A Gentle Answer

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand...

Esther 5:1-2

Esther's people are facing genocide. She herself is having to risk her life to try to save them. And her husband, King Xerxes, has been so negligent in his duties that he has unwittingly approved the plot.

I think Esther has every reason to be angry. She has every reason to be scared. And, since she hasn’t eaten in three days, she has every reason to be in a bad mood. But in the midst of all these valid emotions, Esther has to successfully navigate a dangerous situation full of political intrigue to try to save the lives of her people. Literally, tens of thousands of lives (if not more) will be affected by how Esther handles this situation.

So, how does Esther handle this volatile situation? Did she waltz right up to the king and gave him a piece of her mind? No. She didn’t do that. In fact, Esther didn’t approach the king at all at first. She didn’t even enter into the King’s Hall. Verse 1 says that she stood in the inner court where the king could see her from his throne. And apparently she waited (patiently and humbly) for the king to notice her and hold out his scepter to invite her to come forward and have an audience with him.

And if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that Esther defers making her request until the King has come to two separate banquets that she prepares for him. Why? Why doesn’t she just come right out and ask King Xerxes to save her people?

As I was thinking about this question a certain proverb came to mind. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Esther could have marched up to the King and given him a piece of her mind. She could have approached King Xerxes with harsh words and she probably wouldn’t have gotten very far. But instead, she was wise. Esther and her people were under Haman’s wrath. Now, it wasn’t going to do her much good to appeal to Haman, but if she played her cards right, a gentle answer to the king, just might turn away Haman’s wrath. So, that is what Esther set out to do.

Esther fought genocide with patience, gentleness, shrewdness, and meekness. There is a lesson here for us. So often we make the difficulties and conflicts in our lives worse by how we respond to them. Very rarely do we respond to wrath with a gentle answer. Very rarely are we patient or gentle when we feel that we (or the people we love) have been attacked. But responding with harsh words and impatience and anger… only makes the situation worse. It only pours gasoline on the fire.

Strive to be more like Esther. Strive to have enough faith that God is at work that you don’t have to go off half-cocked. You don’t have to be harsh in your response. Instead, if you will be gentle, wise, shrewd, and patient… more often than not, it will lead to a better outcome.

Raging Against the Lord

A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

Proverbs 19:3

Is your life in ruins? Have your dreams been dashed? Your hopes come to naught? Are you inwardly (or outwardly) raging against the Lord and blaming Him for your current state of affairs? If so, you need to ask yourself this question... "Is it actually my fault?" 

I've seen it over and over again. As humans we are all too prone to give ourselves way too much credit for the good things that happen in our lives and to give the Lord way too much credit for the bad. We rage against the Lord and ask "How could God let this happen to me?!" When the truth is... we did it to ourselves. 

We chose sin over obedience, our way over God's way, selfishness over service, pride over humility, and the broad path over the narrow way. We sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind. (Hosea 8:7) And now... we want to blame God. Now, we look to Him and ask why. Now, we accuse Him with the question "How could You?"

The sad truth is that when we do this we are only falling for another one of the enemy's tricks. Blaming God and raging against Him won't make your life any better. When your life falls apart you don't need to rage against the Lord, you need to come to Him for help putting the pieces back together. He can do that you know. 

So, be careful not to blame God for the rotten fruit that comes as a direct result of the seeds you planted in your life. Actions have consequences. You sow what you reap. God tells us that in His Word. (Galatians 6:7) Don’t blame or slander Him for what you did. Instead take responsibility for what you caused and look to Him for help.

Dirty Mangers

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

Proverbs 14:4

This proverb helps us see that we have to take the bad with the good. You can’t have an abundant harvest, without the strength of an ox. But there are certain inconveniences that go along with having oxen. Among them are a dirty barn. Oxen have to be fed and their stalls have to be cleaned. So, you have to choose. You can have an empty, clean manger or an abundant harvest. You can't have both.  

This applies to so many areas in our lives, but I have often quoted it about churches. Many say they want more young families. They want their pews to be filled with teens and young children, but they don’t want anyone to be loud in church. They don’t want anyone to dirty the floors or the walls. They don’t want invest money in the children’s ministry or youth ministry. And they don't want to sing any new songs in worship. In other words, they want a growing church without the inconvenience of having to accomodate any change. It just doesn’t work like that. Thankfully, I don't believe that's the attitude at my church.

But there may be some things in your own life that you need to recast in this way. Maybe your messy home is just the price you pay for having happy, healthy kids. Maybe your aching back is the unavoidable cost of still being physically able to do hard work at your age. Maybe your lack of "me time" is the natural outcome of being so indispensable in the lives of your loved ones. You can't have the good without the bad. 

If we can learn to begin thinking about the bad as the price we pay for the good things we want, then maybe we can accept these things with less bitterness and frustration. Maybe we can even begin to look at the dirty mangers in our lives with a small sense of gratitude.

Bothering God?

Each day we are tempted in a thousand different ways to live a life of wickedness. Each day we are told that wickedness brings pleasure. And from time to time, we are tempted... tempted to eat the forbidden fruit. How does the wise person think about this? Why should you live righteously? Is there any benefit to it? According to Proverbs 15:8, there is!

