle Paul tells us how God does this very thing for us spiritually.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
1st Chronicles 16:29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
"Two Wells"
Robin Aylor
There once were two wells flowing out waters. To nourish the souls of sons and daughters. One was alive, purified,The other looked clean, to the naked eye. But toxins like arsenic, venom and bane, Longed to flow through the children’s veins. Covered in Aspartame and Formaldehyde sweet, In hopes that the people would drink and eat. Lurking and hiding the poison it carried, Knowing partakers would soon be buried.
Both wells cried out “I satisfy!”. But one shared the truth, the other a lie. I thought, how shall one know, which to partake? Then I looked all about, upon the landscape.
Around one fountain, vegetation was dead. The people were crying, I heard what they said. Woe to us! They yelled out in pride. The waters they drank made them bitter inside. It had rotted their eyes and made them blind. It closed up their ears and hardened their mind. It changed how they think, it made their life stink. Yet their greatest desire was to take another drink.
From the other fountain, Oh yes! I was sure. Sprung the water of life, unpolluted and pure. The grass was green, the flowers in bloom. The people were singing a joyous tune. They loved one another, all could see. That the water of life flowed abundant and free.
They carried that life wherever they'd go. The water they drank was the word that was spoke. They spoke in the deserts, the valley and plains. Knowing Gods living Word, never waters in vain.
John 4:13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Two Wells R Aylor
There once were two wells flowing out waters To nourish the souls of sons and daughters One was alive, purified The other looked clean, to the naked eye But it carried toxins like venom and bane Which longed to flow through the children’s veins Enveloped with Aspartame and Formaldehyde sweet In hopes that the people would drink and eat Lurking and hiding the poison it carried Knowing partakers would soon be buried Both wells cried out “I satisfy!” But one shared the truth, the other a lie I thought, how shall one know, which to partake? Then I looked all about, upon the landscape Around one fountain, the vegetation was dead The people were crying, I heard what they said Woe to us! They yelled out in pride The waters they drank made them bitter inside It had rotted their eyes and made them blind It closed up their ears and hardened their mind It changed how they think, it made their life stink Yet their greatest desire was to take another drink From the other fountain, Oh yes! I was sure Sprung the water of life, unpolluted and pure The grass was green, the flowers in bloom The people were singing a joyous tune They loved one another, all could see That the water of life flowed abundant and free The water they drank was God's Word which they spoke They carried this water wherever they'd go They shouted His praises in the valleys and plains Knowing Gods living Word, never waters in vain
Proverbs 20:26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them. 27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. 28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
... The first; verse 26 tells us first how a wise king deals with the wicked. He winnows them and drives the wheel over them. A winnowing fan would blows the chaff off of the wheat… separating it from the edible grain. The grain is put into storehouses or sold in the market while the chaff may be disposed of by burning.Speaking of Jesus and judgment John the Baptist uses this same metaphor In Matthew 3:12: His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Solomon says the wise king also drives the wheel over them. From what I gathered, driving the wheel over them refers to the threshing wheel which was a wooden frame with three or four rollers armed with iron teeth. It was drawn by two oxen… It crushed out the grain and cut up the straw into fodder. Both are examples of Justice in making judgments by a wise king concerning evil… which point us to the justice of the Lord.
Solomon talks about how God gives man an inner conscience which works to shine a light on his motives. Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Romans 2:14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
Man truly has no excuse for why he does not seek God and live righteously and love his neighbor. God gives us enough light to follow that light and find him. Verse 27 points us back to Judgment Day in 26 when God will separate the chaff from the wheat.
God has given us this conscience concerning what is true concerning Himself… whenever we look at his Creation… will we follow the light and seek our Creator? Will we see his sovereignty and care giving rain and fruit and grain and fish and all these good things while at the same time it is a broken world because of sin which should point us to our own sin? Will our conscience follow the light to that point and continue to follow it to his word which promised a Savior the Messiah who would set things right… or will we forget this light of conscience and say its a broken world and there is not God?
In verse 28 Solomon seems to be saying how it is Gods steadfast love and faithfulness in keeping his own word that preserves the king. So as Solomon obeys God from the heart and loves those in his kingdom… he shows mercy to those who repent and judges righteously and is faithful to his word he is emulating the Lord. Because the kings heart is obedient and because God always keeps his word, the king is preserved and his throne is upheld.
Thank You Father that you have given us light to look to you and see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. Light from your Creation, light from our conscience, and light from your word.
Psalm 119:130...
Thank You Lord for bringing us into your presence at Judgment when you separate the chaff from the wheat because your Son Jesus took the payment due for our sins and you have applied his perfect righteousness to our life. Thank you for raising him up and for one day raising us. Thank you for giving us your same power that raised him to winnow sin from our own life and live lives of love and mercy towards others. Thank you for your steadfast love that never fails and for preserving us with you for eternity. In Jesus name Amen.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.
What does holy mean? Strongs concordance says this word translated from means apartness or sacredness.
As a believer God calls us to be set apart to the Lord. That includes our words.
We are to keep our word both to God and man.
James 5:12 says: But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
So when we give our word to another we are accountable to God for our pledge. If you are a believer you are an Ambassador for Christ and so our words reflect upon the Lord. In that context our words are holy.
We are not to give our word or make a promise flippantly to others. We say things like I will be praying for you… but what becomes of our words? We say I will be there or I will call you tomorrow morning… or I will commit to this or that…
As the Hebrew indicates; Holy carries with it the idea of being set apart. That’s why we we say God is holy... His character and all of his attributes are so far set apart from sin... To an eternal extreme he is 100% Holy in all his ways.
But we live in a culture where people are holy unto themselves... they are set apart from loving others and loving God and to them sin and selfishness are sacred. That was us… We hoping that the promises of the world like money and nice things and seeking our own glory would bring us joy.
But since we have seen the glory of God in Jesus, our words are to be holy... set apart for the Lord for his glory.
1st Peter 4:11 says: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Another great verse along the same line is: 2nd Corinthians 3:3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
In that sense which Paul is describing, Gods word is to be applied and internalized in to our life making us holy and set apart that our life might be matching up with who we are in Christ.
As believers we have the righteousness of Jesus... but practically we are a work in progress. We made a sacred declaration that Jesus is our Lord and we are now on his mission… no longer on our own and we must not be stagnant or fall back and with a wishy washy heart reflect now on our profession of faith after we have made it and say… no… I think I will go back to believing the promises of sin… but rather be holy and set apart more and more.
In closing let me read today’s proverbs again: Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.
Pray
Proverbs 20:24 A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?
Something about this verse makes me want to smile. I think part of it is acknowledging the sovereignty of God. It just does something for my heart knowing the Creator of all things loves me so much and cares to be involved in each step I take. And another reason I like this verse is because there’s a mystery here… Today's devotion is my pondering a small part of the journey. Please double check my musings.
Why does God intervene in the oh so small steps that man takes from day to day? Actually, I think that if we acquaint ourselves with Gods word we can know what he’s doing our life… at least generally; but specifically well, not so much… It seems to me that Solomon is saying… The reason our plans in this world don’t always go the way we hope is because God channels our steps.
I mean… at the time of trouble does anyone know the real reason why we experience hardships like a loss of job or 1001 other trials? And so we fight against the brokenness that has touched our life…
We may plan to take college courses to begin a specific job… but that falls through because of money or time constraints… or sickness or 100 different reasons… ... We ask “Is God for me or against me?” One path just closes off and we have to go a different way time and time again.
Yet all these things… not only those we consider bad… but those at the time we count as good… somehow work towards the same end.
The details and complexity and vastness of the answer may last throughout our life… I believe one of the reasons for the why is that God is educating us in the ways that he knows is best. He may transport us where we were not planning on going… other times he may let us go the way our wayward heart wants to go, and then other times he may carry us exactly where we want to go as we love following him. In all these things God is directing… pushing, prodding and channeling our steps… even when we follow our wayward heart it may be that we need to hit the end of our rope before we call out to the Lord.
I think Romans 11:36 is a key to understanding today's proverb and the course of our lives.
Romans 11:36 says: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
So in today's proverb it is not our steps that are in question… Solomon is clear that they are from the Lord… but it is our way that we do not understand. In other words why does God order troubles, trials and even physical blessings in our life? We might even ask why did God break the world and the Universe in the first place. I believe all this brokenness is to remind us that we are broken because of sin… we are not glorious no one is good and we all need a glorious savior… the promised one from Genesis 3.
You see, everything is for the glory of God… and as we see his glory… it becomes for our good.
You know, even when God planned our first step as he placed us in the families we were born into and in the nations he chose… even in the time period of history which we live he did so for our good and his glory.
Speaking of God Acts 17:26-27 says: 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. …
I think it’s impossible for us to fully and specifically understand how all of the ways in which the Lord orders our steps can be seen as being for our good and for Gods glory.
As Isaiah 55:9 ...
But you know it’s really a good thing to be able to trust God for the directing of our steps because left to ones self we would blindly follow the devil off a cliff into the pit of hell.
Right before Jeremiah ask the Lord for correction he says this in Jeremiah 10:23: I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
Bad Love R Aylor The desire to have what we deserve and not have to wait seems to be the desire of all men... but it’s a false premise. This example Solomon gives concerning an inheritance is a great example. There's this hunger inside of men… this seed of greed that only needs a sprinkle of hope to feed it and the next thing you know it becomes an overwhelming obsession that controls us.
1st Timothy 6:10 acmes to mind: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Notice the object of the verse is not money but the kind of love that is associated with it. This is a powerful self serving kind of love that excludes love for others… Its a kind of love that is greedy for the inheritance and breeds distrust among siblings and causes family rifts that last a lifetime. This kind of evil love does not think his brother or sister deserve much of the inheritance at all because they were not the kinds of children to their parents they should have been.
This lends nicely to the truth in the next verse Proverbs 20:22 which says: Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
An inheritance gained quickly is not waiting on the Lord. We may be tempted to rationalize the inheritance as deserving to us by saying it would be justice. God teaches us to leave justice to him. Don’t be vengeful. That can put your heart in a bad bitter place out of fellowship with God.
And the thing is… Justice the way we are thinking would not be in our best interest. As I mentioned… we rationalize things out of balance… so that things appear in our favor. That leads us to the next verse in todays passage.
Proverbs 20:23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.
Look, none of us have been the children to our parents we should have been. Leave the earthly inheritance in the hands of the Lord. Dont be obsessed with money and things… rather yearn for the spiritual riches which are found in Christ.
For those who hope in Christ… He has promised us an inheritance that is an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison full of immeasurable treasures beyond our comprehension… And he gives us a sample of whats to come in the joys we experience in seeing more and more of his glory until that day.
Pray
Proverbs 20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. 20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
...To slander would include things like digging up dirt on others and making a character assignation against them with malicious gossip. It may even be something way back in the persons past… This slander may be a total misrepresentation of who the person is today… They spew out their words like a mad person kills and destroys with seemingly no guilt and unconcerned about the lives they destroy.
Solomon calls this person a simple babbler… Simple, I suspect because they lack the things that Proverbs tells us over and over to pursue… Things like wisdom, knowledge, prudence, discretion… attributes like fearing the Lord, helping the poor, looking out for the good of others and accountability with money and in relationships… the list goes on and on.
And this babbler is someone who just rattles on and on with nothing worthwhile to say… Its a strange thing that this person can jjibber-jabber on and on almost without breathing and yet never touch on any of the many things that Solomon says are important.
And the thing is… he actually does reveals secrets… But they’re not for helping others or building them up or mending relationships… These secrets are weapons that ruins peoples lives and strains relationships and promotes divorce and splits churches and causes children to never speak to their parents for years… This babbler causes pain and feeds distrust and envy and bitterness and encourages others to hold grudges. Solomon says not to associate with them. Being drawn to them… enjoying their fellowship and admiring their ways… has surly led those who do down the very same path.
Now the person in verse 20 who curses his father or his mother is a similar type of individual. The curses he speaks are also slanderous and much of the time he too reveals secrets about his parents. There could be various underling reasons for this… It may be because he has never come to the point of forgiving them for the wrong that they did to him or to his siblings. It could be their hypocrisy or that they weren’t there when they needed them… Nevertheless, the secrets this person reveals about his parents in their cursing are not for their good. It is not so they might be prayed for or that relationships might be restored. This person is blind to the extent of his own brokenness.
When Solomon says his lamp will be put out in utter darkness. He may have been thinking about the many references to this in the Old Testament.
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Exodus 21:17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
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Deuteronomy 27:16“‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
And in the New:
- Ephesians 6:2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Of course the implication is that not honoring your parents… even cursing and not wanting good for these who’s family God chose to place you into… will be to your demise. And the sad thing is in cursing them you are in some way blaming God himself.
In closing the thoughts that come to mind are… I should not be a babbler… If I am going to put others down let me put them down on my prayer list and not reveal their secrets in slander. Gossip can consumes us. I know, I have been there. But the truth is that slander is part of the mission satan wants you and I to be on… That is… sharing bad news. Gods mission is sharing the good news… the best news ever, how Jesus took what was due us because of our sin with his death on the Cross and in exchange gives his righteousness to all who delight in him through faith, and as he was raised God will raise us up no longer under the entropy associated with sin.
Father God thank You for this great gift, In Jesus name amen.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Mouth Full Of Gravel R Aylor
We’ll take a look at a couple verses today which can be taken separately or even together I believe without changing the meaning… The first is: Proverbs 20:17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
In other words when a man uses all kinds of deceitful and underhanded tactics to get what he wants; yes it may be bread like the text indicates… but it could be any kind of gain he obtains. After he gets what he has set his heart on the sweetness soon disappears and is replaced by something he can hardly tolerate. I think I have probably eaten bread before and found a small piece of gravel in it… Even if its one grain a person will try and spit it out… But if it is hot freshly baked bread and it is oh so wonderful smelling and has sweet butter on it… and as a person chews it he finds it to be filled with gravel they will probably break a few teeth… not good! And for for sure it will not settle their stomach or give them nourishment and strength… no true satisfaction can come from it. And, like bread; if he gained money or lands or power by deceit… he will find the sweetness he envisioned was a lie. For one, God did not create our hearts with an ability to find satisfaction in the abundance of things related to mans glory; nor does he allow deceit to bring peace and joy. The end of that path is a mouth full of gravel… That might be another way of saying how sin itself always brings brokenness, death and separation from God forever.
Of course all of Gods words is linked together and its truths never contradict one another. So, even though these proverbs can stand alone they also compliment one another. The same truth in verse 17 can be seen in the next verse about waging war… 18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.
How are these similar? Don't wage war for deceitful reasons…. like for gain; which is similar to the man who deceived to gain in verse 17. You see, some kings go to world for gain of riches or land… some even seem to want to take over the world, right? So whether you are king and it is war with a country or if you are a normal person with no particular title and want to make a better living… Dont war with deceit in order to gain wealth… Solomon says plans are established by counsel… and where can we find the best counsel? Gods word of course… and sometimes we find it is expounded to us in guidance from godly brothers and sisters.
You see, Gods word gives us counsel in relation to things of the heart… What are our motivations for making gains in our life? What are the motivations for a king going to war? There are good and bad reasons for both. Good counsel helps guide us so that at the end of the day our mouth is not full of gravel instead of bread.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Pray
Proverbs 20:16 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.
Today Solomon gives us a lesson on discernment in relation to degrees of trust. Lets begin with the first example:
What if a neighbor comes to you and wants to borrow money for supposedly a needy person who lives in town… and let’s say you do not know this needy person; he’s a stranger to you. This needy person had no assets or security to mortgage to you the lender... in order to receive a loan. So, they had to get a co-signer. That's when your friend… your neighbor, ask for a loan for the man who needs it and Solomon says to take his garment as security.
It’s interesting… ...Here’s what it says in Exodus 22.
Exodus 22:25...
So Solomon says to go ahead and take your neighbors garment (who is not poor) as collateral. Now that's not much of guarantee that he will pay is it?… If the needy person defaults on the loan your friend the co-signer will pay it. But if he defaults also… you may only have a t-shirt to show for the money you loaned… But… it is more likely that the borrower will be held accountable. After all, even though he is a stranger to you he is not a foreigner... You and your neighbor both can locate him easily. Something else I think… you see, the people of Israel had a family type relationship... a special bond. For many their houses were always open for food and shelter to other Israelites. They shared this great history as a Nation in being Gods people. They were as brothers and sisters and not to put extreme burdens on one another with things like big securities and interest... so a t-shirt for collateral was not a heavy burden but still showed that the lender expected accountability; and it also showed his trust and empathy for his neighbor and the needy person.
Now we move to the second half of the verse: ...
Just a note about the word “foreigners”, it can also be translated as “an adulteress”. ...
So, the truths from today's proverb apply to both a foreigner and an adulteress.
What do both a foreigner and adulteress have in common? Neither have shown themselves to be trustworthy. The adulteress has shown that so far she is not and the foreigner has only his word. Maybe all you know is there are no wanted dead or alive pictures of him posted in town… which I would not recommend including in any loan request application form.
In the case of a foreigner or an adulteress, more drastic accountability needs to be in place.
So if the lender has the same garment, how does holding it in pledge strengthen the agreement? Well, it could mean don’t return the garment before sunset… but hold on to it… But after I looked at the Strong's Lexicon and a couple commentaries I believe it is saying to hold your neighbor to a more personal degree of accountability. I think it could mean that the co-signer needs to give some collateral of himself for the lender to hold in pledge depending on how much is borrowed.
In closing… think about how we were foreigners to him… strangers, even adulterous people who had forsaken God and were separated from his fellowship.
He gave of himself in giving his only begotten son that we who were poor and needy might have the greatest treasure in the Universe, unsearchable riches and a full inheritance as his child forever. And the difference is… we cannot pay back this debt, nor should we try… it is impossible to pay back even one cent’s worth of the joy he has given. In fact in Matthew 9:13 Jesus says how it is. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
And although we do not pay back this debt, he changes our heart and sets us in a different direction so that we love following him and growing in him the rest of our life.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. 15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
The 1969 Dodge Charger R Aylor
First today we are given the example of a person who has gotten himself a good deal on merchandise. Let’s say it was an automobile and his name was Joe. Joe had been browsing for vehicles from his desktop at work… He had even driven through a few car lots and talked to a salesman or two. He was in his late 20’s and just couldn’t find the car that suited him. One day Joe noticed a newspaper advertisement from a farmer who lived out in the country… This dude had a 1969 Dodge Charger in almost mint condition for sale. And so Joe skipped breakfast and hurried out to look at his dream vehicle… The farmer showed Joe all the bells and whistles like the supercharged 426 V-8 Hemi… And everything was amazing … the wheels, transmission, interior; everything.
“How much?” Joe asked. The farmer said “$38,000…” And he told Joe quite a personal story of how it was restored. Joe looked the car over… and as he did he frowned when he looked under the chassis and shook his head slightly as he wiped a smudge of oil from the engine… Joe acted as though he didn’t fit in the seats well and faked some difficulty in getting out. Finally he kicked the tires and said he didn’t want to spend that much for a vehicle with 35,000 miles on it. And over 50 years old. Joe started to leave and then turned back and ask the farmer if he would take $15,000 cash today… The farmer needed the money but he did not take the offer… Instead he countered and Joe countered …until Joe made his final offer. He said “Sir, I know you have put a lot into this vehicle and personally what it means to you… And since you have told me you the reason you want to sell is because you need the money, I want to help you... for your sake, here’s what I’ll do”. When it was all said and done Joe got his dream car for $18,000.
The same day Joe began telling and showing all his friends the great deal he had made on this 1969 Dodge Charger that is surly worth over 60 grand! He made it his profile picture on social media…
In our text today Solomon tells us about this buyer who bears a false impression to the buyer and then brags to others of the amazing deal he made. Through his deception Joe increased in wealth and instead of repenting he did the opposite… He bragged to others.
The final verse in todays passage says: 15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
When set side by side, the monetary gain Joe made through his deception and the lips of knowledge that speak of things right and true and honest and loving… all things godly.. There is no good comparison… The jewel of speaking honestly with truth in love is better than all kinds of costly stones including gold.
You know the thing about Jesus… the Word made flesh… The greatest treasure in the Universe worth leaving all to have… We never say “bad, bad” but only “good, good”… and he gives us himself freely… without money or price. No works… only His mercy. Grace through faith. Jesus lived a perfect life, died in our place for our sin and defeated death that we might be a new creation with his righteousness and accepted by God.
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Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
Love Not, Love What? R Aylor
I think the first word in this proverb is the key to the root of its meaning. In fact, it’s a key to the outcome of many things including life itself.
What we love sets the track for our day every day… It helps us put in order our to do lists for a particular day or the plans we make for our week. If we ponder what we love… For example: I like metal detecting, playing guitar, visiting with friends, studying Gods word, eating… which I need for health and energy to do the rest, I like money a lot… It even helps support my metal detecting, purchasing guitars… and of course you need money to eat… I like going to church and fellowshipping with believers and hearing Gods word. So then, how would I order my to do list? If my priorities were in line with God it might go something like this:
1 - Study Gods word every morning 2 - Play guitar every morning 3 - Go to work to make money to support what I love 4 - Eat 2-3 times a day 5 - Fellowship with family and friends daily 6 - Go metal detecting on Saturdays 7 - Go to church to community worship every Sunday and Small groups Sunday evenings.
Of course thats a very small chunk out of our life. We must prioritize a whole lot more that affects many more people than our own self.
Of all the things we pursue in life, Solomon says sleep is not something we should love. Of course when you’re extra tired… there is a context for loving sleep I think… I don’t believe thats what Solomon is saying. Dont chase after the kind of sleep that is kin to laziness. Dont desire to sleep your life away as a way to hide from the trials of the world. Dont write it as a goal in your high school year book.
Solomon says open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. In the previous verse we read how God has made the seeing eye and hearing ear… We dont utilize either of these things when we sleep. God did not create us to have a passion for sleeping. Its a gift from God and its necessary for our bodies and it shows us our need to depend on God because of our frailty but our mission in life is not to sleep.
There is a saying that “A ship is not meant for the harbor, but for the wide open sea.”
Ships were meant to carry people and merchandise through storms and wind and turbulent and tumultuous waves across vast oceans… That has always been their mission. They were not created to sit at dock… I think most things age and decay more quickly when they just sit idle not doing what they were made for and that includes human beings.
Before we come to Christ we are sleeping spiritually. Like todays text says: “open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread”.
So our first mission is to wake up to the truth of why Jesus is awesome… why he is the greatest treasure there is… why he is a reason to have great joy… and follow after Him. Thats mission uno… number one. Like Jesus said to Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4:19 …“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
I think it was right here that their eyes were open to see Jesus as the one worth dropping everything for and following after. Did you notice Jesus told them their instant real time mission and their future mission in one sentence? First “follow me” and then I will make you fishers of men”.
It’s the same for us, first we see the Glory of God in Jesus… or why he is good news for us… and we delight in him… our eyes are open to this…
Then we share his glory with others….
And though our second mission begins… our first mission of seeing and following still continues... in that we keep seeing more and more of the glory of God in Jesus and we keep sharing more and more of what we have seen and delighted in.
Pray
Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.
This is an interesting verse to me. Why would Solomon state the obvious? I don’t know but it does get one to thinking. My brother likes to state the obvious… it gets on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes he says things like ” You know, if the temperature drops and the moisture in the air increases it will snow tonight”. I’m sure he does it on purpose… and its ok… sometimes I kind of enjoy that part of his sense of humor… really!
I looked back over some verses in this chapter and Im just not sure if he’s specifically linking this to any of them. So, let’s just think about it as a stand alone proverb.
Yes! First we see this truth in a physical human being. God is Creator. The LORD made the hearing ear and the seeing eye…For most of us that is obvious. But that begs the question: who has made the blind eye and the deaf ear? Actually the Bible tells us.
You may be acquainted with the story of Moses and how God told him to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let his people go. Well, Moses was not a good speaker. Heres what he said to God. Exodus 4:10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
Its true… God is sovereign to give us sight or create us as blind… But we also see this same sovereignty of God spiritually when God makes us a new Creation in Christ Jesus. He is the one who gives us eyes to see his glory.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Jesus talks about both spiritual blindness and spiritual sight beginning in Matthew 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
So in closing its true that as Solomon said the LORD makes the seeing eye and hearing ear alike… and in retrospect maybe this does go along with other verses we have seen in this chapter… God gave us eyes and ears and we are responsible to God for what we look at and what we see and how we use these amazing gifts God has given us. It applies to the ways of children in Proverbs 20:11 and to those who take advantage of others in the previous devotion and… well I can see the correlation now all the way to verse one.
I’ll close with a passage from Ephesians 1 which talks about how we might even as believers continue to have the eyes of our heart enlightened to see more of Gods glory. I hope you all have a great day in the Lord. God bless!
Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
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Proverbs 20:11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Watching Your Child Make Themselves Known R Aylor
Oh, our children… how precious a gift… how disruptive to our life… And the thing is… they are all born with differences… in looks yes except for identical twins… but also differences in personalities… They are sooo unique! Dissimilar in strengths and weaknesses… not only in the physical but mental traits as well and how they think things through… not better or worse but different. The imprint of these characteristics and attributes can play a major role in what our children will be suited for in life as well as the kinds of things they will enjoy or detest.
So those things are important… and yet they may change depending on how they are brought up and what they associate themselves with in life… This can be a good thing or a horrible thing.
Something else to add into the equation: We are all born broken into a broken world. What does that bring to the makeup of our life? Well, we are born with a bent towards sin… And more specific, we are born with varied predispositions that are stronger than others. Certain things begin to pull at our children’s heart strings and for watching parents who ask the Lord for discerning eyes they can see.
Some traits from our brokenness you may notice in your child at an early age could include a learning disability associated with the physical body or they may have difficulty with social skills. Hyperactivity is another. We are born with many physical brokennesses which always have some potential to pull us towards sin in some way. Some physical problems can be overcome by physical things like doctors and medicines but others require the great physician.
Some things a parent can watch for in their child early on are things like patterns of lying or bullying. A screamer… a stealer… a hitter… or one who harms themselves. Watch for an early pulls towards sexuality to the opposite or same gender. Watch for a child who always runs away and hides from conflict. I think some of these things hit children across the board but the longer any of them are a routine… or pattern it is more likely that piece of brokenness will hard set itself deep within them.
Remember I said how we are not bound to all the dispositions we were born with? We become like the things that we soak up from our associations… What we hear and the examples we see. It doesn’t always soak in… But if the child does not veil the good associations out it will. So good parents can fight against the brokenness by teaching the truth of Gods word like how Jesus is eternally more satisfying than the perversions of sin… He is the greatest treasure in the Universe.
The truth is that seeing the beauty of Jesus is what transforms us first as a new creation and then seeing more of his beauty continues the transformation progress.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
So yes, we are not bound to our brokenness.
And do we as parents hold any responsibility? Of course we do. As our children make themselves known by their acts… whether good or bad as our text indicates… We show them the good truth in Gods word of how he fixes our brokenness.
Pray
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Proverbs 20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”? 10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
The Day Of Winnowing R Aylor Today… let’s start with the last verse and work our way backwards. God hates all kinds of false weights and measurements. What does unequal weights and unequal measures mean? Well in biblical times, merchants weighed out herbs and grain to sell to their customers… or, like today they cut measured yards of material to sell for making clothes... But some used weights or a measuring stick that were less than the standard in order to cheat others... this kind of action is detestable to the Lord.
But if you think about it… false weights and measures extend further than things related to merchants greedy for money.
Too many times people like you and I proclaim ourselves to others as measuring up much higher and greater than we are.
Is it possible that this may be even a greater abomination to the Lord than the other? And even worse to proclaim this false sense of righteousness to God like the Pharisee in Luke 18.
Jesus is speaking beginning in verse 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ...
Next moving backwards… verse 9 says:
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?
You know, these words of Solomon go perfectly right along with the words of Paul: Romans 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” … 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Then in verse 8 of today’s passage Solomon says:
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.
So to winnow is to separate or find out… to see through to the truth of the matter.
How does this relate to the other verses we read concerning our our self righteousness and sin? This verse talks about a king sitting in judgment. I was thinking how an experienced Judge who has seen, oh maybe thousands of cases over their career… they gain much experience. They can look at a person as they make their case or as they respond to questions… watching both the one who makes the accusation and the defendant. Their body language with facial expressions including how and when they squirm. They know the tells a person normally gives when a they lie and when they tell the truth. Maybe a person will look away or down when they lie… They may scratch their nose or grip their hand on the stand. A good experienced judge can put this all together and have a good idea of what the truth is. I expect a wise king such as Solomon was experienced in this also.
And then how much more sure it will be on Judgment Day when we stand before God and he looks at us… He will winnow all evil with his eyes with absoluteness. Even now… we cannot hide one single thing from him. He sees all.
But you know a strange thing happens when God gives us eyes to see him… when we see how he is beautiful… how he is our only hope… how he is good news for our wickedness… how his righteous can only be received as a gift… a gift of mercy by delighting in Jesus and seeing him as our greatest treasure over everything the world offers.
And in seeing him as glorious we cannot help realizing our own sinfulness, and we realize that sin is not all it was promised to be… It is a false measure… a false weight… It is a fake, a phony, a lie… instead of good it brings us sorrow and discontentment and death. So as our eyes are open to see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe we turn from sin and walk toward Jesus the rest of our life. Sure we sin… but we repent as we grow in the Lord and keep walking toward him from now on.
Pray
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Proverbs 20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!
Blessed Children R Aylor
Integrity; doing whats right… not caving to temptation of sin like greed or hate… brings with it a good name but rebellious children can ruin that name quickly. Those who see will likely question the ability of the parent to teach and raise their children and so the wayward children are associated with the parent from then on. But the thing is... this righteous parent… this person keeps on keeping on and continues to walk in integrity. They keep loving and teaching their children what is true. They don’t side with their children on what is right to gain their loyalty. They keep setting good examples with their life. They keep their word...they love others... they help the needy, they don’t gossip, they work hard, study and love God and his word...
And the thing is… A righteous person leaves blessings for their children and grandchildren and even great grandchildren. They may leave a house or money… sure, but it could be something much greater than that. Their children and grandchildren and more carry memories of their legacy of integrity. My mother, now 82 has shared stories of love for her grandmother who loved Jesus and they shared a wonderful bond in the Lord… And my mother shared her grandmothers legacy of faith with me. That is the greatest of all blessings we can pass to our children and their children down the line.
In closing, todays text makes me think of the promise God made to Abraham that came through faith and not works.
Genesis 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
Abraham was a righteous man… a man of integrity through faith and not works… although his faith wrought good works time and time again as he grew in the Lord.
You know, there is a little song I used to sing that went something like: Father Abraham had many sons and I am one of them. And the truth is we are his offspring or his children spiritually by faith… just as he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness so it is with us. The common faith in Jesus which my great grandmother shared with my mother and she shared with me is the same faith father Abraham had. As our text says: blessed are his children after him.
Pray
the offspring of the woman from Genesis who would come to set things right after Adam and Eves… and even our sin… this is the good news for all those who would believe God and hope in the Messiah. The promise was made throughout history to Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob,, David, Solomon, Hezekiah and so many more… The good news was seen played out in the real lives of some as a foreshadowing of his coming. It was proclaimed by the Prophets over and over throughout the ages. God has wanted to bless his children by faith all along. Jesus said how he desires mercy and not sacrifice. What a great gift.
Proverbs 20:5 The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. 6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
Deep Water R Aylor
How do you know what’s in a person... no, not what they had for breakfast... but whats in a persons soul and character?
Solomon gives us a prime example of how to gauge another person. Don’t get me wrong, the bible teaches us not to judge others… and yet another place it tells us to judge others. So there is undeniably a context for doing both. We make judgments of who we want our pastor to be and what church our family attends based on things like whether they preach the truth of Gods word. In fact it is Gods word that is the basis for our judgments in life… It should be. But these are not final judgments on people… only God can do that… We cannot know a persons heart… We are limited to our knowledge of these things. And sadly much of the time we make judgments based on a look someone gives us or a word spoken in haste or some other thing while we only have a microcosm of a percentage of knowledge… Many times we make judgements solely from gossip we hear.
In order to judge in the context God wants we must know Gods word and let it guide us or else we will judge others just like the world does.
Solomon tells us how mans heart is like deep water and he says there are many who state that their love is sure and trustworthy... he does not tell us the context of that love... maybe to his spouse or his child. ...
How can we see down into the deep waters of the purposes of a persons heart. Solomon then asks the question: ...but a faithful man who can find?
I think thats a big part of the answer. We can only trust someone who is steadfast and faithful. Of course the problem is… that is none of us. We all fall very short of that. We fail God and others and even ourselves at least according to the results that last exercise program we started. And I think it’s the degrees in our steadfastness that makes our judgments more complex and difficult to traverse. Degrees in faithfulness to others can be seen in believers and atheists alike and these are the waters of judgement we have to navigate in relationships. I believe Solomon helps us with that pointing us to look a a persons faithfulness. I like to think of it like this; a persons faith is always verified by their faithfulness. Some degree of faithfulness always accompanies faith. However, good works are not true faithfulness unless they are motivated by faith. So one can have works without faith but not faith without works.
Ok, well… at the end of the day Solomon's question remains… a faithful man who can find… There has only been one, even Jesus Christ Gods only Son. Therefore we must conclude that when he says his love towards us is steadfast, we can trust him.
Hebrews 4:15 speaking of Jesus: …who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
In Exodus 33:18 Moses ask God to show him his glory and the next day in chapter 34:6 - The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, ... abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
We are sinners; but not Jesus. He is the only one who has been faithful to his Father in heaven and he has been faithful to his word and to us and we have good reason to put our faith in him and grow more and more in our faithfulness to him.
Romans 6:23
He was paid the wages of our sin with his death on the Cross and for all who delight in him he imputes his righteousness giving us fellowship with God and making us accepted by him.
He rose from the grave and we are given that same power that raised him to be victorious over sin in this life as we walk with him along with amazing peace and joy.
And as he was raised incorruptible we too will be raised no more subject to the consequences of sin like sickness, pain, sorrow, depression… and death… all gone and we will be with him forever.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
No Sluggard To Mission R Aylor
Already in Proverbs 20 Solomon has mentioned various kinds of people. In verse one it was the person who is led astray by wine and strong drink… In verse 2 showed us one who stirs up anger and one who is angry… Then in verse 3… a peace seeker and also a quarreler. Today we look at the sluggard.
When autumn comes and there is work to do the sluggard likely does not tell others how lazy he is. He may not even acknowledge it to himself. It’s just that he usually has some very important task to do that keeps him from the work. It’s always something that he would rather do than to plow the fields. This year he must travel to see a sick friend in another village. Last year he had planned a vacation around that time with some friends. The year before that his allergies would act up whenever he exerted himself in the outdoors… fishing seemed to be ok…
If you’re like me, you too see many lazy streaks in your life from time to time… I think that when we notice one there is usually a corresponding spiritual deficiency that influences our physical lazy streak.
We may not think about how it’s a spiritual problem when we are lazy and don’t want to clean the house or mow the lawn but it is… It may be easier to identify as a spiritual issue when we don’t have a desire or are not motivated to read Gods word… Or we don’t want to be around believers or go to church and hear Gods word. We can always come up with a good sounding rational excuse for all these things but for the lazy person its usually something we would rather be doing that takes the place of what we are lazy to.
You see, if we are to not be lazy to the things of God we need a heart that would rather be doing the things of God. Of course, for believers, we received a heart like that when we became a new creation in Christ Jesus, but now this new creation like a new born must grow in the things of God… We are a work in progress and God is sanctifying or changing us practically to find our joy in doing his will as we see more of his glory and walk in smaller circles of repentance always turning back to him, the greatest treasure in the Universe.
I want to close with this passage from Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 which talks about how as a new creation in Christ made in good standing with God, we have no need to be lazy in life as though we have no purpose. Our new purpose gives us joy… and that is to share how others can be made in good standing with God.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.b The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconcilingc the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Pray
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Proverbs 20:2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. 3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
What is it about a foolish man that he will quarrel with anything from a Mountain to a mathematical calculation when neither one can be persuaded one inch? A foolish son will argue with his father who has the authority to discipline him… A foolish person will get up into a police officers face knowing they will either get beat up or will spend the night in jail. You already know what it is that keeps us coming back for more don’t you? Of course you do, we all do… its pride. We’re all familiar with it on some level where we live. It’s commonly seen when one or both spouses quarrel and defend themselves… before you know it, even the one who was in the right about the specifics of the quarrel has to apologize.
Solomon says how whoever provokes a king to anger forfeits his life. A king had the power to wave his hand and have someones head cut off. His terror is like the growling of a lion. You would think that would scare someone right? Kim Jong Un of North Korea is much like a king in that respect. It seems that the whole country hears his roar and smiles when he says smile and would stand on their head and stack bb’s if he said to… or they would at least try. Why?… because they don’t want to anger him… they don’t want forfeit their life.
Of course this passages lends nicely to the King of Kings who has good reason to be angry with mankind.
Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
And we all have provoked him to anger… all have refused the joys in acknowledging his glory and love… And when he sent his only Son to be paid the wages for our crime, we were the ones who crucified him… We will all one day stand before him and face his terror in righteous judgment.
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
In verse three of today’s passage Solomon also says: 3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
How can we keep from strife? Can anyone really? Arn’t we broken people in a broken world?
Verse 3 brings to my mind the Beach Boys song “In My Room”. Some of the lyrics say “There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to, In my room, In my room.”
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said this: 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The great thing is that when we come to Jesus… when we look to him with delight… draw nigh to him, call on him, have faith in him, believe in him… The spiritual strife that comes from the darkness in this broken world is taken from us. We have Gods peace and joy because of Jesus. The same power of God that raised him from the dead lets us walk in spiritual resurrection with victory over the strife that comes from sin.
God gives us the righteousness of Jesus… and the strife that would have accompanied us on judgment day is also removed.
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
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Proverbs 20 :1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
There are quite a lot of things in life that can lead us to brawl; that is, to quarrel or fight, and there are a whole lot of things that can lead us astray.
One thing I want to be careful of… and that is I do not want to ever assert the traditions of men one way or the other over the truth of Gods word like the Pharisees did. So I am not here to convince anyone about whether they personally should drink alcohol.
I believe this verse is addressing… yes alcohol in particular but the being led astray by something this world offers… It’s a heart thing; it’s about the things we seek and where we let these things in life lead our hearts… will it lead us in a closer walk with the world or a closer walk with the Lord? I was thinking of what Moses told the children of Israel before they entered the promised land about loving the things of the world and how those things would lead them astray and causes cause them not to be glad in the Lord.
Moses had just listed a long list of woes that would come to Israel if they treasured the physical things God would actually give them as a blessing… if their gladness shifted from being in God to these things.
Deuteronomy 28:46 They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. 47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,
It’s pretty clear that whatever we lust after or love or have an obsession about in the world… whatever captivates our heart will lead us astray and cause our spirit to brawl or be at odds with the Holy Spirit.
Today Solomon talks about wine and strong drink which is definitely a big issue for many. Look, we all have certain things that we are more susceptible to in life than others… things that can tug at our heart strings and tempt us to be drawn astray. And it is no secret alcohol has been a big stumbling block historically for mankind.
In todays verse I...
But I want to go for the inner spiritual truth here… what is it that God wants us to internalize… What truth here is going to transform our inner being and bring us true joy and worship in the Lord. I think it is always those things that are akin to the the Holy Spirit. If we keep that in mind as we interpret Gods word I think it will serve us well. Notice what Paul says right after he describes the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
So in closing I will mention two things I think are important in what we are talking about. One, turn away from those things that pull on our heart and encourage us to be lead astray from delighting in God. It may be something lustful on the internet or social media or TV… It might be drugs or alcohol or food or a a purchase of some item that might not be very good for our relationship to the Lord.
And secondly, not only turn from those things but to desperately reach for the things that do satisfy with are the things of God. The Apostle Paul uses phrases like “pressing on” and “straining forward”.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers,...
So that's our goal in life… we have turned away from sin… that repentance and now we walk, reach strain or press toward the things of God the rest of our life. And we do so not only for our own conscious sake but for others as well.
1st Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Pray
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Proverbs 21:30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. 31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Today Solomon shares with us an iron clad truth about God and then gives us an example which we can receive application from for our every day life.
First off in verse 30 tells us we cannot outwit or strategize or manipulate God. We cannot trick him or hide our motives from him. We cannot set a trap for him or find some work around in his word that would keep us from facing just judgment. Gods word is not like the hundreds of thousands of pages legal codes and regulations such as IRS tax laws where one might try to find a loophole so one might escape the intent of the law. There are no loopholes against the Lord.
Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
And the truth is… when we search for peace and strive for satisfaction from the things of the world… When our confidence comes from the sophisticated air power and high yield destruction capabilities of our armed forces… Or more to our daily life… when our confidence comes from our job, our money, looks, popularity etc… We are trusting in our own arsenal of weapons to survive in a broken world… But actually… all of our weapons for victory are broken weapons.
The truth is that we are blessed not by fighting the system… not by overcoming the brokenness of a world cursed because of sin… We could never scratch the surface to do that ourselves. How can we fight a system that God created and put in place? We cant! And yes he was the one who broke the Universe but he did it because of mankind sin; and he did it for his own glory… and he did it to show us our brokenness and futility… And he did it so we might look to him in faith with repentance and joy. He is the one who gives us victory over the brokenness that God brought because of sin.
Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
So we in ourselves cannot be triumphant in a broken world because we cannot avail against the Lord.
Verse 31 gives us an example for application which we already touched on. It speaks of not trusting in worldly might in war… namely the horse. Solomon gives us the reason; he says: “the victory belongs to the Lord”.
Solomon may have read his father King Davids writings. In Psalm chapter 20 verse 7 he wrote: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
I want to read a few verses related to this which I love out of Isaiah.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. … 14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Pray
Proverbs 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent. 28 A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. 29 A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.
Today’s 3 verses speak of being a fake… living our lives with proclaiming we are one way… maybe even believing it at times… and when we do we get a false sense of security. Thats how we used to walk before we came to find our security in Christ. ...
First we see the gift giver. This is the person who brings sacrifices to God that are not accompanied by a heart of worship and joy… its like a man who brings his wife a bouquet of flowers while having a mistress on the side. It’s an abomination to the Lord when we approach God thinking our own good gifts or deeds make up for our sinful heart of adultery towards him… Gifts and sacrifices won’t cut it. Even if we change our ways it won’t atone for our sins.
See Matthew 9:13
So Jesus calls us to repentance or admitting our sin and turning away from it towards him and for us to take his mercy without any of our own sacrifices.
Our text says how the wicked’s sacrifice is worse than an abomination when he brings it with evil intent”. When one thinks they can fool God with their sacrifices…
it’s like saying “I don’t need Jesus sacrifice on the Cross… My good deeds should be enough… Jesus sacrifice was for nothing”. That’s more than an abomination to God.
This first person lied to God… Now Solomon speaks of a false witness to men…
This person could be sitting in a doughnut shop or even a courtroom saying they were an eyewitness to some wrong their neighbor was accused of while it was only something he has heard gossip about and now shares it as though it is true.
Finally Solomon speaks of someone who bears a false witness to everyone about his own goodness. ...
He may gossip lies about his neighbor and still put on a facade to the whole world saying he has it all together. ...
The bold face of the wicked might appear confident and intentional going after his goals courageously valiant and brave but inside down deep he likely knows he is a phony and a fake.
Solomon also tells us how an upright man differs from the wicked. ....
He is an actual first hand hearer instead of second or third handed hearer and he is also one who gives thoughts to his ways.
There ya go…. though millions and millions of people have heard about the Messiah who would come to set things right after Adams sin so man could be in fellowship with God, not all have truly heard down deep in their soul… But some did. they were given ears to hear how Jesus is good news of great joy… They were given eyes to see how Jesus is beautiful. They were given a heart to delight in Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe worth leaving all for. They heard and gave thought to their ways and in joy turned away from sin towards the Lord for the rest of their life.
And in closing consider how Jesus was the perfect sacrifice given with not wicked intention but with joy and good intent for the glory of God and for our good. And even in his death he prospered as he overcame its hold and his days were prolonged. I’ll close with this reading from Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. 25 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. 26 All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Talk, Scoff and Slouth R Aylor
Today we look at 3 characters which we meet many times throughout Proverbs… The talker, the scoffer and the sluggard.
The talker quite often puts their foot in their mouth when they open their mouth… or rather should have stopped up their vocal cords with a foot or fist or giant plunger because they say things to make themselves look better and so many times don’t even give much thought to that and people see through their words… in trying to make themselves look good they seem to belittle others and say wrong and hurtful things… they may not always know it but people see through their smoke screen … The talker can also come across as mr or miss know it all always having to have the last word and be right defending themselves to the very end.
Speaking of the talker, James 3:7-8 says: 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Interestingly, the “talker” is frequently known also as the “scoffer”. Yes, it’s true that the scoffer talks; and when he does its to make himself look good. It’s no secret that we all are bent to do this. Who wants to look bad in front of others? Some people jump into the spotlight to look good… others stay out of the spotlight so they won’t look bad… both are looking out for themselves… led by pride. And that too is the goal of the scoffer. The scoffer gripes and grumbles about the world around them… they gossip about the people they know and even those they have never met. In our text today Solomon has told us how the scoffer is arrogant, haughty and full of pride. Proverbs 16:18 says: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
The talker otherwise known as the scoffer may at times goes by another alias; the sluggard. The sluggard is not on the Lords mission… he is on his own mission of doing nothing… he has evolved from mere talk and scoffing to being totally obsessed with his self… not even working… hoping others will provide for him… not keeping up his residence ; often idling through life and like the talker and scoffer gossiping and grumbling his way from house to house always having the last word… saying they are wise and smarter than others.
It’s interesting to me that when we find a person who claims to be a believer acting like this we are not to cuddle or support them. We are not to relate to them in a way that is accepting of the way they are living; in fact we are to separate ourselves from fellowshipping with them.
1st Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Pray
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Proverbs 21:20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
Treasure In The Glory Of God R Aylor
Only a few verses earlier in this chapter, 16-18; we saw how a wicked person peruses worldly pleasures but the end result is their own destruction.
I wonder... why might the wise person in today’s verses have many of the very same treasures the wicked person seeks and devours... the very things that leads to their demise? But for the wise they are not evil or poison to their soul... why is that?
I think the reason is not in the things that come their way but in the seeking of them first and foremost. The physical things in life are not that important to the wise at heart… they are not obsessed with them… not controlled by them... The pursuit of things do not devour them...
Verse 21 tells us that the wise person is going hard after something totally different... they are seeking not physical things but certain traits.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.
These are characteristics of righteousness and goodness and truth. These are attributes of God and the kinds of things God showed Moses when he ask to see his glory. And seeing more and more of Gods glory will transform our life.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 says: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Finally verse 22 says: 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
You know in today’s culture many have tried to redefine tolerant to mean that a tolerant person will not confront evil and wickedness. They will not disagree or make a case for righteousness. A tolerant person will not publicly differentiate between right and wrong… they will let wickedness proclaim its own biased self righteous ideas for the most part indoctrinating our lives, the lives of our children and our culture.
But Solomon says those wise in the Lord are to take a stand for truth and that not only when wickedness crosses our path… but to be proactive and intentional scaling the city that is overrun by wickedness, breaking down the foundations of every lie and then making a case and proclaiming the truth for the glory of God in Jesus.
Pray
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Check out the devotion on Proverbs 21:9 for more help in staying together in marriage for Gods glory and your good... Its a verse similar to todays passage.
Something Else Is Even Better R Aylor
It is better to live in a desert, than with a woman full of fret She will complain, contend, allege and defend; always inclined to upset
The desert nights freeze and the day shines down warm It’s a land full of sand, snakes, lizards and thorns
And just because its better does not mean its best To leave and go there will not cure your stress
Whether desert, or attic, dog house or the street What is best is to never give up on truth and peace
Work to that end, promote one and the same Be patient, forgive, don’t condemn or cast blame
You may save your family, your children and wife From a fragmented, bitter, delusioned life
And in all this, more than ever before You will grow and draw closer to Gods word and the Lord
Pray
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They Call Me The Wanderer R Aylor
Proverbs 21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright.
Our text begins talking about how wandering from good sense will get you killed. This reminds me of how easy to get disoriented in a mountainous wilderness; wouldn’t you know… Ive gotten lost in an area like that and believe me its a horrible feeling. Once I realized I was lost with mountains on each side of me and not knowing north from south it was not good sense for me to keep walking… Thankfully a friend found me early on. Up in that same area of the Gunnison National Forest in Colorado… one evening as dusk was turning to night a lady walked into our camp. She had gotten lost earlier that morning and I was told she had walked about 20 miles across the mountain… When she came over one of the mountains she had saw our campfire in the distance and made her way to us. She was weary from the long walk and anxiety of being lost for so long. My buddy and I took our motorcycles to a Ranger Station maybe around 10 miles from camp to try and call her husband but all they had were radios and we could not reach them. I had actually brought an extra sleeping bag and so she spent the night in it at our camp site. The next day some who were with us took her to her husband which by road was about 100 miles.
When a person gets lost like this and keeps wandering I suspect it usually does not end this well.
Our text today says: One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.
This is relevant in relationship to things spiritual in nature and our walk with God. The passage goes on to give examples of loving pleasure and wine and oil. When we walk towards earthly pleasures instead of the ultimate pleasures that come from God we are walking towards disaster. If thats where you are today, quit wandering further into sin. Call to the Lord for mercy and he will give it. Pray for a friend to help you walk the right path like my friend who led me to safety when I was lost in the mountains. It may be a difficult prayer to ask God to give you accountability in your life to walk the good path in life… It will be difficult to pray a “whatever it takes” prayer but you will do it if you are desperate for the Lord.
Finally todays passage says: 18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright.
This passage is a little more difficult for me… I have been thinking about it and cross referencing scriptures… I even looked at some commentaries… Still, I’m not real sure of its intention by Solomon.
The commentaries I read mostly referred to this verse as saying how when the wicked plan evil it returns to them… like the saying what goes around comes around…
One example was given in the book of Esther, how Haman who had planned the execution of Mordecai became a ransom for him in that he was hung on the same gallows he had built for Mordecai.
Another I though of along the same line comes from Proverbs 26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
Still I’m not real sure about this verse… I only know that I keep coming back to Jesus and so I will tell you what this makes me think of.
It was Jesus; who, although he was perfect he became as wicked in that he was paid the wages of our sin on the Cross that we might be ransomed from the curses and the slavery that comes with sin.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 speaking of Jesus says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1st Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all…
Pray
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Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath. 15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
The Gift That Averts Anger R Aylor
Today we will begin with verse 14 and focus most of our time on it. Then tie in verse 15 at the end.
Now the giving of gifts may remind us of other verses in Proverbs but it is actually quite distinct.
You can check out the devotions from Proverbs 17:8, 18:16 and 19:6 if you like but todays angle on gift giving is different. I’ll read it again.
Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
Notice in this verse Solomon gives two examples of giving and in both cases they are given one on one and not publicly. These gifts are not for buying friendship… they are not to get you in the doors to see a king or president… Again both of these example share another commonality… they are to stave off or turn away anger and wrath. And this gift giver in both cases is not making a publicity stunt… The gift is private… Something has likely gone wrong within their personal relationship… Its not about gain, its about restoration. It’s a gift of repentance… It accompanies words like: “I’m sorry, I have offended you personally and our relationship has suffered… I bear the blame and ask for forgiveness.”.
Men have brought this truth to action for hundreds of years… When the relationship between them and their spouse has suffered they bring a gift like chocolates or flowers which accompany their humility and words of love.
This verse makes me think of mankind relationship with God… how Adam and Eve turned away from him and were put out of his fellowship… And how we all take on these same rebellious traits as our ancestors and must be brought into a good association with God being accepted and rejoiced over by him. And although we are the rebels and although he is the one who has been angered with good cause… and in his justice we are the ones who will face his wrath…in all that, still he has so loved us that he has given us a great gift that will avert his anger and wrath for all who accept his offering.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thats where our Proverbs 21:15 verse comes in… 15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
He is paid for our sin on the Cross that we may rejoice in his justice in salvation and judgment.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
Who Listens To The Poor? R Aylor
Would you say that you hear the cry of the poor? I don’t know about you but I hear a lot of stuff... a lot of grumbling about the daily troubles of life... sometimes it’s my own voice... griping about the government and the economy and relational problems and a million different things.
The question might be do we let all these other cry’s in our ears from ourselves and the world drown out the cry of the poor?
Peter and John counseled Paul and Barnabas about sharing the gospel with the Gentiles:
Galatians 2:10 ...they would that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was also zealous to do.
You know, helping others physically goes hand in hand with sharing the gospel. Jesus lived like this. He healed so many... he had compassion and fed the 5000 plus women and children... and then the 4000.
Their are a lot of needy people in the world. And the truth is that everyone is poor in some way. So once again let me change the question: Do we drown out all the other cry’s in the world that come to our ears… all the grumbling about the daily troubles of life that people around us have? Do we close our ears to our next door neighbor who may be rich in money but is poor in relationships. They are lonely…
Do not close your ears to their needs. Get involved... show the love of Christ practically in the area of their need.
