I guess I should apologize to those of you that may have been keeping up with my daily Proverbs. I just totally got behind planning and attending one of the greatest trips ever (coming soon to a blog near you) and then planning and attending a stupid hurricane.
Well this evening I am writing to you in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She has pretty much blown out of town and left behind a lot of water, a lot of leaves on the ground, and a significant bunch of road debris. Thankfully, she didn't do what the predictions said she would and so much of the expected damage never occurred.
One thing did occur that was totally expected. I read on Facebook, Twitter, and text messages of how friends and family were "preparing" for the storm by cooking an abundance of food. I am pretty sure as I watched my wife I began to see the connection. First of all, cooking is a great past-time. It takes your mind off of what is going on outside. You seem to feel like you're getting one over on Sandy if you can still use electricity to prepare several great meals. "We are not going to give in to your threats. You're not gonna make us eat raw hot dogs and cold canned beans." And then when you look at what I saw being cooked, roast beef and mashed potatoes, beef stew, biscuits and gravy, chocolate chip cookies, homemade chicken noodle soup, you pick up on the theme of comfort foods. Cooking them is one comfort, but eating them is a whole different level of comfort.
Well, like I said, the storm blew out and I got to experience a wonderful illustration of how the Lord works so many times in our life. There wasn't really a rainbow that I saw, but figuratively at the end of a storm there is a rainbow and at the end of the rainbow there is a reported pot of gold. For me and my family that pot, instead, was full of Comforting Chicken Noodle soup at Nana's house, along with warm bread, salad she had made, and fresh homemade pumpkin bread. Truthfully, God does seem to bless abundantly after each storm we go through, but as I looked at this evening and considered the threat this super-storm posed on all of us and our homes, a pot of gold could not have held a candle to this meal made with love, with all of us safely gathered around the table. What a blessed Perspective.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wisdom Cries...Hold your peace
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Mark Twain has been attributed with this quotable quote.
Mark Twain has been attributed with this quotable quote.
“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
That sounds pretty close to what we are reading here in the Bible. Some of you have made the pursuit of wisdom a true journey in your life and I thank you. Some of you won't even give it a shot. Well here is a tidbit to help those of you who believe wisdom is neither attainable or worth it. What's great is that if you can find it in yourself to just follow this one simple thought, you have taken a step in right direction and started this journey to a life of wisdom.
It amazes me how folks think so much of themselves that, in their estimation, everyone else must think that much of them as well. We think that because it is our idea, it must be a good idea. Because it is my way, it must be the right way. Now as much as we both want to be treated that way, it just isn't true, nor is it practical. Maybe, just maybe, we should throttle back on the speaking and focus a bit more on listening. Most of you have probably never seen the telephone that I grew up with, but the end that you spoke into had 7 little holes to speak into and the listening end had something like 20. Let's learn from that and spend more time listening than speaking.
Wisdom Cries...Come and get me
Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Something interesting happened as I was typing the verse in. Yeah, I know I could copy and paste it from somewhere, but it helps me to connect with the verse if I type it. Anyway, as I was typing I inserted question marks where there are now exclamation points. Whoops! God, through His word, Wisdom, is not trying to bargain with you or even convince you to try it. He knows how important it is for you to get wisdom. He's not asking. He is telling me and you an absolute truth. Nothing trumps wisdom. All the wealth and possessions of Trump can't trump wisdom.
We are half of the way through the book. Is it starting to sink in? Can you at least begin to see what God has given us in this great book of the Bible? I would be a fool (and a liar) to tell you that I do not want gold or silver. I would also be a fool to make the getting of that gold and silver the thrust or emphasis of my life. Think about the exponential returns of getting wisdom. Getting wisdom, you will gain influence with people. You will make new friends. You will be a great decision maker. Wisdom will make you more valuable in every setting. Wisdom can set you up for a great life with possibly all that you want. Or not. Wisdom may help you see that life is simpler without all of the stuff and people and influence. Either way wisdom will have made your life better here. But that's not really the best part. Sure wisdom will help secure a better life here, but the wisdom that God is offering in His word will help you secure a better life for eternity. Gold is great, but it only helps living people. What do have 30, 40, 50, or 60 years left? Real wisdom never runs out. It has eternal benefits. Chase wisdom.