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Proverbs 15:8

There is a minor distinction in this proverb that is easy to miss. It's found in the words sacrifice and prayer. Normally prayers imply that we are asking God for something, whereas sacrifices are about us giving God something. So, in this verse the wicked man is giving God a gift and (more than likely) the upright man is coming before the Lord with some request.

Now, you might be tempted to think that God loves rich people more than poor people because they can give Him big gifts and buy his love. And if the wicked are wealthy by means of unjust gain, then you might be tempted to think that maybe God favors the wicked because they bribe Him with their wealth. But this proverb says that God hates the sacrifices of the wicked. Their gifts are funded by wicked deeds. Their worship is mere lip-service. It is insincere and backed up by a life of sin. Not only does God not appreciate that kind of worship, He detests it!

But what of the upright man? The Bible often pictures upright and righteous people as being poor. And I think that may be what is in view here. Every day this upright man comes to the Lord in prayer to ask for his daily bread. He has nothing of earthly value to give to God. When he does offer a sacrifice, it’s probably the poor man's offering of a pair of doves rather than a lamb, ox, or bull. He can’t afford that! How does God feel about his prayers? How does God feel about this man constantly asking for His help? 

 

Sometimes people think that if they pray too much it will "bother" God. So, they pray less and ask God for His help less, thinking that somehow this is pleasing to Him. But this proverb contradicts that thinking. It says that God is pleased with the prayers of the upright man. God is pleased when His children bring their needs to Him, because this is a form of worship. God would rather have an upright man or woman cry out to Him for help, than have a wicked person give Him a million dollars.

So, understand that it is the condition of your life and your heart that makes your worship pleasing or detestable to God. It isn't how much money you give or what you have to offer. And understand that if you are truly seeking the Lord, then you should never feel like you are "bothering" Him when you come to Him with your needs in prayer. It is actually pleasing to the Lord, when the upright person prayer to Him.

To Know Him is to Fear Him

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

What exactly does it mean to fear the Lord? The word ‘fear’ that is used in this verse (in the original language) means ‘fear, terror, respect, reverence or an attitude of deep respect tinged with awe.’ I think the fear of the Lord is all of these things. I think it is multi-faceted. I think fearing God means that you are filled with “fear, respect and awe” for God in the right proportion at the right time.

Now, I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you don't have a problem with the ideas that we should respect God or be in awe of Him. But the idea that we should fear Him, at all in any way, is hard for some of you to accept. But the simple truth is that no one who rightly comprehends who God is can help but fear Him. 

There is no way you can encounter a God who is perfectly holy- as pure as raging fire, a God who is all-powerful - not just the most powerful being but the source of all power in the entire universe, a God who is all-knowing - who knows you and sees you like no one else does, the Creator of the Heavens and the earth- a God who made everything that has been made, a God who sustains all life (even your life) by His Word, a God with no beginning and no end, a God who has always existed, a God who hates sin and will one day judge all mankind, a God for whom all things exist and without whom nothing would exist… it’s impossible for any creature to rightly comprehend who that God is and not quake in their boots, not fear Him, not bow in awe before Him.

It reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the book Lewis pictures Jesus as a lion named Aslan. When one of the children in the book finds out that she is going to meet this powerful lion, she is understandably nervous. She asks, 

“‘Is he — quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’ 

‘That you will, dearie, and no mistake,’ said Mrs. Beaver, ‘if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.’ 

‘Then he isn’t safe?’ said Lucy. 

‘Safe?’ said Mr. beaver. ‘Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (Collier Books: New York) 1970, p75-76.)

The girl in the story wanted to think of Aslan as a tame lion, but a lion who could be tamed wouldn’t be very powerful would He? Often, we make the same mistake with God. We want to think of Him as tame, when in fact He isn’t. You can’t control God. You can’t predict what He will do. And He is more powerful than you can imagine. But He is good! And this verse tells you that the first step to wisdom is understanding that your knees ought to knock a little bit when you stand in His presence.

Do your knees ever knock when you think about God, when you pray, when you worship? I’m not saying that fear is the only emotion you should feel towards God. We know that can’t be true, because the greatest commandment in all Scripture isn’t that you should fear God but that you should love Him. And yet… you are also commanded to fear Him.So, make sure you “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” (Matthew 22:37) but don’t forget to keep that love holy by mixing in a healthy dose of the fear, respect and awe that He deserves as well.

Train Them Up! (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Many of you know this passage by the King James translation which begins with "train up a child in the way he should go..." I actually like the way the New International Version translates it better. It draws out what the Baker Commentary on the Bible has to say about this verse. It notes that the word for "train" can also be translated "dedicate." It also says that the phrase "the way he should go" is more literally translated "on the mouth of his way." I am not skilled enough in language studies to confirm this, but it seems to be in keeping with the meaning of the passage. Interestingly enough, the word for "way" can mean not only "path" or "road" but also "manner" or "habit." (edited by Walter A. Elwell. Proverbs commentary written by R. K. Harrison,  p.424).