Another neighbor may be poor in the sense that they have a need for someone to help them move a refrigerator or build a fence... an elderly person may be poor in strength and stamina and need help with yard work or house cleaning.
The great thing about helping those who are poor in various areas of life is that it gives us opportunity to share the love of God in Jesus to those who are bankrupt spiritually.
In Matthew 5:3 Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
If we close our ears to the poor our text says we will call out ourselves and not be answered. Not loving others is a red flag… it may be an indication that we have never experienced the love of God and have no idea of the joy in sharing it with others. And on the day of judgment it will be too late… At that point call out for mercy from the Lord we will not be answered.
Pray
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Proverbs 21:10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes. 11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. 12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin.
Mercy In His Eyes R Aylor
We covered verse 11 in Proverbs 19:25 and will again in Proverbs 24:23-26
We learned how discernment plays an important role in our relationship with scoffers. In reproving them our hope is not to drive them away from Christ ... but for their sake to discern when to wait until they seem more open to the Lord, then speak that they might believe. However there are other times we may rebuke them publicly that those who might learn wisdom will see their lifestyle and learn the truth of sin and how pride does not end well.
However verse 10 will be the central focus of todays devotion.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
Let’s think about this thing called mercy. Mercy is a part of relationships. If you want to be better in social situations… and learn to love your neighbor as yourself… you will need it.
It is no secret we are all broken sinful people. But if you have looked away from sin to Christ and have delighted in him you have received his mercy. We are 100% righteous positionally because Jesus has taken our sin and given us his righteousness. Still in this body we are functionally a work in progress. So we walk in circles of repentance as we grow in him practically, coming to him daily for mercy as he is at work in us. That is our relationship with God as we live in this broken world.
Back to our relationship with man… we need mercy from one another as well to live peaceful and fruitful lives. In our homes, with our spouse, with our children… we must give out mercy and receive mercy every day… all this mixed with accountability motivated by love. Thats how God works on us in relationship to him as well.
Verse 10 of Proverbs 21 says how the neighbor of a wicked person does not see any mercy in him.
If your dog poohs on his yard he wants you to clean it up… If you apologize he doesn’t seem to be satisfied. He would be only moderately content if you kneel at his feet when you ask for forgiveness. Even if you apologize he wants you to keep your dog chained up from now on. He doesn’t want to ever hear him bark again… Mute that dogs mouth! I don’t want to be reminded of his transgression! Get rid of it! This neighbor has no mercy in his eyes towards you and may hold a grudge forever.
Look, we all need mercy in order to have peace. We need it at home with family, with neighbors, at work… everywhere… we need to hand it out and accept it graciously.
Thankfully, when anyone looks to the Lord they will always find mercy in his eyes. No matter what you have done and for all you have done… even for a heart bent on sinning which is what we all come into this world with. But now in repentance, in looking away from sin towards Christ he gives us his righteousness positionally and begins a work in progress for righteousness in our life practically.
Father, thank you for your mercy through Jesus your Son who took the wages of our sin on the Cross and defeated death that we might have that same power for victory over sin in our life… and as he was raised we too will be raised incorruptible no longer subject to sin along with all the fear and pain and death it brings. Help us to come to you daily for mercy as we grow practically in your righteousness and may we be merciful to others as we share your glory with them and tell them of Jesus.
Proverbs 21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Best Is Better Than Better... What is Solomon saying is best?
For transcript and more go to braggingonjesus.com Click 365 devotions in Proverbs
Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. 7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just. 8 The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright.
The Plans Of The Diligent
We all have plans, objectives and goals That flow from a core down deep in our soul It feeds our dreams and fosters our visions It shapes our schemes and contrives our decisions
For whom and for what dose one diligently seek? Some change their plans when the way turns bleak For many there’s a shaky foundation in place For others the bedrock of Gods glorious grace
Still, many seem diligent but wrongly I’d say Their lying and cheating will sweep them away Like a fleeting vapor or a fading breath Their perseverance like a snare will lead them to death
But the diligent for righteousness, virtue and truth Who stand for the poor, broken down, destitute Never ease from the goal or turn back from the light But gaze ever forward on our Lord Jesus Christ
We press on for the prize of what lies ahead In joy we strain forward to the rising of the dead This upward call resolute we pursue Because He who began a good work will see us through
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Proverbs 21:3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
You know we can do a lot of things in this body. Solomon mentions sacrifice as being one thing we might do. In his day Jewish people would bring Sacrifices to the temple that were supposed to show their obedience to God from their heart. It was supposed to show how they trusted God and his word and somehow God was going to make everything right and they would be accepted by God and their sins would all be forgiven. Of course these sacrifices pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Gods own Son even though they only saw this promise dimly through a veil. Oh the promise was sure enough alright. God spoke about it after mans fall in Genesis 3… The prophets spoke of it time and time again… still it was in the foggy shadows… However they accessed this promise and we’re given confidence and guaranteed hope through faith in Gods word.
Now, much of Israel though began to offer sacrifices to God in a legalistic manner and not from a heart that hoped in the coming Messiah but in their own works. They dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s in their keeping of Gods Law including offering the sacrifices. They set themselves up as teachers of others and became proud and haughty as todays verses say.
I think this is a great lesson for me today, even a s a believer in Christ. At times I wake up and find I have been drifting from shore. I have been doing the deeds… I have been in Gods word… I have been sharing and teaching and serving others in my body… However my own heart has been slacking in loving Jesus as I should. How did I get here? What went wrong? Where did I start going astray?
Then I begin to think back… last week or last month or whenever it was I am thinking… that is when my heart began to stray. Instead of finding my joy in the grace of God through Jesus… Instead of being satisfied in his word… Instead of resting in the peace that passes understanding… Maybe I decided then to began flipping the TV channels more as though I might find just the right thing to satisfy me… Could be that I clicked on a few moderately safe links in my social media secretly hoping they would take me somewhere else… Oh I still read Gods word every day… I still shared him… I even found myself rejoicing in what I seemed to have accomplished for God. But my rejoicing was not in Jesus my righteousness… During those times it may be that many of my sacrifices were not being done out a heart for God…
Todays text talks about people who are walking in sin yet they are doing some of the same deeds that those walking close to the Lord are doing. But the wicked person does them on the outside only and not from a heart that abides in the Lord. Only when we our heart walks in the love of God can we truly teach others in humility, do righteous deeds and show justice.
Pray
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This is not an exhaustive look at the doctrine of election and accountability but a work in progress until we see him face to face.
Today we will close out Proverbs 24 with a great passage: verses 30-34.
Proverbs 24:30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
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Ok, let’s ponder this a bit and find how it relates to us. For example, there is good possibility that we have things unkept in our own life right? We may have been putting off touching up some calking around the house and painting it. We might need to clean out that… or those closets and junk rooms that have served over the years as holding areas when cleaning up the house. We may have intended to take items to the homeless shelter or Salvation Army or thrift store… We might have been planning a garage sale for 20 years and the stuff has kept piling up and is now unmanageable.
How far out of control is our life really? Years ago I managed a fast food drive-in... ...When I knew he would be coming, all of a sudden I saw dirt everywhere.. So we would do things like clean… and scrub and paint… inside and outside… what ever was needed.
...Our senses get comfortable with the brokenness around us and we become blind to how far out of step our life has become.
The writer of todays passage gives us an amazing insight… It’s a BIG BIG help with only a single small word which he repeats three times in verse 33. Listen for it.
Heres what he says: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
If there is anything we might get out of this passage today I think it would be that we do not want to be that person who lets everything in life get out of control and go to pot. That person who was lazy toward ...the responsibility God had given him with the things in life… When he first planted his vineyard he likely did not set out to become a sluggard lacking sense… He did not plan on poverty swallowing up his life… It was the little things that brought his downfall… just a little extra sleeping in… a little extra slumbering in the recliner… a little extra folding of the hands… a little extra time playing video games… being on social media… watching tv… eating… fishing… just a little extra time seeking ye first that same old mission in life before we came to Christ.
Yes, this is a real life in the physical world problem but it is connected to and points to how our life might be spiritually. The truth is… If you are a believer satan wants your life to be broken down and unkept even more so spiritually. If he can keep you so far behind on spiritual responsibilities and accountability and so far in spiritual poverty so you have stopped growing in Christ… your new mission in Christ will look like a dead overgrown grove.
So here’s the question: Is your spiritual vineyard unkept? Is it even bearing fruit? If it is… have the grapes become sour because the vines have not been pruned back every fall? Little by little have you lost interest in the vineyard? You quit pruning and grafting and weeding… what the birds don’t take away the worms eat and disease infests. The writer ends with verse 34: and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
I hope that is incentive for you to stop all the little advances toward sin… the occasional pulls from TV and the internet towards lust have moved from little to a lot… Gossip and grumbling have increased from sometimes to often… Mind fantasies have become more frequent… Maybe you were introduced to marijuana or something else and you rationalized until now your want for it is like an armed man that is destroying your life. It could be a million different things. Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 24:28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
So there is some good instruction to us here for relationships. First, “Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause”. Are there times we should be a witness against our neighbor? Sure murder, abuse, theft… and other things… We are called to take a stand against wickedness in a million different ways… However not all of them need be us being a witness to the authorities against our neighbor… Most of the time we are called to be a witness to our neighbor about things true and good for their peace one on one in personal conversation. Most importantly how Jesus is the good new of great joy for them… That is being a witness directly to them with cause. But I really think the writer is simply saying don’t make accusations against your neighbor unless it is for good. Dont go stirring up trouble unless it is going to be for good and for Gods glory.
Next the writer says: “and do not deceive with your lips”. So don’t make up things about your neighbor… Dont put them down or slight them to others… Dont be a complainer about them or a gossiper…
Finally it says: 29 “Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
In Matthew 7 Jesus tells us the same thing not in the negative saying what we should not do but in the positive… Heres the way he says it.
Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
If your neighbor has harmed you in some way… don’t do to them as they have done to you… rather show forgiveness and love the way the Lord has done for you.
Actually in Matthew 7 before Jesus said how we should love others he tells how God wants to do us good and not evil. He is our example.
Matthew 7:9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! …
Then in verse 13 Jesus tells us about the best and greatest good thing that the Father gives those who have been given eyes to see what we should seek and ask for.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
What is this narrow gate and how narrow is it really? It is only Jesus… It is not ourselves with all our effort to do good works… It is not buddha or mohammed or any way of thinking or doing… Its the one promised to bruise the head of the serpent when Adam and Eve believed him over God… Its the one who lived a perfect sinless life and did not have to pay the wages of sin which is death… Its the one who chose to die anyway not for his sin but ours. He is the one who imputes his righteousness to all who will delight in him, giving us fellowship with God. He is the one who defeated death on the third day and gives us the same power that raised him from the dead to have victory over sin as we walk with him. And as in his resurrection we will be raised up incorruptible forever with him no more submissive to sin with the death and sorrow and pain it brings.
So who is and how narrow is this gate: Jesus answers that question in: John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Pray
Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
We all have things we want in life… And today's culture is one where people don’t want to wait for anything. We order our hearts desire on line… wild and crazy things… unique things no one would have imagined a few years ago… and much of the time it can be delivered to our door the very next day. And we don’t even have to have money to pay for it right now… on our person or even in the bank… we just put it on a credit card… We still might even have to work for the money at our job to pay for it… and to pay our house payment and our car payment and everything else… much of America lives not from paycheck to paycheck but a few months out in front of their next paycheck.
Today's text teaches us not to be obsessed with what we want or let it consume us so that we ignore accountability and responsibility. It talks about a person who has a desire to build a house… Maybe he is getting married and wants a home for his bride to be. It is not wise to be driven by passion for your bride to cause you to ignore plowing the field and planting the crops… The house may never get finished… the siding will remain half done and the insulation will show through and the trim will never be completely done and the house will age and get run down and your family will live in poverty because you ignored the wisdom associated with work and your accountability.
Our text talks about building a house but it could be about buying a car or even physical things related to sex or drugs or whatever… It could be anything that causes us to set wisdom aside and follow our earthly passions. So what is it for you? What wants to be the treasure that you will be so passionate about that is worth giving all your attention to?
Now… we have been talking about physical things but what we do in our body; good or bad, is always connected some way to spiritual things…
Mankind has one of two goals… Before one looks to Christ their passion is to exalt themselves… Thats our self made mission.. we set goals to that end for self… we do what we want… to make us happy… work to that end… we want to be boss of our own life… We want to be seen as beautiful or good looking… smart… wise… cool… have lots of money… be healthy… live long and enjoy life to its fullest and finally have lots of people come to our funeral… All that for ourselves.
As a believer our passion… or overwhelming desire is to see more of Gods glory and no longer to exalt ourselves but him… We want to share his glory with others… All these things give us amazing joy. God has given us eyes to see his beauty instead of our own false beauty… He owns everything and has made us his children and given us an inheritance so we are richer than the richest person on earth could imagine being. He gives us joy and a peace that passes understanding. Its not about whether we are remembered when we die but it’s about whether we pointed others to see and know Jesus.
So, again, what is it for you? What is the treasure that is worth giving your attention to in life?
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus said this: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Pray
Proverbs 24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. 24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.
Honesty is the best policy… Benjamin Franklin… You know, mans heart has not gotten better over the past few thousand years has it. Today many people still publicly agree with and support those who they want to benefit from even when they don’t actually agree with them in their heart. We do it when we are obsessed with getting ahead at work. Politicians do it do it with their constituents and vice versa even when they know they are wrong.
Solomon is telling us not crumble before the wicked. Don't tell them they are right when they are wrong… but rather be a man… not a brown nose man… not a yes man… but a man who does not let wickedness get the last say… well be a man if you are a man that is… If you are a woman… still take a stand for truth!
Wickedness is all around us, making claims of truth to our children at school… trying to be the teacher to all of us on TV… and so called political correctness is being enforced in the workplace. Wickedness pushes a morality as being supreme over the Bible… And in order to be accepted in a wicked world we are tempted to not stand up for truth. Unfortunately much of the time we don’t stand for truth because we do not know truth as we ought. We need to be a people who are tethered to Gods word… We must love it so much that we meditate on it day and night that and see its treasures and beauty of how it is supreme over the morality of the world so we don’t bow to their values.
I do think we need to get a lot better at honestly rebuking wickedness in love instead of being honest as a kind of self-righteous judgmental executor of judgment. But even as we state truth in love we should ask the Lord for discernment in how to do it.
Actually I think the book of Jude gives us some help on how to discern the best way to rebuke in love when wickedness is trying to get the last word in our lives.
Jude 1:17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Did you notice the discernment in the varying ways Jude deals with sin… he uses words like hate… towards sin… mercy towards others, to snatch out of the fire as though we need to hurry… So no, we are not called to be casual comfort zone Christians… time is short… our lives are short and I myself feel like I have wasted way too much of it on the things of the world. And Jude also mentions fear… I think fear to be careful ourselves not to fall… Because we are all still works in progress. I think that is why he said we should build ourselves up in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit…
Now instead of a prayer I think I will close by reading the last two verses in the book of Jude to see who this is all about… who is it for and who gives us such a great blessing in standing up against evil as our text in Proverbs says… ok, verses 24 and 25.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Proverbs 24:21 My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, 22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
So far in chapter 24... Now Solomon is saying not to join with the wicked and more specifically not to join with those who do not fear the Lord and the king but rather to fear them both.
Alright, the thing Solomon puts first is that he says to fear the Lord… why should we fear God?
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Now I have heard it said before that the kind of fear we should have toward God is something more like a reverent fear. While that is true… we cannot exclude the most extreme fear one can imagine. We should not belittle or downplay the holiness of God. Our unholiness in that we seek to take the glory that belongs to God for ourselves and we rebel and are disobedient and we have been believing the promises of the world over him…. Our brokenness should bring us to our knees before God in his perfection of love and justice; his righteousness in character and attributes.
Ok, now here is something interesting I think… and amazing… When we fear the Lord there is an aspect of fear that is removed… When we fear God and bow before him in trust… the fear of everything else disappears.
So we just read in Matthew 10:28 how we should fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. But the next two verses tells how God removes other fears.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?i And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Pretty amazing right? We don’t fear man even when he makes threats, we don’t fear not having our needs met, and we don’t even fear the wrath of God as we did before because Jesus took the wages of our sin on the Cross and he imputed his righteousness into us so thats how God sees us.
1st John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Finally why should we fear the king?
Well I think Solomon was sure that God was the one who set him up as king. … But I think this truth goes beyond Solomon.
The Bible tells us that God is the one who sets up authority in the whole world; not only in governments but in homes and organizations. Accountability to authority is much better than if every person were for themselves in the world. Who doesn’t agree that this is a must in sports and business… ...
1st Peter 2:13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
However to understand the context of that… for example what if the Emperor goes against the Lord? Who should we be subject to? I think common sense is clear but Paul gives us more clarity in responding to authority when he tells children how they should honor their parents…
Ephesians 6:1 says: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
So we should not fear or honor others to the point of going against the Lord…
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 24:19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Will I Walk In Sight Or Reality? R Aylor
We might at times at least, be tempted to look at the wicked man with a sense of longing… or jealousy if you will… not all the wicked of course and not at all times… but on a given day when we are feeling sorry for ourselves... when down and blue or ill or tired or cant buy what we would like… at some time when satan tempts us with the promises of the flesh… we might get an unrealistic glimpse of his life that appeals to us.
Solomon knew that at those times… things are not what they seem. It’s then that we may think we see a wicked person who is basking in the light of success. Maybe a deceitful business man who is rich or we may see a selfish man who has found love with a beautiful woman or a wicked woman who has found a handsome self confident romantic man who gives her all her desire… We may see reality tv shows where self centered people are well liked or those with big egos on social media get thousands of likes. When our faith is small… and by that I mean we are trusting in our sight instead of Gods word… When our faith is small we think what if… as if those promises of the world brought real delight and satisfaction… peace… even at their best they do not bring good feelings to our senses that last.
Solomon doesn’t want us to waste a second out of our short life being jealous for those who believe the world and satan’s promises. Their future is despair and hopelessness… He says the lamp of the wicked will be put out. They will be seperated from everything that is good in darkness forever.
So let us take courage and gird up our loins… stand up and smile… rejoice in Gods word our guaranteed hope. Faith is not a one time thing we exercise at salvation… It is a daily thing. Jesus said this in…
Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
What are we dying to every day? We die to faith in the world and satan’s promises for satisfaction. We joyfully take up our cross to die daily to those things and walk in the resurrection of trusting Gods word for the rest of our life… and we do that every single day.
Proverbs 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.
Solomon seems to want us to take note of where our joy has moved to… where it is now focused. Did you catch that in the text? What are we rejoicing in? What makes our heart glad?
Has someone hurt or wounded you… Have you been treated wrongly? We all have of course… In fact we’ve been on both sides of the equation… even the one dishing it out. But how does our heart respond when those who have offended us experience pain or hardship themselves? Our initial response may be to be happy about it… right? Maybe you’ve been treated poorly in some way recently or even 30-40 years ago… Dose it ever haunt you? Do you ever replay the tape of wrongs done to you? And do you rejoice at that persons downfall when it comes and think they got what they deserved?
As believers who have the righteousness of Jesus we are glad for the justice of God on Judgment day… But while in this life, it is a great evil for us who have been shown mercy to wish evil on others knowing that even to this day we ourselves are still sinners. ... In the old testament we see many times when God postpones judgment on evil nations and instead he brings his own people into bondage to that very nation until their affections turn back to the Lord. And as we learn in the old and new testament, those who refuse to take joy in God and his mercy… will have to be judged according to their own righteousness in relation to Gods law and all of mankind would winds up guilty under this trek.
You may remember the analogy Jesus gave in Matthew 18. Here’s what he said beginning in verse 23
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Thats a nice story… right? If you are now a child of God with a promised inheritance full of riches then this is a picture of you… God forgave you of all your sins and rescued you from prison and slavery to sin through faith in Jesus.
But in this telling by Jesus… the story turns sour. The servant did not have a truly repentant heart. He did not see the glory of God in the mercy that was shown him. He did not learn mercy or truly understand it because it had no transforming effect on his own life. His heart had not been changed.
28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
No matter how we look at it there is only one hope for us.
In Matthew 9:13 Jesus said this: Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 24:15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
Responding To A Fall R Aylor It seems a man with wickedness in his heart is a man prone to lash out against those who walk in righteousness. They might be jealous for any number of reasons… They may manufacture and rationalize reasons to dislike godly people in their own mind saying things like their pleasantries are fake or self-righteous… If the godly person is well off and respected in the community, this wicked person may hope for their downfall and they may even rejoice when they sin and their holier than thou image is brought down.
But there is a big difference in how a godly and a wicked person deal with failure.
First let’s think about the wicked man Solomon speaks of.
If he is reprimanded at work for tardiness or some other infringement… Thats a failure of sorts right? How does he respond? He defends himself and talks trash about his boss or others involved… Instead of getting back up he stumbles in his bitterness. Let’s say he looses his job… Instead of humbling himself and owning up… Instead of learning from his mistakes he badmouths the company. With his gossip he is does violence to those who have acted righteously like our text indicates. His continual stumbling in grumbling and bitterness poisons his heart toward the righteous.
The worst part of this mans failure is not so much in his misconduct at work… we all stumble at work and home and in all of life… and yes it is a real failure… but in their heart this person becomes crippled for life as long as they remain bitter towards others.
Solomon says: “16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.”
Look, maybe you have lost your job or been publicly humiliated… Guess what, even if it was not your fault and others have truly mistreated you… don’t stumble in bitterness toward them. Even if you were in the right… when our heart dwells on wrongs it becomes tainted with the same kind of bitterness that the unrepentant man experienced and we stumble until we forgive and love those who have done us wrong.
Only then do we become the person Solomon spoke of saying: for the righteous falls seven times and rises again…
I love what Joseph said to his brothers years after they sold him into slavery: Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Pray
Father Im reminded of Jesus call to Peter on the Sea of Galilee saying follow me and then the last words Jesus spoke in the book of John which were to Peter again… after he had just found out he would be a martyr for the Lord and Peter looked at John and asked Jesus: “what about this man”…
John 21:22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
So Lord please help us keep our eyes on you whether we have been done wrong or not… help us not to manufacture or dwell on wrongs… but no matter what comes to get up and walk in the righteousness of Jesus and be motivated by him to love others and live for the Lord.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions Proverbs 24:13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
It's Not About The Honey R Aylor
In today's passage we find Solomon giving a kind of mini parable about honey. The reason I think of it as parable is because a parables purpose is to get across a truth by association of something in the world… in this case honey. But everything in a parable is not necessarily eligible for analyzing as the lesson… We have to discern what truth the writer is focusing on.
For example Solomon is not saying we should make honey our diet 24/7. I expect that would give us diabetes. That would not be good.
Solomon actually gives us another mini parable about not eating too much honey. Proverbs 25:27 says “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory”.
So actually neither of these mini parables are about honey.. This last one is focusing on not seeking our own glory… and our verse for today is focusing on how wisdom is good… not like honey in that you shouldn’t eat too much… but the characteristic of honey in the way it taste. That is the thrust of the application Solomon is making.
When we savor sweet taste of Wisdom it should light up our eyes and bring a smile to our lips…
Wisdom is found in Gods word. Yes, we may hear it from a friend or at church or in a million different places… but if its real wisdom it is in agreement with Gods word. And that's where we should go to verify all the so called wisdom we hear in the world and that's where we should do our spiritual dining every day. … But really… Solomon is saying it is important that we have a taste for it. It should be good to our palate.. Our spiritual taste buds should come alive when we go to Gods word.
Ill close today with a few verses about savoring Gods word.
Daily Spiritual Diet:
Breakfast - Psalm 143:8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust…
Mid-morning - Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Heat of Day - John 7:37 …“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Lunch - John 6:35 …“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,…
Afternoon Boost - Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Supper - Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Bedtime - Psalm 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
Midnight Snack - Psalm 119:62 At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.
When I awake - Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
Savoring that first Bite - Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! …
True Satisfaction - Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Eat Continually - Psalm 27:8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Pray
Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
*Some removed... out of room.
Now, let’s think about the primary action Solomon is promoting in this passage…
I think we can see an exhortation here for good in both the physical and spiritual. For example... We see children aborted in the womb by those who impose their rationalizations about life as though they know what is right and true above Gods word. Sure… all these are experiencing adversity…
However, Solomon address his words it seems to us who have taken up the charge of God… his mission… and those of us who are able to rescue those from varying oppressions… This is a daunting task for us. Solomon says if we faint our strength is small… And we know that in our self we are weaklings for sure. Only with the strength that God supplies can we rescue those who are being swallowed up in a broken world.
But the spiritual side of this is much more significant and consequential.
The world, satan, the brokenness of mans own sinful heart… all of darkness is leading people all around us to slaughter and death that never ends.
Our heart for others who face physical suffering syncs up in our heart for those in spiritual anguish.
In our text today verse 12 reminds us of our accountability to God.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
It’s true that good works carry a reward.
Matthew 6 speaks a lot about that.. 1st Corinthians chapter 3 breaks it down very clearly…
I want to read a passaged in: 1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (Paul explains it in detail then)… 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
But look… only the good works motivated out of a heart for his glory actually count for good works. And we cant claim bragging rights for doing them because Gods mercy and grace brought it about in our life… He even gives us extreme joy in doing them to boot.
But sure, anyone can do good legalistic type works… I mean… if we gave money to the poor or worked at the homeless shelter or in the food kitchen… If we gave everything we had but did not do it from a changed heart with Godly Agape Love then it profits us nothing. So rewards will be handed out in Heaven and it will bring glory back to God and his work in us.
But the Bible is also very clear that we will be not only rewarded but judged by our works… that is… the works motivated by him. In other words, We become a believer by faith in Jesus without any works whatsoever… but on judgment day our works which were motivated and quickened by God will be the verification of our our salvation in Christ.
Romans 2:6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. (Self seeking works bring wrath and fury.)
This last verse might actually explain it best… Ill read it then pray: Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Proverbs 24:8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. ... The planning of evil… That might be the person who lays on their bed and thinks about those who they think have offended or hurt them and they imagine ways they can put them in their place.
Then Solomon mentions the devising of folly which might be that after you have decided on the details of how you can execute revenge, you now begin putting everything in place for this foolish thing you want to accomplish. Then finally, possibly after the trap is set, this person wears the prideful, smug, arrogant aura of the scoffer.
Now in a way our text might catch us a little bit off guard. Usually in Proverbs we are hearing what is an abomination to God.
In Proverbs alone we are told many things that are abominations to God: Here's some examples out of Proverbs…
A false balance... ETC. Proverbs 11:1, 3:32, 28:9, 16:5, 21:27, 15:9, 12:22, 17:17, 6:16, 17, 18, 19, 15:26, 11:20
But in our verses today Solomon talks about what is an abomination to mankind. He says it is the scoffer… and as we noticed this scoffer can be the same person as the planner of evil and deviser of folly… And from the references we looked it seems clear to me that these same things are an abomination to God.
Why might wickedness be an abomination to mankind?
First let’s look at why wickedness is an abominations to a believer.
Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,…
It’s not that believers don’t love the unjust… in fact we are to follow the example of Jesus and be willing to give our life for the unjust as Jesus did for us. But for the believer, sin is an abomination… not only in the lives of others but in our own life as well.
Proverbs 8:7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
But Solomon goes further than making this claim for only worshipers of God… And though he specifically ends with “the scoffer” as being an abomination to mankind… it seems to me that the scoffer might just be the end of this prideful person who plans and devises wickedness and then sits around with an arrogant smirk on his lips knowing the trap he has set.
If these two verses are about the same person then he is called a schemer, a scoffer and an abomination.
Why might all of mankind call him these things?
Well, right now I can think of a couple reasons…
First off, a wicked person is not all that particular about who he hurts… especially if he feels they have hurt him. Whether he is a believer or not it does not matter. He will plan and scheme and execute his ploy and then laugh. Therefore he is not admired by the whole of mankind. The fullness of his disgrace may not be seen entirely until his plans are in motion and he stands in his conceit. But it seems to me that and arrogant person is most likely to be called abominable to mankind.
Number Two: I think that when it’s all said and done sin will be an abomination to all of of mankind. I’m going to read a passage and then pray.
You may remember the story of Lazarus the beggar and the rich man in Luke 16. They both died. The rich man went to Hades. He called out to Abraham and ask him to send Lazarus to his five brothers to warn them.
Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
Spiritual Wisdom Brings Spiritual Riches R Aylor
Solomon here, talks about Wisdom… and being the wisest man on earth he is most qualified to speak on this. Wisdom is a broad and extensive subject. What is the definition? The one I like from the dictionary on my computer is: “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment”.
So I think gaining knowledge in itself is not necessarily wisdom… but Wisdom is our plans to use and then actually putting that knowledge into action…
Solomon talks about how wisdom works with understanding and knowledge to build a house and fill it with riches…
Solomon is speaking about Wisdom relating to things of the world. It’s a vast subject. Mankind studies physical things … Worldly wisdom is something we need in our daily life and it includes things like working and saving and investing… not stealing… not walking out in front of a moving truck… I think this is God given wisdom we all have access to...
James 3:17 says: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
So if there is a wisdom from above I suppose there is wisdom from below.
For example, Hitler used knowledge and understanding to brainwash a Nation. He used information gained from scientists and studies for torture and murder and war. We also can use wisdom for self centered purposes… seeking to gain power and influence, money and possessions… not to use them for the glory of God but for our own glory. That's how Hitler lived his life… for his own glory.
So there is a worldly wisdom but there is also spiritual wisdom… wisdom that is more than just willing to work and save and invest and someone who tries not to lie and steal… These things are good common sense wisdom. When we were talking about the wisdom of the world you probably noticed how spiritual wisdom intersects with the physical world and moves men and women to seek the glory of God or a dark glory like Hitler. Even satan himself has knowledge and understanding; and in his own wisdom he acts out a plan for evil .
1st Corinthians 2:6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Thank You Father for wisdom… wisdom as a common grace available to all whether they hope in Jesus or not… a for living life… but mostly Father for this secret wisdom of God in Christ Jesus that Paul of… The one spoken of in Genesis after the fall of man… and throughout the Old Testament… the coming Messiah who would set right what Adam and Eve and all their descendants failed in… Where they sinned he would be perfect that he might give away his righteousness to all who delight in him. In his death He would take the payment for all our sin… The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his resurrection we see how we are given the same power that raised him from the dead to have victory over sin in this life as we walk with him… and also he will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever. Thank You Father for the wisdom of God in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 24:1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.
Desire R Aylor I was thinking about why a person might want to be around evil people? There may be a number of reasons. But this verse is clearly not referring to visiting a wicked person in the hopes of showing them the love of God. That would be something totally different… That would not include fellowship… and that would include much caution especially for those who are weak in an area and are trying to minister to a person without Christ. A whole different study. But this is different. Here Solomon mentions envying them and uses the word desire which carries with it a heart that is passionate to some extent to be with an evil person. So why?
Acceptance maybe? At least that might be one reason. Wickedness shows acceptance to someone who is agreeable, even tolerant of their views. Someone may also look to an evil person as a mentor who is rich and powerful… They may aspire to learn from them so they may become like them.
For broken sinful people… which is what we are, sin makes its appeals to us with this kind of fame or celebrity status associated with the darkness… It draws us… it tugs on our heart strings and as we enjoy its company, it transforms us.
Thats why who we choose to hang around with… or in so doing, who we like to fellowship with; tells us who we are and who we are becoming.
Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 talks about this type of thing in relation to Gods glory instead of the so called glory of sin.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Thats the person I want to be… One who is becoming more like Christ… Loving his word, not veiling out his truths… picking up his attributes and character becoming more like Christ… bearing the fruit of the Spirit… things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Thats what I want.
The last part of todays verse says: “and their lips talk of trouble”.
I know trouble is a big topic… but also remember what we say is an indication of whats in our heart. If we are talking trouble there is trouble in our heart. In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.
In closing I’ll read a couple of verses about what wants us to think about in our heart and then speak about…
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Pray
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Proverbs 19:26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. These are some pretty serious and negative offenses a person might do with their life. Committing violence, driving away mother… bringing shame and reproach… Solomon had likely seen this in his own family.
Disciplined With Scorpions R Aylor
One of Solomons stepbrother’s was Amnon. Another stepbrother was Absalom. Amnon raped Absolems sister Tamar and and so Absolem killed Amnon. Absalom was later killed by Joab after he mounted a rebellion against his aging father David. Another stepbrother of Solomons was Adonijah. He attempted to usurp the throne during the life of David. Solomon would later have him executed.
So there you have it. Solomon likely learned much of the wisdom from this proverb from pondering his own life. Even his own son Rehoboam strayed from his fathers teachings. After Solomons death he took the advice of his younger friends over the elders and increased control over the people. Heres what he told the people of Israel:
1st Kings 12:11 “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
After the people saw how Rehoboam had responded 11 of the tribes of Israel separated themselves from Rehoboam and the tribe of Judah and so there became two kingdoms… Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
As for Rehoboam, 2nd Chronicles 12:14 says: And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
There did appear as though Rehoboam had a time of repentance when Judah was overcome in war but whether it was a real heart change toward God I am not sure.
As for Solomon… the kingdoms were torn apart because of his sin in turning after other gods. 1st Kings 11:4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. …9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
And so just as many of Davids sons brought shame to their parents… so Solomon fulfilled his own proverb by bringing reproach to his own father David and his mother Bathsheba. And Solomons own son Rehoboam did the same to him.
So what can we learn? Not keeping the fifth commandment to honor our father and mother made a ruin out of their lives.
Ephesians 6:1 says: 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Look, we may or may not have had good directives or good examples from our parents but if we have delighted in Christ as good news and have been made Gods children… then we have his word as instruction for our good in every way and for his glory.
Pray
Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Paul said it like this: Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
"You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Do you think this young mans wealth bought him great joy and satisfaction. No, verse 22 says:
22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Jesus is infinitely greater than all the treasures of the earth combined. And look, we don’t get to have two great treasures in our life… only one.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
So if the world is your Carnival, Drug, Buffet… if you seek to find joy in wealth or possession… I pray today you see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe… Delight, Joy, Happiness, Peace… Up against Jesus everything else is rubbish.
Christian Hedonism There are many “-ism’s” in the prism of schisms, Like egotism, feminism, legalism and criticism, But today, won’t you listen, to my optimism, And the wisdom of Christian Hedonism.
Take the best endeavors of the human life, There’s something far better than all their delights, A treasure past measure like what day is to night,. A pleasure fully suited for mans appetite.
Wikipedia has officially registered Christian Hedonism, Compared now, all else might be called Dung-ism, People locked in prison by things that glisten, Rubbish-ism, Lust-ism, smut-ism, the whole world is in derision.
Because Jesus lived, died and now has risen, He is my precious, my riches, my vision, My fortune, my mission, for now I’m forgiven, My treasure, my pleasure, my true Hedonism.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 19:27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.
Mock Justice Or Delight In Jesus
Alright, so today we take a look at this individual who refuses to hear words of knowledge and instead believes the so called knowledge from the darkness of the world… Solomon says they devour iniquity… Selfishness, lust, sinful obsessions… This is his daily food… this is where he gets his nourishment… this fuels his life. Sin is quite the motivator isn’t it. It’s so easy to become obsessed with it. It can easily become the last thing we think about at night and the thing that gets us out of bed in the morning… So this person Solomon speaks of has set their heart fast after sin and nothing will stop them… What if trouble comes their way? Will it cause them to quit seeking their own glory and realize they need God? No. What if they loose their job? No. What if they are in a car wreck and are laid up in the hospital for a month? No. Solomon says they mock justice. You see, their heart is set on sin for the long haul.
I suspect this person in our text will want to defend himself on judgment day. Like the serial killer who defends himself in court and laughs at the Judge and all his accusers.
In verse 29 our text in Proverbs says: Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.
You see we will not have the last word… God will. He is Judge and he is just.
1st Peter 4:3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
But for those who delight in Jesus, the promised one who would provide righteousness for all who hope in him from the time of Adam and Eve and their sin to ours today… He took the wages for our sin in his death on the Cross and he defeated death on the third day… His righteousness is applied to all who joyfully look to him with the rest of our life… and God gives us the same power that raised him from the dead to be victorious over sin in this world as we walk with him… and by his power will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Dealing With The Scoffer R Aylor
Proverbs 19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
This verse has been a puzzle for me to some extent… not so much standing alone but in parallel with other verses in Proverbs. Well let’s take a closer look. For starters the word scoff carries with it the idea of mocking someone with ridicule. There are some people who just enjoy putting others down… In public they try to make them look foolish and ignorant and thereby hoping to look superior to them.
In this verse striking a scoffer is put in parallel and contrast to reproving a man of understanding. Doing both can be beneficial. It does not indicate that the scoffer will gain instruction… I assume this is a hardened habitual scoffer and in him being stricken is instruction for those who have been watching him belittle some other person publicly. There are surly times we should stand up for the defenseless… and there are even systems within our laws that do this kind of protecting for the vulnerable and helpless. We should never stand by when someone is being abused… And the type of striking we administer should not begin with our hands but we must be discerning and when we correct others it should be done towards them in love. All things should be done in love and lawfully to the glory of God. So then our correcting is at least mainly for the benefit of those in the world who are watching that they might learn righteousness and truth. Now though a scoffer may not admit their wrong… though they may refuse to humble themselves and learn what is right… the man of understanding… when reproved will gain knowledge… He humbles himself in repentance and learns truth and righteousness and justice.
Proverbs 21:11 goes along nicely with todays verse. It also seems to say how punishing a scoffer is good because it makes the simple onlookers wise: When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
But there is another passage that on first glance may seem to counteract todays verse… but lets look a little closer and see if it actually supports it: Proverbs 9:7-8… Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
So which should you do? Correct and reprove a scoffer or not.
I think the answer can be found in asking a couple of discerning questions: 1 - Is the scoffer in question is a hardened proud mocker or does he still think he does not know it all? Can he learn wisdom? If so he still may benefit from reproof. But if he is proud to the core… Jesus words in Matthew 7:6 come to mind: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. In this case we should not instruct a scoffer with correction.
2 - However if others have been watching and learning from a scoffer as he belittles others… there are times he should be rebuked publicly. Not for his instruction but for those who may have been watching and learning bad habits from the scoffer.
Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Everyone surly agrees there is anxiety in the world… all the time no doubt but today as the corona virus tops 315,000 infected it’s clear as day. People are worried about getting sick… and for loved ones… and what will be the impact on their job and paycheck… if you have stocks… Do I have enough food, water, toilet paper? We are tempted to dwell on all the possible outcomes of the coronavirus. But in truth it’s just another day in the life of a broken world. People all over the world live our their lives in different kinds of suffering. Many live in unsanitary areas that are slums. For example you might google photos of the slums in India. There is just so much brokenness in this world. So many are diseased with things from leprosy to cancer to the coronavirus. Probably millions suffer with depression that is biological in nature… and likely billions suffer from depression related to brokenness in relationships and we all suffer in relation to sin in our lives.
The point is that there is anxiety in a mans heart and it weighs us down. But Solomon says a good word makes him glad. “Good word” sends my thoughts to “Good News”.
If you don’t know the Lord it’s still a good thing to listen to the gospel again… You see, many of us had heard the gospel lots and lots of times before God opened up our eyes to actually see Jesus as beautiful and good news. He is the good word that makes a person glad… one who is weighed down with the anxiety of a broken world…
The original man and woman that God created; Adam and Eve, were tempted by satan who said God was a liar. They believed satan over God and followed satan’s advice. Adam and Eve fell out of fellowship with God who is perfect and has nothing in common with sin. All Adam and Eves descendants were born out of fellowship with God.
God did not leave mankind without hope. After Adam and Eves sin God promised one of the offspring of the woman would come who would succeed where they failed. God kept reminding them of this promise down through the ages by Prophets and by direct revelation. He made this promise to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, has a Hezekiah and king Ahaz to name a few. Before this Messiah’s coming people could be accepted by God again by believing the words and prophecies concerning him and his coming… by placing their hope in him.
Then God sent his only Son as a man born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life so where Adam and Eve and you and I failed, he succeeded. He imputes his righteousness to all who delight in him. He went further than that… he bore our sin in his body… He was paid the wages of our sin… Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. But he was not done yet… he went further. He defeated death itself to give us power over the temptations of sin in our daily life as we walk with him. And there is more… he will one day raise us up as he was raised up, incorruptible to be with him and never experience death or any of the anxieties of brokenness brought on by sin again.
So this is the gospel… If you are an unbeliever I hope you will whisper a prayer that if there is truth in these words God will open your eyes to see Jesus as good news… the greatest treasure in the Universe… worth turning away from seeking after the promises sin to delighting in Jesus the rest of your life.
Lets close with the second verse in todays text: 26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Todays verses point us to the two fold mission of every believer. To keep seeing more of Gods glory in Jesus and his word… In so doing he takes away all our hearts anxieties… and secondly to share his awesomeness with our neighbor.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.
Slothful is not defined as slow It does not mean one doesn’t know It’s not another word for fun Slothfulness never hit a home run
Like the man who doesn’t roast his game Or fix his roof that leaks in rain Its like he just does not care When wet he’ll simply move the chair
This lazy dude will hardly move Grumbling he microwaves his food With a “what’s it to you” attitude He lives his life in such a dreadful mood
But the diligent man will get precious wealth He cooks what he hunts, he paints both sides of the shelf He exercises, eats right and takes care of his health He loves his neighbor as his self
So herein my friend, take the slothfulness test: Have you lost your zest? Except to rest? Have you lost the desire to do your best? Does your house stay a mess? Do you think: why should I dress? Are your mind and body both in digress? How many questions did you answer yes?
The slothful seed sprouts a sweet smelling weed Its taste is sweet but its thorns make you bleed Its leaves make you slumber, you hear sounds of a lute But waken a zombie, you have become this seeds fruit
Now what are these riches of the diligent man? In the flesh he’ll find gold if he persistently pans But spiritually, Ahh there are treasures galore As we see Gods glory in Jesus more and more
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
We Are All Fruit Trees R Aylor
We are all fruit trees…. or like them… Did you know that? Today let’s think about what kind of fruit our life produces. Hmmm… why don’t we start by going through our daily routines and see if there are any opportunities for fruit built in to our routines.
Your basic day might begin with an alarm clock dinging or singing some silly song… or you may usually get up without an alarm… Even when I set an alarm many times I get up before it goes off.
Question: Do you begin your day with a prayer before you rise from your bed? If so then the first fruits of your day is to rejoice in Gods mercy, ask him for help in his mission… The fruit of him brings you life in the morning… thats what our text says right? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life”. And the fruit shines out with worship, praise and joy even before you rise to meet the day. Thats pretty awesome!
On the other hand to lay in bed and think about those who have hurt your or other ungodly things and rising with a “woe is me” and full of grumpiness are the first fruits of many.
And so you get up… maybe you get a cup of coffee and a cracker and begin coming alive… Is the Lord a part of that? Do you have an intentional time with Gods word and a time for reflection? Maybe you write out a devotion you have drawn from reading Gods word. Many people simply read a devotion someone has written and don’t look at Gods word for themselves… Is that really enough for us? Devotions are good to read but it is amazing when God enlightens your eyes directly from his word… connecting scriptures and applications and internalizing words of life to our soul.
Maybe you have an intentional time of prayer… it could a list for every day of the week… In your mind you may trace the houses in your neighborhood or your fellow employees at work… God may lead you into another routine of intentional prayer.
You may tell yourself you don’t have time in the mornings to commit to intentional prayer and bible study. Someone once said Gods math is much different than mans. Martian Luther said: "I have so much to do today that I'm going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done.”
It’s worth it to get up an hour earlier to spend intentional and quality time with God.
So… Solomon has told us that the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life… We have been looking at what fruit comes from just a couple of our daily routines and we have started the day… For many of us we begin waking up our children and planning our day or heading to work… I’ll leave the rest of your daily routines for you to consider with this note… Most of us will be interacting with others in some fashion through our day… and in the second half of todays verse Solomon has told us “whoever captures souls is wise”.
You see, this these things are the duty and mission and joy… the fruit of every Christian. First to see more and more of Gods glory and be transformed… as we said we do that in connection to Gods word and prayer… I hope you have an intentional time for that in your life… and secondly, to share his glory with others… as Solomon put it “whoever captures souls is wise”.
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. 13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. 14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
Satisfied Or Snared R Aylor
Verse 12 mentions the root of the righteous and how it will bear fruit… and that is contrasted in the same verse with the wicked person coveting the spoils or fruit of those who do evil. Then in verse 13 we see how fruit begins bearing on the tree of the wicked man… that is… the fruit of his lips…which form traps. Solomon says he is ensnared so we find his words bring him into bondage. And then in verse 13 we find that the righteous is not snared by his own words but escapes from trouble… Finally in verse 14 Solomon continues referring to the fruit of a righteous persons lips and how this fruit which bears fruit in its root as verse 12 says, also bears fruit not only through the mouth but through the work of a mans hand.
So to summarize what I am seeing here… It’s a matter of the heart that determines the fruit that our heart produces… the fruit our mouth produces and the fruit our hands produce. And we can surmise I think our heart determines what we meditate on in our mind, where our legs take us and all the things we do in our body whether good or bad.
And since it’s all about the heart… You may remember a text we already looked at in Proverbs 4, verse 23-24 which says: 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
So these things are linked one with another. And in Luke 6:45 Jesus said it this way: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
But of course as a bad tree cannot make good fruit we need a good heart if we are to produce good fruit… which we do not have.
Ezekiel 36: 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
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Proverbs:19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
When Your Head Splashes Down Into Your Oatmeal
Today Solomon is talking about a man who is just too lazy to even finish eating. Oh, it doesn’t begin that way does it? Maybe he struggled getting out of bed with faith to face the day… He lacked joy for life… Even the simple things of life… the beauty of Creation… a simple flower adorned in glory that surpassed King Solomon. How long had it been since a morning sunrise brought a smile to his heart? How long had it been since he had even been up early enough to see a sunrise? Or if he was… even if he unhappily drug himself out of bed with a feeble “woe is me”… though he may have seen the sunrise he didn’t really see it.
This is the man who finds his selfish desires not in getting rich or holding great power over a people… for he has likely tried those paths… In his eyes working for a living was not all it was cracked up to be. Now his selfishness has sought another path… he has considered that possibly doing the least work he can… letting the government pay his way if possible… if not then its ok… just to survive… lay around and take it easy… Every day go to all you can eat buffets… watch as much tv as possible… do whatever I want every single day… that was his motto. Guess what… Just like his old job… these things did not satisfy him… Now sitting alone at home he even dreads taking a shower… and seldom does… he no longer cleans his house or washes his dishes. Eating is not enjoyable to him as it once was; and here is where our text comes in… Solomon says: 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. Whats the use? I can imagine that this might be the end for that man… Maybe to his demise all of a sudden his head will plop down into his bowl and he will drown in his oatmeal. But it doesn’t have to end like that.
Just as the unsatisfaction with sin grows and grows until man realizes it was all a big scam… Even so the seed of faith grows in a mans life.
Jesus gives us this example in Luke 13:18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
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Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Ok, there are a number of truths here… Let’s look at each one… at least what I see here briefly, and see how it fits together.
1 - 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, We make many plans in life… even daily and though it didn’t say; our plans are often motivated by our own selfish purposes.
2 - but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
What does it mean to stand? The Lords purpose remains in place… We might even say his purpose is sure to come to pass.
Isaiah 46:8 …for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 …‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
3 - 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, A man wants others to show him kindness right?. This is the purpose and plans man has for himself… He wants unwavering love… These seem like good plans on the surface but in his brokenness he is motivated by seeking a selfish love and glory that belong to God. You see, man wants others to not only love him that he might be popular but to provide him opportunity to gain wealth and influence for his own glory…
4 - and a poor man is better than a liar. Rather than obtaining riches and popularity by lies and selfish purposes for our own glory… it is better to fear the Lord and be poor.
5 - Lets take verse 23 all together…
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
To have the kind of fear that leaves us satisfied seems to me would mean to be trusting God and his word so much that we know if we stray from his loving commandments… if we trust the worlds promises… if we trust our own fleshly desires over him… it will bring us ruin… even harm. We should fear then greatly that we don’t drift or wander from his path. So this is a good fear that keeps us satisfied.
It says this satisfied person will “not be visited by harm”… Hmmm… even David who wrote this experienced harm at times in his life… and in old age he became feeble and sickly and died. I think one clue to its meaning lies in the first part of 23… “The fear of the Lord leads to life”
I am thinking about Genesis 50:20, remember when Joseph said this to his brothers: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Joseph was one who I think feared the Lord in the right way and yet he experienced much harm… being sold into slavery… likely considered dead… later falsely accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison… But in one sense Joseph was not visited by harm… at least in this context: Remember when his brothers who had sold him came before him and feared for their life he said: “but God meant it for good”.
For Joseph all those troubles were not harm… but the opposite… they led to life… for himself and all of Israel.
One more thing about all this talk of not being visited by harm… let this settle it for you… here is the context Jesus spoke about such things.
He said in: Luke 21:16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
In the end the right kind of fear of the Lord leads to life.
Remember we read earlier in verse 22 saying: What is desired in a man is steadfast love. Thats what Jesus gives to us. As John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Pray
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Love To Dicipline R Aylor Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. What Is The Commandment? R Aylor We see Solomon possibly speaking to his sons concerning their own sons; but clearly applicable to all. It’s interesting to me Solomon says not to set your heart on putting your son to death. I suspect most parents… even when their children break a precious item dear to you or if they almost burn down the house… (did you note the passion in my tone? I have done those things.)… Even in dire disobedience we do not want to put them to death. But if we do not give them discipline… then that is exactly what we are doing. When they disobey… If we say… no problem with no other instruction… that is not love... then again and again as we watch them stray from godliness and truth if we offer no instruction and discipline… We too are at fault. We are being a willing participant in bringing their life to misery and ruin.
I think of Gods priest Eli and his sons.
1st Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. …17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
And then remember when God called the young prophet Samuel as a child and God spoke to Samuel about Eli and how he had not disciplined them in the Lord.
1st Samuel 3:13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
And it seems to me that today's verses from Proverbs are very timely for the generation and cultures of today where parents only discipline with anger when their children annoy them or hamper their style… When children interrupt them as they are seeking their own self centered desires. We see a lot of parents today more concerned about the tv programs they watch than what their children are doing or even where they are. We see parents consumed with alcohol and drugs and tv and smart phones and Facebook and pornography. Parents who do not have self discipline much less are they disciplining their own children in a loving godly way.
If we love our children we will work and do our best to provide them a loving home… with a clean bed and food to eat… We will teach them love by giving them the example of the giving of ourselves to them. We will discipline them in discernment with grace and mercy… and yes with things that bring pain…
God shows his love for us in the same way.
Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Pray
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Proverbs 19:16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. 17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
What Is The Commandment? R Aylor
Alright, today we find Solomon speaking of the commandment in the singular… which is quite interesting i thin… and he doesn’t say whether he’s speaking of the kings command or Gods. So… whats this about?
As far as whether this refers to the kings commandment or Gods command…. we have seen over and over in Proverbs so far how the physical things Solomon speaks of points to the spiritual things of God. So there is that aspect and it should not surprise us if that is the case here. As for the commandment being in the singular. I would suppose that this implies there is an underlying commandment that supports the others… A foundational commandment on which all the others hang…
For the king it might be something related to how the integrity of his kingdom should reflect his own values. Those who keep the commandment of the king keep their life. In keeping his command singular I think would mean to keep all his commands plural.
Jesus spoke of two commandments… one rather that was supreme… In Matthew 22 a Pharisee who was a Lawyer ask him a question:
Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
So to glorify God in loving him and serving him from the heart above all others is supreme… If we do that we would no doubt keep the second command as well… and all the others. Gods glory… his character, his attributes… who he is… is to be seen by us so we may worship him as the greatest treasure in the Universe. This is what God wants… and the second is like the first… that we might love our neighbor and share the glory of God with them.
Let’s make sure we get one thing right here… trying to keep commands of God by doing works does not bring us salvation. At the same time though we are not saved by works we will be judged by works. Our works...our fruit will prove God has and is doing a work in us... these are not our works but his in us.
So in that sense those who keep Gods commandment does keep their life... because Gods work in us proves we have life in him.
And only when God has made this change in our heart are we able to do what the 2nd verse in our Proverbs text says… Only when we do this with the right spirit, the right heart… quickened by the Holy Spirit.
17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Pray
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Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
Deep Sleep & Extreme Diet R Aylor
What is this verse saying to us? Lets start with the first half: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep”.
Sounds like a skit or commercial might be made out of this one: Are you tired of taking pills to in order to have a good nights rest? Why not try slothfulness or laziness as a good alternative to sleeping pills... we can train you how to be a lazy bum and attain that good deep sleep we all want.
