Proverbs 11:24-25
There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
God's principles of economics and resource management seem so upside-down from the worlds. The world says store up for later. God says scatter and water generously. The world says poverty comes from saving little, God says poverty comes from giving little. The world says provide for your future, God says provide for your neighbors.
I think what I like most about this proverbs is the analogies to sowing seed, planting, watering and nurturing. It reminds me that I should be investing in living things, growing things, people. When I turn my resources toward my neighbor I too am watered, nurtured and rewarded with joy when I give.
These proverbs are true because God is the Great Gardener who makes all seed grow. We may sow, water and tend the soil but God alone brings growth (1 Cor. 3:6-8).
Father, teach me to be more generous with all that You have given me. Help me scatter generously and reap abundantly as I give... that I may give more. Let me be a testimony to the world of Your provision and faithfulness. Amen.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Truth hearers and truth speakers
Proverbs 10:8 & 17
The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
How well one receives instruction from others is an accurate example of how one also receives instruction from the Lord. If I cannot obey the visible authorities in my life, how can I expect to obey the invisible, divine authority in my life? If my heart is hard or stiff toward those who love me enough to speak truth and warning into my life, then I will never recognize the truth and guidance of a loving God who gave His Only Son for me. However if I humbly and reverently submit to the authorities and truth speakers God has placed in my life, I hear from Him. The wise heart recognizes how God works through others and submits out of the fear of the Lord. This is wisdom and life.
Lord - open my ears and soften my heart to the instruction and correction from truth speakers in my life. Amen.
The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
How well one receives instruction from others is an accurate example of how one also receives instruction from the Lord. If I cannot obey the visible authorities in my life, how can I expect to obey the invisible, divine authority in my life? If my heart is hard or stiff toward those who love me enough to speak truth and warning into my life, then I will never recognize the truth and guidance of a loving God who gave His Only Son for me. However if I humbly and reverently submit to the authorities and truth speakers God has placed in my life, I hear from Him. The wise heart recognizes how God works through others and submits out of the fear of the Lord. This is wisdom and life.
Lord - open my ears and soften my heart to the instruction and correction from truth speakers in my life. Amen.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Hate Evil?
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
Most of my life I have not hated evil or sin. I have disliked some evil and tolerated other. However, hate evil I have not. I have hated the consequences but never seemed to be wise enough to draw that hate back to the rood cause, sin. And in looking here at what Solomon associates with evil; pride, arrogance, perversion,... I must admit that I have more often embraced evil than hated it.
It is only recently that I have come to understand hatred of sin and evil. I've seen kids in my ministry ripped apart by a parent's selfishness, sin and divorce. I have seen marriages of those I love disintegrate under the poisons of greed, lust, resentment and arrogance. I have seen ambition, dishonesty, independence and secrecy topple the strongest of businesses. I've seen power, pride, fear, apathy and ignorance crumble our nations strong economy. I've finally begun to see sin and evil for what it is and I can say now that I truly hate them.I'm still not sure what to do about it or if my hatred really comes from a fear of the Lord or simply my own agitation... but I'm on that road. I want to know Him, to fear Him, to hate evil and to live according to the truth of this passage.
God - teach me to fear You. Teach me to hate evil. Teach me to know what to do about it. Amen.
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
Most of my life I have not hated evil or sin. I have disliked some evil and tolerated other. However, hate evil I have not. I have hated the consequences but never seemed to be wise enough to draw that hate back to the rood cause, sin. And in looking here at what Solomon associates with evil; pride, arrogance, perversion,... I must admit that I have more often embraced evil than hated it.
It is only recently that I have come to understand hatred of sin and evil. I've seen kids in my ministry ripped apart by a parent's selfishness, sin and divorce. I have seen marriages of those I love disintegrate under the poisons of greed, lust, resentment and arrogance. I have seen ambition, dishonesty, independence and secrecy topple the strongest of businesses. I've seen power, pride, fear, apathy and ignorance crumble our nations strong economy. I've finally begun to see sin and evil for what it is and I can say now that I truly hate them.I'm still not sure what to do about it or if my hatred really comes from a fear of the Lord or simply my own agitation... but I'm on that road. I want to know Him, to fear Him, to hate evil and to live according to the truth of this passage.
God - teach me to fear You. Teach me to hate evil. Teach me to know what to do about it. Amen.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wisdom
Proverbs 7:4
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
What is my relationship with my sister and nearest of kin to be like that God would call me to relate to wisdom similarly?
My sister I love, honor, respect, guard protect and defend. I treat her with preference, priority, purity, loyalty and dignity.
My nearest of kin, the Bible says, is to be where I turn in time of need. My nearest of kin is protection, provision, peace, rest and favor. I am to rely on family in the same way that my sister relies on me.
Therefore, I am to protect, guard, honor and cherish wisdom as I rely on it for my protection, provision and peace. there is therefore a cyclical and progressive relationship here that we are commanded to pursue; the more we honor wisdom, the more wisdom honors us, the more we guard wisdom, the more it guards us.
Father, teach me to pursue wisdom with honor, respect, prudence and preference so that I may find her protection, provision, preference and peace in my time of need. amen.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
What is my relationship with my sister and nearest of kin to be like that God would call me to relate to wisdom similarly?
My sister I love, honor, respect, guard protect and defend. I treat her with preference, priority, purity, loyalty and dignity.