All of this taken together gives us the general thrust of this proverb. I liken it to a sharpshooter aiming at a target that is a long distance off. Even if your aim is only a degree or two off, over such a long distance it is multiplied so that you miss your target altogether. But if you are careful to eliminate the smallest of errors in the beginning, then you have a much better chance of hitting your target. So too with our children. We must do more than merely lay a solid foundation in their early years and hope for the best. We must go far beyond this. After we have laid that foundation we must be diligent to watch for deviations from the path of righteousness and correct their course whenever needed. A minor step away from the Lord at the age of 8, 10, or even 15 can take your child far away from the faith by the time he is 25 or 30.

This reminds me of a saying from one of the early church fathers. Chrysostom said, “To each of you fathers and mothers, I speak: Just as we see artists fashioning their paintings and statues with great precision, so we must care for these wondrous statues of ours. Painters, once they have set the canvas on the easel, paint on it day by day to accomplish their purpose. Sculptors, too, working in marble, proceed in a similar manner; they remove what is unhelpful and add what is lacking. You should proceed in the same way. Like the creators of statues, give all your leisure time to fashioning these wondrous statues of God. As you remove what is unhelpful and add what is lacking, inspect them day by day, to see with which good qualities nature has supplied them so that you can increase these qualities, and to see which faults so that you can eradicate them” (quote taken from Perspectives on Family Ministry by Timothy Paul Jones, p.20).

It is important to remember that the proverbs are not promises. They express what wisdom has found to be generally true. Unfortunately there are those children who will decide to walk away from God in rebellion even after their parents have done all they can do. But on the whole, if we are diligent to dedicate our children to the path of righteousness at a young age and keep them on it, then they will never depart from it, even in their old age after we have gone to be with the Lord. So I charge you to be diligent in raising up your children for the glory of God.

For further reading...

• Deuteronomy 6:1-9- Teach God's commands to your children.
• Ephesians 6:1-4- Don't be too hard on your children.
• Joshua 4:20-24- Set up practical reminders of God's goodness. 

A Refuge in Death

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

Proverbs 14:32

This proverb begins by saying “When calamity comes…” It’s not a question of if but when. Calamity will knock at your door sooner or later. It may come in the form of disease or injury or financial trouble or the loss of a relationship or even death, but it will come. The question is this…when calamity comes for you, will you be ready? Will you have a refuge to run to?

The proverb says that “when calamity comes the wicked are brought down.” The wicked person lives their life balanced on a razor’s edge. Their lifestyle seems exciting and thrilling but it leaves them exposed to danger. And sooner or later, when even the smallest calamity comes their way, they will fall on that razor’s edge that they walk every day.

The wicked person has no refuge in the time of trouble. They can’t expect to receive any help from the God they have spent their life mocking. They can’t expect to receive any help from the family they have caused so much heartache. Nor do they have a single true friend to come to their aid because they have never been a true friend themselves. The wicked man or woman is profoundly susceptible, at risk of being brought down by even the slightest difficulty that enters their life. 

But not so with the righteous! The righteous person has a refuge. It says that even in death, the worst calamity that life throws at us, the righteous have a refuge. Who or what is it? It is their God!

The truth, however, is that none of us are fully righteous on our own. But God has revealed a righteousness from Heaven that comes by faith and not by works (Romans 1:17). And all we must do to receive it is to acknowledge our wickedness and throw ourselves on the mercy of the Heavenly court seeking God’s grace and forgiveness. We must believe on Jesus’s death and resurrection and begin living in obedience to His commands. When we do this our sin is credited to Jesus’ account and Jesus’ righteousness is credited to ours. From that moment on when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Christ. Then we too will have a refuge even in death.

Quit Talking & Get to Work (W.o.W. Rewind)

 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23

Have you ever known someone who was "all talk"? I'm pretty sure I have. The guy I knew was an arrogant 19 year old who claimed to be a champion Mixed Martial Arts fighter in his home country. He used his intimidating demeanor and a stream of threats to compensate for his 5 foot 4 inch 130 pound frame. Being around a person like this can be quite unpleasant, but according to this proverb what's worse is being that person yourself. 

Whether it's a guy issuing empty threats and making false boasts or just someone who indulges their passion for gossip, all that talk gets in the way of actually accomplishing anything. We have all worked with people whose only fault was loving to socialize a little too much, but it still prevented them from being productive at work. Whatever the reason behind the talking, it eats into your productive time. That's why this proverb wisely points out that hard work leads to profit, whereas mere talk leads only to poverty.

Note too that all hard work leads to profit. Think about that! Even if I work hard on a project and fail, still God graces me with the profit of a lesson learned. Still others saw me work hard and my reputation was enhanced. Still I gained skill and discipline through the work. What is gained by mere talk? Nothing. It is prone only to increase our lack, our want, and our poverty. So whatever job you have to do today, set to it with eagerness. Work hard at it! Even if no one else sees you, and even if you get no credit. Rest easy. They can't take your profit away.