Is that the message of the text? I think not! Solomon does not mention the word good. In fact the Bible says that good sleep comes not from laziness but honest work. Eccleasties 5:12, which is likely Solomon speaking again says: Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much,... another is Proverbs 3:24 for those who walk in wisdom and discretion… it says: If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. And one more: Psalm 4:7-8 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Now for the second half of the verse… “and an idle person will suffer hunger”.
The bad commercial might continue by saying something like: So, for only $19.95 let our idle hands department give you the secret to not only deep sleep but also weight loss. It’s the diet that has become a big hit in the United States. It’s called the “No work no eat diet” or the “sleep and be slothful slim down selfish skeleton diet”.
No! these are not the things that Solomon are saying.
Being idle and lazy can cause us all kinds of problems which can ruin us and begins in varying selfish ways. Maybe it starts with wanting to stay home and watch tv or maybe go fishing instead of going to work. Then again, many people want as much for free as possible. If they can get the government to pay them for not working… well, why not? And by government I mean the working peoples money… Thats where it comes from.
There are some good and bad ways that we might fight laziness… but It takes something to motivate us. The motivation to eat is a good one… the motivation to provide for family… But to be rich for the sake of a life of self centered goals… No; and thats what most people I think at least in the US work for. Its to be rich and for those riches to be tagged with being powerful and thought of as successful. So basically, selfishness goes two directions and many times in extremes. Be self serving by working to make lots of money or be self serving by being lazy and doing as little as possible.
In closing one major thing about laziness… A person who is lazy is not accomplishing the purpose God created them for. They realize their worthlessness and it brings on depression. They give up… i think about Judas who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver? After he realized his worthlessness and even returned the silver… However he did not turn to Jesus for mercy and strength to glorify God with his life… Instead he gave up and gave in to the brokenness of sin and hung himself.
Slothfulness to not being motivated by God leads to a deep sleep concerning the spiritual things of God... Being idle to the things of God leads to never fulfilling the deep hunger in your soul. That savoring satisfaction only comes through Jesus.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Pray
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Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
Good Comes From The Lord R Aylor
First let’s look at verse 13, then tie it in to verse 14. How does a foolish son become a ruin to his father? Well, it proclaims to the world that his was a bad father whether he was or not. He did not bring up his son right… He did not teach him to be a man who would do good and walk in wisdom. He brings ruin to his father by polluting his family name… We may think we will be known by our own deeds in life but people also form an opinion about us by who is in our family and even those in our close circle whom we fellowship with… These things, sometimes rightfully and other times wrongfully… still they mark us as one to make judgements about by the world.
So a foolish son can be ruin to his father…. But Solomon also says something about a mans wife… she could even be the mother of the foolish son that brought ruin to his father. She is always arguing with her husband… she continually has a falling out with her friends and some have disowned her for good. She considers herself a victim in life and thinks she deserves things and money and fame and people who deprive her of it are evil and so she is always grumbling hoping somehow she might get her own way.
This continual dripping that Solomon compares her to makes me think of some form of torturing with water. It is like an itch you cant scratch… And if you possibly are able to scratch it just gets worse. If you argue back this woman will make threats to you or to harm herself. It seems like a no win situation.
Well, verse 14 gives hope to someone whether man or woman, boy or girl who is in a difficult situation and life is out of their control. Solomon says in this world houses and wealth are passed on to children in the form of an inheritance… But a prudent wife is from the Lord. Yes, relationships are what Solomon is focusing on in these verses… Relationships between people like the foolish boy and the quarreling wife and even the father… all their relationships with God first… then with one another.
Relationships filled with foolishness, arguing and grumbling are that way whenwe are seeking to find satisfaction in the world… We are believing satans promises…
But the good things that bring peace and true joy and life… innumerable unsearchable riches… Good loving relationships… a purpose for living… They come from the Lord through Jesus Christ who gave his life that we might live… and he defeated death that we might live in victory and new life with a purpose and then be raised up with him incorruptible forever.
Pray
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Proverbs 19:12 A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
Supreme Ruler And Leader Jesus Christ R Aylor Today Solomon gives us and example of one character… A king. Being a king himself he may have been considering his own position in comparison to kings throughout the world. And to go along with this character Solomon gives us two metaphors.
Let’s look at the first: “A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion”.
A king has the right to have extreme anger. It is not a sin for him especially if he is a good and just king. It’s a good thing for him to be angry with people who steal or kill or take advantage of the poor, the unlearned or those who cannot defend themselves. He is the final judge. Sometimes kings would make individual judgments against wrongs within their kingdom. If not a good king would at least set up judges who would discern truth with fairness to all concerned. But the king took responsibility for the justice system in his kingdom.
As for us… it’s not a sin to be angry with sin… not only in the lives of others but in our own life as well.
But we are not king of our own life or anyone else’s. Even our nation is not run by kings or dictations. In the United States we have a system of laws which govern us with judges and jury’s that are intended to help to make sure justice is given at least to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, since we are not king or judge we are not to execute extreme anger by showing wrath toward individuals who are accused of taking advantage of others. Since there is no king in our administration we let the laws of our own system with judge, jury, lawyers, police officers and such use the authority given to them to carry out justice. And yes… even then in our system of government there are lawful ways to contest wrongs done in our own system.
So while a kings wrath (and we might say a jury’s wrath) is like the growling of a lion… A kings favor is like dew on the grass. This metaphor… “dew on the grass” is an image that make me think of a new day… even new life, as in spring… It clearly invokes “favor” because it’s in the text. It’s a new day… it’s a fresh slate. The king has said “not guilty”. It’s peace and joy and acceptance… It’s “happy ever after”.
Of course there is only one King who is supreme ruler and its not Putin of Russia or Kim Jong-un of North Korea… whom are referred to as supreme rulers… It’s Jesus Christ and as it says in Acts 10:42 “he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead”.
Speaking of a king today's text says “his favor is like dew on the grass”.
And the true supreme leader… the King of kings… Jesus… His favor is implied in Luke 2:14 as proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds when they the announced the good news of Jesus birth:
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” That word pleased can mean satisfaction, delight, or kindness and is even interpreted as on one whom his favor rests.
Jesus is good news because through him we escape the wrath of the King that we deserve for our rebellion. If we delight in him we are granted Gods favor through Jesus righteousness being given… even imputed to us and through him taking the wages of our sin by dying on the Cross… And Jesus is good news because in him raising from the grave he gives us power over sin in this life and will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever. Pray
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Proverbs 19:8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. 10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Good Sense To Love Ourselves R Aylor
Today we have 4 verses that are somewhat related I think. And that link is something called sense.
Verse 9 says the one who has it loves his own soul. Do you think it is important to love yourself?
Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself so even his words imply… I believe that we are to love ourselves if we are to love our neighbor.
Verse 9 talks about the person who breathes out lies… This person does not have the wisdom to love himself because if he had the good sense and appreciation to read he would find that his lies to his neighbors will lead to his own perishing.
So loving ones self means to seek and find what is good for us… What truly makes us happy… Its not in the empty promises of the world… they lead to our perishing.
In what context should we then love our own soul?
I mean… well, even looking ahead to eternity… we know we love ourselves if we do not want to go to a place called Hell that is prepared for the devil and his angels. I love myself enough not to want to go there.
But there are more reasons to have the sense to love ones self even here on this earth. We are to want joy for ourselves. Great joy!
Galatians 15:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This passage flows and goes right into verse 11 of our Proverbs text. Verse 11 says: Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
The Holy Spirit gives us this godly good sense… It does not come from us or from anything in the world but from God. It brings good sense to love and forgive others, to be patient and kind and all the things mentioned (the fruit of the Spirit) and this includes having joy.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Why might God want us to love ourselves enough to have great joy?… and to love us enough to live for eternity in heaven? Because He is glorified when we look to him. You see, great and true joy and life and peace and forgiveness and righteousness are all found in Jesus. And eternity is to be spent with Jesus. He is the greatest treasure in the Universe and good news for our sinful soul. In our joy we are willing to turn away from all the empty promises of the world for Jesus. It glorifies God to give us the good sense to look to him… It glorifies God to bring us joy and adoption and an eternal inheritance sharing in his glory forever.
But for those who do not love themselves enough to believe Gods word… and all he wants for us… They will believe the lusts and desires found in and encountered by the flesh and in their own body and will perish.
Pray
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His Poverty, Our Gain Proverbs 19:6 Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
You may have heard the saying “It’s all about the money”. Well that's the way it works in the kingdoms of this world. We find that people in the broken world give to those who are wealthy in order to gain more for themselves.
That’s how it works in politics and thats how it works with our neighbors and acquaintances.
In Politics people give support including money to their chosen candidates… not with hopes to overflow their favorite nominee’s pockets with cash but to better their own pockets and those of their own families.
As for our rich acquaintances, we fall into the same trap as we do in politics. We seek for them to be our friend with gifts and various forms of flattery, not for their benefit… not for the ultimate purpose of proclaiming their glory, but in hopes for our own exaltation.
This is why no one flatters the poor… except in the areas they are rich in. If the poor have something others want… the poor can be the most vulnerable and easy to flatter for that prize. The poor are most often taken advantage of by others to gain power… and especially in politics where we see many who make promises to the poor with insincere motivations. Politicians want their vote… they want them to be their friends… why? Because their vote will give them power and control… So they appeal to their needs and they appeal to mankind’s weaknesses in order to enable them to stay poor that they might hold on to their sense of supremacy over them. No matter where you stand in politics you can surely see this in your own party’s appeal to the poor at times.
Thankfully the kingdom of God operates much different than the world… and Jesus himself gives us the example to follow.
Speaking of Jesus 2nd Corinthians 8:9 says: ..for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Jesus was not like us… he was not like most politicians. He willingly gave up everything including life so we might have true life and receive an inheritance in him.
Mark 10:42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Pray
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Short People (Being Snappy & Angry) R Aylor
Randy Newman's 1977 album included a song entitled “Short People”. It was a song about prejudiced from an extreme biased lunatics viewpoint… and it was actually about people who are short in stature. But today I’d like to think about “Short People” a little differently. This month, we are to include a pun within our brag on Jesus talk and basically the whole subject and message of the sermon is the Pun. The world has way too many short people. By “short” I'm not talking about Brad Chase or Joe Espinosa... No, its not about being short in stature... these men may be some of the tallest, biggest men around these parts within the kingdom of God. I am referring to a culture of people who are short tempered... not patient with others... always in a hurry to do their well intentioned plans... One person I am talking about is myself because I fall into that “short” category quite often. I want us to look at James 1:19… and James says to be in a hurry in one way and to slow down in two ways… let’s take a look at that.
James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
James says to be in a hurry in one way that we are usually very slow in... in our hearing... We should listen to the downcast and those who need Gods love. Listen to the Widows and Elderly, listen to brothers and sisters in Christ going through troubles and need encouragement.
So yes, maybe think of it like this... we should have not really short ears but big ears to be a good listener… not ears for hearing gossip but for understanding and showing compassion to others… The world has way too many short ears. Maybe you’re like me and when you were growing up you looked in the mirror and you thought… “wow my ears are big”… Well that's a good thing… and especially from a Spiritual standpoint.
James said we should be not only quick to hear but also be slow to speak. Another text that goes along with that is:
Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
Have you ever watched Jeopardy on tv? Alex Trebek always does what this text says… He gives the answer before the contestants give the question… I know Jeopardy is a bit different than what we're talking about today.
How many a time has another person interrupted you and tried to finish your sentence as if they knew exactly what it was?
If this happens occasionally it may be that they are just showing you that they are listening well.
Many times I think that for someone who frequently interrupts, quite often the problem is that they are not patient. They are being short…
One thing about always being in a hurry… We think our agenda… our task… our purpose for the day is more important than listening to others.
Even as believers although we may want to be on mission for Christs every minute of the day… and there's so much mission work to do that we have to finish peoples sentences and hurry off to do more mission work and change the world…
Like the song I love by Sweet Brown a few years back... we think: Aint nobody got time for that...
That's the way we feel sometimes I think... even as we are ministering to others. ...
The irony may just be that slowing down and being better listeners… trusting God instead of ourselves and all of our running… may be the mission and we may be missing it every day.
James also says to slow down in our anger.
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Impatience and anger keeps us from a spirit of worship to God and it also keeps us from mission. And I think the mission of God shows itself in the interruptions of our daily life.
We can't escape the busyness of the world... nor should we want to 100%... God does not want us to be hermits but to participate in relationships in this broken world. The mission is hidden within the busyness we encounter.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
Yarn Spinner R Aylor Of course this text points us to the 9th commandment in Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
One might think this is referring to our life on earth and that a liar will be punished in being brought before the magistrate and sentenced… Or maybe someone who lies on the witness stand? Is the verse referring to either of these situations? Maybe Solomon, when he heard of it… punished those who breathed out lies in his kingdom.
But, I suppose in every society there are liars who never stand before a court for all their false witnesses. Even in a general sense every person I suppose breathes out deception to others. We lie with our body language and the inflections of our voice every day. We deceive at work and home and to our spouse. When we allow false impressions to continue… We become experts at leading people on without actually saying lying words… that is in addition to the lying words we actually do say. Still, in all this we are usually not thrown in jail or punished by those in authority.
And yet there is a way we suffer because of all our lying. Like the boy who cried wolf wolf… liars, even those who lie in the way they carry themselves…. liars loose trust with others. Some liars lie about things in hopes to help others. We may at times when giving advice try to relate to someone we are counseling and say “I went through the same thing you went through”. We may tell another person we never experienced the same thing or else give a deviation of our story so we can build trust with that person. In the long run, lying breaks trust and relationships.
You know… For someone who defends themselves with lies… I think it is easier to trust them in everyday things that are not related to their guarded sins than to trust someone who makes up stories to gain trust. Look, lying damages relationships of all involved…
So I suppose in that sense, liars are punished here on earth. Lying is like drugs… it is hard to quit and it will lead you to being found out and will bring ruin to your life.
Finally, it is no secret that God will judge liars along with all sin. I think this is the foundational truth of the text. Even if a liar escapes punishment on earth in this short life which is like a vapor compared to eternity… after they stand before God their Judge, with their sin they will reap a just payment.
And the thing is… this is true for all of us… There are wages to be paid out to liars… all us sinners. And this will go one of two ways.
Either we will trust God and accept that Jesus took the sentence for our sin and died on the Cross… And not only did he die physically but God turned his face away from his only Son in Spirit and fellowship as he bore our sin… From the Cross, Jesus, crying out in a loud voice quoted from Psalm 22 saying: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46
So Jesus took the payment for our sin…
2nd Corinthians 5:21 is another great verse that shows this truth:
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Again, either we delight in Jesus who died and rose again… or we will be paid the wages of our own sin by separation from God and all things good forever. Either Jesus is judged for our sin or we will be.
Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 19:4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. A Plethora Of Friends R Aylor
Here is another common sense proverb. We know this truth… We see it in everyday life and in the News.
When a person becomes homeless they don’t make a whole lot of new friends… they may begin to build trust among others that are in the trenches with them… but even then, not all of them… Some who are desperate even those who they may have thought were their friend steal and take advantage of them.
And what about those who have recently acquired much wealth… maybe they won a sweepstakes or the lottery or received an inheritance. Yes of course… friends seem to pop out of the woodwork.
Of course, these are the ways of the broken world we live in. But remember, the kingdom of God operates much differently than the world.
I like the movie genre of Sci-fi and some Fantasy shows. And so I have this kind of personal analogy of the kingdom of God. I’m sure its not perfect… nevertheless, it makes me think of another dimension laid down on top of the physical world we live in. It syncs up with everything we do… It intersects with our world. And like the invisible wind that blows the trees and transforms the land, the Spirit transforms our lives and the lives of others across the globe.
And so as for the truth of this verse… how wealth brings friends and poverty brings desertion…. in the kingdom of God its totally different. Poverty brings a family of friends not only across the globe but the span of time. And what’s more, only a person who realizes their spiritual poverty can be accepted and adopted into the royal family of the King. Only one who files spiritual bankruptcy will receive an inheritance of all things, even sharing Gods glory in His kingdom.
How can we go against the grain of the worlds view of riches and poverty and friends? How can we walk in the Spirit with these in this broken world?
Luke 14:12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
You see that is what Jesus did for us.
2nd Corinthians 8:9 says: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Pray
Taste And Tell R Aylor
In want to read some and narrate some in 1st Peter chapter 1, then let verse 9 be our focus. (Note: This is not a full transcript of the audio)
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Notice it says how we should long to drink spiritual things if we have tasted that the Lord is good.
I will probably never know if I like certain things in the food chain. I don’t recall tasting cottage cheese, cauliflower or buttermilk… maybe I did as a child but don’t remember. Oysters, snake, rat, armadillo… My brother Jon is braver than anyone I know in this category and will try just about anything.
If you have tasted the goodness of God in Jesus… If he has shown you what it means that he is good news for your sin… If he has opened your eyes to see him as beautiful and the greatest treasure in the Universe above and beyond every treasure the world has to offer… than why would you not crave the spiritual milk found in his word?
Do you hold your nose and swallow Gods word or is it good? Do you savor it and say Awwww this is amazing!
Verses 4-8 talk about Jesus as the living cornerstone… All we believe is built on him… and we are like live stones… And its true… we are alive in Christ… And Jesus who died for us was raised up and we will be raised as he was… But we are alive now and in this life have victory over spiritual death or separation from Gods fellowship….
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
There are some great things God has given us and Peter mentions some right here. God chose us before the foundation of the world. He made us royal priests… a holy nation… a people he treasures not because of our goodness but because he chose to do so.
The Father chose us to be a bride for his Son and he gave us to him. But we had become tainted with sin. We were not as a virgin bride but evil, self serving and vile. But Jesus went to the Cross to purify us…
Ephesians 5:25 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, …27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
For all who would delight in him as their Groom. Jesus took the wages of our sin and he gives us his righteousness. Now we are all those things verse 9 says. Chosen, Royal Priest’s, Holy, a people for his own possession… we are a beautiful bride for Jesus… We are a good and perfect gift from the Father to the son because we have been given the righteousness of Jesus.
Peter began this chapter talking about how we are to repent of all our old goals of self centeredness… Remember he said: "put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”. Then the 2nd part of verse 9 gives us our new mission: that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Father please show us more of your glory. May we always be turning away from the old man mission and share your glory with every Nation. How you are the greatest treasure in the Universe...
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggiingonjesus.com
Proverbs 19:2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. Suppressing The Knowledge R Aylor
2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
Verse 2 makes me think of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden Of Eden… the one tree God said not to eat of… It sounds funny to say it but Adam and Eve did have the knowledge of what was good to eat and what was evil to eat without having to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… God had given them this knowledge… however they refused to believe God and set that knowledge aside. Once we do that we are prone to make haste… We run to the sin that so easily besets us and tripping on our passionate desire we miss our way.
It’s the same for us in hundreds of life examples… The desire of our eyes causes us to buy more than we can afford and eat more than is healthy and chase after love in all the wrong places… we suppress the knowledge of the truth and time after time as the text says: “his feet misses his way”.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ________________________________________
3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.
This verse again, like the last one, refers to how sin brings ruin. And it also takes me back Adam and Eve in the Garden Of Eden.
Now I surly do not know what was going on in the heart of Adam. But when he responded to God as to why he trusted satan over the Lord he said this in Genesis 3:12:
…“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
It sounds to me as though Adam might have been trying to shift the blame… Its as though he was saying it’s Eve’s fault… she gave me the fruit… and by the way… you were the one who gave me the woman…
Whether this was Adams heart or not… the fact is we blame God for our problems which come from our sin on a regular basis.
We blame God for our poverty, our hearts wickedness… for why we don’t handle money well, why we have a bad education why we steal and cheat and wind up in prison… because he was the one who placed us in the particular family which he did. We were not brought up right… We say it’s not our fault… God did this.
Look we are all born equally out of fellowship with God. Yes he chooses as he will… He gets to do that… you see as God he is sovereign… He chooses not because of good deeds or any reason where we might say “we did this”. We don’t deserve him… We do not understand all his wonderful ways… Like a parent with a young child… They do not explain things to them to great for a child to grasp. We may not understand how God chooses us who do not deserve it and yet we are 100% responsible to come to him… But we do know scripture is clear that God is righteous and just and merciful to all who delight in him… we see it over and over in his word… And we have also come to trust his word and his character over and over in our life.
So both of these verses in our text today take me back to Adam and Eve in the garden… Verse 2 points me to how they ignored the knowledge God had given them and followed their fleshly desires which led to their ruin… even death… spiritual death because they lost fellowship with the Spirit of God and eventually physical death when their own spirits left their bodies… and then verse 3 reminds me how Adam seemed to blame God for his own life being ruined when he said:
…“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Integrity Vs. Crooked R Aylor As some today believe in a type of gospel that says the good will always be rich in money on this earth… so it was in Solomon's day and he says… No!
Today Solomon tells us how there is something better than a foolish person with bent, twisted, crafty, dishonest, untrustworthy speech… and that is… a man who walks in integrity; in truth and with honor… Even a man who is dirt poor?… Yes… So I infer from Solomons words that someone who is homeless on the street without a penny to their name but who walks with honor is better than a liar.
And yet, we are all tempted to rationalize crooked speech for various reasons…
It may be that we believe that we deserve to manipulate others for our own good because we have been deceived ourselves and taken advantage of. We rationalize and our speech becomes twisted when we defend our sin. We rationalize our twisted speech when we bear false witness for the good of the very ones we deceive. We think we know best and we bear false witness to protect others. Many times it is much easier on us to deceive than being honest.
If the poor person who walks honestly and above reproach is better than a deceiver… What about others besides the poor? What of those mentally disadvantaged? What of the clinically depressed? What of the abused? What about those sold into slavery across the globe? Yes to all these!!! Yes to you and yes to me! It is better by far to walk in integrity than deception and dishonesty.
And so, I expect that whether you are Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Christian… even Atheist… you likely concur with Solomons wise words. Integrity and honor are good while falsehood and crooked speech are bad.
And if we are all honest with ourselves, we will also agree that our life is stained with self centeredness which should bring us shame. Our lives are not filled with integrity. Sure there are times we look good and clean on the outside. We do good things and others give us honor for doing so… but we know it is not truly deserved. Down deep in our soul our heart knows the truth and so does our Maker. He is all that is good in the Universe. He deserves the honor. But we like the praise and honor and glory that comes from mankind… Lucifer, satan… the devil… he liked the glory… he wanted Gods glory for himself.
The good news is that where the first man Adam and all his descendants failed in integrity,.. the offspring of the woman, Jesus Christ the promised one succeeded. And for all who delight in him… he puts his righteousness into our bankrupt account. He even deposited the payment for all our sin into his account receiving payment by his death on the Cross and then he went further defeating death itself. One day he will raise us up incorruptible as he was raised… But until then and while here he gives us the same power that raised him to overcome sin in our daily life as we walk in his Spirit.
Pray
Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Most often we human beings favor friendship over enemy-ship whenever possible. We are creatures who want to be liked. We typically feel better about ourselves when many people like a post we put on social media… And if we happen to have a lot of followers on twitter or friends on facebook and instagram then that gives us a sense of clout and makes us look and feel important and loved.
And in the real world where thumbs up and thumbs down are actually messy relationships where we see one another flaws close up... we still long to be loved.
I think social media platforms have cultivated this defensive way of communicating… a false sense of cheap friendship and accountability and a need to have an abundance of so called friends. Our brokenness drives us to make everything we type about us… Whether wanting sympathy for ourselves for our hardships or making ourselves look good with doctored photo’s or clever quips.
These things are not what I see as true friendships. Solomon said: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
A person who is extremely obsessed with being liked will compromise their values and beliefs just to be elevated. A good example is seen in many politicians who may have begun with well intention. But when they soon realize that they need something comparable to likes or thumbs up… namely votes… they begin simply saying what the people that they happen to be addressing want to hear. And from day to day they make subtile changes and make clever soundbites and make acquisitions against those who are trying to get more likes than they have. I think Solomon is telling us that this self-righteous need for glory or a false sense of worth may bring their life to ruin.
And yet he says there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. In the best senecio a brother can be an amazing friend as well. He will keep you from being bullied at school… he will take you to the carnival… he will pick you up and haul you out of bad company… he will bail you out of jail… In his love for you he will discern when to say hard things that might risk making you angry… but you are bound in something stronger than blood… it is true friendship. Thats the kind of friend we all need…
And yet no one can truly live up to that model 100%. We are all broken… We all desire to be liked… We are tempted to seek out glory for ourselves that has the potential to ruin our lives. We are drawn to be self absorbed.
Jesus said this in John 15:
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Jesus went all the way for us…
Proverbs 18:23 The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly.
What is an entreaty? An entreaty is a plea or request… It can be a solicitation like begging or pleading… these are all entreaties.
So why might the poor use this kind of appeal towards others? The reason I think is because they have little or no leverage, or sway; people don’t jump when they speak… their opinions and counsel carry little weight with those in a higher financial class. It is the rich who predominantly control politics and the rules of the world. Even in America where we live in a type of representative democracy the wealthy have influence in law making and the overall order of things from small town politics all the way up to state and national.
So yes, the poor use entreaties… They do not command others… they ask and beseech… No one backs them up… they have no big stick that can overcome the club of money and wealth.
Today Im not addressing the reason someone is poor in money or who’s fault it is that someone is impoverished or rich. I’m not talking about discerning the ethical complex web of poverty and wealth.
In our text I think Solomon is simply saying what he said. The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly.
You see whatever a person is rich it has the potential to give him pride and a this world sense of power… Someone rich in athletic abilities might answer roughly to a whimp like me. If I have the courage I might ask a body builder to help me move a piece of furniture or refrigerator… On the other hand if the athielite is poor in school work he might ask someone who is rich in smarts (not I)…. And this smart wimpy person might even use his power to make demands of him answering him roughly… “Listen you bully, if you don’t quit picking on me and my friends I won’t help you with your homework”.
Look thats the way this broken world has functioned throughout time… broken people rich in power and influence answer roughly and those poor use entreaties.
Let’s think about this in relation to the Kingdom of God.
Their really is such a thing as being Spiritually poor?
In Revelation 3:17 Jesus said this to the Church of Laodicea:
17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
And to the church in Smyrna he said:
“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)”…. (Revelation 2:9)
So a person can be poor in money and athletic abilities… they can be poor in education and physical talents… And be rich in God.
So do we who are spiritually poor still use entreaties and does God who is rich still answer roughly? Yes and Yes but there are amazing differences in the way the broken world and a perfect God approach these truths. Lets look at some of the distinctions.
First, no one is truly rich. The things we have are on loan for a while… while our Creator owns all things for eternity.
Number 2: The poor of the world annoy the rich with their entreaties… There are many text throughout the bible that tell us that our Creator… our God encourages us to call on him.
Romans 10:13 says: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Next: The rich of the world may answer roughly. Our God gives mercy and grace and even sent his only Son to be paid for our sin seen in his own death, burial and resurrection. God calls us his children and yet he will answer roughly to all who want his glory for themselves.
In Matthew 5:3 Jesus said this: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We are bankrupt and no leverage with God within our brokenness.
Pray
Please don’t ever think that marriage is not a gift from God. It is wonderful!
Look, I know that there may be a lot of guys saying… surly there must be a translation issue with the original text… I mean… Was Jezebel good for King Ahab? What about Job’s wife? Didn’t she counsel him to curse God and die? Was Delilah good for Samson? Or you might be thinking “You haven’t met so-n-so”.
Well, I think one of the best examples of a good wife might be found in Proverbs chapter 31 which starts out in verse 10: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels”.
Still, marriages are between two broken people… With that being said lets think about how God may have meant for husbands and wives to be good for one another mutually.
Here’s the deal… We are all damaged people… And if you want to grow closer to and emulate your Creator, then marriage is a true gift! This institution might just be the best theological seminary in learning about God and how he loves us and how we are to love him and one another there is.
Ephesians chapter 5 talks about this in detail; about how a husband is to love his wife and she him… and then in verse 31-32 says this: 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
Yes marriage points us to our relationship with God.
Isaiah 54:5 says: For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
There are lots of other references to this… even in the New Testament like Matthew 22, 25… John 3… and other references as well…
The Father chose us for his Son, He gave us to Jesus. You can read about it over and over in John 17… we were sinful… broken… a bad gift… a unworthy bride… But Jesus himself gave us his perfect righteousness… he went to the Cross and took the wages of our sin… He made us a perfect beautiful bride worthy of him and for his glory.
Ephesians 5:25 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, …27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
One day the great day will come when we are presented to him as his bride.
Revelation 19:7 says: Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
Pray
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
Today’s proverb reminds me of watching Jeopardy on tv. You know, the game show… Of course Alex Trebek always gives the answer before the contestants guess the question…
Let me read our text again:
Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
They buzz in with what they think the question is before he finishes giving the answer… So in their case the answer is really the question… Confusing right?
Well Solomon is not confusing at all compared to Jeopardy and especially myself.
He simply tells us how it is a shame to answer before you hear someone… The positive of what Solomons focus on is on hearing. We need to be better listeners.
Oh how many a time has another person interrupted me and tried to comment on what I was saying as if they knew exactly what it was. I might say something like “You know, just the other day I was at the stoplight and a homeless person…” and before I finish my friend say… “Yes the same thing happened to me but it was a fireman instead of a homeless person knocking on my car window… They wanted money… Did the homeless person ask for money? Are you sure it wasn’t a Fireman collecting their yearly donations?”. “No… Listen! I was going to say… a homeless person came to my mind… I think I know where they sleep at… I was thinking of visiting them and taking some food and just talking with them and see what their hopes are for life… Do you want to come with me?”
And this kind of thing happens a lot to me and even by me… I have noticed I finish peoples sentences for them and others do the same… I think one problem is that we are in such a hurry and we think we are so smart and we hardly let other people be themselves. It’s like we can answer better for them than they can for themselves.
One issue that may be related is that… being always in a hurry… We think our agenda… our task… our purpose is more important than listening to others. Even as believers although we may want to be on mission for Christs every minute of the day… and theres so much mission work to do that we have to finish peoples sentences and hurry off to do more mission work and change the world… and the irony may just be that slowing down and being better listeners… trusting God instead of ourselves and all of our running… may be the mission and we may be missing it every day.
James 1:19 says: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Earquest R Aylor
Can the ear seek out that it might find Like the doe seeks out the light of day Like a man pursues true love divine Or a mountain lion seeks its prey
Check out any gossiper, you can almost watch their ears grow Like a magic bean stalk or Pinocchio’s nose Yes, the tongue is a fire, but it still takes the ear To help spread its flames, of scandal and fear
So then what’s in our heart depends how we listen The ear of the wise also thrives in their mission Knowledge for good in our charge for God’s glory Quest to proclaim the good news of His story
So may we all listen with the greatest of pleasure To the beautiful sounds that proclaim Jesus Christ As the supreme, unsurpassed, incomparable treasure Who’s glory transforms us and gives us life
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Approaching Disagreements
Proverbs 18:18 The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders. 19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
To cast lots is not the same as gambling. However it was a bit like rolling dice. From what I gathered, one way lots were cast was that markings were put on sticks or stones and cast on the ground. They were then interpreted depending on how they fell and for what kind of decision was being made. Casting lots has been used throughout history to make decisions when people are so distraught that they do not have an inkling of what to choose. It has also been used to settle severe disputes when two parties agree to the outcome beforehand. Gods sovereignty is also related to casting lots and we may look more at that at another time.
I suspect that of all the almost 8 billion people in the world no two agree about every single issue. And when there are matters so important such that relate to Gods word we have to decide how to approach disagreements.
People can agree to the casting of lots to settle disagreements but even when they do it does not mean they will now agree on what is truth… It usually just means they will agree to disagree without fighting. One party will back down and give up having the last word and they can shake hands… In these kinds of disagreements why not agree beforehand not to save face… let us state our beliefs and shake hands and forget all the fighting. In matters of God we should be able to agree that we need not save face for ourselves. We don’t have to be right for our own sake. And so lets just let Gods word have the last say and go ahead and shake hands and love one another.
After we have communicated sure truth the other disagreeing party may need to dwell long on them… Sometime truth takes time to be pondered before it sinks in… God is the reveler of truth… He is the one who shines his light in our heart and internalizes the knowledge of his glory to us…. Our job is to proclaim in love.
Yes, state the truth… take a firm unmovable stand but do not cause a brother to be defensive in the flesh. Come into a conversation with a willingness to agree to disagree and still love one another in Christ.
So while agreeing to disagree is not the same as casting lots… it accomplishes one of the things that casting lots does… it settles difficult disputes beforehand.
In many societies throughout history, people would disagree without severing their friendship. Even today, many good friends thrive on discussion and discourse by stating their exposition of truth in an exchange of views. It can be healthy and not only that… if we are not easily offended we can all grow in our knowledge of the truth.
There are plenty of times… especially in todays culture that people are easily offended. We need to come to an agreement that, at those times something like the “lot” in our text is needed. Solomon refers to “a brother offended” as being more unyielding than a strong city.
One type of lot we might cast is a token of friendship. A mark, a symbol, a badge, a marker… something that lands on and points directly at the other person saying I am choosing you to be my friend no matter how much we disagree.
And let it say… that we don’t have to be seen as the winner in this debate.. Let God show us both the truth in his way and time… but lets keep seeking truth and keep fellowshipping and discussing… keep loving God and one another.
And so as believers we could cast lots in a sense that point to us both which declare neither are winners in ourselves but let Jesus be the winner.. Let him have the last word and let him show us his truth in his time. Yes… lets keep discussing but not defensively.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Tongue Control R Aylor When contrasting guns and tongues there is hardly a comparison… I mean tongues are a lot more deadly… but guess what… I’m gonna give it a try.
Sure some measure of gun control is necessary… but what about the tongue. Our text says death and life are in it’s power. If it were not for the part about life it should be against the law to bring them in town. Please put them on safety when you bring your tongue to family reunions and when you get together for Christmas and Thanksgiving. The tongue can bring life, yes but when used by broken people… us criminals if you will… we can do a lot of damage with them.
So, as with guns… as stated, keep the safety on in all the situations we looked at. Also when tweeting and facebooking… please!
And do not ever point a loaded tongue at someone!!!
Do not go about daily duties with a loaded gun… riding in your car or motorcycle… jogging… playing tackle football… rock climbing… bull riding… In other words do not let ammunition build up as you dwell on something someone has done to you, otherwise when you are all shook up the trigger will catch on something and go off.
Assume it is always loaded… in other words check your words before you speak.
When you do shoot always know what is beyond your intended target… or rather, when you speak make sure you are not misunderstood by someone who may overhear you… Gossip turns into more loaded guns for people who have had no safety courses.
Never shoot at something you are unsure of… Many times when a car pulls out in front of you a little to close for comfort it is not just a car but there is an actual person there.
And as with guns they are not for shooting mosquitoes. If someone misspeaks or says something wrong and it is not worth declaring war on them for… just smile and keep your mouth shut. So I guess that means we should keep the safety on for our ears as well as our tongue.
Never shoot with those who do not respect their own gun… those who ignore gun safety can ruin your own life. In other words don’t hang around people who are irresponsible, arrogant and loud mouths. They may shoot you!
Make sure your gun is kept clean and free from obstruction… Well… hmm… ok, I guess what I am thinking on this is… practice good dental hygiene… If your going to shoot your mouth at least make sure you have good breath…
The power of the tongue… our text says how it can bring death or life… and It can bring satisfaction…
Pray
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Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
The Gift / R Aylor What might you have to present before the king of an empire? A mans gift could be many things, but surly it must be something fantastic. A gift of gold will likely get you into his presence… What can you offer the king that he might like or enjoy? It could be that you are an excellent player of the lute… maybe you can juggle… To learn all these things took work, right?… sweat and practice… even with the gold… you had to mine the ores for years to get that much gold. Or you had to work hard earning that gold for a long time… And what if the lute player was a beginner… or just played so so?… would they be worthy to play for the king? No of course not. However, if you took lessons and practiced until your fingers bled and you finally developed calluses until the day you became an expert. Then you would be worthy to give your gift of performance to the king. My Mother told me that her Grandfather who’s name was Solomon played his violin before the king of Sweden. He must have been a great player for that to happen.
For some reason as I consider working hard for something or practice and learning musical skills I am also thinking of working hard to get a good education….
In years past many who were able to provide education for their children did so with hopes that they might possibly stand before a king or at least make a difference in an assembly of great men. Doctors, Lawyers, Statesmen… I think of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence… There were areas within time and geography where the culture promoted the passion for parents to intentionally provide good education for their children… and not just for their betterment but for the good of society for the kingdom of Gods sake. Even many who were not well off… their parents worked hard to be able… that was one of the great purposes parents felt was their duty… And so many of the children longed for it…
Many a believer of various economic background studied from a young age Greek, Latin, French and other languages… along with history, music, the arts and mathematics not with apathy or just to get a passing grade but with purpose that their lives might fulfill a purpose. Many of the poor families would save and save until they could send their children to higher education or provide a tutor on specific subjects.
People like Augustine, Wycliffe, Luther, Spurgeon… and so many more influenced and promoted education for the Kingdom of God and his glory.
It’s true that in politics money gets you an audience with many people in power. Its also true that if you develop skills you will be invited into the presence of people deemed great by the worlds standards.
I believe we should have a passion to better ourselves and our children to become communicators for Christ within our culture. That may be in music, art, politics, speaking and preaching… By acquiring many languages and learning communication skills that fit the culture we live in.
Let me read our text again. Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
You know one day we will stand before the greatest person in the Universe… It will be a gift that allowed us to be there. But it is not a gift that we worked for, but one given to us by the one we stand before.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
Most likely we’ve all been falsely accused many times in life… If not it’s probably coming. But at the least there is a silver lining about being accused… You see, the accuser usually states their case first like our text refers to. That means we get to hear the charge and the evidence before we respond… unfortunately many times we hear it from others besides the accuser. Still, if the claim is false then many times we can provide detailed proof against the lies. But there may be times when we do not want or need to respond depending on the circumstances.
You see, for a believer who’s character is honest and who has been one who repents and confesses when they have wronged others, accusations are usually not a problem. When your character has been observed by those around you for years… your attributes and sense of honesty will be known by them. And also as a believer… who’s Father is the King of Kings… the one who loves you dearly and has given you a great inheritance… Dont you think he will stand up for you… You see, God will get the glory in your life if you just keep loving God with your all and your neighbor as yourself and keep rejoicing in the Lord… Trust God.
In the Bible many believers were falsely accused of wrong… a few that come to mind are Joseph… remember Potifiers wife accused Joseph of attempted rape.. he was sent to prison… But God was greatly glorified through the whole thing. There was Moses, David,… I’m sure there were others… Paul…
It may be that you have started a new job or are new to an area or peoples… you may need a history with them before your character can dismiss any accusations against you. Still you can do the same thing Love God and people… Remember after an accusation the next move is yours… You can present evidence of your innocence if you like… but just remember… do it in as you walk in the Spirit the way we just discussed… in rejoicing and love.
Jesus said this: Matthew 5:11 11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Another accuser is the devil. He is one who accuses Gods children falsely over and over… If he can just get us to ease up on our faith… to doubt… If he can make us depressed and unsatisfied with God… Oh… that is what seems to feed his ego…
2nd Timothy 3:12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Pray… Jesus… in a mock trial he was accused of being king of the Jews in a context of wanting to overthrow Rome. He was rightly accused of claiming to be the Son of God and Messiah… the good news for sinful man, the greatest treasure worth giving all for… The one worth delighting in above all others. He is the one who will have the last say on his and our accusers in Judgment. Thank you Lord for the hope set before us in Christ, in His name amen.
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Proverbs 18:14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Crushed! R Aylor
One of the highest goals of satan I think… is to crush the spirit of believers.
This takes my mind back to remembrance of Gods prophecy about his only Son after Adam and Eve failed God. Speaking to the serpent God said this in:
Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The ESV version uses the word bruise. Others use bruise, strike and crush.
So, the offspring of the woman would be struck, crushed and bruised on the Cross as he willingly took the wages of our own sin… Right? And yet Jesus defeated death itself by his awesome perfection and power of God.
Look, the truth is that though satan has been overcome on the Cross… though his head is bruised, bloodied and deformed and his power belittled and defeated… he still foolishly wants to strike, bruise and crush Jesus in some way… One way is by crushing the spirit of believers. You see, it is the Spirit of God abiding in us that changes the world for the glory of God and this is satan’s nightmare.
Depression keeps us defeated and our it leads others close to us to be depressed… How can we encourage others when we are depressed? How can we point others to the joy of God when our spirit is crushed?
When the heel of the offspring of Eve was crushed in Jesus death on the Cross… Someone else was crushed and it was not his heel…. but the head of the serpent satan was crushed. Everyone knows stomping the tail of a snake will only make him angry… but crushing his head brings certain defeat. Thats what the seed of the woman did when Jesus rose from the dead.
Our verse is: Proverbs 18:14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
I’ll say it again: One of the highest goals of satan I think… is to crush the spirit of believers.
But you know… God gives us the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to overcome sin in our every day life. Because of Jesus we don’t have to live our life under a crushed and defeated spirit because Jesus crushed and defeated satan and all his power and all his lies of deception when he overcame being crushed by death.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.
Justice and Impartiality R Aylor This is a great verse. It is straightforward. There is no apparent puzzle to what Solomon says. It probably needs no exposition… But let’s pause briefly on its simplicity… To the best of my knowledge, some sense of justice… some system of justice is built into every Nation… every peoples in the world. But… at the same time… in this broken world, no process for justice is 100% effective. Evil slips through the cracks even in the best judicious structure. I think it’s clear to all that there are times when evil gets rewarded and righteousness is punished,… I suspect much more often than we know. I mean, just think about it when you watch forensic files or cold case documentaries.
We live in a culture where many think the definition of justice is to weigh the balance of the wrong committed with the good things that person has done. When Martha Stewart was found guilty in things related to insider trading she seemed to want the Judge to consider all the good she has done for others before sentencing her.
Look, God wants us to do good deeds sure... good deeds of righteousness… but good works do not make us innocent on judgment day.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Did you notice in that passage that our rescue from sin does not come from our works… but rather we… ourselves, have become Gods work in Christ Jesus… and notice it is for good works.
So yes again God wants us to do good works but they must be motivated or quickened by God who is the one working in our heart.
This is His grace at work… so we cannot boast or brag.
So back to our text: Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.
I think Solomon is simply saying we should not favor the wicked in order to benefit ourselves… we should be just… that kind of partiality is commonplace in politics… we should not favor the rich over the poor because they are rich… we should not favor one race over another… all these things and more… God wants us to be just.
Though this text is uncomplicated… I think it points us to something greater.
God wants us to take on his attributes… not all the attributes that belong to him as God alone like being sovereign and omnipotent but rather attributes of his character… things like Agape love and patience, mercy, kindness, compassion and many more including to be just and impartial as our text says.
Now… herein lies the problem: Our hearts are bent on sinning and the standard God will use on Judgment Day will be today's text: “It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice”… and we are all wicked in ourselves.
Though we are all unrighteous sinners there is good news. It is that for all who look to him in faith as the Ephesians passage indicates… We will be declared innocent on Judgment Day. He died for us and then defeated death that we might walk in newness of life with victory over sin…
But Jesus who died and rose for us imputes his righteousness to all who delight in him and we are made just before God… And he begins a work in us for his glory.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Here Solomon tells us how listening to a mans words can tell us what is down deep his heart. This goes for a wise man as well as a wicked man. Oh, it’s true that hearing one clip or one tweet from a man might not be enough to tell what is down deep… but over a period of time we can recall a lot of hashtags of what that person has said before. We remember how they spoke about others they disagreed with… If they ever wished them well… we can weigh the conflicting hashtags and be wise to the context of their words. The truth is that deep waters of both a wicked person and a wise person are just waiting to come out.
Jesus himself said in Matthew 12:34 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
So, we find that one heart is contaminated with toxins and the other is life giving and pure… and they both always find a way to the surface.
Its the same for a individual who has the wisdom of God… Their words come from deep down in their soul… They too may occasionally speak out of character from the vastness of their character down deep. But when they do you will find other words that correct the poison words they spoke. They will be words like “I am sorry” or “please forgive me, I was wrong”.
This verse also brings with it the idea that the water which comes from the fountain of wisdom is healthy. It is a good place to drink… it is a good place to find counsel. You can drink from it with confidence and trust it to be pure. It is a bubbling brook. Oh yes, I remember drinking from a bubbling brook coming up out of the ground in the Colorado mountains… Over time that little artesian well had resulted in a depression down in the ground and one had to kneel down to drink from it.
Now that was some good fresh water… It fed into a small creek and then I believe combined with other creeks and fed into a river giving life to millions of acres of land and animals all the way to the ocean.
Just as one had to kneel down low to drink from the bubbling brook, we have to humble ourselves to receive good counsel from others… We also must humble ourselves and say we are thirsty and we are not satisfied with what the world offers before we will go to Jesus for living water.
John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Pray
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Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. 12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Strong Tower R Aylor Gods name lets us know he is trustworthy… you see throughout the Old Testament his name carries with it all kinds of adjectives that describe his holiness… who He is… We see his attributes over and over which give him praise for his character. So you want to know God better this is a good place to study about why the name of the Lord is a strong tower we can run to to be safe.
On the other hand… a man who’s fists are clenched tight around his money… Well, let’s back up… a man can be rich in many ways… it’s whatever he clenches his fists around right?… It might be money for sure… but it might be influence, a big house, beauty… clothes, even health… I suppose we might say that whatever we treasure in life is our version of riches. So even a poor homeless person and a wealthy person alike might be rich in so called me time or even laziness. And everyone has the ability to treasure something over God. What is your strong tower… what is your strong city… And what high wall of imagination secures you from your brokenness and that of the the world?
The last verse speaks of pride and humility… One leads to destruction, the other to honor… One is the trait of a person who trust in themselves and their high walls of protection as well as their treasures are found in the world… But the other person… also sinful and broken in themselves, runs to the strong tower of the Lord and all his name brings with it… He is their treasure.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
Who Is Your Brother? R Aylor
Who then is your brother, metaphorically speaking? Who do you favor? Who are you creeping? Who is your spouse, Where are you sleeping? What makes you smile? With whom are you weeping?
If in life you show little production, you take after your older brother destruction Or maybe you work to be selfishly wealthy, while your sister’s obsessed to be pretty and healthy
With whom do you share the same style of walk, the same inflections in how you talk Outside we may seem full of skizms, but inside have similar mannerisms.
If you walk with the wise, that shows what you’ll be But what if you prefer hanging with those who don’t believe You like how they speak, what they watch on tv When you look in the mirror then that's what you’ll see
So who is your brother, your closest kinship? Jesus said: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
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Proverbs 18:3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.
He Removes the "Dis" from Disgrace R Aylor
Here in this verse, first Solomon mentions wickedness. My definition of wickedness is common sense… It is this: To be wicked is to be disobedient of the one true Judge. It is living our life with attributes and a character that goes against Gods attributes and character. And so as we live out a life of wickedness as this text indicates, we are found to be in contempt of our Creator. We are contemptible.
When a person is found in contempt in a courtroom in means they have dismissed the Judges courtroom rules. They have disobeyed the Judge. They have acted in a wicked manner towards the one in charge.
Wickedness and being found in contempt then naturally leads to dishonor. Even a corrupt society holds those in contempt some thieves, murderers and sex offenders… even some who are prejudice… so yes these people try to hide from their disgrace by moving to another town or becoming a hermit but in todays age of technology their disgrace travels with them via social media…
That word disgrace is interesting to me on the surface. I don’t know its meaning in the Greek or what word it comes from in the Latin… But still it makes me think it might somehow be connected to grace.
We are all wicked… we have all lived lives in contempt with the Judge of the Universe. We have all been seen as dishonorable to our Creator…
But God gives grace. When God gives grace that means the (dis) is removed from the disgrace that we all deserve in Hell. That's what grace does.
Righteous Jesus took our disgrace by being paid the wages of our sins on the Cross. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. It is a gift that only comes to you and I through faith in Jesus. Not only that but Jesus imputes his righteousness to all who believe making us 100% acceptable to God. Then Jesus destroyed the penalty of sin for all who delight in him… He defeated death itself and rose up from the dead. He gives us the same power that raised him to defeat sin practically as we trust in him from day to day. And… he will raise us up incorruptible as he was raise up to be with him and never die again.
Proverbs 18:3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.
- Jesus replaces our wickedness with his righteousness positionally. It’s 100% real true righteousness before God.
- Jesus also changes us from being contemptible toward him by quickening us to grow in righteousness practically with joy.
- Jesus replaces our dishonor with acceptance, adoption, an eternal inheritance... even honor as he shares his glory with us.
- Jesus take the (dis) out of disgrace and we have all things because of his grace.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
To Invite A Beating R Aylor
Here we see Solomon referring to people who get into trouble in two ways... through their mouth and through their ears.
I love the colorful images Solomon uses. Like lips walking into a fight or a mouth that says come on… hit me right here on the chin.
It’s like someone is so aggressive that they walk up to you and stick out their chest and put their face up against yours and say “go ahead… if you think you’re man enough”. Their mouth invites a beating... especially if they are smaller and weaker than you. And for a fool… even if they do get in the best punch on that day it will likely come back to them for initiating the situation… and at the very least their life will show that time and time again it is their mouth that gets them in trouble over and over
The other two people Solomon refers to are the gossiper and the listener. We’ve likely heard more about how we shouldn’t gossip but here Solomon focuses on the listener. The gossiper feeds him. And he loves it... he eats it up. He has no self control and can’t stop eating. They are like delicious chocolate chip morsels and go down into our inner parts... and it changes us... like eating cookies every day changes us.
Listening to gossip causes spiritual indigestion... it makes us jealous and angry and stirs up feelings of injustice and ill will.
Now we know that whatever is in our heart always finds a way out. In Luke 6:45 Jesus said this: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
The next thing you know we are in somebodies face and our mouth invites a beating. We make accusations and gossipers hear both of us and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
Only the spiritual quickening power of God can help us. It’s the same power that raised him from the grave.
Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
So yes, if you know Christ you’ve died to your old mission of seeking to glorify yourself. You’ve been buried or baptized… that old person has been submersed into death. But you didn’t stay dead but were raised to walk in newness of life by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead… And now we have his power to overcome sin and gossip and pride does not have to let our mouth invite a beating and our ears do not have to enjoy gossip like it were sweet morsels.
Pray
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Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Listen With Love R Aylor
I sense conviction as I read this verse because I know I have not listened while others speak but have only been thinking of what I would say next and at times I have even interrupted others or spoken over them.
If you have children then you surly know how sometimes they can get louder and louder trying to make their case over another sibling… or maybe better yet… If you’ve ever watched an interview on a news channel where people of different parties are asked questions… and the interviewer is trying to be respectful and orderly and they ask them questions separately but they don’t have the discipline to wait their turn and talk over one another including the interviewer…
When a person of another faith comes to my door and expresses their religious world view I am tempted to talk over them at every turn… or even not listen much to what they are saying but rather be thinking about my defense. The same goes for relationships with people of different faiths. This is a major area of failure for believers in my opinion.
I think most people in the world would class themselves as socially deficient to some extent.
Relationships are not all about expressing our own opinion but also about listening and understanding others… listening, understanding, expressing… all with love.
Consider how we might relate to others in conversation like 1st Corinthians indicates… Notice that the first attribute Paul tells us about love is that it is patient.
1st Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Pray
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Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
Don't Hide With Reclusive Pride R Aylor
Can it be prideful for someone to withdraw or isolate themselves from others? According to this verse it can. Whether we put ourselves in the spotlight to make ourselves look good or withdraw from the spotlight to keep from looking bad… either way it is all about us. When it is all about us our world view is going to be distorted. When a believer has this kind of solitary lone wolf vanity they hurt themselves as well as the kingdom of God.
Those with reclusive pride refuse to participate in small groups or other functions that involve fellowship with other believers because of how they might be perceived as socially inept. You see their spotlight is on themselves when it should be on loving the Lord with their all and their neighbor as themselves.
They refuse to step up and serve in the church through visitation or help with children’s ministries for similar reasons. It’s too risky for them to put themselves out there and try or even help someone teach a sunday-school class. They do not want to be seen as a failure.
These are all symptoms of pride.
King Saul was a prideful man for a good portion of his life. However it could be that even at the beginning his pride was concealed in feelings of inadequacy.
A good while after Saul's anointing to be king, Samuel called the 12 tribes of Israel together to proclaim publicly that Saul would become King but no one could find him.
1 Samuel 10:22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
This may be an example of reclusive pride at the beginning of Saul's rule. Saul may have been so afraid of being perceived as a failure that he isolated himself. Reclusive pride can sometimes be misinterpreted as meekness and humility but it is another animal all together. As Saul settled into the kingship and realized the power and authority he had and that whatever he did or said could not be opposed without repercussions… his possible pride of withdraw switched into arrogant pride which led to his removal from being king.
Pray
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Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
The Dice Will Glorify God Robin Aylor
Is life on earth a happenstance; an accident… a fluke… a coincidence what?… Did it evolve from a big bang that stemmed from nothingness? Were we born on the continents and in the nations and towns and households to parents all by accident or is there a Mater plan far above our ability to fully comprehend that comes from o good and just Creator?