My nearest of kin, the Bible says, is to be where I turn in time of need. My nearest of kin is protection, provision, peace, rest and favor. I am to rely on family in the same way that my sister relies on me.
Therefore, I am to protect, guard, honor and cherish wisdom as I rely on it for my protection, provision and peace. there is therefore a cyclical and progressive relationship here that we are commanded to pursue; the more we honor wisdom, the more wisdom honors us, the more we guard wisdom, the more it guards us.
Father, teach me to pursue wisdom with honor, respect, prudence and preference so that I may find her protection, provision, preference and peace in my time of need. amen.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sight & Trust
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
In every instance of life we have two option; to see things as they appear or to see God. There is very little else. We will either focus on this imperfect world through the lenses of our own sin-stained emotions, ambitions and impressions or we will focus on the unchanging, perfect character of God. Either we will trust in our own limited understanding of life or we will trust in the power and wisdom of the eternally perfect Creator. This choice determines our path.
Lord, blind me from my own understanding and cause me to acknowledge You. Do not let me trust in my own understanding but instead trust fully in your goodness and sovereignty in my life. Keep my foot on Your path and do not let me stumble. Amen.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
In every instance of life we have two option; to see things as they appear or to see God. There is very little else. We will either focus on this imperfect world through the lenses of our own sin-stained emotions, ambitions and impressions or we will focus on the unchanging, perfect character of God. Either we will trust in our own limited understanding of life or we will trust in the power and wisdom of the eternally perfect Creator. This choice determines our path.
Lord, blind me from my own understanding and cause me to acknowledge You. Do not let me trust in my own understanding but instead trust fully in your goodness and sovereignty in my life. Keep my foot on Your path and do not let me stumble. Amen.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Firstfruits & "so"
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
In this passage I am most intrigued by the word "so." I wonder exactly what Solomon is trying to teach here. On the one hand, he could be saying that our motivation for giving God our firstfruits or "tithing" should be our own blessing. It is possible that God in His wisdom leverages our natural human hungers and desires to establish in us His Holy habits. We don't have to start our pattern of giving with high and lofty ideas; we can be very human and still honor God. On the other hand, Solomon may be saying that God cannot or will not bless us until we learn to give to Him the firstfruits of our lives. Giving to the Lord may be the avenue God has chosen for our blessing. Selfishness and hording then become the roadblock to God's best for us.
Either way, giving to the Lord is the critical link between our natural human desires and God's natural desire to bless His children. When we give, we bring out God's best for our best.
God - make me more generous toward Your work. Let me give to You so that I may be blessed and so that I may display to the world around me what a life surrendered to You looks like. amen
Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
In this passage I am most intrigued by the word "so." I wonder exactly what Solomon is trying to teach here. On the one hand, he could be saying that our motivation for giving God our firstfruits or "tithing" should be our own blessing. It is possible that God in His wisdom leverages our natural human hungers and desires to establish in us His Holy habits. We don't have to start our pattern of giving with high and lofty ideas; we can be very human and still honor God. On the other hand, Solomon may be saying that God cannot or will not bless us until we learn to give to Him the firstfruits of our lives. Giving to the Lord may be the avenue God has chosen for our blessing. Selfishness and hording then become the roadblock to God's best for us.
Either way, giving to the Lord is the critical link between our natural human desires and God's natural desire to bless His children. When we give, we bring out God's best for our best.
God - make me more generous toward Your work. Let me give to You so that I may be blessed and so that I may display to the world around me what a life surrendered to You looks like. amen
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Fear of the Lord
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:23
If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.
Proverbs 2:6-9
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
All wisdom, knowledge, security and provision is founded on the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord begins with a right, healthy, holy and overwhelming sense of God's character and is critical for hearing his rebuke and turning from evil. It is significant to notice that rebuke follows the fear of the Lord, not righteousness. This passage presumes that we all sin and are tempted into sin. The fear of the Lord enables us to respond to God's rebuke and receive His Spirit, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. When we respond in reverence and repentance these blessings are the result; righteousness is the ultimate outcome. Then, and only then, will we be able to discern justice, equity and every good path.
So, how much do I fear the Lord? How right, healthy, holy and overwhelming is my sense of God's character? How well do I respond to His rebuke?
Most Holy God, deepen my understanding of who You are that I may learn to fear You. May I tremble and turn at Your rebuke. Humble me and let me come to know wisdom, righteousness, justice, equity and every good path. Amen.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:23
If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.
Proverbs 2:6-9
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
All wisdom, knowledge, security and provision is founded on the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord begins with a right, healthy, holy and overwhelming sense of God's character and is critical for hearing his rebuke and turning from evil. It is significant to notice that rebuke follows the fear of the Lord, not righteousness. This passage presumes that we all sin and are tempted into sin. The fear of the Lord enables us to respond to God's rebuke and receive His Spirit, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. When we respond in reverence and repentance these blessings are the result; righteousness is the ultimate outcome. Then, and only then, will we be able to discern justice, equity and every good path.
So, how much do I fear the Lord? How right, healthy, holy and overwhelming is my sense of God's character? How well do I respond to His rebuke?
Most Holy God, deepen my understanding of who You are that I may learn to fear You. May I tremble and turn at Your rebuke. Humble me and let me come to know wisdom, righteousness, justice, equity and every good path. Amen.
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