Can this be applied to our spiritual life as well? Yes! We must all be careful to guard ourselves against the trap of being "all talk" in regards to our relationship with God. This leads to an especially horrible kind of spiritual poverty called hypocrisy. Jesus pulled no punches when He dealt with religious hypocrites, so apply yourself to pursue your relationship with God not through mere words but through the hard work of seeking after Him. Attend church, teach a class, serve the less fortunate, carve out time to study the Bible, spend time earnestly praying over the needs of others. Trust me. If there is one part of your life that you don't want to be "all talk" in, this is it. Plus, you can be just as sure of the profit that comes from your spiritual work as you are of your physical labors. For the Word says, "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8). So spend some time laboring for God today, not as a means to earn His love, but to see how you might be bettered by it.

Fire Prevention for Churches

Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 26:20

A single match can start a raging fire capable of destroying the largest forest, but only if the conditions are right. Only if there's plenty of fuel to burn. If you drop that same match on a wet patch of grass or in the middle of a dirt path it will simply burn itself out. In the same way, a divisive and angry church member can destroy a church only if the conditions are right. Just like fire, conflict needs fuel to keep burning. 

Proverbs 26:20 tells us that this fuel is gossip. Literally, gossip can be rendered whispering or murmuring. That's what feeds the quarrel and causes it to grow. Without gossip a single, angry church member can't do much damage. He'll burn himself out and leave the church. It's when others start to whisper about what's going on that the conflict spreads. 

As word gets around some people feel the need to take sides (often based more on relational or familial ties than on the details of the situation at hand). Others feel the need to sit in judgment and give their opinion. Many try to apply pressure to church leaders by making passive aggressive threats about what they will do or what "a lot of people" will do if certain actions aren't taken. This is especially destructive, because it blatantly tempts church leaders to consider what will please the congregation when they ought to be prayerfully considering what will please the Lord. We dare not tempt our leaders to turn into man pleasers in such situations! But if we will follow these simple rules, we can create an environment that makes it nearly impossible for large-scale conflict to flare up in our churches. 

When you experience conflict with someone at church, there are only three people you should talk to about it.

1. The person you are mad at. 
2. Church leadership (and this should only be after you are unable to make headway by talking directly to the person with whom you have the problem). 
3. And Jesus.

And if you are not one of these three people then don't talk about it! Refuse to discuss it. Refuse to listen to it. Don't allow yourself to be thrown onto someone else's fire. Don't allow yourself to be used as fuel to destroy a church.

Raging Against the Lord (W.o.W. Rewind)

A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, 

yet their heart rages against the LORD.

(Proverbs 19:3)

Oh, how many times I have been guilty of this. How many times has my heart cried out in anger, "Why did you let this happen to me Lord!? Why didn't you warn me!? Why didn't you remind me!? Why didn't you help me!? How could you do this to me!?" In reality, I know it was my own fault. I know I made a bad choice. I know I failed to remember some important detail, yet I want to blame God. So, my heart rages.

Chances are you do the same, because this is nothing less than the scene from the Garden of Eden played out again and again in our lives. Like Adam and Eve, we want to shift blame from ourselves to someone else, and when no one else is there to take the blame, we shift it onto God. The truth is...God is not to blame. We are. We are the ones that chose to lie, or to betray, or to put off our responsibilities. We are the ones who allowed our arrogance to drive our friends away. We chose laziness over hard work and yet don't understand why God hasn't given us the success that others have. We have run after the world's way of living instead of God's way.

Galatians 6 tells us that there are consequences for our decisions. We reap what we sow. When we sow to the flesh, we reap a harvest of destruction. In essence, this proverb says that when the harvest comes in rotten we shouldn't blame God, but rather should blame the bad seeds of our own behavior that we chose to plant in our life. Even for believers, this rings true. Though our eternal punishment has been covered at the cross, God still disciplines us in Fatherly love here on earth. All of us must live with the consequences for our sin in this life. We dare not blame God for what we brought on ourselves.

Sometimes the most innocent among us suffer at the hands of someone else's sin though. There are those who have been molested or abused, or even the child who is born with deformities. There are some things in this world that happen to us that are not our fault. They do not happen because of our sin but as a result of the sins of others or even of sin in general. Yet, even in these circumstances we have no right to "rage against the Lord." As Job said, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" (Job 2:10) God is God. He cannot now, nor has He ever sinned. These atrocities that happen to us are the result of man's sin, not God's. It isn't fair, and it isn't right. It causes us to long for Heaven where all things will be right. But in the meantime, God gives us reason to rejoice even in these circumstances for the Bible says that God "works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose."

So, let me ask you... What have you been holding against God that you have no right to blame Him for? What have you been blaming on God that you really need take responsibility for yourself? What angry thoughts, words, or actions towards God do you need to repent of today? May the Lord grant both of us more strength and grace to accept the consequences for our faults without blaming Him.


For further reading...

• Genesis 3 (especially verses 8-13)- Check out how Adam and Eve tried to push blame off themselves and onto someone else.
• Galatians 6:1-7 & Romans 6:23- The Bible clearly teaches that there are consequences for our sin.
• Job 1-2:10- There is no doubt that God could have stopped the trouble that came upon Job, yet Job chooses not to "rage against" Him.