Many in the world believe in a God… a Creator even… some think that after creation that he stepped back and just left us alone preceding to do whatever he does. Some may believe the earth was a failed experiment by God. Others believe the Creator just doesn’t care about the earth, others say he is dead.
The Bible teaches us that God loves us more than we can imagine… So much that he gave his only Son and whoever delights in him as good news with joy is given life.
We don't deserve it so we can't understand it right? Gods plan is seen throughout the pages of his word.
In Acts 17:26 the Apostle Paul says: And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
Though at times it may seem like from our circumstances and limited knowledge that God rolled the dice with the world and mankind; the truth is that he determined beforehand how that every which way the dice would fall will bring him glory forever.
Philippians 2 talks about how God in human form willingly died on the cross being paid the wages for our sin… he loved us that much:
Philippians 2:9 says: Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Yes on that great day God will be glorified in some context by every person that has ever lived.
Even though the Bible tells us how God is slow to anger and is not willing that anyone should perish, He is still God… He is still a just Judge and he will be glorified.
Father God, I pray along with other believers that people from every Nation will kneel before you now and glorify you by having faith in Jesus instead of glorifying you in judgment when it is too late for them to delight in your mercy.
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Proverbs 16:26 A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.
Hunger That Urges Us On Robin Aylor
Starvation is of course a horrible thing in many parts of the world. Many places have little food to eat. However, today’s text shows us a context in which being hungry can actually be a good thing. Our cravings for food can keep us from getting lazy and weak and feeble because if we want to eat it is only proper and right that we get a job that provides income so we can buy food and satisfy our appetite.
However; for mankind who is made in the image of God there is an appetite that no food can satisfy. This yearning is known as Spiritual hunger. CS Lewis said: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
Spiritual starvation is of course a horrible thing throughout the world. Many places have little or no access to Gods word. But a hunger for spiritual things is actually a very good thing. Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”(Matthew 5:6)
If we quit eating food we would quickly get feeble and ill and die… Even so, spiritual hunger keeps us from spiritual feebleness, sickness and death. If we have a longing or craving for God we are driven to seek after him. We must come to him. Our appetite demands it. Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
If you have an appetite for God it is because he gave you these new taste buds.
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! … Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
I would like to re-read our verse for today and then give a spiritual paraphrase.
26 A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.
A believers spiritual appetite works for him. his new affections for Christ urges him on.
Pray
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Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
At Our Core R Aylor
What is that way that seems right?… It’s my way… Frank Sinatra and Elvis both sang about it… We learn early on how to get our own way… don’t we? And most of us pursue our own way all the way to our own demise. We learn right out of the womb that when we cried our Mother picked us up… and when we cried again she would feed us… so we keep doing what works and it just progressed from there. Even as adults when there are times we might not be immediately getting our way, even then we are weighing the consequences of how we can still get our way by taking some other route.
So how do human beings discern what is the right path for their life? Clearly it depends on what is at our core. It’s what drives us… what gets us out of bed in the morning and keeps us going…
As stated, it starts the same for all men. It’s our attraction to getting our own selfish way and it clouds our judgment covering us layer after layer of darkness to truth. A man walking in darkness will naturally walk off the edge of a cliff and rationalize his sin all the way to the bottom.
It’s actually an obsession to glorify ourselves instead of our Creator and this consuming passion twists and influences how we process information for forming all kinds of opinions; our claims of truth, what we dwell on and so many of our daily decisions that keep us heading right for that cliff.
But many of our perspectives, interpretations and decisions are actually symptoms of what lays at our core.
At our core, we are actually born out of fellowship with God. Jesus infers this to Nicodemus that since we are all born like out of Gods fellowship we are dead Spiritually.
The parallel analogy is that when our own Spirit leaves our body we are dead physically and so it stands to reason that when the Spirit of God is not in us we are dead Spiritually.
Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again and then he explains the invisible Spiritual kingdom of God to him.
You see Gods Spirit is what quickens and moves Believers. We used to be motivated to seek our own glory and we thought that would make us happy… That was Lucifers sin which caused him to be cast out of heaven and that was the same sin he tempted Eve with… to be like God. But Gods Spirit in us now motivates us to glorify God and thats what brings us true joy now.
What is it for you? Will you live like the song proudly says “I did it my way” What motivates you from day to day in your life?
I’ll close by reading todays text again: 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Pray
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Proverbs 13:5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked.
Righteous Rabbit Hole
What do you take with you when you leave your home? Your money, your clothes? Don’t forget your smart phone! Theres something else that we take each day… A heart that’s synced up to the words we say.
A heart thats connected to all that we do, Its the charge that we take, it’s our own world view
What are you takin? What are you givin? Tell me your vision, What is your mission? What are you makin? Who are you kissing? What’s your ambition, your reason for livin? What are you breakin? To whom do you listen? And for what are you wishing? Whats your treasure that glistens?
Someone once said “never hate”, they must have loved the food they ate I say hate lies… abhor and despise vinegar, onion and peanut butter pickle pies
Falsehood wears a mask to hide his true face But what he loves pops up in clouds above his head Early repentance may have kept him from shameful disgrace But he keeps running the race for himself instead.
You may think I’ve chased a rabbit, there he goes again… hear me out Theres a few questions I’d like to ask you about
Did you know Gods way of counting… is miracle math? Did you know hearts can actually walk… on two different paths? Or the Invisible Spiritual Kingdom of God intersects one road? It flows up and down, it guards young and old From being cursed by sin and turned into a toad Did you know gravity there is so small that it lightens our load Or that the wicked heart walks the path that sin corrodes Where souls are condemned and bombs explode
So listen to the rabbit who popped back up from the same hole He says: remember righteousness guards and sin overthrows
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Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. 24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Hitler's Wisdom R Aylor
Is there such a thing as a type of wisdom that is not godly… but of this world? I believe there is.
James 3 talks about people with hearts of jealousy and selfish ambition and in verse 15 he says this: James 3:15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Consider Adolf Hitler… Was he a wise man? He was judicious and persuasive… that's pretty clear… He formulated his thoughts and words to make his personal goals for Germany make perfect sense to the hearers. His oration and articulation flowed building argument on top of argument creating a case that supported itself. He also spoke passionately about what he believed which could be seen in his body language and heard in his voice inflection.
He seemed wise in other ways; for example when he learned that if he appealed to the youth it would benefit his cause for years to come and so he pursued that course.
With all Hitlers judicious and persuasive speech for a time it appeared as though all he did was for Germany and many people trusted his words.
But consider this: all these tactics of Hitlers were morally neutral.
Make a goal, make a case and then use persuasive speech. These same strategies are used by successful organizations around the world to move people toward supporting their goals.
These are ethically unbiased in themselves… they can be used for good or evil.
It’s the heart of man that determines whether utilizing these tools moves us with God glorifying or self seeking wisdom.
Hitler’s wisdom is seen as earthly wisdom because of his own pride. This one deviation shows mans wisdom as utter foolishness.
Pride is self glorification and it always guarantees failure.
In closing let me read verse 24 again: Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Christians have received Gods clear judicious words in the Gospel. He persuaded us by showing us his grace and beauty in Jesus. We humbled ourselves and looked to him in joyful faith. We now share these gracious words with others. These are gracious words to people who are living in despair because of sin and all it brings.
If can articulate a good case for this good news we bring… We can demonstrate that we’re not talking fairy tales but rather all we say makes perfect sense. We don’t speak with a sanctimonious holier than thou attitude or with condemning words but rather with love and passion about the grace of God through Jesus. For those who’s hearts God opens to hear these words of grace it will be the best thing they have ever heard. Good news, beautiful, pure delight bringing eternal sweetness to the soul and health to the body especially when he raises us up incorruptible to be with him as he was raised up.
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Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Counsel Outside Of Broken Self R Aylor
We all make plans everyday… we go to bed at night with plans to get up… we have preexisting plans to shower, get ready and go to work and then to come home and do it all over again. All these plans have been tried and found to be good. We have the counsel of the history of mankind to support what we do every day and we have followed their lead with good results. But what about everything else that lies in between those plans? You see there are other choices every day where we much discern if and how we should face our dreams… What are our goals and what plan should we follow to accomplish them?
As I read today's text again I think what might have been going through Solomon's mind as he wrote them… What plans are you thinking of Solomon?
As a king he might have been thinking about how one should get counsel before committing to war. In Proverbs 20:18 he says: Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. So he had clearly at some point thought about war and counsel.
But maybe what was going through his mind was the plans and counsel that went into his building of a Temple for the Lord. Where would he get the artists and craftsmen? How many would he need? How long would it take? His father David had also thought about this Temple and had made many provisions so these plans were not just Solomon's but Davids as well. So we could say these were not spontaneous ideas that just popped into Solomon's mind… No! he thought long and hard about how all this would come together.
We should even point out that the council of these plans came from the greatest Counselor in the Universe… God himself because he provided the specifics of the Temple with its houses, treasuries, upper rooms… its inner chambers, and the room for the mercy seat; he decided what what was to be gold and what was to be silver… God had given its design and the blueprint plans to King David. The Temple was of course an amazing success for the glory of God.
But you know, being the wisest man in the world, Solomon knew the value of not just listening to your own heart like Jeremiah 17:9 says that it “…is deceitful above all things…” .
Solomon says he received counsel from his own father and he wants his sons to receive his also.
Proverbs 4:1 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, 2 for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. 3 When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.
And so good counsel should flow from not only trusted godly friends which I think is common sense but from father to son and so on.
But remember the rook of all good counsel comes from God.
In Proverbs 2:6 Solomon said: For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Pray
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Proverbs 15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
The Man Who Left The Path R Aylor
Let’s see… In this verse we have one man who is walking straight ahead… We don’t know much about him except that he is a man of understanding and he is not distracted by the things along his path. He does not turn to the side and follow a trail that leads him away from what he is walking toward. There is something he understands about walking this path… maybe he has learned some hard lessons from experience or it could be that his own father taught him how to walk through this jungle of life.
The other person in the proverb is a man who lacks sense. It is implied that he is not like the man of understanding and so he does not walk straight ahead.
This one looks down a curving side path and sees a brightly colored fruit hanging over the trail that he thinks he can reach. Then up ahead there is a monkey that swings down along another byway that is laden with amazing thick vines that come from the ground and latch onto the trees. The vines go up and down and sideways… it is quite a sight to behold. The man looks up in the trees at three or four monkeys and says: “this has been quite an adventure”.
Well… his belly begins to ache most likely from the poisonous fruit he had eaten earlier and so he lays down to fall asleep on one of the humongous poison ivy vines that is laying at just the right angle to make him a good bed. Ah, that's nice he thinks… and falls asleep.
Many hours later… Sometime in the night the man awakens sick and throwing up and surrounded by a plethora of eyes and the sound of monkeys as they preformed a final war dance for the man who left the path.
This proverb is a bit like a parable. We could read a lot of other things into it that the writer does not intend… But knowing Solomon and the things we have read so far we can be sure of his intent. Solomon wanted his sons to be men of wisdom, understanding and knowledge… Men who walked that path and did not turn from it… Solomon does not even try to compare the joys of the foolish person with that of a man of understanding I suspect because he could not do it justice… But the joys of the many follies of the man who lacks sense will lead them to death while the man of understanding not only has joys in this life but he has a even greater hope at the end of the trail he walks.
Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Pray
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Proverbs 15:20 A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
A Glad Father R Aylor
You know… wisdom and foolishness have something in common… They both affect the lives of others don’t they?
Growing up I can remember a few times my foolishness made an angry father… and also my foolishness was witness to prove the fact that I disrespected my mother.
If we have stray from good teachings of our parents which also conflict with the laws of the land… There are systems in place where governments hope to execute justice.
I read a paper where a number of male criminals in prison were given an opportunity to write a card to their mothers on Mothers Day and also their fathers on Fathers Day… a great percentage wrote to their mothers but few if any to their fathers.. Why is that?
Could it be that no matter what kind of father they had; even if their Dad was a failure to them they know they too are a disappointment to to their father… they did not make wise choices and have not made them glad.
And possibly they overwhelmingly wrote to their mothers because they are accepted by them with love… (mothers are great that way)… and they love their mothers but still they know they have despised them and forsook their teachings and all the good hopes they had for them in life. And so many mothers just won’t give up… they will leave no child behind… I think that is awesome!
Truth is none of us have been perfect sons and daughters… We all have been foolish, disobedient and selfish children.
And not only that but we have despised and forsook our Father in heaven… Our Creator who created us for joy and righteousness and good works... He created us for his glory and wants good for us in all things.
He is a just God and we will all stand in his court to be judged for whether we despised him or made him a glad Father.
Of course… we all despised him and went our own way… We deserve something worse than prison… we deserve a horrible spiritual death. The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
But there is some amazing news! God promised he would send his own Son to take the judgement for us. And he would impute his righteousness into all who would delight in him. Jesus was paid the wages of our sin and then he defeated death itself by rising from he grave. One day he will raise all who rest in him incorruptible forever… But until that day… while here on earth he gives us the same power that raised him from the grave to be victorious over sin in this world… We now not only make our Father in heaven glad but we can honor our earthly father and mother as God intended.
Pray
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Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Buckingham Palace R Aylor
Yes we need to guard our mouth. I can imagine two soldiers in uniform… one at each corner of my mouth; and like the ones at Buckingham Palace… when people from the outside try to make them flench or talk back or laugh at things they don’t… I too must keep my mouth closed and not speak things that don’t have the proper clearance.
Of course the guards of my palace also guard the things that no one prods me to say… These are things that are already in my heart… They didn’t get there through the guards on my mouth but my heart let them in. And that is the problem… You see, what ever is in the heart has a way of getting through the guards of the mouth and making their way out.
Jesus said this in Luke 6:45: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
The things in my heart need to be set right quickly… Otherwise they will keep finding their way out of my mouth and out of all I do in this body. Jesus says it all stems from what we treasure in our heart… that’s the things that will come from our mouth and thats the kind of fruit we will produce.
Therefore yes we need guards at our mouth… even though evil has a way of sneaking through the guards… We will hopefully see it and it will show us what is in our heart… so we also need many strong guards at what gets into our heart… Because those things we treasure will either preserve us or lead us to ruin.
Pray
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Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
Wolf! Wolf! by R Aylor
You may remember the old children’s story how a young shepherd boy out in the field with his flock cried out: “wolf! wolf!”. Many people from the village heard his cry echo down into the town and they rushed to help him.
I can just see this young punk sitting on a rock and laughing as the townsfolk run out to help him with their shovels and hey forks. You see… it was only a prank.
Later on… that bored mischievous boy played the same joke on the people again. Not long after that, a true wolf appeared but this time when the boy cries out for real he was ignored by the townsfolk.
According to Wikipedia the earliest version of the fable says the flock of sheep were eaten by the wolf but the mischievous boy survived. The moral of this story is: nobody believes a liar after they learn his character… even when he is telling the truth!.
It's easy to understand that if someone who may not know you well questions whether you are telling the truth… once they do get to know you as someone who consistently keeps their word… you will eventually be counted trustworthy. It stands to reason they will grow to trust someone who is consistently truthful with things great and small. It would not surprise us that these individuals will be approached in times of need for honest, unbiased and sincere counsel.
How did they obtain this good name in their circle of acquaintance?
They told the truth to their own harm. They were honest with those to whom they were accountable. They kept their word when they gave it from the very small matters to the greatest. They quickly returned things they had borrowed. They were consistent in maintaining the integrity they claimed to believe in. When they failed (as all men do) they repented openly to those who may have been damaged by their shortcoming.
We are all messengers of some sort. Some cry wolf, wolf while others speak truth. Our greatest privilege is to bring the good news of truth to the world. We are messengers for Christ.
The boy in the wolf, wolf, story was not a good example unless you want to say he was a good example of a bad example… Here’s a better one.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Pray
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Proverbs 13:15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. 16 In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. Blinded By The Darkness by R Aylor
I don’t know why anyone would want to show off their stupidity? But that's what I tend to do quite often. It should be no surprise to us how it happens because a treacherous heart like the text describes loves wrong doing to such an extent that it causes a kind of blindness to the ruin the outcome of what we are doing. We all have to fight against this treachery of pride in our life.
Whenever a person is treasuring the things of the world over the Lord, they loose focus on the things of God including the apparent destruction that their folly will bring not only to others but themselves. Our heart is deceptive for sure and we may even be deceiving ourselves more than we deceive others. Jeremiah 17:9 says: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Though we’ve seen it before, time and time again… I am a slow learner… so when my own pride tricks and being blinded… I am in a position where I am more susceptible to show off and flaunt my foolishness as though it is something good. Our own desires can create blind spots of various kinds in our life. My Mother who is now 83 told me how once as a young girl she was walking home from school and a boy in a car looked back at her and whistled... just before he ran off into a ditch.
But these kinds of things can happen in our spiritual life as well. For example:
- Even in the Church good habits and traditions if not done from the heart can chain our minds to legalism and blind us from experiencing worship and the joys of Christ.
- We can also become less sensitive to the culture of the world around… more cozy… more agreeable…. which can give us spiritual cataracts to make us so called "political correct” which will blind us from seeing people and issues correctly.
- Business… When we are obsessively busy we don’t see, or hear anything but our own agendas. We ignore others and are short with them, Our families, friends and our own bodies suffer while our relationship with the Lord deteriorates.
- It may be that the most blinding enemy of all is comfort. While troubles can actually reset our priorities and focus back on God as our supreme treasure, comfort has the potential to blind us from realizing our need for God. If we find our comfort in Christ and not the conveniences of this world we will find contentment, joy, satisfaction and delight beyond comparison.
Father help us not to blindly follow after selfish pride flaunting our own folly to destruction, but to follow you in faith, walking in your mercy and love.
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Proverbs 13:13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Trust God Word R Aylor
Sometimes we may forget that Gods commandments are not only for his glory, but he has also set them up for our benefit.
From a distance we can easily see this truth in some of the more obvious sins like committing adultery, murder, theft, gossip,… keeping them is not only a good idea for others but its a good plan for our life as well. However… at the time, up close we seem to center in on ourselves and say something like but the circumstances are different for me. What I’m going through is a little different; I deserve the right to act this way. It's then that we begin rationalizing all these things like stealing, lying, even adultery and murder as being something good for us.
James 1:14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
We might as well acknowledge that we will sometimes not understand how obeying God in certain circumstances will be good for us. Gods ways are so much higher than our ways.
Just as young children need to learn to obey their parents even when they don’t understand why. They don’t always know or comprehend why they shouldn’t wade too far out in the water, play in the street, stick their tongue on a frozen pole, or lick up spilt pudding off from the carpet.
Therefore, since we are all like children and prone to ignorance, we should seek truth in Gods word and godly counsel and not take it lightly. God want's us to understand much more than we do and grow in him with great wisdom. But when we do not have the answers we can still rest with complete comfort and satisfaction knowing Gods commands are for our extreme good.
Psalms 19:9 - ...the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Pray
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
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Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Earnest Guarantee Of Hope R Aylor
We can all likely identify with hope being delayed in this life. Whether waiting on marriage or a job or waiting on the winter to be over and spring to come.
But in the bigger picture, here we are... strangers wandering through this broken world waiting for our hope to be fulfilled. But is our soul weary beyond measure? Is our heart sick? If our hope has been deferred like this text says can happen, and points somewhere in the future that we cannot even taste, experience or know, then why are we not depressed and downcast? Why do we not despair?
If you have ever sold a house the buyer may have given you what is called “earnest money” to guarantee the purchase until funds are transferred and the transaction is fully finalized. Even though the undertaking is not altogether finished, the earnest money has given your hope a boost that will keep your spirits high until it is completed.
There is something similar that God gives his children which gives our hope a joy much greater and surer than earnest money for a house deed. You see our hope is not all deferred. There are the unsearchable riches waiting for us to be unpacking in this life.
In Ephesians 1 the KJV actually uses the word “earnest" to convey this very truth:
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Yes, the Holy Spirit is our earnest guarantee every day of our life. We see it in the fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those without the Holy Spirit do not have these attributes growing in their life.
Arn’t you glad that God doesn’t defer all our hope to the end but gives us a little bit of heaven every day?
2nd Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Father as we walk in this broken world please show us more of your glory and thank you for the hope that waits before us.
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Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Increasing Riches In Christ R Aylor
Get rich schemes have made many a person excessively rich beyond their wildest imaginations; however their newly acquired wealth have frequently been followed with bankruptcy, divorce and or long prison sentences… even murder.
And it’s not just with get rich schemes but this same principal of "Instant Everything" applies across the board.
For example: a starvation type diet without daily lifestyle changes usually comes back along with compounded interest.
If you've ever considered politics, you know quick fixes don't solve the long term problems; i.e. the National Debt; need I say more?
Even in churches, rapidly growing congregations can sometimes implode from within because they settled back into the same old self centered mindsets that had always kept them from their mission attentiveness before. Their gain numbers quickly schemes wound up breaking them.
As for a spiritual application; the Bible teaches us that salvation is not a box that we check off and then go on about our old life, seeking our same old delights.Our desire has completely changed. We don’t taste and savor the awesomeness of Jesus and then go back to our old eating lifestyle of the worlds junk food.
Psalm 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
Some people are out for a quick fix with salvation but salvation is not a fix, it’s a change. Our life style changes because why? because we are a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Listen to how the Psalmist describes their new way of life. It’s not a one time thing that allows us to return to finding our worship in the things of the world.
Psalm 119:164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
Psalms 105:4 Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.
Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Though instantaneous, salvation is not a quick fix it is a work in progress. We are made righteous with Christ righteousness immediately but practically is is always working on us.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
And so as we first turned back from the path of sin and now follow Jesus, every day when our heart has failures we take up our cross to die to that old lifestyle over and over as we grow in Christ. In Luke 9:23 Jesus talks about it being a daily thing: And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Father as this text today speaks of wealth and says that whoever gathers little by little will increase it. We trust you are doing what you said you would do in our life. You are the greatest treasure in the Universe and as we see more of your glory your word says in 2nd Corinthians 3:18 we are transformed… Please increase our wealth as you being our treasure day by day as you complete your work in us.
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Proverbs 13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.
Yes You're Right The Sky Is Aqua Today Robin Aylor I remember a discussion with a friend from Europe a while back… about human behavior. He grew up in India from the highest of the upper class. He had the impression that Americans in relation to other countries were much more ashamed to ask others about things they did not know. His opinion was that most Americans would rather stay dumb and appear superior than to admit they were ignorant on a subject. Were his insights in relation to Americans true? Perhaps... More than other peoples?... I do not know. But I do believe some form of pride is always on the heels of every one of us. About the insolent person in the text, he is a rude and disrespectful human being. We have all met a few and have have likely been one ourselves from time to time. It seems to gradually come over me after I am feeling a little down and when I make what i think is an insignificant mistake on something and someone corrects me...
And at those times it seems that when it rains it pours and I feel like I am corrected by someone about every little thing I say or do. I might innocently comment: “The sky is sure blue today” and hear in reply: “NO NOT REALLY, IT IS AQUA”. One wrong answer after another on topics from the weather to politics to theology.
Then something snaps and I begin being that person in the text that is insolent. I begin interrupting and talking over people and backing up my statements almost equal to the oracles of God. I try to appear superior and yet humble, but I will be right, I will make my case, my life is valid, I am credible. Come on people, acknowledge my intelligence. I will get the last word. I am the counselor. I can’t hear you! Give me an attaboy!
Father please humble me to see my depravity, open my ears to hear your wisdom, enlighten me to understand your ways and quicken me to follow your truth from good godly counselors.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
Slugger Or Sluggard? R Aylor
When Solomon refers to the soul of a sluggard he is not talking about Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays… or any other baseball player who is famous for hitting home runs. No a sluggard here is one who is compared to a slug or a snail… someone who is slow to act… a lazy person who takes little responsibility and has hardly any accountability in life with any other person.
My sister works with the homeless and we have talked about this deep issue of the soul among many though not all of them. A great number of homeless have no incentive for getting out of bed or going to look for work. That is the reason for some of them being homeless. They have no desire to be involved in serving the community or being a constructive citizen. If there is a flood or tornado or wild fires that have hurt others and their property not many donate what they do have… namely their time. They rarely go help a friend build a fence or feed cows or shovel snow or anything else that is beneficial to a neighbor.
Speaking to Believers who were able to work Paul said this: 1st Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
One thing Paul did not want us to do among fellow believers is to enable sluggards. However; our society has evolved into, even elevating and praising this way of thinking. For some it starts early on. In our culture many parents are not discerning in how they discipline their children. When they are annoyed or bothered by their children they might hit them or spank them or curse them… and at other times they let them run wild without any discipline at all.
Then as these children grow into adulthood, they wear this complex that they have been unfairly mistreated. Yes their parents did show them anger wrongly by being unkind to them for being an irritation instead of disciplining them for their own good out of love…
And now these coming of age adults rebel against many forms of structured order in society preferring to be on their own like when their parents let them run wild rather than being disciplined to be a good and responsible citizen who is accountable to their spouse and to their boss and even mutually to their neighbor and friends.
Without this heart for responsibility and accountability, even though these people are not homeless their personalities will show aspects of sluggardness in different areas of life. Oh yes though many have had to fact the fact they have to work to have a place to live when they get home they switch back to the sluggard mentality.
Look, if we listen to our body when it says stay in bed or stay on the couch, keep benging, watch another episode… keep eating, keep charging your credit cards on the shopping network… keep ignoring your children… keep being lazy… If we are a sluggard we will not fulfill the purpose God has for us in life. Our life will show like a book that we are not motivated by Gods Spirit. We are in the flesh. We need hope. We need a reason to look forward to life and love our neighbor and family as we ought. A reason to get out of bed. That hope is Jesus Christ.
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Treasure Of The Eye
So what is Solomon referring to here? Is he really talking about lanterns? Can the lantern in the house ofd a righteous person jump for joy? And will the lantern in the wicked household damper down and fizz out?
In the New Testament I think Jesus sheds his light on this verse.
In Matthew 6:22 he says: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
It seems Jesus words as well os Solomons are not our normal way of talking… They might be a little difficult to understand. They require pondering I think… and that’s good. Pondering means asking the Lord for help and thinking about the parts of this scripture that we do understand and possibly seeing what truth is being unveiled.
Ok, so Solomon talks about the lamp of the wicked and also he refers to the light of the righteous. I expect the Jews in Jesus day who studied and memorized the scriptures were familiar with this proverb of Solomon. And now Jesus has come and says that the lamp of the body is the eye. He says how if you have a good lamp or eye your whole body will be full of light… Solomon said that light will rejoice. Jesus said if you have a bad lamp or eye, your whole body will be full of darkness… whereas Solomon agrees saying the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Alright, so now we can see some commonalities between these verses and also some extra information I believe because Jesus has said this lamp which either shines light or darkness depending on whether a person is in wickedness or righteousness… this lamp is they eye.
I think we can get more insight from the verses surrounding Jesus words we read in Matthew 6:22-23…
In verse 21 Jesus had just said: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This indicates that it is the thing that we set our eye on that defines what we treasure. You see, it is our hearts desire that determine if it a bad eye or not.
Then in verse 24 Jesus gives another example of a healthy and bad eye.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
We actually could go back to the previous chapter 5 verse 14 where Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
So in todays text Proverbs 13:9, Solomon has told us: The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
What does this mean for me?
If your eye is set on Jesus as your treasure, then you are going to be full of joy! If your eye is not healthy but bad and it is set on the treasures of the world then you will not find joy but your light will be put out.
Whats your treasure? What does your eye go to?
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus said it like this:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Pray
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 12:9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.
R Aylor
It’s probably easy to read this verse and all of a sudden hone in on how Solomon says it’s better to have a servant… and start making inferences and judgments against Gods word while missing the truth.
To have a servant in an acceptable way biblically can be found a number of ways. Heres a few:
- A servant who works as an apprentice. (Elisha to Elijah) In this situation the servant would have a desire to show respect to their mentor.
- A servant who is working off a debt.
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A servant might have been someone who had no land in Israel and was willing to be hired out as a servant to have a place to live and food to eat.
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In all these examples the one who has a servant does so because he was gracious to the one who serves him. The text calls him lowly… He is a humble person.
- We see this in the first example as a mentor in teaching his apprentice.
- The second by letting someone work off a debt instead of putting them in jail.
- And the third in hiring someone who needs a place to live and food to eat.
This verse is strange in one sense. It says the one who has a servant is the lowly one… You might think the lowly one would be the servant. But from the examples given for good reasons to have a servant we see that the master of the house is the one who is willingly and intentionally making himself lowly. He is the real servant here. In his case to have a servant is to be the real servant.
As I read this text, I am reminded of Jesus… the King of Kings, Creator of all things… the one who holds the fabric of the Universe together by the word of his power… He came as the lowest of servants, even to the giving of his own life on the Cross.
Matthew 20:28 ...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Though he was the greatest of all men he did not play the “great man” like our text says some people do. The Master came to serve and he gave himself as our example.
Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
pray
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Proverbs 12:8 A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised.
Twisted Synapse R Aylor
Today Solomon is talking about good sense verses bad sense. Good sense leads to praise and compliments but bad sense leads us on a road that twist's our mind and distorts our conscious and we become more and more jaded the longer we travel on that path. Solomon says this person is despised by others.
In this devotion I will be using some information I pulled from the Internet… so even though it is believable and can be used as an illustration… I just wanted to be up front with that little fact… Ok, lets get to it…
Here are some wise words from few children that started out with the possibility to learn some good sense:
1. “Never trust a dog to watch your food.” 2. "Wear a hat when feeding seagulls." 3. “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.” 4. "Never spit when on a roller coaster." 5. “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.” Some of these children or children like them apparently strayed from the path of good sense along the way and grew up to be legislators who passed these next laws which, at least now… looking back seem lacking in good sense: 1. In Britain eating mince pies on Christmas is banned. 2. In Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth. 3. In Germany it is illegal to wear a mask. 4. In Ohio, it is against state law to get a fish drunk. 5. In Alaska it's illegal to get as drunk as a fish Remember our text: Proverbs 12:8 A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised.
The favorite Dr. Seuss children’s book “How the Grinch stole Christmas” tells the story of this proverb well. The Grinch was not commended or praised or thought of well by the Who’s in Whosville was he? He planned and schemed with devious intention and his twisted mind and heart had a purposeful objective to ruin Christmas for the whole town… and as our proverb indicates, he was one despised man.
In the real world under the cloak of children’s stories and poppycock laws we see the real culprit. In our depravity we find our sense is linked with chains to our Sin. Like earthquakes and volcanoes change the course of rivers, our sin changes the synapse of our mind. We become more twisted the longer we travel this path. And yet, we cannot change course on our own. We are all distorted by our sin. Like Chinese thumb cuffs, the more we try to escape the tighter sins grip on our life. A person cannot dig themselves out of a hole. Thanks be to Jesus who never sinned, died and then defeated death and offers us victory over sin and life after death forever. He gives his righteousness to all who look to him.
In John 6:40 Jesus said: For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. 6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them. 7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.
I Press On
R Aylor These verses seem to be an overview of some of the things Solomon has been saying about righteousness and wickedness.
Solomon knew that wickedness offers its perks to the world. More money, more power, their personal vengeance's may be satisfied; they even may really enjoy planning and scheming all the way to their own grave. So, sure they may sometimes seem successful, the scoreboard may show them having lot’s of points; and we may feel like its the fourth quarter and there is hardly a slim chance to win. But even the man that God calls righteous is not able to pull off a win on his own because the good that is in him did can not be credited to himself but to God. So, in the end it is the righteousness of Christ that wins the day.
The Bible clearly shows us that a person who follows Christ at times may enjoy the thrill of victory, or even the agony of defeat as they walk in this broken world.
But the difference is that Believers walk by faith and not by sight. Satan wants us to walk how?… By sight. He wants us to keep moaning over our aches and pains and keep looking at the scoreboard. He wants us to see the other team as giants and to say there’s no way we can win this fight… He wants us to grumble all the way to our grave…
Who shall we trust for the win?
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
I love the way Philippians 3 talks about how God made us his own first… but that does not mean we are not intentional about running the race. Paul puts it beautifully:
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In Luke 18:27 Jesus said: …“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Thank you Father for this relationship we have with you where we were made righteous and given peace through your Son…. where we are being conformed to your righteousness practically and you stand ready to give us victory over sin every yard of the the way… at every down. And though we face giants and the field is rough we need never loose heart because you are faithful! You will be glorified on the earth and that’s what brings us joy. And thank you for one day raising us up incorruptible stand before you and with you forevermore!
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:3 No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.
Never Moved! R Aylor
A healthy tree is considered to be established if it has good well nourished and deep roots.
Have you ever noticed how the general population can move their views on morals and truth based on what seems to be good for them at the time?
We sometimes see the poor support causes which give them less responsibility along with free housing and money. And many of these individuals have said over and over that they believe in accountability and people who can work should work for all their benefits… Their roots moved and so they followed suit.
Some of the rich who have worked hard much of their life and say they believe in justice and accountability manipulate those that their money can reach for their own purposes. They take advantage of peoples weaknesses… even the poor… They support and buy stock in global demoralizing companies… They make judgments on how to invest not based on righteousness but on greed. Like many of the poor, they support politicians who bring less accountability to their dealings.
Speaking of politicians… along with the press that supports each party. A great number of them change their views solely based on who’s in the White House. They denounce the very things they had supported earlier or vice versa.
You see, they all have their own agendas and they have no problem moving their stand at any given time based on what helps them reach their self centered goals.
Here’s our text again: Proverbs 12:3 No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.
Do you think the heroes of the faith in Hebrews chapter 11 moved their stand on truth. No! In closing let me read just a bit from this awesome chapter. Hebrews 11:32 …For time would fail me to tell of Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. A man who is made righteous through faith in Christ would sooner be sawed in two than move from his stand for God's word of truth.
But even as these heroes of the faith did not receive the fullness of the promise before us who follow... We will all be made perfect in Jesus when we see him and his glory face to face.
1st John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns.
Approved R Aylor
If this were the only verse we had ever read from God's word one might get the idea that righteousness is obtained by being good.
However, this verse rings true in two very specific but related ways.
It is 100% true that our righteousness is related to Gods favor; but only if the righteousness of Jesus has been first imputed to us, exchanging our guilt with his innocence. We’ve talked about this before… it’s the Gospel and it should be a part of our everyday life… not just as Salvation… It’s threads make everything work in our life as we walk in the invisible Spiritual Kingdom of God… as it intersects with our physical lives since Jesus came down to this earth as a man and abides in us through the Spirit.
Our text says a good man obtains favor from the Lord… Jesus was a man… and only Jesus was a good man. We’ve also talked about how Jesus had favor with God. A voice from heaven confirmed that the Father was pleased with his Son Jesus at his Baptism and again at the Transfiguration as well as other places we mentioned. For more check out the devotion “With Whom He Is Pleased” https://www.braggingonjesus.com/with-whom-he-is-pleased
You see, we as believers become a good man, woman or child… and we obtain favor from the Lord because Jesus went to the cross and suffered for our sin.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Secondly, after we have experienced Gods righteousness positionally, he motivates us to grow in his goodness practically. As he does this awesome work in us it quickens us in good works and we obtain his favor while he gets all the glory.
In a similar way the person who is from a positional standpoint wicked practically does evil things with his life. Oh, they may not be always bad for everyone… for example he may donate money to orphans… But he likely wants to get the glory for what he does… You see somewhere down deep in his soul his heart is tainted with sin and it infects everything he does practically.
But he cannot attain goodness or righteousness or Jesus or grace or mercy on his own… We all come to Christ the same way.
Ephesians 2:8 by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Pray
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Closer Attention c @ robin Aylor 12/22/2013
What does it mean to pay closer attention To this news so inclined in the work of redemption What angels declared and now we have heard Never to drift but observe every word
If we neglect, this message so great With delusion, retribution, will be no escape Let Gods word bring our course, into correction With each jot and tittle find detailed direction
Salvation so great, insured and attested With treasures of joy and wonders are vested Turn back, don’t drift, focus, align Conform, rejoice, recenter your mind
Look out at His story, and all that's occurred Then unpack Salvation, word by word
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.
Delivered R Aylor
So far in chapter 11 we have listen to Solomon give us some vastly contrasting truths regarding righteousness and wickedness… If we believe what he says it should not be even a question we should consider concerning which path in life we would walk.
He talks about things like: righteousness keeps one on the path while wickedness brings down integrity guides, crookedness destroys Riches do not profit in day of wrath, righteousness delivers hope dies along with the wicked… not so with righteous uprightness brings exaltation wickedness brings overthrown
Again our text: Proverbs 11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.
It doesn’t say the righteous will not see trouble; no, the righteous will see plenty. (2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ) But it says, the righteous will be delivered. We have this promise interwoven throughout the 66 books of God’s word. It is clear and dramatically documented in Hebrews where while some faithful were raised from the dead, other faithful were sawn into; and yet God’s promise is clear. You see, one day we will be raised up incorruptible to be with him forever. No matter how dark things may seem we have this promise: Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
Here’s a poem I’m calling: The Day The Sun Came Out In Gotham City
Good deeds send a smile full of endorphins to my mind A surge of energy and confidence shoot through my spine In Gotham City the metropolis rejoices at unselfish deeds Those in hiding without hope take heart and believe
Remember in Bagdad when the people sang They pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussain They had lived under tyranny, torture and pain Then the city rejoiced when righteousness reigned
In every good story; books, movies, TV When good wins out and captives go free When oppressors are judged by a righteous King The people are happy and we hear the birds sing
One day soon, we who are righteous in Christ Made that way by his own sacrifice Will be home in a city without sorrow or vice In bright sunny elation, jubilation and life
Praise, love, adoration shall come forth from our tongue Not a song of thanksgiving shall be left unsung We will shout with joy at the top of our lungs The city will rejoice even New Jerusalem!
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:7 When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
Imperishable Hope R Aylor
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this… but it seems strange to me how someone who is in the last years of their life… some even at deaths door… can still be obsessed with obtaining more riches or at the least guarding the little they have. We see this attitude every day among so many of the elderly. Maybe its because they have put it first place their whole life. Society has even supported them in this. “Make more money, get more stuff, buy more insurance, the best way to protect yourself from anything that comes your way is with money… get more… get more… get more…” They still value wealth over everything including their closest relationships.
In days gone by some would worship idols carved out of wood. They would pray to those idols and sacrifice to them hoping for blessing and fruitful crops. Money too is make of wood and people still put their hope in it for the few years they’re here on earth. But, like our text says… when this person dies, their hope dies with them.
On the other hand, when a follower of Christ dies, the greatest portion of their hope begins coming into an unveiled reality. Though the Kingdom of God has begun in the heart at conversion, and a Christian has been granted spiritual graces and guarantees; there is so much more. We will be sharing in glory with him eternally.
2nd Corinthians 4:16 says: "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
What a contrast to the person who's hope was never satisfied in this world and neither had any confident expectation in the life to come.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to brtaggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
Righteousness Delivers
Robin Aylor
The definition of this word treacherous carries with it the ideal of deceit and betrayal… A backstabber… False heartedness… Consider someone like this. How can a person who hides in their deceptive shadows be overpowered? That is the way terrorists operate. They hide in civilian clothes and bunker down among the peoples… even around orphans and the elderly. Is there something that can overpower and subdue someone with such a wickedly way? Their deceptive nature is the strength of their treachery.
Could it be that their own sinful passions might eventually humble them to be servants themselves immobilized by the very things they hoped would deliver them?
Here's one of many possible timelines of this individual who clothes themselves as an upright citizen where you work or go to church… etc.: They are selfish and greedy and this causes them to be overbearing and deceitful toward others… One by one each of the relationships in their life suffers… They loose more and more trust among fellow workers on the job along with their boss… Their self centeredness severs relationships between their in-laws and then their own parents… it begins isolating their spouse and children and close family friends… When these are severed they have great despair. Sure, in their greed they took what was not theirs… They manipulated family, they stole at work, they took everything in the divorce… and now they are alone… and none of their stuff satisfies them in the least.
You know, we were made for relationships… to love God with our all and our neighbor as ourselves… to love family… The false promises our selfish lusts did not set us free as promised but took us captive. “the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.”
So far here in chapter 11 we have seen verses with this theme playing out… something like: righteousness delivers while sin enslaves.
But today's verse is even more specific… it says the righteousness of the upright delivers them.
Notice it refers to the upright as being upright before they did righteous things. That's right! We cannot do righteous thing in order to be upright… for one thing we started out in sin and so we can never be upright on our own. When we see Jesus as the greatest treasure and hope in him, we are made upright positionally through Jesus righteousness. Then his righteousness works in us as we grow in righteousness practically.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Today, may we not believe in any of satan’s filthy stinking lies. They will take us captive… But our righteousness, our hope, our joy, our delight our deliverance, our peace, our all in all is in Jesus Christ our Lord!!!
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Thank You Lord Jesus for being all our righteousness, our hope, our joy, our delight our deliverance, our peace, our all in all!!!
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
Wicked Irony R Aylor
Can you see the irony in this proverb? It is the very sin which promises fulfillment that envelops the wicked. The sin that pledges happiness brings depression; the sins that promise life bring sickness, dread and death.
Yes, the wicked person wants life and happiness and pleasure for sure. The only thing is that he wants his own version of what he thinks these things are… and he wants to obtain them by his own plans.
Oh the joys of his daily sins that will give him all his hearts desires. They promise pleasure, power and riches… enough riches to buy anything else he desires… even health and long life… He hopes… at least; for these kinds of things down deep in his heart.
Our text says the wicked falls by his own wickedness. Sure, it only takes one sin to taint a mans soul… But that one sin is not satisfied with a single prick on the soul. And the sin taunts the man and pesters him till he gives in again. Soon the person is caught up in a sin and that sin leads to other sins and the more they sin the more they need to fill the craving void it leaves.
Its like scratching an itch even after it begins to bleed and to continue to score it just to satisfy the craving. Sin breeds more and more sin, rotting the body and all the while we still call her our sweet friend.
Its like taking a bath in the hot dirty waters of wickedness; and as our bodies become used to the heat we have to continually add wickedly hotter water until we are bathing in sins deadly flames and don't realize the extent of it.
As we spoke of earlier the wicked want delight and pleasure and happiness… They want to save their life but they want to do it their own way.
Its interesting how Jesus talks about those who seek to save their life.
Luke 9:24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Throughout Proverbs we see this principal played out in how the righteous man is kind to others and receives a blessing himself while the wicked seeks blessings for himself and it ends in destruction.
Even in relating to salvation we can see how a person might be so obsessed with salvation of their own soul from hell that they never see the beauty of Jesus… they never rejoice in him for who he is. They don’t delight in his glory, they don’t see how he is good news for their soul, they don’t ponder him on their bed and rejoice in all he has done… they don’t rejoice in him for the future although there may be unknowns around every corner.
I know it may seem like we got a little off track from todays text but I still think we have stayed pretty close.
Let me reread it: 5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
We spoke mainly about the wicked who seek happiness by their own devices and they fail miserably… but the person who is blameless in Christ righteousness is lead by his Spirit… And he is one who loves God and his neighbor and is not obsessed with self…. and yet he is the one who finds life and all the joys of God.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
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What Guides Your Sail?
What ushers a person throughout their life? A motor? The fuel?… A spark that ignites?
Something leads them along and shows them the way. What steers the wheel when there’s a truck in the way?
What says “don’t do your chores” “Steal from the department store” “Taunt that wild bore” “Pull into the next liquor store”
What makes some delight in God, they kneel and pray They submit to their parents in the Lord and obey Even when the road is dark in the middle of the day Their heart is turned a particular way
What guides them is the integrity of the upright There has only been one who has lived that life Where Adam and Eve and we all fail It’s Jesus righteousness in those who believe that guides our sail
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
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Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
The day of wrath… Well the greatest day of wrath will come when God judges sin and sinners. Even if you could take your riches with you to face that judgment it would not profit you. A person cannot bribe God. He already owns it all. And anyway the streets are made of gold in heaven so what would you offer him that he might keep justice from you?
No, God is just and no one can stay his hand.
Even here on earth when a sentence of justice is to be read even a most exorbitant amount of money from the guilty party will not be enough to pay off a just judge; and equally just is how that judge will neither sentence an innocent person to death.
The thought of justice can be an uncomfortable thought though because we all fall short of perfection. This underlying force of conscious causes us to check our speedometer and seat belt at the sight of a police officer, become self conscious when we are telling a lie and may not look someone directly in the eye when we have something to hide. Justice reminds us of our insufficiency in relationship to the law and its intentions.
Today I heard someone say we should never pray to God for justice but rather for mercy.
In one way that seems so true because justice would mean all sinners are condemned and that would definitely include me.
However, Jesus did extend his mercy to us by substituting the execution of our just punishment on to his only begotten sinless Son thereby satisfying justice through his grace and mercy. Thank You Father for your Son in being my Attorney (my Advocate in providing my defense), my Judge in declaring me pure, holy and 100% innocent, for becoming sin for me and serving my sentence, and for justifying me by defeating the curse of sin which is death.)
For more go to braggingonjesus.com With Whom He Is Pleased Robin Aylor
When Jesus was born, in Bethlehem shepherds were with their flocks when a multitude of heavenly host praised God and said this:
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Today I want us to look at that little phrase “with whom he is pleased”.
What would it take for God to be pleased with any of mankind since we are all sinners? Who was the only one who never sinned? Jesus right?
This is true… and God is pleased with his Son.
Speaking of Jesus in Isaiah 42:1 pointing to Jesus it says God says: …in whom my soul delights;
You can read the context for yourself. God delights in his Son.
Again, speaking of Jesus 1st Peter 2:4 says ...a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
Jesus is precious to God.
In Matthew 3:17 When Jesus was baptized a voice from heaven said: ...“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John a voice from the cloud says: ...“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” That’s from Matthew 17:9
Let’s go back to the Christmas story… The angels said: Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
How can a person be accepted by God?
Luke 1:28 tells us Mary was favored by the Lord.
The angel Gabriel said: ...“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
How did Mary find favor with God? She was a sinner like us all.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
How can God be pleased with sinners like you and me and Mary... and still be a just God?
You see, something else pleased God.
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah 53:10 says: Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,...
Other versions like the KJV say “it pleased the LORD to bruise him”; and Holman says “the LORD was pleased to crush Him severely”. This word "pleased" is mentioned in the Hebrew as one definition of the meaning.
What does it mean that God was pleased to bruise Jesus?
Jesus being bruised was prophesied early on in Genesis 3 after Adam and Eve trusted satan over God… Here God is speaking to satan.
Genesis 3:15 says: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
It pleased the LORD to bruise Jesus.
But how does bruising Jesus make God pleased with those who believe in him?
Jesus who is pleasing to God, took the payment for our sin… That payment is death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And in exchange God gives us the righteousness of perfect Jesus… We get the acceptance and favor of God... We please God.
Where Adam and Eve and you and I failed God, Jesus succeeded in obedience and perfection and imputes his righteousness to all who delight in him… to all who rejoice in him as good news.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Pray
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Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Disgrace Or Delight Robin Aylor
You may have heard how Proverbs 16:18 says: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
In today's text we see pride’s destruction also tagged with disgrace. Throughout the Bible you can find many examples of both of these outcomes.
Speaking of King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26:16 it says: But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.
With his sin of pride he was struck with leprosy for the remainder of his life.
You might want to check out Ezekiel 28 which seems to relate how Lucifer's pride caused him to fall and brought him disgrace.
The opposite of pride is of course humility. Admitting our sin which brings us shame and dishonor… in faith we turn away from exalting self toward giving the glory due to Jesus; when we do, he exalts us with his own righteousness.
In Luke 14:11 Jesus said: For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus our Creator in extreme humility gave himself as our example
Speaking of Jesus in Philippians 2:6 - who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Pray
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Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. Justification For Abomination Robin Aylor
There is a symbol of justice which you may have seen before… a statue of a blindfolded woman who makes judgments of right and wrong. She is holding perfectly balanced scales and a sword. Being blindfolded she favors no one person over another. She executes righteous judgment with her sword.
A dishonest scale is held by a crook who unjustly favors themselves over the ones they want to deceive for their own gain. It is a false balance, a false witness; and claims a lie as truth.
Solomon calls this injustice an abomination to the LORD. An abomination is something we despise so badly… we are utterly disgusted at the thought of it… we loathe it!
Have you ever found something that has turned your stomach or caused you to gag and turn away quickly? For me, in my younger years it was spinach. Something about it triggered that gag reflex and it was like… I had no choice but to spit it out. But today… well, spinach has this weird love hate relationship with me… It’s not important... Back to the text… The LORD’s stand on deception and greed and lying and taking advantage of others does not vary… It is always an abomination to the LORD period. You know it is possible for a person to take stock of their own life with this same unjust scale. We can appraise and evaluate our own life and present ourselves as someone who tips the scale in our own favor. We need to be cautious of that.
1st John 1:8 says: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Its true that God is just and he wants us to agree with him on what is right and wrong, hating our hypocrisy and being disgusted with our own sin. But not only is God just but he is also justifier. Thats good news for us.
In Romans 3 Paul talks about how we are justified by Gods grace through faith in Jesus for what he did for us in dying on the Cross.
Verse 26 says: It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Agreeing with God demands that we are in favor of full punishment due to be made for our abominable deeds. I am so thankful that we can humbly and joyously submit to his righteous judgment in that God sent his only Son who willingly took that punishment for us and then defeated the wages of sin (which is death) by rising from the grave.
Don't Settle For A Politically Correct Christmas! Rest In Jesus As The Good News He Is.
Simeon Cradles His Long Expected Savior Luke 2:25-32 Daniel Castor For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Stereotypical Christmas Text Of Leviticus 12... What? Yes! It's true! / Blake Farley - For more go to braggingonjesus.com
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Proverbs 10:10 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Pride's Babbling Brook R Aylor
Here's one of those strange phrases that causes me to pause. I have been told that whenever a scripture seems out of step so that it causes you to scratch your head, pray about it and give it some time. There is likely a hidden treasure buried somewhere close. Well, here's the problem; In this sentence there are two clauses side by side… If they were each a proverb in themselves there would not be a problem… Except for the fact that there is a conjunction… the word "but" that separates them. In my mind this usually implies that what follows the “but” should be something opposite in nature to what has just been stated. But instead, it what follows is just another wicked behavior:
Sa first Solomon says how one who winks their eye causes trouble… Here I would think he is referring to a deceiver or liar…. In the Hebrew it is related to pinching or squeezing off… even biting the lip. That sounds like someone up to no good to me.. I suppose it could even be referring to someone who winks to a friend saying don’t believe what I am saying… just go along with me on this and we’ll make out good. That too would be a troublemaker who deceives others.
So after that Solomon says the word “but”… and he compares the winker with a babbling fool as though their nature’s might be vastly different. The more I have thought about it, I think Solomon is trying to show just how bad it really is to be a babbling fool.
It is the babbling man full of selfish pride that never admits he's wrong and says he has all the answers. He is at the brink of utter destruction and all the while proclaims himself as unsinkable.
Yes, Solomon compares his babbling with another evil but a deceiver almost looks presentable along side of the sin of pride. John 7:38 Jesus said this: Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Father God please keep my heart from self absorbed egotistical pride that bursts forth as foolish babbling. Instead may I walk in humble and confident faith in you today Lord. Thank you for your living water that comes from Jesus and may I overflow the good news of him to others in love today.
Hello everybody… Today we’re talking about treasure and a treasure map… You may have heard of star maps before, which show the addresses of Celebrities. You can drive by all the their fancy houses in a big city and see where they live.
Well, today I want to talk about a different kind of a star… a star which is actually map itself… It’s a treasure map to the greatest Star in the Cosmos… He's a person… the most glorious person in the Universe. He came to the world and should have been recognized as the greatest celebrity in the world but… instead... was despised and rejected, beaten, and crucified and killed by the ones he came to reveal himself to for their pleasure and his glory.
But, this story is not just about death but also about great joy… In Luke 2:10 the angel said this to the shepherds:
Luke 2:10 ...Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
This night the shepherds received the greatest good news ever ever heard by man in the history of the World… It was joy not for the sake of joy but it was for the treasure they were told of. You might say the angel gave the shepherds a treasure map you might say… or directions to the greatest treasure in the Universe! The bible says the shepherds were in the same region as Bethlehem so maybe a few miles out of town; and the angel told them to go to go there…
How did the shepherds respond to this news? Did they believe the angel? Picking up in verse 16. ...16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
And so the greatest treasure in the Universe had arrived. They responded with belief and delight and obedience... they went with haste to find this treasure.
They also responded in other ways… 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ...20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Later, wise men came from the East. Though they came from much farther away than the shepherds, somehow God had also given them a map to find the greatest treasure in the Universe… a star map if you will... And so they followed the star which he told them to...
Matthew 2:9 ...And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
So like the shepherds… the wise men also rejoiced with great joy. And when we are given eyes to see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the world… then we’re going to choose Jesus over the promises of the world… and he’s going to give us great joy.