Something interesting happened as I was typing the verse in. Yeah, I know I could copy and paste it from somewhere, but it helps me to connect with the verse if I type it. Anyway, as I was typing I inserted question marks where there are now exclamation points. Whoops! God, through His word, Wisdom, is not trying to bargain with you or even convince you to try it. He knows how important it is for you to get wisdom. He's not asking. He is telling me and you an absolute truth. Nothing trumps wisdom. All the wealth and possessions of Trump can't trump wisdom.
We are half of the way through the book. Is it starting to sink in? Can you at least begin to see what God has given us in this great book of the Bible? I would be a fool (and a liar) to tell you that I do not want gold or silver. I would also be a fool to make the getting of that gold and silver the thrust or emphasis of my life. Think about the exponential returns of getting wisdom. Getting wisdom, you will gain influence with people. You will make new friends. You will be a great decision maker. Wisdom will make you more valuable in every setting. Wisdom can set you up for a great life with possibly all that you want. Or not. Wisdom may help you see that life is simpler without all of the stuff and people and influence. Either way wisdom will have made your life better here. But that's not really the best part. Sure wisdom will help secure a better life here, but the wisdom that God is offering in His word will help you secure a better life for eternity. Gold is great, but it only helps living people. What do have 30, 40, 50, or 60 years left? Real wisdom never runs out. It has eternal benefits. Chase wisdom.
Wisdom Cries...Answer softly
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Okay, how many of you have stood at the base of a tree looking up into the limbs, watching a hornet nest buzz with activity? Now, how many of you have not just wondered what it would be like to hit it with a rock or a stick? So, how many of you have been stung by a bee as it flees a collapsing home and spots you at the scene of the crime? That, my friends, is stirring up wrath. We all know the danger I just described, whether you have participated in such a risky behavior or not. So why would we do it?
You know what your words can do to someone. You know what buttons to push with some people. You know how harsh or sarcastic you are. Some of you may be saying, "Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?" Well it's my blog so I can embarrass myself if I want to. I have spent too many years foolishly honing my sarcasm to a razor's edge. Let me be all of the proof you need. Think before you speak. Your words have incredible power to build up or tear down, bring hurt or bring healing. I pray that my journey toward wisdom has forever altered the way I communicate with people, but I still fall and suffer the consequences. I will leave you with this question. What has arguing, cussing, berating, and sarcasm truly gotten you? Wisdom says you can get better.
Okay, how many of you have stood at the base of a tree looking up into the limbs, watching a hornet nest buzz with activity? Now, how many of you have not just wondered what it would be like to hit it with a rock or a stick? So, how many of you have been stung by a bee as it flees a collapsing home and spots you at the scene of the crime? That, my friends, is stirring up wrath. We all know the danger I just described, whether you have participated in such a risky behavior or not. So why would we do it?
You know what your words can do to someone. You know what buttons to push with some people. You know how harsh or sarcastic you are. Some of you may be saying, "Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?" Well it's my blog so I can embarrass myself if I want to. I have spent too many years foolishly honing my sarcasm to a razor's edge. Let me be all of the proof you need. Think before you speak. Your words have incredible power to build up or tear down, bring hurt or bring healing. I pray that my journey toward wisdom has forever altered the way I communicate with people, but I still fall and suffer the consequences. I will leave you with this question. What has arguing, cussing, berating, and sarcasm truly gotten you? Wisdom says you can get better.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Wisdom Cries...Die with hope
Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Death and taxes. Everyone knows, right off of the bat, what I am talking about. I am going to die. You are going to die. That sounds like a hopeless situation. Well, if you are trying to get out of it, it is. So since you can't avoid it, what if there were a way to make the most of it? There can still be hope. The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the tomb to provide hope for anyone willing to believe His gospel. I know it may be common to think that when you leave this life, you are just going back to dirt, or even coming back as something or someone else. Of course, there are many that believe in an afterlife or an eternity somewhere, but these all depend on some cosmic scale with good deeds on one side and bad deeds on the other and if the good outweighs the bad, then you get an eternity of bliss. My friend, that is no hope at all. How do you know? Even if you spend your entire life doing good things, your motives are all wrong. You are doing good things for others sure, but you're doing them for your own benefit. That is self-centered and selfish thinking. And so if your motives were able to be piled up on the scale also, where do you think they would go, which side?