Quit Talking and Get to Work

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23

Have you ever known someone who was "all talk"? I'm pretty sure I have. The guy I knew was an arrogant 19 year old who claimed to be a champion Mixed Martial Arts fighter in his home country. He used his intimidating demeanor and a stream of threats to compensate for his 5 foot 4 inch 130 pound frame. Being around a person like this can be quite unpleasant, but according to this proverb what's worse is being that person yourself. 

Whether it's a guy issuing empty threats and making false boasts or just someone who indulges their passion for gossip, all that talk gets in the way of actually accomplishing anything. We have all worked with people whose only fault was loving to socialize a little too much, but it still prevented them from being productive at work. Whatever the reason behind the talking, it eats into your productive time. That's why this proverb wisely points out that hard work leads to profit, whereas mere talk leads only to poverty.

Note too that all hard work leads to profit. Think about that! Even if I work hard on a project and fail, still God graces me with the profit of a lesson learned. Still others saw me work hard and my reputation was enhanced. Still I gained skill and discipline through the work. What is gained by mere talk? Nothing. It is prone only to increase our lack, our want, and our poverty. So whatever job you have to do today, set to it with eagerness. Work hard at it! Even if no one else sees you, and even if you get no credit. Rest easy. They can't take your profit away.

Can this be applied to our spiritual life as well? Yes! We must all be careful to guard ourselves against the trap of being "all talk" in regards to our relationship with God. This leads to an especially horrible kind of spiritual poverty called hypocrisy. Jesus pulled no punches when He dealt with religious hypocrites, so apply yourself to pursue your relationship with God not through mere words but through the hard work of seeking after Him. Attend church, teach a class, serve the less fortunate, carve out time to study the Bible, spend time earnestly praying over the needs of others. Trust me. If there is one part of your life that you don't want to be "all talk" in, this is it. Plus, you can be just as sure of the profit that comes from your spiritual work as you are of your physical labors. For the Word says, "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8). So spend some time laboring for God today, not as a means to earn His love, but to see how you might be bettered by it.

Give and See

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,

 and he will reward them for what they have done.

Proverbs 19:17

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,

 but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Proverbs 28:27

There's always a tension when it comes to giving. I have a limited amount of money and if I give some of that money to feed the poor, fund missions, or support my church; then I have less money to pay my bills, feed my family, and spend on the things I want to do. That's the rub; and my greed, my logic will always try to talk me out of giving sacrificially for those reasons. Frankly, I can always make a logical argument for me needing to keep more of my money to care for my family.

But God's knows this about me, about us, and He meets us right at our place of need. And when it comes to helping poor people (a group which God shows particular concern for) He takes that excuse off the table. God tells us in the proverbs above that when we give to the poor, He charges it to His account. (Jesus says the same about poor believers in Matthew 25:31-46.) He takes it personally. He treats it as a personal loan made to Him, and He promises to pay us back. 

This creates a paradox of sorts. We give but we are promised we will never lack for having given. Proverbs 11:24-25 puts it a little differently, It says "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper." So then as Matthew Henry notes, those who give to the poor are "never the poorer for having given." It could be said that giving to the poor is the surest form of investment. 

Giving sacrificially is an act of trusting God that He will give enough back to me to make sure my family's needs are met. This makes giving an act of faith in God's sovereignty over my finances. He's in control of how much comes my way, if I obey Him then I can trust Him to continue to meet my needs in one way or another. 

Do you trust God to pay off His loans? Do you trust Him to keep His word? Will you step out on faith and give to meet the needs of those starving all across the world? Is your faith strong enough to give sacrificially, to give 'til it hurts a little? Trust God! Give and see what He will do.

The Beauty of Correction

A wise correction to a receptive ear

is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

   Proverbs 25:12

Have you ever had your ears pierced? I haven't but I have seen it done. It stings in the moment, but in the long run your appearance is adorned by a beautiful earring. This proverb tells us that the same is true of wise correction. It stings in the moment but, when heeded, wise correction can make your life and character more beautiful in the long run. 

Listen, no one likes being corrected. It's hard to be confronted with your shortcomings even when it's a loved one speaking to you. It feels even worse when the correction comes from your boss or someone you dislike. But you would do well to listen to correction anyhow. You don't have to accept every criticism that comes your way, but you should do your best to objectively consider them all. Correction is always going to sting. That'll be true either way. Whether you accept it or rage against it, hearing correction is going to hurt your feelings. But if you're willing to listen to the correction and consider if there is any wise counsel in it for you, then that stinging just may be put to good use. If heeded it can make you a better, more beautiful person.

So the next time you are corrected, reprimanded, criticized, or the next time someone offers to help you by giving their unsolicited opinion- ignore the sting. Love yourself enough to stop and listen and see if there is any wisdom in what they are telling you. If not, merely disregard their opinion. But if it rings true, then allow yourself to be corrected and to be made better by it.

Still not convinced? Here are some other proverbs that make the same point. 

• The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
• The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. (Proverbs 15:31-32)
• Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. (Proverbs 19:20)

Divine Interest Rates

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

  will himself call out and not be answered.