11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Not treasuring the world they received the greatest treasure in the Universe… and that was Jesus.
Now we fast forward in time around 30 years… In Mark 10 a rich young ruler came to this same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem… Did he come, like the shepherds and wise men… looking for the greatest treasure in the Universe? We will see… He ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. I’m not sure the young man truly knew what eternal life was.
What is eternal life? Eternal life is being connected to God, having fellowship with him and being accepted by him forever… That’s true life… We can only do that through Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethlehem and lived a perfect life as the prophets said… And so we can be accepted by God he gives his goodness to all who delight in him as the greatest treasure… greater than anything else the world might offer… That means success, friends, popularity, power, lust, pornography, wealth, lots of stuff… long life, even health...
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Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
The Integrity Of Jesus R Aylor What is integrity? It is living honestly, being ethical in our dealings and adhering to right morals; it is being trustworthy and fair without prejudice. It is living this lifestyle in a steadfast and consistent manner. According to our text integrity is a secure and trustworthy path. God wants us to walk in integrity practically in every day life. We, of course are all sinners so we will not be perfect in this area. And even when we do the right thing, if our heart is not motivated out of love it is a fail. We are a work in progress as our integrity is practically becoming more like Christ.
However; before we can grow practically we have to be accepted as positionally righteous by God through Jesus who lived a perfect life for us. When we believe he puts his righteousness in our account and God sees us as 100% full of integrity. Jesus even went as far as being paid the wages of our sins by dying our death on the cross… Then he even went further. Three days later he rose from the dead and gives us who believe that same power to live lives of integrity practically in our every day life… And one day he will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever.
The last part of todays verse says: “he who makes his ways crooked will be found out”.
The word crooked Has to do with being dishonest, evil, cunning, twisted and illegal.
I'm reminded of Moses speaking to the people of Gad and Reuben in Numbers 32:23 …be sure your sin will find you out. So the problem is that we’re all sinners… we’re all twisted and selfish… We have no real self righteousness in our account… We all lack integrity and our ways are crooked.
The good news of great joy is that if we look to Jesus with delight… From Genesis 3 after Adam and Eve sinned this is the one promised to save those who believe from sin and satan… The Messiah would be born of the offspring of the woman in the city of Bethlehem. He would straighten our crookedness with his own righteousness making us secure in him and then sanctify us practically in our every day life trusting him for that security in all our ways.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Pray
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Proverbs 10:8 The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
But The Wise Says R Aylor
Being wise does not mean that person has all the answers. Fact is, the wise will say things like "I don't know" and "give me your opinion" and "I'm having trouble with this, can you offer any help". A wise person will present themselves in this humble posture much more often than the fool. The babbling fool is that person who always has to be the teacher… always having the last word… always needing to leave the conversation exalted above the others… If he cant top others with his knowledge he may use his tongue as a sword and cut them down… if that won’t seem to work in a particular situation he will tell a joke to shift any focus from his ignorance and hope everyone will think him clever.
When a foolish person ignores words from a wise person… that can be devastating… but foundationally at the core… the worst scenario is to ignore Gods word… that man surly is foolish.
In Matthew 7:24 Jesus said: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
It is the wise man then who will receive the words and commands of Jesus. But what of the babbling fool?
Matthew 7 goes on to confirm our text concerning a foolish man: 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Father please give us the wisdom and humility to admit that we fall very short of your glory and that we might quietly seek you today and heed the words of Jesus instead of spotlighting our own ignorance as glorified enlightenment.
Jezebel Written by Gerri Aylor (From 1st and 2nd Kings)
She was Samaria’s queen, and her god was Baal She lived in luxury so listen to her tale
Everybody knew that she painted on her face And even in death you see, they barely found a trace
King Ahab soon would covet, a vineyard not his own For the heir from God was Naboth so the King began to moan
Said Jezebel, “I’ll fix it!””, and this is what she did She sent two wicked fellows, who accused… Naboth as she bid
So stones, were thrown at him, and they took away his life But Jezebel didnt plan on Elijah the Tish-bite
The dogs will lick your blood he said, and your children all will die So everything from GOD came true, God’s Word it cannot lie
So never cheat an heir my friend, and do not live a lie Al-ways make all things right, be-fore your time to die.
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Our Greatest Delight C@robin aylor 2013
Our greatest delight, From morning to night, When things seem wrong, When all feels right, Amid dreary storms, Ore long weary flights, We keep singing your song, Like a high flying kite,
We delight with delight When hurricanes blow, Mid the plight of our kite, Through a whirled tornado, In thunder and lightning, In blizzards of snow, Though our tail spins to fall, We rise up and flow,
If you love him more than This world's À la carte, You rejoice in his words, From your inmost parts, If He is you treasure For whom all you impart Take delight as he gives you, The desires of your heart.
Him R Aylor
I think about him quite a lot. Usually when I first get up in the mornings. I like to spend some time with him while I drink my morning coffee. Sometimes, as I drive to work my mind wanders to him. I think about the things he has done, and about the things he may and will do in the future. At work, I focus on my responsibilities. However; I just cant help keeping him in my thoughts throughout the day. When I am talking to my coworkers, I bring him up. I don't pre-plan to; its just that he is so much a part of my life that I automatically talk about him. I build him up and seek to put the spotlight on him. At home, I want his desires to be fulfilled by everyone in my family. My hope is that each family member comes to realize that his ways are always best and right and that they should make his wants and desires their own. As daylight ends and I lay down my head, I meditate on his works and plans of tomorrow. Who am I? Honestly, most of the time that "Him" is me. I put myself before everyone and everything.
Lord please may I find my joy... my thoughts... my focus... my delights... my treasure in you... I know satan himself wanted glory equal to you... and this is the same temptation he presented Eve... to be like God... Lord may I not worship myself... but you and you alone. You alone deserve my worship and you alone satisfy... You desire mercy and not sacrifice and so I come humbly to you as my all in all... Thank You Lord that I find my rest in You.
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Proverbs 10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
How Will You Remember Me? Robin Aylor
How will I be remembered? Some say they don’t care I ponder now this late December cautiously I fair
Is it pride to think like that? Outside I hear a screaming cat The skies are grey it’s cold today, I should pray lest I go astray
Will there be many at my funeral? Heat rushes to my cheek My hand unconsciously cuffs my mouth although I did not speak
For every wrong there is a right, a context worthy of insight A core foundation vein of truth, A taproot seldom seen by youth
So cautiously I proceed; will thoughts of me bring love or hate How will they remember me? How will those reminisces rate?
People may laugh when they hear my name, They may ask for a bag when they’re on the plane When it’s spoken will they blurt out a dirty curse word? Or will it blow in the wind never more to be heard…
Will I will be voted “best actor” in the story of my life? Or will I be the one who shines the spotlight on Jesus Christ?
Will I block the camera and stand in his way? To seek out his crown and take his bouquet? Will I be seen as the star seeking photo bomb guy in the play? Or the one who raises the curtain for him and sings his praise?
Look, I think my best context that others might smile would be… When they remember my life they might see Christ in me His righteousness, his works, his suffering, his hurts His greatness, beauty, glory, his power from above, But most of all in me… I hope they see… his love
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Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Eyes Of Deception
How do you think Hitler saw himself as he made the orders that ended so many innocent people’s lives? Or how about the people in the plains on September 11, 2001. Or Timothy McVeigh when he destroyed the murro building? Each one of these guys thought they were wise. They thought they were doing what was right. What needed to be done. They had made up their minds that there was a problem and they had the cure. The solution to every problem.
As I step back and think about these people and others like them, I do my best to get into their head. From outside perspective, it’s easy to ask, “ how can anyone do something like this? “ “ what kind of monster were they?” But once you understand the circumstances of each one, it becomes a little clearer.
(Hear the full transcript by listening to audio)
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Proverbs 6:16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Hurricane of Hatred And Avalanche of Evil Daniel Castor
You’ve heard it said that hate is a strong word... I believe this to be true and one should not use this word carelessly. People say that they hate lots of things; sports teams and movies, certain flavors of ice cream and seasons of the year. The word hate is used very loosely. Our the other hand our proverb today uses the word hate in its full strength. There are certain things that God truly detest, wicked things that he abhors; pride, dishonesty, murder and a scheming heart. It’s easy to see why the Lord hates such things because they are so completely against him. But then comes another sting word. A more serious word if you will. There is also something that is an abomination to the Lord... one who sows discord among brothers.
Why dose God single out the seventh above the rest? Because there is something particularly wicked about purposely trying to cause disunity among brothers. This is one of satan’s prime tools in destroying the Church. Wherever there is disunity there is a lack of love and there is a presence of pride. There is an abundance of selfishness and a heart filled with hate. It could be said that the seventh thing that the lord hates, the abomination of sowing discord among the brothers contains all the other six things listed before it. A hurricane of Hatred, a avalanche of evil that will bring catastrophe on the church faster than anything els. Sowing discord among the brothers is an abomination to God because it directly attacks what God has set out to do. That is to give his people one mind and one heart, a heart that seeks god’s will and glory! A person of this unity strictly opposes all of these things.
Take a moment this morning to check your heart. Do you see any of these things in yourself or even the beginning of any of these things that the Lord so despises? If so turn away from them today, instead of opposing the Lord and doing that what he hates , Set your mind on the things of God and make it your aim to do all that he loves!
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Proverbs 13:7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
The Great Pretenders R Aylor
We dress like we’re rich and drive fancy cars We critique last nights episode of dancing with the stars We raise up our nose with an air of dissent While our cable is canceled and we can’t pay the rent
Yet some live like Granny and ole Jed Clampett They may own half the country while they live in a pit They go to a garage sale wearing their old crumpled hat Saying “Will ya take a quarter for that antique porcelain Australian wombat?”
The poor know you can’t squeeze money from a poverty stricken debtor The rich know people want their money so they act like a penniless beggar
But God knows its not all about the way you’re perceived
He’s the greatest treasure in the Universe He died for you, he took your curse The more of him you give away, the bigger your purse And you’ll want him riding with you in that long black hearse
It’s all about him who will lavish great riches on all who believe
Yes Jesus died then strangely after three days The earth rumbled the stone rolled and he came out from the grave He gives us that same strong power to conquer our own detestable sin And one day he’ll raise us up with him when he comes again
Proverbs 13:7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
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Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Carry But Don't Conceal Jesus R Aylor
In some states within the US there is a law called “Conceal and Carry" which allow people to carry fire arms out of sight on their person for protection. (Of course there has to be courses taken and background checks or whatever a particular state requires to make sure they know what they are doing and are not a criminal… In everyday life a wicked man can conceal his inner motives with deceptive words… but he does not need a conceal and carry permit.
This person may smile and flatter; even brag on others. He knows people are self centered and so he uses that to his advantage. He may have a way with words.
He offers his delicacies, while at the same time concealing how he might use another for his own selfish gain. A self centered man has a goal where the end purpose is his own exaltation over the very ones he conceals his motives from.
With that being said, a wicked heart cannot be concealed forever; the violence it carries always finds its way to the surface.
The selfish well in his heart bubbles up and flows sometimes like a rushing river out of mouth with cutting words and they move into his feet taking him where he should not go and they flow out of his arms to do evil deeds.
In Luke 6:45 Jesus said this: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. The righteous man does not hide what is in his heart with deceptive words for personal gain. He is blessed by God with forgiveness, acceptance and peace and love and out of that love he blesses others.
In Matthew 5 beginning with verse 14 Jesus also said this: Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Father may we not conceal the love you showed us in Jesus. May we delight in your forgivness and share the reason Jesus is good news for the world with great boldness, confidence, clarity, joy and love.
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Proverbs 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Diligent Slacker R Aylor
I am guessing that Americans are also one of the busiest of all people groups; many times both parents are working with much overtime and for the kids music lessons, soccer, dance, basketball football, wrestling or and debate every week. All this being said, I believe we are mostly a country and culture of slackers.
This is quite a convicting text to me because I need to be more diligent and steadfast in the right things. You see, even a lazy person is consistent and steadfast; only it is not in righteousness.
There's just not a lot of people I see that are willing to fully commit themselves to anything except from their own selfish drives. That sometimes involves greed (in work, toward money and more stuff), and pride (in always having the last word or wanting to be praised for being the best or even living unrealized dreams through our children etc).
Technology also pulls at our selfish strings through all kinds of social media outlets along with games and app’s a plenty to fill up every open spot in our day.
Another thing that goes with this lack of diligence is how so many people today do not keep their word and some hardly acknowledge it when their word is broken and all this in a time in history when communication technology is more efficient than ever before.
But, a slack hand is not the same as rest or valid relaxation. Laziness is not being responsible to to keep our commitments. Laziness is not standing up for the defenseless... it's not being willing to work for a living when we can... It's not joyfully trusting God when we wake up every morning… It's sleeping late when we should get up early.
When Jesus is our passion his Spirit gives us a kind of energy like nourishing food to our body. Maybe that's why Jesus said: John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
We must trust God for the energy, the increase, and persevere on forward.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Father please open my eyes to your beauty; arouse, invigorate and propel me by your Spirit to your practical righteousness. Let your mission be my food. Open doors to share your good news and give me boldness and clarity in speaking your Gospel that others may delight in you. Be my joy and strength to the praise of your glorious grace through Jesus today.
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Proverbs 10:3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
He Thwarts The Craving R Aylor
I expect that back in Solomon’s day wicked men ate and were full, as did the righteous. Surly, Solomon, being the wisest of men had seen many evil men eat until they're belly's were plump. So what is Solomon getting at here?
The question that comes to my mind is whether the wicked man is truly ever satisfied? Does he ever have enough money? Does he ever have enough stuff? Does anything bring his life contentment?
A human being experiences various types of hunger at different times in his life. He may have a hunger for knowledge or a hunger for food; for money and fame… Look, nothing in the world truly satisfies man… but a wicked man will keep grasping at the things in the world for fulfillment.
All of our physical hungers point us to the most important craving that can only be satisfied by Jesus.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
CS Lewis observed: “A man’s physical hunger does not prove that man will get any bread; he may die of starvation on a raft in the Atlantic. But surely a man’s hunger does prove that he comes of a race which repairs its body by eating and inhabits a world where eatable substances exist."
In the same way, a hunger for purpose and belonging and acceptance surly does prove that there is someone who can satisfy this inner need.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Our text says: "but he thwarts the craving of the wicked". To "thwart" means to prevent someone from obtaining something. God stops and prevents the wicked from satisfying they're craving through all the worthless things they take in. As long as he believes sin will satisfy he will not eat of the food that satisfies.
The good news is that wholesome food is readily available. We can be full and satisfied in Jesus.
John 7:37 says: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Pray
How Rudolph & Joseph Saved Christmas / R Aylor Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
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Proverbs 10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.
Keep Your Treasures Without Profit! Robin Aylor
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit... This almost seems to contradict itself... I mean if you gained treasures didn’t you profit?
Let’s try to get a handle on what Solomon is saying...
First, if we save money by falsifying taxes; if we take advantage of the poor and unlearned; even if we accept a praise under false pretense or that we don’t deserve... we are accepting some kind of treasure by wickedness.
The truth is… wickedness is a non-profit organization... And that does not mean we should donate to it. But it is just a bad career choice... we probably have all know evil people who are rich and might disagree with this verse... but wickedness always ends in the worst kind of poverty.
So... what are the treasures of wickedness which do not profit? These are the treasures of the world that are not used to glorify God but rather they become a god to us. They will make us slaves to them.... they will become our passions... they will ruin our life.
For one thing this person who has used others to increase his riches will likely be hated and despised by not only those he used but many who see his ways. And toward others he will be bitter, greedy and envious. His stress level will possibly cause him health issues. Good and honest relationships will not come easy. He will be paranoid for good reason concerning others who want his money. I don't call that a profitable life. Look, at these crossroads we are all tempted to think wicked dealings will help keep us secure. When our future looks grim or the present seems bleak we are enticed to cheat as our best alternative. That would be our worst choice possible. Wickedness does not give us stability or profitability in any way. Did you ever consider that this very world is held together by Jesus? That includes our jobs, finances, family, our minds our health and everything we know including our future. Here's what Colossians says: 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Actually there is a poverty much worse than any physical safety or stability or social ills we might encounter in life. And that is to be bankrupt by being separated from the greatest treasure in the Universe for eternity. That treasure is the person of Jesus Christ who died the death we deserve and defeated it for us as well… for all who will have faith to hope in him. Yes, in him all things hold together my friend, including dominions and authorities both visible and invisible. Let us trust the Lord only and not our eyes or even our deceitful heart, but practically following after righteousness and knowing that it will be his righteousness in Jesus that profits you unto eternal life.
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Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
Glad Father R Aylor
A truth such as this, is worth repetition A Father will smile, when his children listen His energy, vigor, countenance and eyes Brighten with joy when his children are wise
If they love and adore, if they prize Jesus more Than a roll of the dice, a million dollar heist A Swiss Army knife, even more than their life
If they stand tall, bowed... humble yet proud Give of their all, if they live out loud If they laugh at the devil as they take up their cross If they greet this worlds passion as rubble and loss
When they choose certain death, instead of ceasefire They will go to their grave, having never retired When free will gives in, to election and grace It will put a big smile on their fathers face
But if you are selfish and stupid my son If at every blast, you turn and you run If you pay no attention to the words of your Dad Then he and you're Mother will be downcast and sad
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Proverbs 9:4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, 5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”
Simpleton Me R Aylor
Throughout the Old Testament we find what are known as "Types" which prefigure Christ in the New Testament. Solomon has made out Wisdom as a character in Proverbs in which Jesus can be inserted within its place quite often with doctrinal integrity.
Here are a few:
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Wisdom calls those who lack sense to leave their simple ways and turn toward her. (Jesus calls sinners to turn away from their sin and toward him. Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”)
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In our Proverbs text, Wisdom invites us to eat and drink. Jesus invites us to eat and drink. Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
- Wisdom communicates to us that the table is set; the work is done. (We saw that in the previous passage and devotion.) Gods word teaches us that every good work is complete and the perfect sacrifice needed for righteousness has been given by Jesus. It is finished. Our feasting and fellowship with God in Spirit and Truth may commence. Come.
John 19:30 says: When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Are you a simpleton? Then you may come to Wisdom. Do you hunger and thirst? Then you may eat her bread and drink of her wine. Do you lack an in-depth understanding and your purpose in life? Then come to Wisdom; yes, rather come to Jesus and live.
Again Jesus calls in Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Pray
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Proverbs 9:1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. 2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
Family, Fellowship & Road Kill R Aylor
There is nothing like gathering together for food and fellowship to break down walls, establish relationships, binding one another together with a common bond. But; what if you you were invited to a backyard BBQ with steaks, hotdogs and the works thinking the meal was ready and they had not even started the grill? In fact, they had to go get charcoal from the store; then they had to return because they didn't have something else, the table was not set, they were still missing condiments and they served pond water for drinks and the food… Oh my, the food was even worse. Instead of steaks and hotdogs they served BBQ road kill!! Not so with Wisdom. She has fully prepared herself for you and I so that we may eat at her table. There is nothing left to do before we sit down in fellowship and feast together. Wisdom says there is no need to wait… she is ready for you… come now… She has built what I envision as a magnificent palace on a large rock solid foundation so we could meet and spend forever feasting with her. There is meat and wine overflowing for celebration of all things good and true for God's exaltation; and the table is set. Her young women have already been sent out to call us to come even now. We have been graciously and specifically called and we are 100% responsible to respond. Wisdom has sent a Rolls Royce to pick us up and escort us to her. Like Wisdom, the bible says the Lord calls… In Revelation 3 Jesus said: 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Pray
Psalm 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
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Proverbs 8:12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
It Really Is All About Who You Know
R Aylor
Continuing with her resume, Wisdom opens up to give us a background report on herself by telling us who she lives with and even runs around with.
You know, we tend to find a way to spend time with those we have the most in common with… at least in relation to those things that mean the most to us. For example, musicians hang out together, basketball players run in their same circles, cyclists ride in packs, and Trekkie's congregate at sci-fi conventions all because of their common interests.
That's why Christians from all walks of life and with various incomes and social status meet together weekly for worship and fellowship. They share something in common that's important to them and that bridges every gap that all other shared interests in life cant.
If we have an interest… a yearning or desire… if we have a heart to seek for wisdom and find her, we will also have the opportunity to spend lots of time with prudence who will teach us to thoughtfully think ahead before we make rash decisions. We will also be introduced to knowledge which works well with Wisdom and Prudence. It will be our great honor to shake hands with Discretion who can teach us the art of knowing how and when to communicate truth, love and wisdom so that it will be honoring to God. So... seek to know Wisdom. Her resume is open and honest and speaks for itself. She will introduce you to many others of great importance; because… it really is all about who you know. That being said, I hope you have met Jesus who is better than everything.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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Proverbs 8:10-11 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
What's Better Than A Booming Economy? Robin Aylor
So Wisdom is continuing to write her resume. She says she is worth more than all you might desire!
Have you ever thought about how much wisdom is really worth to you. What do you treasure the most in life? Not sure? It will possibly be easily discovered in what you desire for those individuals you love the most. That person may be yourself or someone else. Consider for example someone you love dearly. Let's say you have a son; and you have the power to give him only one of two life treasure packages: Package number one: great intellect, social status, riches to his hearts desire, a long healthy life... Your son would be successful by all known worldly definitions... and then here's the possible deal breaker, he would have a 50% chance of being extremely self-centered all his days. Or, package number two: a fifth grade education, much poverty, various bouts of sickness, an early death… say 45, but all his days he would have integrity and self sacrificing love for others. A young man who sincerely searches for truth and purpose and loves his neighbor.
So... which would you choose? Are your treasures beginning to surface yet? Yes, we all have tendencies to compromise toward sin, even to those we love. What would be your treasure concerning the country you live in? If you were able to pick the next president or ruler and your decision would change the course of History? What would be your choice from these two options: either a leader that would influence the country to a great economy but lead it further from the truth of God; or, a president who would usher in a poorer economy but impact the country toward delighting in Jesus and worshiping God more than has been in many years? These questions may help us to look at ourselves, our motives and character to tell if we're daily allowing God to mold our wills as we look to Jesus as our great treasure.
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Mr. Wiseheart & Mr. Lacks-sense
Daniel Castor
Once upon a time in the little town of Life-Lessons lived two men, Mr. Wiseheart and Mr. Lacks-sense. The two men lived on the same side of town, in the same neighborhood on the the exact same street. But these two neighbors where as different as different could be. Mr. Wiseheart seemed to live a somewhat boring life. He was always being very carful and cautions with his time, his money and the company he kept. He considered all that he had as a gift from God and he intended to be a good steward of all that he had been given.
This was quite annoying to Mr. Lack-Sense. He thought, Why is my neighbor such a stick in the mud. He is always working hard and . Doesn’t he know how to enjoy life. I could teach him a thing or two. Mr. Lack-Sense had a berry different outlook on life. Everything he had was his own. His time, his money, even his his wife and family, all belonged to him and he was going to enjoy all that he had whenever he wanted. So he spent his money, He used up his time, and he wore out on his family on many worthless pursuits. Until one day when the little town of Life-Lessons went through a terrible recession. Work slowed down and People started loosing their jobs as times got very hard.
Mr. Lack-Sense and the whole Lack-Sense family felt the effects of the recession immediately. Things where not as fun as they use to be. The money was all gone, and now his time was all spent in sorrow and sadness, and he had brought his family along with him. He had brought trouble into his own home and had nothing left to his name.
Mr. Wiseheart’s story turned out a bit different. The recession hit him as well but he had saved and invested him time and money well. He and his family where able to whether the time or trouble. Mr. Lack-Sense was so desperate that he eventually came to me wise heat and ask for a job.
Mr. Wiseheart was happy to help him out and put him to work right away. But for Mr. LackSnes this only added to his shame and sorrow.
Proverbs 11:29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
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Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
Two Of Mans Favorite Delights
Here we see two types of individuals with opposing plans. One plans his way to the top at his job or with his friends by lying his and and double dealing and hoodwinking deceit.
The other plans peace… both peace with his God and fellow man.
Solomon tells us that joy is in the person planning peace... that part makes sense to me.
But then he says deceit is in the heart of the one planning evil. I would have expected him to say misery or sorrow... you know something that is the opposite of joy... but no he says deceit.
But after I thought about it, it dawned on me that maybe Solomon is contrasting the two treasures that are associated with the two individuals and their plans…
One of the great treasures of the believer who seeks out peace is of course joy. Joy because the impossible has happened and he is accepted by God because of Jesus…
But for the sinner who devises evil, he is given an imitation of joy and that is deceit. The thrills that go along with planning out our own self centered lusts is the best satan has got to offer. But his thrill is not joy; it is a counterfeit . It falls short by a million miles and it always ends in a malignant tumor with only one impossible yet sure cure… Jesus.
Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Today, Would you join me in pursuing the greatest joy in the Universe that includes peace and life and so much more… or will your plans be for the thrill of sin which leads to death?
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Proverbs 8:9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
Straightening The Curves R Aylor The Dukes of Hazard theme song indicates that they "straighten the curves, and flatten the hills". Truthfully though, we are a people bent on sinning and not straightening what's bent. But in our text we find that everyone who has found knowledge and has understanding can see the truth in all the things that Wisdom says.
I think this goes along with what Jesus said in John 7:17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. As I'm beginning to write this today, a couple buddies and I are heading home to Oklahoma from a wonderful trip to Mountain View Arkansas. I have to ride in the front seat on these winding roads or I will turn colors. Even now I'm a little queazy. Just a few miles back we screeched our tires to a stop as a man waved us down and around an accident on one of those curves. A motorcycle had just crashed and the rider's upper body was covered up with his feet sticking out as he lay along side the road. A long path of blood led to where his body lay. Another cyclist was clearly in mental anguish. Just up ahead a van had pulled to the side and we concluded that someone was possibly throwing up. Right now on these winding roads I am thinking how the path of wisdom is straight. You can see further and clearer and the road is much more manageable and less nauseating to drive than the crooked road that sin takes. On the road where there is fool heartedness that pulls on us with every fleshly passion there is danger at every curve and the ultimate end is death.
The more we are transformed into the likeness of Christ the more we agree with Wisdom's views... the more light of Christ that is internalized within us... as we are awakened to see more of the glory of God... Our only hope is straight and narrowly placed in Jesus Christ. If we have come to rest in his righteousness, then practically he works the goodness of God out in our lives as we look to him alone to straighten the curves and flatten the hills of sin in our life.
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Proverbs 8:6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right,
100% Truth R Aylor
Today Wisdom says she speaks all things right and pure and true. This is godly Wisdom… Wisdom in relationship to her sisters and intimate friends… We’ve mentioned them before in the allegory Solomon has projected. Ladies like Prudence and Insight, Knowledge and Understanding. They support and help guide Wisdom in godliness.
If you have ever met Wisdom, you know she will not lead you in making good and proper decisions only 50% of the time, (definitely not!) she will not lead you down the right paths in everyday into forming good relationships and resolutions… to peace and contentment, strength of character and inward joy only part of the time… and she will not be honest and forthright with us 99% of the time; but rather 100%!
We can be certain that her words will always be outstanding, accurate and trustworthy to hear. Truth is not muddled, diluted or confused.
One may possibly concur that their spouse is correct 99% of the time (at least in public); that they're favorite weather forecaster may claim to be right 60% (doubtful); you may think 25% of your facebook friends will post likes to your last status on Facebook (not gonna happen); but Gods wisdom is trustworthy 100% of the time.
Gods word has never failed anyone at any time and never will. God’s word is 66 books were written by about 40 authors on three continents in 3 languages over a period of approximately 1600 years and is right 100% of the time. It's inerrant words point forward and backward to Jesus and the cross from both directions of eternity.
John said he is the word: John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Of himself Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Pray
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Proverbs 8:5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.
Spiritual Sense R Aylor
In the previous verse 4 Solomon switched from speaking as himself and made Wisdom to be the one speaking in the first person again. So it is actually her who in verse 4 calls out to all men and the children of man.
She now begins speaking a specific group those people… the "simple”. … I would say this is someone who needs to learn discernment and wisdom; someone who is currently unequipped to resist the sweet honey dripping words from the forbidden woman ore the forbidden sin… That again is everyone… to some extent… right? all the children of man…
And also for background… remember we have already seen Wisdom call out to the simple in Proverbs… And here in chapter 8 She is being straight forward and plain spoken. ”O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.” In the remaining verses of Proverbs 8 Wisdom is going to be giving us her resume…
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In verse 1 she has acknowledged that she has sent it out.
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In verses 2-3 she listed some of the places she has shown it.
- On the heights beside the way,
- at the crossroads she takes her stand;
- beside the gates in front of the town,
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at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
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In verse 4 she tells us it is for everyone
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In today's verse 5 she tells why it is for everyone… You see, we are all simple and foolish and need her to work for us.
Later in this chapter she will tell us what she stands for… or her character She will tell us what her value will be to us if we employ her. She will tell us about her family and who she lives with. She gives us a basic account of her wealth and finances. She will also give us a short biography so we may know who she really is.
But back to today’s text… she addresses the simple and foolish… You know, we may not all have much cents... in our pockets, but most of us do have 5 senses built into our person. There's sight, hearing, the ability to feel, smell and taste. These all allow us to make wise and accurate assessments as we live in the flesh.
God’s wisdom wants to grow us as believers to use our spiritual senses much better than we do. We need to realize we still have many foolish notions and simple ways when it comes to his wisdom. He wants us to drink, eat, smell and savor the truths in his word to the full extent. Father we pray for you to quicken our heart to your wisdom. If someone reading or hearing this has never seen the glory of God in Jesus and therefore cannot grow in spiritual senses please awaken them to your beauty. May they turn away from the path of sin and have faith to look to you in delight.
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Proverbs 8:4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
Attention Men And Children Of Man R Aylor In Proverbs Solomon has been using "Wisdom" as a person of the female gender and as an allegory to seemingly appeal to his son and to the gender of men to choose Wisdom over her polar opposite, the adulterous or forbidden woman.
Here in chapter 8 and particularly this verse Solomon seems to expound on the meaning of the allegory. Notice he is specific in saying Wisdom is calling out not only to men but also the children of men; which of course would be women as well. I think we could see that all along but I thought is was worth mentioning. In the chapters that follow we will see Solomon introduce many truths that Wisdom brings to men and women for application in life, and later he will bring back the character of the forbidden woman.
Remember Wisdom not only protects us from her but every forbidden sin. So for the rest of the chapter Wisdom is going to be introducing herself properly and telling us more about who she really is.
So before we leave the forbidden or adulterous woman… lets’ do a short recap on the main point so far.
There are two woman who are always calling out for the mans heart... and similarly there are two "want to be" lovers calling out to all the children of men. (that’s men and woman, boys and girls) Both want our heart… both want to be our true love.
One loved us so much that he laid down his life for us. I think Solomon is trying to introduce us to this person later in this chapter as the allegory continues to unfold.
Pray
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Proverbs 8:2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
Wisdom Shouts Out R Aylor
In the previous verse (one) Solomon has told his son and us how Wisdom and Understanding both call out. We can actually hear them if we have ears to hear.
We learned about Wisdom’s voice first in Proverbs one verses 20 and 21 which says: Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
If we are truly seeking for wisdom we have no good excuses for not finding her. She is not hiding from us.
So in today's verses where and how might we find Wisdom?
1 - “the heights beside the way” Wisdom calls out standing on the elevated grounds on the sides of the road. How might we come to see Wisdom there? There might be many ways… One could be when you see a neighborhood where someone has used dozers to build up the ground higher than the flood level and erected their home on that spot… Now that is wisdom.
2 - “at the crossroads she takes her stand” Some see Wisdom at the intersections as homeless beggars knock on the window of their car when they stop at red lights. Wisdom goes over the scenarios which could bring a person to this point in their life and realizes it could happen to anyone but at the same time Wisdom sees things that can aid in prevention of this from happening… Truths like it can be a good thing to get a proper education and learn a trade. Don’t be lazy but be willing to work hard. Don’t do drugs… You get the idea….
3 “at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud” As you come into the city limits of town Wisdom is there crying out.
I take it that she is still waiting as you leave. We learned in Proverbs one she was actually in the street and markets… On the highways she holds up a sign as you speed by too fast to read it. I expect that if you're interested you'll see and hear her everywhere you go. Wisdom can be found in the good and the bad… in success and failure alike if we look and hear… and she’s always, always verified in some way within God’s word.
Not only wisdom from a human standpoint for being wise but God is always pointing us to himself.
Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Father please help me not to be blind, ignorant or dull of hearing to your glory today as you publicize your awesomeness on every side calling out for me to come and worship you and seeing your way as the truth and only way to life and you as the greatest treasure in the Universe, in Jesus name I pray.
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Proverbs 8:1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?
Can You Hear Me Now? R Aylor
Growing up at times my brother seemed not to hear others especially whenever he was focused on something in deep thought like when watching TV or playing a game. I remember once someone yelling at him loudly saying "dinner is ready" which should have really rocked him… he didn’t flinch but rather stared at the tv in serious concentration.
Now, on the other hand my mother Gigi can hardly hear at all. This year she turned 83 and sometimes when she guesses what is being ask of her she answers totally off topic. And that’s ok. Mom still helps teach 5th and 6th graders in Sunday School and thankfully that's when she uses her hearing aid.
I love my Mom and brother both sooo much! They love the Lord. I assume though that their reasons for not hearing are at least some of why we don't hear Gods wisdom and truth as he calls out to us spiritually throughout our day.
Either the world has already grabbed our full undivided focus and attention like the example with my brother or we have become dull of hearing because the loudest noises of the world have injured our ears as is possiblly what happened to my Mother.
You see, it’s not a question if whether God calls out to us with his truths; because he does. But it's our hearing that is the problem. And not just our hearing but God has called us to use all 5 of our spiritual senses.
- Seeing: Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
- Taste: Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!...
- Smelling: 2nd Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
- Touch: Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Even more intimate than mere touch)
Back to the text… Solomon ask this question: Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? (Proverbs 8:1)
Like my brother didn’t hear when we called him for dinner we need to focus through the noises around us and listen for the one who wants to feed us a great feast.
And like my Mom Gigi, the noises of the world can damage our hearing. Spiritually they can damage our spiritual hearing. We need to filter out the world… and put on our hearing aid which is the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help us to drink from the spiritual water and smell the spiritual flowers in your word. May we hear you speak and taste and see that you are good. You have made your abode with us Lord… you have tabernacled with us. Your Spirit is with us till the end of the world. Thank You! In Jesus Name Amen.
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Proverbs 7:22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
The Ox, The Stag & The Bird R Aylor
Oh, and they say that ignorance is bliss but the Ox, the stag and bird might disagree.
I can visualize the Ox standing there in the middle of the field, strong and able to overpower any challenger who had ever came his way… until that dreadful day. Not a worry in the world. Oh, there were dangers around him for sure. Coyotes and lions might test him from time to time but he was big and when he pointed his huge intimidating horns their way and shook his head and stomped his feet that was usually all it took and the predators would disappear into the woods. However, on this blissful day he was distracted by the grass he was eating when men caught him unawares and in an instant he was taken out and quickly hauled away to be butchered.
On the other hand, the buck had his own obsession going on that day. While chasing after a beautiful and playful doe he had no Idea he was in the path of the soaring arrow.
As for the bird, he swooped down to peck the seeds in a trap with no anxiety or fear that something terrible was about to happen.
We might talk about the fish chasing a lure that was hiding triple razor sharp hooks or the man being distracted by an uncertain friend request on social media. Nonchalantly he pushes back any keen sensory perceptions of danger he might have. His well oiled rationalized mind machine kicks in and while working in the background does its intended job to perfection. He blissfully swoops down and clicks on “Accept”. Of course for the believer, the adulterous woman in this passage is not only a woman but anything that comes between us and the love of our life who is Jesus. Father today please help us to carry your words found in 1st Peter 5:8 within our heart. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
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Proverbs 7:8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. Obvious In The Shadows R Aylor
Solomon had just spoken of how wisdom and insight could keep his son from the forbidden woman and then in the previous two verses Solomon tells his him about what kind of person he has seen at his window through his lattice… A simple young man lacking sense. Now we see him passing along the corner near the adulterous woman and taking the road up to her house. And he does all this in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. Even though it is night time… If this young man were riding his donkey or driving his car I expect he would park at least a block away…
Sinful passions turn into compulsions which lead this young man into the neighborhood of the forbidden woman… which for any of us could translate to our own favorite sin.
We’ve all seen people like this young man… heck we have been him. These are people who move in the shadows. They cover up things they don’t want others to see in their shopping carts, lock out our phones and turn their laptops away from public viewing. That’s the same cloak of darkness the young man travels under as he visits the forbidden woman.
The first few times this happens for the young senseless man if might go like this: All of a sudden he realizes he has come farther than he meant to go. He planned on walking close to her house sure, but now here he is… this is her house. I'm right there on her front porch looking in the window. I feel the one who loves me pulling me back to the path... But my sin is near to my heart... Right now I love my sin… so much that I suppress the calls from the one who loves me until I find myself knocking on sin's door. Why did I ignore the one who truly loves me; even the Holy Spirit who prompted my heart to turn back? Whether it’s the forbidden woman or a million other lies that satan promises to be great treasures… The one who loves us is the only one who satisfies. Listen to Wisdom and Insight! Turn around and run. Do not betray the one who loves you…. this one who is the only good thing that has ever come into your life… this one who is the greatest treasure in the Universe.
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Proverbs 7:6 For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, 7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, Looking Through My Lattice R Aylor
Whether you have looked out through the lattice of your own house like Solomon or through the glass panes of your office… the windshield of your car or the windows of your own eyes… you may have noticed some of the same things Solomon did… People doing things as though they had no sense of what they were getting themselves into..
It's interesting how so many who are impassioned to sin are ignorant of how obvious their obsessive love affair with a particular sin is. In retrospect I have seen this blind intensiveness in myself as well. My simplicity could not perceive the big picture, and the few red flags I did see I ignored.
Solomon seems to be telling his son what he has seen looking down upon the street from his window… I can imagine him saying something like… “Look son… see that boy right there walking with his head down… every once in a while he looks up and behind him… See. He does this almost every day around mid day… and a few times a week in the evenings like tonight… Look, he will slow down when he gets to the third house… see there. That is the house of a prostitute. She is usually not home in the evenings but out working the street. Tonight it looks like she is working on her own corner… look you can barely see her on this side of the intersection.
And he, he is a simple minded boy who lacks sense… His world is about to take a crucial turn that will have a major impact on the rest of his life. Tonight will help define who he is and who he will become”.
Oh how foolish we are not to seek out and trust our Creators words... all his commands and promises. Each one are for our good and his glory.
Lord help us not to have a love affair with sin. Please help us not to be simple minded to the lies of satan. Help us not to lack sense and walk right on into the mouth of the lion that wants to devour us. Please quicken our hearts to love your word and go there for your wisdom and all your attributes and characteristics. Please give us accountability with you and others that we might love you with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.
Pray
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Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, 5 to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. A Sister And An Intimate Friend R Aylor
At times in these devotions I’ve referred to Prudence and Knowledge, Understanding and Insight as some of the relatives of Wisdom who aid her in godliness.
Today Solomon wants his son to consider Wisdom along with her sister Insight as his accountability partner to keep him from the forbidden woman. I think all Wisdom's relatives can help us in this same way… and not only to keep us from the forbidden woman but from the forbidden sins we are tempted with each day.
If you think about it… In a godly household, it’s the individual family members and close friends who love us that can be our first line of defense to keep us from whatever sin so easily causes us to fall. Our families know us better than anyone else. And in the same way we also should be looking out for them.
Even more so with those who share with us in the family of God. It can be a tremendous help for believers to be plugged into a Christ centered church that preaches and teaches the truth about God; and wow! Getting plugged in to a small group where everyone loves one another and helps with one another’s needs and gives encouragement in life and accountability for sin… the benefits of this cannot be overstated.
And so… in our text, of the three women mentioned; one (the forbidden woman) will bind you in chains and drag you through misery and sorrow… never being fulfilled… never finding joy… never fulfilling your purpose… all the way to death; while the other two (Wisdom and Insight) as your sister, and your intimate friend… your accountability partners… they will lead you to joy, hope and life.
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Proverbs 7:3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Stick Notes On Your Forehead? R Aylor
In today's age… where people carry around smart phones and have easy access to paper and pencil… instead of tying reminders around his fingers Solomon might have told his son to stick post it notes on his forehead as a reminder to his fathers words. .
I was just thinking something kind of crazy… I suppose if someone wanted to pursue evil, they also could tie pretty little bows on their fingers to remind them to sin but guess what??? We don't need any help remembering to follow the sinful nature handed down from the first Adam… That comes naturally. Back to the text… What helps us remember Gods word? In order to remember it… It is reasonable to say that we have to read it right? And the more we read it the better we will remember it. Also, the Holy Spirit brings Gods word back to our minds to combat evil and give comfort, reminding us of his truths and giving us direction. Gods word puts the spotlight on Christ and glorifies God. If we go out in the world looking for our own glory and exaltation then we are not going to be delighting in Gods word. So let us remind ourself to look for any way we can be purposeful in pursuing Jesus because he is worth everything we have. Don't seek out or treasure this worlds promises. When we see God as all glorious… when we see Jesus as good news… as the apple of our eye… as the greatest treasure in the Universe it brings believers joy… Memorize his words, meditate on his precepts, write yourself notes, praise him, sing to him, pray, petition, compliment, love and worship, delight in him; let him be your rest… As Solomon says: “write them on the tablet of your heart”.
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Proverbs 7:2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; The Apple Of Your Eye R Aylor
Maybe you’ve heard this phrase “the apple of your eye” before or something similar. One variation… the phrase "Apple of his eye" was possibly first ever used in Deuteronomy 32:10 speaking of how God loved Jacob it says: “he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye”. This phrase or one similar has stayed relative to our language unto this day. These words surely carry with them the idea that Solomon's wise teachings should have caught his son's heart's eye like a bright red apple...
Solomon wanted his son to take hold of the wisdom God has given him; lavish it, prize it high, eat its fruit and find life. But certainly this passage is also for you and I today.
Gods words should catch our eye in the same way… they should be savored as something that appeals to us spiritually and desired as sweet nourishment to our soul. Psalm 63:5 says: My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
Father please give me more desire and passion and delight in you and your word. Always be turning my heart in repentance from making worldly things the apple of my eye to seeing you as the all glorious treasure you are.
Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
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Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;
Don't Leave Home Without It R Aylor
Have you ever left your smartphone at home and felt like something was missing? I …have… Maybe you wonder what’s missing and then it hits you so you have to go back and grab it as soon as you can. Have you ever left home without reading your bible that day? If we do I would hope we feel like something is missing or something is wrong. At the least we should never leave home without Jesus words connected to our hearts. We should acknowledge him as we go about our day, and worship him with great delight. Psalm 1 talks a bit about that. Heres some of the chapter:
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Jesus is a treasure worth a zillion times over any smartphone this world could come out with! Lord please bring us from never leaving home without our smartphone to never leaving home without your word fresh and delighted over in our hearts. Lead us from loving the shallow text's we see on social media to loving the ancient text you wrote for us about Jesus. Lord take us from obsessing over games… even role playing games to actually living out our faith in the real world. Please carry us from spending excessive amounts of time texting worthless things to our friends to sharing the good news of your beauty and glory with others.
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Proverbs 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
No Vacations Yet Sweet Rest! R Aylor
I don’t know about you but for me it’s usually when I'm lying in bed and should rise, shine and rejoice in the day the Lord has made that this scripture comes to my mind.
However its truth about slumbering and resting is clearly applicable at other times and in other areas of life as well.
You see, my idea of rest, relaxation and even vacation need a correct Christian world view understanding.
Of course regular sleeping is good… it is a gift from God… it is letting your body take a vacation from its work… it gets rejuvenated so it can do everything better including work. However sleep turns bad when I sleep the day away so much that I become depressed and nothing gets accomplished so my day can become a fail big fail. And the sad thing is that I can get used to it… and it becomes my routine…
Solomon tells his son that poverty sneaks up on us like a robber and all our self centered lazy desires for our “me” time surround us like an armed man. They steal our joy and zest for living a life of purpose… They encircle us and our sins of laziness take our life hostage.
Along the same lines we should never let our guard down against satan and become spiritually lazy… We may need a vacation from work but never a vacation from Jesus or Gods word. That’s when the thieves of spiritual laziness break in. Rather Jesus is the one to go to for true rest. He said beginning in:
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
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Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
Go To The Ant R Aylor
We are a little people but unlike the ant our lack of self discipline seems to make us even smaller than we are. At first it sounds like Solomon is addressing slugs and is trying to get them to learn from the ant, but we know he is speaking of mankind.
For us, distractions like advertisements, politics, and millions of other things in our culture divert us and try to turn us aside from our path… As broken people, we are lazy and selfish; we don't keep our word.
We choose our most agreeable teachers by listening to our most liked news cast or our preferred preacher but are afraid or to lazy to search God’s word ourselves to prove them right or wrong. In our tiny mind we fashion us up our own god and may even call him by the same name as the Jesus of the Bible. Our feelings trump truth. Instant gratification is our usual motivation for anything and everything.
But of course the ant… The ant follows her God given instincts to work with purpose. She apparently has no choice but man is given intellect and conscious and ability to reason and plan and seek out prudence and wisdom…
When we ignore and pervert knowledge of the good and common graces that light our path toward truth, we loose direction, becoming even more ignorant and bigger sluggards despondent to the energizing joys that come from godly disciplines.
Like A Master Workman R Aylor
Long before the valleys low, mountains high and hills Before the first grain of dust, on earth upon the fields
I was before him filled with joy, and He was pleased with me Twas all good, with no beginning, One God in Three
So when he marked and drew a circle, I too was there And when he made the heavens, all this I shared
He steadied the sky and established the deep He set boundaries for waters, they all heard him speak
He marked out the earth, I offered my hands In his own image created We man
He sent me to earth and I willingly went To the world I created now broken and bent
I was paid wages for their hatred and sin For their good I lived, died and rose again
Yet it was for Gods glory, his praise and his name That he chose you and made you, that his only Son came
This good news of great joy for the human race Is all to the praise of his glorious grace
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Proverbs 6:5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Run, Buck & Flap Your Wings R Aylor
Solomon has been talking to his son about getting trapped by our own words… In verse one we learned not to make pledges or give security to strangers or even neighbors who want our approval or support for things that go against our God.
In verses 2-4 we found out what to do if we make those kinds of mistakes with our mouth… If so then we have been trapped by our own words. We are to give our eyes no sleep until we go to them and set our words straight with Gods word.
Today is more like a review for the last two devotions on this subject.
Now in verse 5 we see the two analogies Solomon has given us. Let me read it again. “save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”
If an antelope is snagged by a rope what will he do? I suspect he will buck against that rope to the right and then to the left… running to the end as fast as he can jerking the one holding the other end to the ground if possible that he might hopefully let go with his hand and the gazelle be free.
If a bird is captured and held in someones hand what will he do? That’s right.. wiggle and flap as hard as he can!
Thats the desperate attitude we need to have if we have put our Lord in a bad light. If we have stood up for the wrong things by supporting our neighbor… Maybe we agreed with their bad characterization or gossip or opinion about another person and they hoped for their downfall… and you or I actually agreed with them. Our words have trapped us in a sin. We misrepresented the gospel of grace and love that the Lord showed us sinners who were rebels against him. For we are ambassadors for Christ. We run and buck our hardest to get out of this loose around our neck. We must flap our wings and squawk at the top of our lungs to release our wrong words.
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Proverbs 6:2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;
Trapped By Our Own Words R Aylor
As believers, we all have shortcomings and we sin. However, if we do not apologize to others when we misrepresent Christ, we have no testimony to show for repentance… if we even had it.
Solomon set the conversation for us in verse one with the scenario that if… if… we have aligned and supported someone on some issue that goes against what is right and true… If we have comforted or encouraged someone in them turning away from Gods word… Solomon is now telling us to stop what you’re doing and run to your neighbor to set things right.
He says that in making things right we are saving ourselves as though our words have caught us in a snare or trap if you will. Our words have went out… and we were snared… Like a small bird our neighbor has us in his hand… Our words have made us his… He can use them against us using our reputation as security… Our words were our pledge to him. Now he uses them to continue to rationalize his own sin.
In Solomon’s illustration there were actually two caught in the snare of sin; us and our neighbor. And so as believers we first turn to Christ and then run to our neighbor to set our words right before him and at the same time possibly save him from the snare of sin as well.
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Proverbs 6:1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,
Man's Mouth
Mans mouth has always been a big problem for him. The reason of course is because it shines out reflections of our heart which is bent towards sin.
Jesus said beginning in Matthew 15:18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person…
As we will see here in the first part of Proverbs 6, Solomon is talking much about our words. In verse 1 he talks about putting security up for our neighbor and giving a pledge for a stranger. We can do both of these things with the words of our mouth.
Think about the people you choose to fellowship with… those who you admire and are drawn to… like the text says… they might be our neighbor or they could be a stranger who you recently met…
A way one might put up security or give a pledge for them is by giving your word as in stating your position to them. “Yes I support you in this lifestyle”… “of course you have to be who you feel you are” or… though you only hear one biased side you say “Divorce is definitely the right thing to do”… You don’t want to offend a friend or stranger or even one of your children so you say… “I understand your reasons for wanting an abortion at this time in your life… I agree… I just want what’s best for you”… Maybe you’ve met a stranger or really come to connect on a different level with a co-worker of the opposite sex… And you have been discussing your own marriage with them… even saying you think you are falling out of love with them. Then you ask them out on a date…
All these things are how our words act as security and pledges to our neighbors and others. In the verses which follow that we’ll look at next time Solomon tells us what to do… Let me give you a hint: Turn and run! Run to Jesus and yes, run back to those to whom you misrepresented Gods truth and make things right.
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Proverbs 5:7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Squirrel, Squirrel, Squirrel!!! R Aylor
As I look back over the previous chapter it appears that from Proverbs 4:4 to 5:6 Solomon has been telling his sons the words of his father king David as they were told to him. Yes Solomon’s sons are receiving instructions now from two great kings that span two generations.
Thats how it should be. We should tell our children the truths of God and they should tell their children and it should continue and form a legacy for the Lord to his glory.
But yes, as we have noticed before… Solomon tells his sons to listen quite a lot.
Like his sons, at times Jesus disciples also had hearing problems… I believe it was after the feeding of the 5000… In Mark 8:18 Jesus ask his disciples: …having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
That’s similar to what Solomon is saying… listen and understand… then keep these truths close to your heart so they won’t be swept away.
How many times have we told our children something… “Billy are you listening to me?” “yes I heard you mom”; but like a dog who catches a glimpse of movement out of one eye… his brain seems to be wiped clean and re-written with squirrel, squirrel, squirrel.
Why is it so difficult to get children to listen to instruction?
Maybe it is because we have learned to prioritize life to a different set of standards than they have. Though in some context ours is still a work in progress, they are only beginning to work on it. Their minds are filled with different things than ours. I believe that is why we should try to explain the “why’s” to them when we talk about the wisdom of God. Ask them to tell you what kind of men and women they want to become when they grow up. As they develop and mature ask them to write their goals including characteristics like what kind of husband or wife they would like to be… What contributions they might want to make in the community… what passions of service they might have for the Lords mission on earth.
When it comes to the Lords ways, we are just as slow to hear and understand and remember as our children.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Let us be desperate to listen to the Lord. See his words as rubies and gold… treasures which we will not let depart or be replaces with the fools gold of the world.
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Proverbs 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,
The Heart Effects All We Do Daniel Castor
A worthless person, a wicked man. This seems pretty harsh doesn't it. Is what a man says really tied to how he should be identified? You better believe it! A man who goes about all day talking of sex and making jokes of perversion... would we not call him a pervert? And a person who's only concerned with their finances and their means of gaining more... would we not call them greedy? Would it not also be true that one who has crooked speech is a crooked man?
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
The words we speak lay bare the conditions of our heart! No excuses! We must fill our heart and mind with pleasant and holy things. Let's hide Gods word within our heart so that when we speak that is what naturally flows out.
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The Path To Life
Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; 6 she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
The path which the forbidden woman walks that Solomon is speaking of will lead to ultimate separation from everything pure and true. It is a sad thing that she does not even know her steps follow the path to Sheol. Her heart does not contemplate her life or purpose or existence. In her own eyes she is making the best of the path she has found herself on and does not consider changing to another path or going another direction. But her feet trod the path that turns away from all things good and ends with eternal separation from God. Can you imagine an existence where every hint of goodness has been removed? That is her final destination.
Not so for the those who rest in the righteousness of Jesus. Even in our death we have life because of His death and resurrection. We also have eternal joy and fellowship with him adopted by him with a full inheritance.
In the book of John Jesus refers to himself as the way which would indicate that he is the true path that leads to life.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Yes the path for believers ends much different than those who ignore Christ.