Listen my friend, I have a hope in this life for the next. Yeah sure, I do good things, but not because I have to. My eternity isn't "riding" on my performance. My eternity is secure in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. That way, because I love Him, I get to serve Him and others without any backhanded motives. I can't earn God's love or acceptance. I don't have to. You don't either. Stop trying to tip the scales in your favor. Jesus has already done that. You just need to believe in Him and who He is, the perfect Son of God, and confess your sin to Him. Ask Him for forgiveness. Quit worrying about where you might go when you die. You can settle that once and for all. There is hope and it is found in Jesus.
Death and taxes. Everyone knows, right off of the bat, what I am talking about. I am going to die. You are going to die. That sounds like a hopeless situation. Well, if you are trying to get out of it, it is. So since you can't avoid it, what if there were a way to make the most of it? There can still be hope. The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the tomb to provide hope for anyone willing to believe His gospel. I know it may be common to think that when you leave this life, you are just going back to dirt, or even coming back as something or someone else. Of course, there are many that believe in an afterlife or an eternity somewhere, but these all depend on some cosmic scale with good deeds on one side and bad deeds on the other and if the good outweighs the bad, then you get an eternity of bliss. My friend, that is no hope at all. How do you know? Even if you spend your entire life doing good things, your motives are all wrong. You are doing good things for others sure, but you're doing them for your own benefit. That is self-centered and selfish thinking. And so if your motives were able to be piled up on the scale also, where do you think they would go, which side?
Listen my friend, I have a hope in this life for the next. Yeah sure, I do good things, but not because I have to. My eternity isn't "riding" on my performance. My eternity is secure in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. That way, because I love Him, I get to serve Him and others without any backhanded motives. I can't earn God's love or acceptance. I don't have to. You don't either. Stop trying to tip the scales in your favor. Jesus has already done that. You just need to believe in Him and who He is, the perfect Son of God, and confess your sin to Him. Ask Him for forgiveness. Quit worrying about where you might go when you die. You can settle that once and for all. There is hope and it is found in Jesus.
Wisdom Cries...Walk with wise men
Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
One of the things that I am most grateful for, aside from my wife and children, is the presence of wise men in my life. I have truly been blessed by some great men. I guess I was fortunate enough to realize early on, that I was not going to just happen to be the man God would want me to be. I have always been open to direction and help. It seems that may be a dying trait. Especially among males, the thought today is, "I've got this." It is a sign of weakness to accept advice and the cool thing is to disallow any leadership in your life. Well, thankfully, my life is full of wise men that I have gleaned and grown from over the years. Let me challenge you fellas, get with an older wiser man or more than one, and allow them to rub off on you. Respect their wisdom and experience and learn from it. Appreciate it and apply it to your life. Get over yourself and your pride. Let someone in. One thing I am sure you will find out is that you are not the man you think you are. You very well may be the man society thinks you are, but if you will invest some time with a wise man or two, you will see that society has it all wrong.
I must also say that because of the blessing of other men in my life, I had a desire to be the same for someone else. To mentor and be mentored is a very special thing. To mentor is to disciple and you can not do any better work than building people. Your most effective outlet with the gospel will be that close relationship where you can challenge and be challenged. Listen to wisdom, figuratively from this scripture and literally in your life, from other men.
p.s. Ladies, the same goes for you.