Proverbs 21:13

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

  and he will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 19:17

Some time ago I saw a picture of a homeless child in India sitting on the side of the street begging. The child was very small, perhaps four or five. Far too young to be able to fend for himself in any situation, let alone on the street. The caption on the picture spoke of people walking past the boy and ignoring him. It impacted me deeply. I couldn't imagine walking past a small, hungry child who was alone on the streets and doing nothing to help him. I wanted to run over and scoop that child up and take him home with me. What could cause people to grow so cold and unempathizing as to offer no help?

Yet, as I read Proverbs 21:13 I feel a tinge of guilt. I haven't ignored street children sitting at my feet, but haven't I ignored the cries of the poor? In today's world we all have a front row seat to suffering. We've all seen the commercials. We've heard about the ministries and the need. There is desperate need and more good ministries meeting that need in the name of Jesus than you or I could ever provide for on our own. There are orphans, hungry families, the ill, those without the gospel, those without the Bible, those who are persecuted for their faith, those who are forced into slavery or sex-slavery, the homeless, the disabled, and many, many more. It's emotionally exhausting and overwhelming to think about. How should I go about determining which ministry to give to, or how much to give, or (even harder) how much I should keep for myself and my family? We must be careful to avoid allowing our hearts to become hardened to the cries of the poor. God promises to punish those who ignore the need around them. He promises to soften their demeanor by letting them experience need for themselves. Help me, Father, not to be guilty of this great sin. 

But perhaps a little motivation toward righteousness will help too. Consider Proverbs 19:17. In it God promises to bless those who help the poor. Far from being ashamed to associate with poor people, God equates Himself with them. He says that when we give to the poor it's like we are helping Him. In fact, we can give money to the poor in confidence that it's exactly what God wants to bless them with. He promises to view it as a loan and pay us back. Now what kind of interest do you think God pays on His loans? I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that He always repays His debts.

So check your ears today and make sure they are still wide open to hear the cry of the needy. We all have to keep some money back for our own family, but make sure you are giving sacrificially to the opportunities God has placed in your path. Trust me, He'll pay you back. 

Gentle Tongue Vs. Suicidal Water

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Proverbs 25:15

There is a saying in Chinese that when translated states, "Constant dripping of water wears away the stone." This idiom beautifully captures the idea that something as relatively weak as a droplet of water when applied consistently over the long term can overpower something as impervious to change as stone. 

Stone. Sometimes that is exactly what the challenges we face feel like. And like that little droplet of water maybe you feel as though you have been banging your head against a stone. Maybe you have even been banging away at that stone for a long time with no discernible change. I know personally how frustrating this can be. What are we to do? 

I think help can be found in Proverbs 25:15. "Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone." Like the Chinese saying it prompts us to persevere. This Scripture fills me with hope that no matter what challenge I am up against, should it be the Lord's will for me to overcome it, nothing will be able to withstand His plan combined with my never-ending, gentle persistence. 

But this highlights one major difference between the Scriptural proverb and the Chinese saying: gentleness. The Scripture speaks of both an underling trying to persuade a ruler and a tongue trying to break a bone. Both are weak in comparison to their adversary but are not necessarily weak in themselves. They are capable of outbursts of anger, frustration or disrespect. Thus, the proverb is highlighting not only relative weakness, but the wisdom of restraining whatever power you have. If in his frustration the underling the proverb loses control of himself, and disrespects the ruler, then he will never win his case. So it isn't just persistence that we need it is patience in the waiting, it is gentleness in our approach to the problem. This is somewhat at odds with the droplet of water which continually slams itself against the stone. Sure it may get its way in the end, but at what cost?

So don't underestimate the impact of applying gentle pressure to your problems over a long period of time. Don't give up on that family member or friend you have been sharing Jesus with for years. And don't get so frustrated that you yell at them either. Instead, be gently persistent. Are you frustrated with your lack of spiritual growth? Don't beat yourself up and try to change yourself overnight. Instead, make small changes to your daily schedule to make time for the spiritual disciplines, and then ask God's Spirit to help you apply that change over the long haul. Or maybe your problem is a person who is standing in your way. Be careful to apply the wisdom in this passage. Patience and gentleness are the order of the day. Stand firm in your persistence but do it respectfully so you don't give your adversary new reasons to oppose you. Think about it this way. Maybe it's time for you to stop slamming your head into that stone (your problem) and start gently talking to it. 

To be honest, I am not entirely sure how to apply this wisdom to the particular challenges I am facing, but join me this week in prayerfully asking God to give us the to apply this proverb to our problems. 

Treading Water

For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Proverbs 4:3-7

I'm not a very good swimmer. In fact, I don't know much about swimming at all, but I have been to a number of swim meets and I've even watched Olympic swim events on TV. I've seen people compete in the backstroke, the breaststroke, the butterfly, freestyle and many other events. But you know what I have never seen? I've never seen a water treading competition. I even Googled it earlier this week and I can't find a single, major water treading competition. Why?

It's no secret that treading water doesn't get you anywhere. Apart from its use as a survival technique, it's kind of pointless. Plus, it's boring! You aren't moving forward or backward, you are simply maintaining...keeping the status quo...keeping your head above water. Who wants to watch that competition?