In Philippians 1:23 Paul talks about life on earth and death for a believer. Here’s what he says: I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
Pray
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Proverbs 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Bitter As Wormwood R Aylor I used to really be into vitamins and herbs… I even owned an herbal store for a while. The herb known as Wormwood is a very bitter shrub. I grew some for a few years and sampled it a number of times… If I remember correctly it’s used to get rid of parasites, to flavor and preserve meats and… And I believe American Indians used it for a number of different things…
But like I said it is extremely bitter. Bitter herbs like wormwood can make one think of misery and are actually used by Jews in observance of the Passover where they remind the Jewish people of their bitter days in Egypt. They spent over 400 years in Egypt and much of that time was in bondage as slaves. This was the disagreeable experience that bitter herbs like wormwood reminded them of.
In today's text Solomon is referring to the forbidden woman as he calls her… He compares her to wormwood. Why? The forbidden woman will not make your life sweet and pleasant but rather extremely bitter.
She will cut you with deep wounds which likely will scar your life permanently. She may even injure or sever a great many relationships in your life. She burns bridges that led to a productive and purpose filled life. She promises instant satisfaction but what follows instead is ongoing bitter chains of misery.
Sin, oh what a great liar! As Ravi Zaccharias says: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
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Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,
The Forbidden Woman Fever R Aylor
Maybe you’re like me and have had a high fever once or twice in your life. Not like you’re sick with the flu and a high temperature… What I’m talking about is that "new car fever"? You may catch it from a friend you carpool with or a next door neighbor. You know you have it when you begin to consistently take that second look at new cars going down the road. Then you'll find yourself looking at pictures on the Internet and then intentionally slowing down and finally stopping at car lots but you still tell yourself you're only looking. Soon the fever swells up inside you and your heart pumps heavily every free moment as your considerations drip with desire.
Before you know it you’re driving away in a brand new car hardly worth the interest you'll be paying on it over the next 5 years of your life and your heart sinks as you think you could wind up trading over 3000 hours of your life's wages plus time away from family and time away from investing in quality relationship all because you had the “new car fever”… and apparently you didn’t have a doctor to go visit early on and didn’t take any antibiotics to knock out the “new car fever” before it was too late…
Our text talks about another fever that has been going around for thousands of years. This particular infection is usually referred to as “The Forbidden Woman Fever”. As we talk about this particular strain of virus keep in mind it is very closely related to the original “Forbidden Fruit” virus or that sin that so easily besets you.
Now this Forbidden Woman strain is much worse than the “new car fever”. It can take more than 3000 working hours from you and me… It can debilitate us for the rest of our life. It can cause us to waist our life.
If you have the Forbidden Woman virus there is a great Physician who can help… Go to Gods word for help. Also there are some great assistance that can help administer the antibiotics. They are called Christian brothers… They are called accountability partners… If you do not have any of those they are called Pastors.
Don't waist your life my friend. Guard the knowledge God has shown you in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the forbidden woman take it away. Delight in him… meditate on his word.
Oh Lord, please illuminate us with insights of your magnificence… show us your glory that we may see you as a treasure better than the forbidden woman or any forbidden fruit that the world offers.
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Proverbs 5:1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, 2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. To Guard Knowledge? R Aylor
It looks like Solomon is not letting up... As we said before he wants his son’s to hear his words over and above anything the world may be saying.
The phrase “be attentive” remind me of a soldier that is to stand at attention when his superior gives him instructions. And then he says “incline your ear to my understanding” which paints a picture in my mind of someone cupping their hand around one ear and leaning in to hear so they won’t miss a single word.
Solomon has been saying these kinds of things to his Sons but next he tells us another reason why. “that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge”.
Solomon has introduced us to a few of Wisdom’s sisters so far… Ladies like Prudence, Understanding and Knowledge. And now we meet Discretion.
To be discrete is to contemplate and think over a situation before acting or speaking. Her personality is a bit like prudence who also thinks ahead before acting. Making decisions in life requires discernment which means we need to quit letting the world think for us and begin to study and review and examine what we are thinking about doing… lining it up against a standard… a touchstone… an unchangeable documented code of behavior that one can test everything against.
Here I believe Solomon is talking about guarding the knowledge you have so no one will steal it away and replace it with lies and false promises.
In order to do that we need to lay the worlds words up against Gods word. Not long ago we read these words about the LORD. Proverbs 3:6 says: In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
We need to be people who think before we say yes to the world. Can we at least pause our mind and acknowledge the LORD in our heart before we blurt out things that might not be helpful to others. If we love Gods word and study it and meditate on it like Psalm 1 says than we will likely be reminded of a verse that will help us guard truth within our hearts.
Pray
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Proverbs 4:20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. I Keep Repeating Myself but I'm Not Senile! R Aylor
Have you noticed that from time to time it kind of sounds like Solomon is repeating himself? Of course you have… No, the wisest man alive is not going senile! But still in chapter after chapter, Solomon has been repeating this basic truth on purpose. The reason I think is because it’s that important! Why do you repeat things to your own children? Exactly! Listen to me son! Your whole life depends on you getting what I say here!
I can almost hear the young man answering Solomon “yes father”, “I know father”, “I won’t forget father”. Then Solomon answering: “Son, I have stressed this to you over and over. You are a man like every other man. You have a bent… crookedness. We all feel that pull towards the ways of the world and the flesh. We have discussed so many important truths that will bring you life and health... or they will lead you to disappointment and a life of ruin. But still, in the Lord they can give you the greatest satisfaction possible and make you a great king ruling justly over Gods people. Remember these are some of the same things my father King David taught me. You’ve given me the right answers son. We’ve talked together about these things and we will talk again. You know the truth. Keep them close to your heart.” This Proverb may help point us in the right direction in raising our children, but it points us in a greater direction when we consider God as our heavenly Father. The Lord reminds us over and over every day… Listen to my Son and his words. In Mark 9:7 when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John, the Father himself says to listen to his Son. Mark 9:7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Another time, after many quit following after him, Jesus ask his own disciples if they wanted to leave and not follow him any longer, here is Simon Peters response:
John 6:68 …“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
Pray
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Proverbs 4:9 She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
The King's Jester? Maybe I’ve watched too many movies in my life but right or wrong for example’s sake lets say that some of the Kings of days gone by had a palace jester who was always talking in jokes, rhymes and riddles… and he wore a special cap too that set him apart. However I suppose you would know the King’s jester without their cap on… simply by hearing them speak a few words…
Even so, the Lady Wisdom will place a crown on a wise mans head. It will be an invisible crown but you will be able to tell he is wearing it. Those who are around him… those who hear him will know he is wise by simply listening to him speak.
Have you ever been in the presence of a very wise person? Maybe you know someone like this. They are a rare breed… This person may even be old and wrinkled but their wisdom makes them beautiful. Their body language, their eye contact and the way they carry themselves from the moment they walk in a room… these things tell much about them and compliment all the attributes that attach themselves to godly wisdom…
Even as they first begin to speak only a few words out of their mouth… you can tell something is different about them… the words they say may seem ordinary at first… You or I might say the same words and come across totally different. But this person has aged in wisdom… Their heart is real… their motives are sincere… they are not looking for acceptance or to be the center of attention… They have learned genuine love for others… Their counsel is a gift. Wisdom has placed a graceful garland around their neck…
What the wise person has obtained cannot be learned from listening to a normal Ted Talk speech or reading your basic self help book. Their graceful and collective countenance was not always this way. But they were transformed as they internalized more and more of the sisters of lady Wisdom. A few of Lady Wisdom's sisters include: Charity, Hope, Faith, Joy, Patience, Knowledge, Understanding, Peace, Kindness, Faithfulness and so many more.
Attributes of godly wisdom? Yes, but also attributes of God himself and his glory.
I’ll close with 2nd Corinthians 3:18 where the Apostle Paul tells us how to internalize the sisters of Wisdom.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2nd Corinthians 3:18)
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Proverbs 4:8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.
The Embrace by R Aylor
This makes me think of a husbands love for his wife. He should definitely prize her highly. He should praise her in public… He should show his love with a servants heart and embrace and cherish her always letting her know she is his delight. He should seek what is best for her in all things.
If you genuinely treat her like a prized jewel she will honor and praise you.
Once again the godly woman Wisdom becomes our great teacher.
"Prize her highly" “embrace her”… Let Wisdom be your great treasure!
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus told this insightful parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. This man found riches of the great value… gold and sliver so precious he wanted dearly to embrace… I imagine him saying to himself… “This is a treasure better than all the treasures of the world combined”. Then what did he do? What would you do? I would be quite a happy man! In my joy I would sell my house and car and all my guitars to have this treasure worth more than the world itself. That’s what he did… In joy he sold all he had… This is the wisdom of God that Proverbs points to… even God’s only Son Jesus. Today, it may be that God has awakened you to see Jesus as the treasure that he is… The good news, the pearl of great price… the one worth unclenching your grasp on the worlds treasures so you might embrace him and prize him highly.
If you have faith to embrace him he will reward you with himself. Hebrews 11:6 says: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Thank you Lord for your grace… It is not of our goodness or works or even our will… but you awaken us to see you as the greatest treasure and through faith we choose you because you have chosen us before the foundation of the world.
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Proverbs 4:6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
Whatever You Get, Get Insight by Robin Aylor
I love how Solomon returns to referring to wisdom as "her", polarizing her opposite to the adulterous woman mentioned throughout Proverbs.
And he has told us time and time again to get wisdom… Wisdom is important enough to keep repeating to his Sons that's for sure… but what good is it if you don’t know how to use it. Maybe that’s why Solomon emphasizes “and whatever you get, get insight”.
Insight is that what… almost intuition… or intensive awareness of what’s really going on around you in life. It’s spotting the adulterous woman before she tricks you… It’s reading people and noticing red flags… It’s being discerning in business dealings and relationships. Sure someone may have wisdom and you might change the world with it but if you don’t perceive greed when it wraps is tentacles around you your wisdom may make you a rich movie writer or producer or politician or you might become a famous singer and songwriter… but instead of having insight you only have hind sight and wind up transforming a whole generation in a very bad way… Solomon says: “whatever you get, get insight”.
The beginning of obtaining anything worthwhile is to make it your goal; purpose your heart and fix your gaze on it. Begin the pursuit for the passion and love of your life that you will follow all the way to the end.
Lord, we love you. You are our treasure worth leaving all for. Please give us the prudence and insight and understanding… all the sisters of wisdom that we might persevere for you to the end and be used to change the world for your glory. In Jesus name Amen.
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Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. The Best Time To Plant A Tree R Aylor
I can hear Solomon saying something like this: My sons, be very intentional about this matter! Begin pursuing wisdom and insight this very second. Don’t wait till you're out of high school or you finish college or don't wait till you get married. Don't say we’re going to wait till you have children. Don’t wait till you work your fingers to the bone and get rich… Look… The truth is that once you put off seeking the things of the Lord you may spend 40 years in the wilderness and might not come to your senses until you’re an old man on your death bed and you realize your life has been a self centered worthless mess. Or worse yet you might miss the promised land all together. You know my son, life is crazy and the world is persuasive; so remember my words and don’t ever forget. At a least suspecting moment satan will tempt you to follow after foolishness and it is a slippery slope. One unrepentant step toward sin has cause many to slide down the hill of misery into eternal wretchedness and death.
I think it may be a Chinese proverb but it goes like this. When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago… The 2nd best time is today.
It would have been better to repent 20 years ago but it has come and gone. Today is the day to turn to the Lord and follow after righteousness! We can only do that through Jesus Christ who was righteous. He died and rose that we might have a heart for all that is good. 2nd Corinthians 6:2 says: For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
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Proverbs 4:3 When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.
Hold Fast And Live R Aylor
Here we can see rare insight into Solomon’s own childhood. Of course Solomon’s father was King David, the man after Gods own heart who lived his life in circles of true repentance. David said some of the same things to Solomon that Solomon says to his own sons. These verses go along with the first two in Proverbs 4.
As children of God we are called to speak Gods truths to our own families and to those in our world.
Not long ago my sisters and I had lunch with a very good friend from childhood. It was a great time of catching up. As she told us about her children, something troubling emerged. She said that as a parent she had made a decision to be intentional with her children. She made a point not to tell them what to believe about God. Though she is a professed believer she said she did not want her children to be influenced by her own religious beliefs but for their faith to be their own and not hers. We gently told her our views on this.
You know the world does not abide by those same rules. They never stop telling us what to believe about God and life, money, pleasure and relationships… They brainwash us as children, in school, college and as even as adults… they never let up until it’s too late and we’re pushing up daisies 6 feet under.
If we know the truth about Jesus… if we have learned truths about practically living and the traps of sin that can ruin a life… If we have tasted and savored the joys of the Lord. Why on earth would we not share him with others starting with our own children?
While the world is brainwashing them saying you should treasure this or that, why would we not teach them how Jesus is the greatest treasure in the universe?
The only reason I can think of that makes sense is that we might not believe it ourselves… or else we are blinded by our sin and not walking in his light.
This awesome verse seems to fit here: Psalm 145:1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
Pray
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Proverbs 4:1-2 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, 2 for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching.
How God Raises Children R Aylor
And so Solomon encourages his sons to listen to his words in order to gain a deeper comprehension and understanding of what is good and true. His words were to be used for guidance in their thought life and behavior… that they may learn how to deal with every situation they encounter in life. I’m glad our Father in heaven loves us enough to work hard to get our attention. We know this because we hear his reproofs, instructions and encouragement… we feel his disciplines and through it all we know he wants what is truly best for us.
Oftentimes we too remind and exhort our own children… we do it not out of our own selfish annoyances but for their sake because we love them. It’s pretty much a continual thing while they are growing up in our house; if we didn’t they might forsake truth and be swept away by the culture around them. Interesting is how Solomon doesn't just say to do this and don't do that without explanation; but throughout Proverbs he shows his son's and us the consequences of actions. He doesn't only tell his sons they'll make him happy if they do good; he doesn’t just say they'll get a spanking if they do bad; but he spells out detailed truths of how their relationships and lives will be greatly affected and changed according to their choices.
There are times in our life that we need to respond in obedience to our Heavenly Father without ever understanding anything else except He loves us, we love him and will trust him. And likewise there are times we need our children to trust us blindly…
But there are many times when God shows us how and why things work out in our life the way they do… He does this so we might know his character and that we may grow in him and his attributes… Also he answers our “why” questions so we might minister to others come across our path and are going through similar things. Thank you Father for urging us forward all the way in our walk with you through Jesus.
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Proverbs 12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Intentionally Fervent / Brad Chase
As I read this passage, I tend to believe this is one of those multi purpose passages. Takin at face value, this seems to be a call to the sluggards. The lazy. Kinda like those around us who expect their stuff to be paid for but don’t want to work for it. The author is saying here, “ work or go hungry “. That’s the old school oilfield mentality. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. You can chose to take a day off here or there or take a vacation, but you do that on your own dime.
This passage could also work into our marriages. Think about when you met your spouse. You tried hard to win their attention. You worked to impress them. You worked to get to know them so you could please them. Now, the marriage is no different. Just because you said “ I do” does not mean that you get to retire. Your marriage still takes work. And a lot of that work is communication and understanding and patience.
One more avenue for this particular passage. Our spiritual lives. What would a Christian look like if they felt the tug of God and responded at church one day. They went to the front and the preacher said “welcome to the family son!” (Note... LABC does not operate in this way. It’s an example) and the man never opened his bible or sat in church or had any spiritual conversation again. 20 years later, the man would be no more a mature Christian than the day he walked down the aisle at church. We are to work on our spiritual lives. To grow in God. The more we work the spiritual field in our life, the more the harvest will be. We need to spend time reading His word and finding out what exactly he wants from us. We need to be spending time in prayer, fellowshipping with God. We need to find ways to talk about him to others. Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us that whatever our hand finds to do, do with all your might and God has called us to serve him. So serve him with all your might.
This passage can easily fit into a ton of areas in our life. The idea is though, we are not called to be lazy. Life is hard. Life is messy. But we have to buck up and work things out and do it for the glory of God.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 11:31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!
What's Really Amazing Is... By Daniel Castor
Do you like to watch movies? I am certainly no movie buff but I do enjoy watching a great story unfold. All great stories have hero’s and villains. And every good director knows that the good guy is always suppose to win. The good guy may struggle, he may have hardships, he may get knocked down and have to fight his way through all sorts of obstacles but in the end things always get better. But this is not so for the villain.
By far my favorite part of any good movie is when the bad guy gets what’s coming to him. He finally gets caught. His times finally up. At last his plans are made know. Or better yet, the good guy catches up with him and beats the living tar out of him before he is thrown in the slammer.
Well God is the best story teller of all and many times we see similar things happen in his story. We see blessings for the righteous man and trouble for the wicked man.
We see this played out In the book of Esther with Haman and Mordecai. The evil Haman is bound and determined to completely eradicate God’s people. The crafty coward comes up with a plan to destroy the Jews by edict of the king. But that’s not all, he will also publicity hang the righteous Mordecai in front of his house on his homemade gallows. It would seem as if the wicked Haman’s plan is. Going great... It would seem as if he has all but won... Until God himself flips the scrips on Haman. The king learns of his devious plan, and Haman is sentenced to be hung on his own gallows while Mordecai is given a position of great power.
Quite often in Gods story we see such things. Blessing for the righteous and trouble for the wicked. That shouldn’t really be that surprising to us because God is completely just and fair. What is surprising however, what is completely amazing is when God decided to give wicked people what the don’t deserve grace!
Such is the glorious reality of the Gospel. Where by the power of God’s grace, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and Faith in his name , God transforms wicked men into righteous men so he can do them good instead of harm.
I’d you want to know more about how this glorious transformation takes place go read Ephesians 2:1-10
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Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Thank You For Reproof R Aylor If you’re like me you have failed many times in life because of sin. For me, time and time again God has initiated his plan to humble me in his own way and timing. (sometimes allowing me to wallow in my own grossness until I am sick of it) But the thing is… I am God’s child. He sought me out and he who began a good work in me will bring it to completion. At times in life that can mean he will use difficult discipline.
You can see God’s steadfast love in Psalm 40. Notice the sorrows that come to the psalmist because of his iniquities but because he is the Lords, God does not abandon him but all his distress works for his good.
Psalm 40:11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!
It appears that the psalmist has already repented and he is trusting God for deliverance of his sins accompanying woes.
You know… with repentance comes unique peace that only our Father can give. Some of sin’s brokenness can leave marks on our body and may stay for a while or longer… they may even become scars that remind us of how God rescued us… but with repentance God’s peace that passes understanding and his joy are showered on us from heaven.
It’t quite a difficult prayer to pray but one I have prayed more than once…
Father God, thank you for loving me enough to reprove me… And Lord what ever it may take for me to treasure you supremely… Whatever it takes that this sin be taken away… knowing Lord that it may take great pain… an accident… an illness… Still Lord I ask for your mercy in this… but turn my heart to you. Please do what you will for your glory. That's what I want. Lord Thank You for your mercy.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. 72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
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Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
All Promises Fufilled R Aylor
In today’s text we find a promise similar to the one given in Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Many times we give God the leftovers of our days. Maybe it’s because we don’t really believe what God’s word says. I mean, after all, there are a lot of poor Christians… Are they all not giving God their first fruits?
Well it may be true that we do not give to the Lord as we ought but I want us to take a look at something Pauls says. In 2nd Corinthians 8 and 9 he has been speaking about the ways God fills our barns and vats in this life on earth for his glory… and strangely it seems that if we are poor we may still remain so. These are some of my favorite verses. You see, God’s economy uses heavenly math… It’s a kind of miracle math. I encourage you to read chapter 8 and 9 but here’s what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 9:11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Here’s another way to look at this verse which I believe is scriptural. Hebrews 11 speaks of believers who were tortured, imprisoned, stoned… even sawed in two… Some wandering about and living in dens and caves. It points them out as good examples for us. And we know, Christians still suffer today.
Are all Gods promises tethered and restricted to our short time on earth?
Hebrews 11 answers this question. After speaking of all the trials and woes of believers it says this:
Hebrews 11:39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
In this life the heroes of our faith received peace and amazing joy in Christ and God blessed them in great ways so they could bless others… but they still had the accompanying pains and woes that coexist with a broken world. Now they have died but they are waiting for us to join them so as the scripture says “that apart from us they should not be made perfect”.
Yes, one day all our barns will be filled with plenty and our vats bursting with wine and we will experience it with believers all together in the kingdom of God.
2nd Corinthians 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Healing And Refreshment RAylor
In chapter 2 of Proverbs we learned that if a person searches for wisdom like hidden treasures he will find it…
Proverbs 2 verse 10 says: for wisdom will come into your heart…
But in today’s text it says that we’re not to be wise… at least not in our own eyes. These almost seem to contradict or oppose one another.
But when attached to the phrase “not in your own eyes” we can see how any wisdom we have has been imputed to us… and it comes not from our own heart or our our own eyes but like Proverbs 2:6 says: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”.
It is the self righteous man that thinks of himself as self-wise.
But our text says rather than being that man… That is, the man who in his self centered wisdom is not deterred by the fear of the Lord… but instead he follows after sin and rationalizes his selfishness and the lust of his eyes and makes a case that there is wisdom in what he chooses… Anyway… rather than being that man our text says that if we follow after the wisdom of the Lord it will bring healing and refreshment to us. I wonder how that works?
Psalm 31 is a Psalm of David I believe it is about him but it also points us to Jesus on the cross. You can read it in full to see all the parallels. But verse 10 talks about how sin takes away a mans strength…. it brings much sorrow….
For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
That’s what sin does to a man which is the opposite of what our text says about the man who looks to the LORD. In today’s text verse 8 says: It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
You see Psalm 31 shows us how Jesus became sin for us… he who knew no sin became sin so we might receive the righteousness of God. (see 2nd Corinthians 5:21) His flesh and his body took our pain and illness… even our death… all the things that sin brings so we might be be victorious over sin in every way… now positionally 100% righteous before God… and then as we are being changed practically on earth… and finally raised like him incorruptible, with him and accepted by God…
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Golden Horned Evil Jackalopes RAylor
This verse is often quoted along with the verse that proceeds it. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
What is it that you acknowledge… the thing you take with you wherever you go in all you do?
If someones life is focused on greed, It will take them off the straight path to God. If they punch selfishness into their new automatic GPS guided steering wheel it will immediately cause you to make a sharp turn… hope your seat belt is on. In like manner, if my focus is on how I look to others, or if I am acknowledging wrong things to guide any area of my life I will stray off the straight path in Gods will. If I zig and zag from his path all throughout my life, I will likely look back and realize I have wasted almost all of it chasing jackalope rabbits with golden horns down dark dangerous trails.
(Personal note: To this day my brother claims he saw a "Jackalope" as we were growing up in Mineral Wells Texas.) God straight path brings us into his presence where there is real life… That’s where he wants us to walk every day.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Jesus spoke this path that leads to life… He added a dimension to it… he said it was also narrow.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. It may seem overwhelming to you that the gate is so straight and narrow. The narrow gate is not big enough for Buddha or Muhammad or Confucius or the demons consciously worshiped by the millions of Hindu’s… The narrow gate is not big enough for the religions of the peoples of the west who trust in their own works of righteousness which is dangerously less obvious but equally unable to save them… or who trust in a prayer they repeated or a church building they visit or a family they are a part of or water they were sprinkled with or submerged into…
The narrow gate is so narrow that it is Jesus and Jesus only… period.
In Luke 18 Jesus said this: 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
Notice how Jesus answered in verse 27: But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Father, thank you for letting me trust you and your finished work on the cross. Thank You for taking payment for my sin and giving me your righteousness. May I acknowledge you, keep you in the forefront of my heart and mind as my greatest treasure, and walk in your steps following you on your path. Thank you for keeping me all the way to the end. As your word says speaking of Jesus in: 1st Corinthians 1:8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Lean Not RAylor What a great, simple, yet most difficult verse to apply in our life. When we first come to Christ we trust him above all our unanswered questions. (for there are always more questions that could cause us to wait no matter how many he has already answered.) We release our feeble grasp of control on life and submit to the guidance of his hands.
And yet even now, even years after first looking to him, our understanding still cries out "Why this way Lord?" but again and again we submit and learn to trust, acquiring more joy and rest in his word. Jesus is the only source for this peace; not only in our salvation's conception but for continual sustaining of this life in his Spirit. Every day we live out the same Gospel that we first believed.
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus said “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. So yes, it’s the Gospel every day… We let go of what we used to treasure. Not only physical things but things like our own rationalization to follow our selfish lusts... things like always having to have the last word... being seen as the one who is right and has it all together… We let go of our greed... We open up and let unforgivness fall from our clenched fists. In our joy we let go giving all things up for the surpassing treasure of Jesus.
Lord, as we go forth today help us to forsake our own biased broken understanding and trust you and your word with all our heart.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 3:4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
It's About Relationship R Aylor
Solomon has been writing to his Son about remembering his words and keeping them from the heart… how they are important things for living life and being successful to reach your Creators purpose for not only Solomon's son but you and I. Life revolves around relationships. Humans can only have meaningful relationships with other humans and with our Creator, in whose image we were made. That's how God made us.
Do you remember our last devotion and how Jesus spoke about the two greatest commandments?
As we read it again notice that its all about relationships. Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Solomon gave his son good counsel… wise words to be used in relationship with God and others throughout life. As we journey through Proverbs, let’s keep an eye out for good relationship counsel.
Here’s a partial list of the topics that are discussed in Proverbs: Controlling Anger, Gossip, Slander, Greed and Hate… How should we to Relate to Authority… Dealings in Business, Relationships with friends and family, Borrowing/Lending, Diligence and work ethics, Self Discipline, Honesty, Cheating, Loyalty, Deceit, Speaking, Being Silent, Listening, Loving, Standing up for those who cannot defend themselves, Being Fair, Helping the Poor, dealing with our Pride, Humility, Rebellion, Reproof, Regarding our Plans, Happiness, Goals, Our Heart, Sin, Confession, Peace, Avoiding Adultery, Following after Righteousness, and Wisdom. I’ll read today's verse again… Proverbs 3:4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
We will experience good relationships with God and man as Jesus and the cross are unpacked; as we remember his words and joyfully keep them… and as the heart of God is taught to us from his Word by his Spirit and applied in our lives.
Proverbs 3:3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Faithful & Steadfast We Bind And Write
RA
Solomon has been writing to his Sons about remembering his words and obeying them from the heart… and even how doing so will be for their own good… Now he gives them some practical ways of thinking about keeping this kind of a commitment.
If you have ever started a diet or maybe an exercise program, you know it's a lot easier to plan than to follow through on. Reading a book can be difficult for some, much less writing a book, or writing a song, beginning a bible reading plan, learning a foreign language, becoming efficient on a musical instrument or getting a college degree. Etc and etc… Few are faithful and steadfast to follow through on things that are both important and yet difficult. Those who do, tape pictures on their refrigerators, stick post it notes on the dashboards of their cars, set related information as lock screens on their phone; they play like minded audio through their ear phones, repeat, replay, recite, watch, relate, research, write down, converse, discuss, blog and pray. The passions of their heart are on their mind constantly and come to play a part in influencing their decisions at work… in relationships… in their home life… how they spend their money… even the programs they watch on tv… I suppose the question each person asks is what is most important to me… What is my passion in life? What is worth being paramount overriding and helping to focus every area of my life? Is it my favorite hobby? Will that lead all my thought patterns? Will I work everything in life… even family time all around my job? Will my family be number one purpose for being born and living during my short time in the span of eternity?
Or… is there something greater than everything else which by placing at the forefront which makes all these other great things in life the best they can be also? In Matthew 22 Jesus was asked this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” The Lord Jesus Christ should be at the top of every list we have in life. Do you have that desire? You can probably tell by looking at how you spend your time or even how you spend your money. Are his words bound around your neck? Are they strapped to your backpack? Are they written down on your iPad or tablet? Or more importantly are they written down on the tablet of your heart.
Today let's begin intentionally seeking to know God better through Jesus; and with the Holy Spirits help we will be faithful to love God with all our heart and steadfast to love our neighbor as ourself.
Proverbs in 365 devotions braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 3:2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
To Honor Your Parents In verse one Solomon sets this verse up telling his son not to forget what he has taught him. Now verse two reminds his son’s of the the fifth commandment from those God gave Moses at Mount Sini, and is the first given with a promise. Being repeated by Solomon and then by Paul in Ephesians doesn’t make it more true; but may emphasize the great importance of its application in our lives. Ephesians 6:1 begins: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Your parents may or may not have been godly. No parents are perfect for certain. They may have used you… They may have abused you… They may have taught you lies; they may have set a poor example for you in life… They may have abandoned you. But God was the one that chose and placed you in the time and country and family you are in for his own purpose and glory…
In Acts 17:26-27 Paul said: And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
God know’s you better than anyone in the Universe does and whether you see it or not he he gave you the parents he did for your good and his glory.’
Therefore… we should joyously love, pray for, obey and honor our parents with willingness and sincerity as Ephesians say "in the Lord". If we do so it will do us much good and more than that it will glorify our Lord. Since Jesus died for us and rose again, he gives us that same power that raised him up, even his Holy Spirit which enables us to obey Gods commands with joy from the heart… and that includes honoring our parents in the Lord.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
Remembering Loving And Acting R Aylor
I like to joke sometimes and say I have a great memory but its very short. Honestly though, I seem to forget a lot of things in life; like why I walked into a room or what I went to the grocery store for and what my Instagram password is. Still yet, the things that are most important to me it seems I can hardly forget. I remember my best friends in life, the foods I’m allergic to, I remember to eat every day and sleep every night… I even remember many instructions for life my parents taught me growing up.
That’s what Solomon wanted his son’s to remember. Solomon was the wisest man on earth… and he had some gems to give his sons. Many are written down in these 31 proverbs. It just so happens that his words are also inspired by God himself so they are Gods words to all of us and not only Solomons sons.
We should remember Gods words to us…
The second part of this verse says: “but let your heart keep my commandments”. God has always wanted a people who served him with joy from the heart. So we should not remember his words just as facts so we might pull out of our hat to use in some trivia game but because they are that important to us…
Things like:
We can always go to the Lord when we feel burdened down or stressed for any reason. Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God will never remove his love from his children. Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For believers everything no matter how difficult comes upon us for our good even when we can’t see how it could be possible… even unto death. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
When it comes to the Gods working in our life, he always finishes what he starts... Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
If we don’t remember and keep Gods word from the heart it is just legalism… which is disobedience. God wants his children to live lives of great joy in him because we remember his word and follow him from the heart.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 2:7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Our Shield / RA
How might the Lord store up sound wisdom for the upright?
Well, sound wisdom is protection for the godly person, right? Sound wisdom defends us against the attacks of satan and the temptations of sin because it shows us God is worthy to be trusted no matter what may come.
Our text says how the Lord is a shield to those who walk in righteousness.
Instead of “shield”, the King James version uses the translation “Buckler” which was a smaller round shield held by a handle or worn on the forearm. It was light weight and could be moved into position quickly. Today one may wear something similar on a belt which we call a buckle. That’s just an interesting side note, however in his wisdom, God does store up an arsenal of godly weapons for those who in faith bow in honesty before him.
So far Proverbs 2 has been talking about how wisdom comes from the Lord and how from his mouth come knowledge and understanding… This is what the shield of the upright is composed of… the wisdom and knowledge and understanding of God… the word of the Lord. It protects us from the evil one… Trusting his word brings us salvation.
Psalm 18:35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.
His word protects us from the bullets and swords and arrows that come our way.
Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
One more:
Psalm 18:1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
Amen!
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
God's Word & Creation
So far we have seen Wisdom referred to allegorically as a woman… Now we are finding a bit more about her origin. Solomon tells us that the Lord is the one who gives wisdom.
Ok, let’s take a look at this phrase: “from his mouth”. “from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”
Remember in Genesis 1 how God in all his wisdom, knowledge and understanding spoke. Genesis 1:3: And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
And Psalms 33:9 says: For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
The universe was created by his word.
Hebrews 11:3 says: By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
So we’ve looked at how God in all his wisdom, understanding and knowledge is the one who gives these very things to man… they come from his mouth… and then we looked at how God’s wisdom and the words of his mouth are connected to Creation.
But the thing is… there is a more personal connection God gives us that links us to his Word and wisdom and even Creation.
The Word actually became flesh: John chapter 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. … 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This is truly amazing! Jesus; God’s only Son is the Word of God through whom the Universe was created and he came to earth as a man.
This one through whom all wisdom dwells shoes himself to ignorant stupid self centered mankind.
Again this is amazing!
It was through this same Jesus God said “let there be light” and he came down to earth to make a new creation in us.
In 2nd Corinthians 4:6 Paul makes this direct parallel to creation: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
So it is through Jesus and God’s inspired word of the Bible about Jesus that works in us by Gods Holy Spirit to bring about a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Speaking of God James 1:18 says: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
As we read when God shines in our heart it illuminates the beauty of Jesus from God’s word... how he is the greatest treasure and good news for our soul... it says how he gives us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
It’s the illuminating of Jesus for who he is that transforms us...
That’s why as we see more and more of Jesus this new creation is transformed also more and more as we become more like Jesus.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
I know we’ve come a long way with the text we read in Proverbs... but let me read it again and then close.
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Pray
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
/RA
It’s interesting to me how God designed our knowledge and understanding of him to be in relation to our following what we know of him. We don't understand everything first and then decide whether to follow Christ. Romans chapter 1 shows us that God has already shown all of mankind a clear path pointing toward him as the one to seek after. As every good compass points north, all God's creation points to him. His prophets; his laws, the stories played out in the lives of people in the Bible like Abraham and Daniel and Joseph and so many more... Every bit of his word points us to Jesus. His Holy Spirit agrees and also points us to Jesus.
If we truly have a heart to seek him and his will... to follow after the truth he has given us... he will guide us to distinguish between truth and error that we may know and walk close to him.
In John 7:17 Jesus said: If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
And at the same time while Creation and Gods word and His Holy Spirit point us to truth... our personal affection with sin... like a magnet pulls the needle of our compass from true North toward deception.
So... here in today's text I think as Solomon speaks about wisdom, he is also speaking about the Lord. He is calling out to us always in a world full of noises and we are to respond by calling out back to him. That calling out is one way we seek him; and when we do... as today’s passage says: "then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.".
Proverbs 2:2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
Remember in chapter one of Proverbs that Wisdom is already calling out in the street, in the markets… even at the entrance of the city gates.
And so among all the many crazy noises of the world, Solomon wants his son to tune his ear to hear Wisdom because wherever he goes she will be calling out and Solomon wants him to listen to her. Like the little girl who got separated from her family in the Mall. There were people all around her… All sizes of people… tall, wide and even short but she was among the smallest and she couldn’t see around everyone. Also there were all kinds of noises. So many people were talking and she couldn’t hardly make out any of it because it was all mambo jumbo mixed up.Every once in a while she thought she heard someone calling out her name… Eventually she tuned her ear to the sound and was able to separate it from the other noises. “I think it’s coming from over there” she told herself.
Does she stay quiet? What do you think? No, of course not! She begins calling out at the top of here little lungs “I’m over here! I’m over here!”. It is similar with Wisdom and all her attributes like insight and understanding are calling out. But this is a crazy world and there are voices talking everywhere… and more than that, many are wanting our attention and so they are calling us at the same time… But we must be desperate to listen… our life depends on it… Wisdom… I hear you faintly… “I’m here!” “I’m here!”
This passage is full of action phrases. It implores us to… using phrases like: (call out) as we mentioned, it says: (making your ear attentive), and: (inclining your heart), and: (raise your voice), also: (seek it like silver) and (search for it as for hidden treasures) The greatest treasures are always worth pursuing with gritty action like rolling up your sleeves and digging down into the grunge. Great treasure is worth it! A treasure hunter does not worry if he gets his hands dirty… When your metal detector starts calling or rather beeping you dig with all your gusto until you and your great treasure are together. Jesus said in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
Fathers Be Intentional
RA
Wow! What a great model this verse is for us in every time period and culture on earth! As a father, Solomon is encouraging his son with a one-on-one man-up time. God shows us throughout scripture how the man should step up and lead his family in godliness.
Ephesians 6:4 says: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
When we have gotten into a routine and established standards with which our family now views us, it can be hard to break out of the mold. If husbands and wives do not pray together; if there is no intentional family prayer or Bible time; if there is not Spiritual discussion… then at least practically there is little that classifies us a Christian family. I’m not saying this family does not know Christ and that positionally they are 100% his through Jesus; I’m saying if this is so then there must be fruit somewhere, and there needs to be a practical growth in family spirituality in Christ.
So break out of those preconceived routines. Be intentional! Begin new routines. Men instruct your children in the Lord and discipline them with love; pray with your family and again personally with your spouse. Consider reading the Bible together out loud. Maybe start with the gospel of John. Pick a small section of time you can all be together daily and maybe even write down in a journal what you and your family discuss from the text as a simple bible study and conclude with a prayer. Start something in Christ no matter how small. Begin laying down a legacy that can be handed down to your children and their children for years and years to come; and as you do, your lives will be transformed as you grow into the likeness of your Savior.
Proverbs 15:19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.
Highway Through The Briar Patch / RA
Have you ever had to walk through a thicket of thorns vines? Maybe through the woods while hunting or trying to retrieve a golf ball or Frisbee that made its way into the heart of the bramble? Mercy there are a lot of thorns on these vines! It doesn’t take long before your walk slows down to a literal crawl and it hurts the arms and legs as you move. It hurts your fingers every time you try and pull a thorn vine out of your way. Every step is marked with a groan.
That’s how the sluggard feels with the every day things in life. Every task is hedged by thorns.
Oh no, I gotta get up; how horrible this is… Woe is me… Its too cold to shower… Why me? It’ll be ok to wait and feed the dog after I get home from work… My boss hates me… fellow employees are stupid… Home at last; the couch… turn on the tv, nothing good... my muscles hurt… I ate to many snacks, my tummy hurts, … lights out… Oh no, I gotta get up; how horrible this is… running late… My life is so difficult, unfair, full of misery and hardship... Ooops, just remembered I forgot to feed the dog yesterday… Boy I stink, I’ll take a shower when I get home. Or, maybe I’ll just sleep.
Has life become hedges of thorns that keep you from fulfilling the purpose God has for you? If so, you may be a sluggard. I can Identify… I’ve spent plenty of time caged in by the thorns…
One can move a lot better on a level highway than through a thicket of briars.
Something has to change… focus has to switch from centering on self and thorns to seeing the glory of God and loving others.
Since the fall, mankind is born out of fellowship with God and our purpose is turned inward. Even then God spoke of the seed of the woman who would be the only hope for mankind and our sin. He would die in our place and raise that he might raise us in body and in victory over sin in many ways. Our focus must now be on him. A focus that says he is our guaranteed hope… he is our delight… our joy… our good news…
Then we have a reason to stand up in this broken briar infested world and rejoice!… And so we go… we go and share the good news of the beauty of Jesus and his love to others.
Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, Outstretched Hands On A Dead End Road To be slighted, insulted, mocked, called crazy and even evil when you are trying to help someone and show them love is a difficult thing. To keep on calling with stretched out hand saying: Turn around! When Wisdom calls out she reminds me of Hank Snow and Bob Dylan who sang: You’re going “Ninety miles an hour down a dead end street”. So stop and turn around won’t you!!! Wisdom stretches out her hand and yells: The bridge is out!!! The fool hearted person thinks “did I hear something? It was only the wind”, or "it must have been that crazy lady again"; and they continue speeding down the steep hill not paying attention to Wisdom's words. As Wisdom has stretched out her hand beckoning us, Jesus who was insulted, mocked, called crazy, told he had a demon, whipped and crucified, extended his hands on a cross as he died for our trespasses; then getting the last word over death for all who listen to him as he rose in victory on the third day. God is a just judge and whether you think him foolish fiction refusing his love or whether you believe his words and find hope in him. His final say for you life will be seen in how you respond to his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.
Do you see his hands outstretched for you. He wants to get your attention. Right now he says child, you’re going 90 miles an hour down a dead end street. You’re coming up on calamity. It’s right up ahead! Hurry! Turn around… turn from sin toward me… Trust me. Trust in my righteousness for your soul. Will you see Jesus as a crazy lunatic or the good news your soul needs?
Proverbs 1:23 (ESV) If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. True Enlightenment Robin A As the oldest of four children I can relate to Wisdom's talk of reproof. If I didn’t turn at my Mother or Fathers scolding I really got it. I believe my younger brother and sisters received less and less spankings as time went on… Maybe I was orneryer than my siblings… That’s a bit hard for me to believe… but who knows, maybe. What I got was a lecture some times along with a paddling via a ping pong paddle or switch from on top of the fridge… Sometimes it was a belt or when nothing was close by a hardy whipping with the hand. Child abuse you ask!!! Hahahaa, I think not. I was the one abusing their love and authority. They disciplined me because they loved me and wanted what was best for me. They wanted me to have great joy in being a part of the family. The more I was obedient to my parents the greater sense of belonging came… along with understanding of what a family really was. Wisdom’s voice of reproof is a vocalization of love. She is calling for those who are straying to find shelter and safety. She wants us to have a good bed to sleep on and a good meal to eat. She wants us to find not lust and destruction but peace, acceptance and relationship. Notice this one little verse speaks of three things and they align up with the way God works in us through Salvation taught throughout the Bible.
Turn at my reproof (That’s what repentance is… Turning around and going the opposite way from sin towards God.)
Then our text says: I will pour out my spirit to you;
Who is this allegorical woman known as Wisdom who pours out her spirit to us? In John 7:38 (ESV) Jesus said: Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Our text says: I will make my words known to you. Who is this one called Wisdom that enlightens our hearts and minds and makes their words known to us? In John 16:13 Jesus said: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Thank you Lord for giving us ears to hear your call, for quickening our understanding by your Spirit, and giving us eyes to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
What makes you think things will change tomorrow?
This is a good question that the lady Wisdom is asking, and one we need to consider. How long will you hate knowledge? I think knowledge spoken of here which fools hate points to the ways of God. His ways are immeasurable and unattainable in our own power. Romans 11:33 says: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Fools hate Gods ways because it goes against their ways… And it shows he is God and not them… And they cannot attain his title of God no matter how they try and this infuriates them.
God is asking us how long will you be simple minded? Why do you choose to stay in first grade over and over for your whole life and yet want to be the teacher? Let me teach you truth! Why do you want to play with mud pies instead of letting me cook you a feast? How long will you repeat the lies of the world to yourself and others? God is saying Trust me! Believe in me! The famous folk singer Tracy Chapman sang these lyrics: “If not now then when?” If you plan on waiting till tomorrow before you come to me, what makes you think things will change tomorrow? The thing that is likely to change is that your heart will become harder and harder so friend… please don’t wait. Like the children of Israel wandering in the dessert we mustn’t waist large portions of our life saying “not today”. Hebrews 3 says: 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Today Wisdom calls. Today God the Holy Spirit calls us to come and believe, to find hope in the Messiah Jesus. May we not waste our life away in non belief, much less eternity but rather find true joy in Christ today. Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your heart but delight in him as the good news for your soul.
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
Lady Wisdom Cries Out R Aylor In an earlier devotion we have already confirmed there are lots of voices calling out in the world, most of which promise satisfaction while leading us to destruction. As we go through Proverbs Solomon will focus on a few women allegorically… but basically two who are calling out, one of which is Wisdom. And so Wisdom is out there calling; somewhere close by in your neighborhood… Can you hear her call among all the other voices. She is always close by and ready for those who long for her; but for those who think themselves wise, it is the other women of the night who get their attention. For those who think themselves not needing wisdom… they will have no meetings… no dates… no get together's with the lady Wisdom. I believe the lady Wisdom in Proverbs allegorically directs us to the wisdom of God through Jesus. 1st Corinthians 2:7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. Like the lady Wisdom the wisdom from God which comes only through Jesus is also very near. Romans 10:8 and 9 says this: But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. When we are granted to hear Gods voice above all the other noises we can receive his wisdom through faith and it doesn't depend whatsoever on mans strength or even will; (Romans 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.). The wisdom of God is not granted for good deeds; (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.) But salvation and righteousness and fellowship and good standing with God… This wisdom of God comes when we are gifted faith with ears to hear and eyes to see Jesus as good news for us. Let us thank God for this gift of grace.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Godly Fear Is A Blessing
Robin Aylor
The word oxymoron comes to mind when I think about how overly wise a fool may think themselves to be. It’s clear they despise even the seeking of wisdom aside from their own musings because they refuse advice and instruction from others even if it is given from personal experience. They say: I need no correction, rebuke or guidance; I need no mercy; I got this.
Little do they know… no matter how hard they try and no matter how fast they run and no matter what they do… even with all their efforts… they will never see the most important knowledge of the ages from within themselves. They may smell it in the aroma of a flower… Their mouth may water when they see a beautiful sunset… But the taste of wisdom stays hidden from them and they do not savor it’s taste or delights. They do not fear their Creator so they refuse to take his advice. They do not listen to his words of truth and so… wisdom and knowledge and understanding have been hidden from the foolish from throughout the ages.
A young boy might fear his father who loves him enough to teach him right from wrong. The son knows a belt or paddle or switch is waiting for him if he bullies someone at school or steals from the grocery store. He knows his father disciplines him because he loves him. This same father also worked hard to provide a roof over his son’s head and food for his belly and a good education for him. Now he fears he might bring his father sorrow by living a life of disobedience which would also bring more pain to his own soul than the worst spanking.
We too may fear our Father in heaven when we rebel because he loves us and so disciplines us. But we also fear him in the sense that we are desperate not to betray his love. He has shown us love and we fear lest we take his love for granted. We fear we might be like Solomon and in our old age forsake our fathers teachings as Solomon did his father David when his heart was turned to other gods.
The last verse of 2nd Corinthians 6 says: and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Then chapter 7 verse one continues: Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Thank You Lord for the wonderful way we are to fear you… A fear that purifies us and works to transform our character and attributes to conform to your holiness.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Hear, Learn, Understand
Robin Aylor
We hear lots of things everywhere we go; at the market, work, school, on television, the internet, music, in nature, among our families, our church and Gods Holy Word. But truth is not relative. The laws of right and wrong are not a thousands shades of grey. Yes, seeing truth can take honesty and discernment. I want to discern truth and then let it be applied in my life.
If I am arrogant and foolish I won't listen to advice. I would only hear noises agreeing with myself saying I should be the teacher instead. I’ve done that very thing. Solomon wanted his son's to listen to true counsel and not advice from their worldly friends or the politically correct voices of the day.
All real rock bottom, in context truth whether in the world... in nature or on tv or wherever is anchored in or tethered to the word of God whether they know it or not. And the source is even more defined than that.
Solomon wanted his sons to know truth and not be blindsided by the many self centered world views they would encounter in life. As Believers we have a helper to Guide us. We no longer have ears that only hear the politics of a broken world. But we have someone who stands for us and guides us… even God himself, the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will beg in you.
And so as we live in a broken world, may we humble ourselves, listen, pay attention, ponder, consider, read, study, ask and reflect until the treasures of Gods word sparkle like diamonds to the transforming of our life for the glory of God.
Pray
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
How To Quiet A Boiling Pot / R Aylor Have you ever been lied to, used or hurt in some way and your heart became angry and bitter? I can even imagine someone may have possibly looked at me wrong or even only wonder if they imply a grudge against me and the wheels in my mind start their turning. The next thing you know my heart is simmering then piping hot. It may cool down a bit from time to time but as I drive down the road or when I lay in bed or when I’m alone and have time to think about it the pot begins to stew once again. And whether I speak of what’s on my mind or not… this stirring in my heart effects the relationships around me… my demeanor.. my body language, my words… my focus…
A hot temper in relation to being slow to anger makes me think of cooking, possibly because I spent many years in the restaurant business. A cook who quickly stirs new ingredients into a boiling pot can cause the contents to burst out, burning the cook and others who are close, but a wise chef will stir in slowly with patience… The same with life… a wise person will stir in long-suffering, and love with patience. The heated frictions will soon level out and simmer into gratifying calmness and peace.
Since we live in a broken world and we too are a work in progress… It’s a good ideal to continually be adding in good things to our thought life. One way is that whenever the pot begins to boil we should immediately bring it back to the Lord and praying for those who have hurt us. Think about how much God loved us even while we were still at odds toward him. We should love others in the same way.
Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of good ingredients to always be adding to our boiling pot: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Proverbs 15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
What's Better Than A Feast? Many people plan for a day when men will have to live off the land once more. They learn about growing wild herbs of all kinds. They find out what weeds are good for food, what roots are eatable in winter and how to find them. They know what kinds of tree bark will sustain them and what berries will not kill. We live in an age when some people seem to embrace living this kind of lifestyle.
Though a dinner of greens may appeal to some in our culture today but there was a time when it represented someone very poor. And to tell the truth if you try to live off of herbs alone… as if you only had the spices to eat that normally went along with the main course to flavor the vegetables and meats… Meals like that would be pretty skimpy meals to eat with your family day after day.
And yet… If there is love between one another in your family, the time you spend eating together is a sweet time. It is so much better than a table full of food with everyone demeaning one another. Fightings and strivings and prideful self seeking people are miserable and they encourage despair in those they are around.
Father please keep me from being that kind of person. Make me a person of love and peace and one who privately and publicly adores You and savors the delights of your word above any food and may I point others to this same joy in you.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
Understanding Is Not Knowledge / Robin Aylor I have to admit I’m not that great with directions… And I would rather not ask for directions when Im lost… It shows my incompetence… And another thing… I’d rather not ask for help when putting something together like a shelf or piece of furniture… I usually even wait till I’ve failed a number of times before really focusing on the instructions.
This seems to be a shortcoming of mine… But… what about the important things of life? If I never ask for advice or counsel or have accountability with someone else as this verse implies… I actually lack understanding because understanding does not mean I already know or have the answers… It says how those who already have understanding will seek knowledge outside of our self... We don’t have the answers… So we go to God and his word for counsel…
Psalm 34:4 says: I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
We also seek knowledge from Christian brothers and sisters.
Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Finally this passage says the mouths of fools feed on folly. What do we feed our lives with?
Philippians 4:8 says: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Proverbs 15:13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
Explodes Into Smiles What brings sorrow of the heart? The worst culprit is unrepentant sin. I think about the scoffer we just read about in the previous verse; Proverbs 15:12. He does not like reproof. I expect that could be the very thing that crushes the spirit of this one in verse 13. Being told we are wrong does not always set well with us. And yet Proverbs 12:1 talks about one who loves discipline. It says: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,…”
Look… discipline is not joyous while it is in progress… I am the oldest of 4 children and I believe I received more whippings than any of my siblings… I never looked forward to that! What child likes to be spanked? However… proper discipline can have a good return on character for a child willing to be instructed…
Hebrews 12:11 says: All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous, but grievous: yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness.
However, when we are disciplined but keep rationalizing our actions instead of agreeing with our Father in heaven… our relationship with God does not change but our fellowship with him changes from joy to defiance… Our countenance falls and we are out of sync with the Lord. We are not abiding in his word and his word is not abiding in us… We think we know what is best for us but believe me… The promise of Sin is just one big scam!
But… when we accept rebuke and listened to counsel and turn to Christ for his tender mercies, our countenance explodes into smiles and our heart to singing all because of Jesus.
Consider the words of David in Psalms 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Proverbs 13:8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat.
What if you were kidnapped by someone and they called your spouse and said: “I will release your husband unharmed for a million dollars”? If you’re poor like me there would be a problem. You family bank account does not have a million dollars in it. The ransom for your life is only Nine Hundred and Seventy Five Dollars and eighteen cents… Less, of course if all the outstanding checks clear the bank! Right?
So yes, the ransom of a man’s life is his wealth and… poor people just don’t get held for ransom because they are not worth much to a kidnapper.
Solomon tells us this truth about life but why? What wisdom is there for us… Is it best to be poor to keep from being kidnapped?
Proverbs 13:8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. So what can we learn from this spiritually?
Jesus talked about this in Matthew 5:3… He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the man who realizes he is bankrupt spiritually; he turns to the Lord for mercy.
Once his life was held for ransom by sin and he would pay the price from day to day with everything he had but in the end sin would still have him and it would end in death… But God, rich in mercy sent his only Son to die and pay Sin’s fee and ransom his life from sins hold.
And now since he believed, Jesus is his greatest treasure and no one can steal him away… and now he has riches beyond measure stored up in the kingdom of heaven. No one can touch them. They are safe and his life is safe from all pursuers.
And while on earth sin has no more hold on him. You see Jesus defeated death and gives him the same power that raised him to fight sin every day. When he does fall and pulled toward the promises of sin, he turns back to Christ his greatest treasure… He realizes the promises of sin are all just scams!!! He turns back to his greatest treasure Christ who has paid the ransom for his soul.
Psalm 116:12 What shall I render to the LORD, for all his benefits to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
Short sermon about God's mercy / robin aylor November 5, 2019
Proverbs 12:21 No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.
No ill? What do you mean?… Everyone I ever knew has had their share of troubling woes. How can you believe a book that says such blatant things?… How can you preach truth from opposing poles?