One of the things that I am most grateful for, aside from my wife and children, is the presence of wise men in my life. I have truly been blessed by some great men. I guess I was fortunate enough to realize early on, that I was not going to just happen to be the man God would want me to be. I have always been open to direction and help. It seems that may be a dying trait. Especially among males, the thought today is, "I've got this." It is a sign of weakness to accept advice and the cool thing is to disallow any leadership in your life. Well, thankfully, my life is full of wise men that I have gleaned and grown from over the years. Let me challenge you fellas, get with an older wiser man or more than one, and allow them to rub off on you. Respect their wisdom and experience and learn from it. Appreciate it and apply it to your life. Get over yourself and your pride. Let someone in. One thing I am sure you will find out is that you are not the man you think you are. You very well may be the man society thinks you are, but if you will invest some time with a wise man or two, you will see that society has it all wrong.
I must also say that because of the blessing of other men in my life, I had a desire to be the same for someone else. To mentor and be mentored is a very special thing. To mentor is to disciple and you can not do any better work than building people. Your most effective outlet with the gospel will be that close relationship where you can challenge and be challenged. Listen to wisdom, figuratively from this scripture and literally in your life, from other men.
p.s. Ladies, the same goes for you.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wisdom Cries...Crown him
Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
Boy I love this thought. I make no qualms about it...I married up. Now, I ain't (pardon my English) ugly, but I am still amazed after twenty years, at how someone like me could have ended up with a beauty like her. Oh I hear how pretty my wife is and it makes me smile because I agree, but what really puts wind in my sails is when I am reminded by others of how nice or considerate or sweet she is. The Bible calls that virtuous. Ladies, can I encourage you, for all the primping you do to the outside, primp inside. How beautiful a lady would be if she spent as much time before the Lord in prayer as she does before the mirror. Interesting how the writer uses the word picture, a crown, for it is the crown where all of the beauty of a king's character, royalty, and greatness culminates. I have never seen an ugly crown.
Moms and dads, believe me. I know how easy it is to dote all over your little girls. I have two. I have too. And I have to. They are stunning. I am not quite sure I did it completely right, but my wife and I really tried to keep a proper perspective of real beauty. The returns are coming back slowly but surely and I believe we have raised a couple of virtuous women. We told them how attractive they are and you need to do that, especially you Dad. If you don't, she will find someone else that will. But be sure to challenge her to exude beauty from within. It really is prettier. And as much as boys just want to see pretty this and gorgeous that, be sure to instill in them a real appreciation for the inner beauty, the virtue, that will one day make him look like a king.
Boy I love this thought. I make no qualms about it...I married up. Now, I ain't (pardon my English) ugly, but I am still amazed after twenty years, at how someone like me could have ended up with a beauty like her. Oh I hear how pretty my wife is and it makes me smile because I agree, but what really puts wind in my sails is when I am reminded by others of how nice or considerate or sweet she is. The Bible calls that virtuous. Ladies, can I encourage you, for all the primping you do to the outside, primp inside. How beautiful a lady would be if she spent as much time before the Lord in prayer as she does before the mirror. Interesting how the writer uses the word picture, a crown, for it is the crown where all of the beauty of a king's character, royalty, and greatness culminates. I have never seen an ugly crown.
Moms and dads, believe me. I know how easy it is to dote all over your little girls. I have two. I have too. And I have to. They are stunning. I am not quite sure I did it completely right, but my wife and I really tried to keep a proper perspective of real beauty. The returns are coming back slowly but surely and I believe we have raised a couple of virtuous women. We told them how attractive they are and you need to do that, especially you Dad. If you don't, she will find someone else that will. But be sure to challenge her to exude beauty from within. It really is prettier. And as much as boys just want to see pretty this and gorgeous that, be sure to instill in them a real appreciation for the inner beauty, the virtue, that will one day make him look like a king.
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