This pretty well sums up what many of us do in our day-to-day lives though doesn't it? We aren't really improving ourselves or increasing in knowledge or wisdom, we're just keeping our head above water. We work hard enough to pay the bills and have a little left over for fun and that's all we really want out of life. But the book of Proverbs challenges us over and over again to push for more, not in a materialistic sense, but rather for more knowledge of God, more wisdom and understanding by which we might direct our lives for His glory. This world is a tricky place to live. Jesus calls our enemy the Father of Lies for good reason (John 8:44). The Deceiver is cunning and skilled at leading us into confusion. We need God's wisdom and understanding to live life the way we were intended to and thus to enjoy our lives to the fullest! 

Proverbs 8:10-11 says,

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Think of the great gold rushes of the past in the United States. Men picked up, left their homes, and traveled clear across the country in search of riches. Imagine if we expended even half that effort in our studies of God's Word and His world! Proverbs 4:7 tells us to "Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

Assess your life. Have you grown complacent? Are you merely treading water? Heed God's advice and seek after wisdom with eagerness and urgency. Turn first to the fountain of wisdom: His Word. Pour over God's written Word in Scripture and meditate on God's revealed Word in Jesus Christ. Second seek out godly men and women who can help you understand the mysteries of God's Word and creation. Be sure not to underestimate the gift of your parents in this regard or the gift that you can be to your children. I know that some of us had parents who were flawed at best, parents who excelled at exampling what not to do. But remember God gave you those parents for a reason and we never outgrow the lessons our parents teach us, positive or negative. Rather use those lessons to guide your life, and focus your energy on instructing your children in the way of wisdom and understanding. 

Polycarp and Praise

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

Psalm 89:1-2

"Polycarp of Smyrna was a prominent pastor who had personally known the apostle John. When several Christians were executed at the arena in Smyrna- a city in modern Turkey- the crowd began to chant, 'Find Polycarp!' When confronted, the elderly pastor surrendered peacefully. At the judgment seat the Roman governor said, 'Have respect for your old age. Say "Away with the atheists!"' [Christians were sometimes called atheists by the Romans because they didn't believe in the Roman pantheon of gods.] Polycarp slowly surveyed the throng that surrounded him. Pointing to the very people who considered him to be an atheist because he rejected Roman gods Polycarp said, 'Away with the atheists!' Turning back to the governor, Polycarp declared, 'Eighty-six years, I have served Christ, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king, the one who has saved me? Polycarp was burned alive" (*Jones, Christian History Made Easy, p17).

More than 1800 years after his death Polycarp remains one of the most remembered Christian martyrs. Polycarp is remembered not because of the horrible way in which he died, but because of his admirable faithfulness and steadfast love for the Lord. He's remembered because in the face of certain death, he bravely and convincingly remained true to his God. 

Men like Polycarp are few and far between. Even our everyday interactions with people confirm that faithfulness is a rare human quality. Proverbs 20:6 says, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" 

So let us take a moment to rejoice today that God is not like men. As the psalmist says God's faithfulness is established in the heavens and his steadfast love is built up forever. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). To this kind of faithfulness there are only two right responses. 

First, God's faithfulness merits our praise. As the psalmist says, "Sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with [your] mouth make known [God's] faithfulness to all generations." When was the last time you praised God for the fact that He is always on your side? When did you last brag on God's relentless, never stopping, never giving up love for His children?  

Second, God's faithfulness deserves faithful love in return. We should all emulate the steadfast commitment to God that Polycarp demonstrated so many years ago. Be unwavering in your love for the Lord! Be steadfast in your commitment to Him. And when you feel your feet beginning to slip, remind yourself (as Polycarp did) of God's faithfulness to you. May God's faithfulness inspire you to new heights of service to your King.   

Jones, Timothy Paul, Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing: Torrance, CA. 2009. 

Envy Much?

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18 (NASB)

Who do you envy? Is it a famous person? Someone who makes a living off of sexual innuendo and getting other people to lust after them? Is it a rich person? Someone who shuts their ears to the cries of the poor while they increase their own luxury? The Bible says we should be careful who we envy. Envy in itself is akin to covetousness which breaks one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17). To covet is to be driven by envy to want what someone else has. But do you know what's worse than coveting? Coveting after the yield of sin, because it has the potential to cause even more destruction in your life.

It is tempting to envy the wicked. Often we can relate to the psalmist who says, "For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked... Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth" (Psalm 73:3, 12). Often as we look around us it seems the innocent suffer without end while the wicked prosper. It's easy to conclude with the psalmist, "Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence." It's easy to think that we are missing the boat... that we would be much better off if we began patterning our lives after the prosperous wicked. But God's antidote for this type of wrong-headed thinking is to urge us to live in the fear of the Lord. Why? What does the fear of the Lord have to do with envying sinners? The next verse gives us the clue we need. For those who live in the fear of the Lord, there is a future and their hope will not be cut off. 

This leads us to the same conclusion the psalmist finds: "Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment!" (Psalm 73:17-19a). There is no future hope for the sinner. Their future is God's righteous judgment on their sin. That is why fear of the Lord is the fitting antidote. Fear of the Lord reminds one that God will one day judge the living and the dead, and it urges us to obey His commands to avoid judgment. When we live in the fear of the Lord we preserve our hope and future by choosing to follow God's commands. 