All people have trouble… Can anybuddy dispute that? It’s a broken world inside this bubble Filled with both Republicans and Democrats.
No ill befalls the righteous… Wait… Knock on wood! Why do you keep whispering words of hate? Or is that just right wing lip service? for those who love God all things work …for good … for those … called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
But people get sick, right? They hurt, they cry; whether spoken or unspoken, we’re all broken, we all die, Friend listen! Pain is not ill for those righteous in Christ… And this momentary affliction holds no restriction on peace and joy and eternal life
You talk of ill’s as though they are what ever you don’t agree with… Thats just a biased myth Yes, the wicked are filled with troubles like all, but the righteous are joyful whatever befalls
Jesus said ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ Go and learn what this means You see, His mercy carries with it no ill… Here lies his gift for all who believe
Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
What is better than trouble tethered to treasure because of sin? To tell the truth… just about anything you can think of. I would rather live in a small one room house with peace walking in the joy of the Lord… I would rather be able to connect to people with genuine love and be a giver… When I fall into some self centered trap I would rather be able to quickly repent and be reconciled to God and man…. I would rather all these things than to be rich beyond measure, walking with the devil, always burning bridges in relationships, in bondage to sin, miserable, unsatisfied… unrepentant… The riches from above are worth more than anything the world gives.
Today’s text talks about the fear of the Lord as though it is a good thing to prize above the greatest earthly treasure.
Why?
It is not like the fear of a father who beats his children or abuses his wife but rather it is a loving kind of fear… a fear one would have towards a loving father who works his fingers to the bone for his family… He would go without so they could have food and schooling… he would give his life for his children. What kind of fear would you have towards a father like that? It is a fear that you might hurt him by disobedience… It is a fear that he might love you so much to discipline you when you rebel for your own good in life… He loves you enough not to let you go down the wrong path even if it means discipline.
The Lord loves you so much that he gave his only Son to die for you… He loves you enough to show you he is the only good news for your soul… he loves you enough to show you he is the best treasure in the Universe worth turning away from all for… He loves you enough to adopt you into his family and discipline you as his own child for your own good…
Here’s a couple verses I’ll close with:
Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
The Truth About Lying Robin Aylor
Lying tongues sing songs of dung They turn sweet melodies to scum Their words are better left unsung You can’t retrieve them once they’re flung
The serpent lied to mother Eve Eat and then like God you’ll be She ate the fruit from off the tree He still lies to you and me
Liar’s have to rearrange Their words and context to explain Pretend, defend and shift the blame While truthful words will never change
So liar’s come and liar’s go No good fruit last’s from seeds they sow Save creepy songs on old banjo’s That teach the truth of all their woes
For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
To be prudent is to think about the future before you act… it is to consider what you do before you do it.
But I wonder why and when would it be a good thing to withhold knowledge from others?
Well it is surly good to withhold some things from others… A wise loan officer at the bank will not give funds to those who would use them foolishly even if they were in need. A pawn shop owner should never sell guns and bullets to someone without taking the time to get a background check… So yes, there are times to withhold even things that can be used for good… Why? because they can also be used for evil. A wise person needs to discern how knowledge will be used by others before they share it.
Do you think a prudent man would share the mistakes and sins of people he knows with all his neighbors? Of course not! Whether true or not this is called gossip… and it serves no benefit to the person who sinned or those who hear it or the one who shares it… Again, our text says: A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
So yes, it is the fool who blurts out gossip…
But a prudent man may share knowledge in the right circumstances… because being prudent he considers wisdom… He does share truth and knowledge for the benefit of others and God… He may choose a trusted friend to share with and to pray for the person who has sinned or the prudent man may ask someone to go with him to visit the person and help them see their sin and how Jesus is the greatest treasure in the Universe.
Let us be people who pursue prudence instead of proclaiming foolishness.
Proverbs 12:28 In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.
What's in your Path? / robin aylor
At times, I have come across various things in my path… Once riding a motorcycle I came across a piece of wire which wrapped around my wheel and flung me off to the ground… Another time on my cycle a tree seemed to appear out of nowhere right in my path… I have come across a snake… a cubby of quail… even a 20 dollar bill… but life? What does that even mean? “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
Of course every honest person on the globe would have to agree that human beings are not righteous. And I expect we would all agree that everyone dies. And so, it is conceivable, isn’t it that there might not be death for someone who is righteous because as sinners who all die we cannot argue against it.
The bible agrees that it is unrighteousness that brings us death. Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You see, Jesus is able to give us this gift of life because he never sinned and never had to die for any sin of his own… and yet he willingly was paid the wages of our sin in death on the cross that all who delight in him might have his righteousness and be accepted by God. Then Jesus defeated death and gives us that same power that raised him from the dead to overcome sin in our life… This is good news wouldn’t you say? And one day he will come to raise us up with him never to die again.
So yes, in the path of the righteousness of Christ is life, and in its pathway there is no death. It’s a good path to be on and I hope that in believing in Jesus you are walking that path today.
David, Goliath and Jesus
One day the armies of the Philistines gathered themselves against the armies of Israel. Both armies had weapons like swords and knives… but it was before guns were invented… so none of that… still it looked like there would be a big bloody battle ahead.
But then the Philistines sent one man over to talk to the armies of Israel… He was one of their champion fighters… As he approached Israel the soldiers noticed this man was big… even humongous... His name was Goliath and yes... he was a giant… He stood around 9 feet 9 inches tall.
Goliath shouted to the ranks of Israel: "Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants… ...I defy the ranks of Israel this day”.
When Israel heard his words they were very afraid!
They needed one strong courageous man who would stand up against Goliath and defeat him…
Not long afterwards, a boy walked into Israel's camp. His father had sent him to bring food to his brothers who were soldiers in Israels army. The boy's name was David.
He wondered why none of the soldiers would trust God and fight the giant.
Young David was only a shepherd but he had killed both lions and bears.
He said he would fight the giant… David received an audience with the king and he finally agreed to let the shepherd boy face the giant Goliath head on.
David wore no armor… The king let him try on his own armor but it didn’t feel right… He had no sword or spear… Only his sling shot… And as he went out he picked up three smooth stones that would fit in his sling and put them in his pouch. Then… David and Goliath met face to face.
.........
43 ...“Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”... 44 ...“Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
This young lad David stood up to the giant… He trusted God… But did you notice who he stood up for and why?… He stood up for the one true God… He wanted the soldiers to see that their power does not come from their own strength or swords or spears and Goliath power did not come from himself or his weapons but all power comes from God… ...........
God made a promise to David that one of his descendants would set on the throne of the true Israel… which would consist of people of every nation in the world. This would be the Son of God… Jesus, the promised Messiah who would be the only hope for mans sin… He would die for our sins and then defeat death… Through this he would give forgiveness to all who believe in him and one day raise us up like him never to die and be with him forever.
Something else God gives us through Jesus is that while on earth he sends his Holy Spirit to come and live inside all who believe in him. They will have the same power living in them that raised Jesus from the dead. This same power can give them victory over temptations of evil in their own life and also help them as they stand up against the giants of evil in the world like the young shepherd boy David stood up against evil in his day trusting not in himself but in the strength of the one true God.
1st Samuel 17:43-47 Am G F Am G F And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, Am G F that you come to me with sticks?” Am G F And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ————————————— Am The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” Dm Then David said to the Philistine “You come to me with a sword, Am G and with a spear and with a jave-lin,
F C but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts G F — Am G C ——— the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Am G F Am G F This day the Lord will deliver you, in - to my hand, Am G F Am G F and I will strike you down and cut off your head.
Am G F And I will give the dead bodies of the host Am G F of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air Am G F and to the wild beasts of the earth, Am G F ——— Am —— that all the earth may know that there is a God in Isra-el, F G Am —— and that all this assembly may know F G Am ——— that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. F G C F Am G F C For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give, you in-to our hand.”
Romans 6:4 and 11:36... a memory verse jingle played on ukulele with extra song verse in between both verses. Its about the command of Baptism for all believers as a testimony that the we are a new man in Christ with the same power that raised Jesus from the grave working in us to give us victory over sin and it does not have dominion over us as we grow in him... not only that the same power that raised Jesus will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever...
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Faithful In Position Faithful In Practice His Delight
Robin Aylor
Abraham Lincoln made a clever discovery about human behavior… maybe it was something he discovered in his own nature… nevertheless here’s what he said: “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar”
Lincoln was correct in his assessment, and from his words he was clearly against the practice of lying. But today Solomon is not merely showing us how to be a student of human behavior but rather something deeper… he is showing us the heart of God.
Our text uses the word “abomination”… This is probably the harshest term I can think of to show dislike for something and yet it is how God feels about lying.
Why is lying classed as so horrible of a thing to God?
Well I believe, for one thing, lying is something that satan loves to do… and he is good at it.
In John 8:44 Jesus said: "…When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies".
You see satan’s lies help show us who satan is at the core. He uses deception and crookedness. He sets us up to fall… he promises us treasures and satisfaction with pretense and trickery.
So... it is disgusting to God when people to want to be like satan. It is an abomination to the Lord for us to take on demonic traits.
Lying is the devil’s character… not God’s!
Hebrews 6:18 says “it is impossible for God to lie” and Titus 1:2 speaks of “God, who never lies”.
God wants us to take on his attributes and display his image.
Solomon says how those who are faithful are God’s delight.
Who are the faithful? The faithful are those who keep their word… their word is truth… not lies…
When they say they will call they call. When they say they will pray for you they pray. When they say “I do” it’s “I do” for life.
Look… we all fail so many times in life and so no one is truly faithful, but the good news of Jesus is two-fold:
1 - There is a way to receive his righteousness in our lives… to be covered in his truth you might say.
In John 14:6 Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”.
You see, we need everything good and true and virtuous about Jesus (that’s everything) to come into fellowship with God… And he gives this righteousness to all who look to him in faith.
The #2 good thing about the good news of Jesus is - As we look to Jesus daily and see more of his glory… he gives us power to actually live out his righteousness practically so that… as today's text indicates; we will not have lying lips but rather be his delight by being faithful to him.
Proverbs 12:17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
A True Witness With Honest Evidence Robin Aylor
If you’ve ever watched Cold Case Files or Forensic Files on TV or maybe FBI Files… Then you know that in a criminal investigation honest evidence is crucial. And there’s a lot more honest evidence than there used to be. With newer technology like laser ablation, magnetic fingerprinting, 3D facial reconstruction, or sequencing minute amounts of DNA someone left behind. Its good evidence that either refutes or confirms the accused story.
In a similar way, honest evidence either conflicts or bears witness to a person’s claim to believe in Jesus.
How many times have you heard “Jesus changed my life” from a person who’s lifestyle is still full of greed and gossip? There are many who claim to be a follower of Christ while they are actually only concerned about what is best for them in this life.
For these, salvation is a kind of fire insurance that allows them to stay engaged in that same old mission they always had without having to worry about the consequences of sin.
Don’t get me wrong… we all have sin and areas we need to grow in but believers live their lives in circles of true repentance.
You may have friends who show up for church on Sunday morning and talk like a sanctified angel but live like the devil partying with friends on Saturday night.
There may be people you know from your Sunday School class who answer all the questions spot on, but you work with them and know they cuss like a sailor at the job site. They blend right in with the rest of the world. Some of these same people are parents and wear the title Christian as a status symbol but at home never lead their children in prayer or study Gods word together.
All the actions of our life are symptoms of what lays beneath… They work together to support honest evidence for truth.
This passage tells us how if someone is speaking truth about what they claim there will be honest evidence. There will be confirmation of what they claim.
There are many evidences for true believers in Christ. One is a love and delight in God’s word. Another is a love for other believers.
John 13:35 Jesus said this: By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The question for today I believe is really this. Have you ever looked to Jesus as your greatest treasure? Have you ever turned away from sin and seen him as your delight, as beautiful and good news and your only hope? That is called believing in Jesus and repentance.
If so, then the witness of your profession will be true and good honest evidence will follow. Even when we sin and fail the evidence is there in our repentance... our turning back to God and apologizing to our neighbor.
Proverbs 12:16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Daniel Castor Sometimes people wear their emotions right on their sleeves. And it’s not always pretty. A child who crosses his arms and stops his feet as he huffs and puffs to his room. Or a grown man who gets into an argument with his wife and slams the door as he leaves the room. What about and angry driver who lays on the horn in traffic when someone cuts him off.
We may laugh at these examples but the truth is, we all have our own ways of letting people know when we are angry or upset. Red in the face or shouting out loud... A sarcastic voice or an eye roll here or there... We all have our go to’s when we are angry and we can call them what we want. But you know what proverbs 12:16 calls them. FOOLISH!
Fits of anger. Lashing out with no self control. Speaking without Thinking. Letting out all the anger at once with no regard for how it might hurt others. Foolish.
I’m ashamed to say that I struggle with this quite often. I need to learn a lesson in prudence.
Solomon tells us that the prudent person knows how to ignore an insult. He knows how to overlook an offense. The prudent person follows the advice of Elsa of Arendelle and learn to LET IT GO LET IT GO.
This is good medicine for the soul. Are there any good examples of this in scripture?
There are Several.
We could talk about David’s amazing patient in 2nd Samuel 16 when he was having rocks hurled at him by Shimei. He could have had him struck dead but he trusted himself unto the Lord
Or we could look at Joshua 10 when the people of Israel set out to rescue the people of Gibeon who had lied forced their way into a covenant. And yet Israel marched all day and fought to take care of those who had wronged them.
Or we could look to Jesus himself who...”When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”
Let us aim to be such a people! When troubles and insults come let us I trust ourselves to the Lord.
Proverbs 11:28 BC A Green Leaf
Once upon a time, in an enchanted forest, there was a beautiful tree. It was the largest one in the land with big bushy branches and bright green leaves. But the magical part was that each leaf could talk. Each with its own personality and thoughts.
There was one leaf in particular who was more chatty than the rest. She would say things like ...
“ I am so beautiful. My color is brighter than any other leaf here. Look at my pigment and veins. I am the most gorgeous leaf on this tree. Even the bugs come to admire me, but don’t dare bite.
One day a huge wind came out of nowhere and this leaf was blown off her branch and on into the forest. Once she landed, she thought to herself...
“ I’m fine. I was getting bored with those other leaves anyway. So quiet and ugly and rude. Now I get to travel and show everyone my beauty.”
The leaf was blown by the wind every now and then or carried off somewhere by a critter some times. All the while thinking of how beautiful she was and how everyone must be enjoying her as well. That was until a few days later, when the leaf looked down at herself and realized she was turning brown. The leaf panicked!
“ oh no! What am I going to do! “ she cried. Unfortunately, there was nothing that she could do. Within a few days the leaf had turned brown, dried up and was now dead.
The leaf had a lot of green and trusted in it whole heartedly to get her by. But, when the green was gone, there was nothing left. What she didn’t realize, was that the tree was sustaining her. It was the tree that gave her life and made her so green. Without the tree, there would be no leaf.
The same is true of us. Our “ green” may be money, fame, beauty or ability and talent. One day, those things will be gone. Then what’s left? What will our hope be in? It should be in the “tree” that sustains us and gives us that green. Our hope should not be in ourselves or the things of this world, but the creator of us and this world. Our hope should be in the salvations through Jesus on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Our hope should be in the sovereignty of God and the provision and protection and His grace and power that sustains us.
Our proverb today tells us that the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. In order to achieve this status of righteousness, we must first understand that there is nothing we can do to become righteous on our own. We receive this gift from Jesus through His death, burial and resurrection. When we trust him, he makes us righteous.
Let’s stop relying on how green we are and start being thankful for the tree that provides for us. The one true God.
Joy Joy Joy / robin aylor
God makes promises for joy... The world makes promises for joy...
It's true... God created us in a fashion so that we have the greatest joy possible when we find our satisfaction in him… He made us that way.
And you see… he is the greatest and the best there is.
And guess what… finding our satisfaction in him is exactly what glorifies him. That's what he wants for us… to find satisfaction in the best there is… Jesus Christ.
You might say he wants us to be a Christian Hedonist by seeking the greatest joy possible by treasuring him for who he is.
Here’s a couple scenarios:
If someone’s job was to trade stocks for profit and they were given a trustworthy tip that the next Amazon or Microsoft was available to buy real cheap… In their joy they would sell all the stocks they owned so they could buy that stock.
If you went to a garage sale and found a antique for 10,000 dollars that you saw valued at 10 million dollars on antique road show… You would go home and in your joy sell all that you had to buy that antique.
Jesus is infinitely greater than all the treasures of the earth combined.
Jesus is the treasure worth selling everything for as Jesus said in Matthew 13:44:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
This is an amazing parable and its just one sentence but it focuses on true Christian Hedonism. “In his joy” he sells all of the things on the worlds buffet of promises for Jesus the greatest treasure of all.
Joy in turning from sin to Jesus is not only necessary when we come to Christ but joy is mandatory in our service and worship of him.
Throughout history many Religions of the World have believed that offering sacrifices to God brings people favor and makes them acceptable in God’s sight. It seems as though it is something built in man that lets him know that something must die… blood must be spilt to account for the brokenness of man.
The Bible also makes this connection between sin and death and sacrifices. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death… Hebrews 9:22 …without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
We’ll come back to that shortly…
So yes, there have been lot’s of human sacrifices to false gods throughout time… to try and make up for the inadequacy of humanity.
The ancient Hawaiians believed that by sacrificing humans to Ku, the god of war, they could achieve victory in their battles.
For the Mesopotamians, when royal families died, they sacrificed the palace attendants, warriors, and handmaidens so they could accompany their masters into the afterlife.
The Aztecs believed that in order to keep the sun alive they would have to offer human sacrifices. Which included children… they also took volunteers and those captured during war. (During the reconsecration of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, the Aztecs reported that they sacrificed 80,400 prisoners over the course of four days.)
Sacrifice was a religious activity in The Mayan’s sacrificed animals, humans, including children and also bloodletting.
The Incas practiced human sacrifice to prevent natural disasters. The entire empire was plagued by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and floods, which the Inca’s believed were controlled by the gods. Wikipedia
The one true God… the God of Israel never advocated making human sacrifices. That practice is detestable to him.
The sacrifices of various cultures did not always include offering people. Still today, some offer other things don’t they?
People may give possessions or even time right?… Lot’s of people give money hoping it will make them acceptable to God. Many give time and possessions to those in need as an offering to God hoping he would say unto them: Well done!
But Jesus said something much different. He indicated that neither sacrifices or good deeds can clear us from the penalty of sin…
In fact, if a person is to be acceptable to God by his own achievement… they have to be 100% perfect. Listen to Jesus words: Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
No matter how many sacrifices or what kind of sacrifices a sinner offers God it will not make them acceptable to God. Why?
They are already a sinner. Their heart is not true… They are self centered and prideful. Their heart is broken with sin.
However, Jesus knows all people are sinners and fall short of Gods glory.
That’s why he came to earth to be the ONE who would live a perfect life that he might give sinners like you and me his righteousness.
Listen to Jesus words of hope to sinners like you and me: Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This is good news for sinners! Right?
Exodus 33:18-23 (ESV) Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Exodus 33:18-23 (ESV) Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Memory Verses With Ukulele and Spoken Word
Here's the basic chord construction for Ukulele. Chords are not formatting properly to words. Maybe you can figure it out. I ad-libbed a bit on some of them. To transpose to another key this should help: http://www.logue.net/xp/
C Bb F C Psalm One Thir-ty Five, Six C Bb F C Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, C Bb F C in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Psalm Sixteen Eleven C F You make known to me the path of life; C G in your presence there is fullness of joy; Am G F C at your right hand are pleasures forever-more.
Psalm Thirty Four Eight Am Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! G Am Am G Am Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm Thirty Four Eight
Psalm Sixty Three, Five Through Six C F My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, C G and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, Am G F 6 when I remember you upon my bed, Am G F C and meditate on you in the watches of the night; Psalm 63:5-6
Psalm One Nineteen, One O Three C F How sweet are Your words to my taste, C G C G F C Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm One Nineteen, One 0 Three
Psalm One 0 Four, Thirty Four Am F May my meditation be, pleasing to him, C G F C G for I rejoice in the LORD. Psalm One 0 Four, Thirty Four
Proverbs 5:11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
The Beginning Of Life Is Jesus The End Of Sin Is Death
/ Daniel Castor
Sins goal is not to briefly distract us from God, but to own us, enslave us and then consume us! Our life is what sin wants and it won't be happy until it has us. “Be killing Sin, or sin will be killing you.” That's right, these are our options. And it gets even worse than this. We can't run from sin. It lives within us; and in our natural state we choose to indulge in it. Because of this truth there is no way for us to conquer our sin. We are in a hopeless situation. Fight with all that we have and we still loose. How then can we kill sin? What hope is there for us? We must call upon the name of Jesus! At the name of Jesus sin shutters, it can do nothing, sin knows that it has no power over Christ. Oh there was once a time when sin tried with all its might to defeat Christ. Every sin committed from the beginning of time to the end was put on his shoulders. On the cross Jesus the sinless Son of God was covered in worlds filth, becoming SIN. The father poured out his wrath on Jesus and through his death, was satisfied. It would seem as if sin had victory over Christ. But the story is not over! Jesus burst forth from the grave three days later. Completely righteous, completely victorious, having completely defeated sin and death. All the worlds sin as gruesome as it may be can not touch the righteousness of Jesus. And this righteousness is extended to us through our faith in Christ. We may only defeat sin by giving it to Christ and by being clothed with his righteousness.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 11:27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Not Of Works... Yet Grace To Seek Ye First... Brad Chase
What is good that we should seek it?
James 1:17 says Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
And what does it mean to search for good diligently?
Matthew 6:33 says: But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
In other words set your eyes on the kingdom of God before any and all other things.
I have 4 children all under the age of 10. They have this down whether they know it or not. See, they know, that if they want something from dad in the evening, then they need to seek to please him during the day. They will work together and seek good behavior and helpfulness and obedience hoping for the favor of dad when he gets home. They will police each other all day to keep the machine that is our home running smoothly and at all cost avoiding hiccups or bumps.
Unfortunately, they seem to not grasp the second section nearly as well. All of my children are in fact children and will act as such at any given moment. However! I do have one child that ( from about 6 months old ) will push the boundaries and often break them. He gives into his flesh multiple times a day on a pretty regular bases and gets correction and discipline throughout the day. Now, don’t misunderstand me, he is after all 4. His brain doesn’t register on it’s own that it is sin. He is not actively looking for wicked things to do. He is a curious little guy who has the attention span of a gold fish. He is easily distracted and sees nothing wrong with his disobedience when it occurs. Not until mom gets ahold of him and then I come home and have to be the disciplinarian. By the time I come home, he has made the wrong choice too many times and has unknowingly sought punishment.
The proverb today actually phrases it “evil will come to those who seek it.“ When evil is sought, punishment is to follow. You don’t clean your room, you get a spanking. You speed, you get a ticket. You rob a bank, you go to jail.
Here’s the deal. Our spiritual life is no different. If your goal is to please the Father, then he will pour out abundant gifts and favor on you. But, if you reject him. If you treat your spiritual life like my 4 year old treats his every day life and get distracted from God and do what you want to do, you are sinning. You are seeking evil and the evil will find you and if left unrepeated and not dealt with, the punishment will be closer than you think.
I urge you today to deal with your sin. Run to the cross where it’s already been dealt with and give it to Jesus. While you are at the cross, fix your eyes on it and let Him change your heart to desire good and favor.
Proverbs 15:12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.
Scoff, Scoff / Robin Aylor
See if you notice any similarities in these examples with todays text. Some people get fighting mad when others play jokes on them… and yet one of their biggest thrills is to play jokes on others. That’s somewhat ironic I think. Some others like to give to people in need but would be humiliated to receive something from others and be thought of as the ones in need themselves. I’m pretty sure most criminals who enjoy shooting others definitely do not want to be shot themselves. I think it still works.
Our text today is quite similar I think. It talks about a scoffer. A scoffer is proud.. he ridicules, mocks or scorns others… so scoffing can include reproving others in this kind of prideful way. Those who reprove others like this do not want to be reproved themselves.That’s why they won’t go to the wise for counsel. They don’t want the sinfulness of their own heart to be exposed.
Proverbs 5:11-13 looks back on the life of one who did not listen to reproof or discipline. Here’s what it says: 11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, 12 and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
It may seem strange but a wise man actually loves discipline. Proverbs 12:1 says it clearly: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Seek out Christians who in joy of Christ’s love admit they are sinners. They are the wise ones whose accountability and reproof I love and relish in the Lord.
Today I want to talk about a story… a man from the Old Testament… Joseph. But first I want to ask you a question:
Have you ever been done wrong or hurt or taken advantage of by others? Of course you have.
Some of you may have been abused by a family member or maybe you were used or stolen from by a so called friend. Maybe you were lied to by someone you love. Everyone has been done wrong by someone; and everyone has done someone else wrong.
Today I want us to look at Joseph… Remember Joseph in the Old Testament? Who can tell me how many brothers Joseph had? Who was his mother and father? Right. He had 11 brothers and Jacob or Israel was his father and Rachael was his mother.
When Joseph was young his father made something for him… Do you remember?
Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Then Joseph had a dream which seemed to indicate that he would reign and rule over his brothers. He shared it with them and they hated him even more.
Then he dreamed another dream where the sun, moon and 11 stars would bow down to Joseph which they took to mean Josephs mother, father and all his brothers.
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So today we’re talking about how we should respond when people do us wrong. How were Joseph’s brothers about to do him wrong?
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31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
Josephs brothers presented the bloody robe to Jacob and let him believe a wild animal devoured him.
As a slave in Potiphar’s house… someone did more wrong to Joseph. Does anyone recall what happened? Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to lay with him… when he would not she falsely accused him of attempted rape and Joseph was put in prison.
After a bit Joseph interprets two dreams of other prisoners that came true. One was reinstated to serve to Pharaoh and the other was killed. After two more years in prison Joseph interpreted a dream for Pharaoh and was released from prison.
To make a long story short Joseph took them in and moved his father Jacob and all his brothers to Egypt and took care of them all their days.
Genesis 50:19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
How do you act towards those who have done you wrong? Do you dwell on how bad you have it? Does it fill you will bitterness and anger?
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Matthew 26:67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, Matthew 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
But it was not only those at the Cross who did Jesus wrong. You and I… we have chosen our own way over and over.
Jesus was done wrong by those he created… and yet he offers forgiveness… Jesus paid the wages of our sin with his death so we could have new life. And he defeated death so we could be raised with him in justification.
Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.
Normally we might only think of a king wearing a crown, but a person who is wise in things… say financial things… as a king rules over his empire they rule over their finances. And they wear another kind of crown. Their financial wealth is a crown that shows wisdom and expertise in that area. Also consider that the meaning of wealth is not restricted to money but can indicate abundance in other areas of life. It might be wealth in things or you may be rich in friends or a person may be said to have a wealth of knowledge. God calls us to be wise not only financially but with our time, eyes, mind and heart. And if we are there will be something to show for it… a crown if you will show who we are in all those areas. And how will you know know the fool in his folly when you see him? What will be the unforgettable eye catching crown he wears that tells of his expertise in the area of foolishness? It will be the folly fairies that circle his head and the folly fruit that comes from his mouth. It will be the trail of folly that follows him wherever he goes. The adorning jewels of folly in his crown are the precious stones of clay, dirt and coal. They may include foolhardiness, recklessness, indiscretion, thoughtlessness, stupidity, irresponsibility, rashness, or your basic informal craziness.
There is another crown which tells another story. Paul mentions it in relation to himself and us in 2 Timothy 4:8: Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Thank You Lord for our crown of righteousness given to us by You, not according to our works or goodness in any way but by Gods grace through faith in your Son Jesus who died for our sins and then defeated death that we might have his righteousness positionally and that in life we might practically grow in righteousness with victory over sin until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
I used to own a restaurant in Prague Oklahoma. We had an extra large round table where coffee drinkers would congregate every morning. The round table became notorious as a place we would look forward to setting together in fellowship. We did what most people do over a cup of coffee; we talked. We talked about how people in our culture try to get the most for themselves by doing the least they can for others. We talked about how politicians buy votes by promising more to those who work less. Yes, and as we talked we solved many of the Worlds problems. We fixed Congress, straightened out the office of the President, we fixed the Nation, straightened out our State and our Town… Ironically, we said all the government did was talk, talk, talk and how they never got anything profitable done… and so we discussed how wrong everyone else was and how we would do things different if we ruled the world… and things would be oh so much better.
Some would drink a cup or two of coffee and leave for work. Others whether retired or with no job would continue to get free refills until the worlds problems were solved for that day, they got bored or the lunch crowd came in. I assume many left for the day to retire to their couches.
Though I’m sure many of these men made great impacts for good in life, the fact is that we are all prone to talk the talk instead of walking the walk. A person who does no more than talk not only makes no money but also is not productive in his deeds. A person who is motivated and self disciplined is prone to action and increase. If we are quickened and propelled by God through Jesus we will actually love others in deed instead of merely talking about it.
You know, to profit spiritually is the best kind of profit a person can obtain.
You might say “Yes I know work brings profit. But what about in Salvation? Didn’t Jesus do all the work for us?” You might even quote Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
You are correct but the work still had to be done… it’s just that Jesus did the work for you. Where you sinned he never sinned even once so he could impute his righteousness to all who believe… and its his righteousness in us that works righteousness as we are led by the Spirit.
In relation to our own salvation, work and righteous Spiritual profit are tethered having being connected to deeds through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Notice how Paul didn’t have the option to stay home on the couch if he wanted to see people come to Christ but rather Christ motivated and quickened him to work hard.
1st Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
So the truth stands that only those who get up off the couch or out of the chair or up from the table and are motivated to move for righteousness will be profitable to our World, our Nation and our Families for the glory of the Lord.
Proverbs 14:22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness. The #1 definition of the word “devise” on my dictionary says: “plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought”.
So it seems that for one to devise evil… or good for that matter it takes intentional thought… and work.
This may not be that important but I like double negatives. And though there’s not one in the verse answering the question requires one for it to be answered correctly. Notice this passage doesn’t ask whether people go astray who devise evil. If it did the answer would be oh yes they surly do go astray; but instead it ask: Do they not go astray who devise evil? So we must answer No… so… they do not, not go astray… or to put it anther way they do go astray. Double negatives are interesting. For example:
- The two negatives in “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones actually indicate they do get satisfaction since “can’t and “no” cancel one another out.
- The same goes for Pink Floyd’s “We don’t need no education”. They are saying we definitely do need education!
Back to the text; consider the irony of going astray. Those who devise evil for others stray off the path of good themselves into a life of evil. Thats where going astray leads.
On the other hand those who thoughtfully plan good get steady love and faithfulness and guess what… those are the very things they devised for others.
But the thing is we are all sinners… and for one to devise good… for godly goodness to come out of a person it has to be placed in their heart first.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
And for one to give steadfast love they must have received it.
1st John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Proverbs 14:20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
Well, let’s see… I think we all know the truth in this. There are certain kinds of people in the world who are friendly with people they think they can profit from. True? These people dislike and ignore those who they cannot gain from which much of the time tends to be the poor.
It is common for people who have won lots of money or have received a large inheritance to be swarmed with folk who want to be their friends. Maybe you’ve seen the movie 2nd Hand Lions which is a great example of people claiming to be friends with the two best friends that came into lots of money. These greedy fair weather friends can be shallow leeches that attach themselves to people with money and live by sucking off of others life blood the way parasites do. They will stick close to them like a fly on a million dollar race horse. Shoot, partner, they might even be satisfied for a while just to swarm around the trail of poo they leave behind. That's what those annoying friendly flies do… So from this perspective the rich do have many of those kinds of friends. We human beings… we’re so easily swayed by money and greed that we all have to guard against it’s pull.
Well, you know people can be rich in a lot of other areas besides money. Some are rich in knowledge… and so people friend these people for their own benefit and take advantage of their wealth in this area. You might be rich in influence. Maybe your uncle is a record producer or your niece is a country music star. If so, wannabe songwriters and singers from all around will come to you wanting to be your friend so they can take advantage of your riches in influence.
If you would be rich, be rich in your relationship to God. His word has promised an unlimited supply of the best treasures.
Ephesians 3:8 says: To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
The riches of Christ are unsearchable in that we can never exhaust them. That is a lot of riches. Being rich in Christ brings us real friends… true friends… not fair-weather friends that are seeking their own gain. Being rich in Christ brings us brothers and sisters who love one another with godly love. We are a family and we are friends who together share in the riches of Christ for eternity.
Proverbs 14:19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
In the world even today, wickedness cannot stand tall, confident and true in their heart in the presence of godly people walking in Christ. They run from Christ, remove themselves from the exaltation of Jesus or from the hearing of Gods word. Or if they stay, they are flooded with the Light of the Lord and who can stand firm in their own self righteousness before him?
And so in our daily life we see this verse play out in some context… Those who reject Jesus will seek to remove themselves from the presence of believers who exalt Christ or they will begin seeking God and as they see his glory submit themselves to the Lord. In this context they do bow down to God before those who are righteous in Christ.
1st Corinthians 6:2 seems to indicate something related in some fashion. It says: Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?...
So Believers will judge people like Adolf Hitler, Nero and even our neighbors who rejected Christ… So, here we find that the wicked will at least come before the righteous and abase themselves in the presence of those who have received the righteousness of Christ through faith.
Although that is quite amazing, there is something even much more profound and which seems perfectly synced with our text.
Let me read it again: Proverbs 14:19 says: The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
There is only one who is good; correct?
Philippians 2:10 says: so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The fact is that we will all bow at the name of the only true, righteous one; Jesus. If not now, then along with all at his return. For all who worship Him; bowing before him will be our greatest joy and delight.
Proverbs 6:9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
Arise From Your Sleep Robin Aylor
When researching the common land slug, at first I found no benefits for their existence. Upon further inquiry I found that slugs eat dead and dying organic matter and thereby releases nutrients which enrich the soil. There is a European black slug that eats dung and also lays its eggs in it. After hatching, the larvae live in the dung for three to four weeks.
Look, God had a purpose in creating slugs. They are for his glory; but the focus of this proverb parallels their characteristic of living a life of very slow and little action. They are perceived as nasty, slimy and gross creatures that move slower than a sloth or the hour hand on a clock.
Laziness is clearly a bottom of the barrel existence that feeds off of worthless desires leaving a stench of selfishness and a trail of mucus to mark it's path.
Although laziness is a sin in itself, I suspect it can also be brought on by or in connection to other sins we commit.
Sin blinds us and stunts our growth. We loose our ability to focus and gumption to be motivated for righteousness. Do our intentional sins lead to procrastination in other areas of life? It surely causes blindness. Does it put us in a state of stupor to spiritual things. I believe from experience that sin fogs my mind and steals away joyful vigor in Christ causing a lateral exchange of what I treasure and delight in.
O sluggard rise up from your sleep!
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Palms 118:24)
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Proverbs 6:25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
So I’ve written a poem here and just to explain it a little… each verse begins with one of the four sections of this passage.
Captured By Eyelashes robin aylor
Do not desire her beauty in your heart Though her lines and shape be works of art When lust promises love by a-la-carte Don’t look back, run away, escape, depart
And do not let her capture you with her eyelashes You’ll get twisted and tangled with deep bloody gashes When you try to escape you’ll be flung back to her latches Like a black widow she will drain you and blow on your ashes
For the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread Though a mere 60 cents in Bangladesh it is said The dirty bomb she carries is worse than a nuclear war-head On the soul of the man who when warned never fled
But a married woman hunts down a precious life And the end of her slashes cut deep like a knife For those who won’t listen it’s a lifetime of strife And yet still there is hope in Jesus Christ
Today we’ll be looking at a crazy little thing called love. Well, it’s not really crazy…nothing could be more sane.. There’s many types of love. Our focus is not, well, on erotic love as in making love… and not affectionate love as in friendship… and not really umm kinship as in love that’s connected to family and relatives… Today we will look at Agape love and how it can be a cure for a horrible epidemic that has been sweeping the globe for a long time. It’s like a disease that cripples peoples lives and makes them un-useful in God’s kingdom and his work. It’s an outbreak of an epidemic called depression.
So let’s begin looking at the cure. Agape love is the highest form of love. It is the type of love God has toward us when he gave his only Son to be paid the wages of our sin. Agape love within our life should come along side of the other types of love I mentioned strengthening the bond between friends as they walk through life together… improving the relationship of a man and wife in marriage and fortifying families making them more resilient.
Some of us may have been brought up by loving families; some maybe not. You may have parents who severely beat or even abused you… Friends sometimes use and abuse us also…
Whatever it was for you in your life, even with the best scenario no one has ever loved you perfectly. No human has ever shown us a perfect example of love. We are all broken sinners… that is, except one. Jesus, God’s only Son.
We’re going to read 1st Corinthians 13 and then make a connection to the topic of depression and see how love can help in a world where depression wants to rule the day.
Love Must Drive The Vehicle 1st Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is Hard and Impossible Without Christ 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 t does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Supremacy Of Agape Love 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When we Won’t Need Vehicles When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Summery 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I was thinking about how it seems that one of satan’s major goals for believers is to keep us depressed. Today I want to talk about a cure for one kind of depression.
You might think depression is not the worst problem someone might face in this world but consider how it’s side effects connect us to many other problems that hinder us.
Stroke, heart attacks, insomnia, weight gain, weight loss, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, daytime fatigue, drug and alcohol use, thoughts of suicide, self pity… depression hinders good relationships. There can be physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain.
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Proverbs 14:21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
Whirly Bird And The Change Family
by Robin Aylor
The whole Change family including Willy, his wife Shallshe and son Woody detested their neighbors the Be-livers who lived next door in a small house. The dad was Izza Be-liver and the moms name was Ima. Their daughter was Truly with her middle name after her Mom; Ima. Their sons name was Scouts Honor and he was named after his dad with his middle name Izza.
So there was Willy Change, Shallshe Change and Woody Change who lived next door to Izza Be-liver, Ima Be-liver, Truly Ima Be-liver, and Scouts Honor Izza Be-liver.
The reason the Change family detested the Be-livers was because young Scouts Honor Izza Be-liver's dog Whirly Bird too often and regularly was regular on their lawn. At times every day Woody would look out the window and holler to his mother: "Whirly Bird is depositing more soft serve mom!" It really wasn't that bad because it hardened into barney stones within 30 minutes and would have gradually released its miracle growth of nutrients into the Change's yard If it wasn’t for Willies obsessive hatred for Whirly Bird and the Be-livers.
On any given day one could hear Change family members yelling and watch them throw things at Whirly Bird. "You dab burn dog! get out o' my lawn!. Woody just ask his mom the other day: "Mom can I have a pump up BB gun for my birthday? I'll take care of that raskel pup". They called the dog pound to pick him up a few times but he always came back. Willy was so consumed with his lawn that he would check his yard for Whirly Burly phoo many times a day and he even had security cameras installed for that very reason. However there was more to his dislike than the daily dose of fertilization from Whirly Bird. The real reason for his bitterness was that he was jealous of the Be-livers life. Even though Izza Be-liver’s family was poor, Willy was envious of the way his family loved one another, and the way the people of town respected Iza, and how the townsfolk treated his family, and Willy was jealous for the heart of joy these Be-liver's had and the love and help they showed others. The Be-liver's were not selfish. Even within their small house, they took people in from time to time who needed help even giving them their beds and sleeping on the floor themselves, and they participated in supporting their community and loved worshiping God with friends at church.
Then one day the Change’s accepted the Be-liver's invitation to worship with them at church. During the sermon it seemed as though the preacher was speaking directly to them actually calling them by name. Speaking about matters of the heart the Pastor said: "Will he change? Shall she change? Would he change?” Then the pastor said "Only with Jesus can a person’s heart change and only with a changed heart can one be joyful in helping and loving others.”
Incidentally, the Change’s were changed that very night. From then on and for the rest of their life they began using their middle names. Willy Did Change, Shallshe Claimed Change and Woody By George Embraced Change. They found a blessed life in Christ, and also had an added bonus of the healthiest and greenest lawn in town... and if you were wondering... the Be-liver's dog Whirly Bird lived a long, well fed and happy life surrounded by friends all the rest of his days.
Proverbs 11:11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
Taming the Untamable Beast Daniel Castor
Let’s start today’s devotion off with a riddle.
I can come as soft as a whisper or as loud as a shout. And You better think twice before you let me slip out . I have the power to bless and the power to destroy. I can make quite a mess or bring peace and joy. What am I?
The answer of course is, “Our words”
This proverb reminds us of the power of the tongue. Not only can it do damage or bless on a small level, in one on one conversation. A husband using hurtful words to tear down his wife or a father speaking words of encouragement to his children... It can also Be used to bless or destroys on a large scale. Even entire cities can rise and fall by the words of those who reside in them. Less you think this is too far fetched The book of James compares the tongue to a flame of fire, a rudder of a ship and an untamable beast.
This is no joke. Our words have an affect on the direction of our lives. Our mouth can shoot forth words that are as destructive as fire. Sharp little cutting words can send wild fires of pain and sorrow into the ears of those who ear them. And this is something we all struggle with... Because James also reminds us that the Tongue is like a beast that no one can tame.
I don’t know about you but I have a lot of work to do in this Area. May God give us what we need to think before we speak. May God give us grace to tame the untamable and use our words to bless and build up rather than cut down and destroy
Proverbs 11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.
Shady Joe's
“Shady Joe's impounds and tows” is a used car lot with friendly faces and “so called” honest sales men. You walk in and they greet you with a cup of coffee and get a feel for what kind of vehicle your looking for. Such nice people you may think. After 3 hours of chit chat and paperwork and back stories and complements, the sales man says “ congratulations! Your approved! And I have just what your looking for.” He leads you to the lot and to a lifted truck. All the chrome is there, the interior looks great through the window. New beefy tires and aftermarket rims. Custom paint and tented windows. It truly is a beautiful truck and it’s in your price range. But, something’s odd...the salesman is pushing you to make a decision without starting it and he avoids popping the hood. He makes a big deal about all the features and what people will think of you while your driving it. You have a decision to make here. Buy the truck as you see it or be stern and demand to get the key and see under the hood. Who would buy it without starting it? The sales man hangs his head and reaches in his pocket then hands you the key. You set in the truck for the first time and you smell smoke and what you can only describe as something dead even though it’s been cleaned throughly. You put the key in the ignition and turn...nothing happens. You try again. And a 3rd time. Nothing happens. Ok. Let’s see what’s going on. You pop the hood and step to the front....only to find that there is no engine in the truck. None. It’s gone. It may look pretty, but it’s a worthless truck.
I believe this is where the phrase “ putting lipstick on a pig” comes from. It means to make something that is undesirable appear desirable.
This applies to multiple parts of our lives. Any thing we put in the place of God is ugly in comparison. We put a pretty bow on it and build it up so that it appears desirable.
In the context of today’s passage, a beautiful woman with makeup and jewelry and perfect hair and fancy cloths is a worthless woman of her intentions are to sin. To be worshiped and take someone’s eyes off of God. Or to seek self pleasure at the cost of destroying a family. Even on the screen, pretty women doing immoral acts for the viewers to set in a posture of worship to her is ugly no matter how beautiful the woman may be.
Don’t be deceived by the gold ring or makeup and designer cloths. Open your eyes and see that the most beautiful thing of all is Jesus and all that he offers to those who believe and trust in him.
Proverbs 14:18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Prudence and Simplicity are basically opposites. Since Proverbs 8:12 says: “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,…” as though Prudence is a person I will call both Prudence and Simplicity female as Solomon does with Wisdom. Ok, so who are these ladies? Prudence is thoughtful and she seriously considers a matter before making a decision while Simplicity does whatever she wants in the moment and does not consider the consequences.
Simple Sally watches TV all day long. She's just keeping it simple. Apathetic Allen doesn’t want to get involved with others in messy relationships. He cares mostly about himself, thus keeping it simple. These kind of simpletons are relatives to the lady Simplicity and do not care to think about the consequences of their actions; they do not plan or care much about the future or their purpose in life but rather it is me, me, me and it’s now, now, now. The examples could go on and on because the world is full of self serving simple minded people who are consumed with their own instant gratification.
Though Prudence and Simplicity are opposite in nature, once Prudence makes a decision… in another context her path becomes simple.
She becomes simple with the simplicity of being single focused. Prudence doesn’t make up complicated excuses and rationalizations or deflections when presented with truth. She has already thought through the path she will follow. Truth is straightforwardly simple. Honesty is simple.
Only a person with simple child like faith can trust Christ. That is simple. But that kind of simplicity does not exclude prudence. In Luke 14 Jesus himself talks about thinking through your decision before becoming a disciple of Christ. Then he sums it up with verse 33:
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Though his way is hard, it is extremely simple in that it is straight and narrow in Jesus alone.
In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Proverbs 11:24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. 26 The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
As We Give We Are Made Able To Give Robin Aylor
Notice Solomon does not say "all" who give freely will each one always grow richer in money… it gives an example and says "one"… so sometimes it does happen. And he does not say that every person who withholds will become poor financially but he gives an example in contrast that we may learn. I think he is saying that when you see these two types of people in life and their relationship to money and giving, there is a lesson in it for you for all areas of life.
It seems to me that the next two verses show us the context of the passage. This time Solomon does not generalize but uses the inclusive relative pronoun “whoever” and gives the definite verb “will”. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched.
Therefore, some kind of blessing is definitely going to come on those who bring a blessing or more to the point of all three verses: whoever does any of the things Solomon mentions in these three verses will be blessed by God. Those who give freely, those who do not withhold when they should give, those who bring blessings on others and those who sell their grain when the prices are low so even the poor can afford it instead of holding it until the price rises. God gives blessings to those who are not greedy but generously love with Agape or the highest form of love…
2nd Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
But to what end does God bless us?
In 2nd Corinthians 9 the subject of Paul's discourse is not money. As in Proverbs 11:24 money is one example but the subject is unselfish giving… not clenching your fists and locking your doors but opening your heart to others. Not defending what you have as though it is your treasure instead of Jesus. If you read all of chapter 8 and 9 of 2nd Corinthians you will see some amazing ways Gods blesses those who love fellow believers. That is one of the callings of all Christians… to love one another… He blesses us that we might have joy and blessings to share with others.
Paul continues in 2nd Corinthians 9:11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
A favorite of mine is John 15 where Jesus tells his disciples how he will bless… I believe all who abide in him and his word in them in the context he says… all who will carry out his mission of love to the world… and it’s all about his mission… not ours, but his toward unbelievers. Check it out and see if you don’t agree. He blesses that we may bless both believers and unbelievers for his glory.
Again our text says: “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched”. Can you see the unending circle of that kind of blessing? We bring a blessing to others in Christ name and we are blessed, and it keeps on going on and on, all for the glory of God and to the praise of his glorious grace!
Father, Thank you for giving us your joy and for blessing us in every way that we might bless others in your name and for your glory. As Paul shows us in 2nd Corinthians 8, even if we are in financial poverty if we abide in you, your blessings will overflow that we might point others to you. May we not guard our physical things as our great treasure but be generous in your name treasuring Jesus supremely in faith and with all joy. In Jesus name Amen!
Proverbs 14:17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
Ammonia and Bleach
Two Great Cleaners
That Don't Go Good Together!
Robin Aylor
Here Solomon mentions evil devices. I think a wicked heart can turn anything into an evil device. There are many devices throughout time that have by some been considered evil. Here’s a few... Think about theses and see if you believe they are evil devices in themselves or only when used by wicked men?
The buildings where Hitler sent thousands to be gassed to death.
The chemicals Saddam Hussain used on his own people.
What about the Internet , TV, Books and Magazines?
Do you think these are evil devices in themselves: A rock, a knife ... a Gun? What about a Nuclear weapon?
A feather (for tickling) ? Ok, that last one was only a joke although on occasion it has seemed like a torture device where my only screams were screams of laughter.
But it dose seem to me that there are some devices that were created by man specifically for evil purposes and other devices are made to be good but become evil devices when used for evil purposes. People who use things for evil purposes are not considered great role models but are held in disdain by whole nations.
Our text also tells us that a man who is quick tempered acts foolishly.
I can imagine an angry or jealous man loosing control and punching someone in the face... or a a crazed maniac of a dictator loosing his temper and ordering a nuclear missile.
Anger combined with the stupidity of a quick temper is like mixing ammonia and bleach. Its a disaster. When wickedness and ignorance come together even ordinary objects meant for good become evil devices and bring destruction to others.
But, here's the thing: a person cannot have discernment between good and evil unless they have seen truth. In order to make accurate judgments in our daily life we must be able to lay up every situation and decision along side of a just and accurate standard of never changing truth. That would be God's word; that would be the Word made flesh; that would be Jesus.
Jesus said in John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
If you know Jesus then you have the The Holy Spirit who guides us to truth - Jesus said in John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Father, please keep us from taking your creation and mixing it with a wayward heart to build evil devices. Please give us discernment, and keep us walking in your Word, your Spirit and your Truth today.
Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
Robin Aylor
Whether it’s a book, movie or TV show, I don’t know of anyone who actually likes a bad ending to a story. Usually a bad ending I think would entail evil somehow winning out at the end of the day… Those kinds of stories don’t seem to sell at the box office. What if an evil ruler with his army conquers a just king and his kingdom?… then this new evil ruler kills the just king and takes his beautiful daughter to be his wife… if he then tortures the people of the kingdom and they live unhappily ever after… and finally the words appear… THE END… and the credits roll… No! No! I don’t know any stories like that.
...
I think justice ties up all the loose ends because deep inside God created us all with a moral compass.
Still yet for some crazy reason, in real life the wicked person decides to go ahead and follow his heart. All his desires for pleasure, wealth, power and prestige get him out of bed every morning and urge him on at work. His passions fuel his mind as he’s driving down the road… His appetite spurs him to look forward certain television programs, his private time on the computer, the weekend and nights on the town.
For some strange illogical “I’ve lost my marbles type reason” he seems to think that though his life story will include stepping on people throughout his life; pushing them off the ladder as he climbs up it seeking his own exaltation… Even so, he has told himself this time the story is going to end with the bad guy winning... "That's me getting everything I ever wanted and I will be the one that lives happily ever after".
Look… The one true King walked in fellowship with mankind. Remember he walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Then an evil leader named satan came with temptation and brought sin into the world. And with sin, everyone and all creation was broken by sin and satan only wanted evil for man. Then, the True King walked among men again by sending his only Son inviting people once more to fellowship with God. He came to redeem the people chosen for him before the foundation of the world to be his bride… but they killed him on a cross and he was buried. The evil leader must have thought his armies had won. The true and just King was now dead… But as satan and his cronies waited… and waited... and waited... the credits did not roll. "The End" never appeared on the screen. Guess what... the evil one would not live happily ever after.
The best stories, even the best true story does not end like that.
You see, on the third day Jesus Christ arose from the grave!!! He gave his life and then defeated death and the power of sin that he might give his righteousness to his bride making her pure and holy… able to fight sin while in this world and then raise her up incorruptible to be with him forever…
Truth is… his resurrection was not the end; however, "The End" along with the "happy ever after" has already been written.
As our text indicates, the expectation of the wicked will end in wrath and the righteous ends only in good.
Revelation 20:10 says: and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. …15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is a good story with a good ending for those who have been gifted the righteousness of Jesus.
Justice will be delivered, good will win and evil will loose.
We also know who will be in the credits on every line.
As Jude 1:25 says: All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
Proverbs 14:15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. 16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.
"I Am A French Male Model"
Robin Aylor
You may have seen the commercial a few years back about the lady who dates a French male model she met over the internet? She believes that everything he says about himself is true; because they can’t put it on the internet if it’s not true. And where does she say she heard that everything on the internet is true? The internet of course. “Bonjour!"
Though this is meant to be funny and sarcastic, yet with a striking hint; the questions still begs: Are humans really this naive?
The peoples of India worship thousands of gods. I understand there is a temple dedicated to rats which are honored as being reincarnated. They run free around and over humans and are pampered as their loved ancestors.
It’s no wonder how easily people are sucked up into the newest religious vacuum.
What? Do I sound like I'm not being tolerant? Yes I am tolerant… No one can be forced and dragged to see Jesus as glorious. Even God's tolerance is clear from the patience he shows us.
Romans 2:4-5 says this: 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
And 2nd Peter 3:9 says: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The problem is that people are not tolerant with the goodness and awesomeness of God. People want to do their own thing.
The following examples of depravity are taken from:
"10 Extremely Weird Religions"
(September 10, 2009)
by Jamie Frater
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Scientology is said to believe that Xemu was an alien ruler of the Galactic Confederacy who 75 million years ago brought billions of people to Earth in a spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes where they detonated hydrogen bombs. The Thetans or spirits clustered and stuck to the bodies of the living and continue to this day. Advanced Scientologists seek to isolate Thetans from the body and thereby neutralizing their ill effects.
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Universe People believe extraterrestrial civilizations are orbiting the earth helping the good and are ready to transport their followers to another dimension.
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The Church of Euthanasia. According to the church’s website, the one commandment is “Thou shalt not procreate”. They further assert four principal pillars: suicide, abortion, cannibalism (of the already dead), and sodomy (“any sexual act not intended for procreation”). Slogans employed by the group include “Save the Planet, Kill Yourself”.