So as you find yourself tempted to envy sinners, read Psalm 73 and remind yourself how it ends. "For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works" (Psalm 73:27-28). And if you have not yet submitted your life to the fear of the Lord by giving your life to Jesus, then choose to repent of your life of sin and ask forgiveness today, surrendering yourself to His way of living life for good. (For more information on becoming a Christian, click here.)

For further reading...

• Read all of Psalm 73.

A Companion of Fools?

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 13:20

Growing up in the South I heard an old proverb that goes like this: "When you hang out in the barn, the animals don't come out smelling like you." This may seem like an odd saying, but almost anyone who has spent time on a farm understands it. Animals smell bad, especially when there are a bunch of them in an enclosed space with their own feces. No matter how good you smell when you go into a barn, you tend to come out smelling like the animals, not vice versa. It is the same in our friendships. When we surround ourselves with a great number of bad influences, the chances are high that our friends' bad habits will rub off on us.

The book of Proverbs rightly warns us to choose our friends wisely and to choose wise friends because our friends have a profound impact on us. Over time we tend to become more and more like them. This principle is picked up not only in the proverb above but in several others as well:

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. (Proverbs 22:24-25)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

I am not suggesting that we should avoid non-Christians altogether. In fact, the Bible has more to say about avoiding Christians who do not live up to their confession of faith (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) than it does about avoiding unbelievers. No, we must associate with unbelievers and engage in relationships with them in order to share Jesus with them. But we should choose carefully with whom we engage in friendships. We don't have to sit in judgment of people, but we should honestly acknowledge that some are better influences on us than others are. We must choose our companions on the road of life wisely, because they tend to affect not only the quality of our travel but also the direction we are headed.

All of our friends have an impact on us. So the question isn't "Are my friends influencing me?" The question is this: "Is the impact my friends have on me positive or negative?" Are your friends sharpening you as iron sharpens iron? Does their presence in your life draw you deeper into Bible study, prayer, and church? Or do they tend to draw you into drunkenness, immorality, anger, conflict, and envy? If your friends impact your life for the worse, then perhaps it's time for you to find some new friends. Finding new friends isn't disloyal because a Christian's primary loyalty is always to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For further reading...

• I Kings 12:1-24- Rehoboam is a classic biblical example of how having fools for friends can lead you astray.
• 1 Corinthians 5:9-13- Read what the Bible says about associating with Christians who do not live up to their confession of faith.
• James 4:3-5- Friendship with the world?

Flattery

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue— those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

Psalm 12:1-4

Flattery seems harmless enough. So what if we "put a little extra butter on the bread" to make someone else feel good about himself? But flattery isn't just bending the truth a little in order to be nice to people. Flattery is buttering someone up with smooth words in order to get something from them. Flattery parades as something that is all about the other person. In reality it is always about the flatterer. He or she wants something and is willing to lie and deceive to get it. They flatter either in the hopes that it will endear them to the person who can give them what they want, or in order to gain the trust of someone whom they plan to betray and steal what they want from. Flattery is nothing more than manipulation for your own ends. The psalmist is right when he says "no one is faithful anymore... Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts."

Listening to flattery is dangerous. Most people agree that flattery sets such an alluring trap because we are all a little too eager to read our own fan mail. We aren't suspicious of flattery because it feeds the vanity that already resides in our hearts. "Finally!", we think. "Someone recognizes me for how great I am." This unchecked and often unnoticed pride makes us all too willing to believe flattery's lies. Proverbs 29:5 rightly warns, "Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet." People don't flatter us to build up our self-esteem, but to take from us what they want. They are baiting us. The employee compliments his boss in order to get a promotion. For men to flatter women with lies in order to get sex is so common a dating practice today that it is hardly even looked down upon anymore.

What are we to do against those who would attack us with such deceptively friendly methods? How can the poor protect themselves from those who gain power through flattery and then use it to extort the needy? Turn to the Lord! Psalm 12 continues: "'Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,' says the Lord. 'I will protect them from those who malign them'” (Psalm 12:5). What an encouragement for the afflicted to hear that God Himself will come to their rescue! But dare they trust God's word? You can almost hear the afflicted scoff. "Sure! God says He will arise and protect me. It sounds too good to be true to me." But the psalmist anticipates this response. "And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times" (Psalm 12:6). He tells us that God's words are not like the flatterer's. God's words can be trusted. They are pure and true. Thus, we can say in confidence, "You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race" (Psalm 12:7-8).

So what can you do in the face of flattery?

1. Turn to God for protection from those who would afflict you with power gained by deceptive means.
2. Ask God for wisdom and discernment to identify flattery when someone tries to use it against you.
3. Regularly read God's Word. It is only as we view ourselves in the light of the truth of His Word that we gain a realistic view of ourselves. This is the best way to kill that remaining pride in our hearts which makes us so susceptible to flattery.
4. And guard your mouth! Remind yourself that the believer should never resort to flattery and manipulation in order to gain for himself what God is so very capable of providing for His children already.

For further reading...

• Proverbs 26:28- They are up to no good!
• Jude 16- Why do they flatter?
• I Thessalonians 2:4-6- Paul never used flattery.