I only listed three of the ten talked about in the article because frankly I was tired of thinking about the specifics of the debase beliefs man conceives.
You may think these people are loony but the thing is… though the extremely of their folly is very clear, ours may be hiding in the shadows. Which is more dangerous? So many people in the world don’t believe in these far out ideas but instead they believe they find God by doing more good than evil or by believing in Jesus plus good works…
Our text says: "The simple believes everything".
The shadowy lies of satan are vast. Don’t loose your soul to them.
John 14:6 says: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Teachable Me R Aylor
In these modern times we desperately need the wisdom and instruction these verses speak about. However, as it goes there seems to be only a limited number of teachable moments in any given day. We rush to and fro, here and there only to pull out our smart phones (me included) at the first sign of a pause instead of looking to God and thinking about him. He wants our acknowledgment. He wants more. He wants our worship.
Looking back in my life, I think some of my best testimonies for Christ came as others watched me desperately seeking Gods will for my own life just as I was beginning to unpack and take him in. It’s easy to lose that earnestness we once had. It's got to be a daily thing. Every hour Jesus must be our great treasure that is worth leaving all to pursue. And we must be joy for us to leave it all. And then as we begin growing in him, we can only be a true witness of our treasure to the extent that we know him ourselves.
Once we see Jesus as the beautiful good news that he is, once we have eyes to see Gods glory in him, once he grabs our gaze so that we cannot look away and go back to the promised treasures of the world; may we straightway take in his instruction of wisdom… may we seek and continue seeking, finding and unpacking all the jewels and riches in him as our bountiful treasure and persevere (not pausing like Solomon did later in life), but rather finishing strong.
Lord, that is my prayer... illuminate your word to us. May we then discern truth from deception in relationships, business practices, politics, pulpits, and mostly our own heart. May we seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding in your word every single day and see Jesus there. As Moses said in Exodus 33:18 “Please show me your glory”. Make application to our heart; internalize your truths by your Spirit, keep us teachable, humble and yet confident in you. Please give us boldness to walk in and share your love through Christ. Thank you our Father, in Jesus name, Amen.
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Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Pondering King Solomon R Aylor
As I consider the life of Solomon, David's son and third king of Israel, I am reminded of many things. Firstly of the sin of his father David’s sexual impurity with Bathsheba; then David’s repentance and God’s merciful forgiveness. It is also amazing to me to think of how God still ordained the Messiah be born in the lineage of David and then Solomon through Bathsheba. (Solomon was also called Jedidiah, which means beloved of The Lord; see 2nd Samuel 12:24-25.)
Next, my mind goes to Solomon’s prayer as a young man, asking God for an understanding heart to judge the Lord’s people; and to discern between good and bad.
1st Kings 3:11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.
I am reminded that as believers we should all have the same mindset for others... the same worldview that God has. We see this character in Solomon and David and Paul who's hearts desire for Israel was that they might be saved.
In Psalm Psalm 119:136 the Psalmist has this heart for others that I want to have. It says: My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
I think of Gods faithfulness to Solomon throughout his life. Solomon surly was blessed beyond measure!
Finally I am greatly cautioned by Solomon's disobedience to God in his latter years. Fear snaps at my heart and red flags fly at high mast. For the man who wrote so much to his son's about the trap set by the adulteress and wicked woman... and then for him to fail himself over and over it breaks my heart and causes me to check myself often. I do not know if Solomon repented at the end... I hope so. But if the wisest of men was lured away from his Lord to walk in disobedience then what of me?
1st Kings 11:4 says: For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
The Apostle Paul shows us that any wisdom, knowledge or understanding not quickened by the Love from God are not enough. We need the love of God abiding in our hearts which only comes through receiving Jesus who died for us and rose again.
1st Corinthians 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Solomon’s accepted writings include Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, part of Psalms and much of the book of Proverbs.)
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
Genetically & Kinetically Enhanced
Wetter Than Water Slider
Dr. Klark Kent Kilgore
by Robin Aylor
Here begins a story, a moral and a motto: A Story: How could any of us ever forget the most memorable day in Olympic History when kinetically and genetically enhanced wetter than water amateur water slider Dr. Klark Kent Kilgore took his final step off the most dangerous slippery slope slide on this side of the galaxy? I’m sure you have seen clips hundreds of times on the “thrills of victory” and “agonies of defeat”... all the commercials that began airing on 3-d holographic eyelid Trib Vision (TV) in early 2059. However the full hour long real time blood and guts digital compact contact lens disc (CCL) has to this day never been released to the public and will likely not be until the 20 year term of the current world president expires in 2072.
Without going into the “If I tell you I’ll have to bean bag bomb you” details, I mainly want to remind you all how Dr. Kent began his decent into the tunnel of death. Wetter than water Kilgore awkwardly missed traction on his last step and slipped into a backwards backsliding position setting himself for his 68 1/2 minute long out of control decline down the most difficult water slide course ever made.
When Kilgore lost his head protection in the triple gravity mile long free fall through tornado like wind storm winds, his helmet kept smashing back into his head and body creating multiple concussions and heavy bruising. Then… somehow... someway, he was able to twist and turn at just the right time sliding headfirst through the gopher gully tunnel as Olympic rules specify.
After that things got boogerly nasty. Instead of resuming posture, Kilgore continued his belly busting descent on the razor rapids head bumping the jagged jumping mountains landing face first in the wicked python’s Pyle Driver Dungeon.
What I have listed here was cleared for release months ago but most of that little over an hour long death trap is awaiting clearance is under 24 hour guard in underground storage at area 52 1/2.
Keep in mind it was all was shot with over 3 thousand CCLTV Video Camera’s so the graphic disturbance value will be high when viewed with virtual reality contact lens technology.
Check back with me often for the first look at Kilgore's exploits when they are made open to the public.
Listen friends, here is the moral of this story: Keep on the forward path for Jesus all the way to the end. Don’t look back, fall back, slide back or back slide. Like Dr. Kent Kilgore you will experience failures. There will definitely be mountains, valleys and storms… even cyclone like winds. You will get bruises and concussions and may be laid up in bed out of commission for a time. Hopefully not, but Kilgore was in a coma for 6 months. But guess what... after that he got back up and still competes today at 84 years old. Now that’s a story my friend!
So yes, our failures have consequences, but know that God is always ready to forgive and continue using us in his mission. We are called to persevere to the end.
In Philippians 3:13 Paul said …one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Don't get me wrong... I don't want anyone to be shot but for importance sake consider this in closing: It is said that the French Foreign Legion once had this motto: ‘If I falter, push me on. If I stumble, pick me up. If I retreat, shoot me.’
Proverbs 11:20 Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight. 21 Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
The Offspring Of The Righteous
On your mark get set it’s an abominable start You there with the crooked contorted heart
Don’t quit the race now, wait to be disqualified at the end. Along with everyone who proves twisted, distorted and bent
Now friends, this is quite amazing concerning everyone on the track They’ve all began running the wrong direction like their brains were on crack
But some turn around, to the praise of his grace Offspring of the righteous one, children through faith
Delivered and blameless through Jesus the Christ Accepted by God they are made his delight
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
Private Eye
Hannibal Haggarty
by Robin Aylor
Private Eye Hannibal Haggarty was a student of the Bible. He loved the verse in Proverbs which his mother had taught him as a young boy that said a joyful heart is good medicine… However, in another context something told him laughter in itself was not a true fix for a real heartache, and deep down inside, somehow he knew it.
In fact when it came to the sorrow of the soul brought on by sin, laughter was like taking a half of a baby aspirin for a throbbing migraine headache; it just wouldn’t do. Hannibal knew all about this inner soul pain and had saw the light a few years earlier. However, tonight It was not his own laughter he was contemplating even now as he currently squatted all bow legged, two feet from the floor, while holding a potted plant with one hand, a tape recorder with the other, and an unidirectional microphone with his mouth, all the while hiding behind a coat rack,… even now he secretly watched and listened to mobsters drinking and laughing about the bank job they had done earlier that evening and the people they had killed; and somehow all hyped up with wicked pride… they did not know that Private Eye Hannibal Haggarty was recording it all on his tape recorder.
You know, there are some headaches that just won’t ease in the least, even if you soaked your head overnight in echinacea root, otherwise commonly known to locals as snake root and which basically only works on toothaches and the overall body functions of the immune system… Anyway, another thing about pain killers, or laughter for that matter; is that though they may temporarily deaden the pain with zombie like dullness comparable a politician giving a two hour monotone speech, no way would they cure the root of the problem at the bottom crimes of the heart and somehow deep down they knew it.
That's how it was for some of the laughing murderous men there that day. They seemed ecstatically high on adrenaline and happier than any person alive on the planet could be, but by chance it may be that some of the hoodlums there that night still had a conscious; theirs had not yet been completely seared through. If so, their dreams would be projected with their victims faces that very night, and shadows of their families would follow them around for the rest of their short miserable lives… and still, amid all the shouts and laughter… deep down, somehow they knew it.
My friend, there are some things not even laughing gas from your local dentist will cure. For those murderous mobsters and for us sinners as well, only Jesus can extract the guilt of sin from our heart. Only righteous Jesus could agree to be paid our wages due and become the cursed one dying on the cross. Only the promised Jesus could rise from the grave and justify all who will believe in him; he's the only hope for our sin... and my friend, somehow deep down, I think we both know it.
1st Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Proverbs 11:17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. 19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.
This is an interesting passage. First verse 17 states something about a kind man which he receives that he was not seeking. He was simply a kind man. He preformed a kind act toward another individual. It was not for his benefit… it was from the heart… not his old selfish heart but something new, made alive… he was not thinking about himself. He had compassion on someone… he reached out… He may have anonomously purchased the meal for the family in the car behind him in the drive through… He gave a ride to a weary traveler… He purchased gift cards for a needy family. Whatever it may be, this man was a kind soul… and it benefited all the people he was kind to… but somehow Solomon says it also benefited him.
Solomon tells us that the cruel man hurts himself. Being a cruel soul his intentions were to be cruel to others. But similar to the kind man, his intentions for others would return upon himself.
We find out a bit more about the wicked man; he does not give a days work for a days pay but will cheat and deceive to make his gains. Solomon then gives us the timeline of this wicked individual. He will spend his life running after and hunting down evil and guess what… in the end he will get what he sought out. A definition of evil so bleak he could not have imagined it. In his death he will be separated from all things good for eternity.
Whoever is steadfast being made alive by the righteousness of Christ will live. That’s what it’s like for those who look to Jesus the promised Messiah as the only hope for their sins. He gives them great peace and joy, not only now but for eternity in his presence with all that is good.
Proverbs 11:15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
One can put up security for another in various ways. One way is in the words we speak. You might stand up for your friend Joe who is interviewing for a job. The interviewer calls you and ask for a reference. “Joe is good and honest” you say; “he is hard working… just the other day he worked all day without a break helping me repair a fence for a friend. You will not be sorry if you hire him..” In this case, you are putting up your personal word as security for Joe’s character.
However, if Joe was someone you had only met and didn’t have a history with, it would be stupid for you to give your word as security for Joe’s moral disposition. Your words could come back and damage your own character. What you said about Joe would get around town and your word would loose credibility.
Using money as an example, a poor believer should apparently not co-sign for a stranger on a loan not knowing the history of their integrity. If the stranger fails to fulfill their obligation the payment would fall back to the co-signer. If the believer is not well off it could cause them to default on commitments of their own thus giving them a bad name.
If we commit security for a person who may not be trustworthy
All this being said, now let’s look at what this text is not saying. I don’t want us to misinterpret it by isolating it from the context of the rest of the bible. It is not saying we should not be generous… even to our own hurt, but rather in joy give all the while trusting God.
As believers, it is our utmost goal that the name and character of Christ not be defamed by our actions; so we must be discerning. But yes, still, we are called and he makes us able to give and bless others in the name of Christ even if we are excessively poor.
Speaking of the believers in Macedonia Paul writes: 2nd Corinthians 8:2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
Lets re-read our Proverbs 11:15: Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
Again, not to misinterpret, I don’t think our text is negating the following situation: Let’s say a believer who is well off co-signs a loan for a stranger trying to help them in a very tough situation. Sure, they could have given the money to them with no problem. However, guaranteeing a loan was an attempt to not only help their need but also help them be responsible and grow in accountability. In today’s society, if that person defaults on the loan the believers character is not harmed… he would just go pay it off… but rather his generosity in the name of Christ would glorify God.
You know, we cannot truly guarantee another persons character whether they are a good friend or a stranger. However, we are 100% sure about the character of our Lord. Every word we speak, every deed we do, is to point to his righteousness, his character, how he fulfills every promise… how he is trustworthy, honest, dependable, honorable, upright… He never defaults on his word.
Let all that we do be done to the praise of his glory and the grace he gives through his Son Jesus Christ.
2nd Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
I like how Solomon quite often criss crosses comparisons… they work fine but you have to think about it.
He could have said a gracious woman gets honor and vicious conniving women gets riches… instead he mixes the genders which tends to make me pause.
Basically, I think the issues is not whether you are a man or a woman… but whether you will pursue riches or honor. Of course you may by happenstance obtain both but they can’t be equal goals.
There will be many, many times in life when you have to choose between the two. Will I report all my income on my tax form or be a cheater? Will I slander a fellow employee in order to get the job they are applying for or give them the praise they deserve? Will I fudge on my income in order to get a loan for a new car or home? Will I spend more time at home with my family or work 60 hours a week to enjoy the high life? Will I choose riches or honor? Will you vote for the candidate who promises a better economy or the one who is most honorable? Etc.
Jesus was even more specific he seems to replace the word honor with God. Remember he said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
But truthfully God is the only one who is actually honorable. Our wicked hearts even deceive our own selves.
Thankfully through the graciousness of God in Jesus, we can receive his forgiveness and our heart can be changed to live out gracious lives ourselves that bring honor to him.
We Will Own Our Words / We Are What We Eat
Proverbs 13:2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
People who have access to plenty of food like we do in America eat what they want for the reasons they want. Some eat for comfort, taste or a special diet for self image. I’v done all those things.
But food is intended to be for our good. It doing that, it also gives us energy and health to our bodies so we can accomplish things related to our purpose on earth. Eating fruit from trees and vegetables is a healthy way to eat.
As for today’s text; it’s phrasing is quite odd I think. Let me read it again:
Proverbs 13:2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
So, like a tree our mouth also bears fruit… That’s weird! And then that same mouth eats the fruit which it bore. What’s that all about?
Well lets think about that for a moment. We do in fact eat our own words in some context don’t we? And we have to own them right? When people see us, it is the words we have spoken that define who we are to them.
The fruit of the heart of a treacherous man will bear words that incite violence and it will come back to him. He will have to eat the fruit of his words. As they say “we are what we eat”.
So just to ponder this a little more… Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
So let’s go over it one more time. The wicked man’s heart is broken and full of evil passions. The state of his heart will be expressed in the words he speaks. The words that proceed from his lips are fruit in themselves that incite evil deeds in others and encourage his own evil works. The state of his heart can also be discerned by the places he goes, what he does and how he spends his money… which is another fruit from the same tree.
For a believer our most outstanding feature is not the shape of our body but the spiritual food we eat and the way we speak promotes how we communicate our love for others and Christ. It begins with a new heart in Christ and it bears fruit in words and deeds of love that point others to Jesus.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 8:35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, 36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
The Town That Loved Death
Robin Aylor
Proverbs 8 is an amazing chapter on Wisdom. We get to learn “her” character and attributes how she was there in the beginning at Creation, where she lives and who she lives with and the streets where she takes her walks. We also find her calling out at the town gates, crossroads and portals of the city.
Is it possible that a stranger might come to Wisdom’s township looking for her; even asking about her as they enter the city? “Good morning, I’m looking for Wisdom; do you know her? Can you tell me where I might find her?”
The truth is that many who were born and raised in Wisdom’s home town don’t even know her. They have no ideal what she looks like or where she lives. Oh, they’ve seen her from a distance; they’ve even even gotten closer and heard her calling out as they walk down the same streets where ladies of the night work… but they cover their faces, they don’t make eye contact and they’ve never actually listened to her. You see, many of these town folk would rather be seen with the call girls than with Wisdom. And she’s a novelty around town; the subject of much jeering and many jokes. But, like I said most people could not point her out in a line-up and surely could not direct the stranger to her door.
So do you think its’ possible that someone searches for Wisdom with all their heart maybe for days… months or their whole life long and never finds her?
The truth is; if you… a stranger to Wisdom, come looking for her… you won’t need to journey to a far off place… she will come to you… In fact she’s calling right now. Listen… Can you hear her even now? If you truly seek Wisdom you will turn to find her right there at your side.
In Matthew 7:7 Jesus said: “seek, and you will find”. And Romans 10 tells us that for one who seeks God in faith, God is very near! Listen to the words of Paul:
Romans 10:6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
It’s really sad how much of the township hates Wisdom. The text says how they love death instead of wisdom. They wanted no fellowship with Wisdom and avoided her at all costs.
I think here Wisdom is a symbol for Spiritual life in the Lord. The townsfolk loved Spiritual death and hated the Spiritual life Wisdom offered. But when we hear Wisdom calling us we are to be like Nicodemus… He went to Jesus. Jesus told him and he tells us we must be born again Spiritually. We must look to Jesus in faith and come into the true wisdom of Gods fellowship and true life. Not to do so is to love death.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Proverbs 8:32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
Waiting At Wisdom’s Door
Blessed are those who keep my ways But who wants to listen to what you say? Why hear instruction if you’re already wise? Your promises are nothing but foolish lies.
Christians are nice enough I guess But they say “this is right and to heck with the rest” They’re intolerant, won’t listen, always on mission They get caught in a sin then just say they’re forgiven
And so the world keeps on doing the things they accuse They defend and judge they believe what they choose A Christian can be all those things that they say But there is something else I’ll address if I may
Though a believer is broken like everyone else When they sin, when they fall, when their heart starts to melt They say I’m sorry, then they turn from their sin That is one mark of a sinner born again
A person who’s righteousness is all wrapped up in themself Unless they are caught won’t readily confess But one who is justified by Jesus Christ Should humbly repent they have nothing to hide
So listen to Wisdom and keep her ways Stay close to her doors and near to her gates Return at once if you happen to stray And blessed will you be, all your days
Proverbs 11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Today’s proverb reminds me of some very famous words from a very famous bunny. No I’m not talking about bugs... I’m talking about that cute and cuddly little guy that goes by the name of Thumper. And he says, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all”. Wise words from a cartoon character. It would appear that King Solomon agreed. Things like slander and gossip and cutting word are of no help to anyone. They only stir up more trouble and strife.
Solomon reminds us that there are times where we need say nothing at all. Oh this is a hard concept to grasp for many. We can’t imagine keeping our lips sealed when we know some juicy detail about our neighbor. Many people are quick to spread every detail they know... many times they speak before the know all the details.
Let us not be such a people. If you must speak about your neighbor. If you must open your mouth and talk about your neighbors business, if you are going to share his struggles... share them with God in prayer and do from a place of love. After all God already knows your neighbors struggles and is eager to help
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, - Proverbs 6:13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
Wrong Prize Joey!
By Brad Chase
Picture if you will a man (we’ll call him Joey.) in the late 1970’s early 1980’s. Hair greased back, thin black mustache, huge toothy smile as he chomps on a piece of gum. White pants and striped button up shirt. The top of his shirt open displaying his weak chest and a gold chain. He points and winks at every lady that makes eye contact with him. He does the same head nod and “come hither“ hand gesture with each one just waiting on someone to approach him.
Finally, it works. A lady walks over to Joey and they engage in a few moments of small talk but quickly head out the door. It would appear that our friend has landed himself a date for the evening... or so he thinks.
Joey’s focus is on what he thinks will happen and not giving the truth of the situation a second thought. They slip away to a room for some privacy and he dashes on into the restroom. The lady waist no time getting to work. She quickly searches his bag, bedside table, pant pockets and jacket. She has now found everything this man has of value and she vanishes before he returns. He is now broke, foolish and lonely. Poor Joey. Should'a seen it coming.
This guy sounds pretty shady. And it’s easy to not like him and even laugh when he is cleaned out. But, what if I told you that everyone on the planet is or at least was like Joey?
Romans 3:10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
If you don’t know him, don’t trust him, don’t accept him and don’t submit to him, you are disconnected from God. And that counts you as a wicked person. Now, at some point or another, We did not have a relationship with Christ. Maybe this was you. Maybe this is you now. But either way, if your not connected to Jesus, your counted as a wicked man. Like Joey.
Joey thinks highly of himself. He is covetous. Wanting self gain and immediate pleasure. He is fixated on his own little life so much that it will in the end break him.
That was or is us. We were thought to stand tall and be proud. No one is better than us. You want it, go get it. Take care of number one. Do what it takes. Keep your eyes on the prize. But people have fixed their eyes on the wrong prize.
See, if we continue on or path like Joey, we will lose everything. The lady of the evening took all that Joey considered good and valuable. If we don’t turn to Jesus and away from our sin, we will lose the presence of God and only through God do good and right and blessing come. We will lose all that is good in a place called hell.
Proverbs 10:23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
What's Your High?
Robin Aylor
I like the contrasts in this verse… It’s cool! Solomon doesn’t really show the commonalities between foolishness and wisdom because there are none.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 says: A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.
Look, these guys are on totally different roads and going opposite directions. So instead of stating what they have in common he just tells us the goals and rewards of both paths.
You see, for a fool doing wrong never reaches any true level of pleasure so you can’t really make a suitable comparison. Doing wrong may bring a short high to a wicked man but like a common joke his telling of it is gone in a moment. The vile and corrupt person only knows what he knows… Surely he must think the fleeting high that comes from doing wrong cannot be matched… There is undoubtedly nothing it’s equal. Alas, he thinks; today's devious deeds have come and gone. But hope rises within him because he knows there are still all kinds of wicked things he can do and so he lays on his bed pondering what cruel wrong things can get him his high tomorrow.
On the other hand wisdom brings true and lasting pleasure. Instead of cruelty it plans love, It brings a state of happiness to the giver and receiver... It brings satisfaction and enjoyment that a wicked man has never even imagined nor has ever entered his heart.
True wisdom comes from God and is found in Jesus. It's riches and delights are eternal while for the fool, in the end... his cruel jokes will turn upon his own head and instead of laughter there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Proverbs 5:16 Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, and rivers of water in the streets? 17 Let them be for thyself alone, and not for strangers with thee.
Pure Unadulterated Sex
Robin Aylor
For context you might want to look at verses 15 through 20 of the same chapter. Or, if you want to take my word for it, let me just say clearly and boldly that here in these verses Solomon is talking about and actually promoting God’s plan for pure unadulterated sex. Yes, sex can be a physical and sensual even a human spiritual bond of oneness; a God designed help mate soul mate type of love between one man and one woman.
Solomon seems to be asking us: Do you really think a man should trust those deceiving lustful temptations that play on us men for other women? Should we give any credence to their promises of contentment and satisfaction? Do you really think a man’s own aversive plan for love will outshine and transcend the blueprint of marriage drawn out by the Creator of the Universe? Don’t believe one word from those trashy slut filled promises of lust.
Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 6:16: Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”
No matter what temptations you face or what bumps in the road that your marriage hits, keep trusting and obeying Gods word and wait on him.
Ephesians 5:25 says: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Really? I should give myself up for my wife? Yes! Don't be deceived; love is not something that we fall in and out of dependent on our feelings. It is intentional. Some of the greatest loves in history were per-arranged marriages. We can choose to love someone even though they may hurt or lie or steal from us. When God says to love your wives like Jesus loved little ole broken you… just do it… Love, love and keep on loving while trusting Christ and waiting on him all the way.
This goes for men and women both… follow Gods design; he will not let you down!!!
Just as we should not commit adultery against our spouse we should not prostitute ourselves against God with any kind of sin.
1st Corinthians 6:17 says: But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
Thank You Father for loving with a great love and uniting us into your fellowship through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. May we love our spouses like you loved us and may we stay close and grow in our love to you all the days of our life.
Sermon connecting Exodus 33 and 34 to 2nd Corinthians 3:18
2nd Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Chowder-Headed Air Pollution Robin Aylor
Here lately I’ve noticed that there’s a whole lot of talking going on, myself included. Whether it’s on Facebook, twitter, TV or just in the daily social scene. There is a lot of mambo-jumbo, crack brained babble floating around…
For me, there are times I feel that I have something to say… (at the time they seem like good things) and for some reason, in those situations I just can’t restrain myself. My discernment seems to be lacking and I’m like a horse with side blindfolds on, and so I gallop forward at full speed. I even find myself at times being rude cutting in when someone else is speaking. Howbeit, other people seem to talk a lot also and it can be hard to put your two cents worth in when they don’t even pause to breathe. And so I really do try to wait… but no… my pride wins out… and I burst in speaking louder than the other person just to be heard. Looking back I ponder… whether our words are untimely, undiscerning or just about insignificant things; I wonder on any given day; how much chowderheaded air pollution is filling up the worlds atmosphere. I had a friend who ask …
James 1:26 says: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
People who go on and on and on and on… and on and on… many times do so to promote themselves and show off how smart they think they are… or else they are making defenses for themselves to keep them from being found out.
So my friend when you find yourself with many words consider it a red flag. Double check whether your words are glorifying God or your self and your own ego’s personal opinions. Be careful because sin is always wanting to get a word in edgewise.
Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
How To Feed Many Robin Aylor
Though many words accompany sin as the previous verse 19 says; here we find that there is also a time for a wise man to speak.
Somehow Solomon is saying there is a parallel between the righteous mans tongue and the wicked man’s heart. He says it in an odd way, I suspect just to make us think about it. Looking at both verses he mentions a heart, a tongue and lips that feed. I believe Solomon wants us to realize that the heart and the tongue and our deeds are in agreement. I think a good expounding paraphrase of these two verses would go something like this.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver and his lips feed many because it comes from a righteous heart. The heart of the wicked is of little worth and his foolishness will be known by his words which will benefit no one and will ultimately end in death.
You see, wherever the heart is… it will flow to our tongue and through our lips and it will also flow out of our body as deeds that will feed many or deeds that will be utterly worthless.
In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said: …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Oh, a wicked man my try to hide what is in his heart by saying pretty sparkly words but his heart always seems to develop a bad case of acid reflex that finds a way to exit his mouth and transfers into evil deeds.
So, yes; can a righteous man’s tongue can feed many.
James 2:15 says it like this: If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
The wisdom that comes from godly faith will produce faithfulness. That is how a righteous mans lips can feed many while fools die for lack of sense. James 12:17 goes on to say: So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Thank You Father that our personal righteousness is now found in Your Son Jesus and through Him and You Holy Spirit You are changing us practically in your wisdom to feed many.
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. 35 He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
Spouse Thief
By Daniel Castor
When I was a child I got a brand new metallic blue bike. It was my pride and joy and I rode it all over the neighborhood. One day a friend form school saw me out riding my bike and he ask for a turn. We took turns for a while and he like my new bike too. He lived several blocks away and ask if he could borrow it for the night so he could get home on time. I didn’t want him to get in trouble so I said sure, knowing I’d be able to walk over and get it the next morning. I was up bright and early and I woke my friend. He went to grab the bike and Much to my surprise the bike was gone.
He swore up and down that he had no idea where it was. I was crushed my new bike was gone. Week after week went by and still no sign of my favorite bike. He told me story after story of what might have happened to it and all his stories led nowhere... until one day when I was walking down the ally behind his house and there is was. It was not in the best shape, the bike was scraped up... the tiers worn... but it was my bike. I took it home and put it in my garage.
Needless to say that that boy and I didn’t have the best friendship after that. You can’t take something so near and dear to someone’s heat and treat it like trash and expect them to be ok with you.
This is Solomon’s point in today’s proverb. Except that which is stolen is not a bike... it is a mans wife.
What if your souse stolen away? What if she taken and used and abused... You would be filled with a righteous furry! And you would be out for blood. The man who took advantage of your wife could beg with you and plead and give you gift after gift but how could all of that compare to what you had taken from him.
Adultery is no trivial thing. What where your eyes and your heart go! Don’t steal looks or take pleasure in that witch dose not belong to you.
Week 6 Lincoln University - Knowing The Gospel We Share / Robin Aylor
This week is knowing what we will share and that it is Gods Spirit, Gods Mercy and Grace, his choosing us and them, Gods quickening, God's word, God's help that we share it and make it clear and that others respond in faith. We must make sure we do not rely on the flesh but on God.
Proverbs 7:24 And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, 26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
What young man out there dose not think himself invincible? And what strapping young lad doesn’t consider himself strong. Even at the ripe old age of nine there is not much that my small framed skinny armed son doesn’t think he can handle. He is always up for a Chalange when it comes to feats of strength and he is slow to admit that some things are just to much for him to handle. As much as it pains me to say this I think I am much the same way. I think all me have this built in to them. We thing that we are tuff enough to handle whatever comes our way. But Solomon gives us a stern warning here. There is indeed something that even the strongest of men need to be afraid of. Her name is the seductress. Oh she has many other names, maybe you know her lust or pornography or the temptress, she comes in all shapes and sizes and they are all oh so appealing but oh so deadly.
Now here is the danger for young men who think much of themselves. At first glance the seductress seems inviting. There is no apparent danger. She has soft skin and smooth lips. She is dainty and delicate. How could she really be any threat to a real man? How could she destroy their lives? Just ask David, Solomon and Sampson
David, the most Godly man, Saul the worlds wisest man. And Sampson the worlds strongest man. All of these men the strongest and the best where brought down to their lowest and darkest moments in their life by the seductress.
If the wisest, most Godly and strongest among us can fall into her traps than you and I have no business going anywhere near her.
Proverbs 6:30 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, 31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. 32 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33 Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
To Catch A Thief
By Robin Aylor
When a hungry person steals food or money to buy food it is easy to have sympathy for such an individual. As long as we don’t know who they really are and all we know is they were hungry… we tend to show compassion… But when they are caught and we find out that they were hungry because they were too lazy to work our view of their crime may possibly be swayed. However, that being said it really doesn't matter if they stole from others because of a lack of a desire to work or a lack of opportunity... when they are caught and come before a just judicial system their deeds are weighed in the balance of the letter and intent of the law.
The hooded villain known as Robin Hood comes to mind. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Even with the most liberal interpretations and if by some imagination the intent of the law was on his side, still... he likely stole and hurt many innocent and some who had made their riches honestly and lawfully. Justice is not to be carried out by each mans individual rationalizations.
Not all, but some of the Liberal left in the US follow the premise to take from the rich even if they obtained it lawfully and give to the poor even if the able refuse to work. In Bible times Sanctuary Cities were not built to protect criminals. It may sound like I’m voicing a clear political view but I cannot be that general. You see, I believe there is a time and place for mercy even in the worlds court.
Let me bring this back to the text... For a man to commit adultery is to steal his neighbors wife. It does not matter if his own wife was bringing him satisfaction or not. He has no right to steal from his neighbor. There will be a price to pay. Even if there is forgiveness it will change their families forever. No one can remove the consequences of his sin.
One day we will all stand before the supreme Judge who is 100% righteous. As a man steals his neighbors wife we have committed adultery with God making the world our love. As a thief steals food we have all stolen glory from God to satisfy our own selfish appetite... We are all guilty and we will all face judgment.
Thankfully, there is someone who can bear penalty for our sin. There is mercy for those who treasure Jesus as their love. Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 ...‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
look to Jesus as the Good News he is… He gives us his righteousness! 2nd Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Thank him for taking upon himself the wages due us for our sin. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rejoice in Jesus who died for us and rose again giving us that same power to defeat sin and love our neighbor and one day be raised incorruptible to be with him.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.
What's That Around Your Neck?
By Robin Aylor
Many parents teach their children basic truths through commands and rules. For example, don’t touch the fire on the stove, pick up your toys, share with others, don’t play in the street… or always wear clothes when you go outside… These are commandments and teachings we should take with us into adulthood and never ignore. I actually remember something about those last two… (playing in the street and going outside without clothes on) I think it was the mid to late 70’s in Dodge City Kansas as I watched a streaker on a motorcycle puttering up Boot Hill. If I am not mistaken he was being followed by a Police car with sirens a blaring.
Our text says to tie them around your neck. The problem is that many young people think honoring and obeying their parents is like tying a noose around their neck choking the life from them. But the truth is that good parents speak words into our lives that protect us from danger and horrible life altering mistakes... even death. Their commandments are based in love.
Good solid teachings are good for life. Our Father in heaven... his word is full of them. Read them, learn them, ponder them… Bind them on your heart and tie them around your neck. They are that important! Let them guide you as you walk throughout your day in work ethic and relationships and with your spouse and family… Keep them with you even when your day is done and when you awake again they will again bid you good morning.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 6:27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.
Carry Jesus Close To Your Heart
Robin Aylor
And so here we see Solomon, the wisest man alive asking two seemingly foolish questions. Back then if there were video cameras and you-tube… I just wonder how many people would film themselves putting these questions to the test. What… you wanna give it a try? Really? Ok then lets roll!
Here ya go then… don’t be alarmed; this is a small fire… only a single flame from this cheap lighter. Alright then, i’m bringing it towards your chest… Steady… You want me to come closer? Ok, for the sake of science then… just a little closer. Woe!!! Oh no!!! I think your shirt is on fire… Stop! come back! Let me put it out! Roll over!… No! No! Your hair is on fire! Don’t put it out with that. It’s a container of gasoline!!!! Ahhhhh!
Experiment Number Two: “can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” What… you wanna back out? You think Solomon was being sarcastic? That's right, he answers both questions with his last scenario.
He said: So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. Look, if you leave your first love and become an adulterer you are gonna be burned as sure as you carry fire in your chest and as sure as if you walk on hot coals. This plot line never ends well. There is always pain and sorrow and ruin associated with adultery.
Also, if you think about it, one can commit adultery in other ways as well. For example a person can cheat and run around on and deceive their king, their president, their Country, even their Creator. If we delight in any other over Jesus. If the lure of a seductress leads us to seek joy in them over our true love… Remember this: Sin is not good for our relationship with God… It brings a multitude of sorrows and burning pains. Yes, with true repentance there is forgiveness but sin can cause us to backslide farther than we ever wanted to go and it can leave scars that last a life time.
So, instead of fire, lets keep Solomon's words close to our chest and the love of Jesus close to our heart that we might not fall prey to lustful desires.
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.
Does Any Part Of Your Tongue Need Cut Off?
Daniel Castor
Did you know the average person speaks around 16,000 word a day. That’s a whole lot of talk. What kind of words are coming out of our mouth? Well that really all depends... if you work in a fast food drive through you may say the phrase, “how may I help you” a couple of hundred times a day. If you are a librarian your words may be few and your shushes may be plentiful. if you are a grandma probably say things like sure you can do whatever you want. But, If you are a parent your favorite words are probably “absolutely not” and “stop that right now”
All sorts of different things come out of different peoples mouths. That is the point that is being made in this proverb. And he gives us two clear examples. Take a look at a righteous man and a wicked man. The words that come out of their moths perfectly reflect the the heart that they have. The Righteous man speaks truth's that are good and wise while the wicked man spews nothing but perversity.
It is just like our Lord once said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
That which rolls off the tip of the tongue comes from the bottom of the heart.
Here is my challenge for you today pay very close attention to all that comes out of your mouth. Use it a self diagnostic test. Is there any perversity, slander, any foolish talk course joking? Is so ask God for a change of heart that will lead to a change of speech. Better to have a changed heart and a tame tongue than no tongue at all!
Proverbs in 365 Devotions
Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.
Be Ready
Brad Chase
When I was younger, my mother would leave my older brother and I at home alone while she went to work. The night before, she would give a to do list of things that need to be done by the time she returned for lunch and a list for the end of the day. Without fail, one of us played the goody two shoes roll and did his chores and the other would slack off. The slacker felt he had all the time in the world. (trust me on this. I know exactly what the slacker was thinking. It was more often than not, me.)
The morning would roll by and my brother would not only do his chores to stay out of trouble, he would also do mine to please my mom. No one would get in trouble at lunch. But then... round 2 would begin. We would argue and fuss because he felt I owed him and I should do his afternoon chores. It was only fair he would say. But my argument was that I had never asked him to do my chores. My brother would through his hands up and say fine don’t do mine. But I’m not doing yours. Followed by the last word wins game of fine, fine, fine.
Within an hour or so, my brothers chore was done and he sat and watched TV for the rest of the day. We new mom would be home at 5:15. She was always home at 5:15. I would have goofed off all day and it was now 5:00. I would turn to my brother and beg him to help. Some times he would cave, some times he would not. The times he would not were terrible. I remember he would turn off the TV and kick back with a snack and watch me race all over the house trying to finish up what should have already been done. He was ready for 5:15... I was dreading it.
My mom would come home like clock work and walk in with me nowhere in sight. Calmly and lovingly talking to my brother and praising him for a job well done. Then she would notice what I hadn’t done. It was like a light switch! I’d honestly one out of my room covering my backside because I knew what was coming for my disobedience.
See, in comparison, I was the wicked who dreaded mom coming home. Where as my brother would be the righteous and eagerly awaiting mom coming home. (even if it was to see me get whooped.)
Our moms wrath was the tempests in our childhood. Rage and anger. The poor woman had to try to channel both loving mother and disciplining father. Some times the storm got pretty scary. But one thing is for sure. My brother and I are much better people now having the correction from our mother. Once we were older and had endured enough of her storms, there was no disobedience left in us. (Ok. Maybe some. But come on. We’re human) We wanted to make her happy. Not out of fear of her wrath. But out of love for our mom.
Ok, let’s apply this to the passage. Verse 24 talks about What the wicked dreads coming upon him and the desire of the righteous being granted.
The wicked know in their heart that time is running out and they will not be ready for Jesus return and judgment. Where as the righteous have been diligent and obedient and eagerly awaiting the second coming of Jesus.
25 says When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.
When Jesus comes back. When judgment is passed. When this life is over and after Jesus destroys all wickedness for good, only the righteous will remain. And peace will come to all who is left.
Don’t be as I was as a kid. I was not ready for the authority to show up. Now is the time to do business and get ready. A popular quote says “ if you stay ready, then you ain’t gotta get ready” get ready now and stay ready for when the time comes.
Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
In The Beginning
Robin Aylor
Throughout Proverbs we have continued to see Wisdom as a virtuous woman but now she begins to unveil herself from that metaphor and we receive more insight into who this person truly is. Something else has changed; Wisdom is now speaking in the first person.
This one who was with God before the world. When trillions of decisions were made on how each part of creation would interact with one another and mankind and how it would all be for the glory of God. When the Universe was being planned and drawn out as a blueprint. This one Proverbs speaks of, the mutual delight of God was a master participant in that Creation… When God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. (in Genesis 1:26) was he speaking of this one previously known as Wisdom?
John chapter 1 also unveils one who was there at Creation. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. … (Verse 14): And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
All Things Were Made Through Him
Robin Aylor
Long before the valleys low, mountains high and hills Before the first grain of dust, on earth to fill the fields
I was before him filled with joy, and He was pleased with me Twas all good, with no beginning, One God in Three
So when he marked and drew a circle, I too was there And when he made the heavens, all this I shared
He steadied the sky and established the deep He set boundaries for waters, they all heard him speak
He marked out the earth, I offered my hands In his own image created We man
He sent me to earth and I willingly went To the world I created now broken and bent
I was paid wages for their hatred and sin For their good I lived, died and rose again
Yet it was for Gods glory, his praise and his name That he chose you and made you, that his only Son came
This good news of great joy for the human race Is all to the praise of his glorious grace
Proverbs 9:13 The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, 15 calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,
Proverbs 10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
The word of the day is irritate. If you’ve never tried the vinegar on the teeth, it hurts. It’s got a sour taste and a smell that about gags you. It’s cold and that makes your whole mouth hurt. Imagine sinking your teeth into a big ball of tin foil. Those with cavities or filling are cringing at just the thought. It’s painful, uncomfortable, dissatisfying and down right irritating.
The vinegar to the teeth isn’t all together common. But the smoke in the eyes, that is. Weather it’s from a grill in the back yard, an unplanned fire that your trying to control or last nights dinner that you forgot to set a timer for. Most of us have had smoke in the eyes. It’s hot and stings. It makes your eyes blood shot and watery while oddly enough, dry as the Sahara desert. One good puff of smoke strait to the eyes will make you wish you had Ben Stein on speed dial for some Clear Eyes eye drops.
The passage today tells us that people can be just as irritating. Not like this is something we don’t already know. More often than not, it pride and the flesh that lets us deem others as annoying or irritating. But in this case, God is talking about the sluggers. The lazy and untrustworthy man. The irresponsible person who cuts corners, doesn’t complete a job or all together dismisses a task.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say that you are going on a family vacation for a week in the summer. You hire a neighborhood kid to take care of the grass while you are gone. Now, honestly, life has been crazy and you have let your yard go just a little too long. It’s now thick and taller than it should be. ( technically, you could be considered the sluggard at this point. But! You have taken a step and hired someone to fix it. ) You even pay up front so he has money for gas.
Now, when you arrive home this is what you see... A capital T had been scalped to the dirt as big as the yard. Half the yard is cut short with all the grass clippings still there and the other half has another weeks growth from the last time you we’re home. The kid whom you hired has failed to do the job you hired him and expected him to do and is no where to be found.
Much like the vinegar to the teeth and the smoke to the eyes, this young man has become an irritant to you.
So, you May be asking how this applies to us. In Matthew 28 verse 19-20 Jesus says
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus did not tell us to go if we felt like it. He didn’t give us the option to set around and do nothing. He tells us to Go. When we accept Him as Lord and Savior, we are obligated to do as he says. And he says go. So, if we chose to do this only once in a great while or not at all, we are the sluggard. And we are irritating to the one true God. My advice, don’t irritate God. Just do what your told and how your told to do it.
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. 28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. 30 The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
Always takin stands, hugh? for yourself Stompin, fussin, you curse and yell Really; a sincere thought for others? You gloat and strain your throat, you take your lovers
“Where is this so called Maker? Ground Shaker?” “Can you hear my descending evil laugh, Ha ha ha ha ha” “See I am the taker, the money maker” “I fear no one’s wrath”
But somewhere, a righteous man loves the Lord His heart is like full of delight and stuffed with joy All righteous desires come right to his door Much better than Prime, no one can destroy
What is your quest? Always straining… never attaining? Being truly blessed or always depressed? Stressed in the mess that ends in death? Does that seem best? Even death won’t get that burden off your chest
I’d rather be new born to a new homeland Instead of bogged down like zombies drowning in sinking sand I’d rather have new thoughts, new sight, a new mouth a new life Find my delight in Jesus Christ, he’s the one thats greater On both sides of the equator, he’s my spiritual educator Mediator, navigator, interior decorator… my Savior
All to the glory of God
A study of God's word to see his glory and be transformed; then to think through and ponder and paraphrase and order our words into sentences that articulate this awesome truth God has shown us through creative writing. Our goal and mission is to delight in God through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit and share his glory with others.
This Week Assignment: Write a devotional from the last 8 words Jesus spoke in the book of John.
John 21:22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
A study of God's word to see his glory and be transformed; then to think through and ponder and paraphrase and order our words into sentences that articulate this awesome truth God has shown us through creative writing. Our goal and mission is to delight in God through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit and share his glory with others.
This week: Write a prayer from John 15:1-11
God's Story Part 3 - Jason Dirks continues giving an overview of the timeline of the Bible and seeing Jesus and the Gospel throughout. May we get a framework of the Bible. May we see Gods glory in Jesus and be transformed and be able to articulate the good news of how Jesus is the only hope and treasure worth giving all for.
For more songs, poems and devotions go to braggingonjesus.com
God's Story Part 3 - Jason Dirks continues giving an overview of the timeline of the Bible and seeing Jesus and the Gospel throughout. May we get a framework of the Bible. May we see Gods glory in Jesus and be transformed and be able to articulate the good news of how Jesus is the only hope and treasure worth giving all for.
For more songs, poems and devotions go to braggingonjesus.com
God's Story Part 2 - Jason Dirks continues giving an overview of the timeline of the Bible and seeing Jesus and the Gospel throughout. May we get a framework of the Bible. May we see Gods glory in Jesus and be transformed and be able to articulate the good news of how Jesus is the only hope and treasure worth giving all for.
For more songs, poems and devotions go to braggingonjesus.com
God's Story Part 1 / Jason Dirks Explain the promise of Jesus as our good news from excerpts within the timeline of the Bible. Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church
Gods View of Himself and how that relates to us. * We are not the center of the Universe; He is. * God does all for his namesake to the praise of his glory * He chose us before the foundation of the world to be given as a bride for his Son * We were an ugly bride in all our sin * Jesus beautified us for himself on the Cross * We are blessed in a million different ways for his namesake because he chose us before time for his glory. He keeps his word.
Not A Hair On Your Head Will Perish Devotion by Robin Aylor 03/20/2019 given at Brahms with Brad and Daniel
He Made A Way is a poem by Brad Chase read 03/20/2019 AM at Brahms in Woodward Oklahoma.
He Finishes What He Started devotion read by Daniel Castor 03/20/2019 AM at Brahms in Woodward Oklahoma.
Four Allegory Parallels including two movies; Iron Man by Joseph Espinoza and The Lost World by Robin Aylor along with two books: The Odyssey by Daniel Castor and Charlotte's Web by Keith Frutiger - These are parallels and similarities we find in scripture and a Believers life. The was our 03/19/2019 Bragging On Jesus Meet. For more go to braggingonjesus.com Thank You!
The Powerful Sword of Gods Promises
In the hand of those who believe Gods word Is a sword forged hot with promises sure All those who raise it high are “the stirred” For the whole of man ti'z the only cure
The oaths of the Maker change the world Slay giants and every wild beast They raise up orphaned boys and girls And silence Sirens songs to Peace
You want to make a difference? Seek those promises out! One or two just won’t do, hunt, search and scout Tattoo his words of honor on your skin, take the pen down deep Veins impart them to your heart, to more than know; Believe!
To believe brings boldness, Gods sanctioned authority Backed with strength ore every sin that threatens you and me It's Gods same power that raised Jesus from the dead A life unfurled to change the world believing what he said
Speaking of Jesus in 2nd Corinthians 1:20 Paul says: For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Today's Promise for Believers is this: God will provide everything you need to participate in your new mission for his glory and your joy.
2nd Corinthians 8:1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— First I want us to notice Paul preempts his example by saying the following is a gift of grace from God among the Macedonians. Paul gives us a list of ingredients that make up that grace. But first think about this: If you’ve ever put on a bakers hat and made your favorite Sassy Momma or Ooey Gooey Butter Cake you know that some of the ingredients taste good on their own but most are unpleasant and disagreeable by themselves. Things like raw eggs, flour, baking soda, salt, unsweetened chocolate and such might make you throw up if eaten alone. Now the sugar is great… still all alone no matter how much you ate it would not match up to that mouthwatering cake you're thinking of right now. The ingredients Paul included in Gods grace were a severe test of affliction, extreme poverty and sweet joy. When those get mixed together with Gods grace a magical spontaneous combustion happens… A wealth of generosity towards others to the point of wanting to share pieces of the cake of Gods grace with others. These poverty stricken afflicted believers even begged Paul to let them participate in the mission. So wheres the Promise? Paul continues beginning in: 2nd Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Notice as Paul encourages the Corinthians, he adds this stipulation to their giving… they should do it cheerfully, that is as the Macedonians did. As believers we first see this principal of cheerfully giving all for Christ in initial salvation. Remember the parable about initially coming to Christ Jesus told in Matthew 13:44: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The Gospel is not only for initial salvation but every aspect of life. And so our giving in joy is one way we live out the Gospel every day. Check out what Paul says next! 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. Wow! Did you notice how many times Gods promise included the word “all”? All Grace, all sufficiency, in all things at all times and in every good work. When we cheerfully give in faith, God keeps his promise to spill over his extreme blessings into our life that we might be about the new mission that God has implanted in us. God knows the best blessings to give us individually for his mission. Paul just told us why God gives these blessings; it is so we may abound in every good work… it’s for Gods glory. Then in verse 11 Paul leaves no doubt as to what Gods end goal is for this promise he has given. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. Notice again the extremity of Gods promise… enriched in every way to be generous in every way! That is an amazing promise and it is accompanied by much joy. And then the ultimate end is God being glorified himself. Our joy ends in worship with thanksgiving to God. Thank You Lord for the best cake ever made in Jesus!
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Devotion by Daniel Castor
Devotion on Hosea2:2 "A Great Promise of Adoption in two strange baby names" - Robin Aylor
Sermon God does not lie; satan always lies, there is no truth in him? Who's counsel to we follow from day to day?
January 2019 Bragging on Jesus Preach Meet - Today's Topic is Christian Hedonism; We are a group of guys who get together and brag on Jesus to each other and on Facebook live for between 5 and 10 minutes a piece each month. We post these as well as other audio articles to braggingonjesus.com. For more information email robin.aylor@gmail.com / Thanks
Proverbs in 365 Devotions - Proverbs 3:32 (ESV) for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.
Crown of the Grey; a devotion on Proverbs 16:31-32 (ESV)
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. 32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Devotion by Brad Chase on Proverbs 3:27-28 (ESV)
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Devotion about phobias from Proverbs 3:25-26 (ESV)
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, 26 for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
A Worthless Man - For more like this go to braggingonjesus.com
Proverbs 16:27
A worthless man plots evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.
A New Tongue
by Robin Aylor
Who walks on earth among mankind
With a worthless heart and wicked mind
Down deep degenerate, debunked, depraved
Sin soiled, skunky spoiled, uncoiled, smutty stained?
Who’s mission, purpose, hobby and craft
Has the drive of a pyromaniac?
Burning bridges, sticks, boats and bricks
Rejoicing, redeeming, and relationships
To tame beast or bird, reptile or sea creature,
Might provide quite a challenge and yet it's been done
But to housebreak this person would be no ones leisure
At the end call a surgeon to cut out their tongue
Still the poison that flows from that burning flame
Must find its way out of a heart unrestrained
Though it cannot be ruled over, subdued or contained
Listen! Come closer, closer, closer; THEY CAN BE CHANGED!!!
The Word became flesh and dwelt among men
With no deceit in his mouth he committed no sin
Yet was paid the wages for the worthless mans offense
So that all who believe will be born again
A new creation in Spirit includes heart, mouth and tongue
New words to sing, legs to dance and to run
No more hurling loud curses to a world all ablaze
Now we share his love, glory and power to save
James 3:5 …How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Proverbs 16:29-30
A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. 30 Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.
The Body Language Liar
by Robin Aylor
Watch out for the violent man
Who purses his lips and hides his teeth
He closes his mouth firmly fast
In fear the truth will seep
Some can smell his flavored fear
As bursting sweat beads stink
He moves his head with lying eyes
And gives his fans a wink
He says when he can: look man
Here’s the business diagram
Its clean, its green, not a pyramid scheme
Join my legitimate ponzi scam
Ah! at last, I’m glad you asked
Who is this one with a deceitful mask
Who throws out shattered glass, launches tear gas
And laughs as he brings mayhem to pass?
Who is it that usually thinks of himself
With his pride in stealth as he searches for wealth?
Who hands out the fruit of a poisonous tree?
Empty hands with curved fingers point back at me
Song: This Train is bound for glory and When the Saints go marching in sing along combo in the key of C
Wrapped in Flesh by Brad Chase January 1, 2019 For more songs, poems and devotions go to braggingonjesus.com
CS Lewis on Christmas by Dwayne Douglas For more songs, poems and devotions go to braggingonjesus.com
Wild Man With A Blade. For text go to: https://www.braggingonjesus.com/wild-man-with-a-blade-ra For more go to: braggingonjesus.com
Songs, Poetry, Devotions, Articles and Preaching.
To see more go to braggingonjesus.com
My own words and arrangement of Ride On King Jesus For Chord and to play along go to: https://www.braggingonjesus.com/ride-on-king-jesus
November 2018 Bragging on Jesus Preach Meet - We are a group of guys who get together and brag on Jesus to each other and on Facebook live for between 5 and 10 minutes a piece each month. We all make mistakes for sure so please verify everything we say with Gods Word. We post these as well as other audio articles to braggingonjesus.com. For more information email robin.aylor@gmail.com / Thanks
July 2018 Bragging on Jesus Preach Meet - We are a group of guys who get together and brag on Jesus to each other and on Facebook live each for around 10 minutes a piece each month. We post these as well as other audio articles to braggingonjesus.com. For more information email robin.aylor@gmail.com / Thanks
February 2018 Bragging on Jesus Preach Meet - Today is open topic; Robin is speaking on John 17, the Cross and Election; Daniel... A lame beggar healed in Jesus name... and Blake Genesis 4 Sin is crouching.
We are a group of guys who get together and brag on Jesus to each other and on Facebook live for between 5 and 10 minutes a piece each month. We post these as well as other audio articles to braggingonjesus.com. For more information email robin.aylor@gmail.com / Thanks